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Ubuntu Makes Public Desktop Metrics (ubuntu.com)

Canonical introduced Ubuntu Hardware/Software Survey in Ubuntu 18.04 and has since been collecting data (it is optional, and users' consent is taken; Ubuntu says 67 percent users opted in to the survey). Now for the first time, it is revealing the stats, shedding light on how Ubuntu users like things around. The takeaways from the result: Installation Duration: The average install of Ubuntu Desktop takes 18 minutes. Some machines out there can install a full desktop in less than 8 minutes!
Installer Options: Another interesting fact is that the newly introduced Minimum Install option is being used by a little over 15% of our users. This is a brand new option but is already attracting a considerable fanbase.
CPU Count: A single CPU is most common, and this is not very surprising. We haven't broken this down to cores but is something we will look in to.
Disk Partitioning Schemes: Most people choose to wipe their disks and reinstall from scratch. The second most common option is a custom partition table.
Display: Full HD (1080p) is the most popular screen resolution, followed by 1366 x 768, a common laptop resolution. HiDPI and 4k are not yet commonplace.

132 comments

  1. Custom install by craighansen · · Score: 1

    I'd be doing a custom install to have more swap space if it wasn't such a chore to do it manually.

    1. Re:Custom install by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you can make a swap file if you need more space then the auto provisioned partition... or just buy enough ram to meet your memory needs

    2. Re:Custom install by Thelasko · · Score: 1

      I haven't found it to be a chore. There's a nice GUI and everything. I even setup my system to have a separate /home partition so I can switch to any distro I want without touching my data.

      --
      One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    3. Re:Custom install by Boern1138 · · Score: 1

      For me it's the other way around. Why do I need a swap partition? I'd rather use a swapmanager, like swapspace, which only creates a swap file when I need it.

    4. Re:Custom install by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I'd be doing a custom install to have more swap space

      Can I ask why? What's the point of extra swap space unless you're running Ubuntu on a potato?

    5. Re:Custom install by r_naked · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'd be doing a custom install to have more swap space

      Can I ask why? What's the point of extra swap space unless you're running Ubuntu on a potato?

      I don't know about the OP, but I like being able to hibernate...

      --
      -- http://anonet.org -- The internet the way it was meant to be. Check it out, you may be surprised.
    6. Re:Custom install by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I don't know about the OP, but I like being able to hibernate...

      Yeah which would be achieved by the default. No need for any custom install there.

    7. Re:Custom install by r_naked · · Score: 1

      I don't know about the OP, but I like being able to hibernate...

      Yeah which would be achieved by the default. No need for any custom install there.

      So 16gigs is going to hibernate on a 900meg swap partition? Now THAT is some compression.

      A fresh, default install of 18.04 gives me a 900meg swap partition.

      --
      -- http://anonet.org -- The internet the way it was meant to be. Check it out, you may be surprised.
    8. Re:Custom install by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bullshit. Ubuntu no longer uses fixed-size swap partitions, it uses variable-size swap files.

    9. Re:Custom install by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      So 16gigs is going to hibernate on a 900meg swap partition? Now THAT is some compression.

      Maybe you should file a bug report. The default Ubuntu full disk partition scheme creates a swap partition identical to the amount of RAM.

    10. Re:Custom install by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To hide a volume by marking it in the partition table as swap space, but never mounting it as swap. Encrypted swap looks just like encrypted ext4. As a bonus, you can put the uuid in your fstab and give it a mount point of /media/usb0 or whatever, so you can claim it was a long discarded USB drive, if they happen to do a forensic examination and see a cp or mv in your bash history. Shame it's come to this, to maintain privacy in the face of Authority.

  2. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, so Ubuntu has more voluntary users than Windows 10.

  3. Kubuntu ROCKS (yes, penguinized now, finally) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    See subject: It's FINALLY gotten to where I prefer it over Windows (@ least 10, 7 I still like) due to excellence in dev tools (FreePascal + Lazarus IDE 1.82 = awesome) which is REALLY all I need.

    I have one of those system noted that installed FAST (little longer than they said for me, maybe 20 minutes or so iirc) by using MINIMAL installation choice (installing other things via DISCOVER later (really nice GUI front))!

    I tried Linux in 94 (Slackware 1.02) - lousy hardware support/weak in software available (it was only a baby then though). Then Redhat 1999 (better on hardware but still weak (software too & quality of it)). Then 2010 on Kubuntu 10.10 (THEN, I was like "it's close now but no cigar").

    HOWEVER 18.04 + patches = excellent...

    I mean it: I really, Really, REALLY like it (over Windows of any kind now & BSD (both of which I have on other SSD/HDD here now & what am I running daily? Linux)).

    APK

    P.S.=> I didn't OPT-IN to that data collection BUT I am contributing to the effort of MAKING Linux even BETTER via creating a "1st of its KIND" program in GUI (afaik/afaict) in APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux (Blows away the Win32/64 model I did years before by FAR on tons of levels (speed/efficiency/features)) https://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12218352&cid=56765500/ & GUI is the FUTURE + "the FUTURE, is now"... apk

    1. Re:Kubuntu ROCKS (yes, penguinized now, finally) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      KDE is barely open source. That's a major problem.

    2. Re:Kubuntu ROCKS (yes, penguinized now, finally) by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

      KDE is barely open source. That's a major problem.

      How's that? There's a pretty long list of project repositories.

    3. Re:Kubuntu ROCKS (yes, penguinized now, finally) by higuita · · Score: 3, Informative

      >KDE is barely open source. That's a major problem.

      ?!?!
      are you from 1997?
      KDE is open source, in fact almost everything is GPL or GPL compatible... even QT today is GPL ... so yes, you might have time-travel !!

      --
      Higuita
  4. Bottle feeding by tepples · · Score: 4, Funny

    Number of people using it who have ever touched a boob: 0

    You have identified what appears to be a correlation between lack of breastfeeding and an interest in non-mainstream PC operating systems later in life. Correlation does not imply causation, but it does imply that someone ought to research the common cause.

    So what might be the common cause of the two? Is it parenting style? Some missing nutrient in infant formula? Some hereditary disability that leads to both failure to lactate and interest in information technology? A brief Google Search session dug up a demonstrated correlation between bottle feeding and autism, and elsewhere there is a correlation between highest-functioning (Asperger-type) autism and IT interest.

    1. Re: Bottle feeding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I found the virgin!!!!

    2. Re: Bottle feeding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This guy fucks!

    3. Re: Bottle feeding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fucking some std ridden skank from tinder without a chance of procreating is neither manly nor cool. but carry on if herpes is your thing

  5. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Short of certain AAA games that don't exist on any other platform, there really hasn't been a compelling reason to bother with WinDOS in a long time. It's simply no longer the "default necessary option". Those days have been over for awhile now.

    You can get over the Stockholm Syndrome now.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  6. Monitors by Thelasko · · Score: 2

    My monitor is about 12 years old. I've thought about buying a new 4k monitor, just because mine is old. This data really surprised me. I figured most people would have 4k monitors by now. (especially with all of the advertising Apple is doing about their Retina displays)

    Why is that? Reading some reviews online, a few people said 4k was unusable as a computer monitor because all of the icons became impossibly small. Is that true?

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    1. Re:Monitors by jmintha · · Score: 2

      I'm running kubuntu on my 4k 15" laptop. Most everything scales pretty well. Desktop/icons are fine, dialogs are good. You get the odd application that doesn't which can make some thing really tiny, but nothing I use regularily has a problem.

    2. Re:Monitors by guruevi · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, only shitty OS don't adjust for DPI. The main thing about 4K is that it's expensive. Everyone already has a 'flat screen'. I see it happen a lot that they buy a brand new computer but skimp on the display because they have one already. I'd also rather have a 1080p at 120Hz than a 4K at 30Hz which a lot of budget displays (and the HDMI connection itself) is limited to that. You need DisplayPort to drive a proper 4K@60 or 120.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    3. Re:Monitors by Boern1138 · · Score: 1

      4k support in Linux is very poor, unless you want to have everything be very tiny. There are some ways to get most of your system look quite nicely. But as soon as you add a second monitor without the high resolution everything falls apart. I'm currently running my shiny 4k screen at 1920x1080 because I have a second monitor at work that only goes that high. Wayland will hopefully make everything better.

    4. Re:Monitors by Early+Six+Digit+UID · · Score: 1

      Only if the OS or software don't support high DPI displays. Last year I was using Ubuntu in a VM on a Microsoft Surface Book (3000x2000 13" display) and everything worked fine. Debian? Not so much. Could be fixed by now though. I'm definitely ready for 8K to start becoming mainstream :P I do find it interesting that they didn't collect information on physical and logical cores. I don't really understand the value of only collecting information on number of populated sockets. I'm generally in the more information is better crowd, though I do wonder if business and government users and use cases are mostly absent from these results - I would imagine that most organizations wouldn't like metrics on their systems being given out even if they're anonymized.

    5. Re:Monitors by sconeu · · Score: 3, Informative

      I'm running Bionic on a Dell XPS 13 with a 3200x1800 screen.

      It's WAAAY to small, so I have my resolution set to standard HD (1920x1080).

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    6. Re:Monitors by greenwow · · Score: 1

      4k monitors really aren't that common. We have a Java app that customers run, and it simply doesn't work on 4k. The Java 8 runtime declared itself to be "DPI-aware" but didn't really supported it for AWT and Swing. Out of over a thousands customers using it (don't know how many individual users, but I would guess about 1,500), only one has a 4k monitor so far.

    7. Re:Monitors by ledow · · Score: 1

      Like the MP3 vs uncompressed debacle:

      The vast majority of people just can't tell the difference at any reasonable working distance.

      There's little point paying out for a 4K monitor.

      The software dpi etc. settings can be overcome by scaling the interface on any modern OS, but you're still filling four times as many pixels - which hits performance of the graphics - no matter what.

      I had a 17" laptop on my lap. I literally can't see a pixel even in the most basic of sans serif fonts. It's almost impossible to focus on the dot of an i or a period. Increasing my resolution won't benefit me in any way, will cost a ton of money, and will severely increase the demands on the graphics cards for any non-trivial purpose.

    8. Re:Monitors by bananaquackmoo · · Score: 1

      Untrue! Proper video cards and HDMI 2.0 will run 4k@60.

    9. Re: Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      X for life.

    10. Re:Monitors by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      My monitor is pretty old as well, I'm not giving up that 16:10 ratio.

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    11. Re:Monitors by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Why is that? Reading some reviews online, a few people said 4k was unusable as a computer monitor because all of the icons became impossibly small. Is that true?

      If you're still running Windows XP, or Ubuntu 6.04 then yes it is true.

    12. Re:Monitors by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      You need DisplayPort to drive a proper 4K@60 or 120.

      Hasn't DP been a default on pretty much every device for the past 5 years anyway, and if you're using a potato then why attach a 4K screen?

      Also HDMI 2.0 can do 4K@60Hz and and 2.1 can do 4K@120Hz. And for Display Port you need at least DP 1.3 which was released AFTER HDMI 2.0. So basically if your video card is less than 5 years old you're good to go.

    13. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My first monitor back in 1989 was 800x600 and could do 1024x768 if you dedicated enough memory for it. 30 years later, and most people are using “full HD”? ... a completely worthless resolution for a computer monitor, unless it’s the size of a smartphone.

      How are most Ubuntu users surviving with such awful monitors?

    14. Re: Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can pry my 10 year old, 24-inch, 1920x1200 pixel, IPS display from my cold, dead fingers.

      I really appreciate the additional 120 vertical lines of resolution.

    15. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My monitor is about 12 years old. I've thought about buying a new 4k monitor, just because mine is old. This data really surprised me. I figured most people would have 4k monitors by now. (especially with all of the advertising Apple is doing about their Retina displays)

      Why is that?

      Progress involves moving from one idea, practice, or technology to an improved on. Consumerism involves moving to a new one because consumerism. Apple's advertising is funded by consumerism.

      Reading some reviews online, a few people said 4k was unusable as a computer monitor because all of the icons became impossibly small. Is that true?

      As others have suggested, there's DPI scaling. That leads to the real question, why get a 4K monitor when you're just going to scale everything up by 2-2.5x? Why get a 4K monitor when GPUs today can't really render most 3D games at 4K@60FPS? It's going to cost you 2-3x as much for maybe slightly better clarity, presuming your OS renders correctly?

      Me? I still have a 17" LCD monitor that supports a max of 1280x1024 that I got at a garage sale. I plan to move up to 1080p maybe when I find something similar at garage sales? Honestly, though, I don't see the point of spending 10-20x as much for a minor improvement while having to deal with the headaches.

    16. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DP 1.2 supports 4K@60Hz, numbnuts.

      Many, perhaps even most, 4K screens currently selling have HDMI 1.4 on some or all of their HDMI inputs. Check carefully before buying if you intend to use any HDMI sources.

    17. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      HP still sells 16:10 screens if you want a new one.

    18. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm just using 43" 4k tv as monitor so I get best of all worlds: 4k resolution, no scaling problems and desktop real estate worth of 4 regular hdtv monitors.

    19. Re:Monitors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To make things readable, there are at least two options:

      1) scaling through xrandr, for ex:
      xrandr --output Virtual1 --scale 0.7x0.7 --fb 3840x2160
      Depending on your desktop environment (KDE, gnome, etc) you can do that with a mouse click in the display settings

      2) scaling the fonts, windows decorations, icons, etc. separately.
      This also depends on your desktop environment. With KDE, you can do that in systems settings: fonts, icons, application style - widget style -> window decorations -> border size, application style - gnome application style (for gtk based app)

      Option 2 will cover 99% of the things (some java JVM runtime still require their own settings from command line) but you can really optimize the space "lost" by the windows decoration and icons and pack more information/data on the same screen than, say, Windows.

    20. Re:Monitors by antdude · · Score: 1

      I bought a 22" 1080p HD monitor in the end of 2014 because my old 5:4 19" LCD monitor was having power issues. Same for HDTV since I didn't want to move the heavy Sharp 20" CRT TV to the new nest. Same for many other things. I just don't bother buying the (lat/new)est stuff anymore due to their high costs, bugginess, incompatibilities, etc. I'm old now. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    21. Re:Monitors by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      Yeah a few companies still sell 1920x1200 displays. What I really want is something like the old IBM T221 but new manufacture. Those did 3840x2400 resolution more than 15 years ago!

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    22. Re:Monitors by amorsen · · Score: 1

      A typical A4 PDF fullscreen in full HD on a 15" laptop screen is unreadable. The same A4 PDF on a 15" 2880 x 1800 laptop is very readable. Since laptops are widescreen anyway, you can even fit two A4 PDF pages side by side. I have no opinion on whether 4K is any better than 2880 x 1800, but full HD is bloody annoying. I am on a full HD laptop right now. Text is both jagged and blurry at the same time. I could disable subpixel rendering to make it purely jagged, but that just makes it even less readable.

      --
      Finally! A year of moderation! Ready for 2019?
  7. USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by tepples · · Score: 1

    or just buy enough ram to meet your memory needs

    And attach it to a laptop how? Some compact laptop models sold in 2018, such as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 series, max out at 4 GB of internal RAM. Would it be practical to buy a USB RAM drive for use as swap, /tmp, and bcache?

    1. Re:USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by guruevi · · Score: 3, Informative

      Using SSD (especially USB) as a swap drive/ram drive is ludicrously slow. Dell indeed still sells 3 and 4 generation old machines but you get what you pay for. If you need more RAM, don't buy those.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    2. Re:USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by tepples · · Score: 2

      Then which current-generation 11.6 inch laptops that take 8 GB or more RAM are good for running Ubuntu?

    3. Re:USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And attach it to a laptop how? Some compact laptop models sold in 2018, such as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 series, max out at 4 GB of internal RAM.

      Just three problems with that.

      1) Contrary to what you seem to believe, the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 isn't the only laptop available.

      2) The Dell Inspiron 11 3000 works fine with an 8GB memory module.

      3) You are a fucking moron.

    4. Re:USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't blindly believe official "maximum memory" specs from the manufacturers, they're typically lower than the real limit (probably to minimize support costs and discourage upgrading). Always cross check with third party research and chipset documentation for the actual amount of memory that can be installed in a particular system - don't let greedy corps mislead you.

    5. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by c6gunner · · Score: 2

      Using SSD (especially USB) as a swap drive/ram drive is ludicrously slow.

      How the hell is this marked informative? SSDs are way faster than spinning rust for swap. USB flash drives can be shit for it if you get a crappy one, but there are several thumb drives out there which have full on SSD controllers in them which makes them suitable as an alternative for an internal SSD (and, hence, also perform very well as swap drives).

      I'd love to see what metrics you're using to conclude they're "ludicrously slow".

    6. Re:USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to refurb and recycle PCs, so I handled a lot of these. Official specs are quite often based on what was available at launch, which could be tested on the device. It typically isn't long before higher capacity memory is available, but those newer chips are neither tested nor supported, despite working perfectly fine.

      It may be that there are higher capacity sticks available in the same form factor (at launch), but the latency, timings, voltage, or density (Rank 2 Memory) isn't compatible, and so the higher capacity modules won't work.

      Over the course of my career I've encountered very few machines for which I could not find a compatible spec stick of memory to expand the capacity beyond the stated limit, excluding the limit for the memory module's form factor. One of those is a desktop I am in the process of retiring.

    7. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All of them. But you knew that.

    8. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by tepples · · Score: 1

      No, I didn't know that. In the past, several laptops such as the ASUS T100TA and X205TA have had serious problems with X11/Linux. Basic hardware features lacked working drivers, such as Wi-Fi, audio, backlight brightness, and suspend. (Source; check its revision history)

    9. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by guruevi · · Score: 2

      Yes, SSDs are faster than spinning rust but you'll still notice your DDR4 RAM swapping to a device 20 times as slow. Using USB has a lot of overhead, it's an option but not at all advisable. If you're looking for a swap drive at least use the PCIe slot (which laptops have in place of PCMCIA these days)

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    10. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by guruevi · · Score: 1

      Welcome to the 21st century.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    11. Re: USB RAM once you max your laptop's RAM? by tepples · · Score: 1

      I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that. These particular laptop models were sold with Windows 8 and thus shipped on or after 2012, well within the 21st century.

  8. Number of users by darkain · · Score: 1

    How do they know the number of users if consent is required? If they said "don't participate", and Canonical KNOWS this, that means data was sent back to them regardless of consent!

    1. Re:Number of users by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Canonical said that opting out would send a signal as well, like "Installation occurred, consent for metrics not given". Which is fine.

    2. Re:Number of users by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      1. they know how many installs, even if they get no other data from them.

      2. they know how many of those that opt-in to the survey.

      3. math.

    3. Re:Number of users by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you also that Canonical knows when you install or update a package from one of its repositories? They also know whenever your system synchronizes the time from the internet. They also know if your system is set up to automatically submit crash reports from your system to its bug tracking site, launchpad.net. They probably know other things going on with your system that I haven't thought of as well.

  9. The desktop was a stupid analogy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not that the can't come up with even worse shells. Like any big mobile one.
    Where is the automatibility in those? You know ... the whole point of a computer.

  10. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Unless I want to earn a living LOL.

  11. The past wasn't better. Just "differently bad". by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But welcome to the past, NotLinux, err, I mean Ubuntu. :)

  12. Consent to security updates by tepples · · Score: 1

    My first guess is that Canonical has some way of estimating the number of users who consent to security updates from its repository but do not consent to the Hardware/Software Survey.

  13. Wow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ubuntu actually does a minimal installation now? Geez, that could help with the dependency hell if you require less libraries to run things. Ubuntu (very long ago, I admit, 2004 or so) was annoying in that it treated more libraries as mandatory than optional. Every bit of potential functionality had it's library or dependency there, whether or not it bloated your installation or was ultimately going to go unused.

    1. Re:Wow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Installing libraries is pretty much the obvious of dependency hell, and with few exceptions Debian and Ubuntu have not really had a history of dependency hell occurring. It was almost always Red Hat-based distros before repositories were widely available.

    2. Re:Wow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A minimal install Ubuntu just installs packages needed to load the OS and utilities. It doesn't load any desktops, or even X, IIRC. It's been around for a long time.

      >was annoying in that it treated more libraries as mandatory than optional

      That's because the default configuration of apt is to install additional packages that are listed as "Recommends:" to the packge you are originally installing.

      So if you are installing the package foo, apt will also install the package bar because its listed as a Recommends dependency for foo

      This is still the default behavior of apt. If you want minimal install of a desktop system, you'd do the minimal install and then in a terminal type
      # apt-get install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop (or whatever desktop you want)
      You'll have a minimal desktop install, but it'll be very deficient in functionality. You probably will spend a lot of time reinstalling specific packages just to install those skipped recommend packages that make the desktop installed packages work correctly.

    3. Re: Wow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually this news is sort of false. I've always installed "minimal Ubuntu" using expert command line mode installation--for at least a decade. They have always had it in their Alternative Download ISOs.

  14. Because their pixel density is too high. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To have a nice pixel density you need a 36" screen. Which means you pay through the nose and use up a lot of desk space.

    And when you go for a normal 24" or 26" screen, the pixels only serve to waste CPU resources and have no other purpose. Unless you want to sit as close as you are to your mobile phone screen.
    Plus, there are still many things not that well adapted to idiotic pixel densities. Why develop for something, that nobody can see? Not everyone fell for the snobbery social pressure yet, like people did with "audiophile" nonsense.

    I would actually like a "wide open space" screen. I'd even go full IMAX experience.
    But after rent and utilities, I have about 350 (three fiddy) EUR a month to live.

    1. Re: Because their pixel density is too high. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn it Mariel, don't give it tree fiddy. You give it tree fiddy it's gonna want another tree fiddy.

  15. 18 minute install... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Win10 takes 18 minutes to check updates, installing those updates requires your bosses approval for a 3 week time off from work, a preacher, a chiropractor, and some green vomit cleaner.

    1. Re:18 minute install... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      close, it requires a young priest and an old priest

    2. Re:18 minute install... by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Altar boys can keep the old priest satiated too

  16. Hilarious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Troll the troll, LOL ;)

  17. Ubuntu says 67 percent users opted in to the surve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do they know the percentage of opt-ins? Wouldn't knowing require sending a "not interested" message to Canonical? And if Ubuntu is sending data to Canonical regardless of response, isn't that a privacy violation? Or are they basing it on number of downloads vs number of opt-ins?

  18. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Huh, seriously? Ubuntu is like the normie distro. It would be stuff like Gentoo and Arch with a disproportionate share of virgins.

  19. To each his own/perhaps to you but not I by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Since, as you can see from my last post, when I need something I build its code myself & hopefully others can use it too (they do, I've done well on this hobby project of mine I noted in my last post's "p.s." - even by /.ers https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12265746&cid=56828926/ )

    * ... & Me? I like KDE a LOT (better imo than Gnome but this is purely arbitrary personal opinion on these things so see subject...) - What I know thusfar is that I can build for Qt display 'widget' or GTK2/3 easily enough for FreePascal + Lazarus IDE 1.8.2 so I'm not restricted for user applications, so KDE being "open" or NOT (though you say it is for the most part)? Doesn't matter - it's all "abstracted away" to someone like myself who's NOT building "KDE addons" (or whatever they're called, "plasma addons" etc.) but REAL imo, "stand-alone" SINGLE .exe design apps (less "dependencies" which imo hurts ANY platform since in the past I noted stripping things from Linux can "F it up" pretty fast, system-wide) only dependent on OS &/or IP stack API & nothing else really.

    APK

    P.S.=> Lastly/in any event - funniest part: I have a FUNNY FEELING that my best development ever in years to come on Linux WILL be MY best efforts, ever (good tools now, more experience (decades of it on MANY OS platforms & @ least 12 languages)) oddly as there was a LONG TIME (27++ yrs. or so) I was an "MS Poster Child" until I saw Win10 & the telemetry crap & said "bye bye" when my Win7 64-bit install media FINALLY "bit it" (fate perhaps, lol)... apk

    1. Re: To each his own/perhaps to you but not I by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      What I'm getting from your comments is that even Gene Ray now prefers Linux.

    2. Re: To each his own/perhaps to you but not I by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why u not fix telemetry with hosts file,

      oh because hosts file is SHIT

  20. I use 4K by crow · · Score: 1

    I recently upgraded to a 4K display since my employer was willing to provide me with one. I figured I would mostly just appreciate that it was a physically larger screen than I had had before. I also figured I would get most apps to scale such that they would take up the same space and look the same.

    I had a few surprises.

    Not surprising is that some apps just don't scale. I've had problems with tk-based apps in particular. But I expected problems with xterm, vncviewer, and other apps that all worked perfectly with a little tweaking. I was surprised how well most stuff worked. Occasionally the only solution is to run the app in a VNC session, and then use the vncviewer to scale it.

    What has blown me away is how frustrating I find my other desktop with 1080p screens. My eyes never complained before, but now that I'm used to text properly scaled on a 4K screen, the 1K screens are painful.

    So don't upgrade to 4K unless you're ready to upgrade all the computers you regularly use.

    1. Re:I use 4K by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What has blown me away is how frustrating I find my other desktop with 1080p screens. My eyes never complained before, but now that I'm used to text properly scaled on a 4K screen, the 1K screens are painful.

      Screens are not the problem. Linux's horrible font rendering is the issue. Not necessary to upgrade to 4k to notice.

  21. Why Ubuntu doesn't hibernate by default by tepples · · Score: 2

    My first guess is that OP doesn't need to hibernate his PC because normal sleep is good enough to get the user's computer to the next power outlet (if a laptop) or past a brief power outage (if a desktop on a UPS). In fact, Ubuntu disables hibernate by default in PolicyKit for a couple reasons. One is that hardware support is so spotty. Another is that hibernating with a read-write mounted file system that other systems can write in the meantime can cause data corruption. This could be removable media or a shared partition on a dual-boot system.

    Besides, I thought the swap space should be separate from hibernation space in case the committed memory at hibernation time exceeds the size of the swap file. This can be the case if (say) you have 8 GB of RAM and 12 GB of swap, but you have 14 GB of committed memory.

  22. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Short of certain AAA games that don't exist on any other platform, there really hasn't been a compelling reason to bother with WinDOS in a long time. It's simply no longer the "default necessary option". Those days have been over for awhile now.

    You can get over the Stockholm Syndrome now.

    In other words, there is no compelling reason to use Linux. I'm simply using your logic, in that Windows has every Linux feature, plus AAA games. As for the Stockholm Syndrome, your use of the analogy doesn't fit the definition. Windows users choose to use the OS, much in the same way MacOS and Linux users choose to use their respective OSs.

  23. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Spoken as someone who is completely out of touch with the normal workforce.

    Trying to do my job without a windows machine would be impossible. The software I use simply doesn't exist for linux.

    The same goes for the software I use for my hobby / side job.

    If you can point me in the direction of professional pipeline analysis software that runs under linux that would be a good start. Keep in mind we also need to run structural software, cad software and 3d modeling. All have to be vetted by the industry and need to be compatible with industry normal practices. So something that is fully compatible and with comparable output to Caesar II (for piping) STAAD or RISA for structural, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, REVIT for CAD, Inventor and Solidworks for 3D modeling.

    For my hobby I just need linux to run photoshop, or run an equivalent which is fully compatible a wacom cintiq pressure sensitivity and will output in CMYK. (So no, GIMP will NOT work here... for the tenth, or perhaps eleventh time). It would be nice if linux supported the first party software for my film scanner as well, so I can take advantage of the infra-red scanning for dust removal for old slide film.

    But yeah, sure, there are no compelling reasons to bother with WinDOS. If all you do is browse the interent and work in computer science, I'm sure linux is "the-bees-knees". For the rest of use, however, it's not even a bit player in this game.

  24. Count first-time apt update by tepples · · Score: 2

    Or are they basing it on number of downloads vs number of opt-ins?

    There are ways to count installations. Install image downloads aren't one of them given how easy it is to install multiple machines through sneakernet or BitTorrent. A better way involves estimating how many people are running sudo apt update (or the automatic counterpart) to obtain the latest package index from default repositories.

  25. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've installed Ubuntu on many women's PCs because windows is made out of tissue paper.

    I'm certain they've touched a boob.

  26. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Are those windows users really CHOOSING to use that OS? Or was it forced upon them and they are either too lazy or don't want to learn something new?

  27. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow your workflow is awful. I hope they are paying you a lot to deal with all that shit.

  28. Re:Ubuntu says 67 percent users opted in to the su by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    how is your precious privacy violated by declining to answer a survey, Anonymous Coward? Mind you, if you answer this question, information about your browser, ip address, previous site visited before coming to slashdot, etc. will available to slashdot.or and other sites like google-analytics and content delivery systems. In addition, other readers on this forum will be able to view and respond to your message.

  29. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by keltor · · Score: 1

    As an aside, a LOT of Engineering software does in fact run on Linux though, some of it exclusively. CAEPIPE a competitor to Caesar does run on Linux. There has also been a lot of pressure on CADWorx to port to Linux as I know some orgs would like to move their engineers to A LInux platform. I for one am not suggesting that it needs to happen either. In my world, people use all three major OS together without any issues.

  30. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by higuita · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > in that Windows has every Linux feature, plus AAA games.

    Can i recompile windows kernel?
    Can i replace the window manager?
    Can i remove closed source programs? Even, can i really disable MS tracking? Will never again those options show up again as enabled?
    Can i just trust MS to update all my software, like in linux with their package manager?
    Can i choose what installs i do want to install? will windows really obey to that?
    Can i setup complex network setups (hint: MS used linux to setup the network in their azure)?
    Can I run play games many games with vulkan (hint: all new feral ports are using vulkan, while the windows version is still in direct3D)?
    Can i run big servers, with lot of services with little performance lost?
    Can i ... you got the idea...

    By the way, we do have AAA games in linux... not as many as windows, but we do have then and they work fine...
    Yes, windows can run many linux apps, but performance sometimes shitty... if i want to run a docker linux, why would i do it inside a windows? even linux instances/vm are cheaper and faster in linux... So If linux do everything that windows do, faster, cheaper, cleaner and with more freedom, why would i switch over to windows, just because some AAA games? with 1300 linux games i have in my steam account, i really do not care about those games

    --
    Higuita
  31. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

    So something that is fully compatible and with comparable output to Caesar II (for piping) STAAD or RISA for structural, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, REVIT for CAD, Inventor and Solidworks for 3D modeling.

    That's fucking hilarious. Allow me to quote the relevant part back to you:

    Spoken as someone who is completely out of touch with the normal workforce.

    --
    Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
  32. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GIMP/CMYK_support

  33. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by higuita · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hey, the right tool to the right job!

    If your job require windows, that is OK... now most people do not really need windows anymore, but most still use it because they really do not know how to switch or want to learn new tools... and yes, some tools are better than other, you will miss some features but you can also learn new ones... but you should know that, you use several CAD/3D software, you already know that one tool is good for one task, but bad for another.

    But it is possible to do 3D work in linux, many people already do it and with 3D printers, that field should improve even more. From a quick search freecad, Qcad, maya, blender, brl-cad, k-3d, Archimedes. I did work with people that used Maya and Blender on linux and they made amazing jobs

    Finally, you can also require your software makers a linux version... in the past all of then would ignore then, but slowly they start to listen... and with opengl, vulkan, .NET, C#, QT all working on all systems, it is easier to add the support.

    --
    Higuita
  34. Custom Partition Table to the Rescue by organgtool · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I recently had to reinstall Ubuntu on several machines because of corruption on ext4 partitions due to a power failure. In all cases, it booted to a screen indicating that fsck had to be run manually and then the machine wouldn't boot after running fsck or it would boot but critical apps would crash on startup. I learned my lesson and now ext4 is completely dead to me. When I rebuilt the machines, I used xfs instead since I've been running that on all of my other machines for almost 15 years and have never had stability issues regardless of how many times the machines unexpectedly lost power. Pro tip: if your machine uses UEFI and you want to install Ubuntu with a root partition of xfs, Ubuntu will allow you to do that but it won't boot after installation - you need to create a separate partition for /boot which uses one of the ext variants and then an xfs partition for /.

    1. Re:Custom Partition Table to the Rescue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Whether you can UEFI boot directly from XFS seems to depend on your motherboard's UEFI rather than your partition setup. My Asus desktop can do it but my HP laptops cannot when using the same Ubuntu version.

  35. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by c6gunner · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In other words, there is no compelling reason to use Linux. I'm simply using your logic, in that Windows has every Linux feature, plus AAA games.

    Come again?

    Features windows doesn't have: btrfs, zfs, custom kernels, minimal text-only installs, ability to run from a USB stick or CD without a bastardized container install.

    Features Linux doesn't have: price tag above $0, shitty activation requirements tied to a single machine, built-in spyware, unavoidable "upgrades" which often break the OS, and some games.

    Yeah, sure, they're just about equal ...

  36. Re:Ubuntu says 67 percent users opted in to the su by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how is your precious privacy violated by declining to answer a survey, Anonymous Coward?

    Asking how they know something is a reasonable question to ask. For example do they get from survey itself? Initial downloads? Package updates? Other signals... NTP pools..etc? If by downloads a single download could result in installation of any number of systems resulting in numbers that are not an accurate reflection of reality.

    Operating systems are not online discussion forums. I'm not sure of the utility in attempting to apply parallels between the two. I expect every action I take on a website to result in additional remote server accesses out of necessity. I do NOT expect locally installed and contained software and operating systems to "call home".

    Mind you, if you answer this question, information about your browser, ip address, previous site visited before coming to slashdot, etc. will available to Slashdot

    You are confused. Prior sites visited are not communicated only the directly referring site when a hyperlink is followed if that site has failed to specify referral data is not to be leaked. People who visit Slashdot regularly probably type it in directly or use a bookmark or something and therefore no such data is transmitted.

    will available to slashdot.or and other sites like google-analytics and content delivery systems.

    Most people reading this myself included will have taken steps to install filters necessary to address such egregiously unacceptable behavior. Cross site stalking is NOT ok. It doesn't matter what your intention is or how you use the data.

  37. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Short of certain AAA games

    Huh? Who gives a shit about gaming?

    How well does Linux run widely used design tools like Altium? How well does it support commercial drawing software with pen input? How well do the non-existent Creative Suite ports work? Where's the native Netflix app or Edge needed to stream in the highest quality due to DRM restrictions, to say nothing of the bluray support? What about all those email clients which can't seem to even provide a small portion of the functionality of Outlook, let alone Office apps that don't at all integrate with Microsoft Sharepoint, Exchange, or Skype for Business? And if you are into gaming, what about the actual non-AAA games that don't exist on Linux and are much better than their AAA counterparts anyway?

    You can get over the Stockholm Syndrome now.

    Why would we want to? You're not presenting a compelling alternative.

  38. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Bert64 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The activation requirements can be very dangerous too, if it decides that your install is somehow not legit (which can occur due to false positives) it can cause a denial of service and shut the machine down. Linux doesn't self-destruct like that.

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  39. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Come again?

    Features windows doesn't have: btrfs, zfs, custom kernels, minimal text-only installs, ability to run from a USB stick or CD without a bastardized container install.

    Windows has IFS interface allowing new files systems to be plugged in without permission. btrfs and zfs IFS driver are available for windows.

    Windows server core / nano does exactly this.

    I've run windows from a USB stick. Not a big deal. It's just as pointless as running Linux from one.

    Features Linux doesn't have: price tag above $0, shitty activation requirements tied to a single machine, built-in spyware, unavoidable "upgrades" which often break the OS, and some games.

    There are commercially supported versions of Linux that do cost money. Ubuntu came with built-in spyware.

    Personally I desperately want Linux to work because I hate Microsoft's spyware and forced updates. When 7 is no longer viable it's Linux all the way no matter what.

    As far as upgrades go I'll take windows over Linux any day. I have VMs of all manner of Windows and Linux dating back 20 years. Can't even install basic software on these Linux systems anymore without pulling source code and compiling it myself because even relatively modern versions ... package libraries for that version were wiped from package servers years ago and no longer exist. Windows I can plug an XP client in today and still get updates for it that exist without any problems.

    Even "LTS" distros are not supported nearly as long as Windows XP or Windows 7 is. Linux major upgrades are a crapshoot as to whether the system will be bootable and in working order to the extent where it is not a viable option to even attempt it. Every Linux system I have ever used inevitably comes down to me pulling source code and compiling shit myself because the distro owners think my life revolves around upgrading to the latest and greatest version.

    Linux needs to do a LOT better with compatibility.

    It needs a stable driver API for hardware drivers. Right now if it isn't in mainline it stops working a version or two down the road.

    There needs to be a continuous upgrade path that is continuously available and reliable over timescales of decades.

    Software must be fully backwards and forwards compatible over timescales of decades.

    With each new day compatibility is increasingly worth more than new features.

  40. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by d0rp · · Score: 1

    Huh? Who gives a shit about gaming?

    Looks like about 1.2 Billion people

    If it weren't for games, I wouldn't be running Windows on my primary home computer. Unfortunately, while Linux support for games is getting better, many of the games I like to play are only Windows (and sometimes Mac as well).

    But I am fortunate that I can run Linux on my work computer, since I'm doing web development and don't need any specialized programs. I do have a Windows VM I can fire up if I really need it (checking IE compatibility of the web-pages, for example), but I can't even remember the last time I've had to do that.

  41. remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    REMEMBER THE MURDER OF IAN MURDOCK, creator of Debian Linux and leading member of the Free Software community, killed Christmas 2015 by the notoriously corrupt San Francisco police department.

    1. Re: remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do remember.

      Now what?

    2. Re:remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually SFPD are some of the nicest police I have ever had to deal with.

      Oh and Ian Murdock wasn't murdered, he killed himself after spewing some racist screed about how great he thought he was because he was white and rich.

    3. Re: remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell others

    4. Re: remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He was killed by the nsa because of a bad trolling gone bad at 2012, seriously.
      It is a shame I have no proof.

  42. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by c6gunner · · Score: 1

    Windows has IFS interface allowing new files systems to be plugged in without permission. btrfs and zfs IFS driver are available for windows.

    They're both test implementations which are completely unstable, are missing features, and apparently have no ongoing development. Ergo no, windows does not have zfs or brfs.

    Windows server core / nano does exactly this.

    I don't think you know what the word "custom" means. So no, windows does not have custom kernels. Though I'm sure MS will make one for you if you have a few million to spend.

    I've run windows from a USB stick. Not a big deal. It's just as pointless as running Linux from one.

    I agree; it's completely pointless for windows because, as I said, it requires you to install it in a container and it runs like crap. It also requires you to buy a corporate version of the OS, so again you're paying out the ass. Whereas Linux doesn't care one bit whether you put it on a hard drive or a USB stick and will work perfectly fine on both. So we agree that no, windows cannot be properly run from a USB stick.

    Your responses are zero for three at this point; do I really need to go through the rest?

  43. Single CPU most common ... something fishy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can't buy "Single CPU" systems (well, sorta but not really).

    If that's the most common these numbers probably reflect VMs as much as anything. Possibly burner VMs.

    1. Re:Single CPU most common ... something fishy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It sounds like you are probably thinking of multi-core chips as not being single-CPU. But they do. If you have only a single chip but it has 32 cores, that's a single CPU in this taxonomy.

  44. Registered /.ers disagree w/ you... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your software is just fine - well written, functional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine by mmell February 17, 2017

    (APK's work), I've flat out said it's good by BronsCon February 11 2016

    his hosts program is actually pretty good by xenotransplant August 10 2015

    his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources by alexgieg September 25 2015

    I like your host file system by Karmashock September 09 2015

    I do use APK's host file on all my systems at home by OrangeTide December 01 2017

    I personally use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a genius called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

    * See subject: Best part's the Linux 64-bit model's faster & more efficient (does 2x the work in 1/2 the time)

    APK

    P.S.=> Enjoy a faster/safer/more reliable internet... apk

  45. What I get from your troll comment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: ... is that you are a victim of a combined affliction of "ne'er-do-well"-ism (lol) & trollism combined w/ your illiteracy!

    * You wish you were me, weirdo...

    APK

    P.S.=> Keep wasting your time & WASTED life - "your kind" (the NOT-men) are JUST where I want you to be - wasting away w/ idle hands & the devil's workshop (which sends you straight to your own personal hell you TRY put on others as you KNOW you're a flimsy dweeb WASTE - but you can't put your DEVIL into me - I just LAUGH @ "your kind", lol)... apk

    1. Re: What I get from your troll comment... by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      Nice one, Gene. What happened to your website bro? I noticed it's not up any more. Give up on the Time Cube thing?

  46. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everyone feels sorry for you. You have "ne'er-do-well"-ism (hahahaha) https://news.slashdot.org/comm...

  47. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
    I used to have two business machines (bought from PC world's business division, Staples or similar) which MS declared had fake installs, while my two machines with Windows licences bought from a Ukranian guy at the computer fair, and one with a "windows loader" I downloaded from somewhere in Africa were all reported as Legit.

    MS is in the same position as the 90% of housewives who "cant tell talk from mutter".

    All machines now run legit copies on Linux, except the OpenBSD one.

    --
    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  48. Kernel mode code signing requires EV certificate by tepples · · Score: 1

    Windows has IFS interface allowing new files systems to be plugged in without permission.

    In what way? I thought developing to the IFS interface, or any other Windows kernel-level interface for that matter, required paid permission from one of the Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate authorities trusted by Microsoft. An ordinary $15 open source developer certificate from Certum won't work; it has to be specifically EV for Windows 10 (source), and last I checked, EV certificates were available only to a corporation or LLC, not an individual developer.

  49. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some problems that Windows has that Linux desktop operating systems don't have:

    Windows is closed source. If _anything_ needs to be open source, it's the software that controls your computer hardware. Apps, games, etc. can go ahead and be closed source, but the operating system definitely needs to be open and fully accessible to users.

    Windows includes mandatory spyware which makes the system inherently insecure and allows Microsoft to make money off of users without compensation.

    Windows includes mandatory updates that constantly break systems on a daily basis.

    Windows is poorly coded, as evident by the aforementioned constant updates and the fact that the updates themselves often introduce worse problems than the issues that they purport to fix.

    Windows includes forced reboots that interrupt the user.

    Windows doesn't give users choices. If you don't like how your system behaves or looks, too bad for you.

    Windows is vulnerable to tens of thousands of viruses, trojans, worms, ransomware, malware and spyware.

  50. Linux is about Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux is about Choice.
    We choose which flavor to run.
    We choose if it has a GUI or not.
    We choose which GUI is has, if any.
    We choose which programs to load.
    We choose when to patch, if we like that.
    We choose whether to provide "sensor data" to the parent ship.
    We choose which kernel to run.
    We choose which file system(s) to use.
    We choose whether automatic mounting is allowed.
    We choose if we want login passwords or not.
    We can choose to make a highly secure or un-secure system.
    We can choose to run 15 yr old hardware with the current versions of linux. No fork-lift upgrade needed.
    We can choose to run legacy BIOS booting or UEFI booting.
    We can choose which network setup methods are used - old ifupdown or netplan. You can use network-manager, wicd, or manually setup your networking too.
    We can choose which firewall interface is used. iptables, ufw, firewalld.
    Sure, different Ubuntu flavors have different defaults, but that doesn't prevent anyone from swapping out/in whatever they prefer.

    And these high quality OSes cost $0 in licenses. I purchase 1 software annually, for tax prep. I haven't bought any other software since 2013 that I can remember. The last computer I bought with Windows pre-installed was around 2011-ish. We have 2 Win7 systems - one on a physical laptop and the other, retail copy, running inside a virtual machine (under KVM). These are used for 3 purposes only.
    * taxes/finances
    * video editing
    * 7MC (until the free schedule data ends)

    Very few things are mandatory when compared to Apple or Microsoft's fine OSes.

    A few things are mandatory with Ubuntu. You **must** use systemd, but if you use a different Linux distro, systemd can be avoided.

    Choice. It is a wonderful AND a terrible thing. Canonical is pretty good at using sensible defaults for noobs, but you can go as low-level for control and power as you like.

  51. Is there meds for your "ne'er-do-well"-ism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: You need some. See, the 1st symptom of it is use of FAKE NAMES online for your FAKE LIE of a so-called "LIFE" (of douchedom).

    APK

    P.S.=> What's it like living a LIE like you do? apk

  52. Re:Monitors - it's not about DPI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No, pretty much everything - even GNOME - handles the higher DPI at least moderately well.

    The problem is that you need to DRIVE all those pixels, and LCDs are garbage at anything other than native resolution. For gamers, who are usually the primary adopters of any tech, even gimmick ones like 4K, that means an extra $300-$800 to have your games not look like @$$, and even then you're going to have to sacrifice certain VQ options to keep a decent framerate.

  53. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Short of *99% of* AAA games that don't exist on any other platform ..."

    FTFY

    Games are certainly the only "valid" reason for any personal users of Windows these days, sure. Everything else is either already on either other meaningful OS, or runs acceptably in a VM (or, occasionally, WINE). But games? WINE typically can't run them at all for 2-3 years, and only at "Garbage" or occasionally "Bronze" for another 2-3 years after that. Which I suppose is useful in some ways, since WINE also incurs a performance hit that needs about 5 years worth of HW improvements to compensate for.

  54. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Looks like about 1.2 Billion people [geekwire.com]

    I was being facetous while pointing out there's a shitload more to Windows lock-in than gaming.

  55. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Bert64 · · Score: 2

    Exactly, copy protection schemes only ever hurt the paying customers...

    I used to buy Amiga games which had those stupid code wheels or required codes from the manual etc... Invariably i would lose the manual/codewheel, lose the original floppies or they would become corrupted etc. Usually i ended up acquiring a cracked copy of the game i had bought so i could continue playing it, eventually i just skipped the redundant purchasing part and went straight to acquiring the cracked copy.

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  56. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    What's a "living LOL" and why wouldn't a dead one suffice?

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  57. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    CMYK? Who the fuck still prints stuff? You might want to consider joining the rest of us in 2018.

  58. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Which part of Africa? Please be specific.

  59. Re: Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the backwards compat for software is one big reason for windows' insecurity.

  60. Re:Most important Ubuntu desktop metrics by nukenerd · · Score: 1

    Percentage of people using it: 1%
    Number of people using it who have ever touched a boob: 0
    Percentages of people using it who also post on /.: 100%

    Mac User :
    https://s8.favim.com/orig/72/b...

    Windows user :
    https://farm4.static.flickr.co...

    Linux User :
    http://78.media.tumblr.com/926...

  61. Re:Ubuntu says 67 percent users opted in to the su by tepples · · Score: 1

    I do NOT expect locally installed and contained software and operating systems to "call home".

    Then how do you expect that the publisher of security updates for your operating system notify you when said updates are available?

  62. Last post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last post!