Review: Ubuntu Dapper Flight 5
Paul Dwerryhouse <paul@dwerryhouse.com.au>
March 24, 2006
Installation
The distribution's new boot-up splash screen provides a number of menu options; three different installation options (standard, OEM and server), a CD defect test, a rescue option, a memory test and a hard disk boot option. This is quite a departure from Ubuntu (and Debian) boot CDs to date, where options other than the default are selected by typing the name of a profile at a command prompt.
Beyond that point, installation is fairly standard for a Debian-based distribution; first there's a language chooser, then a location chooser and finally a keyboard selector, with a handy process to help determine what style keyboard is being used if the user isn't sure.
Next, the user is asked for a hostname and then the installer starts the disk partitioner, which gives two simple options - use the entire disk, or use the entire with LVM - and a more complex manual option.
The last two steps, before package installation starts, are to determine the timezone and to create a user account.
Unlike Debian, Ubuntu installs all of the required packages in a single installation stage. This is incredibly handy for a set-and-forget install. Unfortunately, this process is let down half-way through, when the user is prompted to configure the screen resolution. It would be much better if these questions could be asked at the start of the installation, so that the user can leave the system to install itself and walk away.
Otherwise, the installation of the system was painless and trouble free, including the installation of the bootloader.
Booting and Logging in
Upon boot-up of the newly installed system, the user is presented with the now-familiar brown on black Ubuntu splash screen. Boot messages are displayed in a small area below the Ubuntu logo, without all the technical details typically provided during a Linux boot. This will, at least, make booting the operating system a far less confusing process for the novice user.
The login screen is stock-standard gdm login display, with an Ubuntu theme. Nothing out of the ordinary here; options to change the language, shutdown, reboot, session choices (GNOME, failsafe, etc), remote XDMCP login. There was also an option to configure the login screen itself, without needing to physically log in - unfortunately, that crashed my X xsession as soon as I started it up.
Copyright © 2006, Paul Dwerryhouse