Ubuntu 13.10

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When everyone was going crazy trying to download the latest Win 8, Ubuntu released their latest version, which I have downloaded without difficulty. There seems to be less traffic on that site, or more servers or something, for anyone who wants something new to talk about.

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When everyone was going crazy trying to download the latest Win 8, Ubuntu released their latest version, which I have downloaded without difficulty. There seems to be less traffic on that site, or more servers or something, for anyone who wants something new to talk about.

“db”

I have tried Ubuntu years ago …it was an exercise in frustration (various reasons) Question: I would be willing to give it another go…If

1. Does the new Ubuntu still use the “Terminal” to do even the most simple things? ( lots of “Geeky” input code) The “true believers” really love this.

2. Have they included more GUI ( user interface) to make things a bit easier to navigate?

3. Have they improved the ability to connect to the internet if you use a modem (air card) to connect ..? Had lots of problems with this one

Thanks for any input….:cheers: Regards Fred

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If you want a Linux distro that is really like Windows try Linux Zorin 7.0:

http://zorin-os.com/index.html

Linux Mint 15 is also excellent: http://www.linuxmint.com/

They are based on ubuntu

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1) Most of the OS configuration that an average user would make can be done via GUIs. It been years since I’ve had to use a text editor or command line to configure typical. Of course, once out of the OS and into specific apps, such as if you want to tweak Apache or PHP, you might have to resort to editing text files.

2) Yes, most things are configured via something similar to a control panel. One thing that was done recently (2 releases ago?) which really helps if you dual boot – I used to have to edit the GRUB config files each time Linux installed a new update, but updated are now handled much more intelligently in GRUB and manual editing of the files is no longer necessary (unless you want to do non-standard configuration)

3) Their support for wifi cards has gotten much better. Not sure about modems, though, it’s been ages since I used one.

It really worth giving another shot. And with today’s hardware, running a Linux Virtual Machine is a snap (that’s what I usually do)

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running a Linux Virtual Machine is a snap

Just curious, do you download the ISO and mount as such?, or do you download the VDI and run that version.
Just wondering which is better and why?
thanks
Michael

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I download the ISO, create a new VM, boot the VM with the iSO and install it. That way I can specify the root volume size.

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I download the ISO, create a new VM, boot the VM with the iSO and install it

That’s what I have done in the past. My usage of Ubuntu has been casual only. Recently I encountered a site has many Vbox VDI images for downloading. Ubuntu 13.10 is one of the many available. I was curious if I should be looking in that direction.
thanks
Michael

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As one who has recently installed Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring), I can offer a few insights:

(1) Your success or failure with WiFi depends very much on which modem, and which Wireless or Ethernet Card you have in your hardware configuration. The same applies if you have hybrid switchable graphics. If you run into any trouble with either of these configuration issues, you are in for a rocky road through the Command Line.

(2) If neither of these two issues shows up, most of the time installation and configuration of Ubuntu is pretty straight-forward. Command Line is mostly there for times when you need to elevate privileges. For example, to move or copy a CloneZilla Live Backup Archive, I had to go into the Terminal, run a “sudo nautilus” command, and as Root, change Permissions on the archive Folder. And when formatting and partitioning external USB drives using gParted, I had to later go into the Terminal, go to those partitions, and allow User 01 permission to Read and Write to the newly-created partitions. Stuff like that seems to derive from the much tighter Group Policies in Linux vs. Windows.

(Sidebar — CloneZilla Live Raring runs off a CD you download and burn for yourself. You immediately see the Command Line and get confronted with the very unfamiliar way Linux names drives and partitions. Be warned, but be not discouraged. This is a Learning Curve, but it is manageable for most folks.)

(3) Once up and runnning, the Ubuntu Software Center and a few keyword searches has gotten me most of the software and kernel module updates I needed, all with a single-button Install click. then just click into the Progress icon and watch the downloads and installations happen. A lot of the programs and utilities are already built-in, so all you need to do to get started is just use the Dashboard (Gear Icon in the Launcher) and Search for what you want to run. Commonly used items are on the Launch Bar already. Cloud Storage is also included as Ubuntu One.

Libre Office, Firefox and Thunderbird are included, so we Windows users are never far from home with basic applications.

One last detail — many issues with Wireless cutting out after ten or fifteen minutes are really Sleep ACPI issues in Ubuntu. This is a BIOS issue, and should be addressed by updating (flashing) your BIOS under Windows to the most recent version. If this doesn’t work there may be an issue which could make you reconsider using that particular computer with Ubuntu.

I had no issues with my Toshiba Satellite “A” Series laptop, except for my Intel-NVidia hybrid graphics. After several Command-Line fiascos, I settled on using Bumblebee and the Ubuntu NVidia Restricted Driver, and using manual switching (Optirun Command) through the Command Line. And truth be known, nothing In do online on a regular basis needs the NVidia graphiics. But it’s nice to know that mode is available. Note that I had under Windows flashed my Toshiba Phoenix BIOS a couple of times due to the Sleep ACPI issues under Windows. Now, even Hibernate with Ubuntu works just fine for me. Your Mileage may vary. Do NOT try Bumblebee with Dell AMD-ATI hybrid graphics. (It doesn’t work, by most reports.)

Ubuntu 13.10 promises to address the NVidia hybrid graphics issue, but I haven’t upgraded my kernel yet. Anything at or above 12.04 is considered current for Ubuntu. Security issues are handled through updates from the Software Center. This can be almost completely automatic if desired.

From a security standpoint, why would we run Linux as a Guest OS (VM) inside of the less-secure Windows OS? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be running Windows as a Guest inside of Linux? Not as convenient, but maybe more secure? (Personally, I dual-boot. I dumped Windows 8 before putting in Ubuntu Raring. Between the Windows 7 Boot Manager vs. Ubuntu’s GRUB2 Boot Manager, I find little to love on either side, but GRUB2 seems stable and has never failed to find the Win 7 boot loader. I recommend using TweakGRUB within Ubuntu to make the GRUB2 screen more readable.)

-- rc primak

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The latest long-term release of Ubuntu was 12.04 which is what I use on my 2004 laptop (dual-boot with its original Windows XP). Although I am happy using a terminal window I don’t think an ordinary user would ever have cause to go there. Ubuntu is elegant and fast compared to Windows on this platform. Libre Office is not a patch on Microsoft Office for beauty but it does all the everyday stuff perfectly well (and reads and writes MS Word and Excel formats). Thunderbird and Firefox are the same as on Windows. I would particularly recommend it for older hardware like this.

The only bit of the OS that is less pretty than Windows is the grub boot screen, there are ways to make it prettier but I have preferred to leave it as standard – the consequences of messing up the boot process are pretty severe.

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The latest long-term release of Ubuntu was 12.04 which is what I use on my 2004 laptop (dual-boot with its original Windows XP). Although I am happy using a terminal window I don’t think an ordinary user would ever have cause to go there. Ubuntu is elegant and fast compared to Windows on this platform. Libre Office is not a patch on Microsoft Office for beauty but it does all the everyday stuff perfectly well (and reads and writes MS Word and Excel formats). Thunderbird and Firefox are the same as on Windows. I would particularly recommend it for older hardware like this.

The only bit of the OS that is less pretty than Windows is the grub boot screen, there are ways to make it prettier but I have preferred to leave it as standard – the consequences of messing up the boot process are pretty severe.

I agree with most of this.

But ordinary users will have to confront Ownership and Permissions at some point, especially if attempting to move backup archives made with CloneZilla Live.

What works in Ubuntu is fast, stable and easy on hardware resources. But much of what appears to be “like Windows” operates differently. These differences become increasingly apparent the more you use Ubuntu and its programs. For example, by default the Ubuntu GNOME desktop does not add a desktop icon or a launch bar item for newly installed programs. Instead, the user has to navigate to usr/share/applications and fetch a copy of the program’s launcher for the desktop or the launch bar. Not exactly intuitive. And much of what works (LibreOffice, GIMP, etc.) is definitely not pretty. But hey, at least it’s not all Command Line driven anymore! And there is much less routine maintenance, including not havoing a Registry to clean out, not having file-level fragmentation to defrag, and not needing to run antivirus or to scan for malware. (It is possible to check periodically for rootkits, which can be a problem in some instances.)

Overall, I feel best using Widnows 7. Next-best is 64-bit Ubuntu on modern hardware (since 2008). A distant third is Apple’s two OSes (MacOS and iOS). I don’t even rate Windows 8.0/8.1/RT. (That last item is partly to avoid opening fresh controversy. Microsoft is not going to make the kinds of improvements I want, so I’m dropping the issue. And dropping Windows.)

What OS you use, and the types of devices (touch, non-touch, tablets, laptops or desktop workstations) seems to me to be a matter of using the right tools for the right jobs. What you prefer will depend on what you want to do, and how you prefer to get the job done. For myself, if I want to run entertainment or other touch-centric Apps, I’ll start using Android. Now that Google TV is officially rejoining the Android fold, I see no better alternative. Certainly not iPad.

Again, use what tools best fit your needs and your preferred computing style.

-- rc primak

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I have had fewer driver issues in Ubuntu than Windows (like maybe one fiftieth!).

This is for those of you who already have a functioning OS, and who propose to to run Ubuntu inside of V-Box: keep in mind that V-Box “lies” to the guest OS, and tells it that its favorite hardware is present. Meanwhile, it is actually using the physically extant hardware via the host OS & its drivers. So, as long as the version of V-Box you are running supports the version of Ubuntu you plan to install, everything should work seamlessly with no driver issues. Of Course, there is always somebody doing something weird. That’s what Mountain Dew, Visine and the command line are for.

If you plan to actually multi boot: in my experience, the boot loader for Ubuntu is extraordinarily capable, well behaved and installs and configures itself with no drama. I am, of course, comparing it to the pitched battles of yesteryear, trying to multiboot multiple installations of Windows. MS did not encourage that. Frankly, V-Box mo’ betta.

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To add my two cents, I’ve been trying to use Ubuntu on my laptop since about 2007. At first it was a severe uphill struggle with drivers, etc but more recent releases of Ubuntu since about 2011 have been successively easier to the point where on the two computers I use I find with Ubuntu that everything just works – updates for everything seem to be handled automatically (I just click Install Updates when it pop’s up), and then it lets me get on with whatever I’m trying to do.

If I was installing the operating system for the first time, I would have a lot more driver hassles with Windows than with Ubuntu – Windows would require me to search online to find the latest drivers for each piece of hardware, Ubuntu would just work out of the box.

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Hi all,

For those Windows users who’d like to try Linux, I’d recommend Linux Mint 15 (Olivia), which is loosely based on Ubuntu but looks and works much more like a cross between WinXP and Win7.

Probably best to go for the Mint15 ‘MATE’ 32bit version as this is currently the most stable http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2366.
(scroll down to: HTTP Mirrors for the MATE 32-bit DVD ISO)

Whilst the alternative Mint15 ‘Cinnamon’ version is a sophisticated new desktop that will no doubt soon become the bedrock version of Mint, it is currently a work in progress.

Download and burn the DVD iso and this will produce a bootable Live CD for you to play around with in safety to see what you’re getting into without installing anything to the HD

If you go for an install the slick Mint installer will walk you through to safely dual boot with Windows.

The install comes ready loaded with most of the applications you are likely to need, and there’s a huge amount of other free software available via the clever Software Centre – this includes stuff like Google Chrome, Google Earth, Picassa etc.

Three things I recommend you add are:
‘Docky’ a MAC like app launcher
‘Force Quit’ as an applet on the normal taskbar – like Windows ‘end task’ but much slicker.
‘Grub Customiser’ a tool that will enable you to easily change defaults in the Grub dual boot menu

You will rarely ever need to use the Command Line Terminal, unless you start to dig inside the guts of the thing. But I’m sorry to say that you will need to use it to get Grub Customiser – go on – though it’s as mystical as DOS it’s dead easy to use provided you just copy and paste in the lines that someone else provides. To download and install Grub Customiser:

Open the Terminal and copy and paste in this line below: – and press ENTER:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

You will be asked to type the password you chose on installing Linux – and press ENTER

Paste in this line below – and press Enter:

sudo apt-get update

Paste in this line below – and press Enter:

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

See you’re a Linux Newbie and you’re using the Terminal already!

Have fun – you’ll be surprised that most of Mint15 just works right out of the box – a refreshing change to setting up Windows.

Cheers,

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I am just a casual user of linux. Occasionally i get the desire to get more involved. As such, I appreciate all the comments in this thread. They will be very useful to me when I get to deeper involvement.
thanks
michael

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Bump

This thread was started 6 months ago, in October 2013, to discuss the, then new, Ubuntu 13.10. Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr LTS was released in April, and probably deserves some comment.

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I downloaded 14.04 a while ago, putting it as I usually do on a Pen Drive for Linux. That arrangement lets me carry it (or any other version of Linux) on a flash drive on a key ring, and install it on any computer at any time if I want it or need it, or otherwise run it as a trial directly from the flash drive. It is a form of insurance if Windows runs into significant trouble, and it will install itself neatly as a dual-boot system with a minimum of effort. I installed it yesterday on a desktop computer in circumstances that invited it: Windows will run but I could not get it online, even though it reported that it was online but not connected to the internet.

Ubuntu got online with no trouble, both from the flash drive and once installed, and I had it installed and running in a no time, dual-boot, and with the usual small footprint, giving me a welcome alternative to the still-misbehaving Windows. The only thing I tried is Firefox on a newspaper site where the videos drive me crazy, and that performance was no better on this system than under Windows, so it’s presumably the site. The system looks fine, but I’d really like to try one of these other variants that are said to be close to Windows.

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The variant that most people say is most like Windows is Zorin. It has options to look more like Windows XP or more like Windows 7.

However I prefer Linux Mint 16 Petra with Cinnamon.

You should also consider Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

I really prefer LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition), but before I can really go to there, I need to become more familiar with the Debian way of doing things.

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