Oh my, Ubuntu how you've changed

[greatsirkain]

Finally upgraded my 512 ram P4 dell computer to an AMD athlon dual core 1GB DDR2 ram...Not a great leap I know but better than the old one and even better news came when I mentioned it on facebook someone took pity on me and gave me an intel Celeron c900 2GB DDR3 laptop.

My gripe comes when I downloaded Ubuntu and found loads of new junk on it like amazon, ubuntu one music etc add those to gwibber, empathy, zeitgeist, geoclue, apport, ubuntu one, ubuntu software center removal then adding sysnaptic etc it seems like with every new version there's more I have to do to get it to do exactly what I want.
(I searched how to remove amazon and got "sudo apt-get remove unity-lens-shopping", haven't tried it yet, I went straight for apt-get remove amazon but of course that didn't work.)

Probably just generally moaning like so many other people but it just feels like it's becoming less community orientated and more about the profit that can be made off of the community.

Maybe it's just me, using older systems that finds the new junk so annoying and unnecessary, superfluous and sometimes even damaging to function?

[QIII]

Hello!

You can stop the Amazon thing by going to your privacy settings and turning it off.

Most of the other things you mentioned don't do anything unless you are actually using them. They just take up a little disk space.

If Unity is too much, you might want to try Xubuntu or Lubuntu instead. Either of them would probably work better for you considering your specs.

Best wishes!

[TNFrank]

Still beats the heck out of ANY Windows based OS. At least you're not having to pay Mr. Gates for the privilage of all that extra junk,LOL.
Moving from my iMac, 800MHz G3, 768MB of 133MHz RAM to my current HP laptop, Intel 1.86GHz, 2GB@533MHz of RAM was a HUGE leap for me and to be able to run a nice, free op sys like 12.04 on it was just the icing on the cake. :guitar:

[mips]

Instead of going through all that hassle install Xubuntu ;)

[greatsirkain]

haven't tried Xbuntu yet, have to admit I like Lubuntu but it never seems quite as stable somehow.

lol, yes it's better than Windows, except when it comes to games but I hear Steam are working on bringing games to Linux, so fingers crossed...I did like the Xbox but the new one disgusts me in sooo many ways. I think the only product M$ ever made that I liked was Windows XP and even when I tried to get a copy of that of them (because the OEM had gone bust)they tried to charge me 100 pounds for it because "support had ended" even though I had a valid license.

[The Cog]

In fairness, I think Canonical are trying to break even rather than to gouge you for a profit. They do give away an awesome distro that they do a lot of work for.

I think you might prefer Xubuntu - it's much more like the traditional desktop you are used to.

[FinalCoyote]

It has to be said that it's pretty surprising Canonical have given Ubuntu away (essentially) free without any bloatware like you're mentioning up until now.
Takes minutes to get rid of, and if you don't like it you could always try a different distro.

[Buntu Bunny]

Another vote for Xubuntu. It's Ubuntu like we used to know it.

[snowpine]

Ubuntu employs people, and these employees must do work to earn their paychecks and satisfy their bosses.
If you take away all of the Ubuntu-specific "junk" (your word, not mine) then the employees will have nothing to do all day.
Why bother with a new release every 6 months if you aren't going to innovate, take risks, and introduce new features?

[monkeybrain2012]

Junk is something that you don't use. just remove them or start with a minimal install. Don't see what the problem is. A new install of Ubuntu is still pretty small (can fit into a 4 G thumb drive) and the 'junks' that take up most space are not little apps like Unity one or music store which takes up miniscue space, but language packs which I never use (about half a G or more), those language packs have been there in a default install since way back in the "good old Ubuntu".

[bfmetcalf]

You could always install the mini.iso and just install what you want instead of un-installing a bunch of stuff.

[3rdalbum]

Most of what you mention is not "junk". Ubuntu Software Center is a marketplace where you can EASILY install software regardless of whether it costs money or not. It has added a LOT of software to the Ubuntu platform.

Gwibber is a social networking client, and most computer users are into social networking.

Zeitgeist powers the Unity desktop's search abilities.

Geoclue provides location services to programs and websites that you allow, in much the same way as your mobile phone and its apps.

Apport helps you to report bugs.

The Shopping lens is easily disabled or removed.

Ubuntu had never been a community distro. It has always been a commercial distro. Sorry if this comes as a shock to you.

[GreatDanton]

Junk is something that you don't use. just remove them or start with a minimal install. Don't see what the problem is. A new install of Ubuntu is still pretty small (can fit into a 4 G thumb drive) and the 'junks' that take up most space are not little apps like Unity one or music store which takes up miniscue space, but language packs which I never use (about half a G or more), those language packs have been there in a default install since way back in the "good old Ubuntu".

This ^^. I am using English version and I will never use other version, eventhough English is not my first language. Why to download all language packs if I will never use them?

[greatsirkain]

*Additions by me in bold*
Most of what you mention is not "junk". Ubuntu Software Center is a marketplace where you can EASILY install software regardless of whether it costs money or not. It has added a LOT of software to the Ubuntu platform. A lot of software you can buy and it's a laggy resource hog

Gwibber is a social networking client, and most computer users are into social networking. I chose my own social networking and I don't need my computer being social for me, same goes for empathy - telepathy in fact and all the youtube, facebook, twitter etc plugins

Zeitgeist powers the Unity desktop's search abilities. It logs everything you do unless you blacklist everything folder by folder, thank you but no

Geoclue provides location services to programs and websites that you allow, in much the same way as your mobile phone and its apps. I don't want programs and services knowing where I am, it's usually used to provide targeted advertising anyway. My mobile does no such thing, it's a nokia 6310 :P

Apport helps you to report bugs. It does it automatically and lags my system, programs should run when I tell them to not when they feel like it, same goes for whoopsie

The Shopping lens is easily disabled or removed. easily removed when you find out the proper name for it

Ubuntu had never been a community distro. It has always been a commercial distro. Sorry if this comes as a shock to you. I disagree, where would we be without the community sitting around doing nothing but helping people out with problems on the forums constantly, free helpfull advice and guidance in a quirky enviroment. That's why I stuck around in the first place :) I'm not against Canonical making a profit, I think it's a good thing that supports the buntu world...Just don't make a profit at the expence of my computer power or personal information

There's a ton of other stuff I have to remove for their negative qualities as well but I don't want to go into everything lest it just looks like I'm Ubuntu bashing and I love Ubuntu, I think it's a great OS and with the world such as it is you don't get much for free. It's also continually saving my computer when it dies
I think I'll take all your advice and give Xbuntu a shot

[TNFrank]

There's a ton of other stuff I have to remove for their negative qualities as well but I don't want to go into everything lest it just looks like I'm Ubuntu bashing and I love Ubuntu, I think it's a great OS and with the world such as it is you don't get much for free. It's also continually saving my computer when it dies
I think I'll take all your advice and give Xbuntu a shot

Ok, so I'd like a Lean Mean Ubuntu OS on my laptop sooooooo, what do you remove, why and how do you remove it?

[mips]

Ok, so I'd like a Lean Mean Ubuntu OS on my laptop sooooooo, what do you remove, why and how do you remove it?


It's harder to remove stuff than to build from the bottom up. Start with a net or mini iso and build your way up rather.

[stalkingwolf]

you can also remove unwanted items in synaptic. you might have to install synaptic from software center. myself that is all i ever use the software center for , i prefer synaptic.

[greatsirkain]

yup synaptic is loads quicker to remove stuff rather than typing everything in + it describes what you're getting rid of.

I think mips called it about building up rather than breaking down so after looking at both X & L buntu I went with Lubuntu 10.04 it was around 500mb (got 12.04 as a back up just in case). Lubuntu clinched it for me just because of synaptic...Well and the fact that I used to use the newer version and before that I'd put LXDE straight onto Ubuntu so it's more familiar

I wanted (like loads of other folks I've shook my head at in the past) to build a kind of rainbow debian distro with the best bits from everything I've used like tails, backtrack, ubuntu etc but I dont realy know where to start so that idea's pretty much dead in the water.....for now lol
Lubuntu: gets the me seal of approval ...I bet everyone involved is thanking their family, friends and god right now :P

Edit: lol that's all I use the software center for too, irony is I get rid of software center with it once I've got it. The update manager too sometimes :-\"

[Paqman]

You could always install the mini.iso and just install what you want instead of un-installing a bunch of stuff.

This.

Instead of complaining, use the awesome tools you've been given, solve your own problems and live happily ever after.

[monkeybrain2012]

yup synaptic is loads quicker to remove stuff rather than typing everything in + it describes what you're getting rid of.

I think mips called it about building up rather than breaking down so after looking at both X & L buntu I went with Lubuntu 10.04 it was around 500mb (got 12.04 as a back up just in case). Lubuntu clinched it for me just because of synaptic...Well and the fact that I used to use the newer version and before that I'd put LXDE straight onto Ubuntu so it's more familiar



If you use synaptic in lubuntu remember to install apt-xapian-index. It is not installed in Lubuntu's version of synaptic so it's search function is disabled (presumably because it uses a bit more cpu cycles when indexing, but it is worth installing it if your computer is not too old, makes synaptic a lot more usable)

[greatsirkain]

This.

Instead of complaining, use the awesome tools you've been given, solve your own problems and live happily ever after.
Hi, I'm human, I complain. It's what we do. *points to you complaining about my complaining*

I will be looking at the mini iso you both mentioned. Speaking of complaining none of the usbs I made work, think I formatted them wrong. That's what happens when you're up for two days....I should have never bought that french press and bean grinder followed by the big bag of Colombian beans. So much for hightened security, big suspicious package arrives in the UK from Colombia filled with plant matter - totaly untouched by customs, not for the first time...Unless they're watching me :-s

Edit:

Ok, so I'd like a Lean Mean Ubuntu OS on my laptop sooooooo, what do you remove, why and how do you remove it?

If you'd still like that list here it is, bare in mind I've probably broken something (another reason it's better to add to rather than take away) but I'm using a live cd so I don't mind:

account-plugin-aim will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-facebook will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-flickr will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-google will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-icons will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-twitter will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-windows-live will be removed with configuration

activity-log-manager-common will be removed with configuration

empathy-common will be removed with configuration

firefox-locale-de will be removed with configuration

firefox-locale-es will be removed with configuration

firefox-locale-pt will be removed with configuration

gnome-bluetooth will be removed with configuration

gnome-mahjongg will be removed with configuration

gwibber-service will be removed with configuration

language-pack-de-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-es-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-gnome-de-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-gnome-es-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-gnome-pt-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-gnome-zh-hans will be removed with configuration

language-pack-pt-base will be removed with configuration

language-pack-zh-hans-base will be removed with configuration

libgweather-3-1 will be removed with configuration

libgweather-common will be removed with configuration

libgwibber-gtk3 will be removed with configuration

libgwibber3 will be removed with configuration

oneconf will be removed with configuration

remmina will be removed with configuration

telepathy-gabble will be removed with configuration

telepathy-haze will be removed with configuration

telepathy-idle will be removed with configuration

telepathy-indicator will be removed with configuration

telepathy-logger will be removed with configuration

telepathy-mission-control-5 will be removed with configuration

telepathy-salut will be removed with configuration

thunderbird will be removed with configuration

thunderbird-globalmenu will be removed with configuration

thunderbird-gnome-support will be removed with configuration

ubuntuone-client will be removed with configuration
ubuntuone-couch will be removed with configuration

unity-lens-gwibber will be removed with configuration

unity-lens-music will be removed with configuration

unity-lens-photos will be removed with configuration

unity-lens-shopping will be removed with configuration

update-manager will be removed with configuration

zeitgeist-core will be removed with configuration

account-plugin-jabber will be removed

account-plugin-salut will be removed

account-plugin-yahoo will be removed
activity-log-manager-control-center will be removed
empathy will be removed
evolution-data-server will be removed
gir1.2-ubuntuoneui-3.0 will be removed
gnome-contacts will be removed
gnome-user-share will be removed

gwibber will be removed

gwibber-service-facebook will be removed

gwibber-service-identica will be removed

gwibber-service-twitter will be removed

language-pack-de will be removed

language-pack-es will be removed

language-pack-gnome-de will be removed
language-pack-gnome-es will be removed

language-pack-gnome-pt will be removed

language-pack-gnome-zh-hans-base will be removed

language-pack-pt will be removed

language-pack-zh-hans will be removed

libfolks-eds25 will be removed
libsyncdaemon-1.0-1 will be removed
libubuntuoneui-3.0-1 will be removed

mcp-account-manager-uoa will be removed
nautilus-sendto-empathy will be removed

remmina-plugin-rdp will be removed

remmina-plugin-vnc will be removed

rhythmbox-plugin-zeitgeist will be removed

rhythmbox-ubuntuone will be removed

software-center will be removed
ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk will be removed

ubuntuone-client-gnome will be removed

ubuntuone-control-panel will be removed

ubuntuone-control-panel-qt will be removed

unity-lens-video will be removed

unity-scope-gdocs will be removed

unity-scope-musicstores will be removed

unity-scope-video-remote will be removed
update-notifier will be removed
gir1.2-rb-3.0 (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1

libcamel-1.2-40 (version 3.6.0-0ubuntu2) will be upgraded to version 3.6.2-0ubuntu0.1

librhythmbox-core6 (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1
python-gi (version 3.4.0-1) will be upgraded to version 3.4.0-1ubuntu0.1
python-gi-cairo (version 3.4.0-1) will be upgraded to version 3.4.0-1ubuntu0.1

python3-distupgrade (version 1:0.190.1) will be upgraded to version 1:0.190.6

rhythmbox (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1

rhythmbox-data (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1
rhythmbox-mozilla (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1
rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1

rhythmbox-plugin-magnatune (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1
rhythmbox-plugins (version 2.97-1ubuntu5) will be upgraded to version 2.97-1ubuntu6.1

ubuntu-release-upgrader-core (version 1:0.190.1) will be upgraded to version 1:0.190.6



I think that's most of it. The list of things you want and need will probably be slightly different too, the descriptions are all there in synaptic. I do that after getting synaptic and adobe flash from ubuntu software center. There's a few missed off there that I get rid of straight away like zeitgeist-datahub & geoclue

[Bazon]

I also believe Canonical is going the wrong way.
(and so I switched to Arch Linux which is great because it gives you freedom and vanilla cutting edge software.)

But it is not only me:
See this old Community cafe thread in which the success of each ubuntu release is compared via google trends:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=310509
http://google.com/trends?q=ubuntu+hoary%2Cubuntu+breezy%2Cubuntu+dap per%2Cubuntu+edgy%2Cubuntu+feisty&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all

Unfortunately, Trends is limited to 5 objects, but look what happens when you just compare the LTS + raring:
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=ubuntu%20dapper%2C%20%20ubuntu%20hardy%2 C%20%20ubuntu%20lucid%2C%20%20ubuntu%20precise%2C% 20%20ubuntu%20raring&cmpt=q

Watching Ubuntu alone makes it only slightly better:
http://www.google.de/trends/explore?q=ubuntu#q=ubuntu&cmpt=q

It is really sad seeing them going the wrong way.
Linux for beginners: Good idea!
Taking away freedom from the user and releasing strange patched version of software with bugs it didn't had in the first place (I only say: gksu gedit...): Bad idea!

[uRock]

I also believe Canonical is going the wrong way.
(and so I switched to Arch Linux which is great because it gives you freedom and vanilla cutting edge software.)

But it is not only me:
See this old Community cafe thread in which the success of each ubuntu release is compared via google trends:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=310509
http://google.com/trends?q=ubuntu+hoary%2Cubuntu+breezy%2Cubuntu+dap per%2Cubuntu+edgy%2Cubuntu+feisty&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all

Unfortunately, Trends is limited to 5 objects, but look what happens when you just compare the LTS + raring:
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=ubuntu%20dapper%2C%20%20ubuntu%20hardy%2 C%20%20ubuntu%20lucid%2C%20%20ubuntu%20precise%2C% 20%20ubuntu%20raring&cmpt=q

Watching Ubuntu alone makes it only slightly better:
http://www.google.de/trends/explore?q=ubuntu#q=ubuntu&cmpt=q

It is really sad seeing them going the wrong way.
Linux for beginners: Good idea!
Taking away freedom from the user and releasing strange patched version of software with bugs it didn't had in the first place (I only say: gksu gedit...): Bad idea!

Maybe less people are searching google for help. There are just too many variables. I still run all of the same softwares on my system that I have been running since the beginning. I do not see the wrong in making Linux easier for beginners. It gives a viable alternative to Windows and Mac. ubuntu gives you all of the same freedoms, but people pretend to be blind to that.