Is Ubuntu for me?

[thechris]

I am currently using gentoo, which i am not overly happy with. I find it difficult to maintain with 2 computers and 2 archs (x86_32 and x86_64). further things break WAY too much and the "community" support is very slow in most cases.

I was reccomened ubuntu. i put it off at first because it seemed too "disto of the week" at the time. kinda like yoper.

I have a few basic questions:
1.) Ubuntu is debian based, does it also share the same extensive pacakage list?
2.) Can ubuntu be installed without Gnome? preferably KDE and fluxbox.
3.) i really hate mandrake. not some much a question.
4.) is there any reason to use gnome in ubuntu such as special tools for ubuntu that are gnomized?
5.) how is amd64 support in ubuntu?
6.) U bu ntu, Ub un tu, U bunt u? how is this pronounced?
7.) mythTV, Mplayer? are they in ubuntu?

actually, i'll take gnome2.4 or KDE3.3. gnome2.6 and 2.8 have left a bad taste after they made everything i did "advanced" meaning it was now hard to configure... also i can't live with the gnome save/load dialogs... kde's are better, but sadly windows is better. also the gnome devs cussed out one of my friends. there was also all the "why this is better and you are just wrong" speeches from people telling me why the DE is so good despite my bad experiences. also, i've never had gnome work. ever.

my hatred for gnome is another reason i haven't looked at ubuntu too much. if ubuntu is reliant on gnome then it is definatly not for me, at least until the gnome devs make something i can use without staring at the almost full screen save dialog wondering what i'm doing or why i can't press "t" to go to the files starting with t...

[panickedthumb]

1) Yes. Basically it has all of the same stuff, and if you can't find it you can always add other repositories.
2) No, but you CAN uninstall Gnome and install either KDE or fluxbox, though I'd suggest giving XFCE a shot.
3) I agree. It's atrocious.
4) Yeah, kinda, but you can always use them in KDE or whatever. Not so much Ubuntu specific stuff, but stuff like Synaptic will run best under Gnome. I've run it under KDE, Fluxbox, XFCE, Blackbox, Openbox, TWM, ... basically, you can accomplish everything you need to regardless of your Desktop Environment.
5) Don't have an AMD64, but from what I understand, with the exception of the pitfalls that every distribution has, it works well.
6) oo-boon-too, I think. I think I saw that somewhere? That's how I've been pronouncing it anyway.
7) Not so much IN Ubuntu, but it's not hard to get them going at all.
8) Though it's not numbered, you can get KDE 3.3 installed pretty easily. I have it installed and use it occasionally (to try to get over my aversion to it. I admit, I can't stand it, but it's useful sometimes). I do kinda like the Gnome save/load dialogs, once I got used to them. I still can't stand KDE's, but I agree, Windows wins this fight. Not enough to get me to use Windows though. Which Gnome devs cussed out your friend? That's definitely not cool. Just keep in mind that Gnome devs are human too, though he definitely should have kept his cool regardless of what they were talking about. I'd like to know more about that though. I don't get into the "which DE is better" arguments really, I think you should use what works, but I will voice opinions from time to time. Magneto put it best when he said "KDE kannoys kthe ksh*t kout kof kme." But seriously, using KDE in Ubuntu is almost pleasant. One thing about Ubuntu I like the most is that there isn't really any heavy customization of the DE's, so they work as their own developers intended them to, not the way the distribution developers wanted. So I'd suggest giving Gnome a shot when/if you install Ubuntu, and if you don't like it, KDE is easy as pie to install.

Edit: Yeah Gentoo and I didn't get along well. It's just too much work to get a "stable" system that works less than the Ubuntu "unstable" system. I do enjoy tinkering with my PC, but I want to USE my PC, ya know?
Edit 2: this is the longest post I've written in a while.

[wallijonn]

I'm surprised you don't like Yoper. You may want to give Slackware or SUSE a shot as I fear that Ubuntu is not for you. There are plenty of KDE distros out there that may appeal to you more.

[nocturn]

I'm surprised you don't like Yoper. You may want to give Slackware or SUSE a shot as I fear that Ubuntu is not for you. There are plenty of KDE distros out there that may appeal to you more.

I tried Yoper too before moving to Ubuntu, but is very cuttin edge (bundling only Evo 1.5 with a release...).

I used it on my laptop for a while, but it was very unstable for me.
Ubuntu runs without a glitch.

[machiner]

Try Mepis. All that and more...as per your requests.

KDE, but it's 3.2.3 still, I think. Easy update. Hey - easy is relative, ey - but it's easy.

MepisPro RC1 isn't bad.

Although Mepis is based on Debian, in Mepis you have a greater chance of trashing your distro should you decide to mix mepis repo's with debian. Ubuntu works really well (YMMV) in the mix I have.

[CompShrink]

I was quite anti-gnome before using Ubuntu, having not enjoyed my experiences with 2.2 a long while back, but this actually is pretty enjoyable. KDE is not perfect, neither is Gnome. Both have some rather odd annoyances, such as the file open dialog not letting you jump around by first letter (btw, why in the name of some diety do they not have that??).

But Gnome isn't bad, KDE I hear is not hard to add, though I haven't done it myself, and mixing in other repos and using the socalled "universe" and "multiverse" have not created an unstable system. In fact, I've only had one hang, no abnormal prgram termination, in about a month. Runs faster than SuSE 9.1 and Knoppix 3.6 3.7, on my machine at least.

As always, YMMV, but so far I haven't seen any problem with mixing in outside debian packages.

[thechris]

1) Yes. Basically it has all of the same stuff, and if you can't find it you can always add other repositories.
2) No, but you CAN uninstall Gnome and install either KDE or fluxbox, though I'd suggest giving XFCE a shot.
3) I agree. It's atrocious.
4) Yeah, kinda, but you can always use them in KDE or whatever. Not so much Ubuntu specific stuff, but stuff like Synaptic will run best under Gnome. I've run it under KDE, Fluxbox, XFCE, Blackbox, Openbox, TWM, ... basically, you can accomplish everything you need to regardless of your Desktop Environment.
5) Don't have an AMD64, but from what I understand, with the exception of the pitfalls that every distribution has, it works well.
6) oo-boon-too, I think. I think I saw that somewhere? That's how I've been pronouncing it anyway.
7) Not so much IN Ubuntu, but it's not hard to get them going at all.
8) Though it's not numbered, you can get KDE 3.3 installed pretty easily. I have it installed and use it occasionally (to try to get over my aversion to it. I admit, I can't stand it, but it's useful sometimes). I do kinda like the Gnome save/load dialogs, once I got used to them. I still can't stand KDE's, but I agree, Windows wins this fight. Not enough to get me to use Windows though. Which Gnome devs cussed out your friend? That's definitely not cool. Just keep in mind that Gnome devs are human too, though he definitely should have kept his cool regardless of what they were talking about. I'd like to know more about that though. I don't get into the "which DE is better" arguments really, I think you should use what works, but I will voice opinions from time to time. Magneto put it best when he said "KDE kannoys kthe ksh*t kout kof kme." But seriously, using KDE in Ubuntu is almost pleasant. One thing about Ubuntu I like the most is that there isn't really any heavy customization of the DE's, so they work as their own developers intended them to, not the way the distribution developers wanted. So I'd suggest giving Gnome a shot when/if you install Ubuntu, and if you don't like it, KDE is easy as pie to install.

Edit: Yeah Gentoo and I didn't get along well. It's just too much work to get a "stable" system that works less than the Ubuntu "unstable" system. I do enjoy tinkering with my PC, but I want to USE my PC, ya know?
Edit 2: this is the longest post I've written in a while.
the issue with yoper is that its not really at a stable point yet. it seems to be an OS made by a small group of well intentioned people that need more manpower or a better starting point.

hopefully the issues with gnome that i've had will be gone in ubuntu. i didn't like the way gnome 2.6 went and gnome 2.8 didn't seem to fix any of the issues.

i like the debian package management, but want something that is more current then debian. also something that has an official x86_64 branch...

i have extra partitions for a windows, a backup OS, and a testing OS.

new Q --
what about using ubutu on a file server. i assume the typical nfs, portmap, netmount, and sshd all work the same. I would like to have a consistant computer setup for all of my computers for sake of easy administration.

[castrojo]

Both have some rather odd annoyances, such as the file open dialog not letting you jump around by first letter (btw, why in the name of some diety do they not have that??).

The GNOME version in hoary does autocompletion by typing in the dialog.

[jdodson]

i like the debian package management, but want something that is more current then debian. also something that has an official x86_64 branch...

then install ubuntu for AMD64 and upgrade to hoary, its the bleeding edge top of the line most up-to-date stuff debian has. albiet it is kinda buggy.

[thechris]

I am currently using gentoo, which i am not overly happy with. I find it difficult to maintain with 2 computers and 2 archs (x86_32 and x86_64). further things break WAY too much and the "community" support is very slow in most cases.

I was reccomened ubuntu. i put it off at first because it seemed too "disto of the week" at the time. kinda like yoper.

I have a few basic questions:
1.) Ubuntu is debian based, does it also share the same extensive pacakage list?
2.) Can ubuntu be installed without Gnome? preferably KDE and fluxbox.
3.) i really hate mandrake. not some much a question.
4.) is there any reason to use gnome in ubuntu such as special tools for ubuntu that are gnomized?
5.) how is amd64 support in ubuntu?
6.) U bu ntu, Ub un tu, U bunt u? how is this pronounced?
7.) mythTV, Mplayer? are they in ubuntu?

actually, i'll take gnome2.4 or KDE3.3. gnome2.6 and 2.8 have left a bad taste after they made everything i did "advanced" meaning it was now hard to configure... also i can't live with the gnome save/load dialogs... kde's are better, but sadly windows is better. also the gnome devs cussed out one of my friends. there was also all the "why this is better and you are just wrong" speeches from people telling me why the DE is so good despite my bad experiences. also, i've never had gnome work. ever.

my hatred for gnome is another reason i haven't looked at ubuntu too much. if ubuntu is reliant on gnome then it is definatly not for me, at least until the gnome devs make something i can use without staring at the almost full screen save dialog wondering what i'm doing or why i can't press "t" to go to the files starting with t...
hmm, after testing ubuntu for a day it seems that it is not for me. i'm now looking at debian testing. I couldn not find wxpython anywhere in the universe/multiverse or other install sources. sound did not get set up right for KDE. gnome is just as unusable as i remember, I literally hugged my monitor when KDE came back... the community support wasn't very helpful either. at this point i'm stuck between debian, gentoo, mepis, or freeBSD.

[poofyhairguy]

hmm, after testing ubuntu for a day it seems that it is not for me. i'm now looking at debian testing. I couldn not find wxpython anywhere in the universe/multiverse or other install sources. sound did not get set up right for KDE. gnome is just as unusable as i remember, I literally hugged my monitor when KDE came back... the community support wasn't very helpful either. at this point i'm stuck between debian, gentoo, mepis, or freeBSD.

To each his own. Out of the list you mentioned, I find the new Mepis to be the most tasty one. I would use it if I dug KDE.

[Quest-Master]

wxPython IS in the repos.

$ sudo apt-get install libwxgtk2.4-python

On the contrary, this community has the best support and most friendly I've seen yet.

[Karlos]

You could always try libranet and upgrade it all to unstable or even experimental if your brave enough...That comes with kde AND gnome and fluxbox and icebla bla bla and is totally debian compatible.

I was using it before i started using ubuntu..I thought it was very good

but i like ubuntu more....dunno why....just do

My main point is that the libranet community are incredibly helpful and friendly and most of them seem to be very knowledgable...check out they're forum for yourself

http://forum.libranet.com/

[poofyhairguy]

You could always try libranet and upgrade it all to unstable or even experimental if your brave enough...That comes with kde AND gnome and fluxbox and icebla bla bla and is totally debian compatible.

I was using it before i started using ubuntu..I thought it was very good

but i like ubuntu more....dunno why....just do

My main point is that the libranet community are incredibly helpful and friendly and most of them seem to be very knowledgable...check out they're forum for yourself

http://forum.libranet.com/

I second that. The Libranet bunch probably can answer the kinds of questions you have (mostly around here we care about desktop stuff- tough questions that require guru-level knowledge to answer belong in the libranet or gentoo forum.)

[Buffalo Soldier]

To each his own. Out of the list you mentioned, I find the new Mepis to be the most tasty one. I would use it if I dug KDE.

Same goes here. After trying out many GNU/Linux distribution, I was finally left with two choices MEPIS or Ubuntu. To me both were about equal in everything except for KDE / GNOME.

And that's what lead me to Ubuntu. Not to say KDE is anything less, it's just not my taste. As I'm sure GNOME is not everyones taste :P

If I was a KDE fan, MEPIS is what I would use. Not that Ubuntu does not support KDE, it does actually. But I guess it's easier to use MEPIS if I want KDE from start.

But then again there are many KDE-based distribution out there. I'm sure you will find the one that suits you the most.