Honest Question: Flaws/Problems w/Linux, GNU, OSS and Ubuntu

[wootah]

So we always talk about how great Linux and Ubuntu and how much better it is than Windows day in and day out--how about going the other direction?

I would like to know general flaws, problems and issues that any user has encountered with Linux, GNU, OSS or Ubuntu. Anything goes! Hardware configuration problems, interface issues, colour choices, community/distribution elitism, installation problems, lack of 'x', too much 'x', market share, IP, business issues, copyright, etc etc.

Don't get me wrong, I love Linux and I have been using it for about two years! It would just be nice for an open ended discussion surrounding the major problems and irritations that occur instead of continually repeating the general '25 pros of Ubuntu and why you should switch from Windows'.

Hopefully this doesn't get too controversial and maybe we can have some good come out of this? :-k

**

I'll start it out: One big thing that has bugged me ever since I got Ubuntu was how in the gnome-screensaver program, there is no configuration options available (easily) to the user and how the author refuses to put them in. (I know this seems to be a sensitive issues and there are other options available, but seriously..)

[perce]

Comparing Windows with Linux, GNU, OSS, Ubuntu is not a well posed comparison, because Linux, GNU, OSS, Ubuntu are made of many independent projects. For example, you can't say "Linux sucks because Openoffice sucks", because Openoffice is a multiplatform program developed by a completely different group of people, which happens to have a Linux version. And the same is true for Firefox and most free software. So you can compare, for example,

Windows without extra applications to GNU/Linux without extra applications
Internet Explorer to Firefox
Outlook to Thunderbird
MS Office to Openoffice
Photoshop with GIMP

and so on, but only the first one is a genuine Windows/Linux comparison, all other ones are comparisons between programs which happen not to have a Linux vesrion, with programs which happen to have both a Linux and a Windows version.

[bufsabre666]

the only thing that really bothers me about linux is the fact that both of the major gfx card companies drivers suck

im looking at you nvidia with your crashes and ati with your horrible support

although i admit looking at the change logs for their next versions they seem to be trying to make it better, so ill hold off further judgement on them

[wootah]

When are their next versions due? That has been one thing that has been bugging me over the years, BUT, they have gotten better.

[bufsabre666]

When are their next versions due? That has been one thing that has been bugging me over the years, BUT, they have gotten better.

ati releases one every month and theyve been getting slowly better by 4th quarter this year they should be pretty good atleast if you go by their roadmap and nvidia has the crash issue in its roadmap for version 173.08 (i think thats the number anyways)theres a beta for it now but theyre not putting it out as a full version till the problem is solved

[chris4585]

driver support, mostly video cards, but in general.

[original_jamingrit]

Hardware and drivers.

Software modems aren't well supported in Linux as well, but that's mostly MS at work.

[edd07]

driver support, mostly video cards, but in general.

Wow...I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I have installed Ubuntu on several computers without any major problems. The problems I did have were solved by downloading some package, installing a driver, and that sort of thing.

Right now, the only problems I have with my laptop are hibernation, and sound issues with some applications.

[madjr]

the breakage of stuff from version to version and poor coordination bettween distros and projects (which is an area to greatly improve on).

six annoyances in hardy:
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/six-annoyances-in-hardy-heron-ubuntu/

[LaRoza]

I don't think there are any flaws in development. Those that complain about them usually do so instead of trying to fix them. With MS, all you can do is complain, in FOSS, you can actually do something.

The biggest flaw I think is people contributing nothing but complaints outnumbering those that do things.

[jespdj]

So we always talk about how great Linux and Ubuntu and how much better it is than Windows day in and day out--how about going the other direction?

I would like to know general flaws, problems and issues that any user has encountered with Linux, GNU, OSS or Ubuntu. ...
You know what? Because it is all open source, you can actually help to fix any problems yourself, especially if you know something about programming. But even if you are not a programmer, there's a lot you can do to help improve Ubuntu and all the programs running on it - from designing artwork to helping with bugs.

Complaining about what's wrong is one of the lesser productive ways to help.

Have a look at the Ubuntu wiki (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/) if you're interested in improving Ubuntu.

[Yiftos]

You say because it is open source we can fix it. Well, I say you can't fix everything and there is a lot wrong with Hardy. Second, why are we fixing something that was not broken in earlier versions. Are we just going throw away the good work already done to end up backwards. Why!

I have been using Linux on and off since 1998. All have some flaws (drivers mostly) but Ubuntu has been my favorite, because the distro seemed far more polished than the others. I have given them a B+ to an A- grade for effort in quality control.

However with Hardy Heron, I have to give them at best a C- grade assessment. The legacy driver issues are actually worse than in 7.10, especially wireless drivers that once worked. Gnome desktop is funtionally broken, when you cannot use the GUI to mount Samba and folder sharing. Also Fonts were better under 7.10. Now you have to manually load MS fonts. WHY now? I do not recommend 8.04 especially if they already have a perfectly good running older version.

[Tuxoid]

My biggest complaint is in backtracing problems. I have spent months fixing some problems, after upgrades, changing font settings, uninstalling software, etc. When I ran windows, this was not the case (usually, but it took a few months to fix windows firewall). Is this a good learning experience? No, I need to do productive things on my computer. I don't care how my computer works, I just want my computer to work! I want my computer to work. I believe it's only right to have user-relevant choices like distros and DEs, but why the heck is it so hard to backtrace problems. Other OSes have the same working software parts, why can't these software parts in Linux be stable and consistently work together?

[chris4585]

Wow...I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I have installed Ubuntu on several computers without any major problems. The problems I did have were solved by downloading some package, installing a driver, and that sort of thing.

Right now, the only problems I have with my laptop are hibernation, and sound issues with some applications.

Yeah, everything works for me, I was speaking for everyone else.


You say because it is open source we can fix it. Well, I say you can't fix everything and there is a lot wrong with Hardy. Second, why are we fixing something that was not broken in earlier versions. Are we just going throw away the good work already done to end up backwards. Why!

I have been using Linux on and off since 1998. All have some flaws (drivers mostly) but Ubuntu has been my favorite, because the distro seemed far more polished than the others. I have given them a B+ to an A- grade for effort in quality control.

However with Hardy Heron, I have to give them at best a C- grade assessment. The legacy driver issues are actually worse than in 7.10, especially wireless drivers that once worked. Gnome desktop is funtionally broken, when you cannot use the GUI to mount Samba and folder sharing. Also Fonts were better under 7.10. Now you have to manually load MS fonts. WHY now? I do not recommend 8.04 especially if they already have a perfectly good running older version.

Very well said, I agree with you 200% man.. I'm running Gutsy because it works better on my computer, and I like it, now if Hardy did work, I'd probably be using it more than likely.

[wootah]

You know what? Because it is all open source, you can actually help to fix any problems yourself, especially if you know something about programming. But even if you are not a programmer, there's a lot you can do to help improve Ubuntu and all the programs running on it - from designing artwork to helping with bugs.

Complaining about what's wrong is one of the lesser productive ways to help.

Have a look at the Ubuntu wiki (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/) if you're interested in improving Ubuntu.

True--complaining is not always effective; but, it is important that issues not be swept under the carpet because of egos, power and control. Luckily, I am in the position to do many improvements to help Linux and Ubuntu, but as many in the OSS world goes, we need to find the time apart from other jobs and commitments.

The main purpose of this thread was not to hide under the often repeated and shiny aspects of Linux, but rather to understand and acknowledge that there are still problems that need to be fixed.

Does anyone have any more resources that others can use to contribute to Ubuntu or Linux in general?

[tdrusk]

How we have to keep making new programs that barely get the job done, because other companies won't fix their errors (flash)

[mudlogger]

Having been a MSDos fanatic for years who was drug kicking and screaming into the Windows world, I regret not having stayed with RedHat when I first tried it in 1995. Having said that, since I made the switch to Unbuntu -- I love it. I had already moved to Linux, Arch; Mandriva; PCLos, but Ubuntu is the easiest to install and use. Maybe I've been one of the very lucky, but all problems have been small and easily correctable.

I don't think you can delineate problems with a Linux distro as a flaw. One has to remember that most of the developers are volunteers and don't have the same hardware resources to test their programs or modules on that many people use. The same can be said for any Open Source Software as well as Windows. MS may have the hardware to test on, but they still have a significant amount of "BUGS". All one has to do is look at the continued security updates that flow for XP which was released many years ago. The bugs that are introduced in new versions are usually, note I said usually, from trying to add new functionality. Functionality that comes with the price of breaking some of the older code. There are times when maybe, just maybe, it's worth asking the question "Is the new functionality really worth the problems it causes?" I use Ubuntu because of Gnome. I refuse to use anything with KDE on it because it appears to me they want to look and operate like Windows, remember I was a hard core MS fan for over 15 years. The glitz, glamor, and 3D effects do not an operating system make.

The difference with a Linux distro is you have the chance to help fix it. For me personally it has shown me the stark reality of letting my programming skill slip over the years because I didn't want to learn how to program Windows. Now I have the opportunity to learn how to program all over again and love it.

If you find something wrong, take the time to try to learn how to fix it. The tools are all available and the time spent learning what you need to know is truly rewarding.

Enough babbling and I hope I haven't offended anyone.

[corney91]

No iTunes!
:roll:

[kk0sse54]

No iTunes!

i am perfectly happy knowing that that horrible program called itunes doesn't exist in linux

[popuptarget]

I guess I have rose colored glasses on but I am so addicted to Linux (Ubuntu and the community really) that I can put up with minor problems knowing that even if I cannot fix it (which is most of the time) somebody out there is working to make something work. I have a Panasonic CF-29,CF-30,CF-73/Dell 8400 desktop,Dell Lat610 all running HH. So far every thing I have needed to do required about a day or two worth of work or research to make it work. So no complaints here as my latest one is the CF-30 which came with Vista. I forgot I had to get Office loaded first and then buy (borrow/steal however you want to look at it) to do anything(I was thinking to run dual boot). So it was full HH install for me.