Kernel Images

Tom Adelstein adelste at yahoo.com
Tue May 31 18:00:18 UTC 2005


On Tue, 2005-05-31 at 19:04 +0200, Vincent Trouilliez wrote:
> > The information in the Ubuntu repository tells you which kernel image to
> > use. Some features of the Pentium class i686 architecture do not work
> > with AMD. So, if you have an Athlon, Sempron, Athlon XP, etc. and you
> > get i686 then use the k7 kernel.
> 
> What I don't understand is.... why doesn't the install CD use the
> correct kernel to start with ? Sure enough, the devs are plenty more
> capable than the end user, to know what's best to use for this is that
> CPU.
> This is in the same vein as services like ppp installed when no modem is
> in the machine, for example, or "powernowd" that doesn't work on my
> Athlon XP, or whatever.
> Basically, put things straight from the start, rather than letting the
> user find out over time that oh, there are many little things that needs
> updating (kernel) or removing (services)...
> A desktop user is not supposed to know of all that stuff, so can't be
> expected to find about the "problems", never mind "cure" them.
> So, as much as possible, the installer should aim at "customizing" the
> package list based on what H/W it detects...
> 
> > I'm going to write about recompiling the Ubuntu kernel to optimize
> > performance next week in my Linux Journal column. 
> 
> Sounds interesting, never attempted this...can't wait for teh detailed
> guide :-)
> Hopefully this will allow me to fix the Hoary kernel. With Warty, TV
> card works but not USB hotplug. With the Hoary kernel, it's the otehr
> way around ! So if I can manage to re-compile the Hoary kernel with the
> Warty TV driver...maybe I can at last have everything working AT THE
> SAME TIME !! ;o)
> That would be so great...
> 
> --
> Vince



I tend to agree with your assessment that Ubuntu should be able to sense
the correct configurations. Even so, the distribution is outstanding.

I started this series of articles because people on this mailing list
asked me to write down the optimizations I use when setting up desktops.

I believe that next spring Ubuntu will be ready for enterprise use.
Right now, it's getting there. It's got many great features and it's
having to create a finished product that Debian never quite address. 

I had to tweak Hoary extensively before I could use it as my default
desktop. I use Skype, Openoffice, Firefox, Evolution, Gimp, etc. So, I
had to dig to get Ubuntu working as well as my FC 3 box or my JDS
system.

Now, that's just part of the equation. I don't have a problem with any
of the Linux distributors really. But the Ubuntu community is great.
That's what motivates me to monitor this list and try to help.

I wrote a whitepaper for Sun Microsystems desktop group aimed at helping
them get better relations with the open source community. In it, I
recommended most of the things that the Ubuntu community does and that
whitepaper predates Ubuntu.

Sun asked me to join the Open Solaris team and implement those
suggestions. But, I'm a Linux person and after a few weeks on the Open
Solaris team, I had to resign even though they would pay me to help.

Ubuntu is the way a community should work and it's why this distribution
will succeed and others will fail. 

So, I just suggest that we give these guys time, help where we can and
maybe not ask why the developers didn't do this or that. 

That's not to say you shouldn't ask or inquire or rattle cages. You
should. But, I promise you, you will not get the kind of responsiveness
from any other community on the planet as you do this one.

Cheers!











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