From SuSE Linux to Ubuntu

From SuSE Linux to Ubuntu

One of my coworkers is a huge Ubuntu fan. He tried SuSE for a while, but eventually went back to Ubuntu. He had a lot of success with some of the problems I was having with SuSE. Specifically, it was Evolution connecting to Exchange (as I have previously discussed).

So I decided to try it out at home. I had an old machine that I had re-built with some upgrades and just hadn’t gotten everything put together properly. So I decided that it was going to be my Ubuntu test machine because I really didn’t need it to fully function.

I have been pleasantly surprised with Ubuntu. It’s got solid hardware support (still has issues with wireless). It handled the wireless card in my desktop just fine (without ndiswrapper) and also detected the HP All-in-one printer that I had connected to it (it even detected the scanner portion of it).

The networking is leaps and bounds above SuSE. I had so many problems with NetworkManager in SuSE. I basically had to restart the network service every time I logged in. In Ubuntu, I don’t have to do that. Either on my desktop or my laptop. I’m not sure whether it’s just a newer version of NetworkManager or the under-pinnings, but it just seems to be cleaner.

And I love apt-get. Although you can get apt4rpm for SuSE. I had problems with it. You can also use the smart package manager, but it’s not native.

So now I’m an Ubuntu fan.  Never thought I would leave SuSE, but when something comes along that tops what you already have, you’re just dumb to stay put.

The one thing I’ve been missing is the absolute latest versions of Banshee, my favorite music player, which are always available through SuSE (because the lead developer is a SuSE/Novell employee).

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