Analysis Ubuntu 8.10
Analysis of UBUNTU 8.10
Canonical has just released a few days ago the new version of its popular Ubuntu operating system on two fronts, server and desktop.
We get in the version Ubuntu 8.10 just 6 months after we delight in the 8.04.1.
You can download the Ubuntu 8.10 analysis pdf
There are few list of changes that appear to the newcomer for the user but not too visible.
This time we want to try the desktop version to be the most known and used and the most profitable for our homes and / or companies.
I leave a list of the most significant changes that can be found in the new version over the previous one.
After the team of Tod-os.es make a small analysis of it to share with you our views and with some minor problem we encountered.
New features in Ubuntu 8.10
Ubuntu 8.10 ships with respect to the previous version:
Gnome 2.24: with tons of bug fixes and new features such as:
Nautilus file manager now supports tabs and buttons, "eject" removable media in the sidebar.
File Roller: Compressed file manager now supports ALZ format, RZIP, CAB, TAR.7Z
More information on the project website www.gnome.org
Xorg 7.4
This latest version offers better support for devices "hot" as tablets, keyboards, etc.. At the same time allowing most users to work without a configuration file (xorg.conf). A new graphical in Safe Mode, help resolve problems with the graphical server.
Kernel 2.6.27
The appearance of this latest kernel gives us a substantial improvement in the hardware recognition and correction of numerous errors. We can find details of all changes in www.kernel.org
"Encrypted private directory" or Encrypted private directory:
Ecryptfs-utils package has been introduced in Ubuntu "main" allowing us to have an encrypted folder in your home directory.
Guest session and guest session:
The button for fast user switching now provides us with an extra entry called "guest" or guest. This function creates a temporary account with no password and no privileges. This account can not access any personal space of others, nor permanently store information. That is, an account will be volatile perfect to let someone use your computer temporarily.
Network Manager or Network Manager:
In version 0.7 we can find a list of changes to be expected for some time, management of multiple devices simultaneously, device management and 3G connections, managing network paths, etc..
DKMS:
This technology will allow us when we install a new kernel image, do not need the reconstruction of preventing further that drivers are outdated.
Samba 3.2:
Includes a lot of improvements like ipv6 support, better integration with the latest versions client / server Windows, etc..
Totem BBC plugin:
The Totem media player now includes a plugin to play all kinds of free content hosted by the BBC.
UFW:
The setup of the firewall (iptables) now recognizes the name of certain applications associated with network configuration, so that we can refer to them when to allow or deny its operation, ie: ufw allow <service>
In addition to these improvements we can find many changes facing Ubuntu virtualization with Xen, JeOS, etc, especially in the server version. In this new version of Ubuntu, Canonical has included a software that allows you to dump an iso image of the system to a usb pen can install from a usb.
You can find more information about changes in the Ubuntu web site: www.ubuntu.com
INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING
When installing the new Ubuntu will notice hardly any change from the previous ones, except for a couple of details such as graphic display scheme you want to configure hard disk for installation.
And a tab that has been included in the user creation screen to allow automatic entry of the user in question:
As mentioned the rest of the system has hardly changed.
For people who do not know can say that is one of the simpler, with fewer questions to user and faster considering that in a fairly modern pc in 20, 25 or 30 minutes we installed a complete operating system with applications that will allow us to make many of the most common tasks like browsing, using email, listening to music, burn cds / dvds, photo editing, video conferencing, using removable media, performing any office, handling all types of archives and much more.
While it is true that to enjoy our films we install the necessary codecs and flash plugin for firefox, I can guarantee task is done with a few clicks and in about 3 minutes, thus leaving a system ready to work . In general we can say that the installation and commissioning of the Ubuntu 8.10 has not changed only with respect to the preceding already is excellent. Perhaps we will see in next versions the ability to work very easily with LVMS and RAID configurations, including both equipped with encryption.
FIRST START SYSTEM AND GENERAL USABILITY
We also found no excess in this respect changes from the previous version. It provides a different wallpaper for the input schema of Gdm (session manager) as well as desktop background. The menus are the same as we used to see in Gnome and Ubuntu 8.04.1.
Speaking of news, we can find a new program under the administration menu that lets you create an installable image to a usb pen from an image "iso":
As shown allow us to reserve a space to store data permanently on the stick if we want to use it as a livecd.
Other new features for the user can see them on the network connection manager. The new manager brings many changes, moreover necessary, as in the previous version did not allow us excessive configurations, now we find is stopped by ethernet, wifi, mobile broadband, vpn and dsl:
Editing the ethernet device allows much greater control than before, including a module for encryption (802.1x) certainly interesting:
For all other connections have plenty of options available to us even a wizard to configure our wireless connectivity devices. No doubt the network manager was a very necessary and Canonical has apparently hit the mark, hopefully working as expected since in our facility we had to enter the data again and again in both interfaces (eth0 and eth1) as there values were maintained after the closure of the operator, preventing us from achieving network communication. Now it is running without problem, know why that detail could be produced initially.
I find it very interesting also the inclusion of a configuration for VPNs, making it clear that Ubuntu is not only concerned but the usability of the system security. In future articles of this distribution, and once the editors have tried, we discuss the reliability and convenience of the transmission system in general and specifically with respect to VPNs.
Canonical indicates that there is possibility to use an encrypted directory on the new version of Ubuntu, but if we want this functionality to install the package ecryptfs-utils that are simply the tools to manage a deployment of encryption that is found in the kernels from the version 2.6.19.
After installing this program (from synaptic btw) execute the command ecryptfs-setup-private that we ask in the first instance our system password, and then we asked for a password for encryption.
Finally we run mount.ecryptfs_private and theoretically get a directory named. Private (note the starting point, making it hidden) that things will supposedly encrypted.
Anyway the package ecryptfs is more likely since it consists of several tools if we want to change something the functionality you provided Ubuntu.
Another interesting new points is to create a guest account or "guest". From the user picker applet, clicking on "guest" will open another session identical to the graph we are using, without asking password or no data at higher. This new session will create a temporary user in our system (all automatically) will login to the graphical session previously opened and you can use the unprivileged, with ability to store data temporarily, until the completion of this session, time when the account is deleted, and all files and changes the user may have made will be lost forever. A perfect score for your computer temporarily pay someone to perform a quick or casual work.
Are more changes in the pipeline but improvements are treated internally, nothing we can observe with 3 clicks 
OVERVIEW AND PERSONAL OPINION
It is clear that Canonical is and has been making considerable efforts to provide the finest product possible, be seen in many small details that make the experience of using Ubuntu is different from other distributions that are offering much longer in the picture computer.
How do you explain but has superseded, in terms of number of users, as well known and developed distributions like Mandriva, OpenSUSE, Fedora, direct competitors by user type so quickly?
From my point of view this result is precisely the result of taking care of small details that we can put very little fault with the overall functionality and stability of Ubuntu, and in many cases small details that just stupid and annoying to the user by not allowing him to perform with confidence and common operations as simple as using certain USB devices, use options such as suspension or hibernation, or simply to share folders on our network with few mouse clicks.
Ubuntu now is focused on users who want to stop using Windows not be crazy to go back to users who want to have two systems for walking fingering or knowing more, and I dare say that for users who do not want to deal with configurations anything to have a fully functional within 30 minutes, after all how comfortable we all love. I think if Canonical is in this line, listening to users, fixing small differences that may have the system and providing solutions to the demanding standard user desktop has enough future ahead. Decisions will like some and dislike others, but it comes to evaluating the product as a whole, as a whole.
My personal experience is now about 2 months working almost daily with version 8.04.1 on a Dell Inspiron 6400 and about 3 months with the same version in about 50 desktop PC's with varying hardware. Regarding the laptop would only ask that the LED to light up wifi when connected to a wireless network and when the lower energy saving lighting lcd, to restore that back to the stop light in exactly the same intensity as now is a little darker than it was. As you can see we are talking about things that affect virtually nothing to the usability and stability.
The rest has gone all naturally: card reader, wifi, laptop external buttons, touchpad with their "scrolls", sleep function, etc..
I find it fascinating install in 19 minutes (the time it took me install the system since it started the cd until you restarted the pc at the end of the process) operating system with all the added software that allows us to make 99% of the work most common, with all the hardware properly configured and ready for use without being well almost every free man, free and therefore legal to finish.
I have not thoroughly analyzed the system yet, although I've done a few tests to seek the tickling and troubleshoot usability, and the result is really impressive. Things just worked. Obviously Ubuntu is not a panacea, there are things that need to be polished, airbrushed, or simply changed, but I think a system with more features than initially appears (the Policy Editor, I refer to the session server options Gdm, etc ...) In particular I'm not convinced that some applications suffer from functionality including leaving take the usability in some areas. Anyway package repositories are quite large, allowing ease any specific need that is not covered with the installation.
Speaking a little more now than the new version:
There has been an interesting list of changes, perhaps not much for the user but in the background. People who have problems with a particular device may find the new kernel 2.6.27 the solution to their problems. He also mentioned that users have had problems with the management of wireless networks (not my case) the inclusion of the new version of Networkmanager could give them a way out. In general terms I find little difference in using Ubunu 8.10 and the previous one.
I have not quantified stopwatch in hand, but gives the impression that the new version starts up faster, even applications like Firefox or Gimp also seem to take less to run. However, the latest version (remember that it is not LTS) I have not worked as successfully as its predecessor. I have found in "clean" installations with frosted windows, a fact almost unheard of for me in 8.04.1, with access repositories and download very slow (presumably by the load), any problems installing proprietary drivers for video, and other details . Overall experience with version 8.10 has not been as satisfactory as with 8.04.1, even when upgrading to the new system, I found a few things broken, as the applet network configuration manager, the fund screen and other details while not unduly affect the usability, left no sense at all satisfactory.
Some users may have found comfort, stability or friendly product on Ubuntu, and being particularly diehard user Gentoo, Ubuntu has satisfied me pleasantly, by its very fast installation with no difficulty, for general usability is achieved with the default installation , because things just work (at least to me), because it shows that many details have been careful, and that user-level stability is notorious. Finally I would like to make a list of pros and cons that I find the system. A priori only recommend upgrading to the new version if we need it because of problems with some hardware, or who want to have certain specific versions of software installed. For those who have a perfectly operational 8.04.1 (with its hit or not) I think it's best to wait until the next LTS version which I will provide a degree of finesse that I have not found the Intrepid Ibex.
I leave you a summary of pros and cons that are interesting in their personal capacity:
PROS:
- In general the installation of both versions is very fast and without any complications.
- The system once installed you have configured all the hardware probably fine, without having to do anything.
- The system provides software tools for general and more than enough for a standard desktop user.
- The user will find a wealth of software available in the repositories.
Most of the operations we want to do are simplified to the maximum, from burning a DVD, to create a user to share a folder with Samba will be a matter of few clicks.
The ability to perform the updates automatically and quiet is welcome.
The effortless installation of video drivers for Nvidia cards and AMD-Ati allowed to carry some power to the desktop and other applications.
The theme (theme) provided by Canonical for Gnome gives a nice look while providing an appearance of solidity.
It has been suggested also in more advanced users who want to use tools such as client "terminal server", publisher policy, enable remote access to graphical server, use Evolution in an Exchange environment, the encryption key ring, etc..
We can find almost all the system translated perfectly to the people that English is a barrier to them.
They provide much help files, also translated.
For a distribution of "automatic" use of resources is curiously content, although the response and power are not the protagonists, even with Compiz enabled and heavy applications open with 512 megs of ram should not have too much problem.
The fact that every 6 months out versions "new" aspect gives continuity, concern about the developers and seriousness to Canonical, also maintains the illusion of users.
We have lot of information online, if we have problems we can consult the help guides, wikis or pages of third sure we will do any good.
The fact that it is distributed primarily in a cd image of it that can be installed on many machines.
Now we can also install from a usb pen.
Canonical makes a great effort to provide its product to the majority of possible platforms, with versions for desktop versions servants, mini versions for dumb terminals, etc..
The versions of almost all the software you want to use are fairly current.
As soon as we find with extensions that are not associated program will be easy and work with compressed files, images, pdf documents or music in various formats.
The installation of accessories such as video codecs, audio and plugins for the browser are a matter of few clicks and even fewer minutes.
CONS:
During installation I have not seen an option that would allow me to install the distribution in space is already installed before, always suggests changes to the partitions or use the manual partitioning.
During installation it might be a good idea t he user could interact more.
Select packets that do not want to install or vice versa, any chance of working with LVMS, RAIDS, partition encryption, etc..
I do not understand why or what advantages is the fact of not having a root password for when you have to perform various management operations instead of typing "sudo" before each command, in addition to having to be getting the password user over and over again in different tasks that require it.
The performance in general terms does not feel to be anything high, especially the answer, but the resource consumption is moderate.
It gives me the impression that the software chosen is the best that could be incorporated, such as KDE user until recently I can not propose alternatives I know, but some software like F-spot or Rythmbox, to name some I think not even remotely comply with the mandate expected, I think that is simply useless.
There is another software that lacks much functionality as Brasero and Totem, though the work they have to play it well.
It is strange that l was not included in version 3.0 of Openoffice at 8.10, as not being LTS if there are problems with the office suite could be arranged for the next version of Ubuntu or via corresponding patch.
Maybe it was also necessary more tools for the user and improve existing ones.
The fact that there are internal changes is perfect if they bear the distribution better, but sometimes these improvements are invisible to users.
To conclude that surely we can all make this list of pros and cons largest independently to me what is clear is that Ubuntu has been unmarked so brutal in a very short time, there remains much room for improvement as always, but by day Today I think the best desktop alternative for those who want to live with Linux every day, a breath of fresh air as we have been seeing in recent years and that for some reason has not reached our desks so clearly.
Greetings to all readers of Tod-OS .
Tira Ecol
Translator
