Ubuntu 12.04LTS released

[kc77]

Well, turned on my 12.04 box and the system is hosed. No idea why.

What's hosed about it? Grub? Or is the whole partition gone?

The OS boot screen appears - Says "Ubuntu" and has the 4 or 5 pulsing dots underneath - and it just sits at that screen forever. So I guess that's the boot loader or else some OS boot files.

Have you tried the recovery boot? Also sometimes you can press Esc during the boot loader screen and take a look at the boot process. See if you can see where it hangs.

[flip-mode]

I'll try that when I get the chance. Thanks for the tips.

[Flatland_Spider]

Well, turned on my 12.04 box and the system is hosed. No idea why.

What's hosed about it? Grub? Or is the whole partition gone?

The OS boot screen appears - Says "Ubuntu" and has the 4 or 5 pulsing dots underneath - and it just sits at that screen forever. So I guess that's the boot loader or else some OS boot files.

This sounds like some service is having problems starting. If you can get Ubuntu to show you a list of services it's starting, you can boot into single user mode and fix it, or disable the service in the appropriate runlevel folder, in this case probably /etc/rc5.d. There is a README in the rc folder that explains things pretty well.

Forum post on how to boot into single user mode.
http://www.gidforums.com/t-1472.html

Webpage detailing how to disable and enable services.
http://www.aboutlinux.info/2006/04/enab ... ng_01.html

[BobbinThreadbare]

The system seems to be improved overall, the hud removes some annoyances, and history retention configuration is nice. Also, it's easier to make the unity icons smaller.

But I still find some things that totally annoy me. Pressing super key launches the menu which is designed for ELEPHANTS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T READ AND SEE SMALL THINGS.

I hope you never have to use metro.

If you have two windows on the screen, minimizing any of them is impossible, unless you switch to it, and then move the mouse all the way to top left corner, wait while menu is drawn, then target the minimize button and click it, and then repeat the same for the other one. The same goes for menus. If the app is not full screen, accessing menus suck. For example: select text, move mouse over 1920x1080 screen, edit/copy, move mouse over 1920x1080 screen, click on free spot, move mouse over 1920x1080 screen, edit/paste. HUD mitigates the problem, but I'm not sure it's the solution.

I could be wrong, but I thought windows had buttons on them for min/max/close, unless they were maximized. I noticed that chromium just ignores unity and keeps it's buttons regardless.

Moving the close minimize maximize to left side is no go as well, as it looks like crap in top row, near battery, mail and other indicators. CPU load and dynamic scaling widgets are gone.

I would say Unity is usable now, but I really don't like it that much, especially when it get's in a way, OFTEN!

I was actually wondering if there was a way to customize the top bar. I want min/max/close on the right side. Also, I found a CPU meter for the bar, if you search the software center for indicator you'll find it. It's not ideal though, you can't get core specific info.

[Philldoe]

I just took the plunge and installed Ubuntu today. I was having a lot of issues with LinuxMint not running half of my installed programs, not installing GPU drivers, and refusing to just work right all around. I'll give Ubuntu 12 one thing, it's stable. I like stable, but I don't like Unity. Unity dosn't have any BIG issues that turn me away from it. There are just a lot of small things, and those small things turned me away from it.

I gave up and went back to LinuxMint with KDE.

If there are any nice apps out there that will let me adjust my small problems with Unity's layout then I'll probably switch back. Hell I'll switch back if I can just get rid of the lefty orientation of everything. Why the hell did they move the minimize and close buttons to the left, and why did they not add an easy way (For Linux noobs) to move that damn launcher bar around.

[kc77]

If there are any nice apps out there that will let me adjust my small problems with Unity's layout then I'll probably switch back. Hell I'll switch back if I can just get rid of the lefty orientation of everything. Why the hell did they move the minimize and close buttons to the left, and why did they not add an easy way (For Linux noobs) to move that damn launcher bar around.

Not for Unity but there are tons for Gnome 3. There's an extension web page that has so many good extensions. Stuff like adding back the G2 menus and many of the applets that are missing in G3. They can be found here.

[grantmeaname]

You can also fire up gconf-editor and change it manually, just like you did in 10.04-11.04, but that'll only change the button location for non-maximized windows. Then the buttons are on the right until you maximize the window, and then they move to the left.

I moved them over every release until Unity, and then gave up. It's just not worth it.

[Philldoe]

Yeah, I checked a lot of that stuff out, but I still hate Unity. I've not messed with GNOME 3 yet though. I'll be honest I doubt I will even look at it. I'm in love with KDE, and have been since I installed Mint with KDE. If Unity ever let's me change things on the level KDE does though.. KDE will be out the window.

[kc77]

Yeah, I checked a lot of that stuff out, but I still hate Unity. I've not messed with GNOME 3 yet though. I'll be honest I doubt I will even look at it. I'm in love with KDE, and have been since I installed Mint with KDE. If Unity ever let's me change things on the level KDE does though.. KDE will be out the window.

I don't believe you can install those extensions in Unity. That being said, Gnome no matter the version has never been as configurable as KDE. In fact that's what KDE is known for it's configurability.

[codedivine]

I'm in love with KDE

.. KDE will be out the window.

Thats a rather fragile love

[Washer]

There's the MyUnity tweaking tool specifically for Unity, there's also the Ubuntu Tweak for more general Ubuntu use. gconf-editor is also very useful. With all three of those tools though they're just tweaking various configuration files that should be relatively easy locate with some searching.

philldoe, why not just install KDE on your Ubuntu install?

BobbinThreadbare, there's a Chrome/Chromium setting that allows you to change if the browser will use the system title bars or its own. I prefer its own as the look doesn't bother me as much as the missing horizontal space (both being very minor concerns).

[Philldoe]

There's the MyUnity tweaking tool specifically for Unity, there's also the Ubuntu Tweak for more general Ubuntu use. gconf-editor is also very useful. With all three of those tools though they're just tweaking various configuration files that should be relatively easy locate with some searching.

philldoe, why not just install KDE on your Ubuntu install?

BobbinThreadbare, there's a Chrome/Chromium setting that allows you to change if the browser will use the system title bars or its own. I prefer its own as the look doesn't bother me as much as the missing horizontal space (both being very minor concerns).

I don't really know how to yet. I've dabbled with Linux in spurts so I don't know my way around it well enough to install and use non-stock desktops.

[grantmeaname]

Get Virtualbox and try and install Ubuntu and then KDE inside it. You'll learn, have great fun, and you can't permanently break anything!

Or you could just download Kubuntu...

[Flatland_Spider]

philldoe, why not just install KDE on your Ubuntu install?

I don't really know how to yet. I've dabbled with Linux in spurts so I don't know my way around it well enough to install and use non-stock desktops.

It's easy enough. Search for and install KDE from the software repo, and then log out. Click on session at the login screen, select KDE, and login.

As long as things are in the repo, stuff is pretty easy to install. Things only get crazy if you want to compile stuff on your own.

[just brew it!]

I don't really know how to yet. I've dabbled with Linux in spurts so I don't know my way around it well enough to install and use non-stock desktops.

Method 1: Do a scratch install from one of the Kubuntu ISOs. This gives you Ubuntu with KDE instead of Unity.

Method 2: Open up a terminal window and type "sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop". This gives you KDE installed alongside whatever other desktop(s) you've already got; you can choose which one to use at the login screen. Will take a really long time if you don't have a fast broadband connection (might want to run it overnight).

Caveat: I haven't yet tried method 2 in 12.04, but it should still work.

[Philldoe]

Well that seems easy enough...

[Madman]

Ok, I was wrong, Unity still sucks.

The previous workloads were mostly browser based, and I didn't felt much of a difference, today I started launching other programs and multitask, and I'm sick of Unity in less than a minute. I can't stand it. Menu is in the stupid top bar, switching between apps takes a lot of horizontal movement which is painfull on touchpad, and default windows are too dumbed down, now I know that I will hate Windows 8 as well.

Ubuntu and Windows are ruined and no amount of pretty and fancy effects, pictures and animations will mitigate that

[grantmeaname]

You couldn't switch windows with Alt+Tab?

[Madman]

You couldn't switch windows with Alt+Tab?

Starts getting annoying once you get past 4 windows.

Sometimes I can use 4 virtual desktops, which helps, but has own share of problems, like child windows being launched in the same desktop.

[Philldoe]

I've been using Windows so long that I'm trained not to think of File Browsers and Desktops as Applications that simply aid in the use of an operating system. I forget that I can just install whichever version of Linux I want and use whatever desktop or file browser I choose. All of that being said I am now running Linux Mint 13 with KDE installed from the repository. And so far I'm not having any of the issues I had with 12. Hopefully once I install the restricted drivers that dosn't change...

[kc77]

You couldn't switch windows with Alt+Tab?

Starts getting annoying once you get past 4 windows.

Sometimes I can use 4 virtual desktops, which helps, but has own share of problems, like child windows being launched in the same desktop.

You should try Gnome 3.

[Washer]

You should try Gnome 3.

Am I missing sarcasm? Using multiple applications with GNOME 3 is even more annoying than in Unity. I've given up on GNOME 3, it's fundamentally broken in its default configuration. I've given Unity, KDE, Xfce, Cinnamon, and GNOME 3 screen time, GNOME 3 is easily my least favorite.

[tesmar]

You should try Gnome 3.

Am I missing sarcasm? Using multiple applications with GNOME 3 is even more annoying than in Unity. I've given up on GNOME 3, it's fundamentally broken in its default configuration. I've given Unity, KDE, Xfce, Cinnamon, and GNOME 3 screen time, GNOME 3 is easily my least favorite.

Right on. Gnome 3 is awful and Unity isn't any better. I am using fallback mode for gnome 3 and really enjoy it.

[kc77]

You should try Gnome 3.

Am I missing sarcasm? Using multiple applications with GNOME 3 is even more annoying than in Unity. I've given up on GNOME 3, it's fundamentally broken in its default configuration. I've given Unity, KDE, Xfce, Cinnamon, and GNOME 3 screen time, GNOME 3 is easily my least favorite.

No sarcasm at all. There's enough extensions out there that the complaints at this point are nothing more than carry overs. If you want a panel on the bottom it can be done. If you want a menu at the top left corner that can be done as well. You can even turn off the overlay completely if you wanted.

[kc77]

Right on. Gnome 3 is awful and Unity isn't any better. I am using fallback mode for gnome 3 and really enjoy it.

Different strokes for different folks. Although even the fallback mode will go away eventually.

[bthylafh]

Right on. Gnome 3 is awful and Unity isn't any better. I am using fallback mode for gnome 3 and really enjoy it.

Different strokes for different folks. Although even the fallback mode will go away eventually.

Which is where MATE comes in; see my post on the first page for how to install it.

[Washer]

No sarcasm at all. There's enough extensions out there that the complaints at this point are nothing more than carry overs. If you want a panel on the bottom it can be done. If you want a menu at the top left corner that can be done as well. You can even turn off the overlay completely if you wanted.

Then those extensions I've come to rely on break with an update, if they ever behaved properly in the first place. I went through that run around several months ago already. I agree with you though, different strokes for different folks, this is why I've come to love Linux. I'll stick to Cinnamon for the time being.

[Madman]

Ok, I'm giving KDE another try.

Is it regular that after automatic updates X fail to start with AMD proprietary drivers? I had to reinstall drivers again to get into X. This is not the first time.

Something about "Screens found but none has usable configuration". I was too lazy to check Xorg config.

[grantmeaname]

It doesn't happen to me. What do you mean, regular?

[Madman]

Every other or so update. I think the ones that affect the kernel are the deffinite showstoppers.