Laptop with Ubuntu & Kubuntu cont.

Last time I wrote about using Ubuntu with gnome desktop environment. Before continuing I took some time using Kubuntu with KDE 4 desktop environment. I should say I don’t know KDE very well. Once you get over the plasma excitement you get back to every day computing. This is where trouble starts for me. I want a secure computer like anyone but I ask you is KDE Wallet really necessary? I understand you set up each password and then you only enter the KDE Wallet password. I disabled KDE Wallet and all kind of trouble started. I could not get Internet access. So I set up KDE Wallet and it works along with Internet access but It seems another step id rather do without. The strong point is its looks. I’m still not sure how or what I can use folder view. The ability to set up different desktops with their own look and feel is very cool. At the top right is the toolbox and if you zoom out the desktop shrinks. You can add activities or another desktop. I don’t really use it put very cool anyway. By default desktop effects where set up nicely. I like some effects but not some crazy resource hog. I am probably too crazy with changing wallpaper and themes. With Gnome this is done very quick and easy. KDE you can add wallpapers to use and change but you can not clear your list very easy. I know there is a file somewhere that you can edit but I could not find it. Oh! Boy and now themes. I have not a clue and this is probably more about me not knowing KDE. I do sense if you want your computer set up and running without too much tweaking around KDE looks and functions well for the most part. As I’m writing there is a notice on the system tray for updates. Everything is updated except for some bugs that are blocked. I don’t get it and now the update notice doesn’t go away. It’s not major things but I wish they would work better. I don’t know how much this is with Kubuntu because other distributions may have a better flow with these annoying aspect. It is great though to be able to install more than one desktop environments so if you want to change you can. I’m not sure if I’m giving KDE a fair chance. I’m use to Gnome and its method of tweaking the desktop because thats one thing I love doing. So my patience is shorter because I know what to do using Gnome. For now I’ll keep using KDE via Kubuntu on my laptop. I haven’t gone to the forums which are always full of information to learn more about. A little off the subject I have a coworker that asked me about old computers. Right away I said that I would make him a CD with Xubuntu. I showed him how to run the Live CD at work. I really liked what I saw with Xubuntu. The thing is a lot of people are not crazy like me willing to spend a lot of money for a new computer. I’m happy to tell them they have a choice and its for free. When I think about it that way about Linux and Open Source software its pretty hard to complain about anything and the perspective of any distribution is pretty great.

Laptop with Ubuntu and Kubuntu

I wrote before looking for a Linux distribution for my laptop. I’ve been using Ubuntu with gnome desktop environment. With the many choices Linux offers its hard to not be curious. Other desktop environment include Xfce and Fluxbox. Both are lightweight environments that give new life to older computers. Not to mention I think they each have interesting features. So naturally I wonder what will it be with different desktop environments? When I first tested Linux distributions on my laptop there was the new kde4 but I found it too unstable for me. As improvements have been released with KDE 4.2.3 I got the bug to give it a test run once again. Then it hit me to install Kubuntu and have both desktop environments available to me. I should back up a bit and say using a 64-bit computer has been a little challenge but nothing serious like major lock ups or crashes.

Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit

The gnome desktop environment has been very good and very easy to customize one thing I noticed more using KDE. With gnome there is a simplicity in its approach making customizing very intuitive. Most things you can drag and drop, at worst the system will tell you wrong file. With Icons sometimes the compression it comes with just needs to be opened up to get tar.gz or just uncompressed completely and most of the times it works. In gnome you have one password to deal with for any system changing commands you want to carry out. I like to keep it simple less to remember. For eye candy Compiz and Emerald do a pretty good job. It’s up to me to get the right tweak I like. Maybe that is too much work and some one prefers it just done for them. I guess I just like getting in there and seeing what I can do. For some reason I don’t know why but Virtualbox OSE does not work as good with 9.04. This is one point that bugs sometimes. Ubuntu 9.04 has done better at setting up my ATI video card. In previous version it did not give me 3D support. Bad distro but there was a work around using Metacity Compositing thanks to a tip from linuxowns.wordpress.com It let me use AWN dock anyway.

Theme Dust Hydroxygen Icons and AWN-Dock

I find some eye candy is good but too much can eat up computer resource. In gnome mounting drives like USB and back-up drives like Western Digital My Book have been easy to plug and play. I can never forget the Linux distribution is free. Besides you have the choice what flavor of desktop environment you like. With many distributions like Ubuntu you can add extra desktop environments and you can select which one to use. To be cont. Updated with original wallpaper.