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This alternative to Windows has a strong identity of its own that is easy to use and makes good use of widescreen monitors
Ubuntu 11.04 has a new interface and better hardware support than previous versions
Ubuntu has been a justly popular Linux distribution. Ubuntu 11.04 is a bold release that includes a new interface called Unity. While it looks very different from Windows, it is easy to master and is a good alternative to Windows.
Installation can be done in a variety of ways. This download is an ISO file that can be used to create a bootable CD. This can be used as Live CD to use Ubuntu without touching the hard disk. It's slower than normal use but a good way to take a look. The installation wizard can then be started within this Live environment.
Ubuntu can exist quite happily alongside Windows. It will shrink the space used by Windows so it can fit on the hard disk and create a menu that appears when the computer starts.
Our only annoyance with this system is that it is not that obvious how to change the menu to select Windows as the default operating system. The boot manager is called Grub and when we searched for that in the applications menu it suggested installing a separate program to adjust the menu. Once installed it was simple to adjust the menu.
There is no Start menu as you would find in Windows. Instead there is a Launcher on the left-hand side of the screen with icons for some of the programs installed with Ubuntu including Firefox, LibreOffice and Ubuntu One.
More programs can be found by clicking on the Ubuntu logo at the top left of the screen or the Applications icon on the Launcher. Both are based on the idea of searching for software. The Ubuntu button does have the option of looking by category. We think this latter option is still important, especially when experiencing Ubuntu for the first time, when you are unlikely to know the exact name of the program that you need.
Once a program has started its icon appears in the Launcher and can be made permanent by right-clicking on it and selecting Keep in Launcher. There are some clever 3D effects that keep as many icons as possible in view and it disappears when a program is maximised.
The result of all these changes is a very efficient interface, especially if you use a widescreen monitor. It is ideal for netbooks and was part of the Netbook versions of Ubuntu. You can revert to the classic Ubuntu desktop but the new interface really is better.
The other big change is that program menu bars have been moved to the bar at the top of the screen, similar to the way that Mac OS X works. It's a good idea but the menus are hidden until the mouse moves over the bar.
The installed software is similar to previous versions with Firefox and LibreOffice (the office suite formerly known as Open Office) with Evolution being used for email. Instant messaging, including Facebook and Twitter, is built into the Desktop. There is also a photo editor and CD burner.
More programs can be installed using the Software Centre. There is a wide selection and software installed this way will be included in the automatic update manager.
The other online service integrated into Ubuntu is Ubuntu One, the online file storage service. The free service includes 2GB of space and more can be bought if required. Ubuntu One can also synchronise Firefox bookmarks, Tomboy notes and music bought through the media player Banshee.
Ubuntu One is also already available and apps are available from the Android Marketplace and iTunes AppStore.
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11.04
Install crashed with 2 minutes to go after 90+ download and install. Did recover after restarting via 10.4 though. A bit muffed to find LMMS missing and no longer available via normal means. However finally located it but now has to run from Terminal not desktop. Hardware not high spec enough to run Unity or other eye candy effects so still using old interface. Still, far preferable to using ant flavour of Windows.
Posted by Brian Fileman , 03 May 2011
Unity without 3D hardware
Hi Brian Sorry to hear about the problems you've had; I've been lucky enough to avoid anything major for a long time with Ubuntu. I wasn't expecting unity to work on my notebook as it's 6 year old ATI graphics chip couldn't run the 3D interface in ubuntu 10.10 but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did work. Of more use to you is that I asked Canonical about the 3D side of things and they told me how to instal a 2D version of Unity which which pretty much looks the same just without some of the fancy stuff. Start a terminal session and then run these two commands. sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unity-2d-team/unity-2d-daily && sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install unity-2d-default-settings You should now have an option for 2D unity when the login screen appears. Hope that's useful Tim
Posted by Tim Smith, 03 May 2011
Ubuntu Install.
I have tried to boot Ubuntu from a memory stick and is fine. I ran the version which doesn't install onto the hard disk. It works fine on one computer but when i tried it on a different one it stays on the Ubuntu "Loading Screen" and doesn't move form it. Would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.
Posted by Nicolas K, 03 May 2011
to nicolas k
Nicolas, if you require technical assistance i recommend posting on the Ubuntu Forums (google for it) the ubuntu community is by far ubuntu's best feature, with many individuals willing to deliver expert advice non gratis
Posted by Samuel B, 04 May 2011
Support forums
You can find the official Ubuntu support forum at http://ubuntuforums.org/ You can also get help on our Linux forums http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=49 Tim
Posted by Tim Smith, 05 May 2011
Cannot fault Ubuntu 11.04
Having upgraded my six-year-old Dell Inspiron from Ubuntu 10.10 to 11.04 it performs better than ever. The whole experience is a breath of fresh air and Unity is completely intuitive. When will manufacturers decide to offer Ubuntu as an alternative to Windows, or possibly as a dual boot?
Posted by Dave McGlade, 10 May 2011
Ubuntu 11.04
hello ive had a look at this and seeing i just use my desktop pc for just the basic browsing,if i build my own pc of which i hope to coming shorter days might try this instead of windows 7,like another said a refreshing change
Posted by Edgar Mills, 02 Jun 2011
how?
am complete novice have downloaded ubuntu but what next?firefox cannot find server and nothing seems to happen. checked firewall but all seems ok anybody help? thanks
Posted by tony, 03 Jun 2011
To Tony
It may be necessary to power cycle your broadband modem, i.e. turn it off then turn it back on again, so that Ubuntu can pick up the modem's I.P. address. I have to do this when using Ubuntu if I have previously had a Windows session running.
Posted by Tim Clark, 03 Jul 2011