The *Nixed Report: Issue 01

OS Spotlight: Ubuntu 12.04

This was my first attempt to do thorough OS reviews with varied hardware. Unfortunately, the hardware I had would eventually be insufficient for some tests. Life happens as they say, and I would eventually have to give up some of the computers I acquired. Fortunately, I am in a better position today. The series would morph into the Distro Journey Series, which came to an end as of last year.

My biggest regrets are the number of grammatical errors and type-ohs I made and the fact that I did not keep this OS as the main production system. The controversy surrounding Mir and Mark Shuttleworth's comments regarding the "Open Source Tea Party" caused me to switch to different systems entirely with each review. It would allow me to offer a complete perspective while avoiding the hassles of dual booting.

Canonical's latest stable release of their Linux-based Operating System has garnered quite a bit of press. In this issue, I examine how well it holds up to everyday use.

By Thomas Holbrook II

The Unity Sidebar

In April 2012, Canonical officially announced the release of Ubuntu 12.04. Codenamed Precise Pangolin, the operating system has applications for everyday use and will be officially supported for the next five years. It is known for Unity, the controversial user interface, and Ubuntu One, the cloud service that offers syncing with computers and mobile devices.

Warty Warthog, or 4.10, was the first official release in October of 2014. The first motto adopted was "Linux for Human Beings." The aim was to be easy to use. Now the operating system simply identifies itself as Ubuntu, but Linux is still used as its kernel. So what does the latest Long Term Service release bring to the table?

The Interface

In the past, GNOME was used as the graphical interface. Starting with 11.04, Unity made its debut. The purpose of this interface is to leave as much screen real estate as possible no matter what computer is being used. Though not for everyone, it can be useful for netbooks.

The launcher (pictured left) is at the left of the screen, a universal menu bar is at the top, and the rest of the screen is available for multiple windows and applications. As can be seen, some concepts from Apple's OS X is borrowed. One can pin shortcuts to the launcher and rearrange them in whatever order is desired.

A white arrow is to the left of an icon on the launcher if it's open. If multiple windows in the same application is open, clicking the icon will allow the user to choose which window they want to come into view.

A unified menu is at the top, though some applications like LibreOffice don't always utilize it. Another concept borrowed from OS X, yet it isn't forced on application developers. Multiple workspaces, otherwise known as virtual desktops, are also available to better organize the user's work flow. In this release, Unity utilizes utilities and core aspects of GNOME 3 while not using GNOME Shell at all. The 3D accelerated version uses Compiz, while the 2D version uses QT.

If installed on a computer with a super key (the one with the Microsoft Windows Logo), one can access the Unity Dash by pressing it.

The Dash does take some time to get used to, but any installed application can be found using the search or clicking the appropriate icon on the bottom. The most recent applications and files are listed first. Clicking the second icon on the bottom lists applications, the third documents, the fourth music, and the fifth video.

I do not personally use the documents, music, or video lenses myself when I simply use the Nautilus file manager. Still, I have read mixed reviews on the lenses themselves. Finding an application through the app lens may take more time than navigating a traditional menu. As for other potential downsides to Unity, the overlay scroll bars may be somewhat confusing to newscomers. Experienced users will want to help anybody new to Ubuntu with learning the basics.

For those who don't care for Unity, there are other variants that use different desktop environments. Kubuntu uses KDE, Lubuntu uses LXDE, and Xubuntu uses XFCE. There are also derivatives that take a different approach. Linux Mint uses Cinnamon, a custom environment based on GNOME 3 with support for multimedia playback out of the box. Bodhi Linux uses Ubuntu as a base but relies on Enlightenment as the main interface.

The Apps

Some of the most popular applications that are well known and available on multiple platforms are included. Firefox is available for web browsing needs. Thunderbird is the default e-mail client. Document needs are covered with LibreOffice. In the previous release Banshee was the default music player, but in this release Rythmbox makes it return. Totem is used to play video. Archive managing, simple text editing, and caculations are covered with default accessories as well.

The Ubuntu Software Center is available for installing additional apps. Those who are used to Synaptic may also install and use it instead. What makes Software Center unique is the review system in which individuals can give an overall impression of the application in question. Since Ubuntu uses Debian as a base, Debian package files (.deb) can also be downloaded and handled by the Software Center as well.

Integrated Features

For social media functions, Gwibber comes to the rescue. the envelope icon in the unified menu allows for functions such as updating Twitter and Facebook as well as accessing Empathy, the instant messaging client of choice. Notifications in the upper right hand corner of the screen informs the user when one of their friends is online. The volume icon also allows for Rythmbox to be controlled without interrupting important work.

The big services provided by Canonical are Ubuntu One and the Ubuntu Music Store. Both integrate with each other by allowing for the streaming and storing of purchased songs in Ubuntu One's cloud. Each user gets five gigabytes of free space upon signing up. Music streaming costs extra, but does include extra space.

While I use Ubuntu One to sync documents and images across all my systems, I don't utilize the music streaming or purchase from their store. I prefer going to sites such as Jamendo for royalty free music. Also, Ubuntu One has caused problems on my android phone. With that said, any further in depth look at Ubuntu One and their music store is beyond the scope of this issue, but it will be explored in future issues.

Hiccups

With the exception of a ZaReason Breeze 3110, my hardware is AMD. This means that if I want full 3D functionality (including HDMI video and audio support) I have to rely on AMD Catalyst. Jockey, Ubuntu's system tool for handling additional drivers does not handle the installation of the Post Release update of the Catalyst Driver very well. I've had to use Synaptic instead to download and switch drivers.

My HP dv7 series notebook has the misfortune of having two AMD GPU's inside of it. one is for power saving and the other for performance. Unfortunately, the Catalyst driver is not able to switch GPU's successfully. Though it's not the end ofthe world, a Mobility Radeon 4200HD is not OpenCL compliant, so I can't mine Bitcoins with it.

The Good News

The webcam on both my HP dv7 and Acer Aspire One 722 worked. Upon installation, I was able to snap a picture of myself to use as a profile picture for loggin in. It took some tweaking, but wireless networking worked on the netbook as well as the dv7. The version of OpenShot movie editor provided has been successfully used to edit video for uploading to YouTube.

The Bitminter mining client does work, but I have to sometimes delete the entire Java cache in my home directory before I'm able to launch it again. I'm also able to install BlueGriffon and Google Chrome to further customize my working environment.

Conclusion

I was looking for an OS that would be suitable for normal use. Though there are a few hiccups, Ubuntu 12.04 works for me. However, it's not for everyone. There are a myriad of spin-offs and derivatives that can fill the needs of many users. There are also other distributions that will take a completely different approach. for me, Ubuntu is the right approach.

Since 12.04 will be supported for five years, I intend to keep this version installed to maintain consistency and stability. As for reviewing other operating systems, I still need to come up with a solution.

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