Getting frustrated with Ubuntu....

[Chanchao]

>> Although I have been a Windows user since I bought my first computer in
>> 1999, I have made several attempts to work with various distros of Linux
>> over the years, all ending in complete frustration.

D> ... where you learned a lot of habits! I have a similar problem 
D> switching from Macintosh, or switching from an RPM based linux. Be 
D> prepared to make the effort. The good thing is that you end up being more
D> flexible in your thinking.

Yes.. though some of these habits include things like "Connecting a
digital camera and seeing it recognized and files shown
automatically.." Even though my Breezy installation recognizes USB pen
drives now, when I connected my (very recent) digital camera which
shows up just as an external drive in Windows, in Ubuntu nothing
happens.

(Well, I see it listed in the 'My Computer' window but when double
clicking it I get an error saying it can't be mounted or something. --
Any ideas on that one?)

I think things like this is not just because you need to 'unlearn'
certain Windows/Max stuff, it's just sloppy, or 'unfinished'. Other
examples include hiding everything you need to play video and mp3
music, and hiding it very well. (When opening an mp3 or mpeg file, LET
PEOPLE KNOW why they ain't seeing or hearing 'jack'. Currently "it
just doesn't work". An error message linking to the page about the
restricted formats would do.

Then there's 'dma' that's not turned on by default, so there's another
hurdle in playing a plane ol' DVD properly.  (Requires command line
fiddling with cryptic 'hdparm' commands.. And why is it called
'hdparm' anyways when it clearly applies just the same to CD and DVD drives)

Then Winmodems / Softmodems don't work.. Again that's understandable,
but at the very least you'd think Ubuntu would be able to tell THAT
it's not going to work, so again an info message could be popped up
saying 'Buy a new modem or get ADSL!' or some such.

Then there's the new 'Add programs' menu item which is interesting,
but you wonder why it was added when Synaptic is ALSO there. And it's
even more frustrating when many packages just aren't in the "Add
software' window (or are there but unavailable) but ARE present in
Synaptic.

Then Bluetooth peripherals are, erm, interesting to get to work.

..And so on and so on.

>> 2.  Is it possible to install just the GUI part of Gnome without all the
>> excess baggage it brings with it?

D> Yes.. but I can't imagine why. Therefor I have no idea how to do it ;-)

And a lot of the 'baggage' is actually very very useful. Not
installing it kind of defeats the purpose of installing Gnome. Go with
a light-weight window manager then, like the one Puppy Linux uses is
very good. (Because it's still reasonably user-friendly; some window
managers are so light that the only useful purpose seems to be to
display wallpaper, and allow right-clicking to display a
semi-transparent menu from which the only useful option is to start an
(again semi-transparent) Xterm shell window.  Well hello, if that's
all I'm doing then I might as well stay at Runlevel-"last century".
(So if anyone feels enchanted with the idea of a 'light-weight' Linux
then go for Puppy Linux and definitely not DSL (Damn-Small-Linux).

Best regards,
Chanchao