Your favorite feature in Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy?

Hi All,

I've just installed Gutsy Gibbon on my laptop to replace the Feisty Fawn installation I had earlier...especially since my Winblows had crashed (yet again...refer to my other thread in QnA forum).

Anyway...here's what I'm able to do in Gutsy that I couldn't earlier in Feisty and so HAD to hang on to Windows:

1) Compiz out of the box...this rocks so hard!

2) Able to connect to my University VPN for access to academic material, library database etc...couldn't do this in Feisty and needed a proprietary client in Windows...NO MORE!

3) Able to print to the wirelessly networked HP 4300 laser printer in our university...this was particularly pissing off because any documents I want to print had to be printed out in Windows only...but this works flawlessly in Gutsy!

4) Wireless with my Broadcom chipset WLAN card works out of the box! This is AWESOME because I no longer have to hunt for LAN connections in my classroom when running Linux...I can just use the 54 Mbps wireless connection from wherever...

5) Gnome 2.20 ... general things which used to bug me a lot are all fixed now! (Example: the new Appearance settings window under System > Preferences)

6) My webcam works out of the box with Gutsy...not so with Feisty! :O

7) NTFS read-write support out of the box! :O

8) Its Ubuntu! I just love that generally...I used to hate Ubuntu fanboys while I was running Sabayon still...but now I have become one!!

So...what do you love about Gutsy Gibbon, the most awesome distro release since Ubuntu 6.06?

wah, 2 3 & 4 r stunning features :idea:

The only thing I like is Native & Full NTFS read & write support. It would have been better if the LiveCD automatically mounted NTFS drives so that it can also be used as a recovery CD

^^
That's been there in Knoppix. And Ubuntu's always been able to mount NTFS for read natively live. Why would you need Write permissions while recovering data is out of my guessing capabilities. And it does detect devices live, doesn't mount it automatically cause if your data is at stake, mis-mounting due to device failures (Lack of default mount special parameters for instance) might destroy your data instead. So it lets you do the talking ..

fav.feature:afaik gutsy comes with apparmor?
shud lay hands once it is released 8)

QwertyManiac said:
^^
That's been there in Knoppix. And Ubuntu's always been able to mount NTFS for read natively live. Why would you need Write permissions while recovering data is out of my guessing capabilities. And it does detect devices live, doesn't mount it automatically cause if your data is at stake, mis-mounting due to device failures (Lack of default mount special parameters for instance) might destroy your data instead. So it lets you do the talking ..

I don't know, when I insert the Ubuntu 7.04 CD in drive & boot from it, it doesn't show my NTFS drives in the file manager or desktop, how do I mount them in Live CD from GUI?

@all, isnt VPN available in ubuntu feisty

, someone who has ubuntu feisty installed plz check !!!

@vish786: It was there, but for some reason it didn't work with my University's Cisco VPN...something about the settings...

gx_saurav said:
I don't know, when I insert the Ubuntu 7.04 CD in drive & boot from it, it doesn't show my NTFS drives in the file manager or desktop, how do I mount them in Live CD from GUI?

sudo mkdir /media/ntfs_drive
sudo mount /dev/sdaX /media/ntfs_drive -t ntfs

OR

sudo apt-get install ntfs-config
And then open it from Applications->System->NTFS Config

The Kubuntu's KDE shows NTFS mounts but the aren't mounted by default. You can follow what Kalpik said to get software installed and auto-configured for you.

But before you continue whining on what a 700 MB CD of Ubuntu/Kubuntu (meant to be Live so you can try Linux before you install it) doesn't contain, look at Knoppix, it's got what you want. Even LifeHacker recommends it for recovery purposes and such. Or you could 'man mount' and RTFM.

@ faraaz (3) surely sounds good..

QwertyManiac said:
Or you could 'man mount' and RTFM.

You meant - Read The Fine Manual

right ? lol

^^^ Fine??? naaah...

lol, I know the F, was kidding @gx

I actually meant Full really

Lolz..... we haf so many expansions for RTFM now!!

kalpik said:
sudo mkdir /media/ntfs_drive
sudo mount /dev/sdaX /media/ntfs_drive -t ntfs

OR

sudo apt-get install ntfs-config
And then open it from Applications->System->NTFS Config

Wait, can I install applications while running a LiveCD?

& You already know I have a problem memorising 10 or more commands

I will try knoppix

gx_saurav said:
& You already know I have a problem memorising 10 or more commands

I will try knoppix

that is why we have knoppix for people like u

gx_saurav said:
Wait, can I install applications while running a LiveCD?

yes, i did install irssi in livecd.

din said:
You meant - Read The Fine Manual right ? lol

y r u indians scared of using that F word... just use the fcuking word... @ fcuking appropriate time....

See the movie "The Departed" to get comfortable with the fokin word

M

vish786 said:
that is why we have knoppix for people like u

Please don't degrade knoppix this way.

^^lol.

Yea see the movie 'the departed' or read any novel by Richard Marcinko to get used to the fcuking word.

mehulved said:
Please don't degrade knoppix this way.

got u...

gx_saurav said:
Wait, can I install applications while running a LiveCD?

& You already know I have a problem memorising 10 or more commands

I will try knoppix

Of course you can install applications while running Live CD!

Well faraz bro.. why have you installed Beta ver.

Gusty final will be out soon .. on 18

Nice features none the less knew all of em

@Dark Star: Two reasons....

1) My windows installation crashed and I needed access to my computer immediately...I thought of doing a Feisty installation again...but it was too much work, and Gutsy had been on my mind for a while. Downloading the ISO on my university network took me ten minutes anyway...

2) I was told that Gutsy supports my university printer and I wanted to see if it was true! Couldn't wait...besides, you realise that updating from Beta version is not a problem for me?? I downloaded 500 MB of updates last night...and that took 8 mins exactly...

I love Swiss broadband...

Downloading the ISO on my university network took me ten minutes anyway...

WTH 10mins. for 700 Mb .. OMG Lucky guy enjoy that fast net

mehulved said:
Please don't degrade knoppix this way.

Why waste my time learning something when I can simply use something simple to recover my files when all I have in my head is the tension of recovering file. At this point learning commands & searching for them on the net is the last thing i wanna do.

^^^ You mean you never learnt anything?? I guess you were born with a completely automatic recovery CD in your hand when you were born, gifted by God!

Stop trolling, dude!

gx_saurav said:
Why waste my time learning something when I can simply use something simple to recover my files when all I have in my head is the tension of recovering file. At this point learning commands & searching for them on the net is the last thing i wanna do.

When its an important file to be recovered, believe me people will even kiss the arse of a monkey to get the file back!!

M

Dark Star said:
Well faraz bro.. why have you installed Beta ver. Gusty final will be out soon .. on 18 Nice features none the less knew all of em

Gutsy's code has been more or less upto release stage except for a few more security and bug fixes. So, it's all fine to download it 10-15 days before the release. But, it could just be that if you're unfortunate enough you may hit a nasty bug.

infra_red_dude said:
^^^ You mean you never learnt anything?? I guess you were born with a completely automatic recovery CD in your hand when you were born, gifted by God!

The only thing i learned out of the box in this world is flirting & my verbal skills

& that even I will brag about.

When its an important file to be recovered, believe me people will even kiss the arse of a monkey to get the file back!!

This makes sense but here is the thing, why is it that OSS Knoppix does this automatically but not Ubuntu? Why do I need to learn it for Ubuntu? thats the question

Cause Ubuntu was never meant to be enjoyed Live. It's just there so the user can get a feel of it pre/during-install.

Install Ubuntu and you can see it auto mounted and ready. Live is not built for that.

Knoppix on the other hand crams as much feature live it can cause its aim is different than Canonical. It aims to be a portable distribution, unlike Ubuntu which aims to be a Desktop OS. Now if you really wanna continue this off-topic discussion, start a new thread and we'd only be glad to own you, yet again.

@QwertyManiac: I used boot switches to load Ubuntu to RAM and then downloaded and burnt the Gutsy ISO off the Feisty Live CD after my computer's Windows had crashed...

gx_saurav said:
why is it that OSS Knoppix does this automatically but not Ubuntu? Why do I need to learn it for Ubuntu? thats the question

Becoz Ubuntu is not bound neither oblieged to do it automatically. It neither gains anything nor loses anything. No law states that NTFS drives should be mounted automatically upon booting otherwise the distro will be ostracised!

Its their choice, they don't wanna do it. Simple. If it were ext2 or xfs etc., then the there would be some strength in the argument as to why it doesn't do it. But its NTFS. So no one's bothered about it and its not an issue.

Btw, you don't need to LEARN anything to do that!

QwertyManiac said:
Cause Ubuntu was never meant to be enjoyed Live. It's just there so the user can get a feel of it pre/during-install.

Fine then I will top using Ubuntu as I use Linux only for recovery purpose here. Knoppix here I come.

Although Windows XP BartPE......

gx_saurav said:
Fine then I will top using Ubuntu as I use Linux only for recovery purpose here. Knoppix here I come.

Although Windows XP BartPE......

Lolz... this is funny. You wanna use Windows all the while and when its screwed you blame a certain Linux Distro for not providing features out of the box to recover windows!!!

This is really funny!

For recovery purposes any Live CD Linux distro is the best, at least in my case. BartPE hasn't worked all the times for me. I haf a pair or recovery CD set. One is a Live Linux CD, another one is a self made Recovery CD containing BartPE (with XPE and lotsa other addons, drivers), *****'s Boot CD and Ultimate Boot CD all integrated into onto one CD using ISOLinux.

Btw, Faraaz uptill today you are safe with the Beta. I don't think there's gonna be much difference in it and the final release. Not many issues haf come up. Rather none. But you can just upgrade the distro when Gusty final is released

The time it'd take for you would be peanuts to download and upgrade!

@infra_red_dude: Yeah...I mean, this isn't Windows update is it?

Very safe, reliable and above all...quick! So I figured why not?

PS: Does anyone know how I can use a USB based IDE External hard drive in Linux?

Doesn't it get auto-mounted?

For enabling NTFS R/W on it you can use that ntfs-config tool.

Yes it gets automounted. I just plug it in and I start using it. Are you facing any probs Faraaz?

See...its my internal SATA Western Digital 300 GB HDD, which I removed to take with me to Switzerland. I bought a casing which came with a Sata to USB chip. So anyway, when I plug it into my lappy with Windows, it is auto-recognized, but in Ubuntu...it just doesn't show at all!

So that's why I was asking...

Mount it like u usually mount ur usb manually to check and when u have done it, append the following line to ur /etc/fstab

Code:

/dev/sda1            /media/usb_sda1                  vfat    exec,user,noauto 0 0

replace "sda1" as per ur system configuration!! U can use "dmesg" to find out what device has been detected. And finally add the "disk mounter" applet to gnome-panel!

If I type fdisk -l, I only get my sda drive being recognized...no sdb...

Manual mounting won't work in this case will it?

if ur pluggin ur drive in front panel usb port then i will not detect ur drive.

and manual mounting works by chance ur parititions r not automounted.

Just do a "dmesg" on the terminal and find out the details of the drive. Then mount.

@vish
He has a laptop.

[Post Edited for the junk...]

Plz wrap the text in

Code:

 code /code

M

gx_saurav said:
This makes sense but here is the thing, why is it that OSS Knoppix does this automatically but not Ubuntu? Why do I need to learn it for Ubuntu? thats the question

I have answered it 'n^n' times but let me do so again.
Ubuntu => Distributed by Canonical => A Business Organisation => Legal Enitity => Operates in UK

Knoppix => Created by Community => Not a legal entity => Operates in and around Germany

Laws reguarding IP and OSS favour much more towards IP in UK, whereas when it comes to most of the others European Countries especially EU are much more oriented towards protecting their own rights.

NTFS => Patented by MS => Cannot be distributed without legal consent of MS

It would be very easy for MS to sue Canonical then even think of suing Klaus Knopper, who's just an ordinary citizen.
Thus, the chances of MS being able to do anything to Knoppix is next to nil for the above mentioned reasons. Thus, it's much easier for Knoppix to bundle NTFS write support and not so for Canonical.

faraaz said:
@infra_red_dude: Yeah...I mean, this isn't Windows update is it? Very safe, reliable and above all...quick! So I figured why not?

Well I tend to disagree. It's software and some unfortunate bugs can creep in. I do remember once, I had asked harsh to try some workaround method to login as root. That required to kill the xserver. And it wouldn't start again at all. Poor me had to take all the blame till the time kalpik came to his rescue and showed that it wasn't my fault but a bug in the update, but that was corrected within 24hrs nonetheless.

@faraaz: U aint got the point! Do not post output just like that. 'dmesg' briefs bt the devices attached/found. So all that stuff u posted is bt ur system. Wheneva u attach a new device like pen drive the system writes more info and u get it via dmesg.

So check dmesg. Insert ur usb hdd drive and then check the dmesg again. The last lines that u find new are the exact ones for usb drive. From there u get the device i.e sda,sdb etc. Post that instead or post the dmesg stuff after u have inserted ur usb hdd drive!

@faraaz

Woopsie!!! There are some errors:

[ 5.336000] usb 5-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
[ 5.448000] usb 5-6: device descriptor read/64, error -71

[ 5.664000] usb 5-6: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[ 5.880000] usb 5-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4
[ 5.992000] usb 5-6: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[ 6.208000] usb 5-6: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[ 6.424000] usb 5-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
[ 6.832000] usb 5-6: device not accepting address 5, error -71
[ 6.944000] usb 5-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
[ 7.352000] usb 5-6: device not accepting address 6, error -71

I haf no idea what the errors mean, but I haf a gut feeling that this is your external USB-SATA HDD.

Btw, this doesn't look like your Laptop.

The correct code actually would be

Code:

dmesg | grep sdb

M

Still waiting to get my CD. Will try it once I get the CD

@Qwerty
Looking at dmesg, that will not return anything in his case.

@infra_red_dude, mediator: Sorry about that...I'm not too savvy with all the advanced forum stuff...nor with dmesg...

Infra_red, why you say that doesnt look like my laptop?? I assure you its an Inspiron 9100, config is 3.2 GHz P4 with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB WD HDD, 256 MB Radeon 9800 and some other stuff...I'd picked it up in 2005...

Hey faraaz can you do this? Get another Live distro and boot it off the CD. Now see if the external disk is recognised or not.

Oh, actually I was thinking on these lines that since you recently left for Zurich and had said that you got a new laptop I thot that this one is not yours (Since now no P4 based laptops are available).

@faraaz, by lookin at error, i have a gut feelin that parititions r corrupted.

^^^ He says it works fine on Windows.

yes that happened with me too... right now i can access all my partitions in windows, but fedora just detects the drive sdb, but cannot display/detect partitions

Okay to update...I removed the usb, typed dmesg, plugged in the usb...and was going to type dmesg again, when it popped up messages saying NTFS drive could not be mounted because of unclean shutdown! This was my external drive!

So obviously I shut down Linux, restarted in Windows...shut that down properly, then started up Linux again....but now even if I plug it in and out, it is not being recognized...

mehulved said:
Well I tend to disagree. It's software and some unfortunate bugs can creep in. I do remember once, I had asked harsh to try some workaround method to login as root. That required to kill the xserver. And it wouldn't start again at all. Poor me had to take all the blame till the time kalpik came to his rescue and showed that it wasn't my fault but a bug in the update, but that was corrected within 24hrs nonetheless.

yupp..i too was there, it was 3am in morning....kalpik helping harsh, i junking the IRC and then again harsh lost the command given by kalpik becuase of channel flooding(he was on cmd line that time so no scroll back lost once is lost forever), kalpik giving it again again, you playing some stupid songs on amorak

.

but that happened a year and didn't occur since then

touch wood

faraaz said:
Okay to update...I removed the usb, typed dmesg, plugged in the usb...and was going to type dmesg again, when it popped up messages saying NTFS drive could not be mounted because of unclean shutdown! This was my external drive!

So obviously I shut down Linux, restarted in Windows...shut that down properly, then started up Linux again....but now even if I plug it in and out, it is not being recognized...

Use ntfsfix for correct it unless you use vista

And if ntfsfix doesn't work, try mounting it with a force parameter.

Okay, sorry to sound stupid but what is ntfsfix and where do I find it and how do I use it? I can't even see the HDDs in fdisk...

Code:

sudo apt-get install ntfsprogs

This will install the ntfsfix program with it.

P.s. You do remember the last time's DMESG for your drive don't you? I mean, it should have shown some /dev/sdx or something. Use that?

M

Just force mount it.

QwertyManiac said:
Code:

sudo apt-get install ntfsprogs

This will install the ntfsfix program with it.

P.s. You do remember the last time's DMESG for your drive don't you? I mean, it should have shown some /dev/sdx or something. Use that?

Better use

Code:

sudo apt-get install ntfs-config

Close/Shut Down WIndows properly if you have

Else replce NTFS with NTFS-3g in fstab

NTFS Config installs ntfsfix ? I don't think so and nor does it fix NTFS Security Block errors

NTFS Fix should work for you. And if I remember rite, you used to haf XP which crashed. So no Vista, no problem

But first try it on a partition which doesn't haf imp. data.

C-F

^^^ What??!!!

Compiz-Fusion is my favorite feature in Ubuntu 7.10

infra

indeed compiz-fusion/beryl... help me a lot in my office.... like if i'm watching a movie or something, & if someone suddenly comes up... i just switch back fast to my work page, its been helping me a lot. a very stunning feature. :))

^^
Haha, but be careful to turn off the window edge triggers for Expose and Window Switcher cause you don't know when you'd accidentally touch those in your random mouse movement while the supervisor's around.

M

unless you're watching your boss's favourite movie