What am I doing wrong?

[TiredBird]

Apparently there is a lot about the forum that I don't understand:

1) How do I make the title of a new thread bold?

2) Why doesn't a newly created thread show up as a 'new post'?

3) Why is it that some posts have have numerous views and several responses in the first few minutes after posting while others, (like mine), go for days with only a couple of looks and no responses?

[Therion]

Apparently there is a lot about the forum that I don't understand:

1) How do I make the title of a new thread bold?
They're bold by default until you've read them.

2) Why doesn't a newly created thread show up as a 'new post'?
Since you created the post in question, it's been read by you already and therefore is no longer "new"; so it doesn't show up AS a "new post".

3) Why is it that some posts have have numerous views and several responses in the first few minutes after posting while others, (like mine), go for days with only a couple of looks and no responses?
Because people aren't interested in your post or they don't know the answer to your question/s.

[TiredBird]

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Your answers to my first two questions were enlightening to say the least.

Your answer to my third question gives me pause for thought. I will have to rethink the questions I have been asking and hope to understand why there is a lack of interest or knowledge.

Thanks again.

[_Purple_]

3) Why is it that some posts have have numerous views and several responses in the first few minutes after posting while others, (like mine), go for days with only a couple of looks and no responses?

Sometimes its because of not using a proper thread title.

[TiredBird]

Sometimes its because of not using a proper thread title.

I am sure you are right. Following are some of the thread titles that I have used recently that received little or no response. Can you please tell me what should I have titled them?

"[kde] KDE 4.2 with Kubuntu 8.04? "

"[kubuntu] Upgrade from Kubuntu 8.04 to 8.10 - Doesn't Work! "

"[kubuntu] upgrade 8.04 to 8.10 need help!"

"[kubuntu] Install jBrout on Kubuntu 8.04"

On three of these four I received no response. On one I got two one-line responses, neither of which helped me.

I gave up converting 8.04 to 8.10. I spent thirty or forty hours on that one and could't make it work. I got no help from the forum.

I am now trying to put kde 4.2 on my 8.04, but I haven't so far been able to find out whether or not it is possible.

To repeat the title of this thread - "What am I doing wrong?"

[SuperSonic4]

You could just be unlucky, not many people here use kubuntu so may not know the specifics. Not to mention traffic is high so you're off page 1 of new posts in 5mins and who checks page 2 of new posts?

FYI: click for upgrade instructions: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/IntrepidUpgrades/Kubuntu

[TiredBird]

[QUOTE=SuperSonic4;6998097]... not many people here use kubuntu ...

Maybe I should change my platform. Originally I used Ubuntu but after a year or so switched to Kubuntu because something I wanted to do was easier that way. Maybe I should switch back.

I am excited by what KDE is doing about trying to break out of the file hierarchy. Is Gnome making any moves in the same direction?

[SuperSonic4]

Damned if I know, I've been on KDE for ages. Most of the help should be the same, I've asked for kubuntu commands and got them working ok. I wouldn't change back, just try google or bumping it after ~24 hours

[TiredBird]

FYI: click for upgrade instructions: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/IntrepidUpgrades/Kubuntu

Thanks for the tip, but those are the instructions I was following to letter that broke my X system. (In upgrading to 8.04, I had to do a lot of tweaking to the X-system to get it to work. Now the upgrade to 8.10 wants to break it again. That is what I originally wanted help on.)

[TiredBird]

...bumping it after ~24 hours

I don't understand. What do you mean by "bumping"?

[TiredBird]

because people usually like to click the new post when they came in. and of course, after a few days, nearly no body will react to the old ones.

Makes sense - but how do I "bump" it?

[dmizer]

Hope the following observances help some.

"[kde] KDE 4.2 with Kubuntu 8.04? "
If this thread is supposed to be about the possibility of installing KDE 4.2 on Kubuntu Hardy, I would have titled it like this:
[kde] possible to install KDE 4.2 on Hardy?

However, no personal offense intended toward you, but I believe that most knowledgeable people would probably think, "If you have to ask, you're probably not capable of handling the likely breakage that will result." And avoid the topic as a result.

"[kubuntu] Upgrade from Kubuntu 8.04 to 8.10 - Doesn't Work! "
"Doesn't work" isn't helpful. Are you getting errors? What kind of errors. What's preventing you from getting the upgrade?

For example:
[kubuntu] No GUI after upgrade from 8.04 to 8.10

"[kubuntu] upgrade 8.04 to 8.10 need help!"
What do you need help with? In this case you seem to have several problems. I suggest working on one at a time. Determine which problem is your most critical, and work on solving that first (see above). Once that's solved, open a new thread for the next problem (if it still exists).

"[kubuntu] Install jBrout on Kubuntu 8.04"
I don't personally even know what jBrout is. I think that many people might be the same. How are you trying to install it (source, binary, repository, ppa?)

In this case you have a dependency problem, so you probably would have had better luck with this title:
[kubuntu] Installing jBrout from deb: python-pyexiv2 dependency problem

[dmizer]

I don't understand. What do you mean by "bumping"?

Any reply to your thread will move it to the top of the forum thread list. So, if you have not received a reply within 24 hours, you can simply reply to your own thread.

Try to give more information when you do. What other things have you tried since the thread started? Is there something else you've learned since then? Any new developments or changes?

[TiredBird]

First off, thank you so much for your response. I recognize that you have spent a considerable effort trying to help me. I want you to know that I do appreciate it.

..."If you have to ask, you're probably not capable of handling the likely breakage that will result." And avoid the topic as a result.

..."Doesn't work" isn't helpful. Are you getting errors? What kind of errors. What's preventing you from getting the upgrade?

...What do you need help with?

...In this case you have a dependency problem, so you probably would have had better luck with ...

All of your points are well taken. Excepting the 'jBrout' question, they are all things that I considered at the time of the post. I'm not arguing that I did it the right way. I obviously didn't or I would have gotten an answer.

However, with the exception of the the 'jBrout' matter, all of the threads relate to the same issue.

In the first, I explained what I had done, and what the results were, I also explained what my personal capabilities were. I got two responses, both one-line types suggesting things that based on the description of my experience should have, (and had been), already tried without success.

Having outlined my ability and experience and having explained the problem in considerable detail, without finding meaningful help, I decided that I had said too much. Since it appeared that those getting the most help identified themselves as "newbs", I created the "...need help" thread, in hopes that someone might take pity on my situation and provide some useful suggestions. But that didn't work either.

I then gave up on converting from 8.04 to 8.10 and settled for installing KDE4 on my 8.04. I like that, but I also like the new things that have been included in 4.2. As near as I can tell, my version is 4.1. I would like to know if I can install 4.2, and if so what it entails.

I can probably handle more 'breakage' than I am willing to deal with. But I would like to know what that 'breakage' is likely to be.

[dmizer]

First off, thank you so much for your response. I recognize that you have spent a considerable effort trying to help me. I want you to know that I do appreciate it.

All of your points are well taken. Excepting the 'jBrout' question, they are all things that I considered at the time of the post. I'm not arguing that I did it the right way. I obviously didn't or I would have gotten an answer.

However, with the exception of the the 'jBrout' matter, all of the threads relate to the same issue.

I'm terribly sorry to have not been more clear, I was addressing the following question only.

Can you please tell me what should I have titled them?

I wasn't trying to address your actual threads, or how you worded your questions within. In fact, after looking through your posts, I was able to quickly determine the root of your question. Everyone (myself included) has problems getting their point across sometimes :)

I would like to know if I can install 4.2, and if so what it entails.

I can probably handle more 'breakage' than I am willing to deal with. But I would like to know what that 'breakage' is likely to be.
You would have to install directly from source. I would personally have to do extensive research in order to figure out how to do this and end up with a working final product. I (and I suspect many others) are most likely unwilling to go through that kind of effort for someone who, according to their thread title, doesn't seem to be aware of how disastrous this could potentially be.

As to what kind of breakage, other threads indicated you were having problems because you had no GUI. I didn't read carefully, but this is likely to be a problem if you install KDE from source. You'll probably run into a host of other library conflicts, networking issues, module incompatibilities, and so on.

And, after all that effort, you'll have to go through the whole mess again when the next kernel is released.

[TiredBird]

... Everyone (myself included) has problems getting their point across sometimes

...You would have to install directly from source...



Thank you. That answers my question. I am unwilling to install from source. I'll wait for the binaries to appear in the repository.

Please note - I'm tagging this thread as 'solved'. You've provided more help than I could ever have imagined. Domo arigato gozaimashita!

[dmizer]

Douitashimashite

It was my pleasure. Glad to have helped.

[Pillage Idiot]

Hi there.
I have been on Kubuntu for quite a while now, and have not had much luck with version upgrades. Same went for Ubuntu.
Personally I prefer to do a clean install when it is time.
I have just this last week taken a look at my xorg.conf file, on Kubuntu 8.10, and there is virtually nothing in it.
I have not looked before because everything just worked, even the side buttons on my mouse.
From what I understand x is doing a much better job of detecting and controlling hardware now.
My /home is on it's own partition so the clean way is fine for me.
I have just last week upgraded to KDE4.2, the how to on the front of the Kubuntu website worked almost perfectly.
I had a problem with my first login going to a black screen, but a quick search on the Kubuntu forum gave me the answer to that one quite quickly.
KDE 4.2 is quite an improvement, although compiz-kde does not play nicely yet.
Think about going the clean way, and maybe you might want to wait a couple of weeks for the jaunty release. It runs KDE 4.2 out of the box.

Using the Kubuntu forums would also make more sense for you, as the people on it are KDE users predominantly. The forum seems to be down at the moment though.

[TiredBird]

Think about going the clean way...

Using the Kubuntu forums would also make more sense for you, as the people on it are KDE users predominantly. The forum seems to be down at the moment though.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have done both of the above.

Like you, I found the site for Kubuntu forums to be down. I concluded, (possibly wrongfully so), that the help for Kubuntu related problems was limited at best. I decided to abandon Kubuntu.

I did a clean install of Ubuntu 8.10. It worked 'out of the box' and I have been using it ever since.

Although I hate the default color scheme for Ubuntu and I like the cutting edge technology of Kubuntu, I'm not an experimenter. I don't do 'makes' and my patience rapidly wears thin when something doesn't work as expected.

Although I have been using Kubuntu for nearly three years, I guess my needs are better satisfied by Ubuntu.

Again, thanks for your help.

[Pillage Idiot]

Although I hate the default color scheme for Ubuntu and I like the cutting edge technology of Kubuntu, I'm not an experimenter. I don't do 'makes' and my patience rapidly wears thin when something doesn't work as expected.

There is no compiling from source or anything like that needed.
All you need to do is enable the prerelease and unsupported repos in adept.
It is all there, I am on 4.2.2 installed from the repositories.

The Kubuntu forums are back up too, it seems they were being hosted on a windows server that went down.