Ubuntu annoyances....
Nov. 23rd, 2011 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poltr1(Yes, there are such things. But they are fewer in number than Windows annoyances.)
After installing Ubuntu Linux from the distro CD-R, there are still some things that need to be done. Part of it is due to the omission of proprietary drivers and such. Computer neophytes aren't going to know how to do these tweaks, or want to do them. They want things to work out-of-the-box. And because of that, I can't recommend Ubuntu to those people at this time. Sometimes, with running Ubuntu, you need to DIY (do it yourself).
And starting in 11.04 (Natty Narwhal), the standard GUI has been switched from Gnome to Unity. I hated Unity at first, because it was different from Gnome. But as I use it more, it's not that much different from Gnome. But there are still some things with Unity that I'd like to tweak. This I'll save for a later post.
Here are some how-tos for the things I needed to tweak after installing 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) on my new laptop, a Dell Latitude D630.
1) Setting the local time: Ubuntu sets the onboard CMOS clock to GMT. Not a big issue if Ubuntu is the only OS you run. But I typically run a dual-boot system, and when I bring up Windows, the system clock is 4 or 5 hours behind. To fix this, I had to edit /etc/default/rcS, set UTC=no, and reboot.
2) Setting the wireless driver: Many laptops -- including mine -- use Broadcom's 4311 wireless internet adapter. And it uses a proprietary driver, which isn't included in the distro, but is available via download. But it's a common problem, and the solution has its own page in Ubuntu documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Device/Broadcom_BCM4311_Natty_11.04 (for Natty and later versions). Here's what I came up with (with a little help from my colleagues on ubuntuforums.org):
a) Connect to a network via a wired connection. (That's a given.) And turn on the wireless card in the BIOS and the switch on the left-hand side of the computer.
b) Run the "update-manager" program, which will populate the Ubuntu software center.
c) Install the "firmware-b43-installer" package via the software center.
d) Comment out the line containing "blacklist b43xx" in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.
e) Execute "sudo modprobe b43" to enable the wireless card. (Or reboot.)
f) Remove the "bcmwl-kernel-source" package, either via the software installer or the "sudo apt-get remove" command.
g) Add "b43" to the bottom of /etc/modules. This file contains a list of modules to start up at boot time.
These last two steps are necessary in order for the wireless driver to be started at boot time. Otherwise, you'll need to sudo modprobe every time you reboot. And that's a pain.
3) Moving buttons to the upper right corner: A few versions ago, Ubuntu placed the buttons in the upper left corner by default. Great if you use MacOS, not so good if you're a Windows user. But there's a common fix.
a) Download and install the "gconf-editor" general configuration editor.
b) Start gconf-editor and go to the "/apps/metacity/general" page.
c) Set button_layout to "menu:maximize,minimize,close".
d) Reboot.
4) Installing and using Gnome: Fear not, Gnome users: it's still available via the software center. After installation, click on the gear-shaped icon on the login screen, select Gnome, and you'll start a Gnome session. This is a sticky setting, which means you won't have to set it every time; it will remember this setting.
That's all the tweaks I had to do for now. I've been using Ubuntu for a few years; my first distro was either 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) or 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon). I find it faster and more efficient than Windows. The only times I go back to Windows is when I need to use dial-up, run a third-party Windows app, or be on a system that's compatible with the rest of the world.
After installing Ubuntu Linux from the distro CD-R, there are still some things that need to be done. Part of it is due to the omission of proprietary drivers and such. Computer neophytes aren't going to know how to do these tweaks, or want to do them. They want things to work out-of-the-box. And because of that, I can't recommend Ubuntu to those people at this time. Sometimes, with running Ubuntu, you need to DIY (do it yourself).
And starting in 11.04 (Natty Narwhal), the standard GUI has been switched from Gnome to Unity. I hated Unity at first, because it was different from Gnome. But as I use it more, it's not that much different from Gnome. But there are still some things with Unity that I'd like to tweak. This I'll save for a later post.
Here are some how-tos for the things I needed to tweak after installing 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) on my new laptop, a Dell Latitude D630.
1) Setting the local time: Ubuntu sets the onboard CMOS clock to GMT. Not a big issue if Ubuntu is the only OS you run. But I typically run a dual-boot system, and when I bring up Windows, the system clock is 4 or 5 hours behind. To fix this, I had to edit /etc/default/rcS, set UTC=no, and reboot.
2) Setting the wireless driver: Many laptops -- including mine -- use Broadcom's 4311 wireless internet adapter. And it uses a proprietary driver, which isn't included in the distro, but is available via download. But it's a common problem, and the solution has its own page in Ubuntu documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Device/Broadcom_BCM4311_Natty_11.04 (for Natty and later versions). Here's what I came up with (with a little help from my colleagues on ubuntuforums.org):
a) Connect to a network via a wired connection. (That's a given.) And turn on the wireless card in the BIOS and the switch on the left-hand side of the computer.
b) Run the "update-manager" program, which will populate the Ubuntu software center.
c) Install the "firmware-b43-installer" package via the software center.
d) Comment out the line containing "blacklist b43xx" in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.
e) Execute "sudo modprobe b43" to enable the wireless card. (Or reboot.)
f) Remove the "bcmwl-kernel-source" package, either via the software installer or the "sudo apt-get remove" command.
g) Add "b43" to the bottom of /etc/modules. This file contains a list of modules to start up at boot time.
These last two steps are necessary in order for the wireless driver to be started at boot time. Otherwise, you'll need to sudo modprobe every time you reboot. And that's a pain.
3) Moving buttons to the upper right corner: A few versions ago, Ubuntu placed the buttons in the upper left corner by default. Great if you use MacOS, not so good if you're a Windows user. But there's a common fix.
a) Download and install the "gconf-editor" general configuration editor.
b) Start gconf-editor and go to the "/apps/metacity/general" page.
c) Set button_layout to "menu:maximize,minimize,close".
d) Reboot.
4) Installing and using Gnome: Fear not, Gnome users: it's still available via the software center. After installation, click on the gear-shaped icon on the login screen, select Gnome, and you'll start a Gnome session. This is a sticky setting, which means you won't have to set it every time; it will remember this setting.
That's all the tweaks I had to do for now. I've been using Ubuntu for a few years; my first distro was either 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) or 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon). I find it faster and more efficient than Windows. The only times I go back to Windows is when I need to use dial-up, run a third-party Windows app, or be on a system that's compatible with the rest of the world.
