Bad Ubuntu

[NOT Alias - Thank GOD]

Ubuntu is often hailed as the future for the GNU/Linux desktop and even for
the server. This page is dedicated to exploring the downsides to Ubuntu.

No established release policy
Once concerned with a production-ready release every 6 months, Ubuntu have
now decided that some releases will be "LTS" - long term supported. It's
hard to depend on a distribution with no set release policy.

You don't get the whole of Debian
Whilst the core packages are supported, this is only a few hundred of the
20,000 available in the Debian repositories. The rest are not guaranteed to
work, and indeed many don't.

Jumping the gun
You get a very hot off the press Gnome and Evolution suite with Ubuntu, even
in the LTS version. There are bugs that don't get fixed on the first Gnome
and Evolution major releases. You know the score, 2.00 some bugs, 2.01
getting better, 2.02 finally fixed. But with Ubuntu you get the 2.00 release
for it's cutting edge package. These don't get fixed up even in the LTS
releases.

Easy installer or working installer
The installer for Ubuntu is in a state that most projects would consider
experimental. Your mileage may vary.

Non-Free
Ubuntu have been toying with the idea of including non-free software. Whilst
other distributions like Debian do this, they have a very clear cut policy
of not having such software on their installers, and making the non-free
repositories a separate choice inclusion. There is no such division in
Ubuntu repositories.

Lack of Multimedia
So, you may be lumbered non-free stuff you don't want, but when it comes to
getting multimedia codecs (including those openly licensed but patent
encumbered in some countries), Ubuntu is not so well supported as Debian.
The repositories at http://debian-multimedia.org are a one stop shop for
Debian multimedia, but don't support Ubuntu.

 

[Alias]

Ubuntu is often hailed as the future for the GNU/Linux desktop and even
for the server. This page is dedicated to exploring the downsides to
Ubuntu.

No established release policy
Once concerned with a production-ready release every 6 months, Ubuntu
have now decided that some releases will be "LTS" - long term supported.
It's hard to depend on a distribution with no set release policy.

You don't get the whole of Debian
Whilst the core packages are supported, this is only a few hundred of
the 20,000 available in the Debian repositories. The rest are not
guaranteed to work, and indeed many don't.

Jumping the gun
You get a very hot off the press Gnome and Evolution suite with Ubuntu,
even in the LTS version. There are bugs that don't get fixed on the
first Gnome and Evolution major releases. You know the score, 2.00 some
bugs, 2.01 getting better, 2.02 finally fixed. But with Ubuntu you get
the 2.00 release for it's cutting edge package. These don't get fixed up
even in the LTS releases.

Easy installer or working installer
The installer for Ubuntu is in a state that most projects would consider
experimental. Your mileage may vary.

Non-Free
Ubuntu have been toying with the idea of including non-free software.
Whilst other distributions like Debian do this, they have a very clear
cut policy of not having such software on their installers, and making
the non-free repositories a separate choice inclusion. There is no such
division in Ubuntu repositories.

Lack of Multimedia
So, you may be lumbered non-free stuff you don't want, but when it comes
to getting multimedia codecs (including those openly licensed but patent
encumbered in some countries), Ubuntu is not so well supported as
Debian. The repositories at http://debian-multimedia.org are a one stop
shop for Debian multimedia, but don't support Ubuntu.

All lies.

Alias

 

[Frank]

All lies.

Alias

Prove they are all lies or STFU!
Frank

 

[Alias]

Prove they are all lies or STFU!
Frank

Prove they aren't or STFU!

Alias

 

[Stephan Rose]

Huh?

Here is the release policy:

LTS Releases are supported for 3 years (5 years server). All other releases
have 1 year support. When the current LTS expires, a new release is made
available with LTS support.

What's so terribly difficult to understand about this?

Ubuntu is not Debian, it is only based on Debian. Want full debian? Run
Debian.

And on that note, I've yet to come across any reputable software that does
not work under Ubuntu. I personally really couldn't give a rats ass if
some guy has some odd-ball application in Debian repositories that maybe 20
people in this world use that doesn't work under Ubuntu.

Yes Ubuntu stays on a fairly cutting edge and up to date. That's why I
like it and use it. But hey, if you go by your logic, what are you doing
with Vista? Shouldn't you be running Windows95? Win98 might be a little
risky for you, it's a newer version and it might have a bug!!

Bugs do get fixed by the way as bugfixes become available. Oh and on that
note, Gnome is perfectly stable...Though I do admit that once every month
Evolution *might* crash on startup. I can live with that.

Has worked very well for me every time so far. The only time I've not used
the graphical installer is on a laptop that just wasn't powerful enough
to run the live CD due to memory constraints. Less than 256 megs
is a little low. Hardware problem, not a software problem. Text installer
of alternate CD resolved that just fine and more memory has been ordered. =)

Oh and on that note, Ubuntu runs quite well even with less than 256 megs
on that machine. Better than XP did anyway...

Actually there is such a division in Ubuntu repositories.

What do you think the "Multiverse" repositories, which can be turned off,
are for?

And come in October this year, there will even be an additional release of
Ubuntu that is open-source only for those who do not want any non-free
software of any kind. Is that division enough?

Huh? What are you smoking now?

I currently have some DivX music videos playing on my TV. Later today I
will be watching a CSS protected DVD. Yesterday I was playing some real
media video files.

I have absolutely zero need for debian-multimedia.org. Didn't even know
the site existed until you mentioned it matter of fact.

You seriously need to get your so called "facts" straight...


--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

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[Frank]

Prove they aren't or STFU!

Alias

You idiot! You're the one calling them lies now YOU prove they're not or
STFU!
Well...!
Frank

 

[Alias]

You idiot! You're the one calling them lies now YOU prove they're not or
STFU!
Well...!
Frank

Well nothing. They're lies. What makes you think I care if you believe
me or not?

Alias

 

[Mike]

Here is the release policy:

LTS Releases are supported for 3 years (5 years server). All other releases
have 1 year support. When the current LTS expires, a new release is made
available with LTS support.

What's so terribly difficult to understand about this?

Nothing actually. What it means is Ubuntu is not something to run a
business on. 3 years?!?! 1 year?!?! Wow, and people complain
about the "MS upgrade treadmill"! MS is still supporting Windows 2000
after 8 years and XP after 6 years.

No business wants OS upgrades forced on them every 3 years in order to
stay supported. If MS did that you would be screaming "monopoly"!

Mike

 

[Stephan Rose]

Well nothing. They're lies. What makes you think I care if you believe
me or not?

Maybe the fact that neither one of you two can STFU??? I mean seriously!
The both of you need to go do that! If you got something constructive to
say, say it. But this constant and childish "You shut up" "no you shut up"
"no you shut up" "you are a liar" "no you are a liar" "no you are" "no you
are" back and forth between the two of you is really just stupid.

If you don't have something useful to say, just don't say anything. Is
that really so hard? Or at least take your childish games to e-mail.

--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

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[Alias]

Nothing actually. What it means is Ubuntu is not something to run a
business on. 3 years?!?! 1 year?!?! Wow, and people complain
about the "MS upgrade treadmill"! MS is still supporting Windows 2000
after 8 years and XP after 6 years.

No business wants OS upgrades forced on them every 3 years in order to
stay supported. If MS did that you would be screaming "monopoly"!

Mike

Ubuntu upgrades are totally painless. If you're a business, you back up
your data. Installing a new version of Ubuntu is a nice walk in the park
compared to Windows which could be likened to taking a walk in South
Central LA at 3AM on a Sunday morning.

Alias

 

[Bill Yanaire]

Great idea. Go to South Central and peddle Ubuntu at 3 AM, but you should
include Monday thru Friday!

 

[Frank]

Well nothing. They're lies. What makes you think I care if you believe
me or not?

Alias

Then why do you keep responding mr atheists?
Frank

 

[Stephan Rose]

Nothing actually. What it means is Ubuntu is not something to run a
business on. 3 years?!?! 1 year?!?! Wow, and people complain
about the "MS upgrade treadmill"! MS is still supporting Windows 2000
after 8 years and XP after 6 years.

No business wants OS upgrades forced on them every 3 years in order to
stay supported. If MS did that you would be screaming "monopoly"!

Well for one, as alias has stated, doing upgrades is far more painless
than it is under windows. It comes down to clicking the "Upgrade" button
and grabbing a cup of coffee while the system goes to do its thing and
then continuing to use your system like nothing ever happened after a
quick reboot. It's not like the windows world where in-place upgrades are
a nightmare and you generally need to wipe the entire machine clean to do
a reasonable windows upgrade.

That said, there are also paid enterprise support packages available from
Canonical for more support aimed particularly at businesses that I am sure
will address such concerns as yours. Which I fully agree with you, for a
company that has a few hundred or more machines sitting there, it isn't
feasible upgrading them every couple years.

--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

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å›ã®ã“ã¨å¿˜ã‚ŒãŸã¨ããŒãªã„ã‹ã‚‰

 

[Frank]

Ubuntu upgrades are totally painless. If you're a business, you back up
your data. Installing a new version of Ubuntu is a nice walk in the park
compared to Windows which could be likened to taking a walk in South
Central LA at 3AM on a Sunday morning.

Alias

If you're a business (a real business) you're not using a toy os like linux.
Period!
Frank

 

[Alias]

Great idea. Go to South Central and peddle Ubuntu at 3 AM, but you should
include Monday thru Friday!

Again, what I wrote went right over your head.

Alias

 

[Alias]

Maybe the fact that neither one of you two can STFU??? I mean seriously!
The both of you need to go do that! If you got something constructive to
say, say it. But this constant and childish "You shut up" "no you shut up"
"no you shut up" "you are a liar" "no you are a liar" "no you are" "no you
are" back and forth between the two of you is really just stupid.

If you don't have something useful to say, just don't say anything. Is
that really so hard? Or at least take your childish games to e-mail.

I'll try to control myself. It *is* silly.

Alias

 

[Stephan Rose]

If you're a business (a real business) you're not using a toy os like linux.
Period!

Frank, come on now. Tell that to the company that produced Shrek 3 on
Linux based render farms just to name one very public example.

Tell that to me who does real business just fine on linux machines.

Tell that to the thousands of server companies that host linux servers on
a daily basis and make their living from it.

I could go on...

Both operating systems have their pros and cons. Both operating systems
have their uses. Both have their place in the business world.

--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

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[Bill Yanaire]

No it didn't go over my head at all. I have updated Ubuntu with those 81
updates and they did install without a problem. I choose not to use Ubuntu
for reasons we have already discussed. I read what you wrote but chose to
say what I said. I guess you don't like the idea. You want to peddle
Ubuntu to the people so maybe you should get out there.

 

[Mike]

Ubuntu upgrades are totally painless.

Sure it is. For hundreds or thousands of machines? Every 3 years?
Whether you want to or not?

Right. Now pull the other one.

If MS did this you would be screaming "monopoly"!

Mike

 

[Bill Yanaire]

That's funny. When I do an upgrade, I don't have those nightmare problems
or issues you mentioned. Yes, it does take a reboot, but usually Windows
runs OK after the updates. I think the reason most people have problems is
because when they upgrade to Vista, they upgrade over a damaged version of
their current OS, bringing problems along with them. They don't have
current antivirus so they also introduce viruses and other problems. People
don't pay attention to the hardware factor. They install Vista on a PC
which isn't designed for Vista and complain.

If they follow common sense, most problems would go away. Yes, there will
always be problems, but Vista is much more complicated than that toy Ubuntu
OS.

For playing and tinkering, use Ubuntu.
For heavy lifting and real work, use a solution that will get the job done.
Windoze !