Ubuntu Users Unite Against Unity

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Okay the purpose of this thread isn't really to ramble on about how Unity sucks so much as it is to see if anyone else thinks Canonical's more recent approaches to overhauling Ubuntu are failing. I'm very active on the Ubuntu forums and find that a lot of users have the same qualms I have with Unity and the recent release with it.

I'm also of the mind that previous Ubuntu versions were much more stable. 10.04 LTS Lynx releases were among my top favorite combining a cool smooth dedication to Linux without botching everything up in the process. I'm not one of those OpenBox sparsity fellows you see wandering about (joke, actually I am) but I still think Unity is top heavy! More resource heavy that is.

Also I've found that - although beta - the recent Ubuntu won't run properly and detect all of my drivers. This is typical of a beta release but it's got me wondering whether they'll shape things up.

A bit of history. April 28th, 2011 signaled a change in direction for Canonical as the adoption of Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty) signaled the widespread use of Unity. 11.04 is buggy as hell and Unity is at the heart of the matter. While this release is considered beta it should be noted that many, like myself, were disappointed. Will the Ocelot share a similar fate? Time will tell.

I remember speaking with some Ubuntu forum members about statements made by those at Canonical. I can't quote them exactly as I've since forgotten where they're located or what they said, but many claimed that they thought Canonical was no longer as focused at creating a stable linux operating system as they once were. Or perhaps more focused on a business target group instead of a home user one? I'm not sure, please chime in and correct me on this!

Anyone able to provide any informative links about this? Opinions? My major gripe is the lack of hardware detection, resource intensiveness, etc of the new Ubuntu.

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Links:

The latest Ubuntu Unity: Good or bad?
Ubuntu 11.04 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly | ZDNet UK (those that think it's a stupid argument)
Too many people badmouthing Ubuntu and Unity - Ubuntu Forums (Pro-unity)
https://www.facebook.com/ubuntulinux (Lots of folks against Unity)
Bad to worse? New ubuntu unity design ignites heated arguments « Justin Stories (Negatives)

... Yeah, you get the point.

[jaqu]

Lately it seems like the biggest rant is on about how crap Unity is.

I can't quite get to grips with why most people are sided against Unity. It may not be the fastest or most stable (yet), but cudo's to Canonical for having the balls to make a big change in Ubuntu. Nobody ever got anywhere for being technologically conservative and never trying anything radical.

It so happens I have been running 11.04 since May and I have not been having MORE problems than I had with 10.10 or any other Linux distro for that matter. In fact 10.10 was the worst Ubuntu I have used (albeit not BAD, just WORST).

I'm not sure what technical difficulties you have had, but I assume you tried to solve it, and when failed at least tried the Ubuntu forums? The only problem I had with 11.04 is the X.org process hogging CPU resources, but it's not bad enough for me to turn into one of the haters.

That's for the negatives. What about the positives? It's impossible to be against something if you did not look at the bad AND the good. What about the awesome changes to the software management, did that piss you off so bad? What about the launcher? It's making my day to day life a lot easier, but hey, suppose that's just me.

If you like 10.10 or 10.04 LTS so much, you should jump off the train and stay behind using it forever and ever. Change is inevitable, get used to it.

Please note I'm not going off on you personally, to me you are just one of the hundreds who are so so afraid of something new. I don't have links for you, this is just my opinion.

[Interrupt]

I'm not really "about" being technologically conservative. I'm about releasing more stable versions and less betas when clearly Ubuntu has been taking a hit in other areas (such as the VP and his stupid comments online, the fact that Ubuntu consistently maintains this whole "user friendly" which actually means less linux - the added security and customizability that most linux distributions have - and instead more visual ease of use, also decreased security and an integrated cloud utility which barely works). Again that's ALL just opinion, nothing to scuff up feathers. It is my personal opinion that future releases of Ubuntu should be made to "out do" the prior release. Will there be folks who think it stinks? Sure. Can't satisfy everyone and I guess I fit into that mold right there.

My difficulties? My difficulties were resolved though lots of painstaking C recoding on my part to make the damn system at least a little more stable in my own warped way because I wanted to like it, I actually do like the whole methodology that the company has. No. Can't provide you with a detailed check list of changes I made, that would be exhaustive and really beyond the scope of this reply. In the end, though, I ditched it. My choice, my right. But to answer your question, yes, I spoke with both Canonical staff (a rare treat) as well as the community via the official forums. That's actually how I found out that many agree with my point of view.

Positives? Why would I give the positives if clearly this post is to find out if people "disliked it" as much as I do? You seem to misunderstand my intention. It wasn't to spark the same old debate you seem to be disinterested in hearing but fully willing to engage in: I'm also tired of that argument. Tired of going to tech forums and seeing a whole long thread of opinionated back-and-forth. I'm not into debates online. I was sharing my point of view plain and simple and seeing if anyone agreed. Is that against the forum rules? If so that's my mistake.

The point of this reply is to inform you simply that I'm not "afraid of something new." My opinion is that I don't like it. You do? Great. Use it. We're cool, Jacqu... no hard feelings from me, I don't care enough about it to have any (it's a free OS, man, not server worth $15,000!). Being classified along the same lines as a "hater" is a rather blanket statement, though. Maybe that's just a difference in the way we "speak" (or type), I don't go around calling people who dislike things "haters."

I posted my thoughts because I wanted to know if anyone on the forums agreed and why. Don't like the argument? Don't reply to the post. Your logic: just as you told me if I didn't like the new Ubuntu I shouldn't use it: I don't, I use the old version. Problem solved for me.

Just for the record I didn't form this opinion based on anyone else or anyone's opinions on Ubuntu forums or anywhere else. I formed my opinions on my own. And this isn't to attack you personally... it is to clarify a few statements you made in your reply that I don't think paint an accurate picture of my dislike for the distro.

I suppose you could say I'm defending myself in this post but that's not entirely true. I honestly do not feel threatened or disheartened by what you've said: I'm just trying to clarify my reasons for making the post and hope you don't take offense to this post.

[jaqu]

You have to concur, your thread is named "Ubuntu Users Unite Against Unity"...thats pretty close to hating Unity I think (?).

the fact that Ubuntu consistently maintains this whole "user friendly" which actually means less linux

It may be just me, but if you want more Linux, Ubuntu is not - and never really were - the distro to go for. If you want raw Linux you should be using Gentoo or Fedora (for example).
IMO Ubuntu is about being ready out of the box, easy to use, espesially for people used to MS Windows. I don't see it as the "Linux enthusiast's" first choice. This, to me, makes your statement irrelevant. Ubuntu is supposed to get more visual and easier to use.

It is my personal opinion that future releases of Ubuntu should be made to "out do" the prior release

I agree with you there. Though IMO that was never the case with Ubuntu. The most stable to me was 8.04. I have no problems with it whatsoever. When I went to 9.04 I suddenly battled with screen drivers
(albeit maybe my notebook's fault), which I didn't have with 8.04. Come 10.04, it was "lagging" so bad that I had to switch off almost all "eye candy" to get it to run smoother. Then updated to 10.10, still same problem (to name but a few). The point I'm trying to make is, to me Ubuntu didn't outdo themselves with every new version. So why now is it now suddenly more noticeble to users than before?

Positives? Why would I give the positives if clearly this post is to find out if people "disliked it" as much as I do?

Well you don't HAVE to list positives. But to give an extreme example, youd have to call all small engined "budget" cars crap. Why, cause they are slower than more expensive cars, not as pretty, less safe ect. ect.
Based on that no one would have one...oh but wait, they are cheaper, cost less to insure, get more MPG ect. ect. So you have to look at the positives too.

I'm not into debates online. I was sharing my point of view plain and simple and seeing if anyone agreed. Is that against the forum rules? If so that's my mistake.

Nope not against forum rules, no mistake on your side. But naming your thread "Ubuntu users Unite Against Unity" is sure to spark debate. And you already know hundreds of users agree with your point of view,
leading me to believe that you are infact into debates online.

I'm sorry if I offended you by calling you a hater. Seemed better than calling you a "disliker".

I posted my thoughts because I wanted to know if anyone on the forums agreed and why. Don't like the argument? Don't reply to the post.

Fair enough. But I am entitled to my (online) oppinion just like you. Telling you why I disagree. Did you think everyone who would reply would agree with you, stand behind you confimring your view?

I suppose you could say I'm defending myself in this post but that's not entirely true. I honestly do not feel threatened or disheartened by what you've said: I'm just trying to clarify my reasons for making the post and hope you don't take offense to this post.

Not defending yourself but rather defending your view. I'm glad you don't feel threatened, that was not my intention. I rarely go into debate about my opinion of something, really don't think it necessary.
But this is a special case, since I don't believe the reasons why so may people dislike Unity (even though they did'nt even wait for the more smoothed out 11.10 version before starting jumping up and down). I sort of just wanted to make my voice count in favour of Unity, and you enabled me to do that. I did not take offence at all. I replied to argue a point. Use it, don't use it. I am honestly not phased.

Regards.

[GroundZero3]

Maybe Ubuntu has been too busy working with HP on this?

Ubuntu will power HP's new cloud service

I don't use the desktop version unless im really bored and want to see where its at (which hasn't been in years) but I do mess around with the Ubuntu server version and dont have any complaints about it.

[ConnorMarc]

In layman's terms, what's the problems with the new Ubuntu?

[stroyal]

In layman's terms, what's the problems with the new Ubuntu?

Just a matter of taste mostly, especially for long term users, and supposedly power users.
(Edit, aside from the politics.)
But the command line is still live and well, and plenty of power users, use it.

I'm not a power user, by a long shot, but not a newbie either, and I've been using the 2 newest Ubuntu's on a laptop, mostly for surfing, and I like it.

If you like the old Graphic interface, just use Mint

[ConnorMarc]

Just a matter of taste mostly, especially for long term users, and supposedly power users.
(Edit, aside from the politics.)
But the command line is still live and well, and plenty of power users, use it.

I'm not a power user, by a long shot, but not a newbie either, and I've been using the 2 newest Ubuntu's on a laptop, mostly for surfing, and I like it.

If you like the old Graphic interface, just use Mint

Oh OK, I thought it had to be something like that. I found that it's improved. I've used Ubuntu in the past, I believe it was 9.10 or something like that. That was pretty good, seems to have gotten better. Clearly I'm not a power user, clearly.

Thanks for the response.

[stroyal]

Yeah, 9.10 is about when I started Ubuntu.
The ease of install is what attracted me, after bouncing around between different distros.

I'm still basically a Windows user, but always have a Linux machine or 2.

I tried Mint, but it is the same old tired graphic user interfaces.

The community is upset with the owner also, because he wants to run his business the way he want to.
Who would have thought that would happen.
He only owns it.