Sadly I think I'll "again" be removing a linux distro

[URDRWHO]

Years ago I gave Ubuntu a try and things went well for quite some time and then....crack. It was a dual boot laptop used for work....no time to play around and bye bye Ubuntu.

Last year that same laptop is still used for some work but it isn't the number one dog anymore. Last year around this time I gave some Linux distros a try and settled on Kubuntu. Things went fine for a while and last November after an update things started to get a bit strange. It wasn't a major update and probably a lightDM update.

In December ---- inability to use the normal shut down reboot GUI and I had to go to the terminal and use commands. Searched the internet and found others in the same situation.

Then two weeks ago the video went crazy, a two inch black banner top to bottom, multiple boots and sometimes the video would be fine, sometimes it would have terrible resolution with LARGE icons, a desktop that could not be used. Found something online that fixed that problem but it broke the boot for me as sudo user and it would boot to temporary guest. I would need to log out and log in with my name. Then it started that I have no rights to install using Muon. Then is started eating the space on my partition like a hungry dog. Added an extra 1.5 gig yesterday morning and by the afternoon DF showed 100% of space was used and I had not installed anything. In fact using terminal commands I removed items to free up space.

Now because there is no space it will boot into the guest mode but I can't log in using my name.

So my college son, the one that has twelve different computer boxes in his room, some are there to be fixed for $$$ and I asked him if he still uses Linux. He said that only one box has it on because he doesn't have time to play nurse maid to an OS.

Here is what I think. Once you install a distro and get it working, unless changing to a major number DO NOT UPDATE. Turn off that update reminder. On one of the Linux forums I found this --- "
Whenever I MUST work with Linux, I prefer Sabayon. Or anything else that doesn't get all $ucked up by its own update software."

So again I will be removing Linux and using that XP OS and run with the name we will not mention. That OS has been running on my laptop 24/7 for many years.

Sad.

 

[Mitt Green]

You had common problems, and none of them because of Linux and Ubuntu in particular. Probably next time you should be more careful about removing software, as for hardware just install needed drivers. And what you said about updates is wrong indeed because they repair security, code bugs which is necessary. If you don't like updating very much, why not to use CentOS or Slackware? Or BSD?
I don't know, man

 

[URDRWHO]

My son's linux guru friend is signed in remotely to see what he can do. He (guru) is one of those people that has been a linux person all his life.

Common problems? Common to who me or other's? I don't know but I run three computers for my home office, replace hardware myself, built the recent desktop and wouldn't call myself stupid. Been doing it since 1984 (before if you count the Commodore as a computer)

So why do I have Linux distro problems?

Two reasons why I even try Linux

I think it is a good OS
I don't like the MS machine

But believe me Linux has a long way to ge but that isn't Linux. I have a very robust Contact Manager that is a Windows program, I paid over $1,000 for the program and have bought two updates over the years ($350 each). I have not found anything in Linux that comes close, free or coming with a cost, the contract managers look childish. Tried to use Wine with the program but didn't like it.

So I could never use Linux for work. It is a fun project and a project that can become frustrating.

 

[atanere]

Hope your son's friend can help! That is the immediate issue for you.

I guess we all experience different issues and/or problems with computers as we go along. If you read the news, Microsoft has had some of its updates cause very serious problems too. I've had minor problems from Windows updates, but not like the stuff I've read about. I've not had any problem with Linux updates, but I know that it can happen.

My employer buys Windows, for now, so I have to use those computers. And I have a couple of things that I need to use that won't run in Linux, so I keep Windows installed on some machines too. But Linux is where I spend 99% of my time. They both work well enough, but I like Linux better now. I'm sure I will never go back to Windows as the primary OS.

 

[arochester]

I have a very robust Contact Manager that is a Windows program

Out of interest what is it called?

 

[URDRWHO]

Several seats for but I am not an attorney. Years ago I looked into switching from ACE contact manager (not bad but needed more). I bought Goldmine I remember it was good and can't remember what it lacked. I bought ACT and again it was good and can't remember what more I needed from it. Tried a few more that I can't remember. Then I found a program that is used by attorneys, a group that has extensive tracking / follow-up needs. I bought Time Matters (several seats) have purchased updates along the way and varying maintenance plans from independent consultants. These days I fly alone...no paid for plans and if there is a problem....I'm the TM fix it man.




http://www.lexisnexis.com/law-firm-practice-management/time-matters/

Out of interest what is it called?

 

[URDRWHO]

I had to help my sister on one of those MS update problems. She lives several States away and I have to use team viewer to help. I now have her off that MS automatic update.

I am one of those people who will keep at the problem until I find the answer. The Linux frustration at the moment is that I can't find the reason it is doing what it does. I think I have it fixed, it will reboot and start perfect and then all of the sudden it won't. It is all video problem and most assuredly a lack of Nvidia driver support (if I remember GE force 440 chip-set).

The driver thing is a hot topic for me. Why no universal planning on those drivers????!!!!!!! Imagine if computer boxes didn't have standard hard drive bays? It just wouldn't be good.

I read people who have the video chip-set working fine but they may be one older Linux versions.

All I know is that for almost a year everything was perfect until one day in November. Looking at my history log, in the list of updates on the given day was a lightDM.

I keep another user account so that I can log off and go to the other user. If I am lucky the other user will allow me to go to the display setting and I will see the 1280 X 800 setting. It is the 1280 X 800 setting that for some reason disappears. I just looked and it is not appearing as an available setting at this time. I bet if I log off, things won't go well.

The linux laptop in my kitchen has started exhibiting some of the same things as the one in my office (back 2 inch banner top to bottom on right side). It had been solid and an update did something. I've become more conservative on the PPA's allowed to update from.

Who knows but I'm going to test my log out?

Hope your son's friend can help! That is the immediate issue for you.

I guess we all experience different issues and/or problems with computers as we go along. If you read the news, Microsoft has had some of its updates cause very serious problems too. I've had minor problems from Windows updates, but not like the stuff I've read about. I've not had any problem with Linux updates, but I know that it can happen.

My employer buys Windows, for now, so I have to use those computers. And I have a couple of things that I need to use that won't run in Linux, so I keep Windows installed on some machines too. But Linux is where I spend 99% of my time. They both work well enough, but I like Linux better now. I'm sure I will never go back to Windows as the primary OS.

 

[arochester]

Interesting that
http://alternativeto.net/ does not list a Linux alternative to this program.

But then, "Time Matters 7.0 works beautifully in Linux" - https://lawyerist.com/137/time-matters-70-works-beautifully-in-linux/

 

[URDRWHO]

Thanks for taking a look.

One time I tried it in Wine and re-mapped all the TM data, it kept having an error problem. I can't remember what it was but it had something to do with not acknowledging the defined path in Wine.

If someone would program a TM type program, I bet I could sell it to attorney's, salespeople, etc. and sell the idea to people to break away from Windows.

Getting TM to work on my Kubuntu laptop isn't high on the list because my desktop is the host TM and my laptop is the clone. I no longer need more seats than just me.

"I was surprised to find that it ran beautifully in Wine. I had to re-map the data file and program locations (just as you do when installing Time Matters on a new or network computer)"

Interesting that
http://alternativeto.net/ does not list a Linux alternative to this program.

But then, "Time Matters 7.0 works beautifully in Linux" - https://lawyerist.com/137/time-matters-70-works-beautifully-in-linux/

 

[JasKinasis]

Time Matters certainly seems like a really niche bit of software. I'm not familiar with it, but if there are no free/open source programs available on Linux for this particular domain; I guess it's about time somebody exploited that little hole in the market!

Unfortunately, between family, work and band commitments, I haven't got enough free time to try and create something like this. But it certainly sounds like a good project/opportunity for somebody!

It would probably be better to make it cross-platform too, rather than Linux only. That way you could potentially attract a bigger user-base...

Also, if the program could be applied to multiple domains, rather than only law-practices (e.g. made more generic, so it could also be used in medical practices, factories, software companies, offices etc), that would make the software even more useful. Again, I'm not familiar with TM or what you use it for, so I don't know how feasible that idea would be.... Depends on how much domain specific functionality is required...

Hmmm, that's really got me thinking......

 

[URDRWHO]

It can be applied to multiple domains but it just so happens that a lot of Lawyers use it. There are some templates to choose between real estate, general sales, etc.

My days of being busy with a band ended a long time ago. Hope you are getting some good (paying) jobs. I am so old that it was still the 1970's when I got tired of getting home at 3>4 AM after playing at the local bars.

Now I just write stuff for my own liking. Now the problem is my hands are starting to get problematic and my odd guitar chords are becoming harder to hit. Oh well ....just keep playing!

Time Matters certainly seems like a really niche bit of software. I'm not familiar with it, but if there are no free/open source programs available on Linux for this particular domain; I guess it's about time somebody exploited that little hole in the market!

Unfortunately, between family, work and band commitments, I haven't got enough free time to try and create something like this. But it certainly sounds like a good project/opportunity for somebody!

It would probably be better to make it cross-platform too, rather than Linux only. That way you could potentially attract a bigger user-base...

Also, if the program could be applied to multiple domains, rather than only law-practices (e.g. made more generic, so it could also be used in medical practices, factories, software companies, offices etc), that would make the software even more useful. Again, I'm not familiar with TM or what you use it for, so I don't know how feasible that idea would be.... Depends on how much domain specific functionality is required...

Hmmm, that's really got me thinking......