Is it just me? Annoyances with Kubuntu.

Post #298,523 by Another Scott 10/28/08 8:37:56 PM Reply	Is it just me? Annoyances with Kubuntu. I'm using Kubuntu 8.04 with the latest updates on this T41 laptop. 1) Running Firefox 3.0.3 (or so). If I enable the Flash 9.x player, then RAM seems to get fragmented over a few days and eventually FF will consume enough RAM that the swap file starts being used. At that point, if I have a dozen tabs open and refresh all of them at once, FF will try to refresh them but will close (without any obvious error - it'll simply disappear). 2) I've installed the Adobe Reader from the Medibuntu repository. It works fine. Except, when I download a PDF with Firefox, the Download window will work properly, but part of the time PDFs are opened with KPDF, sometimes with Adobe Reader, and sometimes it doesn't know what to use to open it. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. (Similar issues were present even before using the Mediabuntu repository.) I've read that KDE is a poor stepchild at Canonical. Someone out there said it makes much more sense to use KDE on Debian.... http://tuxarena.blogspot.com/2008/10/7-reasons-to-pick-ubuntu-and-when-not.html Are these types of things common with Kubuntu and absent on Debian? Are annoyances like these just unspoken issues with Linux, just part of the territory since (after all) all software has bugs? Should I stop expecting a PC to be something to tinker with and just run Ubuntu and Gnome and enjoy the Kool-Aid? Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #298,525 by mvitale 10/28/08 8:46:43 PM Reply	On PDF files When I used Ubuntu (past tense -- I've got a Mac Pro as of last week), I used "evince" for all my PDF needs. I was strictly a read-only PDF user. When I had to write PDF files, it was straight out of OpenOffice, and I just clicked the little "PDF" button. -Mike
Post #298,565 by Another Scott 10/29/08 3:16:08 PM Reply	How do you like it? I continue to toy with the idea of getting a MacIntelitosh. Having an 8-core monster would be fun, as would a fast dual-core laptop... How do you like it? Are you also running Winders or Linux on it? Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #298,567 by mvitale 10/29/08 3:30:37 PM Reply	Re: How do you like it? Well, this is one of the octo-core dual-processor Mac Pro monsters. Fittingly, I also have 2 screens for it, since it can support it out of the box. As far as how I like it...It's nice. It's fast, it's slick, and while I've had some growing pains, for the most part, stuff Just Works. Which is why I got it in the first place. I don't hate the keyboard or the Mighty Mouse, like I thought I would in both cases. The OS is rock solid, semi-unixy (which is good since I'm so friggin' used to linux), and all the apps I need are either pre-installed or easy to find. I had to install the developer tools, obviously, but that was shipped on Disc 2 in the box. I've been counseled by a couple of folks that iWork is worth the $70 or so it costs instead of installing OpenOffice. I have yet to get either of them installed on here, so I can't say with any certainty there. Otherwise, it all Just Works. Plugging in my iPhone doesn't pop up incessant messages about a new camera connected. I don't have to mess around with wireless (I got the wireless preinstalled)...That just works. I had to spend $25 on an iMic, because the Mac Pro microphone port requires a powered microphone. That's about it, other than discretionary expenses that I've put into it. I do not run either Windows or Linux on it, and I do not plan to for either. Overall: it was a wise investment for me. I'm tired of fighting with Linux and refuse to run Windows, so this choice was pretty easy. -Mike
Post #298,584 by folkert 10/29/08 6:49:41 PM Reply	I know you hate futzing with Linux... But I guess its just something of a curse for you. Please lets remember that. Then we have people like me that have nearly ZERO issues over the years (yes I have had a couple) Overall for me, it just works.
Post #298,587 by boxley 10/29/08 7:51:40 PM Reply	linux I run it on a desktop at work because it is better than windows as a remote head for servers I dislike some of the increased complexity of the last few years from an admin point of view of course I still use getty so what do I know :-) if lemmy and god had a wrestling match who would win?
Post #298,591 by malraux 10/29/08 9:24:42 PM Reply	There's more to it than that. Logic Pro and video editing, for two. Regards, -scott <i>Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.</i>
Post #298,609 by mvitale 10/30/08 9:00:39 AM Reply	Yes. Yes I do. And I would submit that I have a MUCH higher tolerance for computer-related pain than your average user. Based on that, I will submit (and I would have maintained even when I used it) that Linux is not ready for the general-user's desktop experience. There are lots and lots of really smart people working on Linux. But they're way too involved in internal politics of my-kit-is-better-than-your-kit (KDE vs. GNOME, rabid GNU adherents vs. those who would rather just get stuff done, etc.) There's a missing of the forest for the trees. We should be further along than we are by now. It's sad that Linux isn't there yet. -Mike
Post #298,616 by folkert 10/30/08 10:37:25 AM Reply	You have HIT the complete problem... NOT Building on others work and being all NIH (Not Invented Here)... Case in point, HP making its own Linux distro, except... They host many of Debian Machines that BUILD Debian, many that HOST master Debian repositories, the Mailing List machine(s), QA Machines, Experimental machines. IOW, HP really does host Debian hugely. That whole attitude pervades the entire Linux mindset. Worst part of it is... EVERYONE wants to either work on the "Next Best Thing" or Eye Candy or nothing of real substance to getting things like YOU experienced fixed.
Post #298,647 by pwhysall 10/30/08 6:04:14 PM Reply	My feelings in a nutshell. Windows is too much aggravation on a daily basis, so I only use that for non-gaming activities when someone's willing to pay me for it. Linux doesn't do the things I need and, as the recent shenanigans (still only kludged around, rather than fixed) on odin show, bites me in the poorly-documented arse from time to time. Linux is great for serving Java applications and stuff like that. It's not so great for lazy bastids like me who just want to read their mail, do a little surfing, play a few games and have truly great font rendering. It's the little things like the services; the text areas with built in grammar and spell checking; apps like Delicious Library; iTunes (yeah, some hate it. I love it.). The fact that Jobs rules the GUI with an iron fist means that you don't get the Windows Disease of every company feeling the need to reinvent the toolbox/menu/GUI to achieve "brand separation". I've never pretended that OS X will work for everyone, but it works for me. My very first reaction to OS X, some five years ago, was "this is how it was supposed to be!". I've not had any real cause to change that opinion yet.
Post #298,649 by static 10/30/08 7:11:00 PM Reply	Heh. I discovered some years ago that it was not taken amiss if I told IT recruiters that I don't want a job supporting Windows servers. It's too stressful. Probably gave a few of them pause for thought... Wade.
Post #298,662 by boxley 10/30/08 8:51:23 PM Reply	Ive felt like that since NeXt, way it should be easy peasy on the fron end, unixy enuff in a terminal server for dodderers if lemmy and god had a wrestling match who would win?
Post #298,607 by Meerkat 10/30/08 8:51:01 AM Reply	Go Mike - welcome to the cool/smug kids club :-)
Post #298,608 by mvitale 10/30/08 8:54:52 AM Reply	Thanks! My beret fits well. :) -Mike
Post #298,645 by pwhysall 10/30/08 5:51:23 PM Reply	"Semi UNIXy" Haha! In an "Actual, real, proper UNIX" kind of way, you mean?
Post #298,646 by folkert 10/30/08 5:54:11 PM Reply	"Semi UNIXy" == Not case sensitive.
Post #298,534 by folkert 10/29/08 5:52:29 AM Reply	Re: Is it just me? Annoyances with Kubuntu. I use evince exclusively for ANY PDF reading, it just plain works and works exceptionally well. You can install Evince and still use KDE... For PDF generation, I have a PDF-Printer defined and get the pdf just fine in my home dir when I print to it. I've just gotten away from Adobe's piece of crap that is Adobe Reader, its HUGE, nasty and just plain not something I like at all, plus it has advertisements now built-in. ICK. SWF files I still use Adobe's Flash player for Linux, but not willingly. If and when the OSS SWF player(s) get up to the "v9" level, I'll switch to them.

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