Kubuntu 9.04 Beta

[Mike Mitchell]

Just finished upgrading my Kubuntu 8.04 to 9.04 and must say it didn't go quite as well as the Kubuntu web page suggested it would. But I finally got there in the end and must say it looks pretty good so far.

Although the upgrade took about two days, at least it was capable of pulling it out of the mess I managed to get it into. May I suggest to others who upgrade, they exit the GUI first and enter all the instructions through the standard console log-in? If that works, please let me know because I think that was what was generating most of my problems. Nonetheless, it is now up after running many, many iterations of "apt-get update", "apt-get upgrade" and "apt-get install" with substantial use of the -f and -m options. Both options seem to work properly now but I have no idea why they didn't work as advertised for me previously.

My new Kubuntu 9.04 Beta installation is running sluggishly for me at the moment. That may be because so many applications are seen to be brand new or it's still a beta release or my hardware has finally been out stripped by the new Kubuntu 9.04 Beta demands. I hope it is not the latter because it would fly in the face of one of the prime rules of Linux, "Don't suck up resources unnecessarily".

In the mean time BOINC is happily crunching away on its new found Malaria work and running well so far. I also love the way Kubuntu 9.04 Beta has automatically installed a spell checker for me. I wonder how many applications it works on? I wonder if it specialises or specializes? Hmm, bloody thing can't spell, guess that answers that.

I'll let you know if I have a problem but for a beta, this looks really good. Which might explain why it is set for release latter this month.

[Mike Mitchell]

So far Kubuntu 9.04 Beta has been the best Linux distribution I have ever used. It runs very fast, it has bedded down very well losing the earlier slowness in some areas. Everything I have used so far has worked just as advertised, Microsoft should take notes.

I have begun moving my daily work load over to the Kubuntu 9.04 Beta box and rather enjoy working with it.