digg

Join DiggAbout

Digg Townhall now online!
Check out the latest Digg Townhall, where Kevin and Jay answered the top questions from the Digg Community!

Ubuntu wins “Best Desktop Solution” at Linux World Expo 2008

fabianrodriguez.com — I just wanted to extended a huge “thank you!” to all of the Ubuntu community. Today Ubuntu won the “Best Desktop Solution” Product Excellence Award at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo 2008 in San Francisco, California for a second consecutive year.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • erikerikerik, on 08/06/2008, -22/+6Color me surprised, The best free desktop is backed by millions (billions?) of dollars.
    No, I'm not a linux hater, I got my pass and I'm heading in tomorrow and I'm excited for the appzone.


    That aside, I want to know what distro might take home 'prettiest desktop solution'
    • nmnnotmyname, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1OpenSuSE 11 with KDE 4.1 is looking pretty damn cool for me.
      • mrsteveman1, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2Yea it's not bad but there are some things that need work still.
      • nmnnotmyname, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2Agreed, it needs more polish, but with a little work i was able to get a very nice setup and running very very fast on my GeForce 8800 GTS card ;) (Faster than compiz on almost everything! I love KDE4 for that. It is VERY fast whence it works!)
  • Vadi0, on 08/06/2008, -7/+43Congrats to Ubuntu for achieving this!
  • stmiller, on 08/06/2008, -1/+18Best Security Solution
    • Astaro Internet Security: Astaro Security Gateway 7.2

    Hmm Leo and Steve were right...
    • dananimal, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I wish Steve G would actually speak about Astaro's products, he seems conspicuously silent about it.
  • LittleLORDevil, on 08/06/2008, -2/+10Make way to the front page.
  • tripzero, on 08/06/2008, -3/+35millions? billions? you are definitely selling Ubuntu short. It's not hard to see this happen if you take into consideration the worldwide effort that all has to come together to form something like Ubuntu. Take into consideration the wealth of community support and upstream application development including GNOME, Debian, the Linux Kernel and thousands of other applications. Ubuntu is where the best of open source comes together. The effort is unparalleled in the proprietary world. Although Ubuntu isn't unique in this, they have done a great job at putting it all together.

    Congrats Ubuntu team and community and to the entire open source community.
  • leerayIG88, on 08/06/2008, -7/+36I'll have sex with a penguin just for linux.
  • freezerburn666, on 08/06/2008, -14/+5woo ubuntu is the shizz :D
  • TheTrueHero, on 08/06/2008, -23/+4Dugg because Linux is just an operating system and that's very uninteresting.
    • Reformer81, on 08/06/2008, -0/+5Uhm, actually, sir... Linux is just a kernel. Ubuntu is an operating system BASED ON the Linux kernel. Now that is interesting.
    • TheTrueHero, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I guess that's cool for programmers or whoever but really are that many people on Digg programmers? Boring stuff.
  • anshuman, on 08/06/2008, -3/+14Distro with most rabid users not wasting time to troll on the internets.
    • KingFog, on 08/06/2008, -5/+3They can't award any distro that, coz there isn't one that actually fits.
  • trollick, on 08/06/2008, -2/+70Odds against Ubuntu winning something at Linux expo were astronomical.
    • ALink2ThePast, on 08/06/2008, -0/+24It took way too many comments for someone to point this out
  • dcollins, on 08/06/2008, -11/+5But can it play games?

    I kid! I kid! /Triumph
    • ejhdigdug, on 08/06/2008, -0/+4Sure, there's great games that are every bit as good as the mainstream games and not at all rip offs, like:

      Cuake, Blocky Puzzle Fall, and Dread
    • Syrisgone, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1Don't forget about Grid Wars.
    • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2You may kid, but your underlying point is completely valid.
    • bratterscain, on 08/06/2008, -0/+3I have pretty much every popular FPS that came out in the past two years and still my favorite, regardless of Linux compatibility is Quake Wars: ET, then second, Enemy Territory. Quake Wars has been considered meh, but I love it and I can switch to my Kubuntu partition and play it as well. Also, UT 2004 is Linux compatible and another favorite.
    • GMorgan, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Nethack FTW!
  • frostedflakes, on 08/06/2008, -2/+9Duh.
  • gueritabonita, on 08/06/2008, -4/+20Congrats, Ubuntu! As someone who had gone Windows-free for two years and having to return to using it (for school), I am being reminded of how great the user experience for Ubuntu really is.

    Thank goodness for dual-booting.
    • Reformer81, on 08/06/2008, -0/+3Thank goodness indeed... I'm a gamer :) (but I only boot into Windows for Camfrog and gaming)
      • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -7/+3So basically you have to use multiple operating systems in order to fully meet all of your computing needs.

        So, what can you do in Ubuntu that you couldn't do in Linux?
      • CATSCEO2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Ubuntu IS Linux (GNU/Linux if you have to be specific), you idiot
      • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I may be an idiot for many reasons, but accidentally typing "linux" when i meant "windows" makes me nothing more than human.
    • m0deth, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Amen brother, on my lappy, the only reason I use VirtualBox with XP vdi is I can't take Pidgin's interface and lack of features much longer, somehow, I've fallen for digsby... but I couldn't wait til they finished Linux support+the ubuntu wait time til in rep., so I have XP just for that and whatever may not run in WINE.
      XP on my desktop is mostly only used for DirectX only games, most other tasks have migrated to ubuntu 64 as it just runs like 'budda'.
      • PeachCobbler, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I have Digsby working great in wine 1.1 on my eee 900. You just need to download a .dll to get it to work and make sure you change one setting in the preferences and you're good to go. No need to bother with Virtualbox.
  • legendxx, on 08/06/2008, -20/+13Like being the smartest kid with down syndrome. Congrats!
  • banido, on 08/06/2008, -8/+31In other news, Vista wins "Best Desktop Solution" at Microsoft World Expo 2008.

    But seriously, I'm all for Linux but is this really news?
    • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -1/+6My first thought when I read this was: "Were there any other options." I'm all for stuff getting props, especially in the field of usability and interaction design (guess what I do for a living..), but there isn't much competition unless you look outside Linux. The only thing that keeps Ubuntu from becoming a really truly awesome user experience is the command line. When your users are forced to open a terminal for the command line, your usability automatically fails.
      • Reformer81, on 08/06/2008, -2/+0Yeah... because DOS was completely unusable :P
      • prammy, on 08/06/2008, -1/+2"When your users are forced to open a terminal for the command line, your usability automatically fails."

        Care to provide some examples where users are _forced_ to use the command line in Ubuntu ?
      • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -0/+6I could probably ramble off examples of times I'm forced to open a command line and type something, but I'm sure someone would gladly point out to me a not-so-obvious way of doing what I was intending to do. I will however use one of my favorite quotes from the great-ubunut-girlfriend-experiment.

        "She tried double-clicking the file, and Ubuntu just asked her what she’d like to do with it. The option “run” results in it crashing. No clue was given to her that she should open up a terminal and type ‘./flashplayer-installer’. To be fair, there are links to installation instructions, but the average person acclimatised to Windows is not expecting to have to read complex information before installing a program – all they need to do is double click it."

      • GMorgan, on 08/07/2008, -4/+2There's a very good reason why random executables are not so easy to run. Ubuntu can install flash automagically when you try to open a flash video.
      • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3So basically what you're saying is they like to make things hard on purpose? They don't make it hard on Mac OS, and it's even Unix based.
      • prammy, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2"She tried double-clicking the file, and Ubuntu just asked her what she’d like to do with it. The option “run” results in it crashing. No clue was given to her that she should open up a terminal and type ‘./flashplayer-installer’."

        Blame Adobe for that installer.
        But when I want to install Flash, I just go to a site with flash on it and Ubuntu asks me if I want to install it. Even without the plugin helper by Ubuntu, Firefox can download and install the flashplugin by itself.
      • Fergy, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0"She tried double-clicking the file, and Ubuntu just asked her what she’d like to do with it. The option “run” results in it crashing. No clue was given to her that she should open up a terminal and type ‘./flashplayer-installer’. To be fair, there are links to installation instructions, but the average person acclimatised to Windows is not expecting to have to read complex information before installing a program – all they need to do is double click it."

        What a weird example. Just visit a webpage with flash and when it asks if you want to install flash say yes just like you do with windows.

        Now just to be fair. Give her a windows computer without a pdf reader and give her a pdf to open and let her figure it out with the help of the mighty windows.
      • Tarmas, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1"Ubuntu can install flash automagically when you try to open a flash video."

        "What a weird example. Just visit a webpage with flash and when it asks if you want to install flash say yes just like you do with windows"

        If you actualy took your time to google up and read the "girlfriend experiment", you'd know that was exactly what she did. She went straight to YouTube. It's not her fault that YouTube checks for Flash with JavaScript and it doesn't serve you any if it doesn't detect it.

        Loading a small invisible clip instead of the requested video would solve the problem and force the browser to ask if she wanted to download a plugin, but that's not the case with YouTube.
      • Naidel, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0"So basically what you're saying is they like to make things hard on purpose? They don't make it hard on Mac OS, and it's even Unix based."
        I haven't thought about it before like that, but it's actually a good point. Forcing you to "work" a bit so you can't just install random executables willy nilly is a quite effective way of preventing your granny from installing the next Bonzi Buddy. Sooner or later we will see these programs on Linux too, I'm sure.
    • thecosmicpope, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0"But my mom says I'm special"
  • tomarocco, on 08/06/2008, -9/+1Nice
  • grungegbunny, on 08/06/2008, -13/+17WORST GAME EVER!1!!
    • danwallace, on 08/06/2008, -2/+11Yay. I understood a nerdy reference. Can I have a cookie?
    • xsquirrel378x, on 08/06/2008, -8/+2i see what you did there. but its just not funny anymore. sorry bro
      • HonestAbe, on 08/06/2008, -1/+7You're not funny anymore. Sorry bro.
  • graememc, on 08/06/2008, -9/+4In other news, Windows was voted "Best Desktop Operating System EVER!" at Microsoft Tech Ed North America 2008, for the sixteenth consecutive year.
  • mizike, on 08/06/2008, -16/+9Ubuntu: Best of the 400 different iterations of an OS used by less than 1% of all desktop computer users!

    Congrats, you've earned it.
    • Reformer81, on 08/06/2008, -0/+5Bleh... that argument is getting old... and inaccurate.
  • UncleTimmy, on 08/06/2008, -2/+8I haven't been using linux for all that long, around 6-7 months, but I was first told to use Ubuntu and it's seemed to have paid off. I've used a few more of the other popular distros (Mandriva for instance), but I could easily tell Ubuntu was a cut above the rest.

    and yeah, what mizike said is right on.
  • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -11/+14Ubuntu is more like OpenWindows. Besides the fact that I think it one of the worst distros (any distribution of GNULinux that doesn't include GCC and other CORE applications by default is a total failure) but the fact that it seems to attract the wrong crowd. Most of the people who use Ubuntu think that Ubuntu = Linux and Linux = Ubuntu. It seems like it is used mostly only by those who have no knowledge and are simply looking for a Windows replacement, and really that is the only crowd that it is really designed to support. If you know anything you'll be pulling your head out and cursing at Ubuntu.

    For the more technically inclined or those looking for something more robust I suggest Fedora Core 9. FC has come a long way and is getting better every day. The latest version 9 is actually quite astonishing in my opinion. If they keep it up I see FC becoming the most dominant distribution. The amount off support is great, the package handler is the best I've used, driver and package support is probably #1, and it's built very robustly for people of any skill level.

    For a live CD environment I suggest SLAX. I dont think I've ever seen a more powerful fully featured LIVE distro that could fit on a pocket sized CD.

    This is all just my opinion. If you don't agree with it then continue to use what gets along with you.
    • lijamez, on 08/06/2008, -2/+17"It seems like it is used mostly only by those who have no knowledge and are simply looking for a Windows replacement, and really that is the only crowd that it is really designed to support."

      You mean the vast majority of computer users?
      • xsquirrel378x, on 08/06/2008, -2/+2Linux was designed to function as a free clone of Unix and for hobbyists. The fact that Ubuntu has somehow garnered the status of being the epitome of linux is pretty lame.
      • HonestAbe, on 08/07/2008, -2/+1@xsquirrel378x:

        Then don't use it.
    • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -5/+2Perhaps that is the reason for Ubuntu's popularity. After all, IE6.0 is the most popular web browser, but far from good much less best. idk
    • xsquirrel378x, on 08/06/2008, -5/+8I agree with the first part. Ubuntu is really overrated and the fact that it doesnt include GCC by default is retarded. Debian does this too I think. Who the hell doesn't want GCC and make as part of a base install?
      • FranMichaels, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4That's an easy one. People who don't compile software and stick with packages from the repos or plain ol' .debs.

        I love compiling, so I do a
        sudo apt-get install build-essential

        Getting one meta package should not be a deterrent to using a distro. If so, one might as well complain about getting build dependencies the first time you build xyz app... ;)
    • HonestAbe, on 08/06/2008, -7/+1Blah blah blah I like criticizing things that are popular to try to cast myself as a "maverick" who is better than everyone else.
    • captZEEbo, on 08/06/2008, -0/+6can you explain some uses for GCC to a ubuntu noob?
      • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -1/+2well, if you are not a developer then you'll at least need GCC and related binaries plus make in order to install apps which only are available in source form. Even if you dont use it there is no reason not to include it, the tools take up little space and have always been standard with any GNULinux distro. Its like having pancakes without butter or syrup.
      • HonestAbe, on 08/07/2008, -1/+8Ubuntu noobs do not install things from source. Please.
    • diggmaddy, on 08/06/2008, -1/+7Guys, guys! Ubuntu is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Offer the general masses an option other than Windows or Mac. Most non-techie computer users don't even understand what an Operating system is, let alone know if there are any options other than Windows.

      Ubuntu is doing a great job in spreading awareness of a free, open source, operating system. Now tell me, how many of these non-techie computer users out there would EVER need to compile a C++ program on their computers? Yes, those are the people Ubuntu caters to the needs of. If there is no chance that it might be used by the Average Joe, it's not necessary to be included by default.

      And, for somebody who needs gcc on a linux box, it's just a few words in bash to install it. I don't understand why do you feel Ubuntu is overrated. There are no mandatory guidelines that every Linux distro has to be geared and tailored to the programmers/geeks/techies.

      That being said, Fedora is awesome :)
      • Chris_F, on 08/07/2008, -2/+3Thanks for playing devils advocate, I agree with everything you said, but unfortunately a great number of people in the community consider Ubuntu the leading example of a GNU Linux OS, which its not. Its a great alternative for the masses, but its far from the shining example of what is traditional Linux.
      • HonestAbe, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4Ubuntu is a shining example of what Linux can be, the leading example of a real OS based on Linux. "Traditional Linux" is useless to the average human being, and will continue to be the playground of developers writing for other developers, with a corresponding 0.1% market share.

        Please, guys, stick to Gentoo or Slackware or something and stop polluting Ubuntu with your command-line worshiping idiocy. We want to create a distro that real people can actually use to get real-life things done. If you don't like the way Ubuntu works, IGNORE IT and use something else.
      • mrBitch, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2RE: "Please, guys, stick to Gentoo or Slackware or something and stop polluting Ubuntu with your command-line worshiping idiocy. We want to create a distro that real people can actually use to get real-life things done."

        This is an important point - Ubuntu may be a "Linux for noobs", but THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS.

        People who casually read these posts trying to work out if Linux is in their future will only gain fear, uncertainty and doubt.

        Please do NOT diss Ubuntu just because it's not geared towards "those with knowledge".

        The more you guys bicker, the more damage you do to the ENTIRE Linux community.

        To all those reading these posts :
        Please consider Ubuntu as your replacement OS - Please try it - it is a GOOD Linux distro for the beginner.
      • HonestAbe, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Exactly. "Linux is about choice! Linux is about choice!" until a distro starts to take off and becomes popular because it's easy to use, at which point the people yelling about choice grab it and try to drag it back down. "No no! Don't choose that one!"
    • johndavidjack, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1@Chris_F's original post

      I ran FC since FC6, and I didn't like FC9. I was having a lot of problems with NFS (particularly sharing folders, etc), and it didn't have the enterprise software and technologies I was looking for. It's definitely a good OS, and it ran well on my POS computer I've owned for the past 2 years in college.

      I recently got a new computer with much better hardware, etc, and I put OpenSolaris Neveda B93 on it. Absolutely awesome in my opinion, after you spend awhile setting it up and tuning it. I have the exact same multimedia functionality as with FC9. The worst thing of all was the initial down and dirty setup. I've used Solaris OS's before, but I've never had to do a ton of work identifying specific devices, hardware, etc. Learning new commands (which Sun LOVES to over-architect) can be a pain...

      That being said Ubuntu is great for the market it targets, and it's a bad desktop OS right out of the box for your typical novice computer users, especially if they don't need a lot of specific apps, etc.

      I'll agree, Slax is king of the Live CD...

      Dugg...
    • mike215, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1archlinux > ubuntu
  • TheZorch, on 08/06/2008, -7/+14Wow, I expected way more Linux bashing trolls than I see here. Its so sad that they can't accept the reality that Linux will never go away and it will one day become mainstream. Saying that it will never become mainstream only shows how ignorant you are. Given time and more Microsoft ***** ups and Linux will expand. And from the looks of it Windows 7 is going to be just as huge a ***** up as Vista. They never learn.
    • TiberiusDRAIG, on 08/06/2008, -2/+7I love how you pointed out the lack of anti-Linux trolls here and then went on to have a go at 'them' (presumably the imaginary trolls in your head) anyway. Thanks, made me smile. For that, I'll digg you up =P

      Oh and Ubuntu deserves all the credit it gets. I've given Ubuntu to my friends at universities, colleges, I've given it to my mother, my girlfriend and every single person loved it and was able to get to grips with it pretty quickly. Well played.
    • HonestAbe, on 08/06/2008, -4/+3Linux has been around 17 years and still isn't even close to mainstream. Don't be unrealistic.
    • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -1/+2Ubuntu has come a long way, and for that it deserves props. They've done a lot of good things in the right direction. Unfortunately, it still inherits a lot of the bad user interaction problems from Linux. It's like trying to build a house on quicksand.

      Don't blame the child though, blame the parent.
    • bratterscain, on 08/06/2008, -2/+3Dugg down for saying Vista is a "***** up". I use Kubuntu and Vista, they're both good in a lot of ways.
      • Tenoq, on 08/07/2008, -3/+3Fanboy's true colours shine through.

        Even Microsoft has admitted they ***** up with Vista... stop apologising for them. They've been doing enough of that themselves.
      • mrBitch, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1RE: "Even Microsoft has admitted they ***** up with Vista... stop apologising for them."

        Correct, and - as usual - MS is now gearing up for the "just wait for the WOW in Windows 7" type adverts.

        MS is great at comparing existing, working products, with their yet-to-be-released-in-the-future vapour-ware.
    • saturn5, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1Linux may never go away but it will never become mainstream. You Linux geeks are ignorant and will never learn. Linux just does not appeal to the average computer user. It's been completely free for many years and it still has only a very tiny desktop market share.

      It's an OS developed by computer geeks for computer geeks. A friend of my wife's was telling me how much she liked Vista the other day. Especially the built-in parental controls and the program that lets you turn photos into movies with pan and scan effects. These are the kind of things Windows has that appeal to the mainstream computer user, not "GCC and other CORE applications".

      Linux will never be more than a small niche OS used primarily by computer geeks, like TheZorch. But by all means, keep dreaming.
      • Naidel, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I can't figure out whether you are being ironic or not; the whole post, and especially the first paragraph, is like the perfect parody of these trolls the OP was referring to (and then hilariously trying to defend against, just after stating that they were nowhere to be seen).

        In any case, I'm just gonna digg you up for posting three paragraphs of ludicrous *****, cracking me up. :D
  • seaners, on 08/06/2008, -8/+21In other news...

    Mac OS X Leopard wins 'best desktop solution' at Macworld
    • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -1/+5no no no. bad seaners. there are plenty of other distributions that could and should have won. Ubuntu is GNU/Linux. Linux isn't a product made by Ubuntu. You got to get out of that bad Microsoft/Apple mindset.
    • javaroast, on 08/06/2008, -1/+4Oh damn somebody forgot to send the memo to seaners that Ubuntu won at Macworld too! Get that taken care of ASAP.
  • esdjco, on 08/06/2008, -3/+1What would digg be like if there wasn't a post or comment about Barak Obama,... well here it is...

    I think I actually get to vote for president right?
  • OOZAROO, on 08/06/2008, -11/+2I swear to god, every day there is some article on here about linux or ubuntu or something equally useless that makes me think that somebody has a huge hard on for this OS. would you quit your job already and go work in marketing for them or something and stop cluttering digg with articles of a wishful thinking company and their hopeless OS!

    and for those that think I'm a Microsoft junkie, you couldnt be more wrong, I'm an interactive designer and gamer and understand that both viable platforms currently, have their own very distinct roles to play, and introducing this hack of an OS will only confuse consumers and create chaos of the PC market.
    • TiberiusDRAIG, on 08/06/2008, -1/+4...but you've not actually used Ubuntu, right?
    • Reformer81, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1I dug you up simply because I too (as a linux junkie) am so tired of seeing lame fricken articles on the front page of Digg. How many times do we need a new article on installing Ubuntu to USB? How many more articles do we need showing off Compiz? How many more articles do we need announcing the release of yet another minor improvement of this or that package (Yay! 1.1 is released and it has one less bug in it! FRONT PAGE!)

      Seriously... let's start digging things that are truly important and innovative!
    • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1While I agree with you Ozaroo, you seem to be going about things in the wrong way. If more people were willing to guide Ubuntu in the right direction, it may be able to overcome a lot of the usability hurdles that are there. I look at it and see a lot of flaws inheritied just because it's a Linux operating system.

      What am I trying to say? Don't bash on them because they're trying to do something good. They have to be the change they want to see in the PC world. (Sorry Ghandi)
    • javaroast, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1hmmm, apparently interactive designer and gamers don't know how to skip the Linux/Unix section of digg otherwise they might not be so mystified at finding Linux articles in said section.
  • gaapgod, on 08/06/2008, -4/+5Isn't that a bit like Internet Explorer winning "Best Browser of the Year" at a Microsoft convention?
    • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1no no no. bad gaapgod. there are plenty of other distributions that could and should have won. Ubuntu is GNU/Linux. Linux isn't a product made by Ubuntu. You got to get out of that bad Microsoft/Apple mindset.
      • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2How many times are you going to copy and paste this response while simply changing the user name?
      • Chris_F, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1Until somebody notices and calls me out on it.

        good game sir.
      • ethana2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0That reminds me though, as an Ubuntu user--
        People ask my why I use Firefox 3 and I just shrug and say 'I don't know, it just came with my OS'.
  • trumpcard, on 08/06/2008, -11/+6The point is Ubuntu won this award in a Linux Expo,people need to move on.

    Windows is still the best.
    • ethana2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0To quote myself:
      Having applications install themselves is like procuring 'services' from drug shooters and paying them with blank checks.

      Ubuntu kicks the pants off windows. Drivers aren't easter eggs, folks.
    • Naidel, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0LOL

      "Windows is still the best."

      DATS RIGHT I CLICKED THE BURY BUTTON
    • CATSCEO2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0No.
  • djbuffnstuff, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1quick question: i have ubuntu on a separate partition on one of my drives so that i can run windows and ubuntu. however, my grub file was corrupted and i have no idea how to fix that. i used ubuntu for some astronomy research but i am finished with it. when i start up my computer i have a command line with grub>. i have to type in, rootnoverify(hd0,0), makeactive, chainloader +1, boot. then windows starts up.

    can i just delete the partition and be rid of ubuntu or will that ***** up my computer? i need the space on that drive. i only really know the basics of linux so i would appreciate any help.
    • xsquirrel378x, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1If GRUB is in your MBR and you don't want linux anymore. Use your XP cd and reinstall windows boot loader.
    • TiberiusDRAIG, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1Yeah, you can delete the Ubuntu partition. Just make sure you copy any files you want to keep across from it to your Windows partition.

      I'm no expert but you could probably fix the problem with Ubuntu. Try the nice people over at http://ubuntuforums.org/

      Good luck.
    • raydeen, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1http://amazingrando.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/fixmb ...

      After you've run through the steps on this site, you can boot up with the Ubuntu Live CD and run GParted to delete the Ubuntu partition and resize your Windows partition. If you want to retry Ubuntu in the future, Wubi is your best bet as it doesn't mess with partitions and gives you the ability to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu. If you don't like it anymore, you just uninstall it from Add/Remove Programs in Windows. Ubuntu gets installed to a hidden file rather than a partition and thus is a bit safer to install and remove.
    • bratterscain, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1Download the SuperGrub iso. If you ever plan on installing Linux again, it's easy to use and edit your grub menu if you have problems.
    • ghostborg, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Like above, use your windows install cd and find your way to the command prompt.
      Pretty sure you type in Fixmbr at the windows command window.
      Google Fixmbr to get better directions.
      Windows Vista did not fix mine using the repair screen.
      This will get rid of grub and you will not be able to boot linux.
      This has always worked for me, Good Luck!!!
    • ghostborg, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Vista instructions
      http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us
    • zwaldowski, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1If you're in Vista, install EasyBCD and go to "Manage Bootloader" > "Reinstall the Vista Bootloader" > "Write MBR".
      • djbuffnstuff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1i'm actually in xp
      • zwaldowski, on 08/13/2008, -0/+1@djbuffnstuff: Same thing works, just select "Uninstall the Vista bootloader" and it'll reinstall NTLDR. Just make sure you have .NET 2.0 first.
  • depro9, on 08/06/2008, -1/+5Bet they keep winning for a long time. ;)
  • apikoros, on 08/06/2008, -4/+17In other news, Jesus wins "Best Overall Messiah" in Christian Expo 2008.
  • TheTrueHero, on 08/06/2008, -6/+2Mainstream operating systems ftw
  • HonestAbe, on 08/06/2008, -2/+4Ubuntu is great, but it still needs work. Don't get complacent.
  • 3leggedHorse, on 08/06/2008, -1/+2Now all intrepid needs is a quality looking theme.
  • twigboy, on 08/06/2008, -0/+5Preaching to the converted.
  • IpwnZnoobs, on 08/06/2008, -2/+1This just in, Windows has just awarded Vista with the prestigious "life time achievement award".
  • dougle, on 08/06/2008, -0/+3Congrats to Ubuntu, keep the standard high for Ibex.
  • ModernDayDarwin, on 08/06/2008, -1/+1The "X just awarded their product with Y award" analogies are getting old.
    • ethana2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Don't go giving the X folks any awards just yet, their code just ate another baby last week, /plus/ they dropped MPX and DRI2 for the next release.
  • qbthemc, on 08/06/2008, -4/+3I do not care since I have Windows Vista.
    • ethana2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1May God have mercy on your soul
    • Naidel, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Seems like you cared enough to make an inane post on digg, for some stupid reason.
    • bowens44, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1Some people like Ferraris others like a Yugo. If you're happy with your Yugo, good for you!!
  • LucasVB, on 08/06/2008, -0/+4That's great and all, but can we please drop this annoying business-euphemism usage of the word "solution"? It's an operating system, for ***** sake.
  • mrogi, on 08/06/2008, -4/+1Best desktop solution with only 2% of the market? Dont make me laugh.
  • bxblox, on 08/06/2008, -1/+2Best Desktop Solution? At a linux conference? Really?
  • Goomba37, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Congrats to all.

    This has been my distro of choice for 3 years now and my computer near illiterate wife can use it, which is great.

    Just fix wireless for goodness' sake - i've finally got my brother trying it and his wireless just won't work (though mine wasn't too hard to fix). And a new modern theme (that isn't blue) would be great.

    Congrats to those who work, but especially debian peeps - I know lots of you don't like ubuntu, but without your high quality work, this wouldn't happen - you are all truly legends of the FOSS community.

    Finally, those who say "my distro should've won" - I love you all and love our (linux user's diversity) but Ubuntu won - at least we are all linux users of sorts - better than the alternative, don't you all think?
  • AppleMacStud, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1The funny thing about LinuxWorld this year is that you saw a LOT of iPhones and Macs... 
  • DeuceDiggalow, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0Ubuntu is awesome... unless you plan on surfing the web or having sound. The good news though is It's free!
    • bowens44, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Wow! What a mindless, misinformed post! Flaunt your ignorance proudly!!

  • strevoir, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0I have been using XP for 5 years..
    Yesterday, I installed Fedora 9 and I tried to install a audio driver w/o root.
    Therefore after 3 hours of figuring out how to turn on the sudo, I couldnt even login to the desktop.
    Finally I reinstall Xp.
    Linux for desktop is still have a long way to go..
    • bowens44, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Your inability to perform simple tasks that the average ten year old could do says more about you then it does Fedora.
      • watcht, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1You know i find this truly hard to belive, though i havent used fedora yet, in open suse and ubuntu though, it asks you to make a login for yourself, so you choose a name and password. So either you forgot or mistyped your login details, or fedora is some different setup. The audio driver also seems strange as most linux distros select the right audio driver for your sound card on a regular install, although there are exceptions out there. I'd try a different distro before assuming Linux has a long way to go.
    • zwaldowski, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Don't use Fedora. Simple solution. Seriously. It's just as much for novice users as Gentoo is. And, if you know what root is and how to get to it, why not use it when doing administrative things? You aren't going to try to install Windows' Realtek driver on a user account set up for kids. I mean, if you're going to go that way, Vista surely has a long way to go..
    • Vadi0, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1This is about Ubuntu, not Fedora. mkay?
  • troon, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0what is this ubutnu?? Can I run it on my microsoft?? where can i get crackz for it? i hav xp, no vista yet!! lol.
  • outreach417, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Ok, u can't compare this Ubuntu award to Windows, because Ubuntu Desktop Edition 8.04 LTS m (which won the award, check the linuxworld site, not the blog dugg here) is not the operating system. It is just a desktop environment - a "desktop" - a fancy program launcher? Anyone remember pre-windows PAM's "program application managers" for ms-dos? Same diff, more sophisticated, or the H-P Wave environment for windows? Yeah that had staying power ;p Now Unix vs Windows - no contest. But there are several good desktop environments for it, my fav Sun's Java Desktop. And Ubuntu is a "corporate"product. The sponsor is Canonical Ltd. and they profit from it. Ubuntu is a linux distribution - derived from Debian another Linux distro. Linux is Unix-like, properly referred to as GNU Linux, 'cause without GNU - no Linux. It is the GNU Project that included the Unix shell before Linus Torvalds wrote his kernel based on Minix, then switched to GNU - which already included many of the "windowing" (desktop) environments developed for Unix distributions in use today. So Linux champions - we're supposed to care about all this, or remember? If I want a free Unix OS with stable secure desktop, I'd choose Sun Solaris OS 10 or OpenSolaris anyday.
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.