My in-law decided to install linux on a intel compute stick he had. Yayyy. Oh my gosh after watching the post-install experience on Ubuntu desktop - it has creeped into Windows territory of horrible experience purely because it asked for password like 15 times in 10 minutes.
I wish I had pointed him to POP! os instead. I said ubuntu server, he ended up installing ubuntu desktop. oh well.
Canonical - if you want to beat Windows - don’t be more horrible than Windows…
This sounds like operator error to me.
Edit: I just installed Ubuntu 20.04.1 on a fresh drive, using all default settings. I had to type my password in five times in one hour.
During this time I have joined WiFi networks, checked emails, manipulated documents, installed applications, listened to music on a network share, browsed the web, and posted this message.
I maintain that this is an example of operator error.
I agree it sounds like a configuration issue.
I’d say that creating the passwords shouldn’t be counted in the scenario you gave and if you set it so that it auto-login on boot it will eliminate 2 more from that scenario. The only thing left would be Software Installs and system maintenance for needing the password which is the minimum that it should be in my opinion.
I think @PatPlusLinux breakdown is not an excessive amount but with auto-login you can make it even less. (on personal computers I always do auto-login because I dont want to type it out if I dont have to :D)
@jdubbs I am curious what all the issues were where he had to put in the password because I can’t really think of many more than what Pat said where it would be needed.
By weird steps / configuration - you mean following prompts post install that were in our way?
not sure what those would be. maybe the after install setup guide thing that GNOME made?
It’s set to the default screen timeout and lock, which I believe is 5 minutes in Gnome. This is simply a user error, that you can change via settings.
I realise “like 15 times in 10 minutes” is probably hyperbole. The first run wizard might ask for an Ubuntu SSO user/password if the user signs up to Canonical Live Patch. It may also ask for a password if the user installs any applications on the final screen.
But I’m interested to know what else it might stretch to “15” because I’ve installed Ubuntu many times, and it’s never hit that level.
I have done a few installs of Win10 and Linux distro in recent times, and I feel as if the number of times Ubuntu based distros ask for the password is reasonable. Perhaps Win10 feels less so because they encourage you to set a PIN now. But instead of inputing your password you still have to input your PIN or click a permission box every time you install a program which happens a lot on a fresh install or when you reboot which happens a few times on a fresh install as well.
Often on a fresh Ubuntu based install, I don’t have to enter the password more than once to install software, because so many of the default programs that I need are already installed or in Ubuntu Mate I can in one go install all of the extra stuff I need from the Software Boutique. I find fresh installs of most Linux distros to be pretty great these days.