"Not knowing" as he stated, what is on your system is definitely a security concern.
WTF? So, choosing packages at install time is the only way to know what is on your system? I don't think security is this guys biggest worry. What about looking into the package manager database post-install? Like, with the neat GUI app, Synaptic, which is right there in the Admin menu. "Synaptic package manager"
Come to think about it, I'm not sure if the firewall is enabled and working before installing and using firestarter; could be for all I know, I didn't test it. If it's not, I think a firewall rule or two should be default.
What for? All ports are closed by default except DHCP and avahi.
Thumbs up. And also: what's this about "it's a security problem not to know what gets installed"? Um, check the package manager database after installing the distro?
with ubuntu, last time i looked, you gave certain users sudo access. theres no root account, no root/su password. so having a user account with sudo access is equivalent to having root. you just type 'sudo ', or 'sudo/bin/sh' for a root shell.
And that's why the solution is simple and obvious: in a multi-user setting, you don't hand out the accounts that are in the admin group to just anyone. You treat it like a root account. The real users get their own unprivileged accounts, and for those that need some limited privileges, you write the respective suoders rules.
By default, the root account password is locked in Ubuntu.
In/etc/shadow, the root password is set to "!". The md5 implementation guarantees that this character never evaluates to a valid password -- there is no password to be known, because non exists.
Automatix (the software to install programs - right?) should get a huge mention
Wrong, and wrong.
First, Automatix is not "the software to install programs". That's Synaptic (in menu System|Administration) or, if you want it easier, menu Applications|Add/Remove Software. (Or, if you want command line, apt-get or aptitude).
You sure of that? Ubuntu certainly does not advertise it that way, and I doubt Dell does.
These days, what part of what a fully featured OS is assumed to provide is default support for a wide range of multimedia. If it doesn't work out of the box, it should be seamless.
By this definition, windows is out. avi? mp3 encoder?
If Windows or OSX is fed a video or audio file it doesn't support, it goes looking for a codec and often has it installed before you know anything it wrong.
As I said in my other rely, this is blatantly not true, as anyone knows who ever used Windows with a variety of movie files from questionable sources (but that's just how it is). http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+avi+%22cannot+play%22.
If Linux doesn't do this, should he care why?
Ubuntu 7.04, as sold by Dell, does exactly this, and works
Windows Media Player does a not bad job finding most of the of codecs I run across
Your chances to play a random avi from the net are very slim, and windows will certainly fail to look up the codec. Anyway, Ubuntu, since 7.04, does exactly what you want, and it works, apart from the language polish issues that TFA mentioned, and some legal warnings (which are also not pretty, but that's not for Ubuntu to change).
Yes, yes it is. Which also means its not default in gutsy. I know, because I just filed a bug about how neither gnome nor gsynaptics work.
Oh, I just had had a cursory look at the page, and thought that's the feisty page. I hadn't checked the package site, but just looked it up in my local package database, where it said "automatically installed". My jumping to the conclusion that this means it's default in Gutsy might have been premature. It definitely should be.
What do you mean, "neither gnome nor gsynaptics work"? I haven't tried gsynaptics in a while, my touchpad works as it should. But what's with Gnome not working?
And since Ubuntu and Lindows are friendly with each other, and had even talks to provide Lindows' store for Ubuntu (including a DVD player), the hurdles for Dell to include one seem small. Also, Turbolinux has included a proprietary player since 2001, see my other reply in this thread.
There is no control panel for adjusting the way the touch pad works
So, Dell does not install gsynaptics for touchpad control? Bad move, but this issue will go away soon, since it's default in Gutsy (Ubuntu 7.10).
When I tried to play common audio and video files, such as MP3 songs, I was told I had to first download special files called codecs that are built into Windows and Mac computers. I was warned that some of these codecs might be "bad" or "ugly."
I dunno about the installation dialog in Feisty (which must be what Dell uses), and I agree that the wording here can use polish. But hey, at least it asks me whether it shall install the codecs it needs. The last time I tried to play an avi file in Windows, Media Player popped up a message that it should download the codec, then it said error, then I couldn't watch it. (I am also using the same POV as in the article).
To get the computer to recognize my Kodak camera and Apple iPod, I had to reboot it several times. When it did find the iPod, it wasn't able to synchronize with it.
I don't have an iPod, but all cameras I attached to Ubuntu since Dapper just worked, even those that wanted me to install crapy software for Windows.
Playing videos was a bad experience, with lots of flickering and freezing. Oh, and there's no built-in software for playing commercial DVDs.
Huh? Did Dell forget to enable XVideo? I haven't had such a problem for amny years, my AMD K6 450 played videos w/o a problem. DVD: why the hell does Dell not install a player and pay the license?
That's all the complaints the author has. Not bad, I have seen Windows users with a lot more.
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With respect to packages, if you want control, use the frickin' Alternate CD.
"Not knowing" as he stated, what is on your system is definitely a security concern.
WTF? So, choosing packages at install time is the only way to know what is on your system? I don't think security is this guys biggest worry. What about looking into the package manager database post-install? Like, with the neat GUI app, Synaptic, which is right there in the Admin menu. "Synaptic package manager"
Really? I don't remember having to do anything special to enable sshd. Is this new since edgy?
Alert, your memory is failing. sshd is not even installed by default, and never was, much less running: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SSHHowto
In fact, I believe it's possible to "upgrade" a system between Ubuntu and Kubuntu and back.
You can just install both ubuntu-desktop and kubuntu-desktop (and xubuntu-desktop) and switch at will.
Come to think about it, I'm not sure if the firewall is enabled and working before installing and using firestarter; could be for all I know, I didn't test it. If it's not, I think a firewall rule or two should be default.
What for? All ports are closed by default except DHCP and avahi.
Thumbs up. And also: what's this about "it's a security problem not to know what gets installed"? Um, check the package manager database after installing the distro?
aptitude install build-essential
with ubuntu, last time i looked, you gave certain users sudo access. theres no root account, no root/su password. so having a user account with sudo access is equivalent to having root. you just type 'sudo ', or 'sudo /bin/sh' for a root shell.
And that's why the solution is simple and obvious: in a multi-user setting, you don't hand out the accounts that are in the admin group to just anyone. You treat it like a root account. The real users get their own unprivileged accounts, and for those that need some limited privileges, you write the respective suoders rules.
The author of TFA is full of shit.
No! Please let this myth die! Read this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo In
Automatix (the software to install programs - right?) should get a huge mention
Wrong, and wrong.
First, Automatix is not "the software to install programs". That's Synaptic (in menu System|Administration) or, if you want it easier, menu Applications|Add/Remove Software. (Or, if you want command line, apt-get or aptitude).
Second, Automatix is a piece of crap that breaks installs: http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77440.html
He loaded what was billed as a fully featured OS.
You sure of that? Ubuntu certainly does not advertise it that way, and I doubt Dell does.
These days, what part of what a fully featured OS is assumed to provide is default support for a wide range of multimedia. If it doesn't work out of the box, it should be seamless.
By this definition, windows is out. avi? mp3 encoder?
If Windows or OSX is fed a video or audio file it doesn't support, it goes looking for a codec and often has it installed before you know anything it wrong.
As I said in my other rely, this is blatantly not true, as anyone knows who ever used Windows with a variety of movie files from questionable sources (but that's just how it is). http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+avi+%22cannot+play%22.
If Linux doesn't do this, should he care why?
Ubuntu 7.04, as sold by Dell, does exactly this, and works
Windows Media Player does a not bad job finding most of the of codecs I run across
Your chances to play a random avi from the net are very slim, and windows will certainly fail to look up the codec. Anyway, Ubuntu, since 7.04, does exactly what you want, and it works, apart from the language polish issues that TFA mentioned, and some legal warnings (which are also not pretty, but that's not for Ubuntu to change).
Yes, yes it is. Which also means its not default in gutsy. I know, because I just filed a bug about how neither gnome nor gsynaptics work.
Oh, I just had had a cursory look at the page, and thought that's the feisty page. I hadn't checked the package site, but just looked it up in my local package database, where it said "automatically installed". My jumping to the conclusion that this means it's default in Gutsy might have been premature. It definitely should be.
What do you mean, "neither gnome nor gsynaptics work"? I haven't tried gsynaptics in a while, my touchpad works as it should. But what's with Gnome not working?
Ubuntu doesn't recognize my camera
What model?
That's in universe.
That's funny, Windows doesn't even come with software to play DVD's either.
It does when you buy a Dell with it.
And since Ubuntu and Lindows are friendly with each other, and had even talks to provide Lindows' store for Ubuntu (including a DVD player), the hurdles for Dell to include one seem small. Also, Turbolinux has included a proprietary player since 2001, see my other reply in this thread.
Well, they could include a proprietary one: http://www.oreillynet.com/linux/blog/2006/07/a_fully_licensed_dmca_complian.html
"First of all, Dell does not ship them"
He didn't even mention Automatix or Easy Ubuntu at all.
With good reason. First of all, Dell does ship them. And Automatix, at least, is still crap: http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77440.html
That's all the complaints the author has. Not bad, I have seen Windows users with a lot more.
Some kinds of penguins don't actually need ice
Fixed that for you.
I don't know my way around Gimp but no, there is no window appearing. Instead, the crop settings are in a box attached to the main toolbox window.
Just so you know, I cannot reproduce this in gimp 2.4.0-rc2 in Ubuntu Gutsy.
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=298167&cid=20606683 and the following posts.