Ubuntu v7.04 (Feisty) Released

wolfman

toasterman wrote: »

You see that I don't understand. I don't know what Nvidia are like, but ATI have Linux drivers on their website for a lot of their cards. Including mine, I'd like to add.

They're getting better. Their drivers are now easier to install and can be found in the Ubuntu repositories. The name flaws relate to things like graphics cards apparently running hotter and noiser than when in Windows, OpenGL performance is not very good, some common overlay modes are still missing, and I think it's still distribution specific (or there are problems around it).

toasterman wrote: »

I was sat at a Windows server today which needed defragmenting badly, and as I advised the owner they might want to start this when they leave for the day as it could take all night, I wondered about defragging....whether it was needed, as its a totally different file system.

Depends what file system you use. NTFS is generally ok, but can become defragmented. EXT3 works in a very different fashion. Google around, there's some quite interesting reading how and where files are written using each. I'll see if I can find one of the articles I found really good.


I can understand if you wanting to get your existing hardware to work. I was the same. The trick there is just to run in dual boot, but use Linux whenever possible. Once I get all the apps etc... setup on Linux I slowly began to use Windows less and less.

Then regarding hardware, and future purchases. I check the usual reviews now, but also any Linux forums etc... to make sure it'll work ok in Linux.

I'll have a look at my script I wrote, maybe need to clean it out a bit, quite a few personal settings in there. In essence it's quite simple. I basically store a load of my configs on my 2nd hard drive as backup. Upon installing the script copies each one to where it should go in linux, and renames the one that's currently there with a "-0" (so that I can revert if needs be). Stuff like repository listings, samba settings etc...

I then run two commands, one to remove anything from the distro I don't like. A "sudo apt-get remove totem totem-gstreamer ekiga gnome-games" etc.... And then another to install everything I want (including codecs). I keep my home directory on a separate driver. So any apps retain their setting from that.

I'll maybe look into writing a tutorial/how-to on it all.

Lexis200

I'll maybe look into writing a tutorial/how-to on it all.

That would certainly be useful thanks...

trythat

I've just installed Ubuntu 7.04 on my laptop, dual boot with XP, for me to get wireless to work, I had to click on the little network thing in the top bar, I left the one setting at Auto, that didn't work, so I changed it, it worked OK from then. It's a slight pain to have enter the Keyring password before wireless connects, but there are loads of complaints about it, that I assume it will get fixed.

My graphics is 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics, and Beryl works brilliantly on it, I was quite surprised

With this release you can add NTFS reading and writing, which for me makes life easier as I still have windows and Linux systems, plus with my dual boot, it nice to shove say downloads onto the NTFS partition, for both systems.

I'm very happy with how Ubuntu is working on my laptop, one nice side effect is my downloading seems to be quicker

wolfman

trythat wrote: »

With this release you can add NTFS reading and writing, which for me makes life easier as I still have windows and Linux systems, plus with my dual boot, it nice to shove say downloads onto the NTFS partition, for both systems.

I'd be careful writing to NTFS in Linux. It can easily become corrupt.

A better solution would simply be to use FAT32, although you wouldn't get journaling. It's a good mid-way point though.

As a become more of a Linux user I switched everything to EXT3, then for access in Windows, just used the EXT2 IFS (https://www.fs-driver.org/), which works with EXT3 too (but you don't get journaling).

wolfman

Also now that I'm home. Here's an example of a long list of commands I can execute at once:

sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/sources.txt /etc/apt/sources.list &&

sudo wget http://seveas.imbrandon.com/1135D466.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - &&

sudo apt-get update &&

sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r) &&
sudo apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx &&
sudo depmod -a &&
sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/xorg.txt /etc/X11/xorg.conf

sudo apt-get remove totem totem-gstreamer totem-mozilla serpentine ekiga gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-btdownload gnome-orca telnet f-spot;

sudo apt-get install samba gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gparted bum ssh easytag soundconverter proftpd mp3gain vorbisgain firestarter checkgmail libdvdcss2 w32codecs k3b keepassx azureus gftp kaffeine wine totem-xine mplayer digikam;

I've started doing a few more complex things with Perl, but they don't all work. The above though when pasted into a terminal window will setup my repository sources, run an update, grab the ATI drivers, copy across my xorg config, then remove and install all the apps I want/don't want.

It's simple to do via the command line. I just keep the above in a text file and occasionally have to modify a few bits. The &&'s mean only if the last statement worked will it do the next one. I keep my "home" directory on a separate drive, so all the apps I have pickup their settings from there. After that I usually only have a few things to do and I'm setup.

trythat

wolfman wrote: »

I'd be careful writing to NTFS in Linux. It can easily become corrupt.

A better solution would simply be to use FAT32, although you wouldn't get journaling. It's a good mid-way point though.

I don't really like Fat32, plus I believe the NTFS is a stable release, I've read quite a few reviews of it.

I'm aiming to but my laptop over to Linux when I can manage it, the main problem I find with Linux on my laptop and my server is printer support is crap, I have a Canon I865 and of course Canon don't help or provide any help for Linux, I think I'd get either a Epson or HP next time, I don't really like cups as it prints so slow, XP just prints and prints well, I'm assuming its a buffer thing, but not been able to find anything in google to help, just ordered a Ubuntu Bible so I'll see if there is anything in there to help , I've tried a print server box as well, and that was even worse , so I just use my XP tower to print.

Lexis200

Wolfman

Thanks for your command list. I get the idea now.

Still haven't had any luck with WPA on wireless. I've tried Netgear WG121 and WG111 dongles but no luck with either. The 111 does connect using WEP but not WPA, and the Ubuntu forums aren't much help. Shame really as, although I'm a Windows guy, I don't feel I'm giving Linux a fair chance to see if I could be converted. Still, Feisty is only a few days old, so maybe they'll iron out the problems in the future.

wolfman

Cool, yeah they look tricky. This is worth trying:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=329299&highlight=wg111

I've given up with my perl script for now, but my command script now looks along the lines of:

// Rename my drives, if they are differently named
sudo tune2fs -L Storage /dev/sdb1 &&
sudo tune2fs -L Movies /dev/sda7;

// Setup my repository config
sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/sources.txt /etc/apt/sources.list &&
sudo chmod o+wrx /etc/apt/sources.list &&

// Any keys for foreign repositories
sudo wget http://seveas.imbrandon.com/1135D466.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - &&
sudo wget http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/root@lupine.me.uk.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - &&

sudo apt-get update &&

// My video drivers
sudo apt-get install -y linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r) &&
sudo apt-get install -y xorg-driver-fglrx &&
sudo depmod -a &&
sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/xorg.txt /etc/X11/xorg.conf &&
sudo chmod o+wrx /etc/X11/xorg.conf;

// Any apps I don't want
sudo apt-get remove -y totem totem-gstreamer totem-mozilla serpentine ekiga gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-btdownload gnome-orca telnet f-spot compiz compiz-gnome;

// All the necessary audio/video codecs
sudo apt-get install -y gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse libdvdcss2 w32codecs libxine-extracodecs;

// All the apps I use
sudo apt-get install -y samba gparted bum ssh easytag soundconverter proftpd mp3gain vorbisgain firestarter checkgmail k3b keepassx azureus gftp kaffeine wine totem-xine mplayer mozilla-mplayer digikam ntfs-config bluetooth bluez-gnome flashplugin-nonfree msttcorefonts beagle saidar;

// My Samba setup
sudo /etc/init.d/samba stop &&
sudo touch /etc/samba/smb.conf &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/smb.txt /etc/samba/smb.conf &&
sudo chmod o+wrx /etc/samba/smb.conf &&
sudo chmod 0777 /home &&
sudo chmod 0777 /media/Storage/Apps &&
sudo chmod 0777 /media/Movies/Movies &&
sudo chmod 0777 /media/Storage/Music &&
sudo /etc/init.d/samba start &&
sudo smbpasswd -L -a myuser &&
sudo smbpasswd -L -e myuser;

// My bluetooth config for my keyboard
sudo mv /etc/default/bluetooth /etc/default/bluetooth_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/hcid.txt /etc/default/bluetooth &&
sudo chmod o+wrx /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf;

// My bluetooth config for my keyboard
sudo mv /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/hcid.txt /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf &&
sudo chmod o+wrx sudo gedit /etc/default/bluetooth &&
sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart;

// Sort the splash screen which breaks on my machine, this rebuilds it
sudo mv /etc/usplash.conf /etc/usplash.conf_backup &&
sudo cp /media/Storage/Apps/Linux/Ubuntu/Settings/usplash.txt /etc/usplash.conf &&
sudo chmod o+wrx /etc/usplash.conf &&
sudo update-initramfs -u;

// Virtual box, for running Windows inside of Linux :)
sudo aptitude install -y libqt3-mt libxalan110 libxerces27 &&
cd /tmp &&
wget http://www.virtualbox.org/download/1.3.8/VirtualBox_1.3.8_Ubuntu_feisty_i386.deb &&
sudo dpkg -i VirtualBox_1.3.8_Ubuntu_feisty_i386.deb &&
sudo adduser $USER vboxusers &&
sudo addgroup usbfs &&
sudo adduser $USER usbfs;

I basically missed out setting the permissions when moving files. I need to check I've set them correctly. I've basically given the admin user read, write and execute permissions. I'm not sure if it needs the execute permissions.

You can simply copy the abvove bits and Ctrl+Shift+V (Paste) them into a terminal window and press enter. You'll need to remove the comments I've put in.

toasterman

I've been following this thread for a while and Linux (Kubuntu.. I prefer KDE to Gnome) has grown on me. I like it's quirks and I don't have to use the command line in Feisty. I don't even need Automatix anymore.
I'd recommend it for people who listen to music, email, use their pcs for word processing..etc.

BUT.. I've decided it's not for me at this point in time.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with it, but I use Adobe Audition a lot.. in/out of it all the time.. and theres no Linux version.
I've tried audacity, and it is good, but its not up to the standard of Cooledit/Audition, or Goldwave, or even Creative Wavestudio..it lacks some very basic options and makes a complicated job of things that are simple in Audition.

Also, I don't seem to be able to record my own output - i.e. play something off BBC listen again, and record it back in Audacity. This is probably fixable with some configuration change but it doesn't really fit my needs, so back to Windows I go.
I've ordered a new laptop with xp home, and I'll probably be keeping it that way. I can't really be faffed with dual booting.

Ubuntu/Kubuntu Feisty is good. If I ran an office and had to equip my users with something each - if nothing else I'd have a Windows Terminal server and a load of linux pcs. I might even consider a Linux terminal server. And openoffice is superb. It's just not right for me at this point in time and will hinder me more than sticking with Windows.

wolfman

Good you tried though.

Another thing worth mentioning. VirtualBox. I too need Windows being a .Net developer, so just run XP from within Ubuntu.

It allows me to use Photoshop, Visual Studio etc... If you need to use audio that can be trickier to setup though.