The Distro Test (S5E4)

[Aq]

In Season 5 Episode 4 we tested the latest versions of four major Linux distributions with a series of ordinary tasks -- connecting via Bluetooth, watching a Youtube video, playing Ogg Vorbis and MP3 files, using the wireless network, printing a document -- to see if Linux really is ready for the ordinary user. What do you think? Was there anything else we should have tested? Would your distribution have done better? Is Linux really ready for the desktop?

[simbloke]

Battey life! The way things are configured in a distro can make a big difference to the battery life.

I've just installed Gutsy on an HP 6510b. Pretty much everything woked out of the box. Of course resume is dodgy, the screen is sometimes dark or blank.

I am putting scripts in /etc/acpi to tune vm/disk/fs/wireless settings for battery or ac mode. All these things can be found around the net but they should really be built in.

Sim

[Aq]

Battery life!

Sounds like a good one for the next time we do this, although it might take longer to test than the amount of time we can dedicate to the testing

[Drinky]

Digg it
Do something to do with Slashdot with it

- Many thanks from the LR Minister of Propaganda

[mrben]

Jono said he thought that the codec thing from Gutsy was in Fedora. I think you'll find that they have their own thing (called 'Codec Buddy') which was being debated for the next release. I don't know if they made a decision yet....

[mattc]

This was a very interesting little segment. What would have made it even more interesting would be if you had also included the same gadgets on a Mac, and installed Windows Vista on the laptops. Some things that work on my Linux machines don't work on my Mac, and some things that work on Linux don't work on Vista, and vice versa I'm sure.

[bpepple]

Jono said he thought that the codec thing from Gutsy was in Fedora. I think you'll find that they have their own thing (called 'Codec Buddy') which was being debated for the next release. I don't know if they made a decision yet....

Yeah, Codec Buddy is in for F8, but it's currently only integrated with Totem. Rhythmbox support will probably come in as update after F8 is out the door.

[Aq]

This was a very interesting little segment. What would have made it even more interesting would be if you had also included the same gadgets on a Mac,

Nah. Comparing to a Mac is like comparing with a machine bought pre-installed with Linux from someone like System 76. We installed on arbitrary hardware, not hardware which has been pre-tested and specifically configured for Linux. We could have tried installing Mac OS X on that hardware and see how we get on, but I don't like testing a Mac, on specific Mac hardware, against Linux on whatever laptop we could get hold of, because it's not a fair test.

[AdamW]

Just posting here for info, also mailed to the presenters:

Hi, guys. Thanks again for the interview and the inclusion of Mandriva in the review segment.

Unfortunately, there was a big problem - you used the wrong edition...

In the introduction to the section, you say you're going to use the default, stock edition for each distro. However, you used the Free edition of Mandriva. This is *not* the default. If you go to http://www.mandriva.com , bonk on the big green Download button, and then download the default selection, you'll find it's the One edition. This is a single CD live / install hybrid edition, just like Ubuntu (though we had One before Ubuntu had a live installer, actually).

More importantly, it includes non-free stuff - like the proprietary NVIDIA driver, and the wireless firmware needed for the Intel wireless chipset you were testing. The Free edition is free *as in speech* - so it doesn't include this firmware. If you'd actually used the default edition - One - you would've found the wireless worked out of the box.

This is specifically explained on the download page:

"Mandriva Linux One 2008 - Free Download (Recommended: contains all drivers and common plugins)"

"Mandriva Linux Free 2008 - The "purely" Free Software edition (See why you should care about Free Software) Warning: does not contain any proprietary drivers or software"

There's an error on our part too, admittedly. The error message you got when trying to enable the wireless is an old message that has been overlooked. You don't have to join the Club to get the firmware (indeed, joining the Club wouldn't help you a sausage...) You just have to set up the official repositories (which include the non-free repository where this firmware lives) on the Free edition and re-run the network configuration tool. Of course, this is tricky if you don't have a wired connection, but as Free is *free* - that's its raison d'etre - there's not a lot we can really do about that.

I will make sure the error message is updated for 2008.1 and hopefully for 2008 with an update. But it would be nice if you could clarify the point on the next show, and maybe take a quick look at One. Thanks.

[garwaymatt]

It was a really good segment. I have a synaptics touchpad, and the random changing page really is FUCKING ANNOYING

It seems to happen when using the edge of the touchpad as a scroll wheel. I cant find any info on how to turn that off, but I want to keep the scrolling functionality. That and the broadcom wireless card are the only things that don't work properly.

If anyone wants a cheap laptop with a slightly beaten up touchpad send me a message...

[Allix]

Its a good segment that could be done every 6 months or so, i felt it gave it a balanced look at linux today on the desktop .

Having a standard desktop and a old laptop without webcam, bluetooth and so on included I take my linux usage for granted.

[garwaymatt]

I think that is why I have less hardware problems than a lot of people, as I have mature ok, old hardware. My laptop is an inspiron 1300, which was never cutting edge in the first place. Most basic laptops(although this is changing as there are more 'consumer grade' laptops), that are nothing more than the necessary run linux ok.

[Drinky]

Just posting here for info, also mailed to the presenters:

Hi, guys. Thanks again for the interview and the inclusion of Mandriva in the review segment.

Unfortunately, there was a big problem - you used the wrong edition...

In the introduction to the section, you say you're going to use the default, stock edition for each distro. However, you used the Free edition of Mandriva.

More importantly, it includes non-free stuff - like the proprietary NVIDIA driver, and the wireless firmware needed for the Intel wireless chipset you were testing. The Free edition is free *as in speech* - so it doesn't include this firmware. If you'd actually used the default edition - One - you would've found the wireless worked out of the box.

Yes, I'm sorry about that. I ignored the download offered to me and went to the mirror instead to get the DVD iso which had both KDE and Gnome. I then had a brain fart and took the Free iso (as it was the only one with a DVD image) and assumed Free to be the free one. This will be pointed out in the next show, I'm sorry to have given you a skewed review as a result.

[sjeapes]

This is a really minor thing but if you do review like this again (and I hope you do) could you try to repeat which distro you were testing with each comment, for example saying "well in Ubuntu printing worked well" rather than just "I had no problem with printing"
It would help me keep track as I struggled a bit to match the distro to the voice sometimes

I'd also be interested in first impressions of the help available. What struck me when I upgraded to Gutsy was that I was turning on desktop effects etc. because I knew they were there. There wasn't a quick tour of the desktop/system that might really help a newbie.

[ken_fallon]

Nice technical and yet funny segment. One tip for the next time - instead of saying "My install ...." please use the distro name. While you all tried it got a bit confusing in the excitement.

I would have liked to see you install Vista along side the major distros and if you can get your hands on 4 Mac's it would be nice to see an install comparison of Vista, Leopard, Ubuntu and Fedora.

If you are planning on doing more of these tests it would be great to get input from the Community (bingo) on what they think is important. Suspend and resume is important for a user but switching to an external beamer is critical to a sales drone.

All in all a nice segment.