Ubuntu 11.04 beta - anybody tried it?

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Just wait a two more weeks until the supported release is out; i would not upgrade to a beta version.

I did an upgrade with ubuntu just once; it worked well. I like the clean install method better. With an external HD and some simple commands backing up and restoring all user data is a snap. (Hint: it does not involve drag and drop)

I have heard the new unity desktop takes getting used to.
 
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Later this month 11.04 will be released. Why not hold off until then for the final released version?

There are a lot of major changes in this version.

I have switched over to Debian Linux on my Desktop and Laptop which is a rolling distribution.

I used the Linux Mint version of Debian which saves a lot of time as it has the plug-ins and codex installed.

I too have also used the pure version of Debian.

I have Ubuntu on my Netbook in a dual boot mode with Windows 7 basic. Will hold off until early May before doing the update to 11.04 and hope by then that any bugs have been addressed.
 
ah - Thanks...
Now i see that the release is on April 28th. Will wait for it like you guys suggested...
This is my 1st upgrade since i started using Ubuntu... a bit nervous, and hope it will be a trouble free process...

LibreOffice, FF 4 will be new things with this release...
 
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
I have switched over to Debian Linux on my Desktop and Laptop which is a rolling distribution.

I used the Linux Mint version of Debian which saves a lot of time as it has the plug-ins and codex installed.


Debian is absolutely, 100% *not* a rolling release. It is the slowest and most rigorously tested distribution out there; with stability and testing being the be-all-and-end-all. Rolling releases, like Arch and Linux Mint's Debian edition are exactly the opposite; seeking to remain bleeding edge.

Debian has 3 main branches: "Stable" gets released every couple of years and is the official release. It is the equivalent of Ubuntu's LTS releases but much better and more well tested; albeit much older (many package versions are almost obsolete by the time Debian gets around to releasing a "Stable" release). "Unstable" contains rapidly changing ("unstable" does not refer to "crashes a lot" but rather "changes a lot") and brand new packages that are usually vanilla. After a package has been in "Unstable" for ~10 days or so without issue it is moved to "Testing". "Testing" is what Linux Mint's rolling release is based on. "Testing" could be viewed as a rolling release but for the fact that it undergoes a massive change shortly after "Testing" becomes "Stable". I am not sure how Linux Mint handles that transition.

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
This is my 1st upgrade since i started using Ubuntu... a bit nervous, and hope it will be a trouble free process...


I'd be very, very apprehensive about upgrading to 11.04 given the new interface they're transitioning to. This "Unity" business is almost entirely untested by the general public and is at least going to bring in a whole slew of packages and configurations into your system that may or nmay not play nicely with your existing setup.

Staying a little bit behind the curve for this release might be the smartest thing to do so we can all see how Unity ends up working.
 
I understand you will have the option of using Gnome if you desire although don't think it will be version 3. I took a look at version 3 and am not wild about it.

I have run the KDE Desktop in the past but am not wild about it.
 
The update process with Ubuntu has gone smoothly for me. My 'big desktop' has been updated since 8.10 all the way to 10.10 and the wife's laptop has been upgraded since 9.10 without an issue. On my other machines, I upgrade them once but usually end up blowing them out to try a new distro before the next upgrade rolls around. I find myself increasingly using Mint and Puppy, depending on the application.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more

I'd be very, very apprehensive about upgrading to 11.04 given the new interface they're transitioning to. This "Unity" business is almost entirely untested by the general public and is at least going to bring in a whole slew of packages and configurations into your system that may or may not play nicely with your existing setup.


Oy - really? When you say existing setup, are there any special minimum requirements/specs that are needed to run 11.04? i searched but couldn't find any. I mean why would they release the Unity thing if they had any doubts that it would not work/cause problems with existing 10.10 users?

i, of course am a novice, so if you could shed any light on this/expand on it, i'd appreciate it.
 
The new Unity Desktop is the default Desktop on a clean install. Not sure about doing an upgrade from an older version?

Once you get the logon screen type in your password but do not hit logon.

Down at the bottom you will find an option of running Ubuntu Classic or Gnome if you desire.

It will remember your choice at the next login.

You can also add other options if you want to play with the KDE or other desktops.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Oy - really? When you say existing setup, are there any special minimum requirements/specs that are needed to run 11.04? i searched but couldn't find any.


Neither could I. I am pretty certain, though, that Unity uses a lot of 3D fancy-pants stuff; but also has a fall-back if it detects that your hardware won't support it. It's a brand new interface (albeit the one that they'd been using in their mobile and netbook editions) and there may well be some hiccups as it is first released into the wild!

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
I mean why would they release the Unity thing if they had any doubts that it would not work/cause problems with existing 10.10 users?


Backward compatibility and user familiarity are sometimes casualties in the march of innovation. Google the KDE 4.0 fiasco/ debacle for more info.
smile.gif
Also, not having any doubts that their new technology is going to be awesome does not in any way guarantee that their new technology isn't going to be a total mess.

Ubuntu and many other distro's sometimes intentionally release some versions to test bleeding-edge technologies. (Ubuntu's first release with the pulseaudio sound server was a disaster; but their millions of users tested and provided feedback and it gradually improved.) Ubuntu releases their "LTS" (Long Term Support) versions every 2 years and it'd probably be best to stick with those (or use Debian) if stability and support are important; as the in-between releases are geared specifically to "move forward". Using anything besides LTS releases puts you in a position of being a guinea pig tester to at least some degree: This is the nature of the open source world: You contribute by testing and using the software.

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
i, of course am a novice, so if you could shed any light on this/expand on it, i'd appreciate it.


SrDriver's post preceding this one is probably the best advice: If you wish or need to, just choose the Gnome session for your login and you may never have to deal with Unity again if Unity turns out to be not-so-awesome.
 
Heh. I dropped in to start a "anyone tried Ubuntu 11.04" thread.

I installed a few days ago on an old Ubuntu 9.10 partition. It's interesting, and very different in many ways. The new Launcher on left side which has replaced the Panel at top; installation includes an option to provide MP3 support, although MS core fonts still needed manual installation. Firefox 4 is a nice addition. Shotwell - the now default pic manager - now imports movies too.

Another bonus is it didn't wipe out my Win boot loader, as I installed it on a drive that had Win. And this without any additional tweaking/configuring.

I have Ubuntu 10.10 as my main OS, and I don't think I'll upgrade until a bit more dust settles.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
SrDriver's post preceding this one is probably the best advice: If you wish or need to, just choose the Gnome session for your login and you may never have to deal with Unity again if Unity turns out to be not-so-awesome.

And thanks SrDriver - as I had no clue. The new interface may be cool and swanky, but bleedin' confusing too. I logged out/in using "Ubuntu Classic" and was back in familiar ground again.
 
I'm happy enough with 10.10 to not worry about updating. But once 11.10 comes out I do plan to put 11.04 LTS on my wife's Dell when she upgrades to something else. Can't wait to see how Ubuntu runs with a Core i7-620M processor and NVS3100M graphics!
 
yes, i tried the beta (64 bit) that was out about 10 days ago and wasn't impressed by the stability of it on my particular hardware on my desktop. i decided to put 10.10 32-bit on that desktop and it's perfectly solid and works great.

i will wait till they resolve the bugs and maybe try 11.04 on my laptop in a month or two.
 
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Originally Posted By: calvin1
I tried it on my netbook and a desktop and it wouldn't boot on either. I'm still on Lucid for all my installs.


I tried the development release of 11.04 and had myriad problems with it.

I am now running Debian 64 bit on my desktop and laptop. Have Ubuntu 10.10 on my netbook.

I will hold off for awhile before trying Ubuntu 11.04.
 
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