Does anyone else consistently have bad experiences with Ubuntu? I've unintentionally made a handful of people really hate Linux by suggesting they try Ubuntu. The smooth install makes you think it's working well. You probably don't notice the problems for a while and you think "WOW non-geeks could actually use this." Then you try to burn an audio CD or use bluetooth or whatever and it doesn't work. You search on Google for a fix and you think "WOW The community support is awesome." Then you do what the community suggests and it not only doesn't fix it but it makes things worse. So, you reinstall. The six month release cycle just doesn't leave enough time to work out all of the quirks and update all of the community docs before the next version comes out. When people just want to copy an audio CD or perform some other basic task and it doesn't work, they (rightfully) get pissed. *sigh* James Gray <jamespgray@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi All, there will be a release party for the newest version of Ubuntu on the 23rd in Boston.

There will be plenty of food and fellow Ubuntu enthusiasts. There will probably be desktop CDs as well.

Date: Thursday April 23rd 2009 Time: 7PM to 10PM Where: Globe Bar & Grill, Boston _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug@mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

I've had very few problems. I wouldn't just google for an answer though. The official Ubuntu forums are quite helpful and accurate. A random post revealed by a generic search may not be as fruitful. Besides, if someone has a problem copying a CD, I'd first suspect PEBCAK... ---- Nick Nassar <nassar@alum.wpi.edu> wrote: ============= Does anyone else consistently have bad experiences with Ubuntu? I've unintentionally made a handful of people really hate Linux by suggesting they try Ubuntu. The smooth install makes you think it's working well. You probably don't notice the problems for a while and you think "WOW non-geeks could actually use this." Then you try to burn an audio CD or use bluetooth or whatever and it doesn't work. You search on Google for a fix and you think "WOW The community support is awesome." Then you do what the community suggests and it not only doesn't fix it but it makes things worse. So, you reinstall. The six month release cycle just doesn't leave enough time to work out all of the quirks and update all of the community docs before the next version comes out. When people just want to copy an audio CD or perform some other basic task and it doesn't work, they (rightfully) get pissed. *sigh* James Gray <jamespgray@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi All, there will be a release party for the newest version of Ubuntu on the 23rd in Boston.

There will be plenty of food and fellow Ubuntu enthusiasts. There will probably be desktop CDs as well.

Date: Thursday April 23rd 2009 Time: 7PM to 10PM Where: Globe Bar & Grill, Boston _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug@mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Wlug mailing list Wlug@mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Interesting to hear other complaints about Xorg in Ubu. Using Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy, I am having trouble with a just-purchased Asus mobo and processor* in my newly assembled desktop rig. It will run my monitor in only VGA mode, when the previous computer with its older mobo & processor (running Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy) ran it in DVI mode. Using the DVI cable (or another DVI cable) it does not see this monitor at all. We even RMA'd the mobo and got a replacement, but it was not the output from the mobo that was the problem. * ASUS M3A78-CM; AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600 Brisbane 2.9GHz Hard to find how or where to set up this monitor to run right. I have to reset the monitor specs every time I reboot, or the refresh rate is unbearable and full of artifacts. There's a wizard-like prog that will reset the monitor specs, but not-quite well enough, and the settings don't seem to keep, after a reboot. Not sure this is exactly a Ubuntu problem, but one would think it could use the mobo to its advertised potential --it has a DVI output-capable chip. Previous to this build, the monitor ran fine as DVI in Debian Etch and Lenny. The older computer ran Debian Lenny very nicely after upgrading from Etch, which ran for a couple of years very successfully. It just didn't have enough memory & so forth, so we built this new one. About the no-DVI complaint, an ASUS telephone tech said to update the BIOS and/or to go get whatever new drivers may or may not be available --no sure answer. He's just reading out of a manual. But this mobo (with factory BIOS) recognized a different flatscreen DVI monitor just fine --it just wasn't my monitor. The Xorg strangeness, plus various drivers and the modules that aren't always included in the new releases or updates, make these headaches. Also when I reboot, I have to reinitialize the network. That's a mildly annoying thing. This seems to be new, not sure it's the recent Ubuntu updates, or what. Wish I could say I have several friends who have converted to Ubuntu, but I have only one. He is so happy with his old Ubuntu (previous to Gutsy), that he'll have to do a clean install of a newer version at some point soon. But I think I will recommend Lenny for him, too. The good news is that since Dec. 08, my teenage child unit is running Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy on the same mobo with a similar processor, using a newer monitor, and she's very happy. This kid was raised with various flavors of Linux til about 18 months ago, when she inherited a monster dual Xeon thing that ran Win XP and blue LEDs for about a year. When that fried, she was pleased to find that Ubuntu 8.04 on the new rig could do whatever she needed (including iPod), and we were pleased not to have to tweak it much. Ubu updates have not broken anything in her rig. Ubuntu issues too many kernel updates, that don't always include what they should have, or that break things, such as the audio. When audio breaks, that creates another whole set of headaches. We somewhat have the fixit procedure for that down by now, but why the deveolpers don't is a mystery. Maybe it's fixed in Intrepid, who knows. Running Hardy here, since it's supposedly the long-term support version. Debian just seems to be much more sensible about when to call a release "done" or "stable" and to issue it as a complete and ready-to-go OS. Now hoping that a clean install of Lenny (stable) will cure the monitor woes. The Ubu release party might be fun if we lived 2 blocks away, maybe. Peas & Lite to all, Liz J formerly KC3XX

Agree, Ubuntu is pretty good & getting better all the time. Update here: Lenny installed very nicely & so far is rock solid, running the CPU less (Xorg was somehow using lots of CPU in Ubu Hardy), and things generally smoother all round. Still working on my DVI issue... monotor mfr assures me the latest driver will fixit. I like Lenny better by a considerable margin. Liz J