Ten sticking points for new Ubuntu users. Do you agree?

[Rahim]

This is an interesting article on Linux.com whcih i found to be quite true for Ubuntu, kind of an achilles heel for Ubuntu

Ten sticking points for new Ubuntu users
By Michael Reed on June 27, 2008 (9:00:00 PM)


With Ubuntu, Canonical has had notable success in convincing people to switch from other platforms, but potential Ubuntu users are still running into trouble in several areas. Having spent some time on Canonical's forums, I've identified 10 points that seem to be common sticking points for new users -- that is, problems that have the potential to prevent a new user from adopting Ubuntu in the long term. These problems span the entire Ubuntu experience, but they all have two things in common: they are all serious enough to evoke the dreaded "I tried Linux but it didn't work" excuse, and they are all solvable.

Screen setup

Ubuntu is still bad at properly detecting and setting up the display. Once it's gone wrong, there isn't much you can do from the GUI setup tool -- it either lies about your screen settings or offers inappropriate screen modes. Anyone for 640x480@52Hz on a 19-inch CRT?

This is probably the most frequently reported complaint on the beginner forum. Other operating systems can set up the screen, so why can't Linux?

From the user perspective, the solution involves some research and the editing of the xorg.conf config file. This is bad, because if the user makes a single mistake -- presuming the typical user is resourceful enough to make it this far -- it's all too easy to render the whole Ubuntu setup unusable.

This problem is so widely acknowledged as a weakness of Ubuntu that I was surprised that Ubuntu 8.04 was still getting it wrong. Ubuntu should use its leadership muscle to create a robust, reliable solution from scratch or champion an existing project.

Mounting

It's a shame that Ubuntu doesn't come with a GUI tool to configure the boot-time mounting of new partitions. Most advice on this issue revolves around editing /etc/fstab. A common complaint is that the partition can be seen but the permissions are wrong. There are a few other gotchas that can come up when a user is trying to make the system recognise a new partition.

Such a utility could be added to the live CD, as mounting a partition from the command line is difficult for non-experts.

Source

How much do you agree with this article as a New User of Ubuntu.
Forget the geeky ones

[drsubhadip]

i do not have any problem with the hardy.........
as i m writing the post from there...

[Dark Star]

I agree with the writer. There are few parts Ubuntu want to figure it quickly.. though I don't agree on Documents part ubuntu has the most complete docs at present,,.

I would like to see a Windows Xp like tour in Linux few pop ups notifing newbies what to do next . .These things will make linux much more advance

[Sathish]

Originally Posted by rahimveron

Ubuntu is still bad at properly detecting and setting up the display. Once it's gone wrong, there isn't much you can do from the GUI setup tool -- it either lies about your screen settings or offers inappropriate screen modes. Anyone for 640x480@52Hz on a 19-inch CRT?

This is 100% true on my experience while installing ubuntu 8.04 LTS..
this is one of the reason that i have converted to Mandriva 2008.1

[FilledVoid]

Most of the points in the article are pretty much true. Out of the above 10 problems I have probably had 6-7 which had to get rectified.

[chandru.in]

Originally Posted by Betruger

This is 100% true on my experience while installing ubuntu 8.04 LTS..
this is one of the reason that i have converted to Mandriva 2008.1

Which graphics card do you have? I have an nVIDIA card and a 17" widescreen LCD. During installation it used 800x600. But then when run from HD, it notified about binary drivers. When I installed the nVIDIA binary drivers and restarted, BOOM it had a picture perfect 1440x900 screen.

I guess u skipped Ubuntu a bit too fast.

[infra_red_dude]

My take on the list of points:

1) Resolution has been a bit of problem for me, in Hardy. Only after I install the binary driver from nvidia's site I can get proper resolution (8500gt here).

2) Boot manager point is completely crap. Sure there are better boot manager but lets just stick to something thats most widely used just in case the new users need help when they screw up their machines.

3) Mounting - completely agree.. this sux.

4) Agree on the installation part fully.

5) Sound? I think PA was a bad choice. OSS4 is much better, imo. But then its only my opinion.

6) Networking - I haf only one complaint... Network manager.. thats the biggest piece of **** on my ubuntu box.. again.. personal opinion.. (and thats why Mac4Lin doesn't support NM icons.. prolly never!)

7) Power management - fully agree.. suspend/hibernate never worked for me over the past years on various laptops/desktops.

8 ) Email - Ubuntu should also offer to install Thunderbird. Not a big issue tho.

9) Not possible to generalize the 'problems' ...don't agree.

10) Checkinstall?? Damn.. and the guy wants to "standardize" it! lol..
---------------------------------------

Points I think which should be included:

1) As said by Shashwat include a small ogg video - Ubuntu tour.. telling users where the most commonly used settings/programs are located (menus).

2) Ask the user to configure network and printers.

3) Ditch the bullshit network manager and include WICD instead.

4) Include the a tool for mounting ISOs.

5) Include bluetooth tools out of the box.

6) Include a download manager.

7) Include out of the box samba support.

8 ) Include apt-on-CD.

9) Replace the boring and intimidating brown interface with a better looking default UI (like suse/fedora/mandriva etc.)

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

2) Boot manager point is completely crap. Sure there are better boot manager but lets just stick to something thats most widely used just in case the new users need help when they screw up their machines.

Second part should be implemented, sabayon, fedora and few other distros have this option of restoring grub from installer. That's quite important IMO.
As to having boot-managers, they can be an optional for those who want to install it. Change has to start from somewhere.

[Hitboxx]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

4) Include the a tool for mounting ISOs.

IIRC, Fedora 9 mounts the ISO just by clicking on it and displays it in the left pane like a drive in Nautilus. I think the package name is Archive Mounter.

[NucleusKore]

Screen setup - yes true

Boot management - They could include a GUI tool for configuring GRUB like OpenSuSE does. Smart boot manager I have to try, hearing about it for the first time.

Mounting - not a problem for ntfs partitions if you run ntfs-config later. FAT is a problem I guess. All the cases I handled so fat used ntfs.

Installation - I always turn my router off during install :-P

Sound configuration- Some users report that sound is working but that only one program can use it at once."Yes I've faced this !!

Networking: "When IPv6 support has not been implemented properly by an ISP or by a broadband router, an Ubuntu user can experience slow access or even a total lack of access to the Internet." Seen that happen.

Power and hibernation - no experience here

Email migration - email migration would be welcome. Thunderbird gets installed by default on Xubuntu.

Documentation - "How about providing some documentation to help get new users started"
Oh Yes

Building from source - Don't do much of this. Those having problems will have to install the build-essentials bouquet.

Update: I installed GAG, it's good

[techtronic]

I agree with the concept of introducing OS tour guide.

When it comes to VM Installation, the sounds are a bit jarring when I compare Ubuntu Hardy with Mandriva 2008.When I start both VMs simultaneouly, after installation of VM Tools, Hardy starts with a bit of jarring sounds while Mandriva plays the sound perfectly.

[FilledVoid]

AN Ubuntu Tour would be nice. Not only an Ubuntu tour though but a tour or guide in all distros trying to be a beginners first stop would actually benefit from it. It would have saved alot fo trouble for people installing it for the first time especially.

[kumarmohit]

Ubuntu 7.X versions detected my laptop screen res but neither the Wifi not LAN cards work. In the case 8.x (only those released as of yet) can get the LAN card not the WiFi yet and screen res detection fails
Two steps back for a single step for'ard!

[Pat]

^^ But isnt it like easy to change the default resolution in Ubuntu now ? There is also a GUI tool available in the default install for the same, IIRC. Also, drivers for wifi should be easily installable via "Restricted Drivers" in System -> Administation.

[infra_red_dude]

Oh and I forgot mention the default BAD font rendering.. be it on CRT or LCD...