Seven Essential Tips For Using Ubuntu Feisty Fawn

Ed Albro writes "Matthew Newton, a columnist at PC World, has a great article up on seven things you'll want to change as soon as you start using Feisty Fawn. Some are as simple as making sure the Alt key works right, another gives you step-by-step instructions for turning on the impressive Beryl interface. 'I could spend a whole 'nother column telling you about all the great packages that are not installed by default, but for now I'll just leave you with this bonus tip: If you're running Ubuntu on a laptop and your Wi-Fi card is not detected or supported, try installing the Ndisgtk package (listed as such in Synaptic, but as 'Wireless Windows Drivers' in Add/Remove Applications). Then select the new System, Administration, Windows Wireless Drivers entry in Ubuntu's menu bar.'"

Automatix? Ugh

[joe_cot]

Don't get me wrong: I'm glad Ubuntu is getting the publicity. What bothers me the most about this article, though, is that he suggests that one of the first things you should do is install Automatix

Automatix is simple, and easy to use. It'll automatically install a lot of important stuff -- but it does so in a bad way. Overwriting files, removing dependencies, messing up the ubuntu-desktop metapackage -- name a brute-force method to deal a low blow to your package management system, and Automatix does it in ways that make developers cringe.

This is not usually a problem initially, but eventually you end up paying the piper; when it's time to update to the next version, things break, and it's Automatix's fault. A large portion of problems people experienced moving from Dapper to Edgy were caused by Automatix; Automatix refused to support those problems, and claimed it was our fault. I don't have a problem with Automatix existing, but until they take responsibility for the problems they cause, I'm not going to go recommending it to users. It does more harm than good.

Problem if your connectivity is wireless...

[caluml]

If you're running Ubuntu on a laptop and your Wi-Fi card is not detected or supported, try installing the Ndisgtk package (listed as such in Synaptic, but as 'Wireless Windows Drivers' in Add/Remove Applications). Sucks be to you if your only connectivity is Wireless...

Re:My tip...

[just_another_sean]

Linux needs to mature faster than the jerks coming up with the names

Why? It's grown up nicely with me since 1995. Your whole post is predicated on the idea that the original developers of FOSS just want to make money off it. Usually they don't; they do it for fun, because they love computers, to help out their fellow man, the list goes on and in some cases probably includes making money. But not usually in my experience.

Companies that repackage it all and want to make money may want to spend some time studying branding and marketing but the GNU people aren't trying to sell you anything. They give it to you, no charge, including the blessing to make your own money off it if you choose/can succeed. If you think you can sell GNU software under some fancy name then I will be happy to give your distro a try when it's released. I like to try them all! But you can also be sure I will go back to using my Sarges and Etches and my Drakes and Fawns if your distro ends up sucking, even if you do come up with a clever name.

Great. How to screw up your system

[oxfletch]

So the article is basically "How to install a bunch of shit that wasn't installed by default for good reasons". Not a good idea.

Binary drivers that are completely unsupportable.
A package manager that conflict with the default one.
3D whiz-bang eye candy that's unstable, and requires yet more binary drivers to get 3D.

Magic.

Re:Linux: Not There Yet

[fimbulvetr]

How long is your list for vista/xp?

Xp:

Step 1: Pray you have SP2 to enable firewall.
Step 2: Install 80+ updates. Reboot at least 4 times, probably one crash at least.
Step 3: Install all drivers for all hardware.
Step 4: Download and install A/V software. Suffer 10% performance penalty until the end of time.
Step 5: Download and install browser.
Step 6: Download and install decent text editor.
Step 7: Download and install cd burning software.
Step 8: Download and install dvd playing software.
Step 9: Download and install video software.
Step 10: Download and install music playing software.
Step 11: Disable tons of services in mmc services panel.

Jesus, we're not even close to done. All of these take quite a bit more time than the 7 steps outlined above, and nowhere near as stable...

Re:Great. How to screw up your system

[oxfletch]

Intel graphics chips, whilst commendable, are not available as an add-in card for any existing system. Else, yes, I'd buy one.

There is no solution for 3D with dual-DVI.

"Why Linux users continue to buy products that don't work with free software is beyond me." ... ummm ... some of us keep our systems for a couple of years. That's longer than the intel product has been available. And ... AMD systems?

Re:Linux: Not There Yet

[infinityxi]

Okay you may have a point with some of the tweaks. The right alt key should work like the left but that is a preference and familiarity from Windows, but did you even read the article? What did the guy have to install to make his right alt key work? Oh right, nothing. He had to go into the preferences and set it. It's like control panel except...it's not. I also don't get it, people like you complain when the Linux desktop environment is a complete mirror image of windows or you complain that it isn't exactly like windows down to the last Icon? Which is it? I am sure the right-alt key won't make or break the experience.

Also by your logic Windows isn't ready for the desktop either, which is debated (especially by linux fanboys) but do you call having to go get the driver CD for many different pieces of hardware and installing anti-virus convenient? I think it's just habit and people like you just accept it because you are used to it. I mean Windows is on a hell of a lot more PCs than Linux is (Desktops). You guys hold Linux to this level that is unattainable and I don't think Linux will be for you for a very long time.

Re:Linux: Not There Yet

[wezeldog]

Step 0 (nil?): If you are installing on a Serial ATA/SCSI drive, grab an old 3.5" Floppy drive out of a box in the garage and install it in 'cause setup is only going look for a floppy drive at A: (Or you can slipstream them into your own installer CD. Of course, you would need a functioning OS for that.) I think drive letters are great!!!

In all honesty..

[Mockylock]

What are the new features of the latest version of Ubuntu aside from the 3D desktop toggling? I haven't read much about it, and wondered if there were any breakthrough tools or features.

Re:My tip... and I resent being labeled a troll...

[God of Lemmings]

Parent is not off-topic, and has a point. Using code words rather than version numbers is seriously problematic
when identifying to a new user whether or not they are using the newest version, and to whether or not the packages
they are installing are obsolete.

My personal complaint is the lack of contiguity between releases. I'd really like it if I could install from an old system disk and update it to current without getting "Your system is obsolete" during an update...

Re:Automatix? Ugh

[ricotest]

This is particularly shoddy because Feisty Fawn makes plenty of effort to automate the installation of Flash, Java, audio and video codecs, closed-source nVidia drivers etc. Most of the time it's one click (just like Automatix) and it doesn't corrupt your install either.

It seems this author simply copied his old Edgy Eft guide and shoved on a few new points, because anyone remotely familiar with Feisty Fawn (such as those writing articles about it) would know that Automatix is both dangerous and now, obsolete.

Re:Erm... Open Source needs marketing and PR work!

[N1AK]

Or you could call it Ubuntu 7 - The free one.

Re:Upgrade From Edgy?

[kuzb]

and then hope it doesn't break, lock up your system or outright die because all the mirrors are overloaded. Even on the fastest DSL right now, an upgrade is probably going to take hours. It might be a really good idea to wait a few days before trying this.

Re:if you are running a laptop you should not upgr

[RedBear]

it's confirmed now that on many laptops the kernel has to restart the ata2 interface intermittently and thereby lock up your system for up to 30 seconds at a time essentially rendering your laptop useless.

Wow. That's fantastic. I used to use Linux in various incarnations as my main desktop OS. I root for it every day to continue improving. And it has improved, in so many ways. But it seems to be approaching true polish and usability on an asymptotic curve rather than a more linear progression. When even what are widely considered the best, most usable and user friendly distributions of Linux continue to be shipped out with bad showstopper bugs in full release versions, and basic usability features like automatic determination of your video card and monitor specs are still unreliable, it isn't there yet. Fail.

I still see an awful lot of terminal commands in that article and in the wiki links for fixing problems. I can /bin/sh my way out of a wet paper bag with the best of them, but your typical computer user has never opened so much as a DOS box and has no clue what a command line interface is, nor do they want to know. So one of my most basic prerequisites before I will begin recommending any Linux distro to common users is that everything needs to be fixable without ever descending to the terminal. And I mean EVERYTHING. It's been almost a decade since I started using Linux and I have yet to meet a distro that comes anywhere near meeting this qualification. Every other wiki article or forum post still seems to contain terminal instructions for fixing various things. Fail.

And what the hell is the deal with X11 anyway? Is it really that difficult to build in some fallback safe video modes for unidentified cards or screwed up config files, or to do whatever else is necessary to make sure that the user will ALWAYS be able to get back into his GUI desktop without expert help? That's a rhetorical question, the answer is no. It isn't that difficult to build in some simple fault tolerance in places where inexperienced users often get bitten, trapped and frustrated. How exactly is the user supposed to go search the wiki online for help fixing X11 when he only has one computer available and he can't figure out how to get X11 to start? Come on people. I should not be reading recent articles from users of the most recent and popular distros that talk about getting stuck at the command line. Fail.

I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy or something, but in my opinion this stuff should be top priority for anyone building a distro aimed at non-geeks. Even geeks appreciate a system that's simple to tweak or fix with a few clicks, if the number of migrations from Linux to OS X is any indicator (count me in that group). I'm waiting for the day when a Linux distro can hold a candle to OS X, but in terms of usability it really seems like there has been only marginal improvement over the last few years. So many prerequisite desktop features still have the feeling of being hacked together out of spare parts. The individual components may be coming from standards but the overall system still has no feeling of coherence. If anyone else actually wants to see a Year of the Linux Desktop someday these simple issues have got to be addressed or it will be a loooong time coming.

Note that I have made statements here about my feelings, impressions, and opinions, so don't try to argue with me as if we're talking about factual data. If there were a distro out there that could change my mind I would have already heard about it and tried it out by now. Yes, I continue to test drive recent releases periodically, and no, they haven't changed my mind at all. "Desktop Linux" simply isn't anywhere near the level of usability and coherence it will take to actually threaten Windows or Mac OS X and begin to dominate the home computing world. Developers are aiming way too low.

Re:Linux: Not There Yet

[NotmyNick]

Xp:

Step 1: With the network turned off, right click on My Computer, check the property sheet for SP2.
Step 2: Without SP2, install SP2 from the CD I have for that purpose and restart.
Step 3: Install and run Autopatcher (or any of the competition)from that same CD.
Step 4: Install Anti-virus software from that same CD.
Step 5: Restart.
Step 6: Install Firefox browser and plugins like AdBlock and NoScript from that same CD.
Step 7: Install drivers for printers/scanners.
Step 8: Install whatever personally chosen optional programs the user requires to make the computer useful to them.

I had to pad the list to clear more than 7 steps to a secure Windows. But then, so did you with a bunch of optional crap some of which is technically unnecessary as burning software, text editors and media playing software are already included with the OS itself. I would require that an image editing program like Photoshop or PSP be installed. I'd also like Exact Audio Copy and Nero, plus Cygwin. But that's me. Other people may have other needs.

Notice too that if SP2 were already there (It was released in 2004 after all), it would be 6 steps. I have never had to install drivers for anything other than a smart device like a scanner since Win2k. Even relative oddities like USB network adaptors have always just worked. Sometimes the manufacturers' install will give you more functionality, but basic operation is straightforward.