[ale] thinking about switching away from ubuntu

[m-aaron-r]

On 2010/04/13, at 22:58 , adam wrote:

> Hi-o,
>
> Over the past year or so, I have started to notice that I'm having to
> tweak, fix, or otherwise finnagle my ubuntu desktop more and more into
> working properly every time a new release comes out.
>
> For 9.04, pulse audio drove me nuts. For 9.10 usplash was a disaster.
> I've had recurring samba problems via gnome's vfs and nautilus  
> systems.
> X with multiple monitors is nerve-wracking (damn mouse pointer bug).
> It's never been a problem I couldn't tackle, it's always just been a
> minor annoyance...but the annoyances are starting to stack up.
>
> I've read a blog post here and there calling for uber bug fix
> releases[1], and I tend to agree. "Linux for humans" has gotten  
> tougher
> and tougher for me to believe in regards to ubuntu.
>
> I feel like giving 10.04 a shot (LTS is supposed to mean a more stable
> release), and if it fails for me, I think I might try to look for
> greener pastures.
>
> Has anyone else felt the same at some time or another, and have you
> looked for a similar solution? Any luck? Also, I've only ever used
> ubuntu, but none of the other variants produced by canonical. I'm open
> to try another 'buntu if it's worth it.
>
> Adam

I installed the latest version of MINT recently in an effort to get
around some graphics support issues on an older Dell Lattitude
C640 laptop. MINT is an Ubuntu variant, current version based
on 9.10, but it still did a better job at addressing a couple of the
issues I was having with the Ubuntu 9.10 on this laptop.

The main plus point for Mint is that the installer did a much better
job of recognizing the laptop graphics chipset and capabilities.
The normal install of Ubuntu 9.10 came up with an unusable
screen and required dropping to a terminal and installing a custom
xorg.conf file in order to get a functional desktop at full resolution.
MINT came up with a working (gnome) desktop in full resolution
out of the box.

The MINT installer was also smart enough to turn OFF all (compiz)
screen effects.  The Linux graphics drivers for this laptop's Radeon
7500 chip set seem to be marginal, and trying to turn on ANY of the
compiz screen effects quickly leads to a system lock up.  Ubuntu
9.10 installs with compiz "normal" screen effects turned on by default.
so it was instant lock up and a few reboots to get that successfully
turned off -- plus you have to do an su apt-get uninstall from the
shell to get compiz removed from the system in it's entirety.

Turning compiz OFF ("no screen effects" in appearance preferences)
unfortunately has some minor side effects that persist in both Mint and
and it's Ubuntu 9.10 parent.  Seems Ubuntu chose to compile a few
core system elements so that they REQUIRE compiz screen effects.
I found that System Message windows [e.g. the "Network Connected"
notice] and some of the system tool windows [e.g. System Monitor]
display as blank (for the messages) or random grids of lines (as is
the case for the system monitor).

Mint still required that I install a custom xorg.conf in order to have
some selections in screen resolutions. The default and best possible
resolution is 1400x1050, which is great until I try to plug up to a  
video
data projector like the one in room 1C.  With the custom xorg.conf file
I can select from several screen resolutions, including the  projector
friendly 1024x768.

I found some other plusses with the Mint customizations of the
menus and (gnome) user interface and am generally finding I
like the style of Mint's Minty Greens better than the Ubuntu
Browns (or pending purples).

Trying to get the internal wireless running consistently with NDIS
wrapper was just as impossible with Mint as Ubuntu 9.10. I could
get connections, but ONLY just after installing the driver; a
reboot later it would stop working.  I finally settled for using a
trusty Proxima Oronoco PCMCIA card that I had been using with
my even older IBM laptop. Then I went out and found a backup
unit on ebay for $20 so I have wireless with both of my laptops.

My dual USB 2.0 // 1394A (Firewire 400) PCMCIA card also
works as a plug & play with both Mint and 9.10.

Final thoughts are a wish that Ubuntu and other popular distro
packagers and developers will stop being so obsessed with
keeping up with the proprietary Jones's world of gimmicks and
forced migrations that they abandon simple functionality or the
elegance and advantages of running in a more limited or older
hardware environment.  I have no complaint against users and
developers who want their latest, greatest update releases to
have screens that fly in to place on spinning cubes, but PLEASE
make it so the users who don't have the interests or hardware
to support  the gimmicks and eye candy can TURN IT OFF
without sacrificing basic functionality.

peace
aaron