Ubuntu Linux

[mpmarino]

I am (maybe was) a XP user, but often tune into the Linux camp to see what's new and how far it's come along. Yes, I know..I know...Linux is for gurus and of course it's near impossible to use and completely impractical . I'm no guru!

There have been some pretty good distros I have tried in the past (redhat/mandrake et al) but I have to say that the latest release of Ubuntu is the best yet for people that just wanna sit down, use a computer and not worry about all the licensing B.S. I have been on it for 2 weeks now and switched back to XP only once to use a particular prog I wanted to use. I put it on a 10gig HD I had kicking 'round so I wouldn't affect my system. I may never really go back this time! Ubuntu will even mail you a disk for free in the event you don't have broadband.

If you have a hard drive you can try it on I really think it's worth a look!

OH, and it's free of course

 

[bigwill]

I've also recently tried it - Linux usability has come a long way over the last few years. It's not perfect, but it's getting there. I particularly like the Synaptic package manager.

 

[Frank Berry]

Linux has come a long, long way.
Some of my Servers at work were operating under the SCO Unix OS. They're now operating under Linux.
The servers are perfectly stable ... and it doesn't cost $5000 every time we need an OS upgrade.

 

[1/137]

I am trying to migrate to Linux but I'm an old guy with no UNIX background....however...both K/Ubuntu & CentOS seem to be pretty good....much better than the old daze...trying to get early versions of Red Hat to play.

However it's still a bit of a struggle.

rt

 

[mpmarino]

In my experience (very limited), an early version of Red Hat is an excercise in frustration. I've been in Ubuntu for 2 weeks, as I said, and I haven't had to open a single terminal window. Thier server has a ton of packages that install more smoothly than windows and what is offered is probably enuff for the average user without specific needs. I really enjoy this thing and my 5 year old adores 'Tux (penguin) Racer'.....

 

[1/137]

I think you are having better "luck" than I....my "big" problem is that although I can get Samba to work and can browse Windoze to Linux and Linux to Windoze from the OS...I can't get any Linux APPLICATIONS to browse from the Linux box to a Windows machine...everything esle works fine...other than it is a little slow...I'm an Xwindows user..

Hopefully this made some sense.

rt

 

[Byrd]

I have to comment that this is one of the few things I feel a small amount of national pride about. This is the first distro that has the correct ethic behind it (for the good of humanity) as well as some serious cash. It will undoubtedly be successfull.

 

[rdf]

....my "big" problem is that although I can get Samba to work and can browse Windoze to Linux and Linux to Windoze from the OS...I can't get any Linux APPLICATIONS to browse from the Linux box to a Windows machine...

rt

Most Samba clients permit 'mounting' a Windows network share under a directory, usually somewhere under /mnt. A common location at one time was /mnt/smb. Linux applications then access the the Windows share via that directory. Sorry for the lack of better detail, my servers all run Linux and I no longer browse in the other direction.

 

[1/137]

Thank you..that sorta helps...but to me it's strange....obviously I'm missing something...that I can browse from the OS windows but I can NOT from an application...as in I want to bring a file in to a word processor on the Linux box but the file is on the Windows box...I cannot browse the network from the Linux Application even though I can from one of the OS GUI wondows...

rt

 

[lineup]

I have tried KUbuntu Linux.

This is a version of Ubuntu that is built around KDE graphical user interface.

I have only one thing against Ubuntu.
The difficulties that comes along with you CAN NOT login as 'root' user.

This is not in the spirit of Linux!
Where we want to be able to control and change settings in our own system.

--------------------------------

A good way to test Linux is to use a LIVE CD.
This means you download and burn a BOOTable CD.
this way you can run Linux directly out of this disc
without any changes to your harddrive.

Live CD

The live CD allows you to try Kubuntu without changing your computer at all. There are three images available, each for a different type of computer:

http://www.kubuntu.org/
http://www.kubuntu.org/download.php

PC (Intel x86) live CD - ISO download

 

[rdf]

Never heard of that before, are you allowed to 'su' into root?

 

[lineup]

sudo, this is what you have to do, to change any rights of folders or other configurations.
I had to use 'sudo' and change to rights on many folders to allow my user account
to be able to install, change and modify my Linux system.
There are 'workarounds' to enable root login, but it is complicated for an average user.

If you search with google:
ubuntu login root

you find that this is an issue many find as problematic.

See for example:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RootSudo

By default, the password for root is locked in Ubuntu. This means you cannot login as root or use su. Instead, the installer will setup sudo to allow the user that is created during install to run all administrative commands.

This means that in the terminal you can use sudo for commands that require root privileges. All programs in the menu will use a graphical sudo to prompt for a password. When sudo asks for a password, it needs YOUR password, this means that a root password is not needed.

 

[1/137]

you can easily become the "su" by the "sudo" command. the password for sudo is the password for the first account that you set up when you do the insatll...and I think the super user command is "sudo" or something like that.


http://www.hmug.org/man/8/sudo.php
sudo allows a permitted user to execute a command as the superuser or another user

rt

 

[lineup]

Well ... no. You've found one of those crap nanny distros that don't allow you to login as root.

But it's fixable, if you really care enough to pursue it. Believe it is $sudo su, then give it your user password, then run #passwd and give root a password. At that point, you'll be able to do a $su command to become root.

Then, edit kdmrc [or whatever the rc file is for your wm] to comment-out the line that says 'Allow root logins=false' and that should do it. Google for your problem -- you aren't the first to encounter this issue.

I have no clue why Ubuntu still exists -- shows the power of public relations and advertising. You can get everything Ubuntu offers and lots more by going with a Mepis / Kanotix / Knoppix / PCLinuxOS. You don't get much with a Ubuntu / Kubuntu cd.

[and please, nobody should waste the bandwidth to tell
me how I'm better off not being able to login as root on my own puter]

http://discuss.extremetech.com/forums/1004301165/ShowPost.aspx

Ubuntu says it is from security reason you can not be 'root' to admin your own system as normal.
But to me and many others
it looks like a Bill Gates strategy:
dont bother, microsoft will do all the thinking for you

this way the software developer/distributor will have control of what you can and can not do
and use this to their own advantage, in future

 

[mpmarino]

As I said I'm no guru. A google search revealed the following:

HowTo: First Go to gnome start menu and go to system-->Administration-->User and Groups
There search for the user "root". U will find it. After choosing root, click on "properties" and change the password to something u want. there will be a system generated random root password which you have to erase and set a new one of your choice. once you are done come out of that and close all windows.
THEN, again from start menu go to System --> Administration --> Login Screen Setup.
There go to the "security" tab and CHECK "allow root to login with GDM".

I can now tupe 'su' in the terminal ..enter the PW I set and be root.

This is contrary to my original post, however. Ubuntu is not a guru's Linux! It's an average users Linux and that's why I like it!

Not to mention, doesn't the original account have full admin rights? if so...what's the diff? Most people I know (average people) are scared at the mention of 'root'. Why is that so important anyway? My intention wasn't to bring out the old "Linux should be hard so only people like us can use it"


I use SunOS OSS wireless network systems all day long. When I get home the last thing I want to do is start running commands...make it easy pleasy - and ubuntu is pretty close

 

[rdf]

Understandable frustration and wouldn't want to work that way either. Once you get a handle on Ubuntu regular Debian is a hop skip and jump away. Then again, I don't like to run as 'root' in Linux or Windows.

 

[davidsrsb]

I think you are having better "luck" than I....my "big" problem is that although I can get Samba to work and can browse Windoze to Linux and Linux to Windoze from the OS...I can't get any Linux APPLICATIONS to browse from the Linux box to a Windows machine...everything esle works fine...other than it is a little slow...I'm an Xwindows user..
rt

You want the smb4k package, which mount Windows shares using smbmnt and smbumount

 

[Circlotron]

Kubuntu 4 me 2.

I have tried KUbuntu Linux.
This is a version of Ubuntu that is built around KDE graphical user interface. .

I have tried about twenty different distro's since about 1998, even surviving a Gentoo install (following step by step instructions for 5-1/2 hours and =45= pages would you believe!?). It did work though. Have done kernel configuration and compilation lotsa times now. I have finally settled on Kubuntu because the install is totally simple, recognises all the hardware, and just feels nice. As lineup says, it is the KDE desktop version of Ubuntu and I have the Redmond window dressing and Plastik theme. Always playing with WINE too.

It is seriously good software and it really works, and once you understand a little about it, it gives the illusion of being simple (just like diy audio stuff!) It took me a heap of tries to get to the point of being able to solve problems in the early days, and thankfully they are mostly over now, but computers are not my speciality so I had to be *pathologically* dedicated. After all that though, I still use XP 99% of the time.

 

[Shoog]

I use Suse 10.0 which is a breeze to install. The configuration package "Yast2" makes most configuration issues simple.
Spent weeks trying to get squid working and never cracked it. Have my parallel port scanner setup on a local internal network, but its still flakey.
Linux is absolutely fine if you don't want to do anything unusual, but if you want to do something that isn't set up in the standard distro's then it quickly discends into hell.
Still I have migrated completely now apart from PSU2 and don't have that windows feeling of waiting for the next crash or virus attack.

Can recommend Suse 10.0

Shoog

 

[mpmarino]

even surviving a Gentoo install

Good for you! I never got that darned thing working right