Long list of issues with 11.04

[biodiesel-bri]

I've been using Linux for a decade and Kubuntu for about half that. But I run an open source company full time and don't have the time I used to have to tinker and fix things. I don't mind one or two issues and know that the good people involved usually get around to fixing them. Overall I like KDE 4 and consider it an improvement over 3.x.

However, the sheer number of problems I've been having lately are really adding up to the point where I'm considering a move away from Kubuntu to Debian or something a lot more stable.

I'd like to get some help fixing these issues, but not if it's going to take me hours running things down. I just need things to work the way that they have in the past, I hope y'all can appreciate that. I've got an HP Pavilion laptop dv9700.

I upgraded to 11.04 some time ago and here's what's happening:
- About half the time after a reboot, I can't get the network manager to connect to a WIFI AP it is configured to automatically connect to. It lists them, but it won't connect. If I click buttons in network manager, pray, wave dead chickens around and reboot several times it eventually will connect automatically, but I don't know why. This is a /real/ frustration point and time waster.

- About every fifth restore from sleep the entire windowing environment restarts and I have to login again. It's my fault for not saving, but this has caused me to lose work and waste time.

- Whenever I reboot or power cycle, I have to do it twice; for some reason the first time always just gives me a grub blue screen of death.

- Window bars are often invisible and the windowing system, while pretty, often slows, crashes, or displays random behavior.

- Ctrl-Alt-F[1-6] never brings up a terminal window, just black screen. (This has been an issue for years)

There are many annoyances but I'll just list the top three:
Alt-tab behavior is extremely inconsistent.
Network manager lacks basic functionality.
Akonadi/desktop search are unwanted and should be easily disabled.

[Teunis]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04

When you use your Linux computer for serious work and find issues with the latest version you should start by reverting to an LTS release, 10.04 is the current one.

Disabling the 3D effects are always the first option to try when you have stability issues.

When you are willing to invest a few minutes of your time I'd suggest to replace the knm wifi manager with WICD.

Sleep and hibernation are often a problem in Linux so when you see these issues I'd avoid using them, boot up is fast enough anyway.

Akonadi and Strigi are easy to disable, it's just a check box in the System Settings called Semantic desktop.

[shaunehunter]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04

I have the same issue with NM on my Acer netbook. It's caused by Kwin opening the kwallet authentication dialog in the background instead of in focus like it should IMHO. Check the taskbar, it's down there. KDE requires your password to connect to wireless on log in and after hibernation.

The way I avoid your problem with freezes on hiberation it to set it to "lock screen on resume". It always manages to resore the session for some reason like this.

What video drivers are you using? some of your problems may be fixed by switching or updating it. I concur Tenuis' advice about disabling effects as the first recourse.

I'm fimiliar with the HP dv9700 and HP's of this era (not shure about now) have an issue with hibernation on Linux that you may not get around. I can't find the article at the moment but HP's fimware used the same memory address for something that Linux uses for sleep. ASUS board's did this as well. Disabeling hiberation may be your best option.

Disabling desktop search is now under the heading "Desktop Search" rather than "Semantic Desktop". Ctrl-Alt-F* works for me (other than F2 where I just get a blank screen, F7 is the default desktop BTW) and I don't really understand your Alt-Tab issue.

For what it's worth I had some issues with my 11.04 upgrade but an upgraded ATI driver from the X-Updates ppa https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates and newer versions of KDE from the kubuntu ppa's https://launchpad.net/~kubuntu-ppa/+archive/ppa (which you should not upgrade from if you don't wan't a headache) have me happy.

I hope some of this helped

[ardvark71]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04

When you use your Linux computer for serious work and find issues with the latest version you should start by reverting to an LTS release, 10.04 is the current one.

Hi...

I would have to agree. If you've had no issues with 10.04, you may want to consider going back to it.

Regards...

[oshunluvr]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04

I upgraded to 11.04 some time ago and here's what's happening:

Some of your issues likely came from this if you in fact mean you did an upgrade install rather than a new install. If so, try creating a new user account and see if some of your problems go away.

- About half the time after a reboot, I can't get the network manager to connect to a WIFI AP it is configured to automatically connect to. It lists them, but it won't connect. If I click buttons in network manager, pray, wave dead chickens around and reboot several times it eventually will connect automatically, but I don't know why. This is a /real/ frustration point and time waster.

Hundreds of posts on here about changing to WICD for wireless. Search for them.

- About every fifth restore from sleep the entire windowing environment restarts and I have to login again. It's my fault for not saving, but this has caused me to lose work and waste time.

I don't use this feature so I can't comment.

- Whenever I reboot or power cycle, I have to do it twice; for some reason the first time always just gives me a grub blue screen of death.

More likely this is caused by the Plymouth splash. Try changing "splash" to "nosplash" in grub.

- Window bars are often invisible and the windowing system, while pretty, often slows, crashes, or displays random behavior.

Could be user setting problem, video driver problem, or others.

- Ctrl-Alt-F[1-6] never brings up a terminal window, just black screen. (This has been an issue for years)

Usually video driver vs. grub/plymouth caused.

Seriously, if you want help with these issues, it will require a topic for each issue. That way you can attract specific help.

I suggest picking the most bothersome issue, follow the forum guidelines with regard to searching (many of the annoyances/problems you list are dealt with all over this forum) and then create a new topic with just that issue on it.

[jjanderson5]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04


I too am a long time user of Unix/Linux. I have moved to Kubunu in the past few years and I really like the direction, but I find
that 11.04 is a problem for me. It is still very useful, but:

- KDE is very slow for me. I find that I can type faster than the windows can refresh and many times the window will not
refressh unless I hit the enter key.
- The system hangs regularly, maybe once every 2 to 4 weeks. I then have to reboot and it leaves my file systems in not
very good shape. fsck, or whatever is fixing the files systems these days, seems to be working, but I do working that
I lose some data occasionally, or that I might lose some.

I did a search on KDE being slow and did not find a lot regarding 11.04, so maybe it is just my configuration, but I want
to at least voice my opinion. I'm planning to start to move to 11.10 right after I finish this message, but before I do, I
want to reemphasize that KDE and Kununtu are by far more useful than a detriment and I'd like to express my appreciation
to the developers and planners for the progress made over the years.

Jim Anderson

[jjanderson5]

Re: Long list of issues with 11.04


I forgot to add that a major reason for me movig to 11.10 from 11.04 is that my laptop became corrupted and I decided to reinstall 11.04. When I did, K Package Kit came up in a state where is would not find any of the packages that I normally install post-install. Rather than wait for a solution in 11.04, I'm moving up to 11.10, hopefully avoiding this problem.

Jim