Ubuntu’s Intrepid Ibex: Usability is Hard to Do

“Ubuntu’s default installer has changed little in Intrepid Ibex.
It is still the seven-step process in which you set the language,
time zone, keyboard, partitioning and users. If you want more
control — including a choice of packages — you still have to
download a CD image with the alternate installer, which is a
modified version of Debian’s. A merging of the two installers would
seem a logical step in usability, but it hasn’t happened in
Intrepid.

“The two major changes in the default installer are both partly
unsatisfactory. The first is the option to install only free
software, which is available on the startup screen by selecting F6
-> F6 -> Free software only. This option addresses the wish
by some users to avoid kernel modules that depend on proprietary
firmware blobs. The option greatly reduces the chances that
wireless cards will work, but those who want a completely free
system may be willing to take that risk.”

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