Ubuntu-MATE

[Fritz]

Loaded this on my main box a couple of days ago and I'm impressed. This is as close to Windows level usability as I've ever seen in a Linux distro. My setup is a fairly complex dual monitor, all the bells and whistles setup so configuring it to my likely was a long drawn out affair. But it all went remarkably smoothly and the only thing I had to use the CLI for is to install my 3 printers, one of which was a Canon which was a PITA to get working but finally did. Mate is highly customizable and the GUI is very user friendly. There are a few nuances but no more than in Windows.

I'll be moving more computers to MATE after a few weeks of testing but at this point I'm very much liking what I see.

 

[T_Minus]

What other linux desktop environments have you used?
Have you tried Ubuntu Gnome (3.x)? Cinnamon?

I downloaded a bunch a few months ago and did some minor testing then got busy and haven't gotten back to it, I want to replace my desktop with likely Ubuntu and ___ in the future

 

[Fritz]

What other linux desktop environments have you used?
Have you tried Ubuntu Gnome (3.x)? Cinnamon?

I downloaded a bunch a few months ago and did some minor testing then got busy and haven't gotten back to it, I want to replace my desktop with likely Ubuntu and ___ in the future

I've tried them all. Actually, I've been trying to make the jump to Linux for many years but always found it way to rough around the edges to compete with Windows. Windows has always ruled when it comes to usability, Linux was always clueless until now. Mate is a quantum leap for Linux. They have finally removed most of the useless gibberish that has kept the ungeek masses away.

LibreOffice is amazing and transparently compatible with document created in MS Office (as far as I can tell so far). And last, but not least, Super Tux Cart is awesome.

 

[CreoleLakerFan]

What other linux desktop environments have you used?
Have you tried Ubuntu Gnome (3.x)? Cinnamon?

I downloaded a bunch a few months ago and did some minor testing then got busy and haven't gotten back to it, I want to replace my desktop with likely Ubuntu and ___ in the future

Of all of the Linux desktops, I'm really partial to KDE. That said, I almost always end up back on Windows for my main productivity machines, and run Linux utility VMs for the functionality I need.

 

[poutnik]

I've been using Ubuntu-Xfce for several years as my main desktop with Windows virtual machine for the occassional Windows-specific task. At first, there was a dual boot Windows option for me, but it was used so infrequently, that I deleted the partition.

I have also "threatened" my wife to switch her primary machine from Windows to some of the ubuntu variants, and it almost seems the time has come. Because HW upgrades are sometimes truly terrible in Windows.

In Ubuntu, when I last upgraded my workstation (keeping only the graphic card, disks and PSU), I had only to change the default network device and everything went smoothly on (and it was a different machine architecture I moved to, from consumer AMD to E5 intel). On the other hand, my last (not so drastic) hw-upgrade of a windows machine resulted in complete Windows reinstall. And I don't want to go through that again...

 

[Fritz]

Does anybody have a link to the instructions on how to load IPMIView on Ubuntu? All that I can find are out of date apparently. They say to download a .bin file that it's on SM's ftp site.

 

[pricklypunter]

Had a look at this?

 

[Fritz]

Had a look at this?

Thank you sir. Looks like just what I was looking for.

 

[Fritz]

CRAP !!!

When I try to untar it I get - "Cannot open: No such file or directory" The file is there, the only mystery is WTF is "zxf" ???

Anybody know?

 

[poutnik]

"zxf" means:
x - extract
z - file is gziped
f - use file (I think has to be last)
I usually use "xvzf" with v - verbose

Edit: don't untar, use "tar". Should work as per the command given on the linked site>
tar zxf ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar.gz

 

[nitrobass24]

Of all of the Linux desktops, I'm really partial to KDE. That said, I almost always end up back on Windows for my main productivity machines, and run Linux utility VMs for the functionality I need.

KDE Plasma is the way to go when it comes to Linux UIs

I would fully switch if I didn't need Office 365

 

[poutnik]

@nitrobass24 , for me, LibreOffice offers everything I need from an office suite. I don't know what bells and whistles Office 365 offers, but I have not found anything I miss in the free variant. Also, I have not installed MSOffice on any of my wife's work-related computers and instead have forced her (by not providing anything else) to use LibreOffice. She does not complain, her employees don't complain either...

 

[nitrobass24]

@nitrobass24 , for me, LibreOffice offers everything I need from an office suite. I don't know what bells and whistles Office 365 offers, but I have not found anything I miss in the free variant. Also, I have not installed MSOffice on any of my wife's work-related computers and instead have forced her (by not providing anything else) to use LibreOffice. She does not complain, her employees don't complain either...

No integration with Sharepoint and no OneNote.

 

[poutnik]

Valid point. But if you are not bound with other people, there is the nextcloud/owncloud and MyOwnNote (for example)... I have not done any research if they are really an alternative to what you use, and they would surely be more difficult to set up to run as needed and expected...

 

[gigatexal]

Of all of the Linux desktops, I'm really partial to KDE. That said, I almost always end up back on Windows for my main productivity machines, and run Linux utility VMs for the functionality I need.

Gah, I can't stand KDE. It looks like some random Anime artist vomited all over the desktop. So I have always stuck with Gnome. Best part of the *Nix world is that you can choose.

 

[Fritz]

"zxf" means:
x - extract
z - file is gziped
f - use file (I think has to be last)
I usually use "xvzf" with v - verbose

Edit: don't untar, use "tar". Should work as per the command given on the linked site>
tar zxf ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar.gz

Thanks. I used the command as above and get the above error. I renamed the folder to "ipmi" to make it easier to switch to it. Could that be the problem?

 

[nitrobass24]

What error? Copy the output from the terminal here in Code tags.

 

[Kybber]

CRAP !!!

When I try to untar it I get - "Cannot open: No such file or directory" The file is there, the only mystery is WTF is "zxf" ???

Anybody know?

Try to tab out the filename. The "+" may be causing issues and should be escaped. If that doesn't work, please copy-and-paste the complete command and resulting error message, including pwd.

 

[Fritz]

sparkey@sparkey-mate:~/Downloads/IPMIView$ tar zxf ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar.gz
tar (child): ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar (child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
sparkey@sparkey-mate:~/Downloads/IPMIView$

 

[Kybber]

Did you tab out the filename? If so, try this:

gunzip ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar.gz
file ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar

The unzipped file should be recognized as a tar archive, and you should then be able to do this (note: no z argument since the file has already been unzipped):

tar xf ipmiview_2.12.0+build160804.orig.tar