common problems

[ssam]

hello

I have been thinking for a while that it might be quite useful to have a page somewhere of common problems that ubuntu users might encounter. it might save a lot of duplication on the forums.

we all know that lots of problems can be solved with a quick google. but thats not much good if you don't know what terms to search for. also you may end up overwelmed by irrelivent information.

there are a couple of good guides around, but often they are quite general. or complex.

I have started a wiki page at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommonProblems

If people could help fill it out with the most commonly encountered problems, and links to simple solutions, then i think this could be a useful resource.

I to want to tell everyone to rtfm all the time, just have something simple enough that new users can help them selves.

I dont want to duplicate effort, so i see this as being mostly a directory of links to other wiki pages (or forum posts)

please feel free to comment.

[teaker1s]

yep how many times have I told people sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
is so common and yet new people are unaware

[ssam]

yep how many times have I told people sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
is so common and yet new people are unaware

thanks i'll add that one.

update:
you beat me too it :-)

update:
I did a little clean up.

[teaker1s]

mine was a scribble -I was going to tidy it but thank you, it may also be worth adding an ati element,while I know little about it there is always someone with problems.

Maybe it would be worth putting this (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=75074) as a subpage for nvidia

I also feel that commonly people are unaware of different kernels and that the 386I can be unstable with certain processors this (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=85917) may be worth adding as on the face of it ubuntu may seem slow because of 386i

DMA and restricted formats could be linked to common problems too

I'll keep an eye on this as it could prove extremely useful in quickly helping new people, If I think of more I'll discuss and add it

[ssam]

i am not sure this is quite the right place for ubuntu tweaking and optimising.

if there is a good sumery of how to speed up ubuntu (dma, binary graphics drivers, kernels, init-ng etc) then that could all be covered by a "ubuntu is slow" subject, with a warning that it involves more advanced topics.

[teaker1s]

I suppose it depends how much scope your common problems covers, I know your trying to keep it simple and I agree with that:-

I'd say dvd playback and DMA are common, why not just link to the pages.

nvidia-true it could be seen as a tweak, but like myself from an x-xp user I expect it to work.

Slow systems you could link to kernel as there is nothing more irratating than a slow crashy system-386i isn't great to all hardware and to new users it will be a turn off if there previous experience of windows is more reliable than ubuntu

If you would like me to write the raw details I will and if you want to tidy it up after that's okay as this could be a fair project to undertake with only 1 or 2 people

[ssam]

i have a few pages up at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommonProblems can anyone add some more common problems, or make a request?

[futz]

Hi ssam. Here's one I see all the time. "Totem sucks!" Actually it works quite well, but you have to do a couple things to it to make it work.

The trick to getting Totem to work is these two steps:

1. Install totem-xine. Look in Synaptics for it. You might have to enable the universe repository.

2. Install the w32codecs pack.

Here's a thread that explains the steps and where to find w32codecs: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=75278&highlight=w32codecs

After doing those two things, Totem is awesome. It plays everything I've thrown at it since. I also use it in Fedora4 and it works just as well there (used same instructions).

[earobinson]

Is that not really the same as the Ubuntu FAQ .... see sig, why not join the doc team and help out that way?

[teaker1s]

okay how do you join doc team, I like to add things once in a while-would that be okay or if I join would I be expected to be active all the time?:confused:

[Brunellus]

Is that not really the same as the Ubuntu FAQ .... see sig, why not join the doc team and help out that way?
what advantage is there to joining doc team? the wiki is there, and open, and anyone can add to or edit it.

[teaker1s]

so is doc team part of wilki building or a seperate fork?

[Brunellus]

the doc team are responsible for coordinating documentation efforts on the wiki.

Some forum regulars have had disagreements with the doc team in the past; the disagreements have involved some very ill-considered rhetoric.

[teaker1s]

i'm only into simple documentation, nothing that could be classed as a problem

[earobinson]

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/participate

teaker1s hope you where not offended by my post upon reading it, i think i came off a bit rude. You are also very welcome to submit to the Ubuntu Documents (non offical project that Brunellus was reffering to, see my sig)

[teaker1s]

no you didn't affend me, I'm happy to just plod along and write a few articles as I find something that work,s
I'll take a look at the link,
seems to be more of a job than I thought, could I join the team in a low key mannor or am I better off just writing wilki page for something I've made work and relying on anyone who sees fit editing it?

[ubuntu_demon]

Some common problems in the Dapper installation and upgrade forum :

Having problems with installing or upgrading to Dapper? Here are some fixes
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=187656

Installer stalls at "mounting root file system"
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=186115

[teaker1s]

when I get a spare moment I'll see if I can write or transfer some of the many problems that people have experienced

[highvalley]

i am not sure this is quite the right place for ubuntu tweaking and optimising.

if there is a good sumery of how to speed up ubuntu (dma, binary graphics drivers, kernels, init-ng etc) then that could all be covered by a "ubuntu is slow" subject, with a warning that it involves more advanced topics.

I agree to this point.
Some people give Linux a try and at first install (for example)
Ubuntu on some "older" Hardware.
(Where older does not mean some years but perhaps not actual
top-of-the-tops PCs. Perhaps just 256MB Memory, just 1.x GHz CPU clock etc.)
Ubuntu is going to use more ressources as some other OSes people know working on their Computers. So some users think of Linux/Ubuntu that it is slow and so cannot be their choice!

New users just want to try. They do not want to search for information, read pages for pages, find out if there is another
possibility (Xubuntu, etc). They install it, have a look and
perhaps AFTER that, if they like it, they invest time.

People know that Windows ME works/boots fast on their hardware.
So Linux should do the same - or at least almost the same.
It is not a fair comparison, but thats what users do.

I myself wonder why so much services are started by ubuntu
which going to bind ressources in the background. I know
that I have no use of this services and it would be great
to uninstall these to gain performance.
Examples: I have a desktop system. Ubuntu installed and
started a set of notebook services including pcmcia demons etc.
In fear of breaking my system an not exact knowledge what
is really used and what not, i didn't succeed to uninstall
this things.
Another example is a HP Printing system... i have no piece of
HP hardware. Etc..

So an easy to use performance tuner would be of great help to use and to spread Linux/Ubuntu.
This should include an easy to use possibility (like MSCONFIG in WinXX) to switch off services/started programs which are not used by everyone.