[ubuntu-za] 13.04 First thoughts

[Lee Sharp]

On 04/27/2013 04:01 AM, Quintin van Rooyen wrote:
> On Apr 27, 2013 10:30 AM, "Wikus" <wikus at cheetah-microsystems.com

>  > Apart from Ubuntu still being unable to provide screen drivers that
> actually works things are going ok.
>  > It is very disappointing and frustrating to see that after so many
> years Ubuntu are still unable to solve
>  > something as basic as screen drivers. I have an ATI 5470 that is a
> very new card , only about 7 months
>  > old and the ATI drivers doesn't even work. The main driver keeps
> throwing "unsupported hardware" errors
>  > and when I use the "updates" drivers Ubuntu doesn't even start up at
> all. Thank goodness I made a Redo image
>  > before installing drivers so I could get my system back.
>  > Ubuntu and hardware devs really should stop worrying about all the
> bells and whistles and should start concentrating
>  > on getting basics such as screen drivers sorted. It is very hard to
> try and convert users to Ubuntu if they can't even have
>  > a basic thing such as screen drivers.
>  > And what is worse , they are going backwards. On 12.04 the drivers
> worked perfectly for ATI. On 13.04 they don't.
>
> Hardware drivers are a vendor issue. Ubuntu generally ships with the
> best the vendor offers. Which drivers ship with this release?
>
> I did see ATI released new drivers this week that possibly broke stuff.
> Or maybe that fixes things.

I am with you right up until they decided "We don't need an Alt-Install 
anymore..."  With Alt-install, you can install the image, then log in to 
CLI mode and fix the drivers.  But with a graphical only Boot CD, if the 
card doesn't work, neither do you.  The only fix at that point is to 
install the server version, then install "ubuntu-desktop" and then 
install the correct drivers, and then reboot.  Not only is it a pain in 
the backside, it takes a LOT of bandwidth...

 >  > And the excuse of "it's an in between release" is also no good.
 >  > LTS doesn't support software updates for major things like Libre
 > Office , vlc and many more. Only security and some software
 >  > are supported with updates. So the user are forced to use the "in
 > between" releases if he/she wants the most updated software.
 >  > And with the support shortened you are also forced to to install
 > every release. So they have to sort out EVERY release and get
 >  > these basics right.

I stay with the LTS and install updated PPAs for things like Libra 
Office...  There are ways to stay current for the major stuff. 
Actually, it was the popularity of the Firefox PPA on 10.04 that made 
them change policy on Firefox updates for LTS versions.

			Lee