Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Review - Barely a step forward

Review of latest Long Term Support (LTS) release of Ubuntu 14.04, codenamed Trusty Tahr.
Ubuntu 14.04 will be supported for the next 5 years, until 2019.

Some of the new changes include:
Local Menus option added
Click to Minimise added to Unity
Nautilus behaviour improved
Control Centre forked
Speed Improvement
FFMpeg Removed
No longer able to move Close/Minimise/Maximise buttons

[silviucc]

You can have codecs pre-installed if one clicks on appropriate checkbox during system install.

It's below the checkbox which allows downloading updates in background, while installing

[PKM]

On the positive side though, a lot of things under the hood improved, hybrid graphics now works without installing anything on my laptop, battery life is better, it's faster and my xbox controller works without having to install the drivers as well.

[josenowayAu]

I agree with u in this review 100%. That's way one of my computers still running super stable 12.04.4 With all the compiz effects working properly.I see no need to move to 14.04 anytime soon. I now use on my own computer Debian Sid Xfce which works good for me.

[FimamanGameplay]

You are still able to move the window corner buttons to the right through the unity tweak tool so thats not really much of a downside there

[Thor]

Are you going to do a video about alternatives to Ubuntu One? It seems a pity that the one feature that is very useful is no longer continued :(

[SWEOscar]

Could you make a video about the hotkey-workaround?

[MkhuzoMwanza]

Hey, how do you workaround the keyboard shortcut issue. Since the upgrade my FN keys(Brightness controls + Media Controls) and Ctrl+Alt+t(Launch terminal) don't seem to be working. 

[mangaman]

just had a quick question. Are you able to update from 14.04 when the non-LTS version comes out?

[gameking]

I thought avconv/libav is just newer version of ffmpeg? I could be wrong.

[OmenX]

Can't really see a lot that would make me want to upgrade from the customized version of 13.10 i have running atm...

[CharlesJ]

Great review as usual.  Following your video, I will postpone my upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 and look around for a possible other replacement hopefully with ffmpeg

[gasparxciv]

I think 14.04 is the best Ubuntu so far. Even when I test other distros, and I really want to switch over to, let's say Mint, I always keep coming back to Ubuntu, no idea why, I just like how it works and looks.

[fujieyes]

I just got one question: Is Unity fully integrated now, no more gnome in background? because gnome 2 was good but I prefer XFCE than gnome 3 so if Unity is fully integrated and no more gnome in the background it be great, if no I will just go with Xubuntu. Thank you before.

[ViktorWahlberg]

I think you're being quite hard on Ubuntu. It may not have much visual or practical improvements, but at least in my case speed have been a great thing of every new release of Ubuntu. This release is also for me the most stable one yet, fast launching of applications and no crashes, yet.

[sleepee]

as a previous unity hater, i did notice improvements.
unity's performance is better (although that may be because i'm trying this release out on a new system76 rig), i think usability has improven, and if i'm not mistaken unity is more stable.
the unity paradigm is still not my favorite out of all the desktop environments, but i will concede that it has improven.
imo, this is a fantastic release.  not without it's minor issues, but overall it's a great distro i'd recommend to anyone who wants a full-fledged OS, ready to get work done right out of the box.

[ktheodor]

I thought quite a fair & balanced review.

And I think you're spot on over your comparison between the 12.04 & the 14.04 releases. One should expect Ubuntu, a well-seasoned distro by now, to break some new ground from the last to the current LTS but nothing to write home about...really.

More importantly though, as a Linux user, are you sticking to Ubuntu (14.04) as your main distro or is it curtains for you on Ubuntu? :)

Something else, toward the end of your video you make mention of "FFmpeg derived postprocessing library". Ever since I updated to 14.04 (from 13.10), each time I launch the Software Updater, it shows on the list of updates that blasted " FFmpeg derived post..". Yet, it also says on the same window about the FFmpeg update 'The update has already been downloaded'. Any way, when I click on install now, it says 'Package operation failed. The installation or removal of a software package failed.' Damn bloody nuisance, for otherwise since the update to 14.04, the system's performing OK.

What on earth is this "FFmpeg derived post..", and how do I stop getting this update showing each time I launch the Software Updater? A word of advice...? Any one with a suggestion about it...! Any others out there plagued by the accursed " FFmpeg.."?

Thanks

[natacus]

Will you be doing a Kubuntu 14.04 review?

[virtualfather]

I have a used hp probook 4710s with 4 gigs of ram with ubuntu 14.04 
Would this be a good or bad idea?

Using ZRAM and ZSWAP together for ubuntu to boost performance

Thank you Ivan

[Clonel]

I'm using 14.04 on Virtual box. It's so slow though and it says it has an internal error or something. Does anyone have any tips ?

[RalphBromleyMadmanRB]

Yeah but if its one good thing about 14.04 is that its rock solid.
Last LTS I had many stability issues.