Ubuntu - Linux for sissies? - Page 2

~~DudeBoyz~~ · Mar 7, 2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIV@NVX

Not for everybody. I *absolutely*hate* OS X (someone told me it's because I expected it to be better Unix than Linux, which is not).

Never actually interacted with someone who said they HATE OS X. Wacky.

Malus · Mar 8, 2007, 01:56 AM

I'm pretty sure you can just "sudo passwd" to create a root password and allow for logins using su under Ubuntu (well, it worked on my Dad's Ubuntu install anyway). It defeats the purpose of using sudo though.

I don't think Apple will ever release OSX for generic computers, unless they substantially raise the price of the operating system in order to recoup the losses from the lack of hardware sales.

I recommend Ubuntu to people who want to get into *nix, but I wouldn't use it myself. I only run BSD derivatives on my machines. Right now, I am using FreeBSD on everything, though I also like OpenBSD and DragonFlyBSD. NetBSD is ok, but it does not have any compelling features (yet) over the other BSD's (at least for me).

~~DudeBoyz~~ · Mar 22, 2007, 09:34 AM

Found out finally how to login as ROOT with admin privledges in Ubuntu. I downloaded the 1.3 Ultimate version and got it installed and working under Parallels by specifying a 2.6 distro option during setup.

Anyway, as folks may know, Ubuntu does NOT allow you to login as ROOT by default. They don't want you to mess with anything (for your own good, I guess). BUT, I found through some google searching that there is a way to do it. Here it is quoted verbatim from the page I found:

First Go to gnome start menu and go to system-->Administration-->User and Groups

There search for the user "root". U will find it. After choosing root, click on "properties" and change the password to something u want. there will be a system generated random root password which you have to erase and set a new one of your choice. once you are done come out of that and close all windows.

THEN, again from start menu go to System --> Administration --> Login Screen Setup.

There go to the "security" tab and CHECK "allow root to login with GDM". There u are all set!!!! close all windows and log out of GNOME and on to GDM\
type root, root's password that u had set and ENJOY!

Why would you want to login as ROOT? So you can edit the XORG.CONF file to enable resolutions your monitor supports but Ubuntu doesn't want you to use.

Anyway, wanted to share that. Was not sure if I should put it in a dedicated thread or not, but if I put it here I still hope it will come up in searches via some key words:

ubuntu login as root
ubuntu login root
root login ubuntu

Hope that does it.

DarkFoss · Mar 25, 2007, 09:54 PM

Ubuntu is not the only distro Mandriva does as well it's really a safety feature so beginners do not start cruising around the web as root and worse.
To disable it in Mandriva it different because it's kde based :

Open /etc/kde/kdm/kdmrc in a text editor.
Find: AllowRootLogin=false
Change it to: AllowRootLogin=true

I don't bother anymore I just open a terminal type su enter my root password at the prompt then type konqueror and cruise around changing what I need also any apps you launch by right-clicking will also have root privledges.. If I happen to be in Gnome I do the same but type nautilus instead..

H3X4D3C1M4L · Mar 26, 2007, 12:50 AM

Generally you're not supposed to run around doing anything in root but administrative tasks.

Mainly Ubuntu does this to prevent novices from malfing everything up

Which even experts do by accident, I've messed things up running as root when I could have just gotten a nice permission denied message and saved the day had I been running as a user

DarkFoss · Mar 26, 2007, 10:09 PM

Hahah I've wrecked a couple installs myself..and will probably mess a few more while I'm still learning.. I do keep a seperate /data partition as well as a great live dvd on hand
incase I do something really unfortunate

Mousey · Mar 28, 2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DudeBoyz

Suse is probably the best of the free distros - covers the line from relative n00b to command-line geek.

Xandros is one of the most idiot proof.

OS X beats them all.

If Apple would release OS X to run on Intel machines, I have a feeling the thing would just totally take over the alternative desktop market.

i've got OSX on my other hdd but i hate the way everything is so fucked up,
i plug my usb speedtouch modem into my front or back usb ports and it displays red,
which is os related i think...

"Everything just works on mac" yeah, for lazy people that put the cd in and wait, you can't CHANGE anything

GutterPunk · Mar 29, 2007, 07:10 AM

MC is a freakin awesome game

Beyond that Ubuntu isn't all that bad. You can go pretty deep with hacks in it.
OSX, you get just as many friggen errors if not more than I get with my windows based PC. Wanna know why? Because I really haven't gotten many errors at all. We have to service mac books and people want to put windows on them because they hate osx. So we boot camp, install XP and all is well.

GutterPunk · Mar 29, 2007, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H3X4D3C1M4L

http://consumer.hardocp.com/article....xoY29uc3VtZXI=

This is a good arcticle on the subject

Have they not seen the prices of a mac book pro? too much hardware for windows vista? $2800 for a mac book pro or $900 for a laptop that can run vista home premium w/o a problem. lawl? That is just a comment from the opening statement. People who complain that vista takes too much hardware. I am sorry but Mac uses a lot of hardware, its not cheap, and if you wanna upgrade from 10.3 to 10.4 its going to cost you additional money over what you already paid for 10.3. To me it sounds like a patch more than a full version upgrade. Also after putting windows on them, it seems windows runs on the mac so much faster than osx. Meh I am disgusted. The rest of the read is alright though

.

H3X4D3C1M4L · Apr 8, 2007, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GutterPunk

Have they not seen the prices of a mac book pro? too much hardware for windows vista? $2800 for a mac book pro or $900 for a laptop that can run vista home premium w/o a problem. lawl? That is just a comment from the opening statement. People who complain that vista takes too much hardware. I am sorry but Mac uses a lot of hardware, its not cheap, and if you wanna upgrade from 10.3 to 10.4 its going to cost you additional money over what you already paid for 10.3. To me it sounds like a patch more than a full version upgrade. Also after putting windows on them, it seems windows runs on the mac so much faster than osx. Meh I am disgusted. The rest of the read is alright though

.

I tend to agree but myself... I see putting Windows on a machine as crippling it. If game developers wouldn't insist on using Direct3D and started using OpenGL.... we'd be able to use Linux as a viable true alternative operating system. But MS has its roots so far in there, its hopeless

Thankfully there are projects like Cedega to mitigate the problem

~~DudeBoyz~~ · Apr 8, 2007, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mousey

"Everything just works on mac" yeah, for lazy people that put the cd in and wait, you can't CHANGE anything

That's just flat out not true. You can change a ton of things on the Mac with OS X, and you can boot in single-user command line mode and tweak it just like you can Unix.

I totally agree though that Mac Hardware is way, way too expensive.

But, at a total cost of $129 per release, OS X is a bargain compared to Vista.

On OS X, a single point release, like 10.4 to 10.5 is a MAJOR release. It's worth $129, especially since you can buy a 5 pack family license for $199 total, I believe, or something close to that.

Ubuntu - by the way. How do you upgrade the built-in version of Open Office 2 to the latest version (2.2)? Their packet thing doesn't seem to do that, at least not that I can figure out.

Thanks

GutterPunk · Apr 10, 2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DudeBoyz

That's just flat out not true. You can change a ton of things on the Mac with OS X, and you can boot in single-user command line mode and tweak it just like you can Unix.

I totally agree though that Mac Hardware is way, way too expensive.

But, at a total cost of $129 per release, OS X is a bargain compared to Vista.

On OS X, a single point release, like 10.4 to 10.5 is a MAJOR release. It's worth $129, especially since you can buy a 5 pack family license for $199 total, I believe, or something close to that.

Ubuntu - by the way. How do you upgrade the built-in version of Open Office 2 to the latest version (2.2)? Their packet thing doesn't seem to do that, at least not that I can figure out.

Thanks

The problem is though, if you started with early osx and you pay throughout, then you pay just as much if not more than vista.

I do find it nice that an OS will use my nice hardware for once.

g35x · Oct 2, 2007, 02:49 PM

I woulden't say its for sissies, it means that linux is evolving and becoming easier to use and more mainstream- which is what we want, right?

I mean, I've been trying to get started with gentoo linux but have been running into many problems, if I can't figure them out soon, im problably going to go try ubuntu out. (gentoo gives me errors before i even get it installed

)

PangingJr · Oct 2, 2007, 03:45 PM

Ubuntu - Linux for sissies?

lol. how could i counter something like that? and that does not sound like too many people think like that either.
i personally think Ubuntu is a good linux distribution for desktop use, it has one of the biggest and strong support amongst users.

MrCoo · Oct 3, 2007, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DudeBoyz

What is up with Ubuntu? It has to be the cheesiest Linux distro out there.

Not only is it way over-simplified, but by default they don't let you log in as root or SU to root so you can do some hardcore editing of things like the xorg.conf file. You have to jump through some hoops to get any sort of admin rights. Kinda lame if you ask me.

That is true, that sucks, but I like it (Especially Ubuntu 7.04) because it has great wireless card support ( at least 4 mine ). Linux DSL, SLAX, and Knoppix are horrible with wireless cards.

Are there any distro's out there that have good support for wireless cards?