[Post-Install] A few noob questions

[KarlDall]

I'm evaluating Kubuntu 26.04 LTS to decide if I can recommend it to a "normal" user who isn't interested in CLI or editing config files. I have experience with quite a few KDE distros (Fedora, Aurora, MX Linux, Debian, Kionite, Suse....). Obviously general use of Kubuntu is familiar and easy.
I do like it so far, and unlike most other distros, internal drives are auto-mounted oob. Very good!

I installed the most plain version (no browser etc.) and used btrfs. I only installed flatpak to keep things easy. I set it up easily like all my other Linux PCs and all works fine.

A few questions:

• Why is the firewall disabled by default? Most distros have that enabled oob, but Kubuntu (and Ubuntu) have it disabled by default?
• When starting up, the grub menu sits there for a few seconds waiting for input. How can I disable that with GUI? I found some ways to edit some config files, but that will be too cumbersome for normal users
• What will be the upgrade method to switch to 2028.04 LTS? Will it just be a simple "upgrade" button in Discover (like in Fedora)? Or does it require any CLI or more complex methods?

[claydoh]

1)
The firewall is not disabled. iptables/netfilter is using a default config that works for most, and ufw is enabled by default.

What isn't running automatically is the GUI and any custom configs.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UFW
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Firewall

Most people are behind a router of some sort, as well.

And it is too easy to eff up your networking.


2)
There is no official GUI tool. There is at least one third party tool for this, but imo and ime it is a little too easy to eff up your boot with it. But it is easy to get and use.

I disagree that editing a number or text and running a command is more cumbersome here. But I do get the sentiment.

At least Grub-customizer seems well supported by it's devs.

3)
When upgrades are officially available, there will be a desktop notification, and a gui tool is used.

For LTS upgrades this happens approximately six months after initial release.

[KarlDall]

Thanks for the quick response.

To clarify on the firewall, when I started the GUI tool, the slider it has was on "off" or disabled and i slid it to "enabled". Are you saying this slider is just to enable the GUI tool, but the actual firewall was already running?
On Ubuntu it was the same. but most other distros show the GUI tool as "enabled" after OS installation.

For the GRUB settings there actually is a GU, but only in MX Linux from what I know. I can't upload an image, but this article describes the MX tools which include the "MX Boot options"
https://www.howtogeek.com/the-unpopu...pular-distros/

Anyway, all other distros don't seem to have a tool and if it bothers me I have to edit the files. The goal here is that I can point a new user to a distro that is as easy as possible. And any sort of non-GUI way will be a hindrance. I myself (begrudgingly) can edit a file. But ideally I avoid such friction for others.

Glad to hear the upgrade will be easy.

Thanks so much for the help!

[claydoh]

To clarify on the firewall, when I started the GUI tool, the slider it has was on "off" or disabled and i slid it to "enabled". Are you saying this slider is just to enable the GUI tool, but the actual firewall was already running?

Correct. Test it on a website that can probe for open ports, such as Shields Up. There will only be two common ports detected, but not open, the rest will be "stealth"
if you have a default set of iptables rules out of the box, I guess the GUI tool does not need to be enabled unless you need to change them. My KDE Linux box does not have it enabled either, and appears to have a similar default config.

Grub-customizer is the popular tool available In *buntu.

But my take is that after my 25+ years on desktop Linux, there are so few GUI tools for this, and none of the truly "popular" distros, even Linux Mint iirc, which tells me that it is either a pain to manage and prone to problems, and/or few are interested in the task. Volunteer efforts and all that.