Here’s one I’d like to add. I’m not sure if should be called a paper cut or not, but anyway it’s a simple annoying problem. What I’m talking about are the user’s permissions regarding hard drives. As long as I have used Ubuntu (from the first day it was available for download), I have had to struggle with permissions to use drives – especially hard drives – in many situations. For example recently, when I created a new partition onto one of my hard drives, I wasn’t able to save anything into it, because the drive was now owned by root. It’s not possible to change permissions in this situation from the GUI, so I had to use the terminal (and search for the right command, which I don’t remember by heart, and scratch my head for a while to use the command right) to change the permission.

Another problem with permissions came up when I moved my torrent downloads to another hard drive. At least in Karmic (had a different drive set-up before), I have to give my password to be able to use my “secondary” hard drives. If I haven’t done this, and start Transmission, it won’t see the unfinished files, because the drive they are placed on is not mounted. When I mount the drive, Transmission checks all data that has been downloaded so far. It takes quite a while if I happen to have 30 GB of unfinished files. If I find the time, I’ll make a bug report (it’s surprisingly time consuming to make a good bug report).

I ask because I have Kubuntu running next to 2 other KDE4.2 distros and its almost identical. Seems like all distros do is fine tune a few things like icons and themse and wallpapers.
The real choice is not at the distro level but at the desktop level.

Btw, one of the reasons I never installed Kubuntu on our home machines and have gone with Mandriva and PCLinuxOS is the dual boot that Kubuntu offers in all its DOS black.white glory is pathetic.
Seems like a perfect example of NOT being user friendly.

Here are a few I would suggest.

1. Add a setup network section to the installer.

While the current installer works well it leaves functions such as network setup until after the install. This leaves Ubuntu/Kubuntu users at the mercy of some occasionally pretty bad network managers in Gnome and KDE. Defaulting to DHCP is taking the easy way out and not everyone uses it by default. I have had nightmare after nightmare of wasted time with nearly every release in this area which generally leaves me hand editing everything in config files after the install.

2. Setup SAMBA during the install CORRECTLY and with the correct permissions.

Ubuntu/Kubuntu is also taking the easy way out in this area. Samba is one of the most critical functions used in Linux to allow interoperability with Windows systems and networks. Its a mess in Ubuntu/Kubuntu and as with the network setup above I am generally hand editing the config files to get it working worth a damn. Do this during the install and do it right.

3. Test ALL software included in the repositories for functionality with EVERY release. You would think this would be a given but every new release of Ubuntu/Kubuntu has its share of applications that either are broken or buggy beyond belief. Recent example? GLabels. Great application. One of a kind in Linux but non functional in the 9.04 release with no update (that I know of) as of yet, even though the fix is out there. This required a hand install/compile session to get working on my system.

4. Give Kubuntu the SAME amount of attention and polish that you give Ubuntu. Personally I can’t stand Gnome. If you like it more power to you. Use what you like. My point is if the company is going to release a KDE version then by all means give it the same amount of support as the Gnome version. Don’t just splatter it against the wall as say “Help yourself!” as appears to be the case with Kubuntu.

5. Stop including unpolished software in releases.

Example?

The 8.10 version of Kubuntu with its obviously not ready for primetime version of KDE. While I was able to easily see that KDE 4.x had incredible potential in the 8.10 release I also easily could see it was no where near the functionality of of the older KDE versions.

The right way to have done this?

Release a “test” version along with the “production” version so those that wish to and have the time can test away to their hearts content. When it is actually ready to satisfy desktop users needs THEN release. (do’h, what a concept eh)

Yes, it would require more work on the part of Canonical but that IS THEIR job, not ours. I’m more than happy to help out but I need to have a system that works first, Testing is much lower in my priorities.

6. Fix printing in Wine.
Nuff said.

7. In general and in closing.

To Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Shuttleworth et al

Stop acting in such an unprofessional manner with release quality. Get your act together NOW while you still have time. These issues are inexcusable in a so called “desktop” “quality” operating system. The longer this goes on unchecked the more of an embarrassment you’ll become to Linux and the more turned off the general public will be towards Linux as a viable choice. Remember YOU have placed yourselves in the position of being the desktop Linux choice.

LIVE UP TO IT!