* Ubuntu fixes update bug
Linux users who applied Ubuntu’s most recent software upgrade were given a reminder of the early days of Linux; a flaw in the code rendered the graphical user interfaces on the machines useless, forcing users to navigate directories and run programs through – gulp! – the command line interface (CLI) of Linux.
Linux users who applied Ubuntu’s most recent software upgrade were given a reminder of the early days of Linux; a flaw in the code rendered the graphical user interfaces on the machines useless, forcing users to navigate directories and run programs through – gulp! – the command line interface (CLI) of Linux.
“A series of errors during the update process has seriously affected some Ubuntu 6.06 LTS users who installed updates between … Monday 21 August [and] Tuesday 22 August,” a statement on the Linux distribution’s Web site said. “For certain users this will have caused the graphical interface of Ubuntu to fail.”
Once Ubuntu learned of the flaw, it immediately withdrew the patch from its Web site and mirror servers, and issued a fixed software update. But with the exploding popularity of the Ubuntu distribution, especially as a desktop system, the quick fix was not quick enough. Message board comments by annoyed users and news reports quickly brought the issues into the spotlight.
The Ubuntu story has been almost nothing but positive over the last several years, as the Linux distribution emerged quickly as the one of the most popular desktop Linux operating systems, and among the top 10 downloaded Linux systems on Distrowatch.com. Industry watchers say the flawed patch is just a small bruise on the reputation of the software, which is dealing with growing pains as its popularity increases among Linux enthusiasts. Although corporate users scouting for potential Linux distributions for desktop pilots might think otherwise.
