Linux Is A Handful


Actually, what you're describing sounds very similar to YaST, the built in feature in SuSE that handles all the updates and installs everything onto your computer...

Did you try SuSe before you went to Ubuntu? And does Ubuntu allow multiple UIs? I heard there were different distros for KDE and Gnome.
 
There are different distro's for the two but that's so that each version supports it's chosen desktop fully.
Ubuntu with Gnome is the official release.
Kbuntu & KDE started out as a seperate thing altogether for the people who wanted full support for the KDE desktop as standard. The people who put that together did such a good job that I think it's now starting to be recognised as another official Ubuntu version.
Both distributions can be configured to use any of the desktops however, but u will only get a basic install of that desktop.
None of the tweaks etc. to improve the desktop will be added. There's nothing to stop u doing that yourself though :D.
Don't foget that if u install Ubuntu & install the KDE desktop afterwards, then u'll have to install all of the KDE programs u want too. The Gnome one's will already be installed & set up for u.

I'm pretty sure that when making the Ubuntu update utility, they copied all the best idea's from YAST & a couple of others too.

***EDIT***
Forum thread on installin the KDE desktop through Ubuntu HERE!
 
Actually, what you're describing sounds very similar to YaST, the built in feature in SuSE that handles all the updates and installs everything onto your computer...

Did you try SuSe before you went to Ubuntu? And does Ubuntu allow multiple UIs? I heard there were different distros for KDE and Gnome.
I haven't tried SuSe, but i have tried other distros and from trying them decided that I prefered gnome. Ubuntu automatically has gnome as its gui. Kubuntu automatically has KDE as its gui.
 
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It's often better to set things up yourself rather than rely on the distro to have everything installed and working. If something goes wrong, you add hardware, you want to install a new program or WM etc. you often can't rely on the distro to help you out and you're forced to resort to google and such. Linux knowledge will help you out in the long run.
 
Woo, big step with Slackware... I can't even imagine how much stuff you had to download.

So far SuSE is definitely my favorite. YaST is so nifty, it makes me want to laugh and jump for joy. One problem is that I don't seem to be able to add installation sources, which is kind of annoying, but I can just install them manually.

A few problems, though:
None of my music files play in any of the supplied media players. In one it says I don't have mp3 support downloaded... Might be it.

Another problem during installation: I was afraid to switch bootloaders because LILO worked so well, and even though GRUB was the default bootloader for SuSE. Is this a problem? I haven't restarted yet, but we'll see.

And: in GNOME, how do you auto-hide the bottom bar? I try to right click anywhere and nowhere is there an option to auto hide. I think I have the newest version.

Where do you install new language files? SuSE doesn't have as many languages as Mandriva did bundled in.
 
1) Woo, big step with Slackware... I can't even imagine how much stuff you had to download.
******
2) A few problems, though:
None of my music files play in any of the supplied media players. In one it says I don't have mp3 support downloaded... Might be it.
******
3) And: in GNOME, how do you auto-hide the bottom bar? I try to right click anywhere and nowhere is there an option to auto hide. I think I have the newest version.
1) Wasn't rearly that hard surprisingly & well worth the experience. If u've got an older computer or laptop lying about & not being used then it could be well worth the trouble.
2) Make sure that LAME is installed. Some distributions don't have it installed as standard.
3) Right click on the bottom bar & make sure that the icons are all unlocked & able to move. This should allow u to slide a couple over a bit & let u right click on the actual bar & not just the taskbar application that's installed. Hard to explain but try it & u'll see what I mean.

Soz.. but i've never bothered to install a different boot loader yet or installed a new language. Just make sure that u disable the old boot loader before restarting with the new one <_< .
Goodluck!
 
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Soo cool. YaST is the best thing to happen to Linux. I assume it's very similar to whatever package manager is on Ubuntu. But it's so cool! I found out that the open version of SuSE doesn't include either DVD decryption for playing (!!!) or the Lame encoder/decoder. But I found this site:

http://linux.wordpress.com/2005/10/07/hacking-opensuse/

And it walked me through it. An Absolute MUST for new SuSE users who have version 10.1 stable version. It saved me!

Thanks for the GNOME suggestion, I figured it was as much. I didn't realize I had to click on dead space.

for the language issue, i'll ask google.
 
1) Woo, big step with Slackware... I can't even imagine how much stuff you had to download.
******
2) A few problems, though:
None of my music files play in any of the supplied media players. In one it says I don't have mp3 support downloaded... Might be it.

Search for codecs. The mplayer can even use the dlls from windows.

2) Make sure that LAME is installed. Some distributions don't have it installed as standard.

Because LAME is only "legal" as research project. You can have source but not binary... This is so stupid but it is. It's funny because having a binary executable is just running one script away. Anyway it's not hard to find a repository with already compiled LAME.
 
Search for codecs. The mplayer can even use the dlls from windows.
Mplayer has all it's own versions of the main codecs anyway as a download from the site. I started usin Mplayer a couple of years ago & have yet to find a video file that it won't play B)
Forgot that it could use the Windows dll's as well though, so cheers for the reminder :)
 
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I'll check out Ubuntu/Kbuntu, though. Much nicer to have a fully working system BEFORE you start digging around the advanced stuff.
If u still plan on checking out Ubuntu/Kbuntu Rico, make sure u try out Automatix.
Just found it about an hour ago & it works very well.
Not rearly a program, but a bunch of scripts that downloads & installs nearly all the most commonly used stuff.
Installs all the firefox plugins for java etc. & nearly all of the audio/video codecs u need.
Got a new Ubuntu system installed completely within 2 hours :D
 
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If u still plan on checking out Ubuntu/Kbuntu Rico, make sure u try out Automatix.
Just found it about an hour ago & it works very well.
Not rearly a program, but a bunch of scripts that downloads & installs nearly all the most commonly used stuff.
Installs all the firefox plugins for java etc. & nearly all of the audio/video codecs u need.
Got a new Ubuntu system installed completely within 2 hours :D
Thank you very much, that will save me some time :)
 
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