Each time a new Ubuntu version appeared I was writing an article on how I upgraded and tested it on my laptop. It was not the case for the last version, since ever since Lucid Lynx it seemed everything is on a descending slope as far as I am concerned. Yet these days, in one of my iterations for features I tried to install evince 3 (finally pdf bookmarks!) and realized that so many new versions and unmet dependencies exist, that it might be time to update.

So, I downloaded the new Ubuntu release with the usual curiosity and joy… I should start with a small parenthesis. I am reading an usability book right now which is based on the concept that a website (or application) should not make you think too much and I agree. But the new Ubuntu made me think a lot and this was a bad start already, yet I decided to be above average and consider this an exploration while trying to replicate my working environment.

I am using Ubuntu for so many years that I don’t even remember the beginnings yet I fully remember my first productive environment which consisted of a simple WindowMaker running 9 rxvt terminals on one screen (don’t ask me what resolution it was because it will only sadden me more). And moving from redhat to debian to mandrake to knoppix to gentoo to ubuntu the moving force was, beside curiosity, the hope that everything will work smoother and smoother. And for a while it was so. Better media suport (remember before mplayer?), better hardware detection (remember kernel compiles?), better network detection (remember manual network switching or iwconfig?), better graphic card config (remember /etc/X11/XF86Config.conf?), better acpi support (remember hibernate or suspend problems?). These were the improvements that made linux easier to use and advanced distributions until Ubuntu which seemed perfect.

As a geek, I will of course be curious about the new interfaces but at some point productivity always decides. After compiling for minutes and looking at the top output, the GUI effects are the first to go. After debuging for hours, the horizontal bars taking up so precious space will also go. And after spending my Saturday trying to adapt to the new Oneiric Ocelot, fighting the small bugs and the missing bits I got accustomed to, I am writing this from my old Ubuntu after already having modified the grub to boot it by default leaving the newly installed partition to gather dust.

So in the end it was a question of loss and gain.

What I was losing:

  • GUI familiarly: cannot move the left bar to the right and cannot eliminate the top bar
  • sloppy focus: I always wondered why should I click to raise a window? Has anyone thought how sloppy focus works with top menus? As I am moving the mouse to the menu, I am losing it as the window closest to the menu will be raised thus imposing its menu.
  • select/copy, middle click/paste: does anyone even remember this traditional X functionality? How can you now copy/paste to/from emacs to chromium?
  • indicators such as the hamster indicator
  • Fn+F8. Could not find any way to make it work even with the acpi_osi=… hack. As I went to ubuntu.com searching for the download page, there was a dell laptop image there. I assumed this means compatibility and this pushed me further to test this new release. As I go into a presentation room filled with people, can I afford to have this functionality not working and spend 5 minutes tinkering with nvidia-settings? I bet it will trigger one of the “are you not using windows?” questions.
  • suspend. Works with acpi_sleep=nonvs but the screen gets sometime garbled after waking up and the battery indicator stops working at all.
  • my saturday searching for acpi params instead of enjoying the new evince bookmarks finishing a read

What I was gaining:

  • a new interface with very little real configuration options. It’s a “like it or leave it” approach which reminds me of other nefarious examples. Not even fonts can be configured easily as gnome-tweak-tool installs gnome-shell. Yes I could choose gnome3 of xfce or even fluxbox, but why?
  • a shinny AppStore to “BUY” applications for linux. I almost never find such application useful and always revert to apt-get which is perfect already.
  • a lot of potential tinkering for the weekends. Thanks but no thanks, I’ve tinkered already enough to have a working linux, why should I do it again and again.

In conclusion I will not use the new Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot until a pressing need (gain) arises. I don’t mind the new interface and it’s not even all interface related, but what I don’t like is to give something working for something shinier which does not work better. I understand the marketing points and everyone’s commercial need to copy the macs, use a bit of its market image but I’d better buy a HTC than a HiPhone :)

Comments:

Anna Bell -

- It also is shitty with the proxy, I can’t enjoy this on my work completely. System wide proxy settings doesn’t work properly!! - Multiple screens doesn’t work correctly, but I don’t know if that is the amd driver or ubuntu 11.10. Although it worked for me on 10.04! At home I enjoy it a little more, but at work, it just frustrates me… To bad, I hope they will at least bring a patch out for 11.10 for the proxy settings.


daniel -

You can try to install the OSX maybe you’re going to like it. There is also an Oracle Java no more Apple crap.