[ubuntu-uk] Ubuntu Profile

[John Levin]

davisjo wrote:
> I like Ubuntu, I think it is the best distro and the highest quality.
>  
> I would also like to see the profile of Ubuntu raised in the market 
> place but feel there are some issues in Ubuntu that need addressing.
>  
> I have attended night school to learn Ubuntu basics but still cannot get 
> my wireless card to work or print something of any value.  Mandriva has 
> been the easiest to configure with a wireless card.
>  
> Windows, whether we like it or not is simple. I have read all the info 
> in the Wiki about connecting wirelss cards etc but to no avail. I am 
> doing something wrong but in the absence of friends etc, how do I 
> resolve this problem ?
>  
> I would prefer Ubuntu to resolve the problems of connectivety even if 
> that means a small charge for each distro to cover the cost of 
> commercial software.Or maybe reduced charge telephone support for home 
> users.
>  
> It does not matter how good the distro is, without the internet, email 
> and printing, the operating system has little  value. 
> 

First off, as I haven't seen you post to ubuntu-uk before: welcome aboard!

To get help on this list with your wireless and printing issues, we need 
information: what version of Ubuntu are you running? Are you using a 
laptop, a 64 bit machine, etc? What are the makes of wireless card and 
printer? What exactly are the problems you're having (wireless card not 
detected, can't connect, etc).

For other forms of support, have you tried your local LUG (Linux User 
Group). You don't say where in the country you are from, but there's 
probably a LUG near you, and there is nothing like having someone see 
your computer first hand for speedy troubleshooting.
There's a list of uk lugs at:
http://www.linux.org/groups/united_kingdom/
and also in Linux Format magazine every month.
(www.lug.org.uk also apparently has a list, but the site is down at the 
mo'.)

There's also a 'Technical Answers System' that may be of help to you:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu

For paid support, you can look at this list of providers, to see if 
there are any near you:
http://www.ubuntu.com/support/commercial/marketplace/europe

Finally, the reason Ubuntu is so good is because people report bugs like 
yours. The users together find and describe ever more precisely the 
bugs; the developers fix them. Hardware support is top of the list when 
it comes to what Ubuntu must do and aims to do. Ease of use comes a very 
close second, so if you find that some program (like Network Manager, 
for example) is difficult to use, that's a valid criticism so raise a 
bug. Any difficulties with launchpad (the Ubuntu bugtracking system), 
then just drop a line ot this list, many people will be happy to help 
you out.

HTH

John