Maybe it’s just my perception but I feel that backports for Ubuntu 8.04 haven’t been particularly forthcoming. These are the requested backports and updates that I would take advantage of should they become available.

• libgems-ruby 1.1.1
• k3b 1.0.5
• smplayer 0.6.0
• swfdec 0.6.6 backport
• swfdec 0.6.6 update

I've been evaluating both Gnash and Swfdec for a few weeks. I've come to the conclusion that Swfdec is the superior software. Far more Flash content works with Swfdec than Gnash. However, Swfdec still hsa the same problem it had under Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon): it uses a full processor core when displaying Flash video. I spend some time today trying to track down the problem but was unsuccessful. It has been noted that the problem only seems to occur when using Swfdec through a browser such as Firefox or Epiphany. When I was looking at process cpu utilization I noticed that sometimes the browser would be consuming the CPU but other times it would be X using a large number of cycles. That, combined with the fact that not everyone seems to suffer from this issue, leads me to think there is a configuration issue responsible. However, no amount of changing the X configuration on my system made any difference. Still, video is usually still watchable using Swfdec though it does stutter a bit. And Swfdec's compatibility with other Flash content is much higher than Gnash. I would certainly recommend Swfdec over Gnash or Adobe's Flash player for Ubuntu 8.04.

I spent a few hours this weekend trying to test KDE 4 in Ubuntu only to find it unusable. I tried to different virtual machines but both had the same problem: immediately after logging in the session ends and returns to the login screen. I spent longer than I'd care to admit trying to resolve the problem but to no avail. I was able to find reports of similar behavior but no useful solutions. I think I may just give up on KDE 4 until the 4.1 version is released and made available.

I’ve been evaluating the versions of Gnash and SWFdec that are included with Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) and it took me a while to figure out how to switch between them. The /etc/alternatives directory has 7 links for flash plugins. The correct command for Firefox 3 is:

• sudo update-alternatives --config xulrunner-addons-flashplugin

This allows the user to select Gnash or SWFdec for Flash playback in Ubuntu 8.04.

When helping people to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.04 I find myself doing the same post-installation tasks on many setups. Here are some of those tasks, to be updated with more later perhaps. But removing old kernels, installing java, installing flash, and removing cruft are all common and useful tasks following an upgrade.

Despite my best efforts there is still no graphical SILC client in Ubuntu. I feel I’ve commented on my frustration and disappointment with this fact enough in the past. So, here’s how to get SILC working through Pidgin in Ubuntu 8.04.

I’ve compiled a partial list of threads from ubuntuforums describing problems caused by sudo breaking when upgrading to Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) in order to strengthen the case that this is a serious bug that should be resolved immediately.

Obviously I’m a fan of Ubuntu as I run it on my laptop, desktop, and even a number of servers (both physical and virtual). That can’t deter me from being critical of the Hardy Heron release. I can sympathize with the difficulty of the task of releasing a stable OS every 6 months. Perhaps that is simply an unrealistic goal. Or perhaps this is just a stage of growing pains for a new OS. I watched launchpad during the beta testing of Hardy Heron and saw the number of bugs being reported. Having a new bug report every 2-3 minutes accumulates a large number of reports for people to examine and remedy. And I suspect that’s where Canonical will have to increase its effort. The success is that so many people are contributing bug reports. The failure is that so few have been resolved, including some fairly critical ones that I will mention in detail.

I’m not sure if there is really more to this release than average but it seems like there are more changes I’m interested in than in some past Ubuntu releases. I thought it would be good to compile a list and then do a review after the release. I also want to try and find issues that I want addressed that haven’t been so I can push for their inclusion before it is too late.