Ubuntu 11.04

My ubuntu is saying about updating to version Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal, but when I look at what version I got it says I already got it, which is strange, saying that it does say something about supported until October 2012.

what it says is this. "You are using Ubuntu 11.0 - the Natty Narwhal - released in April 2011 and supported until October 2012."

If I update will I get the dreaded unity interface? i had a quick look at it on ,my laptop, but did nto like it, I have heard that it can be disabled and I could go back to the normal Gnome interface.

It seems like computer Os are going like Windows 8 type thing.

Hello there!

I'm not an Ubuntu user but I think the answer to your question is - Yes, you are on the brink of the dreaded Unity.

Why not take a look at Linux Mint, where there has been uproar against the new Gnome 3, which is the cause of all this furore. Two ways of trying to produce a Gnome 2 type desktop (your current one I think) on the latest Gnome base have been produced and are due to be issued on the main Mint distribution pretty soon. There's a lot happening there (an understatement)!!!

Trevor

Unity is the default desktop on Ubuntu 11.10. It does also come with Gnome 3

At work one of my colleagues uses unity and quite likes it now that he has had a chance to get used to it (and tweak it to his needs). However, I can't stand it, I even went so far as to install Xubuntu desktop to avoid it (xfce based ubuntu branch) and quite like that.

May as well wait a couple of weeks and jump directly to 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) which is the next LTS (5 years support for updates etc.).

I've been running the beta here since January and it's been fine. The Gnome 3 fallback session desktop is very much like the Gnome 2 desktop I am used to on my 10.04 desktop machine.

Initially I disliked Unity - however once I got used to it, it is actually faster to use and the layout makes a lot of sense on my laptop's wide screen format. I've not used in for any length of time on the desktop PC to know how it's going to workout there - I think the global menu 'feature' is going to be a pain, however that can easily be disabled by removing one package.

The "normal" Gnome interface as you term it is essentially dead as Gnome 2 is no longer being developed. There might be some hope if the MATE desktop project gains momentum - they forked Gnome 2 in order to try and keep it alive.

It might also be worth your while running up the LiveCDs for both Xubuntu and Lubuntu to see if you prefer those interfaces (XFCE and LXDE respectively), they are both quite Gnome-esque in layout.

Edited by GeeTee (Thu 12-Apr-12 22:11:23)

Thanks peoples, decided to drop Ubuntu and go with Mint, will see if that was a good idea in the next few days I suppose. i wish they would stop changing things, as bad as MS, changing the way windows lo9ok and work with Windows 8.

Using Mint at the moment, not sure what to think of it to be honest, certainly different to Ubuntu, some things are better, but others are not as good.

Will have a better look when I got time.

Umm, tried mint, don't think much of it to be honest Gnome 3 is awful and Mate is not that great. I will give it a bit more time, but I think Lunix now have gone to pot.

Maybe this is the future of operating systems, if it i don't like.

Both Gnome and KDE have become far too bloated and user unfriendly. Use Xubuntu and stick with XFCE4; it's by far the best environment. If it's good enough for Linus I'm sure that it's good enough for the rest of us.

Otherwise, go for one of the leaner distress (Debian, Gentoo, for example) and choose your own desktop manager.

ive been a Ubuntu user for ages but recently i gave Vector Linux a try and quite like it originally i was setting out to look for a Linux to use on a old pc but that did not look prehistoric, came across vector runs well on both old and new hardware, i forget what it uses but they've customized to to have kinda a OSX feel cant say i care either way about that bit though take a look here

Ash

Adrian,

I still occasionally use Ubuntu 10.10 (dual boot with XP) - don't know much about the need to update - seems to work OK - is it best to update and if so why?

Post deleted by MrSaffron

I've downloaded 12.04 LTS, made a LiveCD, and am currently trying it out (between other things). So far I haven't had any problem with my ethernet (which gave some problems with several releases in a row), and my main dislike is the Unity desktop (haven't tried alternatives.
Later: am now trying Kubuntu 12.04 - and am much happier with this desktop, as it matches my preferred way of working on a desktop machine rather better.

That's certainly a reasonable thing to do but if, like me, you need to keep something reasonably usable going nearly constantly (I'm a Moderator elsewhere), it looks as though we should wait for Mint 13, due out later this month.

If, unlike me, you can easily cope with partitioning and a semi rolling release, Mint LMDE uses Mate and looks exactly like Gnome 2 etc. If I felt I could install this one, I'd definitely go for it - now!

Trev