Ubuntu Hardy Heron: a Visual Overview
April 25th, 2008 by Shawn Powers in
Yesterday was Ubuntu day around the Linux Journal office, and I thought it'd be nice to give you a quick peek at what Hardy Heron looks like in action. The Internet is flooded with information on the new version, and our own Justin Ryan has a news brief on it here.
If you'd like to take a look at the OS, however, just take a peek at the video below:
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Shawn Powers is an Associate Editor for Linux Journal. You might find him chatting on the IRC channel, or Twitter
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What's with Compiz?
On April 25th, 2008 r0ckarong (not verified) says:
Hi, I really like the show and your walkthrough was pretty cool but I wondered: Is there a reason you don't show any graphics effects? Like the 3D cube or Compiz' window switcher? There are so many little effects that make Ubuntu look really good. You even showed the wobbly windows in your screencast howto. I just think to entice the idea nowadays it takes a little more than firefox and a bittorrent client to make somebody want to try an operating system. Show someone that spinning cube and the chance that they are interested is far greater. It would have been a couple of clicks to show Exposé and 3D window switching in the vid. And that makes a completely different impression. And it works on older computers too. Not as fast but I run it on a geforce2 in a machine that is more than 5 years old and has half a Gig of RAM. Maybe you could make a video about compiz somewhere down the road.
I'll see what I can do... :)
On April 25th, 2008 Shawn Powers says:
The only reason I didn't make stuff wobble is that it was a virtual machine (read: bad video card emulation). In order to show the installation stuff on the screencast, I had to use a virtual machine.
Compiz is really awesome, I agree with you 100% on that one. In future screencasts, I'll try to show off some of the slick goodness, even if it's not the focus of the video. Collateral awesomeness. hehehe.
__________________________Shawn Powers is an Associate Editor for Linux Journal. You might find him chatting on the IRC channel, or Twitter
Compiz: no no!
On April 25th, 2008 Kartik Mistry (not verified) says:
Compiz really sucks. I don't understand why Ubuntu is making it default! It is making system very slow, really. You tried to watch videos while compiz enabled?
Are you configured correctly?
On April 25th, 2008 r0ckarong (not verified) says:
I don't have any more problems with compiz since Gutsy. I use an ATI card and while that is a pain in the butt you can get it to work pretty easily. There are some good howtos for Ubuntu. My system runs it in 1280 and full effects, I can watch video and 3D applications. I have it disabled because I want a more snappy response because the visual effects do slow things down a bit (but most users don't even notice).
Wow, I've never noticed
On April 25th, 2008 Shawn Powers says:
Huh...
I've never noticed a problem watching videos with compiz. I also don't use totem, or whatever gnome comes standard with. I tend to install VLC right away, and watch videos with that.
Love it or hate it, Compiz is awful pretty. :D
__________________________Shawn Powers is an Associate Editor for Linux Journal. You might find him chatting on the IRC channel, or Twitter
Now when Ubuntu is sold.
On May 2nd, 2008 Fri13 (not verified) says:
Now when Ubuntu is out, how about taking comparising cast other distributions, like Mandriva 2008 Spring GNOME ONE? It's build almost identical and is even easier to use than Ubuntu because there is MCC (Mandriva Control Center) what's like isn't there for Ubuntu.
I use both and there are many things what are easier for normal user. Suggestion is so to compare ubuntu to it too, so users would know that Ubuntu isn't somekind special distribution and alternatives are available, if ubuntu does not install easily to own PC (unless editor gets paid by Canonical ;)).
I like to watch these videos because these are simple and nice looking with good humor.
That 3D desktop thing can be done then by two rounds. First installing in virtual machine and second then actual install so real 3D is used for smooth render.
It's nice to see these great simple videos about GNU/Linux but it would be nice if these would be more as "default" type, and not so much Ubuntu oriented (even that Ubuntu is popular now, we all should remember there are other distributions of GNU/Linux out there and Ubuntu isn't only system what brings power of GNU/Linux OS to homeusers) ;-)
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