OSNews

I've been really waiting for this release to give Linux another go. Cannot wait to install it and see if I can do away with Windows.

//Still nothing can be worse than installing XP SP3 yesterday which completely wrecked one of my machines.//

In other news, nothing can be worse than upgrading to Hardy Heron this morning and completely wrecking my wifi connection and blasting the X server into oblivion.

Moral: any upgrade on any OS can be troublesome.

Just an update. The update went smoothly. No problems whatsoever.

With the SP3 RC2 Refresh I had a BSOD caused by GDI32.dll on each startup (caused by the nVidia graphics drivers according to what I read about it). If you have automatic restart enabled it will look like the system is destroyed.

All that I needed to do to fix it was pop in the install disc and copy the SP2 file (that is backed up when you install) over the top of the SP3 one and all is fine. Obviously it is a problem, but it is pre-release software so I'm not going to attack Microsoft for it (or nVidia). A fix was already available IIRC when I experienced it.

I haven't noticed much difference with SP3, but I'm sure it saved me a lot of updates to SP2 on a fresh install.

another reason to wait a while is that nvidia binaries are problematic right now. Nothing seems to work. Even setting xorg.conf up by hand and loading the latest binary driver manually instead of the provided one from Ubuntu you can download works. The ubuntuforums are filled with people pulling their hair out over it.

If you have an open source video card (and let's face it unless your computer is a 10 year old verge no one does) 8.04 is not ready for prime time.

The bird on the otherwise drab wallpaper is a nice touch, otherwise it looks much like the last five Ubuntu releases.

I dunno, I have no problems with Intel HDA. In fact, on my new laptop, a Compaq Presario V3770TU, Ubuntu supports it's Intel HDA (Conexant SmartAudio 221) out of the box while there are no working drivers for it in XP at all. It also worked fine on my previous Fujitsu Lifebook.

Edited 2008-04-25 04:07 UTC

It might look like it works because PulseAudio provides it's own mixer. I do not like to beta test software so I have removed it and noticed that I'm left without any working way to control volume.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+bug/192382

It probably doesn't apply to a noticeable fraction of Intel HDA users but since it's a very popular integrated audio solution this might potentially affect a lot of users.

Thank you the more mirrors the better.

If you go directly to any one of the mirror sites you will find the official torrents of all of the Ubuntu CDs. Using those will be much faster and help the most people.

Yes you get torrents of CD's but not DVD's!
I've linked the DVD torrents..

Probably a silly question, but what exactly does the DVD iso include? I would guess off the top of my head that it would include alternate install + desktop live cd + server install, but at 3.7 GB my guess doesn't add up.

http://www.distrowatch.com

Your turn!

Page Hit Ranking = Distrowatch Site Statistics

http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20060717

"Ladislav has said time and time again not to take the distribution Page Hit Ranking too seriously"

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6997734761.html

"in his analysis Bodnar notes that "DistroWatch Page Hit Ranking doesn't mean all that much and we have been saying this for years."

http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=faq

"It is a light-hearted way of looking at popularity of distribution. Since each distribution has its own page, I though it would be fun to track the number of visitors viewing individual distribution pages. The HPD figure represents hits per day by unique visitors; as determined by the visitor's IP address."

*sigh*

Please give it a rest. It's not important. And arguing back and forth about it does not change its relative popularity one iota either way. It does, however, become annoying and wastes yours and other's time. Whichever "side" (if any) one happens to be on regarding this issue, it makes sense to let the other "side" remain overconfident. So the most effective strategy is to say nothing.

Well said!

I think it's important. Saying it's the "Most Popular" might confuse Joe User into downloading a distro that might not be for him/her. Thus turning him off to Linux.

I guess people interested in Linux would've heard of Ubuntu whether you like it or not or whether somebody calls it 'most popular' or not, and thus might very well have given it thought before someone else mentions Turbo Linux, Slackware, Fedora or any of the thousands of other distos our there ...

Actually people used to think like this about Red Hat and that has, I think, neither hurt nor helped Linux significantly ... What it does is give people an initial point of focus that might make it easier for them to choose Linux instead of driving them towards a certain distro ... Get people to get experienced and they'll form their own opinions, but I hardly think this little predicate is doing any harm ...

Joe User does not read osnews.
Stop whining just because your favorite distro isn't as popular or get as much attention.

I beg to differ.

http://osnews.com/search?q=joe+user&src=4

For all the Joe Users on here

Remember that this is a LTS (long-term support) release. It is going to be around for 3 years on the desktop (5 on the server). Would you really want to be using Firefox 2.0 three years from now? Not me! I'm very glad they managed to squeeze FF 3.0 into this release, since it is the main application most users (including me) use on a daily basis.

It may not be but the last one had beta software, early release software, release candidate software, so I don't see it as a big deal but then, I won't be using a browser that isn't finished to do financial transactions anyway.

Eventually, they'll have it done. I still don't have the latest Firefox (2.0.0.14) on Ubuntu 7.10, as it wasn't available in Software Update the last time I looked.

I'm looking forward to the new Ubuntu release. I think I'll wait until some Linux magazine has a disc included.

7.10 already has Firefox 2.0.0.14.

There have been statements from Mozilla people that it should be OK, to use, or at least better than the 2.x versions, even though there still might be more bugs to kill. My personal experience with it so far seem to confirm this.

So yes, I think it was the right decision.

There's going to be a kind of .1 release in July, which will include Firefox 3 final.

They're explicitely advising LTS users to wait till July, while users that want the latest version can happily install now.

It does make far more sense than trying to keep with Firefox 2 for the next 3 years, especially considering that - at least on my desktop - Firefox 2.0 in Gutsy has proved far from stable (it's not really Mozilla's fault since it works ok on other distros/OS).

If you stop a minute and consider that businesses always wait for an SP1 before any migration, July's release is going to fit perfectly in the LTS scheme.

If it works, it works and it will be upgraded when he final FF3 is released anyway.

I agree with you 100% I have felt that the OpenSUSE distro has been the only one truly differentiating themselves.

You can hate the start menu but lets be honest the Opensuse community has been delivering innovation. I expect to here the flames of the Microsoft deal. However that does not change the great work that they have been delivering. the stability of the distribution is also a great thing, their one-click system, opensuse build service, the control-center which many have adopted.

Grade the distro for it's merit Opensuse has been a true innovator, that is not to take anything away from ubuntu.

If you mean that crappy start menu thingy, then no thanks.

Yes it might look good, but the usability goes downhill when you try to add software to it as RPM sucks plums, and YAST is a pain.

If OpenSuse dumps Yast, then it might be worth a look, until then, I will stick to Ubuntu and PC-BSD

Can't speak for Yast, as I've not used suse in years, but I haven't had any real issues with rpm based distros since the late 90s and really don't see where .debs are particularly more impressive.

Could not have said it any better.

Let's hope they drop Yast AND rpm at the same time.

It might be a great distro, but .deb and Debian standards are not things you leave easily. Which is why I always wonder why some people can compare such distros with Ubuntu, when these distros aren't even based on Debian. Suse and Fedora are doing a great job and catering for the needs of their user base, but if they ever want to attract Debian users there's only one way to do it. Till then, it's like trying to sell meat to vegetarians.

Sure, why not just fork Debian. Any idea how much work "dropping rpm" is? It's equivalent to killing your distro.



That's not a "standard". It's distro specific, it's not like Xorg or glibc or kdebase.



The essence of comparing is comparing things that are *different*, not the same.



I sense what you really mean is, 'for the handful of losers still using them..'



You jest?
You believe for a second that Suse+dpkg=home_run?
Sorry, but it really doesn't work like that.
BTW I wonder what all those Debian users are flocking to CentOS for on servers? Could they actually believe there is an "rpm-based distro" that is doing *something* right?

When was last time you try it? You might wanna reconsider ;-)

http://duncan.mac-vicar.com/blog/archives/296

I meant to reply here so I will try again
I agree with you 100% I have felt that the OpenSUSE distro has been the only one truly differentiating themselves.

You can hate the start menu but lets be honest the Opensuse community has been delivering innovation. I expect to here the flames of the Microsoft deal. However that does not change the great work that they have been delivering. the stability of the distribution is also a great thing, their one-click system, opensuse build service, the control-center which many have adopted.

Grade the distro for it's merit Opensuse has been a true innovator, that is not to take anything away from ubuntu.

You're joking right? I'm sorry to burst your bubble but:
1. Copying the start bar isn't innovative.
2. Yast is pathetic and slow.
3. openSUSE is bloated and slow.

If that's the innovation you want, there's some stock in a company over in Redmond you should be looking into.

Oh yeah maybe your right

XGL = bloat = Novell/OpensUSE,
banshee = bloat = Novell/Opensuse


Oh wait both are in ubuntu, oh and

SLES 10 in tons of businesses uses the opensuse as it's foundation ubuntu not so much!!!!!

Yup sounds all bloated to me you are right I don't want that type of innovation considering that before SLES 10 RHEL was the enterprise standard.

openSUSE (which is what we're talking about) is MUCH slower on the same hardware than Ubuntu is. That is a FACT.

As many businesses that I've worked in and seen that use linux, RHEL is the only version that they use. Until Novell does something with Yast (either get rid of it, or fix it), then Suse will continue to be trying to play catchup.

Besides, aren't we focusing on desktops and not servers?

The innovating thing (Novell did) was not to copy the start bar, but rather that they tested it on ordinary users. I.e users that not are developers or sysadmins. This kind of tests are rare in the open source world, but very necessary if we want reach a wider market. If it looks like something from Redmond, so what, as long as users are comfortable with it lets use it, especially as it in this case is totally optional.



The thing that is/was slow in YaST is software installation. However, I guess Yast for software management will go away just like, apt-get, synaptic, yum, urpmi will go away when Packagekit takes over.Not that package kit is such all that speedy, but it will provide a well integrated standard interface that will make it easier for the end user.



You could also say that it is feature rich, and contain a lot of feetures that actually are helpful to the user. Unfortunately, feetures need a little hardware to run well, but in comparison to some OSes developed in Redmond, I don't think OpenSuSE have much to worry about. And these Redmond OSes constitutes the main competition.

And after all, If you don't like SuSE there is always Ubuntu, and a whole lot of other distros that look and feel more or less the same as Ubuntu to chose from.

Even if Ubuntu currently IMHO is not the most usable Linux distro their is, the Ubuntu team can still be very proud to know that they have raised the standards for usability in the Linux desktop.

A superior user interface that makes it easier for the end-user does already exist. It is called "aptitude".

RPMs might be better now than they were when Red Hat pulled a Microsoft on the standards body, and YUM and YAST might be trying hard to clone functionality, but Debian-based distros were there ages before and it shows.

PackageKit is a problem looking for more problems. I wouldn't let it near any system I cared about.

I couldn't agree more. We're migrating over to Ubuntu at work from OpenSuse because it's proven to be far more stable on our machines (mix of HP servers and workstations, and laptops, as well as Thinkpads) as well as being faster and free of the tremendous bloat that SuSe has become saddled with in recent years.

I dont get the WOW feeling from OpenSUSE.