Toes in the Ubuntu waters..

[Russell McOrmond]

   While I have two laptops running Ubuntu that are only used in a 
limited way, I have decided to install Ubuntu on one of my desktops as well.

   First impressions of the install weren't that great.  Please take 
this as first impressions feedback, and not as a complaint.

   The Ubuntu installer mis-detected my monitor and only gave me 800*600 
and 640*480 as resolution options, a problem I didn't have on my 
laptops.  In order to install I had to move both panels out of the way 
as otherwise I couldn't click on any of the 'next' buttons (windows 
large enough that they were taller than the screen).

   After installing I had to manually edit the xorg.conf file.  Seems 
that something like the system-config-display tools that Fedora includes 
doesn't exist with Ubuntu.  I'm told there will be something new with 
Gutsy in October, but it seemed pretty bad to me that such a tool wasn't 
already there.

   I'm now getting problems with GDM not always restarting properly when 
I log out.  I've had to reboot the computer a few times in the day I've 
had Ubuntu on it to be able to get the graphical login back up.

   Other things:  I guess I was surprised that mozplugger and 
flash-nonfree weren't included by default on a fresh desktop.  While I 
knew that they had to be there, a new user might actually believe that 
the ability to view Flash pages or PDFs in the browser just wasn't there 
with Ubuntu.

   I set this up with a Duel/Dual boot between Ubuntu and Fedora, and 
will be leaving it up to my wife to decide in a few days which she likes 
better.


Note:  I may be a techie, but I don't consider it "macho" to have to use 
a command line.   While I administer all my servers via SSH, I expect my 
desktops to be able to do everything I want without ever needing to open 
a shell or manually tweak a configuration file.  While I expected 
limitations with Fedora as it is really aimed at servers, I expected 
more from Ubuntu and ended up from first impressions seeing less.

-- 
  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
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