Is Ubuntu Lunix is just a graphic version of DOS?

[thebeacon]

I just kept hearing how great Lunix is so finally I decided to install Ubuntu 9.04 on my former Windows computer that served me well other than once in a while random blue screen crashed. The computer is my older computer, Pentium 4 used mainly for a file server and printer server.

I decided to install Ubuntu on it just because I heard all the rave and rants and watched some videos in YouTube on how great is Ubuntu is to Windows.
For me it just has been months of unreliable nightmare with drivers and getting back in to basically using DOS. What I can say it that Lunix is definitely faster, but so is DOS.

Here is what I have tried Ubuntu do what Windows did. First as a Windows user it is easier for me to find proper drivers and find out if they work with my version of the operating system. First issue I had is trying to find drivers for my PCI wireless card. Got that to work by getting updates for that card.

Then I was trying have a desktop access from windows pc to Ubuntu. That was a nightmare. I did not know that I had to relearn how to use DOS prompt and know all the commands…. Sudo… “voodoo”. The instruction on how to get it to work I would consider were designed to annoy everyone and make their life as difficult as possible. It is basically install this voodoo module but before u can install that module u have install this module… but wait there is another module that u have to download here…. But before u can download that module u need to set up some permissions and then use some user name that you find who knows where and a path…. And WTF is the path and where do u find it and when u find it where do you enter it or whom do u give it too…. I would guess it would be Ubuntu gods. I should have saved that instructions page because that was just too funny. I just do not want to waist anymore time installing anything on Ubuntu.

Just few days I went on my Ubuntu computer to check to make sure everything is running ok. Since it is my machine that runs all the time. I had a message on the screen to install some updates. I clicked to install them and that was the end of Ubuntu. Now I have no internet. Ubuntu regognized wireless card and attempts to connect, but nothing. I have tested the router buy connecting with two other wireless computers running Windows both worked perfectly fine. I thought that the new Ubuntu update had new wireless cards updates what were incompatible. I decided to run a 50 foot cable from my routers two stories down to connect it directly to computers Ethernet card. To my surprise still no internet. I have restarted it, still nothing. I checked to make sure Ubuntu is detecting my Ethernet card and it looks fine. Still no internet.

I have to doubt that Ubuntu is a great system and some of the greatest developers and programmers have worked on it. What I would say is it is light years away from user friendly to where average person can use it. Having it being faster is useless if you cannot use it. I know I can install DOS on my computer and it will be screaming.
I have never had a windows computer when I would connect Ethernet cable directly to it I would have no internet. Ubuntu is still has ways to go. I am certainly grateful for all the people working on it. I do think it is misleading to compare it to Windows and encouraging people to switch to Ubuntu. If I was traveling for business with my laptop and I had Ubuntu and my both wireless and wired networks card stopped working after update I would have found out who was responsible for it and do some bodily damage.
Am I missing something or Ubuntu is designed for someone who has to know how to use “DOS” or “Terminal”?

[D-cat]

Well, bash terminal isn't DOS; though some of the same concepts carry over, bash is far more advanced (and complicated).

You have hit a a few points why I don't run Ubuntu. I'm personally an OpenSuSE person (even if they did bork an update last year, it's been mostly smooth sailing), YaST makes the difference; all the network setup, including VNC (labeled "Remote Administration") server, are set up via this kind of central control panel design. You generally don't have to touch the command line unless it's something really obscure or you need some fine tuned options.

If you like the Ubuntu layout, you can also try Mint, which is Ubuntu plus a bunch of the stuff Ubuntu doesn't include by default, thus it usually just works right from the get go without the kind of hunting stuff down regular Ubuntu poses.

Linux in general is still largely a hobbiest thing, kind of like a box of LEGOs as opposed to a pre-assembled toy of sorts*. Building and playing with the blocks is how we get the machine we want. Some people like it, some don't. It's all a matter of preference. You should use what works best for your needs, even if that means Windows. Sorry you had such a rough time. The devs work hard to maintain a balance of stability and updated software. Not everything is going to work right on every machine, and that's why we're here to try and help.

If you'd like, you can place a help request in the Ubuntu forum for your network problem. Since neither interface is working despite loaded modules, I suspect something in network services corrupted, though I wouldn't know what at this stage.

I do hope all eventually works out for you. Have a good night.

* Ref: Linux is NOT Windows