So I’ve now had a couple of weeks of use with Kubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty). I did a standard update from 8.10, which thankfully went very smoothly. However, I must say that generally I think this version is a step down (well, two very big steps in fact) in functionality and usability. Here are the main areas I’ve run into trouble:
Bluetooth
If bluetooth was troublesome before, it is now practically unusable. I’ve got a Microsoft bluetooth mouse and keyboard, both of which worked fine under 8.10 Intrepid, and which now work none only some of the time. The mouse has a success rate of about 70% connecting to my computer and staying connected. My keyboard has a 0% success rate. The built-in KDE bluetooth manager is now completely useless, and does nothing as far as I can tell. The default Gnome bluetooth-wizard works some of the time, but I can’t get my keyboard to keep a constant connection even when I’m using it.
Word on the street is that this is all due to the upgraded Bluez stack. But, I can’t understand how functionality that existed and worked really well in the previous version has totally tanked in the current version. I’ve basically given up using my bluetooth peripherals until a fix comes out (hopefully soon!).
Wireless
Again, the Kubuntu developers have delivered a downgrade in functionality and preformance with wifi in 9.04. What used to be a manageable, if not quite elegant, solution in KNetworkManager has been replaced by a completely useless KDE 4 native plasma widget. It looks pretty but is mostly broken. First off, the new network manager has no way to connect to an unbroadcast SSID. Second, it rarely remembers to reconnect to existing networks, usually prompting you to enter the password about 3 times before giving up in a confused befuddlement. Third, the graphical elements are all fucked up. The list of available networks in the panel is usually cut off so you can only see the first 1.5 entries. You have to drag it off the menu and onto the desktop for the full list to display. The proximity display view is even worse – all the networks are just overlayed on top of each other so as to make it illegible.
Both of these may seem like small issues, but they concern the two biggest uses of a computer: typing and using the internet. What’s all the more disappointing is that the release has been out for over a month, and there have been no patches to address bluetooth, which is barely functional, or the network manager, which is in little better shape.
Upsides
There are a few upsides to this release. First, KDE looks generally more polished with each release. There has been a fix to font rendering so that now the font size doesn’t get all screwed up if you use a second monitor. The fonts in previous versions of KDE 4.x were much too large and bold faced. Kde 4.2 seems to have fixed this. And FINALLY the display bugs in Firefox seem to be fixed.
Summary
In summary, there are some new features to make this release worthwhile, but overall there is clear lack of polish in key areas. I’m still stumped as to how the Kubuntu developers thought it a good idea to issue release with a non functioning bluetooth stack and a really, really crappy network manager. And I’m even more baffled that its been over a month since this release and there are still no bug fixes to address the display issues in the network manager (not to mention the crippling lack of features) or the non-functioning bluetooth stack.
I totally agree.
I’ve upgraded yesterday from 8.04 (or 8.10? can’t remember) and my system which was working fine is now near to unusable. The graphics card (older ati radeon) worked nicely before, now, I can choose between a black screen with the fglrx drivers and a “working” ati driver were everything is overlayed by a green checkerboard pattern. And plasma eats 100% of my cpu so between a click and a response there are 2 to 10 () seconds.
My wifi also stopped working, which is really annoying, because I don’t have the possibility to plug in a cable.
My advice: be SURE that an upgrade is what you need (or really want). Otherwise wait undtil the support for your current version has run out. By then, maybe the problems might be fixed…
Thanks Matt, I would definitely echo your advice to make doubly sure that a distro upgrade actually works before making the transition. I had thought that a month after the release was plenty of time for the developers to address any outstanding bugs, but apparently I was wrong. Maybe by the next release 9.04 will be ready…
The problem traces back to moving from KDE 3.5.9 to KDE 4 to soon. It was indicative of the direction of Kubuntu. Cutting edge at the expense of what will work for the end user.
Now KDE 4.2 has come along enough it could be the default in Kubuntu. Still the KDE developers have handed us all a gold plated turd for wireless and bluetooth connectivity.
The Kubuntu team probably could not do much about bluetooth. But they could have stuck wtih knetworkmanager. Once again, the focus of Kubuntu is cutting edge kde not usability.
I write this from an bunker in an undisclosed location … running fluxbox.
Kubuntu 9.04 gives Ubuntu/Kubuntu a very bad name. Shame on Mark Shuttleworth. It doesn’t matter if KDE is messed up. The Ubuntu devs should have made the proper modifications to make sure they didn’t ship a piece of turd to so many Ubuntu Linux users, aka Kubuntu 9.04. Ubuntu 9.04 works fine, but Kubuntu is FUBAR. How ironic is that?
I can hear Microsoft laughing all the way down here in Florida from Washington.
I have to say, things are looking much better for Karmic. I have installed 4.3 on top of 9.04 and it is great.
My wife was a KDE 3.5 user. I showed her 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2, within 10 minutes of using them she knew they would not work for her. She has fallen in love with KDE 4.3.
Now is the time to add the KDE 4 series to Kubuntu. To bad Canonical for moving forward a year to soon.
That’s great to hear! I’ve got KDE 4.3 on my list of things to try, but haven’t had a chance to really use it since it came out. Now I’ve got some incentive!
-Mike