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   From: dgk    
   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.ubuntu   
   Subject: Problems after installing Ubuntu (fairly long)   
   Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:28:33 -0500   
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   I've been reading some of the crossposts in the Linux/XP newsgroups   
   and decided to try installing Ubuntu to see how it works. The install   
   (on a fairly old PC) went ok. I had to reboot once when the system   
   froze with nice vertical lines on the screen, but it installed ok   
   after I restarted. It found the network very nicely.   
      
   So now I have a few comments and problems. Just about everything I   
   tried didn't work very well. I'm not bashing Linux or Ubuntu. Notice   
   that I am not crossposting this to any other group. I simply want to   
   air some comments and get some comments.   
      
   I've been a programmer for 25 years, starting with the 360/370   
   mainframes and DEC PDP-11. I'm currently working with VB.Net using MS   
   SQL Server and and also a linux friendly DB called Cache (a version of   
   MUMPS). I have six computers running XP and server 2003 in my house   
   and I build them myself. So, I do know something about the beasties   
   but I don't know much about Linux.   
      
   The first thing I did was use the add/remove application to install   
   Gambas. That worked fine. I created a simple Hello World application   
   that worked fine in the designer, and then compiled it and tried to   
   run it from Gnome. I got an error: Cannot open ... No application   
   suitable for automatic installation is available...  First question,   
   why won't the app run?   
      
   I have a comment about the add/remove application. The gauge showing   
   the percent download has (by default anyway) a color scheme that makes   
   the text invisible as it progressess to the right. Also, as I hit   
   backspace to change the thing that I'm searching for, Add/Remove is   
   apparently searching the list with every keypress so nothing appears   
   to be happening as I hit backspace. The rule I follow while writing   
   this sort of list search is to search when the person stops typing for   
   a half-second or so, not every keypress. It requires a bit more coding   
   effort but the user experience is much better.   
      
   So what sort of computer did I install Ubuntu on? A fairly old one   
   that I got from a friend to use as a test machine. I figure that I'll   
   check the specs. I go to Device Manager. No information is available   
   for the processor. Not whether it is Intel or AMD, nor the speed. How   
   much RAM? No idea, I can't find it anywhere. Maybe I just missed it.   
      
   Well, I figure that I'll design a database using OpenOffice since I   
   have a need for one. So I manage to create a table with no problem,   
   and I add a few columns and one is an integer autoincrement type to   
   use as a primary key. As I try to save the database, I get a error   
   message that no primary key is defined, do I want to add one. Ok, I   
   thought that I had one but go and add one. Now I get an error that I'm   
   trying to add a second primary key.   
      
   I delete the one that I had put in, it complains that I have no   
   primary key, I let it add one, and it is ok now. Oh, the messagebox   
   that gave me the errors had the OK button over some of the text in the   
   message and I couldn't click on OK. Instead I had to use the X to   
   close the box.   
      
   I figure that I'll see how I can acess the newsgroups. I don't see   
   anything likely under the Internet group so I check add/remove and   
   search for newsgroup. Two things show up. One is a binary leacher so I   
   ignore that because I'm looking for text, although it did mention in a   
   snotty way that anyone installing it might have to read the manual.   
   Apparantly they couldn't write a newsgroup binary grabber that is user   
   friendly.   
      
   But here is something called Bowser. I install it. I run it. I get an   
   error that "sr_bd mysql connect fail". Oh. Maybe MySQL isn't   
   installed? I look at add/remove, the only things mentioned for MySQL   
   is an administrative tool and a visual query designer. Fine, I add   
   both, Bowser still won't run.   
      
   The Bowser description says something about pimppa, maybe Bowser is   
   just a gui frontend for pimppa. So I search add/remove for pimppa,   
   nope, no mention of that. I give up on Bowser.   
      
   I look at evolution, I try to set up an email account (I use hotmail)   
   but I have no idea how to set it up to use hotmail. But it looks like   
   evolution is also a newsreader. Great, but I made a mistake entering   
   my newsgroup provider and it can't load anything. Ok, I hunt around   
   and find where to change it. But now I can't find any way to get the   
   listing of newsgroups. I don't see anything in evolution that has   
   anything to do with newsgroups. So, I'm posting this on my old copy of   
   Agent on an XP machine.   
      
   That's about it for now. I have some programming that really does have   
   to get done and I'm about out of time for Ubuntu for the weekend. I   
   would greatly appreciate any clues as to what I can do to resolve any   
   of these problems. Thanks.   
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