Am Starting to think my ubuntu choice is amounting to self Deciet

[bigbrovar]

I have been using ubuntu now for close to 5 months and i most say that its been quite a journey.. i found it so fascinating that i stopped using windows a month after installing feisty .. it wasnt all that easy but i coped and i was very happy and proud of my OS.. i didnt choose ubuntu because of Compiz or Beryl.. naa i wanted stability and a OS that was open source and free and the philosophy behind it was just too much to resist.

How ever my problem started when i Bought a new lappy cus i wanted my linux to be running on a sway manchine not my old gateway lappy so i got a sony vaio http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=632509
- since then i have not been able to get brightness control to work .. yeah i quite understand that sony sucks and there have locked the hardware .. and am also aware of the great effort the community is doing to use reverse engineering to fix the problem http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=465491 . so that didnt really bother me even though i get an 1 hour extra battery life on vista .. i still stock to ubuntu..

-then webcam didnt work http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=641586 and http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=289836&page=13 .. now this is a major problem.. dont stay with my mum and she likes to talk to me on yahoo thru webcam..so i have to boot vista anytime i need to talk to her on webcam.. still am not bothered i still stock to ubuntu


- now the nvidia graphic card i use acts like a b*t@H when it comes to compiz. ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=555844&page=4 performance lagg and my screen freezes forcing me to shut down my system since that is the only option left for me... ok i disabled compiz... now a new driver came out from Nvidia that fixed the nvidia problem ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4018234#post4018234..... my attempt at installing it lead to x server failure .. forcing me to reinstall my system... a friend told me to use envy.. i did another error another x server failure another reinstall ... i dont have internet at home i browse from a internet cafe that bill by the hour..forget tha money i spend to be online.. its the time.. right now i spend 15 hours in a day trying to fix some of the problem with my system.. right now i just had another failed attempt at installing the new Nvidia driver .. since i used Envy i know that once i restart.. its XSERVER failure .. another reinstall...
Despite all this i say that i prefer linux to windows,,, what i cant say is that my linux is more stable than my windows...

[SomeGuyDude]

Despite all this i say that i prefer linux to windows,,, what i cant say is that my linux is more stable than my windows...

To an extent, I agree. Programs lock more frequently under Ubuntu, and I've had a problem with coming back from sleep mode the past week. However, the lack of security exploits and general ease of use (plus the "free" factor) keep me here.

[Chayak]

I have been using ubuntu now for close to 5 months and i most say that its been quite a journey.. i found it so fascinating that i stopped using windows a month after installing feisty .. it wasnt all that easy but i coped and i was very happy and proud of my OS.. i didnt choose ubuntu because of Compiz or Beryl.. naa i wanted stability and a OS that was open source and free and the philosophy behind it was just too much to resist.

How ever my problem started when i Bought a new lappy cus i wanted my linux to be running on a sway manchine not my old gateway lappy so i got a sony vaio http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=632509
- since then i have not been able to get brightness control to work .. yeah i quite understand that sony sucks and there have locked the hardware .. and am also aware of the great effort the community is doing to use reverse engineering to fix the problem http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=465491 . so that didnt really bother me even though i get an 1 hour extra battery life on vista .. i still stock to ubuntu..

-then webcam didnt work http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=641586 and http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=289836&page=13 .. now this is a major problem.. dont stay with my mum and she likes to talk to me on yahoo thru webcam..so i have to boot vista anytime i need to talk to her on webcam.. still am not bothered i still stock to ubuntu


- now the nvidia graphic card i use acts like a b*t@H when it comes to compiz. ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=555844&page=4 performance lagg and my screen freezes forcing me to shut down my system since that is the only option left for me... ok i disabled compiz... now a new driver came out from Nvidia that fixed the nvidia problem ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4018234#post4018234..... my attempt at installing it lead to x server failure .. forcing me to reinstall my system... a friend told me to use envy.. i did another error another x server failure another reinstall ... i dont have internet at home i browse from a internet cafe that bill by the hour..forget tha money i spend to be online.. its the time.. right now i spend 15 hours in a day trying to fix some of the problem with my system.. right now i just had another failed attempt at installing the new Nvidia driver .. since i used Envy i know that once i restart.. its XSERVER failure .. another reinstall...
Despite all this i say that i prefer linux to windows,,, what i cant say is that my linux is more stable than my windows...

So, what you're saying is you are blaming Ubuntu and linux in general for not working but when you bought your shiny new laptop you got a sony made brand thats notorious for compatibility problems with linux. :confused:

I'm wondering why you didn't look at System76 or another linux focused or friendly company when getting a new laptop.

As much as we'd like linux to run on everything there is still closed hardware that it has trouble with. What you have is a hardware compatibility issue. Next time do some research before rushing out and buying hardware and just expecting it to magically work with linux.

Wish I had better news for you, but that's reality.

[50words]

I understand how you feel. When it works, it is fantastic. When it works.

It seems to me you might have made a better choice when purchasing your laptop. Dell and Lenovo, for example, both work very well with Ubuntu. Sony, on the other hand, has known issues, as you have found out.

That doesn't do you much good now, of course. I love Ubuntu, but it does not work well with my scanner or my graphics card, so I cannot use dual monitors or the advanced scanner features. As a result, I still use Windows at work, Ubuntu at home.

If Ubuntu will not work on your laptop, use Windows on it. Keep Ubuntu around, though, and buy your next computer with Ubuntu in mind.

[Mithrilhall]

Give Debian a shot....it's quite stable.

[bigbrovar]

So, what you're saying is you are blaming Ubuntu and linux in general for not working but when you bought your shiny new laptop you got a sony made brand thats notorious for compatibility problems with linux.

I'm wondering why you didn't look at System76 or another linux focused or friendly company when getting a new laptop.

As much as we'd like linux to run on everything there is still closed hardware that it has trouble with. What you have is a hardware compatibility issue. Next time do some research before rushing out and buying hardware and just expecting it to magically work with linux.

Wish I had better news for you, but that's reality.
Funny thing is that i never blamed ubuntu for my problems .. if it sounded like i did then it wasnt intended.... u are right about the vaio though i should have researched better.. ironically LInux compatibilty was the 1 factor that used as a guide to for getting a new system... it was the reason i avoided ATI AND AMD 64s even though there were cheaper... after i saw that the vaio uses core2 duo,nvidia, and intel wireless,and sgmaket audio al of which work well with linux.. i though i got me a new shining lappy that would kick *** in linux..
little did i know...even in the inside of me i know I CAN NEVER GO BACK TO WINDOWS if my system crashes again i would simply reinstall and start all over again

[Chayak]

Mithrilhall the hardware is the cause of the issues, Debian may actually be worse since the hardware is newer and doesn't have any linux support.

[RudolfMDLT]

Am Starting to think my ubuntu choice is amounting to self Deciet
I'm also having a midlife crisis as far as Ubuntu is concerned...... Samba, networking and other BASIC things that don't work when they should are really depressing me... I'm still bashing away at it and hoping for salvation! :)

[bigbrovar]

RudolfMDLT
Re: Am Starting to think my ubuntu choice is amounting to self Deciet
Quote:
Am Starting to think my ubuntu choice is amounting to self Deciet
I'm also having a midlife crisis as far as Ubuntu is concerned...... Samba, networking and other BASIC things that don't work when they should are really depressing me... I'm still bashing away at it and hoping for salvation! yeah me too inspite of the fact that things arent working fine on my system ... ubuntu is still default ..i.e i can easily log into vista and get the best screen resolution instead of the 800 x 600 am currently getting.. my webcam works,my brightness control works .. yet i still use ubuntu as my default right now am running my system on a low graphic mode .. and i know i would find a solution .. that is one thing my stay in linux as taught me .. THERE IS ALWAYS A SOLUTION. :)

[bobbybobington]

I've been getting a lot of grief from update breakage. Be it a graphics driver, the sound with ALSA etc... Of course using the forums, I've been able to work around these problems, but for "human being" users update breakage can wreak havoc and be a real deal breaker. Updates right now are WAY too haphazard and need to be thoroughly tested.

[mips]

You should have never got a Sony but then again you probably know that by now.

Try another distro maybe like Sabayon.

[bigbrovar]

not with a long pole i wont.. infact if not for the fact that i just got this system i would have sold it off for a low budget dell.. anything that would make my stay in linux more enjoyable ... however i have been able to bend the system to the will of linux .. at must things now work,sound,webcam :) ,nvidia :) multimedia :) control key, :) card reader,the thing am still waiting for a work around is just the brightness control .. which i know would work soonest...

[toupeiro]

In regards to the comments about windows networking:

"Workgroup" or peer networking on Windows has always been something I despised because of its ability to break without any end user fault. I personally find Samba to be a bit more modular and stable in a peer network with other windows clients.

Recently, I configured Xubuntu on an old dell inspiron 8100 circa 2001/2002 and I followed this guide (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=304131) to get it working and browsing on a peer windows network, and I have to say I am still very pleased with the way linux performs with Windows networks. Often times if I lose machines on a peer network with linux samba clients, I find its the windows client that is the source of the problem, and a quick reboot of windows clears all matters up.

For me, its just the opposite. The longer I am away from Windows, the less and less I feel the need to ever revert back for my own usage. I have a small home network with a mix of windows and linux clients that can all see eachother just fine, they can all print to shared printers, and it give me way less headaches than when the network was a pure windows peer network. I see nothing wrong with going back to windows if thats what feels right for you in how you use your computer, but if it is over things like this don't get discouraged.

[init1]

Give Debian a shot....it's quite stable.
Couldn't agree more. I use Etch, and it has never crashed.

[verb3k]

Couldn't agree more. I use Etch, and it has never crashed.

It is not about stability, it's about driver support (which is way more difficult to obtain in Debian than ubuntu)

[Lysander10]

I understand how you feel. When it works, it is fantastic. When it works.

It seems to me you might have made a better choice when purchasing your laptop. Dell and Lenovo, for example, both work very well with Ubuntu. Sony, on the other hand, has known issues, as you have found out.

That doesn't do you much good now, of course. I love Ubuntu, but it does not work well with my scanner or my graphics card, so I cannot use dual monitors or the advanced scanner features. As a result, I still use Windows at work, Ubuntu at home.

If Ubuntu will not work on your laptop, use Windows on it. Keep Ubuntu around, though, and buy your next computer with Ubuntu in mind.

This is ironic, because I'm running a Vaio notebook that's less than a year old, and everything works perfectly. My friend's new Dell, on the other hand, gave him so many fits he gave up and switched back to Windows. Maybe I just got lucky, and my friend, not so much.

[Linuxratty]

You can always sell the laptop and get another lappy that supports Linux.
Here is a good place to start:

http://www.linuxcertified.com/linux-laptop-refurbished.html

[steveneddy]

So, what you're saying is you are blaming Ubuntu and linux in general for not working but when you bought your shiny new laptop you got a sony made brand thats notorious for compatibility problems with linux. :confused:

I'm wondering why you didn't look at System76 or another linux focused or friendly company when getting a new laptop.

As much as we'd like linux to run on everything there is still closed hardware that it has trouble with. What you have is a hardware compatibility issue. Next time do some research before rushing out and buying hardware and just expecting it to magically work with linux.

Wish I had better news for you, but that's reality.

I was gonna say that.

a wiser decision would have been to determine the best laptop hardware approved for Linux use and go with that instead of buying hardware that is a known problem and then complaining that nothing works very well.

System76, Dell and others come with Ubuntu pre-installed.

Just stay with Vista, you will be happier that way.

[macogw]

Couldn't agree more. I use Etch, and it has never crashed.

Wish I could say the same. My average time before crash on Etch is around 5 minutes.

[jrusso2]

I've been getting a lot of grief from update breakage. Be it a graphics driver, the sound with ALSA etc... Of course using the forums, I've been able to work around these problems, but for "human being" users update breakage can wreak havoc and be a real deal breaker. Updates right now are WAY too haphazard and need to be thoroughly tested.

You do know you can say no to updates?

[jrusso2]

I have been using ubuntu now for close to 5 months and i most say that its been quite a journey.. i found it so fascinating that i stopped using windows a month after installing feisty .. it wasnt all that easy but i coped and i was very happy and proud of my OS.. i didnt choose ubuntu because of Compiz or Beryl.. naa i wanted stability and a OS that was open source and free and the philosophy behind it was just too much to resist.

How ever my problem started when i Bought a new lappy cus i wanted my linux to be running on a sway manchine not my old gateway lappy so i got a sony vaio http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=632509
- since then i have not been able to get brightness control to work .. yeah i quite understand that sony sucks and there have locked the hardware .. and am also aware of the great effort the community is doing to use reverse engineering to fix the problem http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=465491 . so that didnt really bother me even though i get an 1 hour extra battery life on vista .. i still stock to ubuntu..

-then webcam didnt work http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=641586 and http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=289836&page=13 .. now this is a major problem.. dont stay with my mum and she likes to talk to me on yahoo thru webcam..so i have to boot vista anytime i need to talk to her on webcam.. still am not bothered i still stock to ubuntu


- now the nvidia graphic card i use acts like a b*t@H when it comes to compiz. ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=555844&page=4 performance lagg and my screen freezes forcing me to shut down my system since that is the only option left for me... ok i disabled compiz... now a new driver came out from Nvidia that fixed the nvidia problem ..http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4018234#post4018234..... my attempt at installing it lead to x server failure .. forcing me to reinstall my system... a friend told me to use envy.. i did another error another x server failure another reinstall ... i dont have internet at home i browse from a internet cafe that bill by the hour..forget tha money i spend to be online.. its the time.. right now i spend 15 hours in a day trying to fix some of the problem with my system.. right now i just had another failed attempt at installing the new Nvidia driver .. since i used Envy i know that once i restart.. its XSERVER failure .. another reinstall...
Despite all this i say that i prefer linux to windows,,, what i cant say is that my linux is more stable than my windows...

You do know you can back up your xorg.conf so you don't have to keep reinstalling?

[Tundro Walker]

Dude, you're putting the cart before the horse.

Instead of coming here and complaining, go to Sony's site and bitch at them. You paid THEM for the laptop, so tell THEM to start supporting Linux, not vice-versa.

Yelling at Linux distros for not supporting hardware is like going to a dried up lake and yelling at it for not having any water...it's not very productive, and just gets everyone frustrated. You need to march back up-stream and yell at the stupid beavers that decided to dam up the river.

If more folks would take out their frustration by beating up the hardware manufacturers/retailers, then maybe they'd wake up and get the hint that they need to start supporting Linux.

[DigitalDuality]

d

[GSF1200S]

I understand man. It does suck when youre having nightmares with hardware.

If its any conselation, though, it should get better. Take me for instance- when I bought this lappie in January of last year, I didnt use Linux. I decided that since my last laptop had been ati/amd and didnt perform that well, Id go nvidia/intel this time. Best decision I made regaurding Linux, and I didnt even know it yet.

My wireless card simply IS NOT supported in Ubuntu edgy eft, and so here I was blaming Linux (i know you arent, but I was) for having to hook my laptop up to a hard line.

Luckily after almost a year and 2 releases, Gutsy sees the laptop working almost perfect. lm-sensors doesnt work because of my crappy phoenix bios, but otherwise its awesome... Hope the same happens with yours...

[Ultra Magnus]

I understand your pain - Hardware issues are something that you don't tend to worry about with windows because pretty much every bit of hardware out there was made to work with it.

When I got a new Laptop without thinking too hard about every component I got one with an ati driver - stick fiesty live cd = no X - I had to trawl though forums and eventually got it to work - In gutsy it worked no problems and even getting compiz to work was just a matter of installing XGL.

I suppose the moral of the story is that Linux will most likely continue to lag behind windows in supporting newer hardware but that support will come with time - It sucks but its just one of those things.

As for stability - I can safely say that Ubuntu is far more stable than vista on my machine - apps crash every now and again (but the same is true for every operating system) but Ubuntu has yet to render my computer unbootable without me doing anything.