Ubuntu vs. Kubuntu ... just one!

[Rick]

Rutger van Haasteren wrote:

>     That's it!
>     I have a Ubunto screen when I start the computer. It then switches to
>     blue with the four choices. I even tried Kubuntu (after I'd deleted
>     everything) and it came up. Then I came back to Ubunto. This is
>     insane.
>
>
> Rick, what exactly is your problem? First of all, Ubuntu and Kubuntu 
> are one and the same, just Ubuntu with either GNOME or KDE. I'm sure 
> you know this, but try to be specific.
>
> When the computer boots, you see a boot screen. If you have a problem 
> with the version it shows (for whatever reason, what does it matter?), 
> you can reconfigure it like this in a terminal:
>
> $ sudo update-alternatives --config usplash-artwork.so
>
> There are 2 alternatives which provide `usplash-artwork.so'.
>
>   Selection    Alternative
> -----------------------------------------------
>       1        /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-default.so
> *+    2        /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu-splash.so
>
> Press enter to keep the default[*], or type selection number:
>
>
> Then you end up in one of the desktop managers. The one from which you 
> can choose between the desktop environment (like KDE, GNOME, XFCE). 
> Again, I'm not sure why you would resent having a choice, but they all 
> do basically the same (KDM, GDM etc.). If you want to choose one over 
> the other, use _one_ of the following (to choose either gdm or kdm).
>
> sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm
> sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm
>
>
> Then you end up in a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE. In Windows 
> you simply do not have this choice. In linux, just choose one and 
> learn it, you will be happy. You can run _all_ programs in all 
> environments, so no need to install additional ones.
>  
>
>     predictable system that already does everything I need. If I
>     succeed in
>     the automatic login I'll continue, although frankly it's absurd to
>     spend
>     so much time on a system just to get minimum functionality.
>
>
> That is because you are new to the system. How long did it take you to 
> learn windows? And you should try to bring Windows back in it's 
> original state after a year of use. And do not say "system-recovery" 
> :). Just uninstall stuff with synaptic (if the launchers still work, 
> you did not delete the programs). I never spend this much time on a 
> new Ubuntu install. I just install Ubuntu and install my preferred 
> programs; it's done in a snap.
>
> Please feel free to ask more, but try to be specific.
>
> Rutger
Rutger,
You can see the extent of my plight in the letter previous to yours in 
the thread. I am not new to the system. In fact I have been trying 
Ubuntu every six months from almost the beginning. Years before that I 
ran Suse (4.7 I think and then updates.) I have recently tried a half 
dozen live Linux distribution CDs. I have been using Windows since 3.0 
and before that DOS. I keep trying to abandon Windows, but Linux has 
only now managed to provide most of the tools and functions I need (not 
all, by any means, but most). When I discovered that several better 
alternatives were in Kubuntu, I thought I could switch. The instructions 
were bad. The result was a mishmash from which I did not escape. 
Heretofore I'd stayed with the Ubuntu GUI and employed Kubuntu 
applications as needed. Your advice is much appreciated, but arrives 
about three hours too late, unless there is a "repair" function on the 
8.04 live CD, which I had never heard about. I am eager to experiment, 
but I balk at all the steps required to attain minimum performance. This 
8.04 release is the one I've struggled with the longest. Previous 
versions were abandoned in less than a week, when I discovered how much 
didn't work. If you're still willing, I'll get back to you after a new 
installation.

Rick