It was a sort of "pieces parts" machine, actually, but Windows could
not recognize the CD-ROM at install time. Linux could. (The box was
originally from Metro Computers Inc. but it got hit by lightning and we
scrounged some parts from other machines we had and bought the other
parts necessary to get a working machine.)
Speaking even more directly to the "Mandrake are morons 'cause 6.1
worked and 7.0 won't on my hardware" thread, I have had three different
machines that Windows 95 *and* Linux would install to but Windows 98
would not. (Those were: this same "pieces parts" box, an older IBM
Aptiva, and a Hyperdata notebook.)
So the idea that Mandrake/GNU/LInux can't take over from Microsoft
because they break hardware that used to work and Microsoft doesn't
certainly doesn't concord with *my* experience.
On Sat, 01 Apr 2000, you wrote:
| Whoa, what computer combination hardware did you have
| that would only accept Linux? (Hehe cool)
|
|
|
|
| On Fri, 31 Mar 2000, Brian T. Schellenberger mewed:
| > And, FWIW, we have a computer that would NOT install Windows (it
| > wouldn't recognize the CD-ROM at install time [sound familiar?]), but
| > Linux went on just fine. Since there is only one Windows distribution,
| > and this is primarily a game machine, we wound up having to replace the
| > hardware.
| >
| >
| > On Fri, 31 Mar 2000, you wrote:
| > | Trevor....I have mdk 7.0 running (as near as I can tell)
| > | flawlessly on three machines. At first one of the three would
| > | not install 7.0, but 6.1 had installed just fine on it. So I
| > | changed the ide cdrom drive to a new one and that solved the
| > | problem. But on my main personal system, where mdk 7.0
| > | installed and runs fine, BeOS will not boot without a floppy and
| > | the sound card outputs a constant stream of static (needs to
| > | have the speakers physically unplugged while running BeOS). So
| > | I believe your allegation, "BUT, it proved you can write a
| > | hassle free installer THAT WORKS!", is not correct. It's more
| > | accurate to say that some installers work well in some
| > | situations and other installers work well in other situations.
| > |
| > | I understand that you are frustrated, but that's because your
| > | particular combination of factors led to a problematic
| > | installation/setup experience with mdk 7.0-2, much like my
| > | combination of factors led to my bad experience with BeOS. In
| > | the past I've also had a very bad experience when upgrading from
| > | Win95 to Win98. I couldn't get my ATI video card to work at all
| > | except at 640x480x16 colors. At least till I did a complete new
| > | bare hard drive install, that is. Above all, enjoy.
| > |
| > | Alan
| > |
| > |
| > | Trevor Farrell wrote:
| > | >
| > | > When I first installed it, I really liked Mdk 7.0-2 - real nifty new
| > | > installer, supermount, XFree3.3.6, the first graphical install to work
| > | > with my SiS 6326 chip, ... Yes, I thought it was really nice. Then the
| > | > cracks started to appear - sound card that worked under Ver 6 wouldn't
| > | > install under 7, Netscape had yucky b&w icons, cd burner not linked
| > | > properly, and wouldn't burn when it was, wheel mouse that wheeled
| > | > without help under 6 didn't under 7, partitioning tool buggy, expert
| > | > install option absolutely unusable - how the hell do you know what is
| > | > selected and what isn't? - the "magic 50%" install rule - it only fills
| > | > your partition to 50%, regardless of what you really wanted, ...
| > | >
| > | > Now, weeks later, some of the above are fixed and some aren't, but I put
| > | > it down to my "el cheapo" buying - PCchips motherboard, ide cdrw, etc
| > | > and lack of knowledge/skill - ie my fault...
| > | >
| > | > Today, I feel differently. We have had a Mdk 6 machine at work for
| > | > some time, and its supervisor today decided to install 7.0-2 . He
| > | > started by booting from a boot floppy, the install locked when it tried
| > | > to initialize the CD. So I suggested that he set the BIOS to boot from
| > | > CD (it was previously set to boot from the floppy, then the ide drive.)
| > | > and this time the install went nicely, until he hit the expert select
| > | > packages fiasco - he couldn't make any more sense of it than I could -
| > | > so he cancelled that and started again, this time being careful not to
| > | > select expert! It loaded the packages (why is Mandrake so slow doing
| > | > this, compared to red hat?) and then locked up as it started the X
| > | > configuration. Rebooted the machine, everything started up well, but no
| > | > X. At this stage my colleague threw the ver 7 cd in the bin, and will be
| > | > putting 6 back on the machine next week. (No - he doesn't want to know
| > | > how to fix it, or what went wrong.)
| > | >
| > | > Also today, I installed the BeOS 5 (Personal Edition) operating system
| > | > that I downloaded last night. It really just unpacked the files. I
| > | > rebooted the machine, and hey! presto ... BeOS! Funny, video worked,
| > | > sound worked, Cdrw burnt cd's, ... all with NO installation questions,
| > | > NO how-to's, No hassles. OK - so there is nothing written for BeOS yet,
| > | > and I'm not serious about keeping it, just curious, BUT, it proved you
| > | > can write a hassle free installer THAT WORKS!
| > | >
| > | > OK - back to Linux - the current attitude that if something didn't work,
| > | > it's because you didn't read the instructions or your hardware is faulty
| > | > IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE to me any more - If it doesn't work FIRST TIME
| > | > it's because its broken, and needs fixing.
| > | >
| > | > The first Linux distribution that produces a hassle free installer that
| > | > works (no if's, but's, or maybe's - I mean works - full stop!)
| > | > WILL SUCCEED, all the rest will only be installed by enthusiasts (which
| > | > I still count myself among) and are doomed to their rightful resting
| > | > place in the garbage bin.
| > | >
| > | > Now, it's time for my big decision - Do I, like my colleague, consign
| > | > the Ver 7 install I have spent so much time on to oblivion, and go back
| > | > to Ver 6 because it worked, or do I persevere, and try to get 7 up and
| > | > running properly, or, perhaps, do I try RedHat 6.2, or just wait for a
| > | > distro with kernel 2.4 & XFree 4? I really don't know, and I really
| > | > don't expect anyone else to decide for me, I just know that my
| > | > perceptions of install problems will never be the same again.
| > --
| > "Brian, the man from babbleon-on" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
| > Brian T. Schellenberger http://www.babbleon.org
| > Support http://www.eff.org. Support decss defendents.
| > Support http://www.programming-freedom.org. Boycott amazon.com.
| --
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| http://kittypuss.dnydns.org
|
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--
"Brian, the man from babbleon-on" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Brian T. Schellenberger http://www.babbleon.org
Support http://www.eff.org. Support decss defendents.
Support http://www.programming-freedom.org. Boycott amazon.com.
