I am becoming quite disappointed in Linux lately. I installed Linux Ubuntu 10.10 with a dual boot with Windows XP about two years ago. Recently my Linux installation failed and would not boot, so I had to reinstall Linux Ubuntu 10.10. I was in for quite a surprise when I discovered that the methods to install vitally needed software (such as Apache, PHP, & MySQL) were no longer available. On the original installation I was able to use the 'apt-get install <Program Name>' very easily, quickly, and successfully. They all worked fine, and only needed a little configuration detail done. But now, when I attempted to use that method of installation, I only got various error messages. It's as though a central repository that was available on the Internet then is no longer available now. Is Linux no longer going to offer free software support to the public?
I have tried to use Synaptic Package Manager, have done considerable research on the Internet, and and have had a lot of trouble finding downloads for these programs that were so abundant and available before. And when I have found them, they are available in zipped format only, and have had to use the 'tar -xzpf <Program file name>' to unzip them. After unzipping them, I cannot get them to work, nor do I have adequate information in the error messages in the Terminal Window to be able to fix the problem(s). On the previous installation, there were error log files, and I could figure out what the problem was by viewing these files, and then I could figure out what I needed to do to make the programs work. Now I am unable to find any error log files on the recent software installations. So I am lost; I can't even find any usable information on this in my Linux technical books or on the Internet.
In addition, Firefox 3.6.10 is the default browser for the Ubunu 10.10 installation. Another problem I am having is that I cannot view any video files from Firefox because I do not have the current Flash Player program . I found a download for Flash Player, and downloaded it; however, when I tried to install it after unzipping it, that program failed to work too. So I thought maybe I needed to get the current version of Firefox, which I found and downloaded. After unzipping it, I tried to get it to install and was unsuccessful. Everything that was relatively easy to do before has turned out to be a major and very difficult chore to accomplish.
Is Linux going to be a viable operating system to use in the future? I would very much dislike going back to working in Windows, but may have to if I cannot clear up these problems, all which seem to have a common cause of these problems. I hope someone can help me resolve these problems, and if someone can, I will appreciate it immensely. Thanks.

aplusguy333

In my opinion, user friendliness has never been a hallmark of Linux, or any *nix. Power, flexibility, versatility, control, and access to a vast array of free and open source software, among other characteristics, are. That said, there is nothing particularly unfriendly about Linux either. Most problems can be sorted out with a little perserverance and some research on the web.

For example, the problem you are having is because 10.10 is no longer supported. Since you had to re-install, you should have installed a new release. If you don't like upgrading frequently, you could choose the most current LTS release, as they have much longer support committments than the non-LTS releases. 10.10 was not LTS.

A quick google search led me to this, which explains what I just said.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/91815...ported-release

The first answer at that link spells out the problem clearly and tells you where to find the repositories for unsupported releases.

You'd do better to install the latest LTS release.

As Z038 stated you reinstalled an unsupported version of Ubuntu so you won't get updates or downloads for it you will have to get & install a supported version.

Ubuntu != Linux
jdk

5 members found this post helpful.

Ubuntu 10.10 is unsupported for more than a year now, this is why the repository was moved to an archive. Didn't you wonder why you didn't get any security updates anymore? Anyways, it is strongly recommended to use supported versions of your distribution, if you want long term support go with Ubuntu 12.04, supported until 2017.

All your other problems are caused by the lack of support for the version of Ubuntu you use, using a supported version will fix them.

You would have similar problems if you found an old Windows 2000 installation disk, installed it, and then found yourself wondering where all the automatic updates went. Yeah, the basic install of Windows 2000 would still work, just like the basic install of Ubuntu 10.10 still worked for you. But come time to update, patch, and install newer software? You will have issues.

After 10 years or so Linux only I recently have been forced to use Windows. I can tell you what not user friendly means. Holding your hand when it is not needed, doing things in its own way, doing thing automatically without telling you, and most of all hiding any sort of details which might provide useful information.

Now most of these properties have been imitated by Ubuntu as not to scare Windows users and make it easier for them to move.

So if Linux user friendliness has to be assessed by looking at Ubuntu, you are right. It is not user friendly.

Fortunately that is Ubuntu, while other distribution are still improving.

jlinkels

3 members found this post helpful.

Is milk user unfriendly? I ask this because, when you buy a bottle of milk, it comes with an expiration date, after which it is not advised to drink it.

All Ubuntu releases are born with an expiration date, which you can read here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

Ubuntu is a notoriously fast-moving, constantly-changing project. The non-LTS releases are emphatically not recommended for users who want to stay on the same release for several years.

12.04 (the LTS release) will be supported through April 2017.

Personally, I have a heck of a time doing anything in Windows 7. Windows 8 is totally unuseable IMHO. The last Windows I could actually use was XP, and I was better in 2000 than XP. Give me a clean Linux distro any day, which unfortunately doesn't include the newer Ubuntu desktops - those are just as awkward and convoluted as Windows. Currently I'm using an Xfce desktop, and that's OK. I use the commandline for everything I can, but some tasks obviously beg a GUI (browsing the web, retouching photos, etc.)

Is this a Linux help forum, or a Windows bashing forum? I sometimes wonder.

If you compare the number of pure Linux threads to threads were weaknesses of Windows are exposed I would say the assumption is false.

When you are from time to time forced to use Windows, and begin confronted with its stupidity, limitations and clumsiness is it good to have a place to vent your frustrations. 90% of all computer users don't know better and accept all of it. (The other 10% or so are Mac users.)

Strangely enough, 10% to 20% of computer users are Mac. Given the statistic law on large populations, that percentage of Mac bashing threads should exist as well. I never saw one on this forum though.

jlinkels

Very questionable.

Most of the Mac bashing will occur on Windows forums. From what I've seen, very few people migrate from Mac to Linux. They either use both and like both for their reasons, or are Linux fans that simply could care less about Mac.

I'm one of those Mac/Linux users. I have never used Windows as a home user, and only use it on servers in my work environment. As a prepress technician in commercial printing, I use a Mac workstation 9-10 hours a day. I have an iMac at home for the wife and kids, but when it's time to replace it, I will probably not buy another Mac, but instead get a PC to run Linux. My own personal computer is a Thinkpad T61, running Slackware 14.

I find Slackware to be about the most user-friendly Linux that I have used. I don't feel like I'm running beta software, as with most distros. It does what I tell it to do, works the way I expect it to, and if something breaks, it's because I did something wrong. If I did, the answers are not far away.

I don't think linux was ever what I'd call user friendly. If fact, at one time it was very very unfriendly.