Journal Dorsai65's Journal: Seriously buggered (k)Ubuntu
A couple of weeks ago, I finally "upgraded" from Kubuntu 8.04 to 8.10. Since making that decision, I've started giving more and more thought on giving up on the Ubuntu distro in favor of something else. Why?
- The out-of-the-box installation onto a desktop computer failed to connect to my network. Not only that, but Kubuntu had removed the ability to assign a static IP from the network settings section of the system configuration; I had to manually edit my networking and DNS configs. If I'd been a Linux n00b, I'd have been screwed. On top of that, Kubuntu keeps replacing MY entries in resolv.conf (which I had to MANUALLY CREATE!) with their defaults.
- Some parts of 8.04 didn't seem to be saving some of my config files (i.e. I frequently [weekly, if not more often] had to re-run X setup to get it to see my widescreen monitor). 8.10 is even worse about forgetting things: I have 2 computers sharing a single monitor, trackball, and keyboard with a KVM switch; if I move away from my 'main' system, it's 50-50 whether or not I'll have to log back in to the main system (no, I don't mean turn off the screensaver -- I mean log in from scratch. When I do, I have to resize and reposition anything that was on the desktop.
- Things that I could adjust in the system settings before are now missing -- completely. For example, I'm stuck with whatever the hell colors and such come up on the monitor -- gamma adjustment is gone. There isn't even an option to manage my drives; apparently, (k)Ubuntu doesn't think I'll ever need or want to make any kind of changes. Many of the "control" sections left in the system manager don't even have an administrative override, any more.
- I've lost functionality on some of my hardware. By way of example, I have a Trackman Wheel trackball; I used to be able to use the middle button for double-click; now that button is all but useless -- it doesn't do shit under 8.10. And, of course, they haven't left me anyplace to change that.
- Kubuntu 8.04 absolutely INSISTED that I had to have some programs installed, even though I used something else. 8.10 is even worse about this: not only do I have a bunch of apps I don't need/want, but when I go to uninstall them, Kubuntu threatens to take KDE out with them!
- Ubuntu has taken perfectly good applications (i.e. kcontrol) completely out of their repositories, and thus taken away some functionality and control over their own system from users. I've had the Dolphin file managed installed on my system with the last couple of upgrades; I don't like Dolphin, and prefer the fast, easy, simple Kongqueror -- and with 8.10, I can't have it (at least, not for file management). I resent the hell out of having Dolphin crammed down my throat, and not being allowed to use what I want.
These are just the more annoying of the problems I've run into -- there are plenty of "little" things that they've summarily decided to change (with no option to go back or do differently), as well.
As far as I'm concerned, these things aren't "bugs". I've done some programming, and to me, a "bug" is when you get an unexpected result from taking some action; what I've seen with Kubuntu 8.10 is pure and simple dumbassery: neglect (leaving out something as basic as functionality for a middle mouse button? Give me a break!), arrogance (assuming that I don't "need" any of the stuff they've taken out, or will want to change anything from what THEY'VE set it to), and laziness (not including a default [not even an empty one] resolv.conf?).
I went with Kubuntu because they did a pretty good job on finding the various bits of hardware in the different computers that I work with; but each upgrade has resulted in me losing more and more control over MY computer -- and that is most definitely not acceptable.
I'm a Linux advocate; I've given away over a couple dozen "Live" disks, and had probably half those people make the switch. I used to give the Kubuntu live CD away -- but after all the crap I've gone through with 8.10, I won't give out another one. And you can be damn sure that I won't be recommending Ubuntu (in ANY flavor) to people, either: as far as I'm concerned, Ubuntu is the F/OSS version of Microsoft.
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Seriously buggered (k)Ubuntu
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