Customize/personalize/configure/experiment with Ubuntu

[Tristan_Williams]

I have one computer with ubuntu minimal command line install... I have added Xfce and a few other packages (Total # of packages == 2085(got the number from dpkg --get-selections))

I also have an old pc which i use as my "i can break stuff" pc

Here lately i've been using my old pc to install, uninstall, install, and uninstall a Minimal Ubuntu over and over and over...
I've set this up with every DE... (I even started mixing them, i.e. KDE with Xfwm and gnome-do)
I have even tried porting windows open source applications to ubuntu (i quickly discovered that i am not cut out for this)

I can honestly say i am completely bored and disapointed with Ubuntu...

I mean why is'nt there more to do?

I love customizing things... I completely re-wrote the styling for the Numix GTK theme, and have played with bash.bashrc and ~/.bashrc
I hate to say it but Ubuntu is starting to anger me...

So please, tell me more ways i can customize/personalize/configure/mess things up so i can fix them...

Thank you

[atkinskev]

Erm.. possibly Ubuntu is the wrong distro for you? I've been using Linux for over ten years and Ubuntu was a breath of fresh air to me - stuff 'just works', but I can appreciate that it might be a bit bland if you want to dive in and tinker. If you really want to get your hands dirty, how about Linux From Scratch? It's a great way to build a system and learn how GNU / Linux fits together, and you can customise it exactly how you want.. I did it years ago and it was a good learning experience.. between that and Ubuntu, there's bound to be something 'in between' that you're sure to find does what you want.. Have fun - it's Linux!

[deadflowr]

If you want to break stuff, use the development releases.
Look in the +1 section of the forums on how the set up a dev release and then read up on which packages or ppa you can install that are bleeding edge.
Bleeding edge packages, though they can be quite stable, do have the best chance of giving you breakage to work with.

[andrew.46]

I can honestly say i am completely bored and disapointed with Ubuntu...
I mean why is'nt there more to do?

Perhaps view Ubuntu as a tool rather than an end unto itself. With this in mind you could create a website or three, learn to program or script, write a book or two, edit video etc etc..... No room for boredom there

[vasa1]

Why don't you try gentoo?
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=gentoo

[Bucky Ball]

Thread moved to Ubuntu, Linux and OS Chat.

Not a support thread. You might want to play around with Linux from Scratch, but you'll probably find that tedious, too.

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

Or you could use all that knowledge for good:

http://developer.ubuntu.com/community/

There is always plenty of testing to be done. Have you started testing Trusty and reporting bugs yet?

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

There are other helpful ways to get involved with improving the OS:

http://developer.ubuntu.com/community/

Or ... install Virtualbox and try out as many OSs as you fancy. That kept me occupied for awhile.

[mantaboo]

+1 for Linux from scratch. Gentoo is always pretty fun to install and configure as well. Arch Linux with Openbox will keep you busy tweaking and configuring for a few days too.

[buzzingrobot]

I can honestly say i am completely bored and disapointed with Ubuntu...

I mean why is'nt there more to do?

I love customizing things... I completely re-wrote the styling for the Numix GTK theme, and have played with bash.bashrc and ~/.bashrc
I hate to say it but Ubuntu is starting to anger me... o

So please, tell me more ways i can customize/personalize/configure/mess things up so i can fix them...

Thank you

Like every Linux flavor, your ability to tinker around in Ubuntu is only limited by your skills and knowedge. You have all the code.

Now, that said, Ubuntu clearly targets the vast majority of users who want to avoid systems that *require* tinkering to get them in a usable state.

So, if you're finding that your primary interest in Linux is not necessarily using it as a platform to run applications, but to tear into it, find out how it works, and put it, maybe another distribution would better suit you.

(Bear in mind, though, that you can modify third-party code -- like themes -- and learn shell scripting with BASH on any Linux platform.)

Debian comes to mind, although there is a significant amount of Debian-specific learning involved. Slackware, as well, which offer little in the way of handholding. To my tastes, distros like Arch and Gentoo aren't that interesting.

Part of the appeal of using Linux at that level is experimentation and learning what interests you and what does not.

[ibjsb4]

I have one computer with ubuntu minimal command line install... I have added Xfce and a few other packages (Total # of packages == 2085(got the number from dpkg --get-selections))

I too build from the mini iso and to date my package count (total # using synaptic) is 1272. Its a complete desktop with extras like nautilus, gimp, miro.

Just maybe you are not done yet

[Habitual]

Slackware, Arch, Gentoo, or LFS