In anticipation of the release of Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) next Thursday, I have re-installed Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) on my computer. I had been running Debian Etch (4.0) for a couple months. It was a nice change of pace. It was also good to see the distro that Ubuntu is based on. Debian Etch installed perfectly on this old computer. (Check out the specs in the sidebar for a good laugh!) It performed well and never crashed. If you are familiar with Debian, you know why. If you are not, it's because by the time the Debian project releases a new stable version, it has been so thoroughly tested and be-bugged that it is rock solid. So much so that the only updates packages receive in the stable branch are security updates, (no fixes are required). Coming from Ubuntu, I was used to lots of updates on an almost daily basis. (Ubuntu is on the 'bleeding edge' and so requires more than just security fixes. Even so, it delivers an experience far above anything you've ever gotten from Windows.) Updates for a Debian desktop setup are on an almost weekly basis. They have been criticized for consistently missing their own stated release dates, but who cares. It's been said that businesses want regular releases, but the Debian project is not about supporting businesses. They are about creating an amazing distro, and they always deliver. Check them out at www.debian.org to learn more.
That being said, I am REALLY enjoying using Ubuntu again. I love it. The focus of the Ubuntu project is the user experience, and they are succeeding here. Ubuntu delivers a great 'out of the box' experience. Pretty much everything you need is there when you install it. If there is a program you need that is not included, you can most likely get it from the repositories (more free software). Simply put, it is a pleasure to use this distro.
I was initially put off from the Xubuntu version of Feisty back in April because the panels didn't load occasionally (XFCE has two panels, one on the top of the screen and one at the bottom of the screen in the default Xubuntu install) and whenever I tried to load a terminal window, it would crash the graphical environment (the X server) and I would have to log back in after the X server re-started. That sent me looking for another distro to use. The Ubuntu variant with the GNOME desktop environment does not have this problem (which has most likely been fixed by now) and after 120+ MB of updates, runs like a dream! This remark about updates is not a dig. The Ubuntu project developers are on the ball when it comes to proactively fixing problems. Consider that this is a mostly volunteer project producing an amazing OS and then fixing, updating, and maintaining it. Having 120+ MB of updates after six months is a great thing.
A couple days ago I couldn't wait for next Thursday to install Gutsy, but after enjoying Feisty this weekend, I can wait a couple weeks...
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