[Novalug] "Downgrading" Ubuntu release?

Bonnie Dalzell bdalzell@qis.net
Mon Mar 24 12:06:52 EDT 2014


On Mon, 24 Mar 2014, John Franklin wrote:

> You may prefer Linux Mint.  It's Ubuntu with a Gnome Classic shell, plus 
> a few frills.  It may have the hardware support you're looking for.
>
> I don't like Unity, either, and Ubuntu's Gnome 3 implementation is 
> subpar, even by Gnome 3 standards.  Ubuntu is still my server distro of 
> choice (with RedHat / CentOS a close second), but I don't see myself 
> using it anymore on the desktop.
>
> The other other option is to look for a kernel PPA or create one 
> yourself.

When they came out with Gnome 3 I tried Linux Mint but I could not get 
WINE to install on it that is why I also tried Xubuntu. With a little 
tweaking xfce GUI looks pretty much like my old Ubuntu Gnome GUI and 
programs that typically run under Gnome will run with an Xfce front end.


>
> jf
>
> On Mar 24, 2014, at 11:46 AM, Ed James <edward.james@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm not wedded to any particular distro because folks are always changing stuff, or taking a distro in "interesting directions".  I was pretty happy with FC4/6, but they were starting to get a bit "old".  Ubuntu just sort of looked like something worth trying.  I seem to recall picking it partly for support for a HDTV tuner card that didn't work with my old distros.
>>
>> I also have no trouble (never had any) in adapting to new situations and circumstances.  And ya, I find Unity annoying.  Gnome was a joy to work with.  Still, as long as a system does everything I want it to, and has no major issues or vulnerabilities, I'm down with it.
>>
>> The 12.10 was a mistake on my part - I went back to 12.04. And I boned up on Ubuntu lore with the intention of not making more such mistakes.  It was an "interesting" learning experience. As for debugging graphics, that's akin to putting one's hand in a meat grinder.  It might seem novel the first time, but it wears thin real fast. :P
>>
>> I have no experience with Debian.  I know *of* it, but never actually used it, and it's certainly a future possibility.
>>
>> EJ
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 11:26 AM, Derek LaHousse <dlahouss@mtu.edu> wrote:
>> So, previously I presented the choice of Ubuntu as "the" problem in a
>> joking manner.  But Canonical is taking Ubuntu in, shall we say,
>> interesting directions.  They don't have a target of supporting old
>> hardware, and their breaks with the past cause issues like "I hate
>> Unity", or "my video is bork."  So, seriously, are you wedded to
>> Ubuntu for ancient hardware?  Do you have reasons to prefer it over a
>> distro that is viewed as more stable, with comparable long-term
>> support and more development.  Such as Debian?
>> If you are wedded to Ubuntu, why bother to use 12.10 which is broken
>> over 12.04 which you've said is not?  Do you enjoy debugging your
>> graphics?  Perfectly fine if you do.
>>
>> I know of no way to run dist-upgrade in reverse.
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 11:04 AM, Ed James <edward.james@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> It's kind of sad (to me, as least), that hardware seems to outlast software
>>> so often, especially when the hardware does what I need/want it to.  I agree
>>> that half of the problems stem from dropped functionality.  In one case,
>>> Ubuntu 12.04 -> 12.10 dropped "stuff".  However, 12.04 LTS is good for
>>> another few years (12.10 for another month).  So my big question is, am I
>>> good enough to geek-out and restore functionality?  "Fixing" 12.10/13.10
>>> might provide an interesting exercise.  I consider this basically being able
>>> to pick and choose components and "glue" them together properly. Time will
>>> tell.
>>>
>>> The demanding interface is a different (but just as real) issue.  I think
>>> that part of the answer here is picking the right tool for the right job,
>>> such as a lighter-weight distro for wimpier boxen, which includes gadgets
>>> like Raspberry Pi and Arduino (neither of which have made it to my workbench
>>> yet).  To this end, I expect to code more "stuff" myself, like the C++/xlib
>>> applications I've been doing.  My goal is to get my skills to the Desktop
>>> Manager level.  Ya, it won't be pretty, but if it works, glee will ensue.
>>>
>>> EJ
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 9:51 AM, -- Roger <RogerB@bronord.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> It was suggested to go with Xubuntu to solve Ed's problem. I think that is
>>>> a head-beating-on-wall exercise. I believe it's not a problem of a demanding
>>>> interface but a lack of core functionality missing from / dropped in newer
>>>> versions. Based on personal experience / frustration. I've even seen ubuntu
>>>> run live from CD, only to fail me after install - flakey mouse, screens like
>>>> test patterns from the 50s gone bad, etc.
>>>> ...
>>>
>>>
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                        Bonnie Dalzell, MA
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