1. Newbie evaluation. 2. Gutsy>Hardy: request for advice.

[Billie Walsh]

I want to state right from the very beginning that I am NOT a power 
user. I AM just an average home user.


Nils Kassube wrote:
> Bas Roufs wrote:
>   
>> What is becoming clear to me is that the best option for the upgrade
>> from Gutsy to Hardy is a 'clean install' (install 'from scratch') after
>> taking some other measures:
>> * making a good back-up of all my data
>> * critically revising the software packages to be maintained and to be
>> removed
>> * making a 'kubuntu-files' script of all the software packages to be
>> reinstalled after the fresh installation of Hardy.
>>     
>
> In the past I preferred clean install because I had lots of troubles when 
> upgrading Suse installations many years ago. After switching to Kubuntu I 
> tried a version upgrade and there was no trouble for me. Therefore I now 
> prefer upgrade instead of clean install.
>
> As you will backup your data anyway to prepare a clean install, I would 
> suggest you also try an upgrade first and check if you have trouble. If 
> you have trouble, a clean install is still possible, but probably it 
> isn't necessary.
>   

The last two versions of Kubuntu I have let Adept do the version 
upgrades for me. So far it has worked out great.

Now having said that I will say that as a home user there is really 
nothing on my computers that is life or death critical. If it blows up I 
can just reinstall and move on. Makes one mad and upset but................

>   
>> So far, so good. However, two important questions still remain:
>> * what is the best moment to try to resolve the sound problem on my
>> desktop: before or after the upgrade indicated above?
>>     
>
> After the update. Maybe the problem doesn't exist with Hardy.
>
>   
>> * what about the problem with Firefox 3, which is in Hardy, but which
>> is still unable to work with vitally important add-ons?
>>     
>
> You can uninstall firefox3 after the upgrade and install firefox-2 
> instead.
>   

I don't know what "vitally important add-ons" he might need but I have 
been pleasantly surprised with Firefox3b. I was really skeptical when it 
came up but it has worked flawlessly for me. I only use two add-ons, 
foxclocks and forecastfox so..............

>   
>> Finally, I have a few questions about your message, Xurxo:
>>     
>>> I have been upgrading since feisty (dapper to feisty upgrade broke my
>>> swap partition due to using UID to identify partitions).
>>>       
>> How can prevent happening something like this? When having that
>> problem, did you 'install from scratch' (clean install) or did you use
>> an upgrade option via e.g. adept?
>>     
>
> You shouldn't have that problem because Gutsy is using UUIDs already. 
> Furthermore, now the update-manager handles the UUID problem if you 
> upgrade from Dapper to Hardy.
>
>   
>>>  I don't think Hardy was stable enough for a LTS release ....
>>>       
>> 'LTS Release': to be honest, the information about this issue is
>> confusing. So far I understood that Ubuntu Hardy is meant as 'Long Term
>> Support' however Kubuntu Hardy not. Can someone explain a bit more on
>> this issue?
>>     
>
> LTS means 3 years support for desktop systems. Due to the switch to KDE4 
> the KDE developers will not support KDE3 for another 3 years. Therefore 
> Canonical decided not to make Kubuntu 8.04 an LTS version.
>   

I can't tell you just when during either the clean install on my backup 
computer or the upgrade on my main machine. But, on one or the other I 
plainly saw "Kubuntu 8.04 LTS" come up on my screen. I think it was 
during the upgrade, but I've slept since then.

>   
>>> I don't think Hardy was stable enough ......so I'd wait at least a
>>> few weeks.....
>>>       
>> This sounds realistic anyway.
>>     
>
> Well, I would like to hear WHY somebody thinks Hardy isn't stable enough. 
> Just stating the thought doesn't make it realistic. It may be true for 
> some people, but I have upgraded about 10 machines now to Hardy without a 
> problem.
>
>
> Nils
>
>   

IMHO, Kubuntu 8.04/KDE 3.5.9 is stable and well worth it. Kubuntu 
8.04/KDE 4.0 on the other hand................................. well I 
can't say from personal experience but from what I've read it is a bit 
shaky.

-- 
Life is what happens while your busy making other plans.