It seems like just yesterday that Ubuntu Linux 10.04 was released, but here we are and Ubuntu 10.10 has just been released. Wow! How time flies!
There has been some controversy over this release, with some folks saying that Canonical’s six-month release cycle is too often and that there aren’t enough things in this release to warrant an upgrade.
I politely disagree with that assessment, and I’ll show you why in this review. Ubuntu 10.10 is a worthwhile though not overwhelmingly impressive release; it’s worth considering as an upgrade if you are already running an earlier version of Ubuntu. It’s also certainly worth looking at if you are new to Ubuntu and are thinking about using it as your desktop operating system.
What’s New In This Release
Here’s a sample of the new features in this release:
The GNOME base platform has been updated to the current 2.32 versions. This particularly includes the new dconf and gsettings API.
Evolution was updated to the 2.30 version, which operates much faster compared to the version in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.
The Sound Indicator has been enhanced to include music player controls.
The boot process is cleaner and faster.
New themes, new icons, and new wallpaper bring a dramatically updated look and feel to Ubuntu.
Shotwell has replaced F-Spot as the default photo manager.
Gwibber has been updated to support the recent change in Twitter’s authentication system, as well as changing the back end storage to improve performance.
The Sound Indicator has been enhanced to include music player controls.
The Ubuntu Software Center has an updated look and feel, including the new “Featured” and “What’s New” views for showcasing applications, an improved package description view, and a “For Purchase” software category has been added. You can also now easily access your package installation history too.
Ubuntu One: Polished desktop integration with new sign up and sign in process. Tighter integration with Ubuntu SSO. Nautilus enhancements for managing folder sync preferences. Faster file sync speed. Share links to music within the Ubuntu One Music Store.
The Ubuntu font has been officially released.
I’m happy to see the update to GNOME 2.32. It goes beyond the scope of this review to delve into changes to GNOME in 2.32, but here’s a link that will give you an overview of the goodies.
I’m glad that Gwibber has been changed to match Twitter’s new authentication system. If you use Gwibber you shouldn’t have a problem tweeting in this release.
The speed increase to Evolution is certainly a welcome development in this release of Ubuntu. These days I generally prefer webmail to local email, but I know a lot of people who still use Evolution. So it’s good to see a significant performance increase available for Evolution users.
Shotwell is arguably better than F-Spot as a photo manager. I can’t say that I’m wowed by either of them, but I don’t do a lot with photos so that’s probably why. I suspect we’ll hear some moaning and groaning from F-Spot fans about this decision though. Not to worry, you can get F-Spot in the Ubuntu Software Center so it’s still available.
I’ll cover the Software Center changes in the software section of the review, and I’ll also cover the boot process, installer tweaks and desktop stuff in those sections.
I’m happy to see that Ubuntu One has gotten some polish. I wasn’t overwhelmed by it when I first looked at it, but Canonical seems determined to get it right. Faster file sync speed is absolutely welcome and should make Ubuntu One users very happy indeed.
It’s also nice to see Ubuntu One better integrated with the desktop. If you right-click on a folder in your Home directory, you’ll see Ubuntu One on the menu selection. You can opt to have the folder synchronized via Ubuntu One. I think this is going to make Ubuntu One much more appealing to some users; it makes it very easy to pick and choose the folders you want to keep synchronized.
Hardware Requirements & Installation
Hardware Requirements
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to run Ubuntu 10.10:
700 MHz x86 processor
256 MB RAM
3 GB disk space
Graphics card capable of 1024 x 768 resolution
Sound card
Network or Internet connection
Installation
The install routine has been tweaked in this release, and it’s very slick! You’ll notice it right from the beginning. This is really about as easy as it gets in terms of installing Linux.
After you choose your language, you’ll see a new menu that suggests that you have enough disk space, an internet connection and a power source. This menu also gives you the option of downloading updates during the install and also installing third party software. I loved being able to download updates during the install, it has the potential to speed things up considerably. Partitioning the disk is also quite easy in this release, and should help even total Linux newbies glide right through an install.
You can view a slideshow while the install completes. Moving through the slides can be done manually, so you can take your time and view each slide for as long as the install continues. I hope other distros steal this idea from Canonical; it’s a great way of doing it. The slideshows in other distros that just run automatically, with no way to navigate back or forward to a particular slide, might cheat a user out of learning about a neat feature in a distro.
The screenshots below walk you through the install, from beginning to end.
Booting & Login
Here’s what the booting & login screens look like.
The first screen you see lets you decide if you want to do an install or boot into the Live CD desktop. This is a very, very slick way of handling it rather than the typical bootsplash menu. I’d like to see other distros do something similar.
The boot process is supposed to be faster but, frankly, I did not notice much of a difference. I’m somewhat jaded on this though, since I look at so many different distros. Unless a distro’s boot process is really slow, I don’t tend to even notice how long it takes to boot. Your mileage may vary considerably though, depending on your hardware.
The Desktop
The desktop has new wallpaper, a new font and new icons.
The Ubuntu font is attractive and adds to the appeal of this release. It’s not the kind of new feature that is going to get anybody to switch to Ubuntu from another distro, but it’s nice to have it. Canonical deserves a pat on the back for developing it in the first place.
Ambiance is still the default theme; you might remember it from Ubuntu 10.04. There have been a number of tweaks to this theme, with the end result making it even more attractive than it was in 10.04.
The wallpaper change is sort of okay; it looks similar enough to the last wallpaper that I can’t see a huge difference. It’s still very Mac-like.
If the Mac-ish wallpaper bothers you, right-click the desktop and you can switch it easily enough. There are a number of attractive alternatives available by default (about 19), and more can be had online. Most of these are new and should please most users, some of them are absolutely gorgeous!
Speaking of Ubuntu being Mac-like, the title bar buttons are still on the left. I know that this rankles people but there it is. I don’t see Canonical changing it any time soon. You can, of course, simply change the theme and that will shift the buttons, but that’s not helpful if you enjoy using the Ambiance theme. It would be nice if Canonical took a hint from Linux Mint and allowed folks to move the buttons to whichever side they want.
The desktop itself is thankfully uncluttered; you will not find a giant load of icons all over it. Navigating the application menus is as easy as it was in 10.04.
The sound control in the panel now features music player controls, so you can more easily control Rhthymbox, for example.
Admin Tools
One thing I like about Ubuntu is how clearly Preferences are separate from Administration. Click the System menu link in the top panel and choose Administration. You can access the following tools:
Bundled Software
Here’s a sample of the software included in this release.
Games
AisleRiot Solitaire
gbrainy
Mahjongg
Mines
Quadrapassel
Graphics
OpenOffice.org Drawing
Shotwell Photo Manager
Simple Scan
Internet
Empathy IM
Evolution
Firefox
Gwibber
Remote Desktop Viewer
Terminal Server Client
Transmission BitTorrent Client
Multimedia
Brasero
Movie Player
Pitivi Video Editor
Rhythmbox Music Player
Sound Recorder
Office
OpenOffice.org
Evolution
Dictionary
Software Management
As I noted at the beginning of the review, there are some notable changes to the Ubuntu Software Center including new Featured and What’s New lists on the front page of the Software Center. The Featured and What’s New menus will scroll through a list of software automatically (like a carousel). Or you can click the little dots under the current software selected and move to another page.
Note also that there is a link called For Purchase under the Get Software menu, where you can buy additional applications. There seemed to be only two applications listed there, Fluendo DVD Player and Rick’s Wallpapers. The Fluendo DVD Player sells for $24.95, not a cheap piece of software considering you can get free alternatives (see multimedia codecs link in the Multimedia & Problems section).
The screenshots below give you an overview of the Ubuntu Software Center.
Adding & Removing Software
Adding or removing software is very easy in the Software Center. Just find the application you want and click the Install or Remove buttons. You can also add additional software sources if you really want to, but I doubt most people will need to do that. There’s an enormous amount of software already available in the Ubuntu Software Center. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find what you wanted in there already.
Sound and Multimedia
YouTube & Flash
Flash is not installed by default, but you can get it in the Software Center or install it via the Plugin Finder. My usual Lady Gaga test video did not play the first time I tried it.
Multimedia Applications
Ubuntu 10.10 comes with a good selection of multimedia applications. Brasero, Movie Player, Rhythmbox and the Pitivi Video editor are all included.
After using Peppermint Ice and Peppermint OS One, I found myself missing links to web based multimedia like Hulu, etc. It would be nice if Ubuntu were more cloud-friendly when it comes to multimedia. The days of relying solely on local apps are pretty much over so Canonical might want to take a hint from the Peppermint distros in future releases.
If you find that the default selection of multimedia applications doesn’t cut it, hit the Software Center. There’s a ton of stuff in there and you should find everything you need. If you need additional codecs, see the instructions on the Ubuntu help site on how to install them.
Problems & Headaches
One of the obvious things missing in the software selection is GIMP or a replacement for GIMP. Shotwell is fine for a photo manager, but some sort of basic (and separate) image editing program should be included. As I noted in an earlier review, it’s a shame that something like Seashore (a light-weight image editor available for the Mac) isn’t also available for Linux. Why nobody has taken GIMP and done a “GIMP Light” version, I don’t know. Just focus on basic image editing (outside of just photo management) and you’d have a real winner. As it stands now, something is still missing in the Graphics applications menu. I hope that vacancy is filled soon.
Strangely enough, the Ubuntu site actually says that the GIMP is included with this release but it’s not. Yes, it’s available in the Software Center but it is not installed by default. The folks at Canonical might want to tweak the wording on their site that talks about included features and software. See the screenshot below.
The new Features and What’s New menus in the Software Center leave more than a little to be desired. Am I the only one who doesn’t like automatically scrolling lists of software? Frankly, I would prefer a non-scrolling list of featured & new software. I’m sure that some people will think that the way this was done is cool, but I’m not one of them. This strikes me as a possible example of coolness taking priority over a user’s preferences. There doesn’t seem to be a way to turn off the scrolling, unfortunately.
Beyond those two relatively minor quibbles, I had a good experience with Ubuntu 10.10. The distro seemed very stable and I didn’t see any application crashes or other headaches. It was also very fast and quite enjoyable to use.
Where To Get Help
Please take a moment to register for the DLR forum (registration takes less than a minute and you can login with your Facebook account if you want); everybody is welcome. You are welcome to post a message in the Linux Help section and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction. The forum contains discussions about Linux, but also many other topics. Please stop by and say hello when you have a chance.
Drop by the forum to get help, talk about Linux or just hang out.
You might also want to check out the Ubuntu Documentation site, support page, and forums.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Use It
As I stated at the beginning of the review, I think Ubuntu 10.10 is a worthwhile update. It’s certainly worth upgrading if you are an existing Ubuntu user, and it’s worth considering if you haven’t tried Ubuntu yet. Remember that this is a Live CD distro, so if you aren’t familiar with Ubuntu then you can simply boot into the Live CD and try it without installing it.
If you aren’t satisfied with what Ubuntu 10.10 has to offer then you might want to sit tight and simply wait for Linux Mint 10. Linux Mint comes bundled with multimedia codecs and other goodies, so it’s worth waiting for if you want or need more in your desktop distro. This release, while it has its virtues, probably won’t convince users of other popular distros to switch to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 10.10 is suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced Linux users.
Click to the next page to view the image gallery of Ubuntu 10.10 (33 screenshots).
What’s your take on this distro? Tell me in the comments below. Visit the DLR forum for more discussions. Visit Eye On Linux for additional Linux articles.
Summary Table:
| Product: | Ubuntu Linux 10.10 |
| Web Site: | http://www.ubuntu.com |
| Price: | Free |
| Pros: | New Ubuntu font; updated software center; better desktop integration for Ubuntu One. |
| Cons: | New “What’s New & Featured” software feature is annoying; Shotwell still isn’t a viable replacement for GIMP for image editing (beyond photos). |
| Suitable For: | Beginner, intermediate or advanced Linux users. |
| Summary: | This release is a solid though not overwhelmingly impressive update to Ubuntu Linux. It’s worth an upgrade and it’s worth considering if are new to Ubuntu, but it probably won’t dazzle users of Linux Mint and other alternative distros. |
| Rating: | 4/5 |
I know this is old but I wouldn't make an opinion a Con.
robert wilber wrote:
Unfortunately, 7.10 is now too old to upgrade. The upgrade path would have been to the 8.04 release, which has been a Long Term Support(LTS) release, but I believe that support is either ended or about to end, so it is not a viable upgrade. If you want a stable version, get 10.04, the LTS release, 10.10, the current release, or 11.04, the release to be coming out April 28 (you can get it in Beta test form now).
If you are unable to burn a CD or DVD, but you can spare $10-20, a number of CD houses sell inexpensive CDs. You might even find one for $1.99, then pay $5 for shipping, but anyway, it's possible to get one pretty cheap. If money is an issue, see if a friend can burn a CD or DVD for you. Try http://www.linuxcd.org/ or http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/index.html - both advertised at DistroWatch.com. I've used at least one of them (possibly both of them) in the past and they do a good job. Years ago, I frequently bought from http://linuxcentral.com/ and they did well, but you can find less expensive alternatives today.
I have ubuntu 7.10 and it won't upgrade!! I hooked my phone up to it (tmobile shadow sync) to get inernet and it say there is a connection but, still I can't get it to upgrade. Could be network settings or do I need a network card?
pc: Averatec 3200 50 GB. 500mbram please help could not burn netbook remix (i have netbook) either.
"title bar buttons", shift from default left to traditional right upper corner:
1. download gconf-editor (Configuration Editor) via Ubuntu Software Center
2. find it here: Applications > System Tools > Configuration Editor
3. open it and go to: apps > metacity > general
4. find key "button layout"
5. click into value field and enter ":minimize,maximize,close" (or whatever order you prefer; use without quotes, of course)
6. press enter key, leave gconf-editor
@ Jim: nice beginner's guide, definitely worth reading.
@ Opposition: Weathered computer users never change their running system for the heck of it; you either have to because certain essential devices are not supported by your OS or the manufacturer ceased supporting your OS.
Either way, is Maverick worth consideration. No one asked you to install it right away, whatcha think why they provide live CDs?
glad to see and read your review of 10.10.(I also have tried win7 for a month and 11.04 and came back to using 10.10 as my op.I would like a review on 11.04 and unity if possIble for you to do. thanks Ed
Harvey T wrote:
If office apps (such as a word processor, spreadsheet, slide presentation program), an Email client and a Web browser are all you need, then Ubuntu can easily meet your needs. It can handle a lot more than that, but if these are all you need, you probably won't even run into any problems.
There may be minor differences in the way these programs work compared to what you are used to, but when I say minor I mean minor. A casual user will have no problem picking up these programs because they cater quite a bit to those used to Microsoft based programs. For YEARS that was the argument between making Linux based software easier versus keeping it "true to the UNIX traditions". The aversion to anything Microsoft slowed the progress of easy to use software by years.
I would have said if you don't like the Microsoft way, fine. There are many ways to do things, and I am sure that smart people can find usable alternatives to the Microsoft way. But some people would rather argue than make constructive changes, so it took many years to make truly easy software.
When Mark Shuttleworth formed Canonical for the purposes of creating a free system (Ubuntu) that would be easy to use, he had the bank roll and was willing to personally fund a lot of the work for many years. He helped accelerate the creation of easy to use programs to run on Linux by hiring system integrators who could assemble existing programs in easier to use forms, and that's what this software is - benefitting from nearly seven years of that work.
I started with computers using the old Tandy machine. No hard drive just twin floppy disks. Never became a techie. So all this techie talk is way over my head. I just need an OS that performs all the basic office apps and allows me to browse the internet safely. If Ubutu does the job I would certainly enjoy getting away from Microsoft and its endless "upgrades" that always requires buying the same thing over and over for improvements that should have been in place to begin with. I got Vista with my last PC just before the new "improved" "7" came out. If this Linux system works well, I'm for it.
I am in love with ubuntu from the day i started using it ! Whats better in ubuntu 10.10 is the ipod and adriod supporting sync music player ! Now you dont need to use windows for itune to sync ur music !
Also, Is wine in 10.10 is supporting the Office 2010 any idea !
Peace
Akshay
Hello..I am a Windows user and dont have any idea about Ubuntu…Can anyone tell me whether I can install .exe files in Ubuntu??? :blink:
Loaded Ubuntu 10.10 into a 1TB external disk and it seems to work just fine so far. I will repartition the drive so that Ubuntu only uses 500GB. First time Ubuntu user and will play around to see what it does. Windows XP is the other OS on the internal disk drive. Now I have to learn all the Ubuntu stuff like gnome etc. etc.
I want to know whether all application like the Nokia PC suite/Vodafone data card software/photoshop/adobe reader etc will work in Ubuntu if i switch from Windows XP to ubuntu? And i also like to know whether i can install Ubuntu with alongwith my windows XP in a single pc.
Tried to load ubuntu 10.10 on both computers and both failed at teh same place about 3/4 through .
using desktop release on the tower and netbook on hte laptop .
there was no indication of what the problem was . it just locked up at that point and would not go any farther .
andrew
a
"Guys I'm using Ubuntu 10.01 Desktop version. The thing is, I couldn't able to configure my login screen or GDM theme. I've also tried with Ubuntu Tweak but its not working for me is there any other possible ways to change the Login screen or the GDM theme help me with this :("
This is the first time for me using ubuntu . tried the ver 10.10 for desktop and netbook . both got about 3/4 through the install and hung up . no explanition why .
i am new to this o.s..I burned a copy of 10.10 and it freezes up after the intro screen.It does nothing.Did i do something wrong or is there any particular burn speed i should use.I did the same with 8.0 release and it worked fine.any suggestions would be appreciated.
Just upgraded to 10.10 last night, and I must say that I am pleased. 10.04 suited all my needs, but 10.10 works even better for what I do on the computer. Dualbooting w/XP & 10.10 is working great so far. Only one issue is that 10.10 can't detect my headphones. I guess that's a minor inconvienence, but everything else so far has been fine. Hopefully I'll just look around a bit more and hope someone else had the same problem.
As one who has a dual boot of windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.10 , I must say that Im very impressed with the Linux o/s by a mile. For a non paid O/S , this thing is amazing. Now this is my first time in Linux, and I need to try other O/S's I know this. But Im very impressed witht he fact that i didnt ahve to find a billion different codecs for my machine as with any Windows. This O/S only weakness is the lack of support for certain drivers and the ability to do gaming on it. Otherwise this O/S would get a ten out of ten form me. its a nine ou of ten so far. I ahve joined the Linux revolution count me among the new troops in support of this o/s.
Ill only learn Windows 7 for future jobs and gaming thats it. I will try the other Linux O/S out later. Windows is more a business gotta learn it O/S .. Linux has reignited my passion and love for computers again :cheerful:
Nice article too bad Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10 do not work like you state. As Ubuntu has progressed it has become more and more like Windoze and is not reliable and stable even on new or fairly new (less than 5 yr old PCs). My oldest is a P4 running at 2.3 with 2Gb of ram and 800MHz buss and FireFox is not stable, the mouse and keyboard locks and Open Office fails to execute correctly, and to describe the LCD monitor problems would take an entire blog. I no longer like tweaking and tweaking to make things work. Not enough time. Besides an OS should work correctly. I decided to no longer believe Conanical's propaganda-its gotten as bad as the M$ companies.
Eeveryone can do themselves a favor and use a different distro. I found SUSE, MINT, Mandriva and others consistantly work
imnotrich wrote:
I agree entirely
Hello folks,
I have been using windows xp all my life on my personal laptop which is now 5-6 yrs old to the extent that I started getting the blue screen of death quite frequently. This is when I decided to install Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop version (since this is the latest version) over the weekend. I have a 80G HardDisk partitioned as 30G FAT (for windows xp) and 45G NTFS. I initially aimed to install Ubuntu as a dual boot so I have an option. However, something probably went wrong during the installation since I do not have the option and my laptop would boot Ubuntu all the time. That is not the problem really since I would prefer to use the new OS (it starts up in few secs compared to coupla mins for XP previously).
The problem is I'm using a Sweex LW053 WiFi USB adapter which just does not get detected at all. When I run 'lsusb', I get 5 entries for 2 USB ports on my laptop. 1 of those entries reads RALink Technology Corp, RT2501/RT2571 USB. But, the LED on the USB does not lit up. If this is not enough even my pen drives are not detected. I followed a few threads on different forums to install rt2501/rt73 and some other drivers, downloaded source code and tried to compile but they just would not compile (creating some .ko file). I ran a complete update downloading further 200+MB and installed all of it but to no avail.
Is there any help I can get on this please??
1. Most preferred would be to get the USB detected and usable?
2. If not, is there a way to uninstall Ubuntu 10.10 and install a previous (i.e. working) version that you folks would rely on?
Any help much appreciated.
Vikas.
Just to let you know, if you want to change the window buttons in the ambiance and radiance themes to the top right of the window, or to the top left in the other themes, follow these instructions:
1. Press Alt+F2 to
open the Run Application window.
2. Type gconf-editor into the text box and click
Run to start the Configuration Editor.
3 Open /apps/metacity/general using the side pane
and double-click the button_layout item.
4. Change the value to say:
:minimize,maximize,close
(the
position of the colon determines which side of the window the buttons
appear on).
5. Click OK and the location of the windows buttons
will change immediately.
(this info can be found in the Ubuntu help files under :customizing Your Computer"
Hi,
I have recently installed Ubuntu 10.10 and running dual operating systems, ubuntu 10.10 and windows xp. I have one 5 channel sound card attached in my computer motherboard, which is working fine from windows xp. But in Ubuntu its not working and cannot use sound card drivers to install it in ubuntu, and also in ubuntu 10.10 not able to play mp3 songs and movies. Sample Audio and Vedio files in ubuntu are playing. But not mp3 and Videos of format (AVI/DAT/MPEG/FLY etc), in another words except sample audio/video given by ubuntu nothing else is playing.
Please help me if someone know how to play such files, and how to connect internet in ubuntu as well (connecting internet using mobile phone in windows xp) :cwy:
I agree 10.10 is good but the problem is with sound It does not detect my built in microphone. Lot of others are facing the same problem. But it works very good in 10.04. How do i sort it out.
Well, after being a heavy and long standing Windows user I've tried other previous editions of Ubuntu with no avail at all so far.
I have tried Ubuntu 10.10 running on VirtualBox a month ago, after on a 64 bit hardware and a I have found it so impressive that a complete change from Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit will be done at this weekend.
Everything worked smooth on Ubuntu, even a brand new multifunction printer, video card, sound card and so on.
I had to work as root admin in one of them (printer), but it was easily offset at Ubuntu RootSudo Documentation with no problems at all.
Ubuntu 10.10 has everything that one needs on a PC bounded with no extra work at its first install.
Anyway, it deserves one try at least.
Beautiful review…but I hate the Ubuntu's every sixth month reincarnation. You've hardly delved with one when another release hits you. A once-in-a-six-month release of services pack instead would have probably done the job better. Just a thought…
@Josh: Have you ever considered taking a look at either Xubuntu or Lubuntu, or for that matter, another derivative, such as Easy Peasy? For that older hardware, you may find them useful. All three of them still have the Ubuntu repositories available, so if some package that you really like in one of them isn't there, you can get it. Alternatively, run Ubuntu, but add something light, such as the Xfce or LXDE desktop, unless there really is something in GNOME that you like and have to have. One option is to install the xubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the equivalent Xfce environment on your Ubuntu system:
"Install Xubuntu from Ubuntu
If you have an existing Ubuntu, Kubuntu, or Edubuntu installation, it is possible to install Xubuntu and retain your current installation. To do so, just go into Synaptic (or Adept if you use Kubuntu) and install the xubuntu-desktop package. Next time you login, you can choose Xfce4 from the Session menu on the login screen." Source: http://www.xubuntu.org/get
… and if you are interested in another alternative:
Install Lubuntu from Ubuntu or any Ubuntu flavors
You can install on any installed version of Ubuntu by adding the lubuntu ppa and then installing lubuntu:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lubuntu-desktop/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -no-install-recommends lubuntu-desktop
If you wish to get rid of an existing k/x/ed/ubuntu then head over to Pure LXDE. alter the very end from
&& sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop
To
&& sudo apt-get install -no-install-recommends lubuntu-desktop
Source: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/DocumentationHelp
I typically shy away from big distros like Ubuntu, partially because the majority of my machines are old and low spec. Good reason, huh?! :biggrin: I have a netbook that I've installed Ubuntu 10.10 on (desktop version — I'm not a fan of the netbook version), and I have to say that I like it a lot, though sometimes the OS gets in the way of what I'm doing by way of processor and memory load. That's the price you pay to go with GNOME, I guess. Regardless, 10.10 is working out well for me, and the relatively little bit of lag I'm getting while using this distro is worth it for such a well thought out system.
-J :devil:
The only problem with this release is that the kernel is corrupted:
I have an old wireless card (rtl8180l) and it simple won't work with the Maverick, although the driver is compiled into kernel. So I'll wait until Mint 10.
Hi all, I am realy sorry to say this, but Ubuntu is trash…
I tried it before, loved it (even after countless hours wasted to fix sound issues, video issues, etc) but now it's just a big disaster. Why? Because it doesn't even install! What kind of an operating system doesn't even install? For the record, I had no problems since Ubuntu 7.10 until 9.10. And since 10.04, who is supposed to be a LTS, blank screen during installation! I don't care if there's a fix, if it can't even install out of the box, then what good is it? The quality is again, trash!
It's funny how people on other sites are complaining about this release of Ubuntu not being exciting enough. I've run the main Ubuntu and Lubuntu Maverick releases so far and you know what I find exciting? This is a *very* stable release. On my hardware, at least, it's more stable than Lucid.
(The new Ubuntu font is too Star Trek for my tastes, though. I swapped them all out for the Droid TTF font.)
You could have just updated the grub2 config with a Windows 7 menu entry, which can easily be found on google..
Add this:
menuentry "Windows 7 Pro 64 bit" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader +
}
To this:
/etc/grub.d/40_custom
and then run sudo update-grub in your terminal.
If anyone has Win 7 running as main and plan to go 10.10 to dual boot as a noob,my advice for now is….DON'T.Here's why:-
1. I got Lubuntu 10.10 on a USB stick.All was fine and dandy during installation till reboot right up till update manager checked for kernel updates.Well it did just that apparently linux kernel ver x.x.xx update are ready so I just shrugged and went with it.Boy had I knew the hell it'll bring…
2. Right after the mandatory reboot then poof there goes your Win 7 entry OFF the grub's bootloader like it was never there.
3. You can google and ask and you'll get the same "bootscript.sh" suggestions and probably 2 variations of mkdir steps.Had to pull out my bkup Win 7 DVD on a USB stick and had to do the USB poking dance back and forth between that and Lubuntu's between reinstalls and boot fixing Win back till I got fed up.
Guess what?You'll discover that it's about grub legacy vs. grub2 theatrics which is odd?It's kernel update for crying out loud?Don't Ubuntu people thought of contingencies for this important update to dual booting?And you'll have no choice but to bootrec your win partition back which essentially will kill the whole grub bootloader back to oblivion unless a complete reinstall.
My assumption right now is 10.10 are all go for a complete solo install but not dual boot for newbies.I'm sure I missed the proper solution but sorry to say when I gone through the above I haven't had the luxury of time to tinker.
And for the record this didn't happen when I tried out Mint LXDE so there…
Sorry if anything.Much respect to all linux and ubuntu gurus/fans here but I'm just calling it as it is for me.:ninja:
Meanwhile I'm waiting for crunchbang statler xfce to finish dl. :cool:
There is already pinta for linux
As an Arch Linux user, and someone who is used to getting software the day (sometimes hour) it's updated, I'm surprised at the amount of resistance some people seem to have to upgrading ubuntu.
BTW, I like the new fonts too. They're clean and readable.
I have an (ageing) Dell Inspiron 6400 with integrated Intel graphics and it the graphics driver seems improved. 10.04 was buggy at first with an external monitor, but this was patched a few months ago.
In 10.10, either it is my imagination or the graphics feel noticeably quicker with Compiz enabled - even with loads of windows open, the 3D task switcher is lovely and smooth. The file open dialogues seem snappier, as do the Nautilus folder views. I'm certain some new optimisations have been integrated, as it's the machine I use daily. Additionally, I haven't had to re-enable Compiz after plugging in the external screen as I had to in 10.04 and no nasty graphics based freezes either (as with early 10.04).
The new colour scheme helps with alerts, highlights etc too. The old grey highlight meant that I missed some messages or had to hunt around on the task bar (when clicking the Rhythmbox icon in the task bar, for example).
Running the latest Chrome, web browsing is as good as ever. Open Office spreadsheet hasn't crashed out yet either, which it had an annoying habit of ding with the last version (no idea why!).
All in all, it seems more stable, faster and more polished too. With each new version, I'm more and more impressed. As an old Linux fan, but previously having been resigned to using Windows day to day, I'm very pleased. It still makes old hardware fly, but now has all the polish you would expect from a modern graphical OS.
I've been fairly surprised by all of the positive comments on the installer, which for me was easily the largest blemish on an otherwise fantastic release. The simple graph-based partition setup didn't work on my (fairly recent) computer, as the installer simply hung after trying to advance. I was forced to use the custom partition setup, which required me to select the filesystem and mountpoint, something I'd never done before. That alone could easily discourage Linux newbies.
I disagree on Hulu and the cloud apps, because for example, Hulu is only available in the U.S. this will turn down international users, just like did to me. There is no point to include links to apps that only certain people will be able to use. Remember, Humanity towards others.
Also, flash, mp3 and those things can be installed since the installation. Ticking on the box "Install third party software" that also installed my broadcom wireless driver. You should also note that.
Empathy on MSN protocol detects which contacts have camera and/or microphone (it didn't work on Windows-Linux conferences but I still have to test it under Linux-Linux circunstances)
Is a good review, but I felt it kind of incomplete
-Alex
Reading your review I've just cancelled the download of 10.10.
I had been a user of Ubuntu since 2004 till 10.04. I installed the LTS versions from 2006. The changes 10.04 made me disappointed. Ugly colours, strange modifications in system. They turned me out from Ubuntu. Though I have another linux distribution on my PC now, I hardly wait the 10.10. I hoped Ubuntu turns back to its traditions. I see I was wrong. I don't like the new one too, so I say farewell to Ubuntu.
Sorry, but a Distro released in 2010 should work out of the box with any ATI, NVIDIA OR INTEL video card released in the last 3 years, but 10.04 failed for me on three different computers and Yes, I considered the possibility of a bad burn - made iso's 3 at home and got the same result with the official free copy from Canonical when it came in the mail. So clearly it's not a settings issue or bad burn. It's a bug.
I would think Video is a basic feature, don't you? If you can't see a desktop gui or even get to a command line what settings could you possibly tinker with anyway?
@ imnotrich:
10.04 ran like a dream on my nvidia laptop and my amd desktop. 10.10 beta ran and still runs very fast with seperate root,boot and home folders on btrfs all in an extended partition. the only video problems i ever had was on a very old(pre 2000) bios and a very generic monitor that never reported its capabilitys correctly. those with video problems today need to look at their hardware/video cards.
@ Eddie:
The majority of users are into social networking? Maybe the majority of teenager users, but us adults…NOPE. Gwibber is so deeply integrated that it will continue to eat system resources even after its "uninstalled." Starting to follow the windows model perhaps, with uninstalled programs leaving traces behind?
Pre-installed software selection doesn't matter anyway until the head Ubunut resolves major distro-killing video issues that prevent it from being compatible with many very common video cards since version 10.04 onward.
And what's the deal with this pay for a dvd player stuff? Will you still be able to play dvd's if you don't pay? According to Ubuntu's website, Ubuntu will always be free. I don't want to play semantics here but if Ubuntu starts charging for apps that should be built in functionality, Ubuntu is doomed to meet the same tortured fate as Mandriva. Betrayed users will flee.
Dave wrote:
Dave, if I were you, encountered a problem with my system, I'd take the time to test it, note the specs of my system, and if a problem were found, I would report it to the Ubuntu community as soon as possible. Start in the Ubuntu community forum to search for where their bug tracking system is located and how to use it, and ask questions. If you are an IRC user, I suspect they have online chat; most distributions these days do, and someone may be able to advise you how to use the system. I would suspect that regardless of which Dell model or models you have, a LOT of other people have them.
Are you willing to do any reporting on the issues you see to help improve the software? That is the best way to make it happen, but not everyone is willing to do their part. You don't have to be a software expert, but you do have to learn how to clearly communicate what software you use, and when you encounter a problem, what exact set of steps can consistently reproduce the problem. That's not too difficult for any of us who can read and write, but you'd be surprised at how many people refuse to send in problem reports (too busy, can't be bothered are just two of the excuses). I hope that isn't you, and you help the ecosystem by reporting your hardware and software configuration so that the issues you have experienced can be resolved.
@ Ron Hyatt:
I disagree. Ubuntu 10.04 was Canonicals' Windows ME.
10.10 is Canonicals' Vista.
Maybe the 11 versions of Ubuntu will be more stable and hopefully include compatibility with common ATI, NVIDIA and Intel cards. Ubuntu is the first Linux distro for psychics. You're supposed to be able to guess what is on the invisible display.
grikdog wrote:
Well I've been looking forward to the release of Ubuntu 10.10 for a while, since Ubuntu has been my distro of choice since 8.04 . However, I was very disappointed to find that Ubuntu 10.10 will not boot on my computer (HP pavilion zv5000), it boots until just past the Ubuntu logo with dots under it then hangs. Luckily I have found Ubuntu 10.04 to be an excellent release and since it's a LTS I am probably best not to upgrade. I would have liked to have taken the Live CD for a spin and am a little concerned if Ubuntu will be able to run on my computer in the future. :blink:
You can easily change the window title bar button layout using the Gnome configuration editor.
Alt+F2, or open a terminal, and run gconf-editor
Then navigate to
apps -> metacity -> general -> button_layout
Here, you can edit the value to display your preferred button layout.
I apologize if you already knew this, but you mentioned changing the theme from Ambiance to fix this, which isn't necessary.
@ Rajit:
I hope you saw the 7 pages and not 1. :wassat:
Ubuntu Netbook 10.10 Installs and runs a treat! The "Unity" desktop on my Acer Aspire 5920 works really well and makes the task of basic navigation and productivity easy and effective. The efficient use of limited LCD screen space is excellent.
Boot up time combined with the time to automatically connect to secure WiFi is very fast, which means the machine can be online and surfing the net within a couple of minutes from switch on . . . Goodbye Vista!
Early days, but 10.10 is 100% stable and installation of Opera browser (my preferred choice of browser) was simple and straight forward to apply.
Yes, we all have our little pet hates and no one OS is going to be to everyones full satisfaction . . . but on balance Ubuntu 10.10 tick more boxes than any other for me! Highly recommend it to those who are seeking a fast, stable and productive OS and it's all for FREE!
Well done to all of the Ubuntu Team.
What I would like to see is an Estimated download size in the Ubuntu Software Centre when selecting an application to download.
The rest look great.
I'm far more interested in knowing what Meerkat broke or threw out, than in the hot newness PR. For example, Dells have enduring issues with WiFi, and I don't want that to break. I'd like my volume control button back on the top bar where it belongs, looking the way it used to look, and I'd rather use ALSA than Pulse, or at least have the option. I agree with another user; wtf is Gwibber and why do I care about it? I don't tweet, and my Facebook page has been abandoned for months. Between 8.04 and 10.04, a lot of babies have gurgled down the drain with the bathwater.
Nice technical releases with no discernible toolmarks except greater stability and speed are all I need. I will wait and reserve judgment on 10.10 … the upgrade to 10.04 broke vlc dependencies, and while I understand the missing libraries are in 10.10, there's no urgency.
Ron Hyatt wrote:
I do not agree with this; to me, the 10.04 release is an excellent example of free software it has not been the marketing mistake that Vista turned out to be. Vista has cleaned up its act, but it tarnished Microsoft's reputation. Windows 7 is a much cleaner implementation, but I find that the 10.04 release, in any desktop implementation (GNOME with Ubuntu, KDE with Kubuntu, Xfce with Xubuntu, LXDE with Lubuntu) offer more flexible software, and in the case of Xubuntu and Lubuntu in particular, a MUCH lighter, faster experience than either Vista or Windows 7, with much greater software freedom. None of the Canonical releases remind me of Vista whatsoever. They all easily outperform Vista, they are free, Vista is expensive, they include much more base software; you have to purchase extras with Vista, you have to install anti virus software with Vista, with any Buntu, you should simply set up a good firewall and use solid password protection and be careful what you click on and you will have a system that treats you well and runs smoother than anything available in Redmond, Washington.
Bobby's Bass wrote:
I do not agree with your comment. The openSUSE 11.3 software is good; that much I agree with, and many people enjoy it. The openSUSE 11.4 effort is underway, but not released.
Kubuntu 10.10 offers more current KDE software than the current openSUSE 11.3 software, which I just checked out today. openSUSE is a very nice release, but so is Kubuntu. I think that different audiences would be interested in one or the other.
So it's OK that you have the opinion that openSUSE is "better", but let's just be fair and acknowledge that it is "better" because there are features in it that suit your interests. Others will believe differently, and that is why it is nice to have many different alternatives.
Right now, Kubuntu 10.10 is more current than any released versions of openSUSE that I am aware of. The openSUSE 11.3 software is likely to be more completely tested and stable. The Kubuntu 10.10 release is likely to have more new features. Kubuntu 10.04 and openSUSE 11.3 are more comparable in features and stability. OpenSUSE has fancier art work included; both have a huge assortment of alternative wallpapers, icons, splash screens, and more, so that is hardly a reason alone for choosing one or the other. Kubuntu tends to be a bit closer to what KDE releases; openSUSE tends to have a stronger brand theme. Both, in my opinion, work well, but one may work better for some and the other better for someone else. It's great to have the choice.
10.04 is Canonical's Vista.
" KDE to the default GNOME desktop, then Kubuntu provides yet another alternative. "
If you're going to do KDE, get Opensuse. Don't waste your time on Kubuntu.
I would like to comment on the past few responses. First, for those who want the most stable Ubuntu releases, the Long Term Support releases, (called LTS for short)- the previous 8.04 release (which may still be supported for a while longer and the most recent 10.04 release, which will be definitely supported for a few more years at least), these may be the way to go - unless you have really new hardware that is not supported in either of the LTS releases.
In that case, you may have to opt for the latest release, but you may want to check this new release by running it Live first to make sure that it will support your configuration - or check the Ubuntu site to see if your hardware can be supported or not.
For distro hoppers or those who love running the latest hardware, the latest release offers the newest hardware and provides incremental experiments that Canonical is providing to incorporate various changes that recognize emerging trends in social networking and building a framework for cloud based computing.
There is no hard and fast recommendation concerning which release is "best". No doubt about it, the current LTS release is still more "stable", but based on my testing of the Xubuntu variation of 10.10, the new software is hardly rough and unfinished. I feel that the Xubuntu version is nicely polished and not full of defects. I did not encounter a single issue, though I did not exercise every possible nuance to find a problem.
As I write this note, I am using Kubuntu 10.04 on one of my systems and I am, at this moment, choosing to run a release upgrade to bring this version to 10.10. I have another instance where I have been using both back ports and PPA (Personal Package Archives) to simulate what the release will look like - approximately - and like Xubuntu 10.10, I have not encountered any issues on that system, so for me, I have no problems whatsoever in modifying this instance to upgrade it from 10.04 to 10.10.
However, not everyone will want to do an upgrade from 10.04 to 10.10, nor will everyone want to reinstall version 10.10. The question each person should ask themselves before considering or performing an upgrade is what they are looking for most: a stable system, the latest software, support for specific hardware, or satisfying their curiosity?
What I can tell you, based on testing multiple instances of these systems is that 10.04 is solid. The vast majority of people will not have any issue with that release. The new release, while not perfect, is also likely to be usable, but a larger number of people are likely to encounter quirks of one variety or another. So the questions to ask center around what are the driving forces for either choosing a stable, long term support release or opting instead for the newest software?
I think that there are sound reasons for going in either direction, but the decision is going to vary, depending on who you are and what you aim to achieve when you install and use the software.
For me, I evaluate software all the time, and I have a large collection of CDs, DVDs, and ISO images stored on an external USB drive, so if I end up being unhappy with one approach or another, I can go back and forth between releases fairly easily, plus I have the experience to modify the system quite easily (for me).
I think that Jim did a credible job of reporting on what the new system offers, and what he stated in his review was clearly his opinion on why he likes to use the latest software. After all, he is both a distro hopper and a software reviewer. He, like me, can change his systems at any time, either to review something else or just to change it on a whim. He has the right to do that, and the right to voice his own opinion, and he makes both his blogs and forums interactive so that others can voice their opinions as well. Opinions are just that: opinions.
My opinion is that it is good to get multiple opinions out in the open, then let each person decide what they want to do.
As far as waiting for Linux Mint's next release, well, that's an option too. I have some misgivings about the manner in which Mint handles their package authentication keyring, but I've been criticized elsewhere for voicing that opinion - again, that's my opinion, and my concern is that inexperienced people - who are the target market for Mint, could get tripped up by its default Software Manager - I know one person who has, and others who have complained about the keyring - which is how it came to my attention, so I checked out their concern and then wrote about it. Mint, in spite of my concerns, might be just right for some people anyway, it's just not for me.
Remember, all of this stuff is about software freedom - the right to choose what works best for each of us, and that will differ, because each of us has our own interests and needs.
I'm a fan of distros and I am a fan of writing about and discussing our preferences. At the end of the day, each of us retains the right to our own opinions and preferences. I wouldn't want it any other way!
To the above poster, this review can't give an accurate opinion regarding stability because the release came out only one day ago. It takes time to monitor stability in any system.
As for the review itself - suggesting users should wait for mint because mint includes codecs…well, so what ? It takes about five minutes to install legal codecs. And mint is nothing more than a respin of Ubuntu with a few minor changes. Why go with an imitation when you can get the real thing ?
I wasn’t talking about codecs and/or web plugins like flash and java which is something Ubuntu tends to do fairly well (until recently when they dropped support for some mainstream plugins).
I was specifically referring to lack of hardware support. Wifi, ATI, Realtek, Nvidia are not obscure components or functionality. No Linux distro should ever be released without support for commonly used hardware.
The last Ubuntu version that supports my laptop’s very common hardware was 9.04, and that’s what I run - for now. I just wish Ubuntu would stop bugging me about updates that it knows or should know will bork my install.
Valid point about stability - somewhat selfish of me to assert that a distro that refuses to run my hardware can be considered stable or even ready for release.
I guess I’m supposed to go out and buy a new laptop or tower every 6 months. You want to donate? I have paypal.
Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.04.1 was not compatible with many AIT, NVIDIA and Intel graphics cards, and the Pulse implementation is half baked.
I'd love to try 10.10 but there's nothing in the release notes indicating these problems were resolved.
Me thinks Shuttleworth needs to focus more on stability than adding features that nobody wants, like gwibber.
Two points, somewhat connected:
1. I'd like to see in the review a different sort of approach in the recommendation as to whether to update.
What with past Ubuntu releases sometimes having considerable feedback from people having problems installing or upgrading, especially in the first weeks after release, and 10.04 being a stable release and based on Debian Testing rather than Debian Unstable, it seems to me that unless one really needs one of the improvements or is able and willing to handle the problems more likely to arise in a new release, it isn't so clear it is worth updating. for whom it is worthwhile updating.
Perhaps instead of saying it is or isn't worth updating, it might be helpful to suggest updating if anxious for the speed improvements or the Twitter functionality (or some other improved feature), particularly if able to tolerate the drop in stability.
Personally, I wouldn't dream of updating based on what I've seen described as the changes-I don't use Gwibber or Evolution and my existing installations are fast and trouble-free.
Stability hasn't been given much emphasis in relation to the decision whether to update (the review doesn't mention it at all in the "… who should use it" section and it seems to me that it is a factor to consider. My suggestion is that instead of saying it is or isn't worthwhile, it is more useful to make an objective list of factors to be considered and let the user decide.
2. On a related but slightly different note, I strongly disagree with the statement that it is "certainly worthwhile upgrading if you are an existing Ubuntu user, and it’s worth considering if you haven’t tried Ubuntu yet." To me it seems it should be considered for existing users-and perhaps in a month or so for new users.
For many existing users upgrading doesn't make sense. Having a working stable system is important to many, and if their system is working they may not find enough benefit from the improvements to make a change worthwhile.
As for new users, they'll have less ability to deal with installation difficulties or the bugs that have sometimes become very apparent in the first week or two after an Ubuntu release. 10.04 was a good release and I think until a bit more time has passed newbies should stick to that unless they have some compelling reason to go with the new version.
Bob C.
I've installed the new Ubuntu 10.10 and tried to change the resolution of my monitor, it crashed and restarted, I never had this problem with v. 10.04. I hope they fix it, because as it is right now, it shows the screen a bit off to the right. I have a Benq sense-eye monitor.
Hi Don,
Sorry I didn't get into the file system, but here's a blurb from the Known Issues part of the Ubuntu site:
"Performance regressions with ext4 under certain workloads. The default file system for installations of Ubuntu 10.10 is ext4, the latest version in the popular series of Linux extended file systems. ext4 includes a number of performance tuning changes relative to previous versions such as ext3, the file system used by default up to Ubuntu 9.04.
These generally produce improvements, but some particular workloads are known to be significantly slower when using ext4 than when using ext3. If you have performance-sensitive applications, we recommend that you run benchmarks using multiple file systems in your environment and select the most appropriate. "
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MaverickMeerkat/ReleaseNo…
Can u tell as more a little bit about new file system.
I agree with Jim. A few months I tried Linux (Ubuntu 10.04) for the very first time, and I was extremely disappointed. Ubuntu would not detect my Vaio's touchpad and sound cards. I later discovered that none of them were compatible yet. Yesterday I tried Ubuntu Maverick; and sound & touchpad worked perfectly before installing on the hard drive.
A few hours ago I completely made the switch from Windows 7 Ultimate to Ubuntu 10.10 :cheerful:
BTW, Rajit, remember that this is essentially a point release. It's not as big of an upgrade as going from 9.04 to 10.04, for example. So there's not nearly as many features to cover in the review.
I still think it's worth upgrading, and it adds some additional goodies for those who are not yet using Ubuntu.
Hi Rajit,
Sorry you didn't like the review, what specifically were you looking for? I think I covered the major updates in this release. But I'm always happy to get feedback for additional information.
It's nice to have a review on the day of the release itself, but this one was very shallow!!
Thank you Jim. It is a good time to take a look at this software. I would just add that those who want the most current software ought to consider this release, and getting those "non-free" extras is not all that difficult. Ubuntu is pretty good about guiding you to them if you need them, and it is also pretty good, as one of your images displayed, of offering freely available alternatives alongside the commercial, proprietary ones. It is quite pragmatic in that sense, taking free when it is there, and offering, but not insisting, on non-free, when it is not there otherwise.
For those who have little tolerance for potential issues and just want something stable that works, the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Long Term Support) release will still be around and supported until after the next LTS release becomes available, so that is a good alternative to have.
I installed and tested the Xubuntu 10.10 RC 1 variation of the Ubuntu distribution. Xubuntu is very similar to Ubuntu, except that it substitutes the Xfce desktop environment for the default GNOME desktop found in Ubuntu, and provides a similar set of applications and definitely the same repository, but tends to provide a somewhat lighter set of default choices. The installation program is virtually identical otherwise, so it makes a good alternative to Ubuntu for those who need something just a bit lighter.
For those who can't stand all of the recent choices - the window controls in the left corner, the Mac-like usability features and appearance, and the other Ubuntu deviations from the unaltered desktop, and/or if they prefer, for whatever other reasons, KDE to the default GNOME desktop, then Kubuntu provides yet another alternative. Kubuntu still uses the Ubuntu repositories and the Ubuntu installer, so in those aspects it is similar, but it balks on using the Ubuntu Software Center and other Ubuntu centric features, opting to go closer to what KDE and Debian offer. Ubuntu fans therefore will not like it, but if you are agnostic that way, or you like the Ubuntu installer but little else, you may at least want to take a look at Kubuntu.
I find every one of the Ubuntu main distributions to be pretty solid, even if a few applications in the most cutting edge versions have occasional defects. I'm more of an Xfce and KDE fan than GNOME, so I lean toward those, and I also like Lubuntu, an LXDE implementation, though lately I've opted for Peppermint OS One, a derivative of Lubuntu. Any one of these distributions carries a similar installation program, so they are all good in that regard.
Easy Peasy is one last derivative that I'd like to highlight. Right now it is still based on the 10.04 implementation; I anticipate seeing a newer version within a quarter or so. This one is great for netbooks, but it also works really well on laptop systems and I definitely recommend it for those who just want an easy system to use. Easy as Ubuntu is, I think that Easy Peasy is just a little bit easier. Those couple of nits that Jim mentions with Ubuntu are taken care of in Easy Peasy.