Things I already hate about Kubuntu (new user)

[Bryann Melvin]

ubuntu-users-request at lists.ubuntu.com wrote:

>Message: 1
>Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:34:47 +0000 (UTC)
>From: Terry North <terrencenorth at yahoo.com.au>
>Subject: Things I already hate about Kubuntu (new user)
>To: ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
>Message-ID: <loom.20051220T005755-689 at post.gmane.org>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>This list is not one, I've already received help here and on the forum.
>
>1. Installation.
>First, it reminded me of Windoze, one thing I don't need.  No input at all. 
>Tried choosing "expert".  Did not look like offering choices.  And no setting of
>the root password.  That really threw me.  When the system did not recognise my
>password, I thought I had messed up (did not remember not setting it) and
>re-installed.  The re-installation worked better in that I was able to get the
>login manager instead of "Out of Range".
>
>2. Security.
>Anyone, and I mean anyone, can boot as root using Recovery Mode.  I took
>advantage of that to set a root password.  Whether that stops anyone else using
>Recovery Mode to gain root access I don't yet know.
>
>3. Grub.
>Ubuntu took it upon itself to lead the list in the boot loader.  Hey, I want to
>be in charge of the Boot Loader!  It does not suit me right now (for obvious
>reasons) to have Ubuntu as the default.  When I set out to change this, I came
>up against various obstacles, more of which in a moment.
>
>4. Screen Resolution.
>I've now got 3 systems on my computer.  The other 2 are quite happy with the
>settings I use and the settings result in them using exactly the same amount of
>the available area - all of it.  Ubuntu wants to use less - with a good third of
>and inch or more left black on all sides.  When I tried to find the tool to
>check and, possibly, change the settings, it was nowhere to be found.
>
>5. Only KDE and what about other utilities?
>I wanted Kalarm, so I got Kubuntu 5.10 instead of Ubuntu 5.10.  But I'd like
>gedit and, if possible, Nautilus (Konqueror stinks, methinks).  I paid $A9.90
>for a one disk installation.  I would happily have paid more for a decent
>installation if it was available.  While I'm at it, what would be wrong with a
>tool such as System Settings opening in its own window instead of in Konqueror?
> And don't talk to me about "Help".  "This page is not available.  Have you
>installed all the documentation?"
>
>6. One touch and you buy it.
>I was alarmed to discover that selecting anything in a list does not just select
>the item, it opens it.  That is way out of left field and will take some getting
>used to.
>
>7. Administrator's tasks made harder.
>A. I opened an administrative window from System Settings, which had decided to
>open as a list in Konqueror.  Everything was greyed out, except, possibly, a
>note telling me to click on the Administrator's button if I wanted to change
>anything.  First, there was nothing to change.  Secondly, there was no
>administrator's button.
>B. So, that meant I had to edit menu.lst (to get a say in Grub).  Of course, the
>file is read-only.  So, I'll go into Midnight Commander, I think, and change the
>settings temporarily so that I can edit with Kate which has already opened the
>file with the one touch and you buy it policy.  I cannot believe (ok, I do
>believe it) there is no Midnight Commander or anything like it.
>C. Next thought, open Kate, possibly from the root console.  Look for Help on
>the subject (see above).  Could try chmod but I'm getting awfully sick of this.
>D. Light goes on.  Login in as Root, open Kate, open file, edit, all's right
>with the world.  Sorry, no can do.  Jeepers Creepers.
>
>  
>
1.  next time you are installing and get "out of range"....<ctrl> <alt> 
<keypad +or->  This is your monitor telling you the video signal is 
unacceptable.   The action I state is pretty much standard and will run 
through the xserver possible settings.

2. as someone else has respondeed pretty much ....so.... preventing root 
access from local is not physically possible. no matter what precautions 
were taken someone could still get root access via floppy or cd. ...Why 
some commercial client computers have NO DISKS and boot off the network 
only.

3. use an alternate boot manager...like the old OS/2 one!!
(or edit the appropriate file)  Or just scroll to the right one...  Why 
is this such a big deal...every OS pretty much does the same 
thing....with the exception of eCS...which coincidently I'm writing this 
on :-)

4. I just checked ...good old xvidtune is STILL present in ubuntu. There 
may be a fancier GUI version...but I can't say what's in the original as 
I've added a lot to my ubuntu system.   Type xvidtune in a root terminal 
or in a terminal AS root  (sudo). Get the screen where you want 
it...write down the settings   you'll have to edit the config file  
manually.

Aside ...theres been alot of talk about features of ubuntu lately...Bear 
in mind I think that ubuntu is aimed at the average computer user who 
needs or would like to try an Open source system....Not the power user 
with three Operating systems .. Anyway if we're such power users we need 
three Operating systems...maybe we should LEARN all of them well...just 
a thought.

5. Well you got what you asked for...KDE eg Kubuntu  
fwiw these distros are single  disk. I HAVE a distro here with KDE GNOME 
XCFE WindowMaker Enlightenment and on and on.

It also came with 8cds and a DVD.

6.  One click =linux 2 clicks=windows...generally...what ARE you're 
other two operating systems ?

7. Harder...sorry I don't see it. I have the Kubuntu desktop on top of 
Ubuntu here...haven't run into that problem...Might look and see if you 
have administrator rights for the login you are using....eg is the user 
you are logged in as in the "admin"group.
while you're at it you would need to be in the sudo group as well.

8.  I know you didn't have an 8..

You seems to have a lot of trouble assimilating the way ubuntu handles 
root priveleges.
It is designed to use SUDO for most things. (sudo gtksudo and so on)

I just checked:  sudo kate    opened up kate as root and I opened 
/etc/fstab and added an nfs import.  You should be able to edit 
configuration files the same way.

Looking through stuff you'll also find you can have a root terminal. You 
can put it as an icon on the panel .

FWIW please READ the manpages and warnings before using xvidtune.

Take a GOOD look at the unofficial guide AND the Starter Guide.



You do have some valid points though I have noted some docs missing.

Some are downloadable ...others are just not there....One i HAVE found 
is the docs for XCDROAST  (I know it's old but I like it)  If anyone 
else is looking look for it it's  a pdf...not the html the help browser 
tries to find. I would suspect format may be a problem with other docs.  
It might be worth looking in the share  directories like 
/usr/share/docs  and the like before giving up on docs.


Anyway the POINT of using linux is to be able to tailor the installation 
to fit your needs. If it doesn't fit change it. Most software is 
available from the ubuntu repositories.   Other software can be 
installed (tar.gz like firefox) but is best reconfigured to install as a 
deb. Some   like OpenOffice.org comes in rpms and needs to be 
repackaged.  Software to fit most needs IS available in repositories 
from or specifically aimed at ubuntu (scribus comes to mind here)Unlike 
distros such as SuSE (dvd) to have a one disk install a LOT of 
potentially useful software is left out ...but just an apt_get or 
synaptic run away.

As far as paying for the disc?
Ubuntu will send you Ubuntu cds.   free...  The Don't yet send Kubuntu 
cds...but again  apt_get kubuntu-desktop worked well here.


Bryann