What info exactly do you want? Based on your description, it sounds like
you would be most happy with Ubuntu long-term-support-release (i.e., V.
10.04) It will be supported for the longest amount of time of the current
available releases, and does not have any of the new "bells and whistles"
you seem to not want. Classic Gnome is it's default, same as Ubuntu 10.10.
At the moment, you can also still get the classic desktop in 11.04 by
logging out and selecting classic desktop or whatever at the log in screen.

"I've always hated the OS deciding it knows what I want." - Ditto and
you can look on a fresh install of Ubuntu as a canvass to build on.
The rather fussy background can be done away with to leave a plain one
and you can customize the look as much or as little as you wish... all
without needing to learn much more than where the necessary buttons
are to do it ( same as any OS and even Windows likes to move stuff
around between versions for no apparent reason ). Same with the
GUI - if you don't get on with the one that presented you can easily
switch to a different one and try that.

Personally I've found Ubuntu to do everything I need and very easy to
use plus rock solid in operation - what else is there to want in an OS


As for Photoshop - have you given 'The Gimp' a tryout ? It's laid out
in a similar fashion to Photoshop ( deliberately ) so you should be
soon familiar with the way it works. To run Photoshop you'd need to
have a virtual Windows but even that's not an onerous task with a bit
of guidance ( basically, install Virtual Box then create a Windows VM
and install a valid copy of Windows in it ). You can run this Windows
at the same time as Ubuntu so get the best of both :-)

Couple things off the top.....
# Run Update Manager and apply security updates always.
# Research a little about having ring on with password.
# AppArmor has recently been added to Ubuntu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppArmor (similar in a way to Vista UAC)
# Use Synaptics Package Manager to find/add for SSL or HTTPS communications
# Definately use a firewall minimumly blocking Echo Requests (Firestarter is
simple and does by default)
# Install ClamAV and all packages available at Synaptics Package Manager and set
for automatic updates at least once every 24 hours.
# If desired, there are a couple antivirus linux products with real time
protection as Eset.

What about Avast for Linux? The downloads are very light and often less that 60
seconds.

Personally have not tried it. I tried AVG for Linux and it was almost a
disaster, It terribly bogged down the system so badly to almost imposiible to
navigate the system to uninstall it. Made me think I was on my old windows pc. I
tried the Esest for Linux trial and was seriously impressed. It literally was
like it was not even running as it has the real time process active.

Mine is only one answer, and there will probably be more and some first hand
experience with Avira for Linux.

The article does not really address much. You need to look at the long term
not short term because these are not normal times. There is much flux in
computing because of the failure of netbooks and rise of tablets and devices
and in Linux in particular because of two new desktop environments in GNOME
3 and Unity. Many people are concerned. Even without Unity many Ubuntu users
would be spooked because GNOME 3 is just a scary for most users because it
as not only a big change, but a move to a new metaphor. Having Unity thrown
into the mix and having Mint stick with tried and true GNOME 2.x which is on
its last legs, but at least familiar only adds confusion.

KDE went through this when it moved to KDE 4 and things are stable now, but
it was a rocky start. People do not like being thrown curves so it is not
surprising that many people are waiting this one out. That means that many
are not upgrading which is going to lower the Distrowatch page rankings.
People go there either to find ISOs or to read about changes. If people have
made up their minds then they would not go there and Ubuntu is going to dip.
Shuttleworth has said that he expects some people to move to other distros
in the short term. What Unity brings to the table for Ubuntu is control.
They can determine the direction and they could not with GNOME. Canonical is
setting the bar high. Shuttleworth wants 200 million users within 4 years.
That is ambitious, but doable only if you have vision and control. They have
both.

www.techdrivein.com/.../...-ubuntu-users-in-4.html

I am a Kubuntu user. These changes do not affect me. I have used both GNOME
3 and Unity and prefer to stick with KDE. However, I am open to change and
look forward to Unity's maturation and development. It is exciting and new.
I love that Canonical has vision and is challenging itself and the status
quo. I think that people need to stick with what works for them now and give
Canonical some room. If you jump ship now and choose something regressive
like Mint then you miss out on the excitement. The best that you will have
in four years is what you have now and GNOME 2.x is already ten years old.
With Canonical you are going to get something that is going to be cutting
edge. I used KDE 3 and switched early to KDE 4 and do not regret it. It was
a bit rocky, but I have seen growth that others sitting on the sidelines
missed out on. I feel part of that growth because I submitted bug reports
and helped new users. People who use Unity now may feel limited, but their
expertise will grow faster than a late adopter. My experience is that after
you make the adjustment you get not only how it works, but why they did it
this way. Unity has tons of keyboard shortcuts that power users like and
newbies who have smartphones and netbooks seem to catch on quickly. It is
dinosaurs like me stuck in the desktop computer metaphor that are struggling
with it.

Don't be discouraged by the spin. Ubuntu has long had many critics and the
move to Unity and next year Wayland is going to give them something to focus
on. My bet is that other distros will follow in their footsteps which puts
Canonical in a leadership position. People like to take shots at the leader
behind their back. It has been going on a long time with Ubuntu. That
usually means that you are successful when others are jealous.

If you are happy with 10.10, there is no reason in the world you need to change
it. When 12.04 is released, you will want to make a decision about where to go.
I'm not a Kubuntu user, but I figure there is a good chance I will be, unless
Unity has some magical improvements.

The article made a couple of good points, but some of it was just smoke.

Security should be no more of a concern now than it was when you installed
10.10. The biggest danger is the person at the keyboard. How's your backup? Hard
drives die at the most awkward times.

I'm not really seeing any updates except for stuff I don't want. I get a notice
about some FTP sort of app, and I don't use it. Also a photography catalog app
that I don't use either. The big blurb on top of the updates is that 11.04 is
out.

I have seen quite a few complaints about Unity. There are some that can't run
it, and others that don't like it. I thought the big thing about any form of
Linux was the freedom. If all the versions try to copy Windows 7 with visual
effects, won't that damage the freedom?
Ubuntu should be capable of those effects, but only if you WANT them.
Isn't there a fast barebones version of Linux? That would improve security only?

I'm retired, don't feel like upgrading computer (mine are custom) just to get
software I don't want. The desktop is a 2 HD dual boot so Ubuntu is on its own
HD. The other runs XP and online connections are blocked. I download files or TF
pics from Ubuntu. That's why the AV.

Computer was designed for Photoshop CS3 and there is nothing in the newer
versions of PS that I want. So I see no reason for a faster processor, graphics
card, or larger HD. Or since Windows HD is offline, even upgrading to Win 7. I
resent having to buy something that goes far beyond what I want except in the
essentials. I can live very well without HD, 3D or any graphic effects.

I read other fora on Ubuntu, and I see quite a few running older versions. What
do they set up for security? I've seen a few reply posts that they need to
update, but they have older, slower computers and can't.

I like Ubuntu - it's far closer to what I'd design for myself, but I like plain
vanilla. When security for XP laptop gets scarce, that will also switch to
Ubuntu. It's a 620 Latitude, will run CS3 but says it's designed for XP and
Vista ready. It does what I want. So I might not be able to run a version beyond
10 something. Or a lite-type newer one.

Eset is working. I've used them for years since they never required IE on the
computer. They used Winsock. Years ago, for any AV, you needed IE. Eset and
Panda didn't, and MS bought Panda.

I have an Android phone. I like the possibilities and did root it to get rid of
the bloatware. With all the new tablets, and Android's rooting capabilities, if
Android went all out as an OS, wouldn't that cut into or possibly kill Ubuntu?
Google is putting out Chrome laptops.

I'm selfish enough to want something that runs my way and NOT the way others
think it should.

Im seeing updates daily. Between 30 and 100mb of them.

Iv been running 11.04 on this little Zotac box and so far, except for a
few things not working at all - like I cant NOT put it to sleep- its
been fine. Finding things has been difficult but overall - I dont have
any real complaints yet.

What are you looking for in security? Linux has some built in security, but
it can be hardened quite a bit to make it ultra secure. There is a
continuum. More security, less freedom and convenience and vice versa.
Windows starts with low built in security and lots of convenience and then
people need to add security. Linux starts with some added security and you
can lock things down quite securely, but at the cost of loss of freedom and
more work. The good thing is that there are fewer threats to Linux, so it
makes us feel secure, perhaps falsely.

Light weight distros abound. The lightest Ubuntu distro is Lubuntu, but
something like SliTaz is tiny in comparison. The ISO is only 30 MBs and
installed it is only 100 MBs. Tiny core is even smaller at 10 MB for the ISO
and Micro Core is even smaller, but you lose the GUI. At the other extreme
is Sabayon with is over 15 GBs installed. Isn't Linux grand? So much choice!

There are also ways to lock things down by sandboxing and running VMs. You
can do all of your risky activity in the sandbox and allow no activity
outside the sandbox. I do not even run anti-virus in my XP VM because I run
a copy which I can turf any time it is compromised. Then a start an new copy
from the backup.

Updates - go to [ System / Administration / Update Manager ] and
click on the [Settings] button. In there, you'll see several tabs.

Under 'Ubuntu Software' check the top 4 items.

Under 'Other Software' check the top one, Lucid Partner if using 10.04
or whatever is relevant to the Ubuntu version being used.

Under 'Updates' check top two in Ubuntu Updates, select check for
updates daily, select 'LTS only' in Release Upgrade.

Then click on 'Close' and the repositories will be refreshed / give
you what updates you currently need and do the same every day from now
on.

Re: Unity - having used it a little I like the simplicity and the very
good search function but it's not as flexible as I'd like. Apparently
this is being resolved in 11.10 so we'll see what happens there. As
has been mentioned, you can always elect to use the standard Gnome GUI
in 11.04 - though I understand that isn't going to be the case with
11.10, again remains to be seen what the overall look will be when
11.10 arrives. In the meantime there's nothing wrong with staying with
10.04LTS - that's what these long term support releases are for, you
don't *have* to be cutting edge if you don't want to be :-)

Re: Wanting to use the PC as *you* want - Ubuntu is very configurable
though that's taken a back seat with 11.04 whilst the Unity GUI is
honed. Again, stick with 10.04LTS for now if you want flexibility in
how your Ubuntu works.

PS - I see no reason that the good points of other OS's cannot be
incorporated and don't look on that as 'selling out'. If it helps
otherwise reluctant users to take the plunge and try Ubuntu then all
the better in the long run, and I suspect that's the reason for the
Unity direction being taken. Currently this has upset the advanced
user as it restricts them but as has been mentioned, that is being
addressed so it's case of wait and see what Mr Shuttleworth has up his
sleeve

I can now understand why supporters of Linux strongly emphasize its safety
(highly immune to viruses). At the rate I am going with this OS, the chances of
me experiencing a virus or other malware is astronomically small.

You can always run Synaptic Package Manager and remove apps you do not want.
However, if a friend comes to you next year and asks, "could you update my web
site," you'll wish you had FTP.

I found the article confusing when it compared Unity to Windows 7. I find that
Unity is very different from Windows 7, while Gnome 2 is very much LIKE Windows
7.

And I still can't figure out what concerns you about security.

I also don't see anything wrong with stuff like Unity as long as I don't have to
use it and it doesn't mess up the computer. If others want it, that's fine with
me.

I've looked at the Gimp - it isn't bad, but I learned Photoshop in version 3 and
still will do things that way rather than the newer methods. Which is also why
I'm not upgrading. There's simply too much new stuff to learn which I am still
working on. I also shoot Raw and PS and Lightroom are easier to manage. They are
on a separate XP hard drive, so all I have to do is boot into XP. No partitions,
Wine or anything else.

There is nothing quite comparable to Illustrator. Inkster isn't bad, but it
isn't as much of a jack of all trades as Illustrator is. I've done vector
graphics, page layout, pdf editing with Illustrator.

Eset's NOD32 is working. They finally put out a version for Ubuntu and the local
distributors helped me get it started. I can now download files for my 2 offline
XP computers.

Some software simply does not run on Linux. I machine embroider, and until
recently the programs (which are expensive) were only written for windows. If
windows changed the OS - they had problems. Some of the programs also have
trouble with security. The easiest thing to do is get an older computer with XP,
and keep it offline. Then you don't have to worry about driveby downloads or a
hijack. So you download embroidery files you have purchased, or an update to the
software and transfer via USB. So far, haven't seen any type of malware with
these sites as they are small potatoes. But I'd rather be safe.

Since a lot of the stuff that is pestering for an update seems to be in the
software repository, I suppose I can delete it and add it back if I want it.

Thanks for the info about security and older versions.

There is no shame in dual booting and using tried and true applications,
especially if you have paid for them before moving to Linux. I do not know
of any embroidery application. Best to stick with Windows for that and if
you have to dual boot anyway there is little need to deviate from your usual
applications. But there are many free and open applications for Linux that
most people do not know about.

I am not a fan of PS or Illustrator. I do not like the interface of Adobe
products and find them bloated, although feature packed. However, they are
the de facto standard to which others are compared. Many people forget the
cost when they compare the GIMP to Photoshop and the fact that most people
are paying for features they do not use or need, if they pay at all. I
recently read that the GIMP has just four unpaid developers working on it.
It is a labour of love. You can improve the GIMP and run it in one one
window using the development versions (2.7 and later) or using GIMPbox.

A good simple photo editor for Linux is Krita (part of KDE's office suite
but it works in GNOME) and Digikam is comparable with Picasa (I would say
better considering the Linux version of Picasa works with Wine and is ugly
and lacks features of the Windows version). I like Inkscape for vector
drawing. There are many high end Linux drawing and painting applications
that few people use because they either do not know about them or they are
too advanced. Profession studios use them, so they have the feature pros
need. Cinepaint and Blender are two. I have both installed and use them for
specific tasks. There is also Luminance HDR for doing high dynamic range
photos. If you shoot in RAW them it is a good application for free to make
HDRs. Also worth a look is Expoblending. There are alos lots of RAW
converters for Linux, such as Darkroom, Rawstudio, Rawtherapee, DNGConverter
and Ufraw. For Raytracing is Sunflow or POV-ray. There is no shortage of
tools. In spare time it might be worth checking a few out and it may save
you a few bucks because most Windows applications cost big money, especially
the more advanced they get.

Interface differences are really about what you are used to. I remember when
Photoshop first came out lots of people hated its interface, but people are
now used to it and complain when others do not work like Photoshop.

I agree. For some years I have been Beta testing for Electric
Quilt and run XP on a dual boot laptop to achieve it.

On another subject, reading about Unity makes me glad
that I changed to the KDE user unterface.

Yes, we can be smug for a change. We were the butt of jokes when we
underwent change and can now relax. Now GNOME and Unity users can feel what
we went through and we can understand. This time around we get to sit on the
sidelines. Not only that but KDE still uses the same desktop metaphor that
we grew up with while both GNOME and Unity have elected for a smartphone
interface. I figure that you can not turn back the clock for GNOME or Unity.
They have chosen a course and users must either play catch up or switch to
KDE or XFCE.

KDE can be both desktop and activity based and the user can choose either or
use both. Not only is it flexible but it is faster than either GNOME 3 or
Unity. You can use Compiz or Kwin with or without compositing. You can
maximise and minimise and the buttons are on the right. You can run
applications from the system tray and drag and drop to your heart's content.
You can use a dock or not. nothing is forced on you. Life is good!

About a week ago I tried the Live KDE. To me it seemed like, I live and have
always driven on the right side of the road. (While in the Navy we made
stops in Malta, a Great Britain port in the Mediterranean, to us US sailors
they drive on the wrong side. I know, I know, they say the same about US.)
Anyway, going from Gnome to KDE is somewhat like driving in the US and then
going to GB and vice versa.

As an old commercial goes, "Try it, you'll like it". I need to co-install
KDE and give it a spin

I still prefer plain jane. I have TMO Galaxy S 4G, and it's a glorified PDA
which is what I want. (I bought it for the screen and processor)
I've rooted the thing, although no custom ROM.

I have ebooks, Astronomy programs, Star Charts, Audubon Guidebooks, and recipes
stashed on the card. I deleted all the social and entertainment stuff after I
rooted. I don't care for widgets, either.

This is the same way I feel about desktops. I don't spend much time looking at
the desktop, I don't sync or auto anything - all I need is a good menu to the
software I do want.

I use FF on windows - I can turn off images on the fly, disallow javascript by
noscript and tab permissions, forbid helper apps from opening. It doesn't seem
to work that well on Ubuntu, so I'm using Chrome, having to look at background
images and now looking at other browsers. I do use Opera, but configuring it is
a pain.

I don't care about cloud computing. External HD are cheap. And private!
I've only got 2 80G HD on the desktop, got both years ago, and neither is 1/4
way filled! All photos are on CDs or now external HD.

I see the computer as a tool, and not entertainment. So I just feel that there
should be some accommodation for those of us that feel that way. Ubuntu is very
close - but with Unity it is close to pushing the envelope. W/o Unity, you could
probably do with slower hardware - you can turn Unity off, but can you even get
it to run on a lesser configuration? Example: I see no reason to have to upgrade
to a quad core processor, when my dual core does what I want.

While personally I use the computer as entertainment I
also see where many places, especially in the work environment, where
employers don't even allow entertainment on the computers period.

To me a cloud is a soultion in search of a problem. Same/backup/whatever on
another HD, flash drive, something like that. For those users in locations
that are somewhat of a distance from one another use a server in one or the
other or both locations. This way they still have complete control how the
data is archived and shared and used. They are not at the mercy of some big
company to provide that support, only the communications between the
locations.

When companies like Sony, Google, credit card companies and others let your
user personal info out. What about the smaller cloud companies. The solution
is keep all unnecessary info in-house letting out only that is necessary. In
the service when it came to secret information the policy was "do you have a
need to know'". While I helped maintain the security system on the nuclear
weapons on board ship I never knew if they were on board or not. I'm sure
that when we were on line in Viet Nam nucks were not present but I'm not
sure.