Has Ubuntu Made it? Is it ready for the Massas? - A Test Series
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 03 May 2008
My questions arise after reading both a Digg post & eventually a linked post on Linux today with a test one done on Content Consumer. It was a well thought out document on how his girlfriend did using Ubuntu, & how being out of her comfort zone and into something new would work out.
Now I took a different approach, than content consumer. I took a happy Windows power-user friend of mine named Johnny. He is just happy how things are going, but nice enough (and patient enough) to do these videos for me!
Video 1: Installing....
Johnny did a couple things I didn't think about since I've gone a custom to the GUI of Ubuntu. Notice how his eyes draw to the bottom left of the screen, as if expecting to see a menu there. This makes him over look a few of the multitude of status messages that appeared top right after logging in.
As any Windows Power user, in order to fix a video problem, you just update the drivers right? Well that's what Johnny did. He naturally visited Nvidia's website assuming "Hey I install this, should be OK. Well he figured how to start the installer, but got a message "X is currently running, close out of X before installing."
For someone used to knowing what the x-window system is, you would know off the bat what that was. but remember, this is a Windows user who has used Linux in the past. The community terminology didn't make any scene to him. "What was X? - shrug" I suggest he update his system.. "try those icons there." I was squirming the hole time just knowing how to fix it, but I had to hold back and not say a word.
Thankfully Johnny has troubleshooting skills, something grandma would not have, & likely just turn it off. Better yet, not likely have 2 monitors. Time taken to get over this - 45 minutes.
Finding his shared network drives & watching videos...
Johnny spent some time still understanding the layout. Eventually, he found in the places menu a network browser, which at the time already discovered his shares. He launched an old family home video taken & was prompted to download codec's to install. Johnny mentioned he didn't like how it prompted for his password anytime he installed a program. At this time, he was a wee miffed. The feel of how it was all laid out was still alien to him. He mentions some things here about the screens menu which he found was not a usable option, as it was hidden icon which he discovered by browsing the editable menus. I didn't know either, as it was there in version 7.10 under administration. Time taken 20 minutes.
Installing Wine
Johnny hadn't noticed the add/remove programs yet, & since he had some success on Google finding what he needed to get his monitors working, heck why not! He tried the help section earlier and type in "dual monitors", but didn't find anything about "how to use dual monitors.." something in that nature in the documentation. Johnny found however the directions from winehq.org how to install it.Eventually problems with Civilization 2 release he had, which prompted for direct x drivers, he found being in a stump. though there is a work around for that too, I didn't want to help Johnny on this. He eventually gave up on it for now, but made a good point. If a new user goes to the store, buys a PC software. If they put it in their system, an option, just like the codec's appear prompting the user to install wine, but of course warn the user, there is no guarantee it will work. But I quoted Mark here in the vid. He isn't trying to compete with Windows, & he's doesn't want people think it's cheap windows either. The flexibility is there for someone to install it, if they wish. However I understand Johnny's point of view too. "it's my computer, I want to do, what I like to do." Make that one less hurtle, & it might make it easier. Time taken - 20-25 minutes.
Step 4: using Pidgin & Trying FreeCiv
Johnny started trying some of the pre-installed applications. First with going launching Pidgin, which he found wasn't too bad. I was noticing he hadn't dinked with Add/Remove Program yet. So as best as i could, without giving too much away, I mentioned it here. Johnny tried Freeciv, wasn't too happy he could play his favorite. My hopes was that maybe alternatives would make him explore more.
Built a barebones system recently to install Ubuntu 8.04System details :AMD Athlon 64x2 5000+, XFX GeForce 8200 MoBo, XFX GeForce 8500GT Video card, 3 g RAM, Seagate 500g Sata HDD So when I fire the system up for the first time I got to step 4 of the install partition HDD, except no HDD is recognized so I had to proceed as a live user. Reboot system and before I get to the initial screen it crashes sending me to the busybox screen. Restart same thing. It seems I can boot up the live version 1 out of 6 or 8 tries and Ubuntu can never detect the HDD. Any suggestions? I have searched this extensivly but cant find a solution, there seems to be some problems with seagate hard drives, I am thinking of trying a Western Digital, but before I do I would like to know if I am missing something.TIA
Download and Installation Steps for VLC (0.8.6 and above) on UBUNTU 8.04
Lets start...
There are two versions of VLC (the Release version and the Test version which is often knows as Nightly Builds)
STEP - 0a
Get Release VLC source code via Git
$ git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc.git
or if u want nightly build than STEP - 0b
Get Nightly VLC source code via Git To get nightly code you need to edit your "/etc/apt/sources.list" file
and add any of the following lines
I'm wicked pumped to use ubuntu and learn about linux. I'm not a computer noob as I'm fluent in Windows XP, just not linux. Many times I have had this same problem though...
After a fresh install of ubuntu, i have to change my session go failsafe gnome for graphics issues. After that, I get the message to install the new updates, so i install them and restart. I continue to boot up into failsafe gnome again. Then I get a message about downloading and installing the restricted driver for my ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics card. I would download that, and restart. Then change my session to Gnome. All goes well. I can restart and then have no graphics issues then. I later follow this tutorial on how to install compiz-fusion.All goes well. Then after i set some easy effects, such as animations, the water and fire effect and other small ones, i would restart (for reasons unknown, maybe to boot into xp or just to restart ubuntu) and hten i would get a promped for low graphics mode. I would sometimes attempt to set it up, but i think that i would do it wrong so i would just continue and boot into failsafe gnome. i then would look at my hardware drivers and see that ATI accelerated graphics driver is enabled and green light showing it in use, but my resolution would only be set at 800x600 and couldnt be set to anything higher. if i would disable them, then restart, all would be fine. I'd have the 1048x700 something ( i cant remmeber the y and x ), but i would have no effects. I would use EnvyNG to remove drivers. then boot ubunut into recovery mode. fix the package and repare my x server thing, and reboot into failsafe gnome. then use EnvyNG to autodetect my graphics hardware and install the necessary drivers. after that i would reboot into gnome but get the white screen of death. and failsafe would have no effects. i was wondering what the heck the deal is. and if i should use these two tutorials i found to use the open source driver.
I run Fedora 9 Sulphur and I recently had to enter a competition that required me to compile a windows binary for my applications. Being the Linux fanatic I am I don't do windows and I really didn't want to have to install windows on one of my machines. I decided the best option was to go with virtualisation, but I wanted to do so while staying open source. So I stumbled across a nice program called Virtual box! I installed the open source version from www.virtualbox.org (don't worry Linux is Linux is Linux so it works on Ubuntu). I installed the .rpm for Ubuntians it will be .deb after I installed it I booted into Virtual box then went to:
system->Administrator->users and groups
found vboxuser under the groups tab and added myself to the group. Don't add root, add your user (you could add root if you knew what you were doing). Now click new follow the steps set up a virtual hard drive make sure you say your installed windows xp it will ask you to put the CD in the optical drive or it will ask you to browse for the legal .iso file. From here on in its the same as a regular xp install and when its done you have windows installed with a dynamic virtual disk.
Note there are some really cool features of virtual box such as intergration etc, so in theory it would be possible to run ubuntu and fedora with one running gnome and the other kde :D.
If you visit Ubuntu guide on every step given to install Ubuntu on an Asus eeepc, you know it works, but seems pretty lengthy. So messing with the Ubuntu Customize Kit, I removed, & added the drivers, suggested changes, & some entertainment which I personally would use, or I find work well.
Directions to install this ISO to a USB stick, or a SD Card visit :
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