tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post3506925702919015866..comments2023-09-27T08:00:43.263-07:00Comments on Marco Craveiro: Nerd Food: The Jaunty JackalopeMarco Craveirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039195055988254979noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post-76380138427879641402009-05-25T14:57:27.115-07:002009-05-25T14:57:27.115-07:00This HOWTO may just have saved my sanity! :-)
HOW...This HOWTO may just have saved my sanity! :-)<br /><br /><A HREF="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=789578" REL="nofollow">HOWTO: PulseAudio Fixes & System-Wide Equalizer Support</A>.Marco Craveirohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01039195055988254979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post-453152402243830012009-05-19T16:04:39.537-07:002009-05-19T16:04:39.537-07:00Coxy: yes, I eventually learned my lesson about li...<B>Coxy:</B> yes, I eventually learned my lesson about live CDs :-) I find them really useful too these days, for loads of things. For instance, the other day someone mentioned they use live CDs to on webcafes to ensure privacy.<br /><br /><B>Jojo:</B> I agree with all points, except perhaps the need for a different desktop paradigm; i mean, I'm not saying it wouldn't help - maybe Gnome 3? - but I also think that there is a need for an operative system that just works and does things more-or-less like people expect it to. At least, I'd be a really happy user of such an operative system! :-)<br /><br /><B>Sardaukar</B>: man, thanks!!! that fixed the volume problem!!! bit of a user problem, to be fair; didn't even notice that tick box was there :-) now I may be down to the last Skype <A HREF="http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=237601" REL="nofollow">issue</A> (which was the one I had in Intrepid). Unfortunately it only happens after a little while, so I'll have to test it with a proper call (the Skype Test Call is to short for this).<br /><br />With regards to hardware testing: I'm not convinced it can't be done the Bazaar way. I'm not saying it can :-) just that I don't think it has been seriously tried by anyone I'm aware of. It will require someone spending a chunk of money - unless someone out there finds the subject interesting - but once the infrastructure is in place, people will follow on. If you recall, back in the days when we had no bugzilla people also thought that bug reporting would never catch on, and yet these days everyone does it. If there was an easy way (read: automated) to test ubuntu and report one's findings, I'm sure loads of ubunteros would cooperate. Things like <A HREF="http://ezix.org/project/wiki/HardwareLiSter" REL="nofollow">lshw</A> give us part of the solution; all we need now is a good database to store that info and a process by which users can report which bits of their hardware are working/not working (not unlike the wine <A HREF="http://appdb.winehq.org/" REL="nofollow"> AppDB</A>, really, but integrated with <A HREF="https://launchpad.net/" REL="nofollow">Launchpad</A>). This would also allow us to know before hand how well a release was tested before going gold. One can even conceive a countdown process were the release would only go final if 100% of the hardware reported as working for the previous release has been certified by users as working for the new release - this is an incentive for users to give it spin. Testing should be fairly painless: boot the PC off the new release's Live CD and state what works/doesn't work - unless it's your network card! :-) <br /><br />I even think that Free Software is more suitable for this sort of testing than commercial softare, first because of the community spirit - people are not afraid to pitch in - and second because of the diversity - take any three random ubunteros and I bet you you'll find at least 4 different hardware configurations :-)<br /><br />Usability would be perhaps trickier, but again if we had templates for use cases and allowed people to report their use cases (e.g. find a document with words XYZ) and how they are currently implemented (or not, as they case may be; e.g. don't know how to use search) perhaps things would become clearer. We just need structure, really. Creating this sort of structure is not something volunteers could do, I don't think, but once its there people will get into the swing of things, methinks...Marco Craveirohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01039195055988254979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post-16108899596217767472009-05-18T15:38:00.000-07:002009-05-18T15:38:00.000-07:00Good article. Like Jójó, I believe Linux needs an ...Good article. Like Jójó, I believe Linux needs an identity. But I also think it's too much to ask for volunteer hackers and coders to come up with it, or good usability testing for that matter too. Linux seems to be doomed to "good enough" status for some users (techies) forever. <br /><br />My laptop does not pose much of a challenge for Linux anymore - everything works out of the box, but yes post install there is still a lot of work to do.<br /><br />I upgraded to Jaunty at work (we're a Linux shop and I couldn't resist the big "Upgrade now" button) but recently downgraded back to Intrepid since X.org performance with an Intel gfx board was terrible...<br /><br />About Skype, not sure it will work but try http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=49752<br /><br />And Jójó: it doesn't ship with an mp3 player, it ships with a music player - for many codecs, some of them out of the box like FLAC and OGG :DSardaukarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02455649283109163408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post-36104259645798094982009-05-18T03:52:00.000-07:002009-05-18T03:52:00.000-07:00Well, I pretty much think that the whole post just...Well, I pretty much think that the whole post just goes to show how clean and broad-visioned Windows XP really is :-D<br /><br />Seriously, I think that the Ubuntu guys have made some really good work here, but I still have the personal vision that the Linux desktop will only fly when it adopts a diferent desktop paradigm. By that I mean "not a windows clone". Until then, some other issues may be dealt with, and there is a lot of work to be done in other areas besides a paradigm shift in which inspiration could be drawn from other platforms. Namely:<br /><br />- Hardware support. Windows hardware support is simply incredible. Criticezed as they may be, the folks at Microsoft have made an incredible job maintaining backwards compatibility with older hardware - that is, until Vista came along, though I think these issues will be solved i n Windows 7 and Vista will be left off as a fluke pretty much like windows ME. The steps in this direction have been steady and very good. I'd say it's just a question of time.<br /><br />- Post-install configurations. Yes, you do have a serious point on this one. An OS today is not just an OS. It's a whole suite of applications, so it makes perfect sense that your computer should work in all senses when you finish installing the OS. By that I mean that when you finish installation, you should be able to play DVDs, MP3s, set up a Skype account and make a call, and view Flash videos, for instance. Not with custom configurations, but a default should be there in place so that it does what you expect, even if it's with no bells and whistles. It kind of reminds me of a time when Fedora removed MP3 support (you had t install it by hand) because of licensing issues - that's one major shot in the foot! Why would you have an MP3 player installed if the system can't play MP3s?!? In that area, it has a lot to learn from OS X. When I bought my first Mac, I popped in a DVD and it just PLAYED! It's somewhat ironic that I get amazed if the computer does what it's actually supposed to do! I kinda likt to setup a whole machine from the beginning and solve problems after the instalations. It's kind of fun. The average user doesn't find it fun. The "It just works!" approach should be something to strive for.<br /><br />- Pre-installed based. This is a battle that has to be won. The eeePC has shown that people will use Linux if it comes pre-installed - albeit in a heavily modified enviroment, but still, they'll use it. It will be interesting to see what added value the desktop Linux can provide the hardware vendors so that it can be a compelling argument. The Dell thing is good, but not enough.<br /><br />Still, I think there needs to be a paradigm shift. People don't use OS X because it's like Windows :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03533752744077665922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2672427473119923109.post-73892337501929546472009-05-18T03:16:00.000-07:002009-05-18T03:16:00.000-07:00Hi Marco,
Like the article. I am an Ubuntu user s...Hi Marco,<br /><br />Like the article. I am an Ubuntu user since Feisty so am much newer than you but i love it. <br /><br />One use i have had for a Live CD is where i had a defective hard drive, i changed the bios to boot from cd first then i could still do my work, browsing etc until a replacement drive arrived. I also go into live cd mode when i am doing and logging in to bank websites so there is not trace left on the pc when i re-boot.Very handy.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Davecoxyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10037119975142332301noreply@blogger.com