Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS Long-Term Review

[Wesley]

So, Canonical's latest OS, 12.04 LTS, is now out for public consumption, and I've been fiddling with it in a virtual machine. I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet, mostly because I dabbled in Linux as a hobby, rather than an exercise to actually learn it and use it like it was meant to be. I've been thinking about how I could actually give this a real test, considering most of my work is done from within Windows and I have a large collection of Windows-based games. I certainly can't do that on my work computer ; dual-booting was out of the question as I'm not one to take chances with stuffing up my original install. I've already mentioned that I'm a lazy guy and I don't want to have to fix GRUB, or LILO or any of the other boot loaders my machine has had installed on it in the past.

So I'm using an old laptop for my long-term review. I'll have to hook it up to my keyboard and mouse because there's no way in hell I'm moving back to a trackpad for work, but its going to take place of my desktop for now. I'll be exploiting the OS as much as I can and learning more in-depth about it at the same time. Its not enough that I just use it for writing and editing photos (that much is easy enough to do on any platform) but I'm going to start learning how to administer it, how the new Universal Search bar takes over everything you do in a menu and how extras like Ubuntu's Cloud and third-party music and movie services work for the average Joe.

Linky

[willbeonekenobi]

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is the first time that a Linux Distro has been reviewed on the site. If ppl are interested enough, they should at least grab the iso for the distrobution that you are reviewing from http://www.ubuntu.com and give it a try.

1st thing to remember about linux is that it is very different to windows and there is a huge community out there to help you if you need help (from something basic to something that is extremely difficult) and it is being improved faster than windows can ever be done.

Also on a gaming front ppl will be surprised that Steam and the Source Engine is being ported to Linux (valve is currently working on it, proof here and in video below.



Also EA (my favorite worst company in the world) also released two free to play games on the Ubuntu Software Centre (they did that yesterday) and I'm sure they also promised more games on the horizon. There are also tons of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) that cover your daily needs <like word processing and web browsing> and are compatible with most Microsoft or other closes source companies formats.

Also remember the Humble Bundle's, every game released in each bundle also gets a linux copy <f.y.i linux users for the past few bundles have been more generous that mac and windows users>, There are plenty of kickstarter games that are confirmed to be released on linux like Wasteland 2, double fine adventure and many others.

Also don't forget a there is a program called WINE which is a program designed to try and run programs designed for Windows with some of the most popular games working out of the box (WoW, Starcraft 2, Left 4 dead, the Call of Duty games etc).

In fact my first time with Linux happened almost by accident because my brother gave me a wrong cd and I ended up with an old version of Knoppix, and since then I have always dual booted my pc's with windows and a linux distro and since Oct 2004 that distro has been Ubuntu <because they initially sent out cd's for free>, and they have improved in almost every single way with every single release. I have used other distro's in some form or another just to see if they are any good and how different they are for Ubuntu.

Maybe NAG would be willing to put it on the dvd and a virtualisation program for the readers to try out (and burn the iso to install it which is quick <20 to 30 minutes depending if you are downloading the updates and codecs at the same time, which is something you cannot do in window> and very easy to install (I think it is easier to install than windows as you don't have to worry about activating the software or product keys).

So now I am going to end my rant in what is probably the longest post that I have ever made on this site and hope to see more linux in NAG (even if it is on the forum).

[GeometriX]

Maybe NAG would be willing to put it on the dvd

Not a chance. The website is practically infinite in terms of what we can cover, the magazine is quite the opposite. The DVD is even more strapped for space.

[XERXES]

Good that you guys are reviewing some distros, I've been on Mint the last two months and have literally loved every second of it, best distro I've ever had, I was thinking of trying Arch next but it looks like a lot of trouble and I don't really have time for that right now.

[Wesley]

Maybe NAG would be willing to put it on the dvd and a virtualisation program for the readers to try out (and burn the iso to install it which is quick <20 to 30 minutes depending if you are downloading the updates and codecs at the same time, which is something you cannot do in window> and very easy to install (I think it is easier to install than windows as you don't have to worry about activating the software or product keys).

That's what PC Format is for :-P

I know about WINE and all the other niceties that come with Linux, but I'm more looking into how its going to matter to the average Joe than to people like us. Yes, I know it'd be great if we could all find a solid way to not pay Microsoft fees, but its kinda like reinventing the wheel now, and the steps necessary to get even Internet Explorer to run on Linux with WINE isn't feasible. With modern games that are more or less compatible, then its perhaps an option, but not right now. If people need that kind of functionality, if they need an alternative to Windows that runs some ports of Microsoft apps or native ones that are better, there's always OSX.

There are plenty of sites out there that offer their reviews of distributions and cater more for the geek squad who wants to stick to the man or go free for whatever reason. I actually prefer Windows to anything else mostly because I've become so familiar and accustomed to it, and decided I needed something else to stimulate my mind when it comes to software. There are lots of people out there who could benefit from running Linux because they needn't be so Microsoft-dependent, and that's where I'm coming from and those are the people I'm going to try address.

[Wesley]

Update: So, the laptop decided to show me the finger and refused to boot. Its old, so I'll just let it gather dust until I know what to do with it. In the meantime, I've got Ubuntu installed in Virtualbox and getting everything like the 3D accelleration working. So far its okay, but there are glaring omissions and UI issues that will bug me and don't make sense. Most of all is the lack of any GoogleTalk applications. You have to download Pidgin, set up the Jabber plugin in Pangolin's built-in chat and only then can you actually talk to people.

I don't like Chat. Its a good idea, but poorly implemented for my use case. There's a thousand other things it could do, but the fact that its still a local chat client and doesn't have any built-in functionality for Facebook chat, GoogleTalk or even MSN is going to put people off using it.

Also, screenshot doesn't work inside a virtual machine. Damnit.

I won't even mention the method for installing Catalyst drivers at the moment, its a pain.

[Wesley]

Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal is available starting today

Its been a long time coming, but the final version of Ubuntu 12.10, codename Quantal Quetzal, goes live today and will be available from Canonical's servers very shortly. The second Ubuntu release of the year generally is more on the bleeding edge than the LTS and features a new lock screen, revised network stack and so much more. And with Unity 6.8 and the universal search and command bar, it promises more productivity than ever before. I think Linux on desktops and notebooks has a far better chance of grabbing market share this year as more Windows users become disgruntled with the changes in Windows 8 (which is good, really). I previously promised a Linux comparison and with my coverage of Windows 8 that fell by the wayside, but I will be picking it up again shortly.

Download the latest version: Ubuntu.com (may take a while for the image to seed on the server)

[Wesley]

Hello and good afternoon, Forumites. I'm about to embark on a series of posts over the next few weeks detailing my experience with Ubuntu 12.04 and the Linux Steam beta. I have the ISO on a flash drive and I'm about to install it in the next five minutes to a separate drive (no dual-booting for me, don't want any funny business from Windows 8). Wish me luck!

Edit: And I'm in! Doing an update to apt-get to update the package sources and then I'm off to go find some drivers for my HD6870.

[Wesley]

First few issues:

1) I ****ing hate Pulse Audio with a passion. It was a major dealbreaker for me in college and its still ****ty now because sound support on my board is broken. I have to edit a few files using gedit to see if I can fix things

2) While the graphics drivers might be proprietary, installing it does monopolise the use of a few system files. You can't download the drivers in the software canter, so if you were downloading some other app you'd have to stop that install just fo be safe.

3) So far as I've seen, installing apps using the software center doesn't always use local mirrors while apt-get does. Its a bit annoying, but something that I hope will be fixed later.

4) Having the close, minimise and maximise buttons on the left is very disorientating. My hand has to forget all of its usual habits now.

[Wesley]

Aaaaaaand there it is:



I think my eyes are welling up...

[Sylar_dl]

First few issues:

4) Having the close, minimise and maximise buttons on the left is very disorientating. My hand has to forget all of its usual habits now.

Is the buttons on the left thing caused because Microsoft patented buttons on the right, in all linux based os I've seen buttons on the left

[Wesley]

Is the buttons on the left thing caused because Microsoft patented buttons on the right, in all linux based os I've seen buttons on the left

This is the entire reason why:



When Canonical went on their design changing spree with the introduction of Unity in 10.04 Lucid Lynx, which is basically the Windows 8 Taskbar on the left-side of the screen, they probably had a few users who said that it felt just like Windows with the taskbar on the side and it was cool. They also decided to please some of the Mac users who didn't like Apple's way of doing things and put the controls on the left-side of the window, so they would feel more at home. So now the UI is like some twisted love-child of the two OSes and feels totally awkward for the first few days.

Edit:

I've actually gotten so used to the layout that I changed the taskbar to keep things familiar.

[Sylar_dl]

This is the entire reason why:



When Canonical went on their design changing spree with the introduction of Unity in 10.04 Lucid Lynx, which is basically the Windows 8 Taskbar on the left-side of the screen, they probably had a few users who said that it felt just like Windows with the taskbar on the side and it was cool. They also decided to please some of the Mac users who didn't like Apple's way of doing things and put the controls on the left-side of the window, so they would feel more at home. So now the UI is like some twisted love-child of the two OSes and feels totally awkward for the first few days.

Oh interesting, thanks