"So most of us have read review after review on just how fantastic Ubuntu is. And you know something, they're right - this really is a fantastic Linux distribution for the newer Linux enthusiast. But there often times appear to be some confusion as to accomplishing tasks they once would do in Windows pretty easily. On the whole, the confusion stems from hardware compatibly issues and today we are going to look into resolving those issues with ease." Don't look at me concerning that weird sentence. I have no idea how to make it grammatically correct.
Post a Comment
Member since:
2006-03-10
I think this article is not really saying anything new... nor is it really giving you some groundbraking tips on how to get the stuff working...
this may be because basically hardware on ubuntu either works out of the box (and most does), or works after you messed with the system for a pretty long time... or not at all never ever. But in my experience there is no easy way to get something to work if it's not aready doing so.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-06-22
While i agree the article isn't exactly full of revelations, and kinda comes off like some kind of circle jerk for Ubuntu, it nails why people like Ubuntu, it's a sane setup.
So well done a very insighful comment, maybe you should go back and read the last few sentances of the article. There is a thing called time, and for many it IS a commodity they cant afford to waste on an OS.
Member since:2006-04-21
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
Trolling is not what you say, it is the way you are conveying it.
Rakamaka's BS about using three different distributions and then going on an insinuating anti-GNU/Linux egotrip, even if the basic presumption could contain merrit, is just plain old, tired trolling.
So what if Ubuntu has not come up with an earthshattering new way of detecting hardware. At least what they used is working well within the OS they created.
Member since:
2006-03-10
Member since:2006-06-19
Member since:2005-08-15
Member since:2006-04-21
Member since:
2006-06-24
Member since:2006-02-01
Member since:2005-07-06
Well, if you are serious about running GNU/Linux as your day to day system, it makes perfect sense to turn your rig from a Windows supported machine into a GNU/Linux supported machine.
I had to cut some losses, but in the end I wound up with a rig that runs GNU/Linux like a dream, but utterly refuses to install Windows XP. It's where your priorities lie.
If you expect GNU/Linux to be a cheap, copycat, drop-in replacement for MS Windows, I advise you to stear well clear from it. GNU/Linux is not Windows, never will be. GNU/Linux is a distinct Unix-style system.
Member since:
2005-08-02
But there often times appear to be some confusion as to accomplishing tasks they once would do in Windows pretty easily.
The awkwardness comes from subject-verb disagreement and an unclearly referenced pronoun.
The verb has been conjugated as if "often times" were the subject of the sentence. It isn't. "Often times" is phrase acting as an adverb (it modifies "appear"). "There" is actually the subject of the sentence.
Should be: But there often times appears to be some confusion as to accomplishing tasks people once would do in Windows pretty easily.
Or, to rewrite it a touch: Often times, people appear to be confused about how to accomplish tasks they do pretty easily in Windows.
---
And to get back to the meat of the matter:
Yes, making smart hardware choices is a good step in the right direction, but for all the software solutions the writer mentions, it would behoove him to link to instructions about how to impliment the solutions.
Telling a n00b to use Smb4K to solve networking problems doesn't do much to help them find the program, configure it, and get it working.
(It also doesn't do anything for an OSX user, either.) 
Edited 2006-09-05 17:08
Member since:
2005-10-01
the solution to hardware issues is to only buy hardware suppoted by ubuntu out of the box?
This article is a joke its 5 pages of "Ubuntu is the best thing ever!" Doesn't cover any flaws in hardware detection, or how to get linux supported but not ubuntu supported hardware working. Not even a how to install nvidia/ati drivers.
Its articles like this that make people hate all the ubuntu press
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-02-01
Member since:2005-10-01
Please enlighten me as to how any piece of hardware can be Linux supported but not Ubuntu supported. You do realize Ubuntu is Linux.
Simple.. hardware that has working linux drivers, but are not included with ubuntu.
For example my printer a HP deskjet F380, its one of thoes printers with a built in scanner is supported under linux. Its possible to get full support of the printer under linux with scanner functionality and all, However with ubuntu if I use whats included with the distro I have to use the HP deskjet 3500 series driver to be able to print with no support of scanning in the slightest
Member since:2006-02-01
Member since:
2005-07-12
Member since:
2005-07-10
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:
2006-08-18
<rant>
Ubuntu is Debian with a six month release cycle and a large number of users. Fine, but that doesn't make it user-friendly or modern!
Like Debian you'll need to expend time in a terminal using various commands to do many configuration tasks. But with SUSE and Mandriva there is YaST and Drakeconf that make it super easy yet still allow you to use the terminal to do things if you wish.
I've used Ubuntu and ended up hacking in console as frequently as Archlinux and Slackware. I'm astonished that Ubuntu has gained so much traction from novice users.
</rant>
Edited 2006-09-05 19:27
Member since:2006-02-01
Member since:2006-02-01
Because no-one should ever have to use the terminal. Of course it should be there so that people who want to use it can do so, but it shouldn't be necessary for any regular task that the user might have to perform.
How often does the average Windows user have to resort to the command line?
But at the moment, something as simple as changing the video drivers to enable accelerated 3D output means hitting the command line. Want your Linux box to do something every day at 3pm? Tough, you're going to have to get your head around cron.
That's not the way it should be, and if you have any illusions whatsoever about Linux one day being the OS of the masses, these things need to be fixed.
Member since:2006-08-18
Because 95 percent of the world uses OSes that are easy to use, modern, and have graphical tools to configure their systems to make them "just work".
Since Linux is trying to fit in with these major players and look appealing to potential converts, major Linux vendors should do all they can to make the transistion simple and shred the "geeky" image behind Linux.
I believe the tools Ubuntu and many other distributions offer could only be classified as modern 20 years ago.
Member since:2005-12-04
<sarcasm> Sure. On Windows you have apt-get/synaptic to add and remove and update system without reboots.
And when things dont work, just reinstall it, hack into registry, or just format (that's a great modern tool) the harddisk.
Add/Remove Programs its tha way *g*
</sarcasm>
Member since:2005-07-06
A weird assumption that the only way to be "modern" is to use only clickable pictures. What is wrong with the written word?
I assume you have read a novel or a short story and didn't cry out with indignity about how it was so outdated, now that we have comic books.
What is wrong with using abbreviated, written english to communicate your wishes to your machine? What's with all the discrimination against written machine interaction?
Does it take away from you, if somebody more versed can do more stuff than you? Or is it that you can't stand the idea that some people can achieve a higer level of machine skills than you? Would you like to see them robbed of the opportunity to self-educate them beyond the level you are willing to achieve?
Being good in both GUI and CLI is a plus. Trying to kill CLI to hide your own skill deficiency is utterly ludicrous. Read a Bash howto and educate yourself about the rediculously easy to use Command Line Interface.
Member since:
2006-09-05
Member since:2006-09-05
Truly am sorry as well.. As someone said, the ownership of MP has changed, and is completly out of our hands. This is sad to see articles like this one. And also see that their MP New Team only posted 3 articles, only related to Windoze... No idea what's going on there...
Cheers.
chapeaurouge
Member since:
2005-07-10
Member since:
2006-09-05
Gundeep and his crew have just taken over Mad Penguin, and so they might need a little while to get it all sorted out. As one of the former volunteer staff writers of Mad Penguin, I can tell you that there is a lot more work that goes into producing Mad Penguin than meets the eye. Adam Doxtater, in particular, has some very big shoes to fill, and there are a lot of other really good writers who have contributed to Mad Penguin. I always felt in awe of our Mad Penguin crew. Gundeep has told me that he wants to continue that tradition of quality, and so let's give Gundeep and his team support during his team's transition. I wish Gundeep and his crew all the best!
Here is Joe Zonker Brockmeier's article about the change in Mad Penguin ownership:
http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/06/08/31/1658219.shtml?tid=148
cya
Christian Einfeldt,
Producer, the Digital Tipping Point
http://www.DigitalTippingPoint.com
Member since:
2006-09-05
hi,
I'm replying to r_a_trip's comments below. In general, I agree with much of what r_a_trip says. However, r_a_trip, IMHO we should be more welcoming to newbies, or Microsoft is going to continue to rule our world in a very nasty fashion. IMHO, we need to be more welcoming than Microsoft. I understand that there are some Microsoft trolls on this list of comments. And there are a few Microsoft users who have made odd statements. But IMHO, we need to win them over with kindness, more kindness than Microsoft shows its victims, er, customers.
BTW, I really like this comment. I have never heard an argument like this, and IMHO its very persuasive:
"A weird assumption that the only way to be "modern" is to use only clickable pictures. What is wrong with the written word? I assume you have read a novel or a short story and didn't cry out with indignity about how it was so outdated, now that we have comic books."
I also really appreciate the CLI. However, it IS very difficult to learn, because it involves memorizations that are not intuitive?
"What is wrong with using abbreviated, written english to communicate your wishes to your machine? What's with all the discrimination against written machine interaction?
Learning CLI commands has occasionally been hard for me. Plus I need to buy books or google the syntax, etc. CLI is powerful, but it takes some training, IMHO.
"Does it take away from you, if somebody more versed can do more stuff than you? Or is it that you can't stand the idea that some people can achieve a higer level of machine skills than you? "
I know only about 20 CLI commands, and it has actually been kind of hard to do so. It takes practice.
"Being good in both GUI and CLI is a plus."
I completely agree with you here. There are times when the CLI is soooooooo much faster. We should try to encourage people to learn it. But some people simply don't want to learn it. At all. Period. And I can understand why. It's hard. It's a foreign language.
"Trying to kill CLI to hide your own skill deficiency is utterly ludicrous. Read a Bash howto and educate yourself about the rediculously easy to use Command Line Interface."
This comment was a bit too strong, IMHO. We stand a better chance of persuading people to use Linux by being nice. My two cents.
Member since:
2006-06-19
Sorry for the OT, I like to think it is a good reason.
I had hoped that *spire would come around to see they were unreasonable but since they won't I simply ask that you take a look at my final posts in that thread and decide my true intentions for yourself.
http://osnews.com/permalink.php?news_id=15726&comment_id=159562
http://osnews.com/permalink.php?news_id=15726&comment_id=159555
Member since:
2006-02-15
This was pretty much a useless article. All the author suggests is buy new hardware that is Linux compatible. But what if you've got everything you need already, but want it to work in Ubuntu (or any other Linux distro for that matter)?
As for the other things, like camera being discovered automatically or such, it's got nothing to do with hardware compatibility really, and other distros do that too. Even my hand-crafted Gentoo LiveCD does that.
