You can't go wrong with Ubuntu LTS. I got my wife of Mac onto it and no problems. Updating is fine, I have done the distribution upgrade twice now and it is very smooth. I only wish I could say the same for fedora! I get more problems with windows that I do with Ubuntu and when I cause an issue the forums are first rate. Ubuntu is the best place to start as far as I can see.
Alex On 21 Feb 2014 22:05, "Mel Walters" <melwalt...@telus.net> wrote: > Talk about a failure to communicate! I am wondering about my skills now > you see? > My original question was related to keeping a system up to date with > minor updates, not a major Debian upgrade like say Debian 6 to Debian 7. > Again, starting with Debian (the latest stable) that is working and up > to date. Then keeping it up to date with normal updates that Debian > wants to do. > > My statement is Debian should do that OK, assuming it was setup in a > Debian manner. > > My worries are multi fold for this friends system. He is having issues > with both Windows and Linux on his flagship workstation now. I will have > to fall back on simplification and basic troubleshooting to help him > further along. > > Issues with some programs is another topic. > Not to say my case was the same, but I had an issue years ago with a > mail program crashing. I think it was from an old carried forward home > directory. A quick test by creating a new user worked fine, (no crashes) > so I ended up repairing my home directory by clearing out the dot config > directory for the offending program and starting a fresh configuration. > This must have got rid of an old configuration that was incompatible > with the newer program. No more crashes. > > Mel > > On Thu, 2014-02-20 at 17:26 -0700, Terrell Larson wrote: > > The last time I upgraded was quite a while ago - from Debian woody to > > Sarge. This upgrade was a DISASTER. So much for promises. > > > > (I think there is a song about that) > > > > A process when it is shutting down much call wait() and this is when > > system resouces are released. Until wait() is called the process goes > > into a zombie state. I have firefox for instance die about once a week > > since say about 2006. Oh it works... It just spews a few 100 zombies, > > rns out of memory and the kernal kills it and cleans up the mess. > > > > Other than an annoyance this is not a big problem for me. I simply > > restart it when its convient and go do something else while it > > reloads... which it ususlly but not always does and if not then I do > > have checkpoint files in the sessionstore.js files which in my case live > > in: .mozilla/firefox/jfthz6j9.default> > > > > Its a library mismatch issue. Likely nothing more than that. So where > > is the utility which can spin through the libraries and actually CONFIRM > > that the proper versions are present. > > > > This is a very simple data base operation. All we need is a program to > > walk the directory tree and confirm required files are present and this > > is what apt has to do anyways. Well I would think eight (8) years > > should be sufficent. > > > > So I am going back to the way I use to install an OS. I buy a new > > computer and if I can't justify that I at least buy a new hard drive! > > > > I think this speaks to the comments below. > > > > What we need are very simple tools which can actually access a common > > data base of dependancies which hopefully will run off the appropriate > > mirrors. Then if a mistake is made it can be corrected and I would > > suggest the next time said utility is run it should advise the client of > > any other apps which might have a correction. And I'll speak (write) to > > this next. > > > > Several years ago I was in a chat room and someone was trying to get a > > CDBurner working. This was alas in Debian Sarge and I think the app was > > k3b. I submitted the solution, perhaps to the wrong place. A year > > later someone else on IRC was asking the same question. So I told him > > where to go. A year later: No improvemnt. > > > > I conclude we have what Cool Hand Luke suggested is a failure to > > communicate. > > > > ------------- > > > > Now I have a question: I'm about to install the latest version of > > Debian. It will not be an upgrade. I'm not making that mistake again. > > > > The video in the machine in question is not what will be there down the > > track. At this point I don't even know what card it is - but its good > > enough for an install. Down the track I might put in two single monitor > > cards - likely old decrepid ones, or I might try a 5 head card. > > > > These all required TOTALLY different drivers. > > > > How hard is it to switch video systems? If a card dies and there is no > > spare how does one even get into a GUI to reconfigure a new card? > > > > I have NEVER liked GUI's for this simple reason. BUT - I believe it is > > feasible to write a system tool which can run in "EITHER" command prompt > > -or- GUI modes. Does anyone know if there is anything out there which > > acutally does something like this? > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Feb 20, 2014 at 03:55:43PM -0700, Mel Walters wrote: > > > Linux. Debian (Stable) > > > > > > For the intense hobbyist only? > > > Here is just a question: > > > How much truth is in the statement 'Installing and maintaining modern > > > Linux is a non issue for the potential user now. Lets move on.'? > > > > > > My recent experience was in helping a friend fix his upgrades after his > > > GUI upgrade gave an unhelpful error code he was unable to overcome. > > > The issues appeared to be authentication and the GUI hiding what was > > > going on in the background. Others prefer the command line and ncursers > > > like programs (aptitude) so they can see what is going on. With out my > > > intermittent help he would be unable use Linux a lot of the time. > > > Some of it is just computer user issues, but I'll bet that's not the > > > whole picture. > > > > > > Thoughts? > > > > > > Mel > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > clug-talk mailing list > > > clug-talk@clug.ca > > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > > > **Please remove these lines when replying > > > > _______________________________________________ > > clug-talk mailing list > > clug-talk@clug.ca > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > > **Please remove these lines when replying > > > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > clug-talk@clug.ca > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > **Please remove these lines when replying >
_______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list clug-talk@clug.ca http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
