Code Name, Theming Update Announced For Ubuntu 12.10 285
benfrog writes "In a blog post, Mark Shuttleworth announced some changes for Ubuntu 12.10 (due in October), including the code name (Quantal Quetzal — no, really) and a theme update. He said, 'That will kick off with a project on typography to make sure we are expressing ourselves with crystal clarity – making the most of Ubuntu’s Light and Medium font weights for a start. And a project on iconography, with the University of Reading, to refine the look of apps and interfaces throughout the platform. It’s amazing how quaint the early releases of Ubuntu look compared to the current style. And we’re only just getting started! In our artistic explorations we want to embrace tessellation as an expression of the part-digital, part-organic nature of Ubuntu.' Some other more meaningful announcements include a focus on the cloud in the server version and the lack of a transition from Upstart to systemd."
"Quaint" (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:"Quaint" (Score:5, Interesting)
I think he's referring to the artwork there. And I must agree. Some icons look a lot better now, and programs like update manager look a lot better, and cleaner. The current LightDM login screen is way cooler than the old GDM one. Though I can't make head or tail of the Software Centre's icon ,not at the size I usually see it (looks like a shopping bag or something?).
Meh, Software Center (Score:5, Informative)
I dumped that for Synaptic Package Manager as soon as I could.
Don't need to be loading lots of graphics and junk on my lightweight netbook when I'm just trying to manage packages through a menu.
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My biggest gripe with the Software Centre is that not everything is in there. Try searching it for apache.
I know - it only shows up if you search for "apache2" and even then - none of the additional plugin components show. What the ...?
I tend to mostly use "apt-cache search" and "apt-get" for my needs these days. Still faster to find and install what you are looking for than either synaptic or Software Centre.
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For Apache, don't you have to search for httpd?
I had problems w/ Synaptic - it would normally do a bad job installing apps I had just downloaded. For tarballs, just forget it. This was under an RHEL based distro, which is why any RHEL distro is out of the question for me.
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Re:Meh, Software Center (Score:5, Funny)
You can also install it through the software manager.
Re:Meh, Software Center (Score:5, Informative)
The software centre took forever to load in 11.10, but is waaaaay faster in 12.04. It's actually usable now and I prefer it to Synaptic for my simple needs because the installations are handled by a daemon: you can start something installing, queue up a bunch more installations, close the GUI, and it will keep downloading/installing everything in the background.
Shopping bag means an app store nowadays (Score:2)
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Mr. Shuttleworth, a moment if you will...
All the Ubuntu users that I know (x>0) want 8.04.4 interface with updated package versions.
Maybe you could package it as "Working Wombat".
The new "wishes-it-was-Windows-7-and-also-Mac" interface stands in the way of usability.
Thank you. Carry on.
oblig. Red v Blue (Score:5, Funny)
What? (Score:4, Funny)
>part-digital, part-organic nature of Ubuntu.'
Don't tell me they're going to make my desktop start smelling brown, too....
I actually like the fact that Ubuntu is very organized and providing a direction for Linux desktops, but their UI choices have been idiosyncratic, to say the least.
Quite different... (Score:5, Funny)
They've released a few screenshots [digitaltrends.com] demonstrating the cleaner, lighter typeface [gawkerassets.com] and refined iconography. [imgur.com]
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I actually kind of like the typeface used in the new Windows stuff. While I think it's being overused and the capitalization (or lackthereof) bugs me, it isn't inherently horrible. *coughComicSans*
Windows 8 desktop vs. GNOME fallback (Score:2)
At least [a screenshot of Windows 8's Metro-style start panel] still nowhere near as hideous as Windows 8 will be. Can you imagine if Microsoft designed the whole UI like that?
At least Microsoft still leaves the old UI installed by default and fully supported. A press of the super key toggles between the traditional Windows 7-style desktop and the new metrosexual start panel. (That's more than "app status" to me.) To match that, Canonical would actually have to put some effort into making a usable GNOME fallback, such as by adopting GNOME 2-based MATE or GNOME 3-based Cinnamon.
People would flock to Mac/Linux in droves!
Yes, if Microsoft were to force all applications to run as Metro-style applications in the start panel,
The next year's release... (Score:4, Insightful)
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That's the version after the next. The next should be Regressive Rodent.
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I can't wait (Score:2)
I can't wait for the release of Ubuntu Varicose Veins
I stopped installing stupidly named software (Score:2)
Libre Office is hanging on by a thread though.
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BTW I used to have a '65 Stang, and I always thought the later "Fox body" moniker was a bit goofy itself. -p.s not that seriously. - relax.
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Right, because they totally don't use the "internal" code name on, well, everything.
Damnit I lost the pool! (Score:2)
I had "Probing Penis"
Taken (Score:2)
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Pungent Pussy?
Rancid Raccoon?
Subdued Snake?
Angry Ant?
Zealous Zebra?
Choking Chimpanzee?
Broken Baboon?
Crazy Cow? (in honor of the Mad Cow story)
Titillating Tit-Mouse?
glad I wandered away (Score:2)
gee willikers your top priorities on an operating system is a theme, icons and fonts! Good thing its open source so that everyone will get a glimpse of the brilliance it takes to make an OS that is perfect in any situation, so you have all this time to piss away making a theme that 90% of the people will change instantly!
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It's generally agreed among those who use it that (GNU)Linux has been a good OS for years, and its greatest lack was marketing. People who already know that aren't bothered that some distros are working on making Linux shiny for the masses, while many who have yet to realize it will soon have that opportunity, now that the interface looks drastically less klunky.
Ubuntu can afford to make appearance their top priority (I'm just running with your assumption here) because the groundwork's been done. Meanwhile,
Advice: Overuse of the Red Channel in Colors (Score:5, Interesting)
Red is the color of alarm, of fear. It is abrasive to the eyes and to our visual processing system and is often used to signify errors for these reasons.
I know it seems unoriginal but Ubuntu needs to move over to a blue/green color palette. Mac OS X and Windows screens heavily utilize blue for this reason. It is psychologically soothing. It makes you feel like you're awash in the operating system as opposed to standing apart from it. I think if Ubuntu switches over to bluish colors we'll see a sharp increase in adoption.
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its better than baby vomit and brown, or tarnished silver, purple, and charcoal, but yea, if theres one thing Ubuntu does perfectly, its make a fugly theme
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Yeah in the UI of the ATC system I work on red is only used for emergencies, nothing else. The actual colors are very subdued, even when red it used, but it stands out when it is used.
Quantal Quetzal (Score:3)
Oh yeah, colours? My rule of thumb is not to use anything, the name of which I cannot pronounce without doubting myself.
Also I actually USE a COMPUTER as opposed to a netblet tablet bablet , so if it's unity then it's DOA for me.
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Red is the color of alarm, of fear. It is abrasive to the eyes and to our visual processing system and is often used to signify errors for these reasons.
I hate humans.
Mac OS X and Windows screens heavily utilize blue for this reason. It is psychologically soothing. It makes you feel like you're awash in the operating system as opposed to standing apart from it.
I really hate humans.
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Ok, so make the Chinese version of Ubuntu red. Most American desktop operating systems use blue because Americans tend to find blue soothing. Facebook is in blue for a reason. (OR rather, Facebook stayed blue for a reason.) I'm not advocating American centrism, just locality based color decisions.
If I was culturally raised to find red warm, cheerful, and positive then I would find it that way. So I'm not saying this is innate. There's just what some of us do, versus others do. I personally find red
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Human color vision is an evolved characteristic. Specifically only humans and birds have trichromatic color vision, which allows easy apprehension of reds against green and blue backgrounds. It is theorized the reason this is the case, is to find food sources which are often red/orange/yellow on a green background. Fo
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now that is an original idea (quick, patent it).
A theme that would slowly change your basic colours from bright daytime blue through to relaxed night-time dark blue, along with all the other colour gradients would be quite something.
Sure, I imagine it wouldn't be the easiest of things to create decent colour gradients that always work together, but there are many people who'd put that effort into their theme packs.
What's up with the writing style, Mark? (Score:4, Insightful)
It reads like a press release for a product from some multi-billion dollar company; not a Linux distro. You can almost play bullshit bingo with that.
"Upstart knows everything it wants to be, the competition wants to be everything. Quality comes from focus and clarity of purpose, it comes from careful design and rigorous practices. .. For our future on cloud and client, Upstart is crisp, clean and correct."
"So there’s an opportunity to refresh the look. That will kick off with a project on typography to make sure we are expressing ourselves with crystal clarity – making the most of Ubuntu’s Light and Medium font weights for a start. And a project on iconography, with the University of Reading, to refine the look of apps and interfaces throughout the platform."
"In our artistic explorations we want to embrace tessellation as an expression of the part-digital, part-organic nature of Ubuntu. We love the way tessellated art expresses both the precision and reliability of our foundations, and the freedom and collaboration of a project driven by people making stuff for people. There’s nothing quixotic in our desire to make Ubuntu the easiest, steadiest, and most beautiful way to live digitally."
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Tesselation (Score:2)
So they'll dump Unity for Xmonad? Way ahead of them.
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Re:First (Score:5, Funny)
No, that would be Queer Quetzal.
Forgot obligatory disclaimer (Score:5, Funny)
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
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Actually it was a few releases back, Ubuntu 8.04 Hairy Hardon.
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If by "priceless" you mean "gay", yes.
You think they're fabulous?
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The code names are just priceless
I'm eagerly awaiting zaftig zebu.
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The code names are just priceless
They certainly aren't clever, endearing, appealing, interesting, useful, memorable, straightforward, likable, notable, distinctive, marketable or easy to spell.
About the only redeeming quality they have is that they bring up that version in a search engine, so they aren't entirely useless, but again, you have to get the spelling right. It's actually frustrating reading it over the phone.
Open Source has always struggled with naming things in ways that aren't patently terrible, like the whole tradition of Som
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I'd prefer names that I can easily pronounce while drunk. :p
I prefer names that I can communicate to people with a high school education or less, or who speak English as a second language. You know, like, most users.
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Also names which aren't sexual innuendo. A network browser app cannot be called "Gigolo".
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I know *I* enjoy the confidence and professionalism that comes along with GSpot Codec Information Appliance and ScrotVM.
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(I personally don't see why we should censor our language due to puritan interests. Why are people so afraid of sex and nudity, yet violence and war are almost welcomed?)
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The word Gigolo isn't always related to prostitution - it also means "A man who is hired as an escort or a dancing partner for a woman" which wouldn't involve sex at all. Where would you draw the
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They are fantastic for google efficiency.
Eh. To be honest I usually just google the version number. I can't remember the code names (And I damn sure won't be able to remember this one).
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Indeed. I hate the damn code-names.
"Hurr! This guide is for Remissive Rat!" - so what the fuck version are you talking about?
Re:Finally (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe if you have a tablet. It's a HUGE waste of space, extra mouse travel, and generally crappage on a desktop wiht a large monitor. I'm slowly moving all the machines I use to Linux Mint. Still Debian based, but with a sane interface for a desktop with a 24" monitor.
Ubuntu + MATE (Score:3)
I don't like Unity either, but my plan for 12.04 is to keep Ubuntu, with which I'm otherwise still satisfied, and install MATE. There's no reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
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save yourself the time and just install xubuntu (XFCE)
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save yourself the time and just install xubuntu (XFCE)
MATE is very quick and easy to install on Ubuntu, including 12.04:
http://www.howtogeek.com/110052/how-to-install-the-mate-desktop-go-back-to-gnome-2-on-ubuntu/ [howtogeek.com]
Xfce is another good choice, though. If you start with a standard Ubuntu and just add the xfce4 package rather than installing Xubuntu, you end up with something quite similar to Ubuntu before Unity - most of the Gnome apps work well under xfce, and you get the standard default selection of software rather than 'lightweight' alternatives (LibreOffice
Precise with classic Gnome desktop (Score:2)
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Does Linux Mint support installing to encrypted LVM, like the alt-ISO for Ubuntu does?
If it does, I'll give it a try.
Re:Finally (Score:4, Informative)
It's not as automated, but it's still possible.
http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/344 [linuxmint.com]
Re:Finally (Score:5, Interesting)
Still Debian based
I don't really understand this line of thought. People use Ubuntu, dislike it, then move to (K|X)buntu or Mint... What's wrong with plain old Debian?
I must be missing something.
oops (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, what is the point of the separate x-buntus?
Why not just apt-get install $other_window_manager, if that is what you want? Why is it a different distro?
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drop in and go with what you want from the start instead of fiddling around, I used to be one of those who LOVED playing with linux, but now I am old and grouchy I just want to drop in a disk, have more or less what I want and move on
+ its a download, see above
Re:oops (Score:5, Informative)
So you don't get hundreds of megs of useless libraries installed that you don't need. Kubuntu won't install the Gnome shared libs, and Ubuntu won't install the KDE or xfce4 libs.
Of course many of us tend to just install software based on both GTK and QT4 so end up sucking a lot of them in anyway whether under Unity or KDE4.
Phillip.
Re:Finally (Score:5, Insightful)
for me its the install process, the others its 1 disc and its like 90% of what I need already there in record time, debian wants to reach out for every single thing and when you have a shit internet (like I have 1Mbs) just getting a base system installed with a command prompt can turn into a couple hours
I would rather use debian, I am rather fond of it ... though I would rather just get an os on the machine and go about whatever it was I wanted to do
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I use Debian myself because it is reliable and simple. But it is not without issues.
The software is old, old, old, old. Even with testing.
Re:Finally (Score:5, Informative)
I don't really understand this line of thought. People use Ubuntu, dislike it, then move to (K|X)buntu or Mint... What's wrong with plain old Debian?
The Debian installer doesn't work as a live CD. I don't know where you can go to get a live CD with a standard Debian system on it and a GUI desktop that Just Works.
The Debian installer doesn't sort out all your hardware as well as the Ubuntu installer does. I have several laptops and I can boot an Ubuntu disc on any of them, and a GUI comes up with WiFi working. I am able to install Debian, but it would need to be with the laptop plugged in to a wired network, so I could manually install packages for the WiFi stuff until it works.
While I know a lot of people seem to hate PulseAudio, I want it running. With Ubuntu you just get it; with Debian you need to sort it out yourself.
Before "Unity" I could basically install Ubuntu and be productive right away. Now there is a step where I have to disable Unity and set up some other desktop, but that's still easier than installing Debian and fixing everything.
On the other hand, for servers, I run Debian Stable and I have for many years now. Rock solid reliable, and none of the above issues matter. (If I need to boot a server from a live CD, I can just use the Ubuntu one. But my servers are reliable and I basically never need to do that.)
steveha
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There is a Debian Live CD [debian.net] you can use.
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http://www.debian.org/ [debian.org]
Where is the download now button? It's just masses and masses of documentation and that's why no one wants to use Debian because it's just a complete mess of policy and other bureaucracy that wastes your time.
Re:faster release cycle - counterpoint (Score:2, Insightful)
Okay, in the spirit of discussion, let's try a counter-view
What happens if a user wants to "relax"? I'm still on XP because as far back as the MS "Longhorn" previews in 2004 to a fighting edge in 2009, XP was the workhorse, the OS that just got $hit done while MS fiddled with Vista. Sorry, I'll live with crap bugs in an App, but not an OS. So currently Win7 looks legit, sure, but I need more perspective than that. I need to know what's beyond Win8 Metro-iOS Wannabe. I need to see what Win9 becomes.
Back to U
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Ubuntu has their LTS (Long Term Support) releases for that.
http://www.ubuntu.com/business/server/overview [ubuntu.com]
That being said, for the desktop I've moved to Mint, because Ubuntu doesn't appear to listen to a large chunk of users like me who hate, hate, hate Unity.
Re:Finally (Score:5, Insightful)
My problem with Unity isn't appearance (it's very pretty and slick looking), it's functionality.
In particular I'd like to single out the scroll bars as an abomination. I'm running Ubuntu Classic and I still can't get away from these fuckers. Not having the scroll bar appear unless I mouse over the little rectangle that appears to the left of where the scroll bar marker would be is god-awful. That the little rectangle appears inside the application window and thus can be obscured by, say, a same-colored selection rectangle (as happens in the file viewer, geeqie image viewer, and plenty of other apps) means I basically have to fucking *guess* where the scroll bar should be.
Is there an obvious "make scroll bars not retarded" option I'm missing? Is this shit supposed to be good on a tablet? Am I supposed to be glad that my desktop has a tablet interface?
I'm actually scared of upgrading my friend's desktop to a newer version of Ubuntu. He's computer illiterate and has been using Ubuntu more-or-less fine for several years now, but I know him and while I can tolerate even the most bone-headed of interface (I used old versions of Mentor Graphics for example) this shit is going to drive him insane and he'll stop using it.
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You can just uninstall the overlay-scrollbar package [tuxgarage.com] and you'll have normal scrollbars again.
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Is there an obvious "make scroll bars not retarded" option I'm missing?
If only there was a tool to, like, search for stuff [lmgtfy.com]...
Re:Finally (Score:4, Insightful)
Every time I go to google a way to fix the problems with Unity, I end up googling for other debian-based distros instead. Seems like the best way to fix all the issues in one fell swoop.
Searching when you don't know the name (Score:3)
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In this case, searching "unity scrollbars" produces an obvious solution in the first five results.
As a general rule, "see and ye shall find".
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Except that's not always the case, try finding out how to enable more virtual desktops in Unity 2D not 3D, tooks much longer as everyone tells you to install ccsm which is wrong.
Re:Finally (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, set LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0.
http://www.webupd8.org/2011/04/how-to-disable-overlay-scrollbars-in.html [webupd8.org]
Hope it helps!
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The real mystery is why is stuff like this never on a GUI settings menu. There always is one, but it usually fails to be any good at configuring anything.
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Re:Finally (Score:5, Informative)
I'm actually scared of upgrading my friend's desktop to a newer version of Ubuntu. He's computer illiterate and has been using Ubuntu more-or-less fine for several years now, but I know him and while I can tolerate even the most bone-headed of interface (I used old versions of Mentor Graphics for example) this shit is going to drive him insane and he'll stop using it.
I have been using an Ubuntu 11.10 computer with MATE installed, and I am happy with it. I have removed all the overlay-scrollbar packages and the result is a nice usable GNOME 2.x desktop.
http://mate-desktop.org/ [mate-desktop.org]
Long-term, the future is probably Cinnamon, which is built on top of the new GNOME 3.x libraries but aims to duplicate the desktop features of GNOME 2.x.
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/ [linuxmint.com]
steveha
Re:Finally (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Finally (Score:5, Funny)
Does normal seeking in the scrollbar work again (middle-click) ?
It indeed does.
Whose retard disabled seeking in a bar designed essentially to seek ?!
I don't know who the owner of the retard in question is, sorry.
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Some random time after logging in to a Gnome session, mouse clicks get lost (usually within 30 seconds to 5 minutes of login.) Not just clicks on menus or windows, but all mouse clicks. KDE, however, works fine. So do the lesser known non-GTK desktops that I've played with.
[[citaiton needed]]
I have my problems with Gnome, but I've never experienced this bug.
Much more likely, you have some sort of hardware problem that happens to manifest itself with gnome but not KDE.
Sounds a lot less dramatic that way.
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Doesn't anyone test any more?
Having installed Ubuntu 10.04-12.04 on about 10 different machines I've never seen the problem you mention.
And no, despite years of C/C++ programming, I have absolutely no interest in finding and fixing the problem myself.
You could report a bug though, which would likely get fixed by the time you say you'll upgrade from 10.04.
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That said, they've done stupid shit before.
Once upon a time, they made a change to shave off about 1 second from boot time. The cost? USB keyboards only! No AT or PS2 for you! ... that really pissed me off, and that's when I departed from using Ubuntu. (note, this was a few years back)
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No shit, it was fixed (because I reported the bug). That wasn't my point. My point was a jab at the mindset that allows developers to do things for the sake of a second shorter boot, but not test it properly or think it through (it would have been obvious if it occurred to the dev that not every keyboard was USB)
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> You could report a bug though, which would likely get fixed by the time you say you'll upgrade from 10.04.
With ubuntu this has never been my experience. Instead it gets ignored and you get bothered every 5 months to a year being asked "does it work on the latest version"? and I'm not talking about stuff that only effects me, i'm talking about stuff that anyone could take 5 minutes to test if it works themselves but they don't.
That and the fact that Ubuntu rejects bugs that are upstream bugs. No, filing
Re:Completely irrelevent to me (Score:4, Insightful)
With ubuntu this has never been my experience. Instead it gets ignored and you get bothered every 5 months to a year being asked "does it work on the latest version"?
I've reported plenty of bugs to Launchpad. Sometimes bugs do get ignored, others get fixed immediately. It depends on the nature of the bug - Canonical isn't known for being a major developing force in the Linux kernel area, for example, but I reported a couple of bugs against the HUD feature a few months ago and they indeed got fixed, which involved going back to the design team and then to developers. They have a good workflow set up, but as a distribution with finite developing manpower they can't possibly fix everything. I wish Launchpad had automatic upstreaming for certain packages (especially those in Universe), but for packages in Main I can't complain.
Linux users (and that extends to most Free/Open Source software users) tend to have this annoying sense of entitlement that unnecessarily stresses relations with developers and turns everything into a flamewar. "Why doesn't MY bug get fixed?", ignoring how many OTHER bugs (likely of broader importance) get fixed, "Why don't you do this THIS way?", without bothering to consider that there might be an underlying design principle, or that your preferences represent those of a minority. My favourite is "That's it, I'm moving to Mint/back to Windows". Good riddance. Only in most cases they don't -- empty threats are a valid way of seeking attention, apparently.
Re:Completely irrelevent to me (Score:4, Funny)
> Linux users (and that extends to most Free/Open Source software users) tend to have this annoying sense of entitlement that unnecessarily stresses relations with developers and turns everything into a flamewar. "Why doesn't MY bug get fixed?"
No, just no. I've filed bugs, committed code and developers have rejected the merges, i have made fixes that many people asked for but it something they disagreed with ideologically, and refused to pull. These people waste MY time because rather then say "we don't think that's a bug and we'll never accept something that fixes it", instead they lead people on with "why don't you submit a patch", then it's "not enough test cases", etc until it's finally just ignored.
Sorry but everything you said is bullshit, time and time again I have been leaded on by "@ubuntu.com" users on launchpad either "does it work in this release", submitting patches that end up rejected instead of just saying they'll never accept that, and bugs there were simply ignored that I simply won't waste my time there anymore. Ubuntu is great and I use it but i'll never go back to launchpad.
You sound like the typical apologist that's never strongly participated in contributions from the outside, because you wouldn't be saying what you're saying otherwise. I've contributed to many different open source projects but I never experienced the total lack of care if something gets fixed or not as I have with "@ubuntu.com" users on launchpad.
Many people have this same exact experience, it's not something you can just handwave away.
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>GTK-based installers such as
>have to upgrade
Why the hell are you "upgrading" Debian-based distros with an installer?
Re:unity... (Score:5, Insightful)
Indeed. I wish they would stop "fixing" what isn't broken. Even KDE is pushing it lately, for me.
I don't think this is a poison specific to Ubuntu or GNOME, it seems to be everywhere.
What am I supposed to do? Stop updating? Pretend it's still the last decade?
It's like everyone's trying to become the Next Big Thing as far as interfaces go, but the hardware is lagging seriously behind (eg, this stuff would be awesome on holographic tablets a-la science fiction games).
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I feel your pain, Ubuntu went nutty so I switched to mint. Mint 10 just ended support this month, 11 and its implementation of gnome 2 is half broken and 12 uses gnome 3, which is perfect for my 2Ghz AGP workbench machine. Theres mint LXDE, but I dont like LXDE is disjointed as a DM, so I finally settled down on xubuntu (XFCE) runs fine, nice DM, up to date for a while too
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Don't kid yourself: holographic tablets, in fact all computer interfaces as seen in entertainment - are garbage. They exist specifically to be incomprehensible to the audience, so you don't have to fill out everything that's on there, yet they always seem highly functional because the plot demands them to be.
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How is it that an interface that can restructure itself on the fly supposed to be garbage? Sure, it would suck if you were just waving at air - but these interfaces are also said or hinted to have some kind of tactile feedback. Some canon even goes so far as to explain it via force fields or whatnot.
Like I said, far off in the future if ever, but it seems everyone wants interfaces to start behaving that way now.
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Just use software that shares your philosophy, where updates don't remake the whole software package. Go with one of the less well-known window managers like Openbox or FVWM or even a minor desktop like XFCE. Build workflows around old mature tools like shells and terminals rather than graphical file managers. There are lots of projects that are not trying to become the next big thing, but none of them are associated with KDE, GNOME, or Ubuntu.