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   From: noshellswill    
   Subject: Re: Problems after installing Ubuntu (fairly long)   
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   NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:29:05 EST   
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   Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:29:34 -0500   
   Xref: number1.nntp.dca.giganews.com alt.os.linux.ubuntu:11016   
      
   On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:58:55 +0000, elaich wrote:   
      
   > dgk  wrote in    
   > news:sf51u2t5rtvsjdqfec6csocdvdoshuko93@4ax.com:   
   >    
   >> So now I have a few comments and problems. Just about everything I   
   >> tried didn't work very well.   
   >    
   > I've been fighting with Ubuntu for about a month now, and am ready to    
   > give up. It's great for a) a novice user who only wants to use Firefox    
   > and a few other things, or b) an experienced Linux/Unix user who    
   > understands what it's up to. For someone like me, who likes to go beyond    
   > a) but not as far as b), it's hopeless.   
   >    
   > The problem is not Ubuntu. Ubuntu is the most user friendly distro i've    
   > tried. It's Linux. The file structure is incomprehensible. I was told    
   > that most apps install into usr/bin, but some don't. Why not? Google    
   > Earth installed into opt. And then refused to work. Naturally, no    
   > launcher was made for it, nor a link in the Applications menu, so I had    
   > to go looking for it. As usual, not only was I not told where it had    
   > installed, but was not given the option to choose where to install it.    
   > Why is this basic function (creating a link or launcher for a newly    
   > installed program) so inconsistent in Linux? In Windows, everything    
   > installs in /Program Files. Why is Linux different?   
   >    
   > I spent most of the day today trying to edit slrn.rc, a simple    
   > configuration file. I am not allowed access, because I don't "own" the    
   > file. Bullshit. I followed a complicated ritual to create a script that    
   > would allow any file to be edited as root if simply dragged and dropped    
   > into it. It didn't work. I tried another ritual to get logged in as root,    
   > and still was not allowed to edit the file. All I wanted to do was insert    
   > my personal info so slrn could work.    
   >    
   > The problem is that Linux is based on Unix, which expects a huge number    
   > of users who should be denied access to all but basic functions, and a    
   > handful of administrators who should be allowed access. Thus, access is    
   > difficult. Why should my computer, which I own, and of which I am the    
   > only user, refuse to allow me to edit a simple config file? Why should I    
   > jump through hoops for 6 hours and still fail? I looked up every resource    
   > I could find on the subject, and still failed. Unix is a fine solution    
   > for the corporate world, which expects not only tampering from within,    
   > but also from without. This level of security is simply overkill for the    
   > home user. There needs to be a happy medium between this and Windows,    
   > which allows anybody to do anything.   
   >    
   > I have spent more time in Terminal lately than I have since MS-DOS 3.3.    
   > At my age, I don't want to have to learn another programming language. I    
   > learned CP/M and MS-DOS. I learned BASIC, and wrote a football game in    
   > it. I'm too old and tired for that any more.   
   >    
   > Linux needs to allow the user more freedom. Things should be more    
   > automated. A lot of things that one has to do inside Terminal could be    
   > automated, but still have a nice level of security.    
   >    
   > I like the idea of Linux and open source software, and I like Ubuntu.    
   > But, to get anything done inside Linux, unless you know the programming    
   > language, is very hard. I worked for 2 days trying to compile the Sexy    
   > PSF plugin for XMMS. All I ended up with was a bunch of error messages.    
   > There is a .deb for every kind of video game music except the Play    
   > Station. Why hasn't someone created a .deb for PSF? Even Puppy Linux has    
   > a .pup for it.   
   >    
   > It's just very frustrating. I have no security problems in Windows, never    
   > have. All it takes is a little common sense and knowledge. You use a    
   > firewall, you don't use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, and you    
   > don't trust anything or anybody unless proven trustworthy. Good practice    
   > for any computer user. But, I don't like Microsoft, and I don't like the    
   > storm clouds that are gathering over Vista and rumors of Microsoft's    
   > intent. I'd like to see Linux reach a point where almost anybody can use    
   > it, and still be secure. But it's not there yet.   
      
      
   BigE:   
      
   Yes, learning Linux IS quite impossible. But don't sweat it.    
      
   carry on:   
      
   nss   
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