"...may naka-install na cracked software..."
In the first place, you already accepted the risk when you install cracked software.
Software, by design, is not meant to be distributed or sold na cracked na.
So hindi po specific sa OS ang issue na mag-arise out of this kind of activity. User na po ang nag-cause ng problem, by willfully installing cracked software.
Kaya nga po, hindi po ba natin napapansin...yung mga nagka-crack ng mga legit na software, tuwing naga-upload sila eh nlalagyan nila ng comment na parang "your Anti-virus may detect my crack as a 'false positive'...my software is perfectly safe, so just ignore the warning". Di po ba?
As far as hard disk, bakit hindi po ninyo ma-access? Hindi po ba ninyo makita sa File Manager? By default dapat ma-access yan eh. Unless, hindi pa po kayo nag-run ng Update Manager (parang "Windows Update").
When it comes to your wifi disconnecting...you need to isolate kung ang issue ba is yung Internet ninyo or baka hindi lang installed ang drivers ng wireless adapter/receiver. For first install ng Ubuntu particularly sa laptops, it is recommended na yung pagkaka-connect ninyo sa Internet is through physical cable muna then run "Update Manager". And make sure that when you do that, nakasaksak yung wireless adapter. Para ma-detect siya at automatically ma-download/install ang driver ng adapter (parang Windows Update nga talaga).
Kahit ano po. Baka hindi lang installed ang "Ubuntu Restricted Extras" na package (you need to be connected to the Internet for this). Dalawa ang paraan na magawa ito:
1. While connected to the Internet, mag-play kayo ng MP3 file. Sasabihin ni Ubuntu na kailangan niyang mag-download ng required codecs para ma-play ang file. I-allow mo lang.
...or...
2. Para kumpleto na, open Ubuntu Software Center then search for Ubuntu Restricted Extras. Install mo siya (again, make sure connected sa Internet).
Gaya po ng mga responses ko sa mga posts sa taas, ang pag-require ng Internet for downloading packages ay hindi naman po naiiba sa MS Windows eh.
Yung "Update Manager" na feature ng Ubuntu is parang "Windows Update" lang din kung ihahambing natin sa MS Windows. Akala lang ng marami eh hindi pareho (this is true especially sa mga bago sa Linux/Ubuntu).
Hindi naman po talaga designed na offline ang pag-install ng mga updates and packages (and that's true also for MS Windows anyway) so yung pagigigng "hindi user-friendly" is caused by the user in this case, not by the OS. Anyway, sa MS Windows, if you want to separately install all the Windows Updates, Hotfixes, KB article patches, etc. you still have to connect to the Internet din naman and download them, and then install them one by one diba? So same lang din.
As far as VPN, dito po sa Symbianize eh nagkalat po ang mga tutorials para diyan. Of course mahirap siya (based on my experience, kahit din naman sa MS Windows eh)...essentially speaking, ang "common practice" and "motivation" ng mga tao dito sa Symbianize for using VPN is for "free Internet". So in effect, yung mga "tutorials" to connect to the Internet for free via VPN is a "tweak" or "backdoor". In legitimate cases, connecting to VPNs is not a complex process. Ginagamit po ang VPN for work eh, and I have been using them for work. It's not complicated at all. So yung pagiging "complex" or mahirap ng mga yan po ay dahil sa gusto nating i-tamper ang mga bagay-bagay from the way they were really designed to work or to be used.
Please go to Page 1, First Post, under the "Boot-up and Installation" section. Item #8 po.
@hitman and leslie:
In regards to my responses sa inyo (yung "cracked" software question ni hitman, and yung "VPN" question ni Leslie)...I'm not being a hypocrite. I also download and use "cracked" softwares. At one point, I also used VPNs (kaya ako nakagawa ng tutorials) for non-legitimate reasons. Pero hindi na natin i-focus ang discussion sa morals (muna). Ibang usapan na po yun. Sinabi ko lang po yung mga sinabi ko as an explanation/response to your questions.