Liking Linux more and more

[woollypigs]

Today I was playing around in Inkscape on Ubuntu and found out that in order to save a file in an other file format I needed an update.

In windows I have always had to save and close down program to be able to make the update, and even sometime had to restart the pc, then start up the program open the file to be able to save the file in the format I wanted.

But today I just open the terminal used the apt-get command to get the update that was needed and then clicked save or rater export, and Fanny is "post ob" uncle Bob

For each update of Ubuntu (started back with 6.10) using the computer have just become easier, faster and so much hassle free. I'm running 8.04 now and liking it a lot. And as I tend to play around and still have a lot to learn about linux, I have crashed the pc quite a few times. But installing it all again have been pi## easy, I think total install time (incl. the most used programs I use) is now around a 1/3 of the time I needed to install just windows.

Yup I have converted.

[Simon Galgut]

I could have installed Ubuntu about eight times in the time it took to install the Vista SP1 this morning !

[pdm]

Indeed. Current Linux distributions are very feature rich and a doddle to install and use.
I now use it almost exclusively - any required Windo$e stuff is run une a virtual machine when needed.
Linux has come a long way. The first version I used was a 0.99 kernel over 13 or so years ago on a 386 PC with a whopping 16MBytes of RAM.
One thing I am frequently asked to do is to convert file formats for Windo$e users that cannot open files they have been sent from other Windo$e users.....

[woollypigs]

I do think that in a year or so that linux (ubuntu and opensuse) will be user friendly enough for every one. As the terminal do tend to scare people off, but with more programs being cross platform and easier to install.

[Woofage]

I bought myself (well, built actually) a new computer at the beginning of this year and decided this would be my first Linux-only PC. I can't imagine going back to windoze now, although I will have to setup a VM to run a couple of apps. I'm running Ubuntu 7.10 AMD64 on a machine with 4gigs of RAM. I've never been a great fan of terminal stuff but being able to "apt-get install" whatever you need and having it just work there and then is just brilliant!

Is 8.04 officially released now? Can I just "apt-get install 8.04" or something like that?

[woollypigs]

I just went here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HardyUpgrades and followed the guide.

[andym]

Used it since a very ancient slackware on a 4Mb RAM 386 iirc.  PDM's 16Meg would have maxed out the capability of Win3.1!

Thing I like is when you do run a command on the command line, then if it's not installed, Ubuntu (maybe others too?) even tell you the apt-get install xxxx command to run... so select - middle click - return and off it goes.

Oh and best of all... no need to reboot (unless its something core like kernel update).

[TimO]

One of the problems I have with a lot of modern linux distros is that they are all pretty and loaded with graphical interfaces.  When I'm setting up a server, it isn't necessary, and I don't want it.

So I use Gentoo, powerful, cryptic, and probably a bugger for the average Windows user to install!

To be fair, there is clearly a place for these nice, clean, simple installations, for people who just want to install and use a PC for browsing, word processing, photographic image manipulation, MP3 playing etc.  Easier, simpler, and more turnkey is a definite plus.

[aglet]

One of the problems I have with a lot of modern linux distros is that they are all pretty and loaded with graphical interfaces.  When I'm setting up a server, it isn't necessary, and I don't want it. [...]

Well, the graphical stuff is not compulsory even though it might be the default.  Have you looked at the preseed mechanism in Ubuntu, or alternatively RedHat's Kickstart?  I use them for building workstations and servers respectively, and it's pretty straightforward to get a minimal package set.  I'm planning on moving to Ubuntu for servers in the reasonably near future, it has a so much nicer polish than RedHat, and I don't anticipate having Gnome or anything similar on there...  I'm just waiting for JBoss to be "officially" supported -- which might take a bit longer since RedHat bought them, but seems inevitable.

Now, the one that really gets my goat, that would be Exchange Server 2007.  There you have the worst of all possible worlds: a fundamentally GUI-based interface with all of the things you actually need to do tucked away inside an insane "power [sic] shell" command line.  Can't wait to get rid of that thing.  And the associated small cloud of other Windows boxes that are essential to its operation.

[redshift]

I'm not a command line geek really, just like to fiddle, and learn to do what I need to as it arises.  That doesn't stop me running Mandriva as my main system boot.  Secondary boot is Windows, for when I really can't find an alternative application.  Third boot option on this machine is now Solaris 10 for x86-64.  I've got that far, but I haven't got Solaris under control yet.  The SGI runs IRIX, and it would be difficult to make it run Linux due to the way speculative load & store processes happen in the MIPS R10K. There are workarounds, but I have the proper IRIX disks, so part of me says "what's the point?"

Mostly they're just toys.  Work PCs are all Windows, and all the TV hardware runs on dedicated platforms under the bonnet (the disk recorders run on *nix (unknown type, custom shell), the Vision Mixer is VXWorks-based with a touchscreen GUI (and very stable).  If we go with using EVS systems in the future they run on DOS.  No, really. 

I tend to find that whichever system I'm using, the only thing that really matters is the interface.  If the stuff under the bonnet performs correctly, it's all about the ergonomics of use.  The nice thing about Unix/Linux is you can choose what front ends you want to work with.

[pdm]

Another vote for Gentoo if you like getting your hands dirty. I use it on my firewall, remote access, file server and "play" machines.

I use Kubuntu for the laptop and desktop work machine which are used for actually doing work and what is under the hood must be as simple to maintain.

Although at work the environment is one of completely brain dead, locked down, centrally controlled windo$e  , I am the only one using Linux on my desktop - I predate the IT department and maintain several specialised systems (doing things windo$e does not) that seem to be relied upon...

[nicknack]

I've fixed up one of the puters here for dual boot. I find I still use Windows most. Familiarity has got a lot to do with it but I think something like Ubuntu has still a way to go before it's as easy to use for non-geeks or someone like me who really can't be arsed to learn all the stuff you need for the terminal commands (which I found I needed almost as soon as I installed it).

If all you do is use the installed apps then it's probably close.

And I don't like having to log in each time I turn it on.

[pcolbeck]

You can make Ubuntu auto login if you want. Just like Windows.

[nicknack]

How? I looked and failed to find.

[border-rider]

"system" menu>administration>login window

then choose the "security" tab, and there's an option box you can tick

[nicknack]

Thanks for that. I'd looked in that place before and decided I didn't understand most of it, so left it alone.

Is there any way to disable the need for a password every time you want to do some admin task?

[border-rider]

Yes, but it's a really bad idea

One benefit of Linux is that is hard for you  to completely b0rk the system, or malware to take hold,  because the user and the admin functions are separated.

There's some fairly harmless stuff you can do easily though - one I use is to open the file explorer as root so you can change permissions etc easily.

[nicknack]

Ok, fair enough. I really haven't a clue what I'm doing.

It's up there with Windows for incomprehensible (to me, anyway) error(?) messages. On boot up:

/dev/sda3 has been mounted 34 times without being checked. Check forced.

Which, I presume, it then did. 

[border-rider]

Ok, fair enough. I really haven't a clue what I'm doing.

It's up there with Windows for incomprehensible (to me, anyway) error(?) messages. On boot up:

/dev/sda3 has been mounted 34 times without being checked. Check forced.

Which, I presume, it then did. 

Yes.  That's just autochecking your hard drive for faults.  /dev/sda3 is a name for a partition (virtual drive) which had been mounted (ie made available to the OS) 34 times since last time it was checked.

 /dev is where appears if you look for it using  the file browser, and sda3 is what it is called.

edit: It's no weirder than Windows, you just have to learn a bit of new jargon. If you're of the preDOS generation, it's no harder than when the first PCs came out, and having to learn all that new terminology - which seems second nature to us now

[woollypigs]

Familiarity has got a lot to do with it but I think something like Ubuntu has still a way to go before it's as easy to use for non-geeks or someone like me who really can't be arsed to learn all the stuff you need for the terminal commands (which I found I needed almost as soon as I installed it).

yes that is the biggest problem, as everyone at that level are used to windows and when they look at linux they do not understand the different names for the same program and also stuff are not in the same place. So it is a big learning curve for them

Is there any way to disable the need for a password every time you want to do some admin task?

I think so in 8.04 there is a way, though haven't found or search for it yet, but I'm sure that I read it was possible.

/dev/sda3 has been mounted 34 times without being checked. Check forced.

Which, I presume, it then did. 

That is normal, not an error, you can disable that in your fstap, but it is always good to check your drive for errors now and again, so why not after 34 times, though that 34th time is probably the time you need to boot up fast edit: beating to it.

[nicknack]

Thanks for all that. I just need to find some time to get to grips with it. I used to manage DOS stuff ok so this shouldn't be too bad.

The number of different distributions is a bit of a pain, though, when you're looking for answers to a specific problem. Even just searching Ubuntu sites gets you a pile of different answers, most of which (all, in some cases) don't work.

Eventually I hope to be able to:

1) Realign the screen so it's in the same position as the Windows partition (must be easy, surely - solution on Ubuntu site just comes up with an error message).
2) Work out how to do the Ubuntu equivalent of Windows 'Map Network Drive'. Lots of solutions on lots of sites - none work.
3) Work out why I get no sound on boot-up. Reappears on reboot. Weird.

I'm sure more will crop up!

[woollypigs]

nicknack : you sound like you are at the same stage as me with learning ubuntu Lucky I got a great back up system as I tend to feck up setup around once a week atm

[pcolbeck]

nicknack : you sound like you are at the same stage as me with learning ubuntu Lucky I got a great back up system as I tend to feck up setup around once a week atm

At least when its fecked you know it's something you did not something it decided to do all by itself unlike with Windows

[pdm]

Is there any way to disable the need for a password every time you want to do some admin task?

Yes there is. But as Mal Volio has said, its a bad idea.

To do it (if you REALLY want to despite it being a BAD IDEA), you need to edit the /etc/sudoers file.
Simply add the line:
yourusername ALL=(ALL)       NOPASSWD: ALL


But, I repeat, this is a BAD IDEA!

[RainOrShine]

1) Realign the screen so it's in the same position as the Windows partition (must be easy, surely - solution on Ubuntu site just comes up with an error message).

You could try adjusting the screen refresh rate.  My Windows XP control panel is set to 60Hz, but the Linux installation defaulted to 72Hz.  Changing this to 60Hz fixed the problem.