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ZorinOS Internet Connection

letian

Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:28:29 pm

I didn't want to post any feedback at first, that pains me a lot to do so, but it feels like I should.
I'm a linux user and tend to stay so. I've decided to replace windows with linux on a hp pavilion dm1 netbook of one of my relatives. I chose ZorinOS because it is ubuntu based and has nice windows like look out-of-the-box. Everything was ok and I was happy to announce to myself that linux has made great progress so far in terms of configurability, ease of use and user-friendliness (last time I used "click-and-install" distro was long ago, so I didn't know what to expect from an out-of-the-box Zorin) There were couple of small interface bugs, but nobody seemed to notice that.
The problems began right after the person started to work on it. He had to translate some documents for a company this weekend. There was much work to do and it should be done fast. As soon as he started using the internet connection started to get disconnected every half an hour or so. I was not by his side so I could only help via the phone, which is not that great at all. The connection type was a dsl one, pppoe over the ethernet via modem. After the person created a dsl connection with my help (he is not a pc guy). The connection name could be chosen from a menu in the bottom right corner of the traybar. But what became a complete mystery to me is why did it start to disconnecet at random times? When I told him to open the menu from the bottom right traybar and choose "my dsl connection" to reestablish it, he said there was none! It just disappeared. Ok, I said, just go and try log off or restart if that does not help. After restart it appeared again, but disappeared once again right after the connection was lost. I will not tell how much stress has this small issue caused and how much time has been lost between like 20 reboots.
We can always write it off to the inexperienced user or just "your connecton/modem is bugged" issue. But it is certainly not. Now this person begs me to install windows back and I'm forced to admit that my good intentions to be an open-source enthusiast for my friends and relatives have been smashed by a nonsense bug. How many words have I used to convince that person that linux is better.

I know that this kind of post does not help much to improve Zorin experience, I wanted to express my feelings about linux on the desktop for a long time. When several years ago a linux guy told me, "you know, windows is a piece of unstable, malwared s***" and I believed him. Now, after some time I came to the conclusion that it is eventually a very good system, that simply does not need your watchful eye. I've been very proud that linux helped me to take control over my machine. I've been telling everyone that "linux makes you a real user of your PC", now I think I was wrong. Not because of this small occasion) of course not, it is something that I accumulated for the years of using, configuring, tickling with the system. It is not that forces us to learn how the system works makes us real users, it is something that does not interfere with our work.

That surely does not mean I shall abandon linux, I love it nevertheless, but truth to be told, it is far from being that ideal system I was once believed)
I think many of you have already understood that, so sorry that my post may become a sad reminder or just a waste of time. There is still a lot of work to be done before linux can be compared to windows. Thank you for your patience.

madvinegar

Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:37:59 pm

I just like to point out the following.

Don't forget that linux is by far the best, more stable, more quick and more capable system to handle and run on all sorts of software and hardware.

It is the unwillingness (for various reasons) of the software/hardware companies to provide the necessary drivers for linux that causes these problems. Obliging therefore the canonical engineers to work with reverse engineering so as to sort out various bugs/problems/issues.

Always keep that in mind.

letian

Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:04:00 am

thanks anyway, I know how to configure it;) Oh, well, never a dull moment

Wolfman

Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:08:49 am

Hi and welcome,

one further point is the updating which as you know is "mucho importanto":

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2247

Regards Wolfman :D

daveca

Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:16:50 am

Been (at least near) there, seen strange symptoms like that.

The root cause appears to be the Hard drive going mad, 3 Gb out of 40 Gb bad sectors. Window$ was doing similar strange things. To check, invoke Disk Utility and run SMART tests.

Widows always does strange things, but these things were even stranger, like CD wont eject and cant see SD card slot, and what appeared to be BIOS failures. Windows does some things really well, I just havent discovered what they are yet.

In 30 years.. (windows sarcasm)

Id see applets disappear and other strange behaviours in Zorin.

This time around, on an XP-Zorin install, i used Zorin CD to wipe the HDD and ran the Disk Utility and allowed it to test the HDD. it showed a failing drive.

I recall reading somewhere that Ubuntu distros do not like being installed on an NTFS drive.

Last install I used Zorin to take control of the drive, before Widow$ (I just love putting the "$" in...) got its grubby hands on the formatting, and made two partitions, each separately formatted for the intended OS - EXT 4 for Zorin and NTFS for Window$$$.

ITs working flawlessly in both (even in Widow$ !) with a failing HDD.

that will be, until more sectors fail or a head crashes then all bets are off.