all my experiences and problems with kubuntu so far

Tue Apr 12 12:10:03 UTC 2005

've read this thread and I have to agree.
Kubuntu feels like it was "tacked on" to Hoary.
Gnome on the other hand is polished in just about every way.
At this point the only KDE app I am using is amaroK.

On Apr 12, 2005 8:06 AM, Gunny Wallen <gunnyman at gmail.com> wrote:
> yeah thought I had for some reason Gmail doesn't pick up the list in the reply.
> 
> On Apr 12, 2005 8:04 AM, Frederik Dannemare <frederik at dannemare.net> wrote:
> > Hi Gunny,
> >
> > could you send a reply to the list as well? :)
> >
> > It's good that we voice our opinion on this one, in order to avoid the
> > use of .0-releases of KDE in the future.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > On Tuesday 12 April 2005 13:24, Gunny Wallen wrote:
> > > I've read this thread and I have to agree.
> > > Kubuntu feels like it was "tacked on" to Hoary.
> > > Gnome on the other hand is polished in just about every way.
> > > At this point the only KDE app I am using is amaroK.
> > >
> > > On Apr 11, 2005 10:36 PM, Frederik Dannemare <frederik at dannemare.net>
> > wrote:
> > > > On Monday 11 April 2005 21:40, Sander van Loon wrote:
> > > > > First of all, I'd like to thank the (K)Ubuntu developers for
> > > > > their work. It's a nice distro, but in the three days that I'm
> > > > > using it I've encountered tons of problems.
> > > > > I think that it would be a good idea to start a Kubuntu
> > > > > counterpart of ubuntuguide.org. For example to explain how we
> > > > > need to install the windows codecs for kaffeine, flash for
> > > > > konqueror and such things. Is such a thing already in the works?
> > > >
> > > > If they are not to be found in multi/universe, you can always go
> > > > with: deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ testing main
> > > >
> > > > > I've written a long story about my experiences with Kubuntu. I
> > > > > don't know who are to "blame" for the many bugs I describe here,
> > > > > the Kubuntu team or KDE. I think it's both, so I'll post this
> > > > > here and in the KDE bugzilla/mailinglists as well.
> > > > > I hope the Kubuntu developers
> > > > > check this forum, or do I have to post in some mailinglist then?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Installation
> > > > >
> > > > > The installation could be easier with a GUI. Most of the other
> > > > > distro's have a Gui installer by now, but Kubuntu still uses a
> > > > > text based one. Not that I had much problems, but I this scares
> > > > > of newbies.
> > > >
> > > > Well, it shouldn't. The Ubuntu installer (d-i) is not going to be
> > > > easier just because of af GUI. d-i is very, very easy as it is.
> > > >
> > > > > I also noticed a bug in the installer, when I wanted to select my
> > > > > keyboard layout, I was looking for "Dutch" in the alphabettically
> > > > > sorted list. I was looking near the "D", but I didn't found it
> > > > > there. So I scrolled down to the "N" for "Netherlands", and there
> > > > > I found "Dutch" between "Norwegian and Polish".
> > > >
> > > > Probably worthy of an entry in bugzilla.ubuntu.com
> > > >
> > > > > After that I had to do the partitioning. Maybe it would be a good
> > > > > idea to let the installer do this automatically? Please at least
> > > > > let it recognize the partitions of already installed Linux
> > > > > distro's.
> > > >
> > > > Partitioning can be done automatically if you let it take over the
> > > > entire disk, but, yes, it may lack a bit compared to other
> > > > installers in that respect (not 100% sure of this - I never
> > > > multiboot between distros).
> > > >
> > > > > I had Fedora Core 3 installed, but I had to manually edit the
> > > > > partitioning scheme so it would use those partitions. Maybe it
> > > > > would also be possible to implement the resizing of NTFS
> > > > > partitions, like the SuSE Linux installer?
> > > >
> > > > NTFS resizing can be done already. From memory: select the NTFS
> > > > partition and select "size". Now you can choose to shrink it.
> > > >
> > > > > After the base system was installed, I had to type my user name.
> > > > > I typed some letters, pressed Backspace because I made an error,
> > > > > I kept Shift pressed because I wanted to type a capital letter,
> > > > > and then the installer froze. It didn't respond to anything,
> > > > > except
> > > > > Ctrl+Alt+Delete for a reboot. I had to install a second time, but
> > > > > now everything went fine, fortunately.
> > > >
> > > > Sounds odd. If you can find a way to reproduce this, you should
> > > > definitely file a bug report about it (well, maybe file one under
> > > > any circumstances, but then there's not too much to go after).
> > > >
> > > > > amaroK
> > > > >
> > > > > amaroK freezes when I try to play a stream, a winamp .pls file. I
> > > > > had this problem when I tried to play the stream of
> > > > > http://addictivebeat.com/ I haven't tried any other streams
> > > > > though.
> > > >
> > > > I can confirm that 'amarok http://addictivebeat.com' will freeze
> > > > amarok and eat 100% CPU. Worthy of a bug report.
> > > >
> > > > Using 'amarok http://addictivebeat.com/128k.ram' makes amarok
> > > > connect to the stream and it also says "Playing..." - but nothing
> > > > happens, no sound, no nothing.
> > > >
> > > > > Enemy Territory
> > > >
> > > > [ snip ]
> > > > Can't help with that one.
> > > >
> > > > > Another thing which is driving me mad is the permissions. I
> > > > > noticed I didn't have the permission to write to /.etwolf in my
> > > > > users home dir because I couldn't edit my config file! If that
> > > > > directory is installed in my home dir I'd expect that root
> > > > > wouldn't be the owner. I installed ET with sudo sh
> > > > > et-linux-2.60.x86.run, could be that the cause of the strange
> > > > > permissions?
> > > >
> > > > Yes, if you used sudo, the installer will run and install files as
> > > > root. Try without sudo. Sudo should definitely not be necessary for
> > > > installing ET in your homedir.
> > > >
> > > > > On Fedora I used su, gave my
> > > > > password and then used the same command, and with Fedora I didn't
> > > > > have any problems with permissions.
> > > > >
> > > > > Fonts
> > > > >
> > > > > After installing I installed a font, I could use it in
> > > > > OpenOffice, but I could not use it in the KDE Control Center.
> > > > > After I rebooted they did appear in the Kde Control Center and
> > > > > they were usable. Why is it not mentioned that you have to reboot
> > > > > first then?
> > > >
> > > > A reboot should not be necessary (but some other action apparently
> > > > is - and that particular action just happens to have been executed
> > > > as part of a reboot).
> > > >
> > > > > Fonts anti aliasing
> > > > >
> > > > > With anti aliasing on my fonts don't look very good. Check this
> > > > > http://www.xs4all.nl/~vanlonen/antialiasing.png screenie. Look
> > > > > carefully and you'll see that in Konqueror, the "W" in "Window"
> > > > > is very pixelated. It looks like this everywhere in all KDE apps.
> > > > > But in the OpenOffice window, the fonts are perfect, and the "W"
> > > > > is not pixelated. So anti aliasing doesn't work very well in KDE,
> > > > > but in non-KDE apps like OpenOffice it does work?
> > > >
> > > > I have absolutely zero problems here. Fonts look beautiful here in
> > > > KDE apps as well as non-KDE apps. Not sure what your problem is
> > > > with regards to fonts.
> > > >
> > > > > How can this be fixed so
> > > > > anti aliasing looks better in KDE? I googled for an answer on
> > > > > this, I tried disabling "Hinting style", but it doesn't make any
> > > > > difference.
> > > > >
> > > > > Mouse cursors
> > > >
> > > > [ snip ]
> > > > Can't help here.
> > > >
> > > > > Setting my Logitech Dual Optical to 800 cpi
> > > > >
> > > > > In Linux my Logitech Dual Optical Mouse is always defaulted to
> > > > > 400 cpi, but it is capable of 800 cpi.
> > > >
> > > > Hey, I have that mouse as well, but I never touched that cpi
> > > > thingie :)
> > > >
> > > > > I've always used this program -
> > > > > http://freshmeat.net/projects/logitech_applet/ - to switch it to
> > > > > 800 cpi. But I also noticed thisin the KDE Control Center -
> > > > > http://www.xs4all.nl/~vanlonen/kde_800cpi.png – so it seems that
> > > > > KDE can switch it to 800 cpi for me now, which is a useful
> > > > > feature. Unfortunately it won't work yet, as you can see.
> > > >
> > > > What do I gain going from 400 to 800 cpi? Better aim in ET? :)
> > > >
> > > > > Instability
> > > > >
> > > > > Kubuntu is so very unstable for me. I removed an MSN contact
> > > > > group in Kopete, and it immediately crashed. When I close
> > > > > Kaffeine when it's playing a video file, it crashes. Konqueror
> > > > > crashes when I go to trailers.apple.com and watch a trailer and
> > > > > press the back button. I've never had this with any other Linux
> > > > > distro.
> > > >
> > > > I must also admit that my Kubuntu user experience hasn't been too
> > > > stable (same goes for my girlfriend, and she is not happy. I get
> > > > blamed, of course, since she was perfectly happy with Debian Sarge
> > > > :) ).
> > > >
> > > > KDE 3.4.0 is probably to blame for most of the problems. I'm using
> > > > KDE 3.3.2 on Sarge and it is much, much more stable. With 3.4.0 on
> > > > Kubuntu I regulary see crashes with Konqueror, KMail/Kontact and
> > > > Amarok. Kaffeine will also bomb on me on exit (should be fixed in
> > > > 0.6-0ubuntu3).
> > > >
> > > > > Kaffeine
> > > > >
> > > > > I followed the instructions mentioned in some forum posts, and
> > > > > extracted the codec pack essential-20050216.tar.bz2 to
> > > > > /usr/lib/win32 so that I could use Kaffeine to watch windows
> > > > > media, real and quicktime streams. Now I can view the quicktime
> > > > > streams on trailers.apple.com, but when I try to view windows
> > > > > media streams, for example on this page –
> > > > > http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/archief/index.html (click on "(BB)"
> > > > > there) – Kaffeine says that there is "no plugin to handle this
> > > > > resource"
> > > >
> > > > I can confirm this.
> > > >
> > > > > (that happens with the windows media streams on that
> > > > > website, but there also are real media streams which give the
> > > > > same result), and Konqueror crashes.
> > > >
> > > > On Debian Sarge, Konqueror will crash on me like there was no
> > > > tomorrow when I run Kaffeine embedded in Konqueror (e.g. wathcing a
> > > > trailer or something). Haven't tested this much with Kubuntu.
> > > >
> > > > > I've mentioned a lot of problems here, some are driving me so mad
> > > > > that there have been moments that I considered switching back to
> > > > > Ubuntu/GNOME, but I do appreciate Kubuntu. I just hope these bugs
> > > > > get fixed soon.
> > > >
> > > > Unfortunately (unless I misunderstand how (K)ubuntu releases work),
> > > > new upstream versions of programs (e.g. KDE 3.4.1) will not make it
> > > > into Hoary (5.04). You'll have to wait 6 months for a new KDE, etc.
> > > > This is a perfectly sane way to do it. I just personally wish the
> > > > kubuntu devs could have waited for 3.4.1 to be out (.0-releases can
> > > > be a bit shaky as is the case with KDE 3.4.0).
> > > >
> > > > > BTW, is there any KDE bittorrent client available which can
> > > > > compare to Azureus? Or aren't there any serious alternatives
> > > > > available and am I forced to use Azureus?
> > > >
> > > > Well, I'm using gnome-btdownload, atm. I tried qtorrent but it
> > > > would not initiate downloads. Looking forward to a nice KDE bt
> > > > client as well.
> > > >
> > > > > I've searched a bit but I haven't found any
> > > > > mature projects. One last thing, I noticed the useful Google
> > > > > search bar in Konqueror. Is it also possible to add search
> > > > > plugins for wikipedia, like it is possible in Firefox?
> > > >
> > > > Don't know about that one.
> > > >
> > > > Best regards,
> > > > --
> > > > Frederik Dannemare | http://sentinel.dk |
> > > > http://linuxworlddomination.dk
> > > > http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=Frederik+Dannemare
> > > > http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/FrederikDannemare
> > > > Key fingerprint = 30CF 7AD3 17D9 1A63 A730  ECA6 0D4C 2C97 9D9A
> > > > 238E
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > kubuntu-users mailing list
> > > > kubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> > > > http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/kubuntu-users
> >
> > --
> > Frederik Dannemare | http://sentinel.dk | http://linuxworlddomination.dk
> > http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=Frederik+Dannemare
> > http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/FrederikDannemare
> > Key fingerprint = 30CF 7AD3 17D9 1A63 A730  ECA6 0D4C 2C97 9D9A 238E
> >
>