Ubuntu Netbook Remix
Although it's not being offered pre-installed on very many new netbooks, Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) has struck a chord with developers. Netbook distributions with growing user bases such as EasyPeasy, Eeebuntu, and the upcoming JoliCloud all use the interface from UNR.
For version 9.10, UNR ditches the three-paned home screen from 9.04 and instead goes for a much more logical (and better-looking) two-paned approach.
Other than the extremely minor beef about the small band of opacity in the home screen's sidebar, UNR seems to have dodged every bullet that hit the Desktop Edition of Ubuntu 9.10. This second iteration of UNR is faster to boot, wake, and resume than the 9.04 version. Menus also have a much snappier feel, rounding out a generally more responsive user interface. Even the awful all-in-one trackpad of the Dell Mini 10v works better on a fresh installation, though disabling the tap-to-click option is still probably the first thing Mini 10v owners should do after installing any Linux distro. Simply click on System in the left pane on the home screen, then select the Mouse option and un-check the box for Enable mouse clicks with touchpad.
WiFi did not work out-of-the-box, which isn't unusual for Linux. However, Karmic quickly found the proper Broadcom drivers and alerted me to their availability via a system tray icon and pop-up notification. Just click the notification icon and choose one of the drivers (there is an open source and a proprietary option). This is about the most hassle-free way to install a WiFi driver yet.
With the 64-bit Desktop Edition being completely unusable and the 32-bit version marred by bugs and poor choices, UNR becomes the real winner for the Karmic release. Despite what I say in the Conclusion regarding Karmic, UNR 9.10 is definitely worth a download. Because JoliCloud, Moblin, and Chrome are still not quite ready for prime-time, I have to give UNR 9.10 the Tom's Hardware recommendation for this round of Linux netbook OSes.
After reading all of your words from start to the end of the speed tests I sat back sipping my nice coffee I thought about your findings to draw my own conclusion based on your results. Our conclusions were united. Well done excellent test even better documentation and fantastic conclusion. I only hope that the people who designed Ubuntu 9.1 read your review and if they do in a positive light in so far as they can see the real world problems and fix them soon (ha ha) {wishful thinking} in release 9.11. Thank you for saving me hard work and time as I will hold my upgrade this time... Cheers for a job well done!!!!
I wanted a dev area, and thought I'd get a fresh of (K)Ubuntu, which I've used occasionally in the past (I think 7.10 was my last), so downloaded Kubuntu 9.10 x64, excited to see what had progressed.
Upon installing (after trying several isos/CDs), on every boot it freezes after 10 seconds, with visual artifacts, requiring a hard reboot. Downloaded vanilla Ubuntu, and it does the same, even after multiple re-installs and both ext3 and 4 filesystems. Few days searching for the answer, to no avail. Tried the same with 9.04, and the CD froze while installing, with similar artifacts. Then gave up.
I don't see how anyone could rely on these releases. If I didn't have a Windows install to boot to and Google for fixes, I wouldn't have anything. I'm willing to accept it could be a problem with my machine, but it's not exactly new and fancy (Q6600, nVidia7800GT), and it runs Windows and games fine.
I can't see how Ubuntu/Canonical conceives to market this to the layman computer user in the same vein as Windows/MacOS, when fairly experienced users can't even get it working.
All-in-all, very disappointed.
I simply adore Ubuntu. It's such a lovely operating system to use and it's free! I use Windows 7 every day and when I get a chance to use ubuntu it feels so free and different, I wonder why I use Windows.
I'm glad that I didn't read this article last month . . . thorough though it is
When I added a fresh install of Karma 9.10 x32 on my Linux box at the end of October (old Fujitsu/Intel P4, 1gb = not too dissimilar to your 32-bit Desktop Test System #1) it took first time and has worked perfectly since then
Same with NBR on my wife's EEE900 - found the Netgear wireless box straight away and, as remarked, much prettier interface . . . only the intermittent request from the Network Manager for the password for the default keyring annoys
I must have been very lucky with both of these distros working first time in light of Adam's tribulations
I have just spent 36 hours with a Vista Home reinstall from a recovery partition (502,252 files, 27gb (includes bloatware)) so the ½ hour (max.) that I spent on each Ubuntu install seems so much more worthwhile
As I typed this, I have performed my weekly install on the Ubuntu desktop and netbook ... done and dusted in 10 minutes !
This release seems to have been very hit and miss. I haven't updated any of my machines yet. This is due in part to flash problems I had when upgrading to 9.04. These were subsequently fixed but put me off immediately upgrading to 9.10.
A friend of mine upgraded his (perfectly good) 9.04 to 9.10. Sound stopped working so he decided upon a fresh install. Now GRUB2 doesn't recognise Windows 7. As he said himself, "you spend time raving about Ubuntu to anyone who will listen and then this happens".
Personally, I installed this on my mums notebook and it was a chore. I tried 9.10 first and it just kept hanging during the install. After trying numerous versions that wouldn't work, I found 8.04 did. Then curiosity got the better of me and I upgraded to 9.10 and it worked fine. Stupid. I'd tried ext3 and ext4 and every other install variation of each Ubuntu variation and none worked 'til this method.
And the Ubuntu Software Center is sloooooowwwww. I thought it was just my connection but apparently not. I WILL be avoiding this upgrade for the moment. All does not look well.
Well...
Use Ubuntu 9.10 at work and Kubuntu 8.04 at home... 9.10 is better with Gnome in my opinion although KDE4 is sort of working as well... I absolutely hate Empathy client and although I consider Pidgin still being worse than Kopete at least I can use it in a way that I am comfortable with. Evolution is probably the slowest email client I have ever seen... and even Thunderbird is faster and more "streamlined" than that. I hate the notification system - you cannot position it, you cannot close it, you cannot click it... useless and annoying. Ubuntu One - does not work well with proxies is slow and I cannot always log into it. Gave up few days after a release so perhaps I should try again... Eclipse from the repository is buggy (always was - but the 64bit rewrite is much less stable than 32bit PDT edition). Ubuntu Software Centre - useless... you can search for stuff using Synaptic... or just google it and "sudo aptitude install" - so, not really for me... The new login system is weird - have two screens and with every reboot - Ubuntu chooses the screen it will show the login window on... randomly! Had issues with X configuration on installation as well... (fresh install, typical Dell Precision 390 with Quadra gfx). Another issue (probably my fault as I am used to KDE) - network manager chooses auto ETH config over the one I have entered... Unfortunately I need both but cannot specify "preferred" network... Considering enterprise firewall and proxy on the dev box - editing the /etc/network/interfaces is not always the best solution for me... and I quickly gave up when I had to configure the proxy in 7 different places... System/network, 3 browsers, svn config, apt config, shell, etc... Finally... But that's definitely me... How on earth do I span the bloody taskbar across two screens? KDE does not have issues with it... Gnome - well... I am new to it... and didn't have time to google it yet...
Bottom line - using Ubuntu 9.10 at work for a week - it's OK. but I would not recommend it... Kubuntu 8.04LTS / Windows 7 at home - Am happy and not planning an upgrade anytime soon... Perhaps to another LTS or when they iron out the obvious issues with 9.10... To be honest... After I have installed Kubuntu 9.10 - I felt like I was using a mac... completely different experience and not a positive one! I completely agree with the author - a lot of new features... but most of them simply don't work or have been "forced to be fixed" - if something works - do not fix it!
Just my opinion on the above - over 6 PCs with 9.10 I have seen - 4 had no issues with the installation - that indicates 9.10 should still be in RC1 state...
I like the article though... pitty author did not include other platforms and 8.04 in the benchmarks.
After reading all of your words from start to the end of the speed tests I sat back sipping my nice coffee I thought about your findings to draw my own conclusion based on your results. Our conclusions were united. Well done excellent test even better documentation and fantastic conclusion. I only hope that the people who designed Ubuntu 9.1 read your review and if they do in a positive light in so far as they can see the real world problems and fix them soon (ha ha) {wishful thinking} in release 9.11. Thank you for saving me hard work and time as I will hold my upgrade this time... Cheers for a job well done!!!!
Dude, it's a date. Next one will be 10.04.
Hmmm... looks like my current mod might have to have 9.04 until we see what becomes of 10.04. Good review, very descriptive.
The problem with the app installer seems to be that the download stalls and does not recover. Time and time again I'm having to cancel the install and start it again to get it to start downloading again. Thankfully it starts from where it left off each time at least. This seriously needs fixing.
Other than that I'm finding 9.10 a joy to use. I've traditionally been a Mandriva user. They tend to release new versions around the same time and I always compare. This time I finally ditched Mandriva (they just stubbornly do not fix the same old issues that their users report e.g. with rpmdrake)
I tried 9.10 out for a while on a spare hard drive. Can't remember if it was x32 or x64. Must have been x32 since it installed and worked without a glitch. I must say I like the look of it and I liked the simplified approach to installing nvidia drivers. I also had those problems with the slow software centre. I much prefer add/remove. I do think that Ubuntu is definately getting there in terms of being usable to any average user. WiFi also worked out of the box. I'm currently using Fedora 12 as my main OS but I'd recommend Ubuntu 9.04 to any friend who want's to get a start in Linux because I think it's more suited for mainstream users. There's nothing with Ubuntu that would pry me away from Fedora (except perhaps Ubuntu one if I start using multiple machines).
Upgrading to 9.10 made my wireless and mobile network cards work out of the box, they didn't in 9.04, in fact, it was tedious. I didn't have the time, so the few bugs in 9.10 haven't yet bothered me since I can actually access the internet without a cable on Ubuntu for the first time in 3 years!
Oh yeah, and "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" is a really convinient phrase, but it's also a load of crap. There were better reasons that you mentioned as to why they shouldn't have changed the default IM client.
it was ok but not my cup of tea
Basically what you are seeing here is the debt that Ubuntu owes Debian. Jaunty was good because all the Debian Sid/testing development froze in late 2008 while they prepped Lenny. Since Ubuntu just copy the sid/testing repos they were forced to use slightly older versions of most software, which they had more time to debug.
Ubunbtu should not be a "cutting edge" distro a la Sidux or Arch. If they want to succeed they need to realise that their target user doesn't care what libc is installed or that the ati driver has kernal mode setting. They just need it to work.
While there have been a few small teething troubles, I can't say I've had the same problems at all. No serious problems with hardware, a 64-bit install that runs fine on all three machines I use, and in VMs, and on an 8-core Xeon server at work with an odd RAID setup.
The worst things? Some nasty high-pitched distortion on my audio when using 5.1 (which you couldn't select easily in Jaunty, so that's an improvement); but there's a workaround for it that gets it working just fine. And the change to "icons on menus" config mentioned in the review affects all GTK applications which can be a bit confusing until you flip it back. I configured it to use my ISPs local mirror of the repositories and haven't noticed any real slowness installing apps - I do tend to use Synaptic or apt-get though, I never really used Add/Remove Programs.
Did the reviewer memcheck all his systems? The only time I've had any trouble with basic stability of Ubuntu (and Windows) is when I've had faulty RAM.
Why does the release have to be every 6 months? What is wrong with a yearly release? - without stupid names.
I use ubuntu as my main OS, the removal of VMware support ws not good, but in general the system is good and works better than 9.04.
I have installed 9.10 inside my windows xp version and find it working fine. I do not have any problems with connecting to net or doing other work.
Ravi
I know this may not be the place, but is there any chance of you doing a guide on how to attach more then one graphics card to a Ubuntu system? It would be really handy as I have a 3 monitor setup on two cards and can never use the 3rd which Windows makes so easy.
Holy mother... ;-) Quite frankly, I'm not sure I can comprehend what went wrong in the reviewers attempts to install/use Ubuntu's latest&greatest... Currently running the standard 9.10 and the 'Studio' - flavour on a total of 5 systems: Turion 64 Laptop, C2D Laptop, an Athlon 64 (Clawhammer) Desktop, a dual-core Athlon 64 (7750) Desktop and finally the Netbook Remix on an EEEPC 1000. All 64 Bit except the Netbook obviously. Not a single glitch across all those systems. Flawless install, all HW recognized and no stability issues so far (generic as well as RT kernel)... True, some of the cosmetic elements (such as the notification pop-ups) could have been done better, and yes, downloads via the new Software Center are horrendously slow, but Synaptic is still there and works exactly the same way as it did before. Bottom line: responsiveness of the PC's is definitely improved compared to the previous releases I used (8.04 Studio and 9.04) and particularly 9.10 Studio is - at least on my systems - a lot more stable and Jack much less prone to drown in x-runs under heavy load... Just my 2 cents ;-)