Ubuntu always had a super challenging task of proving worthy to desktop users. This task is Ubuntu’s burden twice as heavy as any other operating systems simply because there weren’t enough believers in the world to back it up.

All right fellow newbs, in the last post..I tried to make the argument for why GNU/Linux is wonderful and how everyone should make the switch..I may have forgotten some things but hey, I'm still a newb too!

So one of the cool things I was asked to do for someone a couple of months ago was show them how to convert an AVI video into a playable DVD that they could give to a friend. I had originally suggested VSO ConvertXtoDVD program, which I had a lot of good luck with in the past. But I wanted to do the same thing in Linux and I found a program that I think does a better job.

If you're a hardcore Gentoo or Slackware type, go away and read something else. You're probably not going to like what I'm about to say. (But rest assured that I respect and admire your dedication to running the leanest GNU/Linux install you can muster, and I do indeed care about preserving your freedom of choice.) For now, however, I'm talking to the newbs out there.

I love Ubuntu. I've been using Linux for years, and I think it's the greatest distribution to date. But let's face it - like it or not, the user experience is worrisome at times. Things don't work, programs act up, and hair gets torn out. These are my personal peeves with Ubuntu - things I've had trouble with, or hear being asked over and over again in Ubuntu support locations.

The latest version of Ubuntu just came out; Ubuntu 13.04 - Raring Ringtail. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, has done a good job setting up a set of defaults for a fresh install, but there are a few things you may want to add or change on your freshly installed OS.
1. Privacy Settings

I know nothing about Linux. Other than it’s free. And nifty. And Xubuntu supposedly runs great on crappy machines such as mine. But I’m told the Ubuntu based distros (like Xubuntu) are great for newbs like me because they are easy to install and use.

So I downloaded the latest version (Gutsy Gibbon or some other adjectived animal) , burned the image to a CD and plopped it in my drive ready for free OS bliss.

The latest version of Ubuntu may be one of the best operating systems out there. But Jack Wallen took a hard look at the OS and sure enough, he found a few areas for improvement.

The 10.04 LTS release of Ubuntu seems to be very, very good. However, for some strange reason, creators of this release made some strange decisions about Ubuntu's look-and-feel. One of the things that annoyed me was the assumption that every Ubuntu user, uses Twitter, Facebook or other social network.