I have used Ubuntu Linux for well over a decade. I am computer literate
but not a programmer/IT systems analyst type capable user. I get by.
In my limited wisdom I recently decided to upgrade Ubuntu from 20.04 LTS to
22.04 LTS. What was I thinking? Now I have an updated OS that has no audio output and the USB serial ports are now non-functional, rendering the Arduino IDE useless.
I thought about reverting back to 20.04 but that has dangers as well and it would be a "one in a row" attempt for me.
As a workaround to get back to the IDE I am going to resurrect a Raspberry Pi unit I have lying around that should give me a needed portal to the Arduino software.
Regarding my desktop PC I am open to suggestions about what other operating systems I could install to replace Ubuntu. I want something straightforward without a lot of bells and whistles and is rock solid going from one release to its successor. I have not used Windows in about two decades and do not particularly care for it but right now anything stable would be considered.
The older I get (65) the more I agree with Thoreau's adage: "Simplify, simplify, simplify." So any suggestions are welcome at this point.
cheers....
Get a Mac? Unix™ Under the hood to put your decade of command line expertise to good use and simple to use, upgrade, etc..
Of course $$$ involved
Perhaps your system is too old for the new OS?
I have stopped upgrading my systems years ago. Windows 8.1 is and will be the last Windows version on my notebook. In a VM I'm running Linux Mint as a test for mail and news and possibly next machine.
I do not know about the ins and outs of Ubuntu, but I suspect that these are configuration issues. Maybe the upgrade forced you to switch to a different audio system that has its output channel muted (I have seen this with PulseAudio) and the USB serial port naming convention may have changed or some software was installed that hijacks the port (I have seen both of these issues).
If you do not want to figure all of this out, then perhaps backing up your data and doing a fresh install will help.
I have used Linux Mint for many years with few issues.
As a first attempt - with no risks - why dont you install Linux Mint live with persistence on a USB stick and try it?
You dont say anything about your hardware - have you checked the USB ports in the BIOS?
It's derived from Ubuntu 
But the live CD/USB is a good idea. On a persistent install, you can even install the IDE.
Ubuntu made a number of changes to the audio in the last years. But in my opinion not enough changes, the default is still 16-bit audio. I have to take a deep dive to get 24-bit audio.
I don't know what happened to your USB ports. You could run Ubuntu from a usb memory stick to check if a new fresh version does work. There might be a setting in the BIOS or the UEFI settings to boot from a external drive.
Your best options are Linux Mint and Ubuntu Mate in my opinion. But both are build upon Ubuntu.
Manjaro is not Ubuntu. About 4 years ago, there was always trouble with installing and updating, but I did not have those troubles in the last years. Manjaro is good, but I think that Linux Mint and Ubuntu Mate are easier and more used and more reliable.
I use vanilla Debian with KDE. If I need something special, say the OEM drivers for my RTX 3060, I install it via Nvidia's recommendation. I assume no hardware will work and am prepared to install it myself. This isn't a pain after installing the initial hardware until there's some random external hardware I want to use, like an external DAC for audio.
I appreciate everyone's feedback.
It turns out that my problems devolved to the most serious.
In trying to get the port problem resolved I uninstalled Modem Manager and its associated
apps. Big mistake. It removed the entire GUI and finally my drive quit functioning due to kernel issues I think.
I just got a new drive and re-installed things off a Ubuntu Live USB I forgot about having.
So things are much better.
cheers.
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