[sclug] sclug Digest, Vol 73, Issue 5

[Neil Haughton]

>
>
> A general issue with Ubuntu for me is that they are doing a lot of things
> in
> a 'new' way. ...
>



> --
> Pieter Claassen
> musmato.com
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Ed Davies <sclug at edavies.nildram.co.uk>
> To: sclug at sclug.org.uk
> Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:47:52 +0000
> Subject: Re: [sclug] Ubuntu issues
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> Pieter Claassen wrote:
> > ... For example, network configuration is done using a
> > NetworkManager(?) and even though /etc/network/interfaces still works.
> Using
> > it stops NetworkManager from doing its job properly and consequently you
> > have issues like dns not always working (/etc/resolv.conf empty) and no
> > obvious way to configure it etc.
>
> I agree with your general sentiment.  It's hard enough to figure out
> what's going on when there's only one layer involved but nearly
> impossible when there are multiple layers interacting in non-obvious
> ways.
>
>
> I suppose there's no point in griping about it, but I agree. And little
documentation about the important changes either. As fast as I learn how to
do things, Canonical seem to introduce some 'new' layer that turns
everything on top of its head. For example my printer used to be at
/dev/usb/lp0, and was easy to track down after a little thought. Now there's
some whole new usb system in place which has so far defeated me - I haven't
a clue which device file represents the printer. The old 'Hardware Manager'
tool has been removed and AFAIK not replaced, so I can't even fall back on
that for help. IDE drives used to be simple, the classic hda, hdb etc. Now
there's some scsii interface in the way so they are sda, sdb etc. That's no
big deal (once the penny's dropped) but the scsii layer apparently breaks
'older' CD drives if they don't have the 'right' cable. The point,
Canonical, being what?

And so it goes on. I'll give Windows one thing (and only this one thing,
mind you) - it's somewhat more consistent in the way you do things. Even
with MS's rampant upgrade treadwheel, new things come in but old things
don't seem to change much.

Oh well, perhaps 8.04 will get me back to a system I can just, erm, use.

Neil.