ubuntu updates vs windows updates

[parmdeep]

when i have updates available in my ubuntu i always update it straight away, however in windows i never used to do it, and it really used to get on my nerves that when i did update my windows that it asked me to restart the os every 5mins or watever. i sometimes went months without updating is this the case with anyone else?

(point: ubuntu updates>windows updates)

[SunnyRabbiera]

yeh thats the best part about updates in linux, most of them can be done without the need to restart.

[toupeiro]

This is not so much a problem with the update process, but what is required in an update between the two Operating Systems.

Linux is completely modular. Windows is proprietary and much is integrated into the system kernel that shouldn't be. Linux kernel patches, like Windows kernel patches, require restarts. The difference is, anything windows related that is kernel or procedure call related to the kernel requires a restart as well. Most system DLL registrations still require reboots. What makes ubuntu updates better is the fact that its linux.

[tamoneya]

i agree. Also ubuntu updates are a lot nicer when it comes to restarting. I often have stuff running on my computer and I do not want it to shut down since i will loose my work. Windows thinks that it is important enough that it can just restart my computer whenever it feels like it. Ubuntu however realizes this and will wait patiently on gnome-panel until i am ready. Why cant windows figure this out?

[fktt]

yeah, definitely, windows updates are annoying. :-|

the problem is that so much crap&stuff is integrated into the kernel, even internet explorer is! :-|

[billgoldberg]

when i have updates available in my ubuntu i always update it straight away, however in windows i never used to do it, and it really used to get on my nerves that when i did update my windows that it asked me to restart the os every 5mins or watever. i sometimes went months without updating is this the case with anyone else?

(point: ubuntu updates>windows updates)

Yes, the reason I disliked updating windows is

1. you had to restart the OS

2. It took forever to update.

While in ubuntu, you don't get nagged to update every x seconds and you can just use your pc while it's updates like nothings happening.

[ShodanjoDM]

Not to mention that you can pick only specific packages to upgrade or the whole updates.

It's a real time and bandwidth saver.

[LaRoza]

I haven't updated my Windows since I got it. It works just a well as I need it to, and I use it so rarely (one every few weeks) I'd rather not mess with it.

[Scruffynerf]

These days, they are pretty much the same in my opinion. Windows is less demanding on rebooting after minor updates, so that's not a problem as much these days - however it is slightly more often than when the linux headers or kernel revisions come though.

That said, if you are running 3rd party graphic drivers (Nvidia or ATI graphics cards for example), a kernel revision or a header update will break your GUI. This doesn't happen in Windows.

*Note: I'm still running Feisty. Gutsy and Hardy may be different.

[nonewmsgs]

it's neat how not just does it nag from the systray but ALSO does that neat popup with default being reboot now, so if you're in the midle of typing a sentence and it comes up. well, oops :P

[DianeHelen]

OK, so in keeping to the update question, i have one.

I JUST installed yesterday, and its telling me I have 203 updates ready requiring 255mb pf space? Is it advisable to DO this? Do I NEED all of this, to continue my exploration?

How often, and how many of these updates can I expect to see, IF and after I do this one?

Thanks

[Eclipse.]

OK, so in keeping to the update question, i have one.

I JUST installed yesterday, and its telling me I have 203 updates ready requiring 255mb pf space? Is it advisable to DO this? Do I NEED all of this, to continue my exploration?

How often, and how many of these updates can I expect to see, IF and after I do this one?

Thanks

Its recomened that you do, means your up to date with security and everything.Thats the bad thing about when you install Ubuntu after the version has been out for a while.

[John T. Monkey]

I much prefer the updates in Ubuntu. The fact that windows keeps popping up everyso often to ask you to restart is very frustrating.

It's also frustrating when the shutdoen button turns in to a "Update you cvomputer and then shutdown button, and it sits on the blue screen telling me not to turn the computer off.

Linux gives you alot more control over the update process (without too much scope for making a mess of the system). Can't be a bad thing.

Btw I'm curious as to what DianeHelen installed? Gutsy? I may well be barking up the wrong tree here, but I would imagine the older the CD image you installed gets, the nore updates will be needed... ?

[bonzodog]

Well, the good news with windows 7 is that it probably will not require huge re-starts and updates.

The rumor from with in the community is that windows 7 is going to be a lot more unix like than previous versions, it's going to be a lot more modular.
See, MS have known for a long while that Linux and Darwin (OSX), are so much more efficient because they only ever require restarts when major kernel changes are made.

So windows 7 is likely to be more unix like in the fact that the GUI will run seperately from the kernel, as will explorer, more along the lines of Linux, or OSX, where the GUI can be shut down just leaving the console.

In fact, It seems likely that Windows 7 will not be very backwards compatible without something like wine.

In case anyone is not aware, MS actually have their own Unix release, known as Xenix, that was mothballed in the 80's.

[painejake]

Well i still don't enjoy updating linux but it is alot better than windows in the sence that yu dont have to restart every time you update and windows takes long enough to restart anyway without the hassel of watching those 35 "Important" updates being installed. Even if you try to tell it to Restart later that annoying little box comes up every 5min and just annoys you into it :mad:
aaahhh linux is way better than windows and the day World of warcraft runs on ubuntu smoothly without running in a window i will switch completely :lolflag:

[DianeHelen]

Btw I'm curious as to what DianeHelen installed? Gutsy? I may well be barking up the wrong tree here, but I would imagine the older the CD image you installed gets, the nore updates will be needed... ?


Well I dont know what Gutsy is, (tho I HAVE been called that at various times in my life) I just downloaded whatever the ubunto.com site had, as the file to download. I created an ISO, and ran it on my old Toshiba.

This all started last month, when talking to a collegue during a training class (I do contract IT training), who mentioned he gave up on Windows for his travel PC, and was running unix. My initial uninformed comment was, isnt that kinda cumbersome to do everything via command line? When he enlightened me to the Power STeering GUI world Unix of THIS century offers.

So , back to my updates...

When I click on the about, drop down under System, it opens a page telling me about thanking me for my intereset in Ubunto 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon. Does that mean i have Gutsy? Also give me a little 101 on all the differnet terms..

Ubunto, thats the OS (tho Linux is the underlying os ya?)
Gnome, is that the GUI,
Gutsy Gibbon? perhaps the version flavor.. ?

So, the overall consensus is, I should just let her rip, and to all 203 updates?

[retrow]

Helen,

If you are on Gutsy (thats 7.10) and everything is working fine, it would be best if you went for the upgrades. Upgrades within the same version (in your case 7.10) often address the issues that came to light since the distribution was released (Oct 07). Additionally, its not just the base software thats changed, there are a lot of programs that have undergone a complete makeover in these 5 months. Programs like Openoffice (better equivalent of MS office), Firefox, Rhythmbox, etc, have undergone quite a bit of changes. In addition, the underlying kernel too has changed. These changes are aimed at making the system more stable, secure and in case adds new functionalities.

So the verdict would be, yes. Go with 203 updates.



Ubuntu, thats the OS (tho Linux is the underlying os ya?)Ubuntu is a flavour or a 'distro' of linux.

Gnome, is that the GUILoosely speaking, yes.

Gutsy Gibbon? perhaps the version flavor.. ?Thats the fall 2007 flavour. Everyone is eagerly waiting for the Spring 2008 flavour that'll be coming out on April 24.

[heartburnkid]

Basically, much like how Windows has different version names (2000, XP, Vista), Ubuntu has different version names (Edgy Eft, Feisty Fawn, Gutsy Gibbon, and the upcoming Hardy Heron).

So, basically

Ubuntu = OS/Distribution name (analogous to "Windows")
Linux = Kernel name (analogous to "NT")
7.10 = Version Number (MS doesn't usually mention this in their naming, but, for example, XP is 5.1)
Gutsy Gibbon = Version Name (analogous to "XP").

As for your updates, just go ahead and start them up. Unlike Windows Update, Ubuntu's updater is content to run in the background, won't hog your CPU or your bandwidth, and won't nag you to reboot once it's done (though you may get prompted to restart an app, if you happened to be using an app that got an update).

[Foster Grant]

There's one specific issue in *nix updates that makes it far better than Windows updates: transparency.

With Windows, it takes a lot of digging to figure what it's updating, why it's updating and whether the user really needs to update. With *nix updates in GNOME and K, it tells you what it's doing where and why ... up front.

[Chame_Wizard]

Basically, much like how Windows has different version names (2000, XP, Vista), Ubuntu has different version names (Edgy Eft, Feisty Fawn, Gutsy Gibbon, and the upcoming Hardy Heron).

So, basically

Ubuntu = OS/Distribution name (analogous to "Windows")
Linux = Kernel name (analogous to "NT")
7.10 = Version Number (MS doesn't usually mention this in their naming, but, for example, XP is 5.1)
Gutsy Gibbon = Version Name (analogous to "XP").

As for your updates, just go ahead and start them up. Unlike Windows Update, Ubuntu's updater is content to run in the background, won't hog your CPU or your bandwidth, and won't nag you to reboot once it's done (though you may get prompted to restart an app, if you happened to be using an app that got an update).

i love the this :lolflag:

[mkarnicki]

That said, if you are running 3rd party graphic drivers (Nvidia or ATI graphics cards for example), a kernel revision or a header update will break your GUI. This doesn't happen in Windows.


That's true, it makes me mad when next time I boot I simply get no more compiz. What's more, ndiswrapper sometimes behaves the same.

I do love ubuntu updates over wincrap updates, but what I don't like is including Firefox 3 beta in repositories, so that I get to use beta version and all (majority) of my plugins simply don't work. I think that was a huge mistake, and Googles philosopy "release earlier and more often" was not a good choice. Until at least a part of plugins is ready, I'm back on firefox 2 and think that beta shouldn't be included in updates.

Cheers

[SomeGuyDude]

OK, so in keeping to the update question, i have one.

I JUST installed yesterday, and its telling me I have 203 updates ready requiring 255mb pf space? Is it advisable to DO this? Do I NEED all of this, to continue my exploration?

How often, and how many of these updates can I expect to see, IF and after I do this one?

Thanks

Well the install CD is a static image, probably from quite some time ago (if we're talking Gutsy). Since that time a LOT of updates have accumulated. The first thing I always do when I install any OS is check the updates. I remember when I reinstalled 7.10 a little bit back I had about 700MB of updates to download. It was weird.

[Ozor Mox]

I used to get so annoyed when Windows would update and ask me to restart, and I said no, and that bloody popup would keep coming back every five minutes with no way to tell it to get lost.

NO I do NOT want to restart!

The updates in Ubuntu are way better. Kernel updates still need a restart, but it doesn't force you. Personally I haven't had them break X yet, even though I'm using ATI drivers that I wouldn't trust with a can opener.

[Akre]

I used to get so annoyed when Windows would update and ask me to restart, and I said no, and that bloody popup would keep coming back every five minutes with no way to tell it to get lost.

NO I do NOT want to restart!

Today at the university during presentation this window poped every ten minutes or so. It looked quite unprofessional. But strangly everyone accepted this crap.
If somethin similar happend on linux (or any other glitch) then there will be laughter.

No I ASK: why everyone accept windows flaws, not linux ones?

This windows BTW was driving me nuts.

[Ozor Mox]

Today at the university during presentation this window poped every ten minutes or so. It looked quite unprofessional. But strangly everyone accepted this crap.

Hah funny that! In one of my university lectures not long ago, the lecturer had everything set up the way she wanted for the lecture, but had installed Windows updates and the popup kept coming back, so she told us all to shout "it's behind you!" if it came up and she wasn't looking at the screen! Otherwise it would reboot automatically!


No I ASK: why everyone accept windows flaws, not linux ones?

Within the Linux and open source communities, flaws in both Linux and Windows are criticised heavily. Just look at this forum. Outside of here though, yeah people tend to just accept Windows' flaws, either because they don't know there's an alternative, or don't want to make the effort to change to something else. I have never met a single person who has actually liked Windows, only people that "put up with it".

[BDNiner]

The ubuntu update experience is a lot better than windows. No nagging bubble to restart. No forced restarts when the computer is unattended. but on the other hand ubuntu updates have broken my system more than windows ever did. Like the update this past monday. they ruined my gnome panel. it would try and hide itself even though it was not set to hide, eventually the whole system would freeze on me. I had to do a complete reinstall.

[heartburnkid]

Within the Linux and open source communities, flaws in both Linux and Windows are criticised heavily. Just look at this forum. Outside of here though, yeah people tend to just accept Windows' flaws, either because they don't know there's an alternative, or don't want to make the effort to change to something else. I have never met a single person who has actually liked Windows, only people that "put up with it".

This is true, but people do not "put up with" Linux's flaws. Name me any shortcoming to the current incarnations of Linux, anything at all, no matter how trivial, and I'm quite certain I can locate a rant by somebody somewhere about how it's so horrible and nasty and they're going back to Windows because Windows just works and Linux isn't ready for the desktop...

So there's the question. As for the answer? It's the devil they know, I suppose. And they spend so much time with it, they eventually come to overlook the horns.

[Bruce M.]

Don't update my Windows at all, and have it's "AutoUpdate" function turned off, it's just there because my ISP doesn't support Linux. So I'll delete it when they stop supporting W2K.

Before coming to Ubuntu I had to call/email for ISP support on various occasions and not once since I've installed Ubuntu.

[elmer_42]

Yes, the reason I disliked updating windows is

1. you had to restart the OS

2. It took forever to update.

While in ubuntu, you don't get nagged to update every x seconds and you can just use your pc while it's updates like nothings happening.
I can't say it better than this.

[NightwishFan]

The nag is horrible. Once during a match on iccup windows restarted due to updates and they gave that a loss rather than rematch.

Also one day I got 32 updates and they took over 40 mins to download and twice that to install, with multiple reboots. Kubuntu will get 300 updates and download/install in 20 mins. Then happily sit there and tell me when I feel ready to reboot I can gain the new linuxy power from the free updates I got.

[Tatty]

I remember reading somewhere once that it is actually possible to reload the linux kernel, without having to restart the machine.

I got the impression that this is not an easy thing to do, but it is designed so that critical machines (such as servers) can install security patches without ever needing to go down.

[cardinals_fan]

Windows Update was what made me switch to Linux. I have had MANY problems with it hanging and failing to update fully... crippling my system. Ubuntu updates are nice, and it is actually satisfying to watch my Zenwalk Snapshot box upgrade...

[kamaboko]

God, this over exaggeration is nauseating. For instance, Windows doesn't require updates every five minutes. In fact, I have found that Ubuntu requires more frequent updates than Windows and often requires a restart. As for restarting Windows after an update that is rare with Vista. If you're going to complain about Windows updates at least make an effort to be balanced.

[Saint Angeles]

i did a windows update at work and quickbooks failed to start

luckily i was able to find the database file, back it up to my flash drive, and reformat.

windows - works ok if you reformat every 6 months.

[Saint Angeles]

God, this over exaggeration is nauseating. For instance, Windows doesn't require updates every five minutes. In fact, I have found that Ubuntu requires more frequent updates than Windows and often requires a restart. As for restarting Windows after an update that is rare with Vista. If you're going to complain about Windows updates at least make an effort to be balanced.
you only to restart linux for a kernel update.

windows requires a restart after IE updates, media player updates, .NET, ...

drivers

the list goes on.

[NightwishFan]

I did not over-exaggerate anything. I wanted to pull my hair out when Vista sat at a green screen saying "configuring updates" for the better part of the night.

[Twitch6000]

I agree ubuntu updates are great the only update that annoyed me was one that made me log off and log back in :(.
Still beats restarting each f'ing update >.<.

[heartburnkid]

God, this over exaggeration is nauseating. For instance, Windows doesn't require updates every five minutes. In fact, I have found that Ubuntu requires more frequent updates than Windows and often requires a restart. As for restarting Windows after an update that is rare with Vista. If you're going to complain about Windows updates at least make an effort to be balanced.

First off, nobody said anything about Windows needing updates every 5 minutes. People are griping about Windows nagging you to reboot every 5 minutes after installing an update. Which it does; try clicking "restart later" and wait for the box to come back.

Second, I'll admit I haven't administered any Vista machines on a long term basis yet, but nearly every Vista update on my WSUS server at work openly states, "This update requires a reboot after installation," much like nearly all the XP updates do. So, unless Microsoft is lying to make their product look worse, it looks like Vista actually requires rebooting just as much as XP. Which makes sense, as they're based on the same kernel.

[dmizer]

windows updates:
only update the operating system. that's it ... nothing else. if you want updates for ms office, you have to get them separately, to say nothing of any other software you have installed. all with their own set of nags.

ubuntu updates:
everything in one whack. your browser, office suite, firewall ... everything you've installed on your system via synaptic (or apt) is updated via automatic updates.

THIS is what makes ubuntu updates more frequent and more numerous. but it is also what makes ubuntu ubdates superior.

[NightwishFan]

That slipped my mind. Yeah windows update was just slaughtered by that post.

[John T. Monkey]

windows updates:
only update the operating system. that's it ... nothing else. if you want updates for ms office, you have to get them separately, to say nothing of any other software you have installed. all with their own set of nags.

ubuntu updates:
everything in one whack. your browser, office suite, firewall ... everything you've installed on your system via synaptic (or apt) is updated via automatic updates.

THIS is what makes ubuntu updates more frequent and more numerous. but it is also what makes ubuntu ubdates superior.

I also completely forgot about that, I think I've started taking it for granted...

[mkarnicki]

We're talking about ubuntu updates, right? Well I think kernel updates should only be included when they actually work. As always - new kernel 2.6.24-16 broke my wireless (ndiswrapper), sound (sic!), and graphics (probably no compatible nvidia driver yet). What I think it has fixed is maxing my cpu up to 2GHz, while 3% actually in use. Now it looks fine. But I'm going back to 2.6.24-15.

[Depressed Man]

I did not over-exaggerate anything. I wanted to pull my hair out when Vista sat at a green screen saying "configuring updates" for the better part of the night.

Oy I hate that. Shut off computer "please wait windows is configuring updates". Then I reboot "finishing configuring updates"

Though you can get updates for Office tied in with Windows Update (you have to opt in). But yeah you can't update other programs like say Open Office Writer with Windows Update. Sometimes that's a curse or a blessing (depending on if the update breaks anything).

[mkarnicki]

Ok well, I'm taking back my words. After moving back to -15 and then forth to -16 everything works fine exept for nvidia drivers (do I turned them off for a while). But yeah, yesterday when I turned on my laptop I got vista display the screen "installing updates 1/3" with 0% for at least 2-3 minutes, and rebooting before installing 2 and 3 update :lolflag:I then knew what I like ubuntu for. It doesn't go in my way. And I can't say that about vista.

[drascus]

well the other thing that annoyed me about the windows update system where its spy features that where checking to see what things were installed on my system as just one more things to keep tabs on me. At least with ubuntu my system is the one that calls for updates not ubuntu spying on me and deciding what updates I get.