My Lubuntu Review (Long)

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h20
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:27 am

My Lubuntu Review (Long)

Post by h20 »

My impressions of Lubuntu 11.10 LiveCD (Please add a clipboard manager!)

Pros:

1. I enjoy it, I like openbox! I like LXDE!

2. LUBUNTU appears to be the BEST *buntu distribution yet! Good job and thank you!

In my opinion, Kubuntu is a steaming pile of excess and always reminds me of Microsoft Windows, Xubuntu isn't as light and feel good as Lubuntu (my feelings), I hate the evil rodent in red choice in wallpaper (lol I had to mention it, why is THAT there? It smacks of illuminati business), Ubuntu's new desktop look and feel is HORRIBLE! Puke all over yourself with a fist down your throat horrible. Users should not have to figure out how to switch to an older version of Gnome, even with the abundant information @ ubuntuforums.org, help.ubuntu.com, and so forth. With the older version of Gnome chosen in using Ubuntu 11.10, I receive .gvfs ???? question mark errors and have to unmount it manually and restart and I see the same problem occur again and again. What is that all about? And I have to install a tweak tool to show system desktop icons on the desktop? Software Center without Synaptic? MADNESS! The Software Center in Ubuntu reminds me of Lindows' GUI package manager, gag me with a giant spoon!

3. Thank you for retaining Synaptic

4. Thank you for retaining nano, but can you ditch the vi(m) packages?

5. Thank you for choosing Pcmanfm vs. Nautilus

6. Thanks for choosing the Chromium browser (but does it have the correct codec package installed for
Youtube HTML5 enabled playback?) re: http://www.youtube.com/html5 & see bottom of page for
opt-in option, I haven't tried it with Lubuntu.

7. Thanks for being light on the games section

8. Great choices in Sound & Video

9. Graphics section is fine, though could use a lightweight viewer (unless I missed it!)

10. Accessories is good
===========================================================
Cons: (not limited to Lubuntu, many *buntu distros bear the same or similar issues)

*constructive ideas here, I'm not bashing, really!*

1. Strange python errors during boot, decided to boot without acpi and selected only free software, still had errors, they flew by too quick to capture, didn't seem to affect performance but I wonder why they're there. I verified the checksum prior to burning the .iso and I verified the CD using the LiveCD Menu verification option.

2. I notice, like with likely all *buntu distributions, there are extra modules such as ham radio modules generated in the /lib/modules/kv/kernel/net and /lib/modules/kv/kernel/drivers/net directories. These include but aren't limited to the following module directories: ../../../../net: appletalk, ax25, can, ipx, batman*, netrom, rose, x25 and also in ../../../../drivers/net: appletalk, can, hamradio.

* - (not sure if it's ham/packet radio related, but wth is it for?)

I don't feel ham/packet radio modules should be generated at all. These should only be generated by the tiny segment of ham/packet radio users. I've read of abuses of these drivers over wireless and ethernet, so they are a possible security/privacy violation waiting to happen behind the user's back. Don't kid yourselves, you don't *need* special ham hardware in order to abuse these modules.

Apart from those modules, there appears to be a ton of other modules, many have no alias or description within them, what's with that? Unless a module can clearly be explained what have and what for, it shouldn't be included. A trim down here in the modules areas is suggested.

3. GVFS - is it really required? I uninstalled all gvfs files and deleted the user's .gvfs directory, and my system hasn't been worse for wear, though lsof | grep gvfsd shows gvfsd processes with errors (since I nuked the other system wide gvfs directories). Is there a safe way to remove gvfs so no gvfs related process will run?

4. Some type of cryptboot/cryptearly encrypted processes start at boot, located in /etc/init.d. Uninstalling all ecrypt related packages removed these crypt references in /etc/init.d, but why are they there? Why does a LiveCD need encryption to use for just LiveCD activity? What is being encrypted? And what did I lose by uninstalling said encrypt related programs?

5. I notice pycompile and pyclean are installed, along with a lot of other development files and tools. This is a potential security nightmare, why include ANY build tools on a LiveCD? Let the user decide to install them later.

6. NTP starting by default? Really? Why not simply call ntpdate at boot and if it's needed, through a cron job?

7. ufw disabled by default? For shame! Why not start it, explain to the user it's started, with inbound blocking only, and/or a configuration wizard for the user to decide how to customize the firewall at boot?

8. Give the option to ditch NetworkManager and nm-applet and allow the user to instead configure his/her network manually.

9. Allow for a LiveCD run without root privvys, generate a limited user account and use that with sudo, but not system wide sudo enabled!

10. Present the user with the option for static ARP configuration along with a firewall wizard as mentioned above. Static ARP can be added to /etc/network/if-up.d and a cron job for extra security

11. Why load avahi-daemon at start? Give the user the option for loading this informing them what it is

12. Why load cups at start? Give the user the option for loading this informing them what it is.

13. If I remember correctly, there's some deb related daemon installed.. aptdaemon or similar, why?

14. Why is the program RMT located in two separate locations under two different names? And, why is mt-gnu also located in two different locations under two different names? How many people use magnetic tape drives today? I view this as a possible security/privacy issue, especially in tandem with ham/packet radio drivers.

15. Dump tools like screendump and others shouldn't be on a LiveCD.

16. Rsync and other tools like SSH shouldn't be installed by default, give the user a wizard to walk through for these packages.

17. A time zone wizard should be added at start for the user to decide whether they want their local time used, or the default option, and the default option to automatically update the time shouldn't be used for security/privacy issues (related to NTP/NTPd).

18. Bluetooth drivers along with IRDA should be included in a start up wizard as not everyone needs one or both.

19. Fix ssh-agent so when it is issued a killall command, and/or the package uninstalled, it doesn't sit there in a ps aux listing as: [ssh-agent] <defunct> until the LiveCD session is ended.

20. Give the user through a wizard, a network config option, and remove the other junk they don't need. If they are a wired network user, remove all wireless modules, programs, and scripts. If they're static network users, ditch dhcp and any system backend scripts, the same for Wireless, ditch PPP. And if PPP, ditch all of the broadband related packages and scripts.

21. Is unattended updates and update notifier really required on a LiveCD?

22. Why are UFW related files located in so many areas of the CD?

23. Why is sysctl.conf referenced in more than one place? (Yes, I know how to centralize the use of it by configuring /etc/default/ufw)

24. Why is xscreensaver options set by default to fetch a remote url, I believe at Ubuntu Fridge? For security/privacy that should be changed.

25. NO CLIPBOARD Utility (like glipper or klipper or one of the others) for the bottom right side of the panel? Instead we get xclipboard which isn't referenced in any of the menus and looks like something out of the stone age!

26. When programs are removed from the LiveCD, they aren't always removed from the Menu entries. Shouldn't menu or the other menu-x?? something be installed to handle this?

27. What is this file for and could it be abused by an attacker? /usr/share/casper/casper-reconfigure

28. Why are there programs in /usr/lib/klibc/bin ?

29. Shouldn't unmounting of /rofs be included for security should the user decide to remove packages on the LiveCD session? I add its unmounting to a cron job.

30. What are /usr/lib/apt/methods and /usr/lib/apt/solver for?

31. Why are mirroring application(s) on a LiveCD?

32. Why not include a GUI download manager instead of just wget for cmdline?

33. For a LiveCD, why are files like this installed: wall, view, write, bsd-write and more

34. Would it be possible to create an Lubuntu LiveCD without Python and Perl installed? Or are they wound tightly as requirements? I have to manually remove files like pyclean and pycompile, I made a big mistake when I removed a Python or Perl compile directory, I couldn't stat UFW, it gave me errors! Why are compilation tools required for UFW to remain configurable? It continued to work, but I couldn't configure it anymore.

35. I've noted duplicate sessions of pcmanfm running in the background (probably related to the gvfs beast I hate) and I didn't start them, what's this?

36. Gdebi*, AptDaemon*, Apt*, Dpkg*, Debconf* = more than enough?

I feel there are other issues both pro and con I could list, but this is long enough, and maybe I mixed more security/privacy suggestions in than need me for a general Lubuntu LiveCD. I'm aware of remastering but I'd rather stick with and support official distribution channels.

Having said all that, I love Lubuntu! I will continue to use Lubuntu and have no desire to retry/reuse any of the other *buntu distributions ever, ever, again. I commend all contributers and developers of Lubuntu and I wish you not only a great New Year, but a wonderful future for you and Lubuntu!

Lubuntu, I've found love and it's you, you, you!
Rex Bouwense
Posts: 1093
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:44 pm
Location: Sierra Vista, Arizona USA
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Re: My Lubuntu Review (Long)

Post by Rex Bouwense »

I had to read your post twice. Interesting pros and cons. I am a refuge from Ubuntu. I tried Mint and liked it but when Lubuntu came out with the promise of Canonical support I downloaded and installed Lubuntu. I love it. If you don't like Chromium install Firefox or Midora or whatever you like. I uninstalled all of the games because I do not use them. I installed Thunderbird because I like it even though it is a bit robust. There are so many options to make it like you want it. You can keep it as light as you want or make it a robust system. I needed an image reducer so I installed one. Of course it was designed as a light system that was also ideal for older systems. Have fun.
Rex
rokytnji
Posts: 131
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: pecos.tx
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Re: My Lubuntu Review (Long)

Post by rokytnji »

(Please add a clipboard manager!)
I am not a Lubuntu user but use AntiX with LXDE.

Code: Select all

~$ apt-cache policy parcellite
parcellite:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.0.2~rc3-1
  Version table:
     1.0.2~rc3-1 0
        901 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing/main i386 Packages
http://parcellite.sourceforge.net/?page_id=2
Requirements
gtk >= 2.10.0
glib >= 2.14.0
Since I don't Lubuntu. I don't know if my above suggestion is possible for you. Just pointing it out for info purposes.

http://parcellite.sourceforge.net/?page_id=16
Amrel RT 786ex 1.6ghz, 512MB ram , AntiX 8.5 core, Biker Linux user # 475019
Lead,Follow, or get the heck out of the way
My AntiX LXDE Install
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