[ubuntu-uk] comprehensively messed up by updates

[Tony Travis]

Rowan Berkeley wrote:
> If all LinuxCertified did was buy a batch of snazzy Korean executive
> laptops, with Windows Vista already installed on them, and then install
> out-of-date and un-updatable versions of ubuntu on them, then tweak them
> to make it work as long as they weren't updated, then I would be better
> off without their "support", and with the support of people in my own
> area who are familiar with the up-to-date versions of ubuntu, and can
> probably find any tweaks that may be necessary. I think all three of us
> are converging on that view.

Hello, Rowan.

Hang on a bit! - Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is not out-of-date, it's a LONG TERM 
SUPPORT release and there is no reason why you should not continue to 
use it if that's what LC support, and you don't want to install 8.10 
yourself.

Did you try my advice of booting the kernel originally supplied by LC?

I don't think the 'restricted' drivers are the problem, it's the fact 
that LC installed a non-standard kernel module for your NIC. However, 
this should not be a problem if you boot from the kernel they supplied.

People on this list should know better than to start talking to you 
about different releases of Ubuntu as if that will solve your problem 
without making it clear that it's the version of the kernel in these 
releases that will solve your problem because they have an updated 
realtek NIC driver in them - Like the one LC compiled for you!

The negativity of this thread is contrary to the spirit of Ubuntu. let's 
be a bit more positive in our advice to Rowan and help him to understand 
why his Ubuntu 8.04 is broken. Then, he can make an informed decision 
about where to go from there. Criticising LC for installing 8.04 LTS is 
not constructive and flies in the face of Canonical's LTS strategy.

Bye,

	Tony.

p.s. I'm using 8.04 LTS on my laptop and will continue to do so ;-)
-- 
Dr. A.J.Travis, University of Aberdeen, Rowett Institute of Nutrition
and Health, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, Scotland, UK
tel +44(0)1224 712751, fax +44(0)1224 716687, http://www.rowett.ac.uk
mailto:a.travis at abdn.ac.uk, http://bioinformatics.rri.sari.ac.uk/~ajt