Questions about Ubuntu

[Stephen Ryan]

On Thu, 2008-09-18 at 09:38 -0400, Bruce Labitt wrote:
> Arc Riley wrote:
> > Ubuntu uses the same package manager as Debian (apt) and draws many of 
> > it's packages from Debian SID, however it is very much not Debian.  
> > Using Debian packages as a base allows Ubuntu to build on work already 
> > done.
> >
> > What makes Ubuntu special is a focus on regular "desktop users", aka 
> > "Linux for Human Beings", where other distros target developers, 
> > servers, etc.
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 8:57 AM, Bruce Labitt 
> > <bruce.labitt at verizon.net <mailto:bruce.labitt at verizon.net>> wrote:
> >
> >     What is unique or good about Ubuntu?  What are its advantages?  As I
> >     understand it is based on Debian.  Ubuntu uses a different package
> >     manager, does it really matter?
> >
> >     My linux background is with SuSE, Fedora, Centos, and Scientific Linux
> >     which use an rpm based package manager.
> >
> >     -Bruce
> >     _______________________________________________
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> >     http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
> >
> >
> At work, I need to set up stuff like a tftp server, a nfs server, dhcpd, 
> and my favorite ;) 3D imaging using vtk, python, mayavi2, scipy, opengl 
> etc.  Is that a good fit?  I don't know if that qualifies as a regular 
> "desktop" user.  How is their 64 bit support?

mayavi2 isn't in the repositories (mayavi is, but it's version 1.5); the
rest of the specific things you mentioned are packaged and present in
the repositories.  64 bit support seems decent enough, but I haven't
used it for much; $dayjob is as a developer for a 32 bit application, so
I've only installed the 64 bit version on a secondary system for
testing, but it worked well enough.

I test on 25 different distros at $dayjob; rpm vs. deb is "visiting
Canada" different, not "visiting Mars" different.
> 
> I'm seriously considering Ubuntu at home.  I've got 2 SuSE9.3 machines 
> that I need to upgrade!  How's wireless these days?  In the old days 
> that used to be a bear.  I hope it is painless now.

Depends on your hardware.  Many people still swear at it; I have not had
such troubles, though I have taken pains to order Intel wireless for my
and my wife's laptops.  Insert Ubuntu disk, boot, click Network Manager
icon, select my AP.  Done.


> -Bruce
> 
> 
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