Jump to content

Thinking of trying Ubuntu?


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 60
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

It seems a bit mixed

Linux is a little more involved, largely because it never assumes that users want their environment to be simplistic and with limited options. However, most Linux distributions still embrace the paradigm of packaging installation files.

Which isn't strictly true ... sure WinAmp can be installed from a .exe BUT Windows has many deps as well.

 

I was recently surprised just how crazy some of them are like Omnipage pro requires Internet Explorer and a specific version up because they have used the MS dev kit....

 

..and wait for it you need a specific version of the installer ....

 

In Linux you have a choice of thousands of packages and all you need to do is ask the installer to install them and it will go off and find them, download, configure and everything .. the only reason people find it confusing is they think in Windows terms...

 

From the article POV it seems written well but from the standpoint of being a windows user?

 

In other words a more apt title (scuse the pun) might be discover linux through Ubuntu for windows users....

 

However the information itself seems very nicely put... once you read it as a article on how to start using ubuntu from a windows perspective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I downloaded the Ubuntu from their site a few days ago and I must say that the install was pretty nice and user friendly. did not take long to figure out how to use the partition parameters (think it was grub if I am not mistake).

 

When it was done however I did not like the fact that it went over on my resolutions settings. I had to lower it back down to a stable 1024 x 768 to get rid of the lines crossing my screen.

 

Also too what bothered me at the time was the fact that I had to use sudo to do anything and that root was blocked out from logging in the gui. This is because I had no idea what my root password was and if I tried to do a passwd root command it would ask me for my existing root pass which I had no idea what it was. However it was simple to get it going, just log in to gui with the account I created in setup and then go to the user & groups applet and change the password there. but then I realized that I had to learn some commands to get updates and install appz.

 

But overall I did and do like it. with webmin I was able to find what packages were built for it and get them with no problem. Being a console man myself I must say that the gui too was nice. simple, uncluttered and nicely colored. For a 2nd distro I am impressed and will continue to have it as part of my network.

 

Now to check out Devil-linux .... :thumbs:

PS --- Still gonna be a drake head 4 life...... when are we gonna re-vote for those new banners?

 

I downloaded the Ubuntu from their site a few days ago and I must say that the install was pretty nice and user friendly. did not take long to figure out how to use the partition parameters (think it was grub if I am not mistaken).

 

When it was done however I did not like the fact that it went over on my resolutions settings. I had to lower it back down to a stable 1024 x 768 to get rid of the lines crossing my screen.

 

Also too what bothered me at the time was the fact that I had to use sudo to do anything and that root was blocked out from logging in the gui. This is because I had no idea what my root password was and if I tried to do a passwd root command it would ask me for my existing root pass which I had no idea what it was. However it was simple to get it going, just log in to gui with the account I created in setup and then go to the user & groups applet and change the password there. but then I realized that I had to learn and get used to the new commands to get updates and install appz.

 

But overall I did and do like it. with webmin I was able to find what packages were built for it and get them with no problem. Being a console man myself I must say that the gui too was nice. Simple, uncluttered and nicely colored. For a 2nd distro I am impressed and will continue to have it as part of my network. Just need to find a nice wallpaper for the brown.

 

Now to check out Devil-linux .... :thumbs:

PS --- Still gonna be a drake head 4 life...... when are we gonna re-vote for those new banners?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

i had ubuntu dapper drake on all 5 of my systems up until a couple weeks ago when i came across mandriva one. have that on all 5 now.

 

think i'm going back to dapper though. this mandriva just seems to be to far behind the times now that i've used it.

Edited by Saddletramp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

yeah, but you can set that up.

 

if i need a sudo terminal, i typically do a sudo bash or something similar. i'm impressed with it. i'm a little weirded out that with edgy they've moved the info in the formerly /etc/inittab file elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks nice, but I hate the way they enforce sudo on you, and not give you a root account that you can easily use "su" with.

 

You can easily enable the root account:

 

sudo passwd root

 

This is because I had no idea what my root password was and if I tried to do a passwd root command it would ask me for my existing root pass which I had no idea what it was.

 

Couldn't be easier, indeed a cleverly crafted web page can change the root password on ubuntu since your browser is running is you and you have root privs in sudoers ... and it doesn't even need your user password...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very unsecure in my opinion.

Its scarily insecure....

setting a root password helps because as default there is no root password so a user can change it exactly as above. At least if you set the root password then you need the root password to change it but in the default you don't need any password...

 

This is really my basic prob with Ubuntu... I could put up with the other stuff since every distro has good and bad sides but this part is so fundamentally flawed and embedded into Ubuntu as to make it almost impossible to purge.

Its obviously not impossible you can download every package as src and edit it but if your doing that why not just run Debian? but the major problem is the number of win converts who don't see why this is bad and the refusal of the devs to discuss it.

 

Its almost like a single thing that spoils the rest... because Ubuntu has a lot of good stuff... but this makes it a "do not pass go" distro IMHO..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...indeed a cleverly crafted web page can change the root password on ubuntu since your browser is running is you and you have root privs in sudoers ... and it doesn't even need your user password...

Is that really true, that a web page can change the root password on ubuntu, or is that your own speculation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...