Category: Ubuntu

running ubuntu 18.10 as a virtual machine under macos 10.14 mojave

whbeebe

I’ve installed the latest Ubuntu, 18.10 Desktop, or “Cosmic Cuttlefish”, as a VirtualBox VM on my MBP. The MBP is currently running macOS 10.14, or Mojave. The version of VirtualBox in use is 5.2.20 r125813.

After an extremely limited test run I’ve found nothing out of the ordinary with this release of Ubuntu and I can comfortably say that it should run well under just about any environment, bare silicon or virtualized. One key feature in this installer that I appreciate and I’ve not seen in any earlier Ubuntu release is the ability to install a minimal desktop. This installs just the desktop, basic utilities, and Firefox web browser. This is great for a custom install for any reason, as I’ve grown tired of the kitchen sink installations where I have to go back in and run a script to yank everything off I didn’t want installed in the first place.

Because I run under VirtualBox I always build and deploy the Guest Additions inside the VM. That requires gcc and the kernel headers be installed. These tools aren’t installed with the minimal setting. To get those tools you need to run ‘sudo apt install build-essential’ at the command prompt. If you want the Tweak Tool, then you need to run ‘sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool’. The only reason to install the Guest Additions is to share/mount a local host folder within Ubuntu, to allow the easy passing of files between Linux and macOS. The Tweak Tool allows you to select the dark theme (Yaru-dark).

So far I find the desktop is easy to live with and to use. It’s a lot flatter than all prior releases using a stock desktop theme, and I appreciate that more than older themes with their pronounced skeuomorphic touches.

As for dev tools, I have python3 (3.6.7), gcc 8.2, perl 5.26, and git 2.19.1. I might put Java on this instance as well as Go, but right now I have more than enough programming capability. My only quibble with the tools is that Python isn’t up to 3.7, but at this juncture it’s close enough. If I need the latest formal release then I’ll install it the same way I installed 3.7 on my Raspberry Pi under Raspbian.

even more notes on ubuntu 18.04.1 and the samsung r580

whbeebe
htop running. Note the boost in memory.

Today I updated the R580’s memory from 4GB to 8GB with a Crucial 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MT/S (PC3-12800) Unbuffered SODIMM 204-Pin Memory Kit – CT2KIT51264BF160B. Not only is there now twice as much memory as before, but the performance with the much faster memory over the original memory (Elpida (2GBx2) PC3-8500S) makes the entire system just that much more pleasant to work with.

In addition I installed Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code and Google Chrome (as apposed to just Chromium). And by the way, I went into chrome://flags and disabled “Omnibox UI Hide Steady-State URL Scheme and Trivial Subdomains”.

Visual Studio Code with a number of its plugins.
Plain Old Google Chrome

This just goes to prove to me that computers with low-performance peripherals (memory and disk being two) when they’re first released can have them updated with far better components if those computers can be easily opened and serviced (I’m looking at you, Apple). Ever since I upgraded this system with a Samsung 1TB Evo 860 SSD, I’ve been able to at least keep up with contemporary systems using later releases of the i5 processor. Tonight, after spending another $80 for the memory kit, and getting a sizable and noticeable performance kick, I have no desire to replace it any time soon. The R580 is running with the current version of Ubuntu, 18.04.01, and everything works just fine. The only other item I’ve had to replace on the R580 is the keyboard, and that was four years ago after upgrading the system from Windows to Ubuntu.

I just might get one more new computer before I hit official retirement. If I do it will be a computer powered in part by Linux. Not Windows and not macOS. Linux. And I’m going to make sure that the components are the best I can possibly afford that will be as performant as possible. Probably a system from System 76. Samsung especially doesn’t make computers as good as this old R580 any more.