SMB stands for SAMBA http://www.samba.org,
and I have had no problems whatsoever with network browsing

Well, the one problem that I do have is the fact that they don't include gcc in the default install. It's easily apt-gotten, but I'd still like it there in the stock install.

Other than that, it's been quite nice to me. I've been using it since the 4.10 preview and haven't regretted switching from Fedora. Updating to 5.04 has proved rather simple, though I still have a problem with Firefox and eSound...but that's the only glitch.

I don't really see the point - the installer is pretty much the same as the experimental Sarge installer and I get more packages (namely kde) with Debian.
But thats just me - there are plenty of people that rather use Gnome anyway.
Now if they would include the stuff that gives you a headache in Debian (like java) because of some policy juggling I'd see the light.

It's the type of network file sharing used by Windows networks. It can also be used by Linux - Linux PCs can share file and printers using SMB if you install the SAMBA server.

SMB browsing from Gnome certainly works. However, I always mount my SMB shares using smbmount (that way _all_ apps can see the SMB filesystem as though it was local, not just ones that understand Gnome's SMB file access) - and you can easily install LinNeighborhood or your favourite alternative if you want to mount them from the GUI.

As for fast - I haven't done any speed tests but it feels fast to me - and it certainly boots faster than most distros (useful on a laptop).

Other positive points from my point of view:

- Very clean, consistent design - easy to use for newbies, but good for more experienced users too as it doesn't have lots of "helpful" features getting in the way.
- Good hardware support - better on my laptop than anything else I've tried.
- Good community support and responsive developers.
- Good selection of software on the repositories.

Negative points:

- Install is not as friendly as some distros - especially if you want to set up a dual boot system. Fine for old hands, but probably beyond a newbie.
- No KDE (though it's being worked on) - I'm quite happy with either Gnome or KDE but I realise some people have strong preferences for one or the other (or something else again).

I don't count lack of native support for non-free media formats (MP3, CSS DVDs etc.) against it even though it's irritating, as their hand is forced in this matter - I believe that they would be risking the future of the distro at the hands of the lawyers if they didn't take this line, and it's easy enough to add the support for yourself.

I'm running Hoary and syncing regularly to the repositories - have been for a month or so. There are lots of updated packages every day (i.e. lots of development work going on) but it seems very stable, and what bugs there are are very minor in my experience. I'd say their "alpha" level code is more stable and consistent than many distros full releases!

I'm running and/or maintaining systems with a fair number of different distros (though vanilla Debian isn't one of them) and Ubuntu is the one I would recommend to most people, particularly newbies, though I would probably offer to install it for them (but then I probably would with any distro).

Cheers

Andy B

Impressions of Ubuntu? Ok, I've been using Ubuntu on and off since november 2004, and as my full-time OS at home since Jan 2005. Before that, I used Mepis on my home machine, before that Mandrake, before that Microsoft..

Ubuntu is a great distro - fast, with up to date software, good support at the ubuntuforums.org forum. And because it's based on Debian, I get to use the apt package manager which is head and shoulders above anything else. I run the all-new "hoary" version of Ubuntu, but its very stable, even at this early stage. Hardware detection is fantastic - particularly around wireless, where I've struggled with Linux historically.

I have even converted the wife's machine over to Ubuntu (she used win2k before), and she finds it great!

Negative points? Not many so far. Things like out-of-the-box Java and better multimedia would be cool, but maybe there are distribution issues? I also find the naming conventions a bit weird - "warty warthog".. "hoary hedgehog".. Huh?

Whatever, I'm a convert. If you have stumbled on this forum, go and download the latest version of ubuntu (the "hoary" pre-release as it's known), and prepare to be impressed.

Regards,
Supergrapeman.

Samba

Not quite. SMB stands for Server Message Block, and is a Microsoft protocol. SAMBA is a *nix based implementation of the SMB protocol.

It all gets a bit confusing, betacse there's NetBIOS, SMB and CIFS, which are all related but not quite the same thing, and are all connected to Microsoft file and printer sharing. If you want to know more, put all three terms into Google and you'll soon find some articles explaining how they all hang together.

Andy B

I disagree that it is a n00b distro, I love it because its easy to set up, the n00b part, but once you install it, its basicaly a full debian box. Its just debian unstable, +6 months testing, with a better installer and good online support

the only gripe I've had with it is that it dosn't boot properly with my usb keyboard (hangs) and it dosn't do so well auto mounting cds/usb drives or detecting usb keyboards/other devices when connected. If Its booted and I plug in a usb keyboard, it detects it and runs fine, If I unplug it and plug it in again, it dosn't detect it

on the other hand, I hardly use this stuff, so I haven't really looked into how to go about fixing these problems, I've had lots of other little things about the system that were anoying that I fixed.

kde is tweaky as always, but I'm running warty and kubuntu looks like a good idea, can't wait for my free hoary disks!

I have been using Ubuntu for the past several months, without issue. I come from using Slackware 10.0, so am accustommed to "tweaking" my system, which is a characteristic of a "Slacker." I have been very impressed with Ubuntu's hardware detection, and it's rock solid stability. I, too, am running the latest and the greatest version Hoary, and couldn't be happier. (Accomplished through Synaptic as a system-wide upgrade process incorporating the lastest kernel 2.6.10 and the latest Gnome 2.10.0 !) I have my name on the list to have CD's shipped FREE from the Isle of Man!

I am unhappy that Ubuntu is being pegged as a "beginners" distribution though. I assume many opinions are being based on the "unnecessary" amount of "system tweaking" required to get your box up and running smoothly. It is not a step "back" to a "simplified" OS, but a degree of sophistication Ubuntu has right out of the box. I never thought I would ever become a Gnome user, I WAS a diehard KDE supporter for years. Albeit, I do miss some of the familiarity, but am enjoying Gnome / Ubuntu.

Try the live CD, but you have to install to really appreciate it !

Have you tried the various 'acpi=off' and 'pci=noapci' as kernel parameters in /boot/grub/menu.lst? They seem to fix these sorts of USB issues.

I was very happily using Ubuntu for a year, but I decided to move to a faster distribution since my system is a little old. I was using XFCE as my desktop, but didn't like the way that gnome-volume-manager insisted on using nautilus and I couldn't find a way to make it use ROX.

If I get a new system at the end of the year, I'll definitely be putting Grumpy Groundhog on it! Ubuntu is everything Debian is, but more desktop friendly.

Daniel

I have to agree about the fact that it is not a "noob" distro. There is a difference, now that I think about it, between "easy" setup out of the "box" and limited scalability.

The Hoary package that I easily installed, certainly was only the first block upon which to build. Since then, I have installed the newest and latest kernel, Gnome 2.10, and several other bleeding-edge packages like Nicotine.

By no means should anybody think that Ubuntu is the Linux version of AOL. This is a full-blown distro my friends and very user friendly. Maybe that's how we should be referring to it. User-friendly. Only because upgrading your O/S is made so easy between the use of the apt-get feature and the Synaptic Package Manager. Both of these easy to use tools ensure that you always have the latest versions of everything that is on your O/S. Obtaining new programs ,as well, is made easy through the use of these two tools.

As I mentioned earlier, outside of the fact that I have no sound, my only complaint would be that the repositories that fuel the aforementioned tools are lacking several widely-known programs at the current time. I'm sure, however, that at some point they will be brought on board so to speak. Heck, I just upgraded to the latest version of Firefox today through Synaptic (which is actually pretty cool, because to this point you would have had to compile and install it yourself). Kudos to Ubuntu for this! Just one example that the people behind the curtains are aware of the gripes of their users.

I say this distribution is qouite good for beginners. Why? Beacause I was almost beginner when I started useing Ubuntu. Why almost? Beacause I tried to install Mandrake I dont know which version it was it was 4 or 5 years ago. Then I joined some Slovenian forum and there was a lot of open threads about Linux and I read them all And I knew all about Linux. How to mount, what is KDE. Some guy from this forum strated to make its own ditribution. And I tried it. It was Live CD and morphix. It wasnt working on my mashine. Latter on I found that in school libary debian is going to be installed. I liked KDE and I shure liked a games. Kgolf is still my favorite. And in october around comes Ubuntu. My friend downlodet it for me. And then.....

....I put in CD go through installation. I had particion for Linux made before installation. So after that I had Linux on MY mashine. I erased WIN XP and enjoyed Linux in all it glory.

I admit that I had to ask about dialup. Then I downloaded codecs and I had working sistem.

I know that codecs cannot be included in distribution beacause they are not free. Thats a pitty

For those ones who wants to install Ubuntu on your mothers comp. Go for it. She will never need to use terminal

same problem with calling it user friendly..... try to imagine "easy" and "user-friendly" without "stupid" and "tweaky"..... kinda weird isn't it? so long redhat/suse/mandrake!

I see your point, lol. Well, I suppose if you don't get what we're trying to say by this point, you need more help then we'll be able to provide.

Beginners can use Ubuntu out of the box. If something goes wrong they have a lot help on the internet. So Ubuntu is a intruduction and then can be easily one and only distribution in someones life. Like mine for exemple. When there will be KDE inplemented there will be problem for ubuntu to rule the world. I will not use KDE but all noobs and expirient users like KDE