Ubuntu 10.10 Beta Released 291
RandyDownes sends word that Canonical has released the beta version of Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat). The release announcement boasts faster boot times, GNOME 2.31, and a speedier version of Evolution. In addition, "The Ubuntu Software Center has an updated look and feel, including the new 'Featured' and 'What's New' views for showcasing applications, and an improved package description view. You can now easily access your package installation history too." The release notes and download page are both available.
Lucid (Score:2, Insightful)
I hope they fixed or tossed ureadahead (Score:3, Insightful)
Ubuntu 10.04 has got to be the most fragile Linux I've used in ten years. Are there any filesystems that can't be mounted? Then NO BOOT FOR YOU!
I'll admit I like how fast it boots when ureadahead works, but I'm willing to wait an extra minute for the boot to finish, if that means I actually do get to boot instead of having to boot from a rescue CD and comment-out or "noauto" the problem filesystem in fstab.
Maybe this time... (Score:1, Insightful)
Dual monitor support will work correctly... oh wait, no that's an X issue.
I won't have to monkey with my audio drivers again... doubtful.
Windows won't randomly grab focus when I'm moving another window... (this is the weirdest issue from 10.04 I've ever seen)
I can get correct output to a television via DVI... ah crap nope still gotta monkey with the X config... but in MS Windows it just works.
Seriously, I run Ubuntu on 4 different machines and I'm tired of continually fucking with all of the settings.
Re:So where's the "close" button this time? (Score:1, Insightful)
So basically you think the entire beta distro is pretty much perfect, except the worse problem you can find with it is a single user changable setting doesn't default to your preference?
That really is amazing!
Re:for pay software (Score:3, Insightful)
You could say the same thing about "Protestants and Catholics", "Muslims and Christians" or even "Theists and Atheists". For exactly the same reasons.
Release early, release often. (Score:4, Insightful)
It allows (in theory) for the faster development of the system. The new code goes through a short testing cycle and gets out into the public twice a year.
No matter how much effort you put into testing, it always seems like the majority of the bugs are only found once it is released.
Re:So where's the "close" button this time? (Score:4, Insightful)
What do you care? You have already posted before that you will never try Linux again and plan on sticking with Windows... Which is fine, but there is NO need for you to be asking that question.
Re:Maybe this time... (Score:2, Insightful)
7300LE and 8800GT aren't good enough?
Seriously, I *always* have to tweak modelines and shit, and yes I'm sure it's the television I have, but in Windows it at least looks "OK" out of the box.
P.S. Also, you are the exact Linux user that makes the community fucked. "It works for me, maybe you're a moron and your hardware sucks" is not a very good response. I thought Linux was supposed to be able to run on *anything* right?
Sadly, with Ubuntu, one thing is perpetual (Score:2, Insightful)
Ugliness! Now Say I am a troll but default Ubuntu is ugly and therefore not pleasing to the eyes. When one slaps another desktop environment on it, things get appreciably better.
Re:Flickery Display using S-Video under Intel i945 (Score:4, Insightful)
Use "i915.modeset=0"
Ubuntu! Bringing Linux to grandma's desktop today!
Re:Flickery Display using S-Video under Intel i945 (Score:3, Insightful)
It depends. In my case, if my parent's computer messes up, I'm the one they call for tech support anyways, no matter what the OS.
Re:Maybe this time... (Score:3, Insightful)
This is my gripe about Ubuntu and much open source or "free" software. Ok, first, yes, it's free, so I have no right to complain. Second here's my complaint: they keep putting in effort in places that really don't seem important while neglecting those that do matter. A possibly non-Ubuntu specific example from this month. I upgraded to 10.04 which brought in a newer Thunderbird. This Thunderbird places its user directory in a different directory than the version I was using then makes a symlink to there from the old location. Result Beagle no longer works on TBird mail. I *really* liked Beagle's mail treatment. So now I either have to learn how to remake Beagle (and learn to use Mono?) or remake TBird. Beagle is no longer supported and Tracker doesn't do what I want. So I'm in for some significant work either way just because somebody wanted to change the name of a directory.
And yes dual monitor support is a little screwy too... it's something I expect to "just work" in this day and age. And even ignoring the button placement the default theme just looks terrible with TBird (folders with new mail are de-emphasized???) and some other apps so I have to go looking through themes to find something I want... more work because someone screwed around with something that didn't need changing.
Most people have better things to do with their time than try to overcome the effects of tinkerers with too much time on their hands. I'm getting to the point of either finding another distribution to use or abandoning Linux altogether.
Re:A few thoughts (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes it is in order to meet their stupid release deadlines. As an example copying CDs to a file was broken in the default install of Lucid. Not sure if it's been fixed yet for maverick or even lucid, haven't had time to check.
Re:So where's the "close" button this time? (Score:4, Insightful)
Thinking that editing a gconf value or changing a desktop theme is as simple as turning a paper upside down to the average Joe PC user.
but we're talking Gnome, on Ubuntu, which is a flavor of Linux. None of these terms encapsulate "average Joe PC user". The expectations are a bit higher.
Outside of this, it is far easier to switch your buttons/theme on Gnome (or KDE, or XFCE, or whatever windows manager you like) then it is to switch them in Windows or OS X. In neither of these can you really muck with the GUI outside of using 3rd party tools.
If you use Ubuntu daily, and you complain about where the buttons are, then I have very little sympathy for you. Ubuntu is far more customizable than any of the mainstream OSs. You actually have a choice on where you want your buttons.
If you don't like it, and are too lazy to spend 10 second on Googling the simple solution, then download a different distro that puts the buttons where you want them on install.
Re:So where's the "close" button this time? (Score:4, Insightful)
No, some things are also stolen, then "invented" by Apple too.
Seriously, when 10.04 came out with the buttons in the upper left, I thought it was misguided too. But for kicks, I decided to leave them that way to see if it was actually usable for me. Guess what? After a day or two, I liked it. I haven't changed them.
You know, I really think it just comes down to spatial memory. After having used 10.04 with the buttons in the upper left, whenever I go and use a windows machine, my eyes automatically go there looking for the buttons.
Re:Flickery Display using S-Video under Intel i945 (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly. I get so tired of the "waaaah, my grandma cant do $X without help on it" complaints. Our elders are always asking for help with their computers no matter what software is on it. If they need help, either help them, or tell them to buy a support contract (or buy one for them if you're nice and can afford it).
Eventually they'll die and wont need tech support anymore.
Soon after that technology will start confusing the shit out of you and you'll be asking your kids for help.
Get over it.
Re:Flickery Display using S-Video under Intel i945 (Score:3, Insightful)
I know perfectly well what my grandma is using her PC for, I will set up everything for her anyway.
If there's a problem, I am still the one who is being asked about it, so I better use a system which doesn't break that easy.
So yeah, my grandmas* don't know what ssh with reverse forwarding is, but they have it set up so I can log on to them any time from anywhere (their PCs connect to my shell server). Important is, they can't break anything, they don't have root password. If there's an issue I can fix it in no time using ssh or (forwarded as well) vnc. Hell, they don't know what a terminal IS, that's what I'm for!
Could they install or configure an OS themselves? No. Can they use any OS I show them how to use (where the browser is, where the pictures are etc.)? Yes. Have I been bothered more often when they weren't using Linux? Hell yes!
So Linux IS grandma-ready.
*ok, my grandma doesn't have a PC, but my mom an my aunt do and technically they are grandmas.