RICHARD FRIEDMAN wrote:
>
> A few days ago I got a copy of the MacMillan version of Mandrake 7.0. I have
> a couple of things to say about the new graphical installation.
>
> First, generally, I'm not impressed. I actually found the old installation
> method easier to use. The installation of packages seems to be a crapshoot.
> I did 3 different installs because each time packages were left out. Each
> time, the packages left out were different! Each installation was the same:
> customized, development. One time, gcc was completely left out! Another,
> kdevelop was omitted. Why would this be happening??
Are you sure you had those packages selected to install? I love the
graphical install, and fiound it easier to navigate then the old redhat
text install. Selecting packages was easier too, once you get the hang
of it. A problem I had at first was pressing the left mouse button on a
catagory to shrink/grow and that would select/unselect all non-required
packages in the tree underneath. After having to go back through the
lists a few times after screwing it up I learned to stop doing that.
> Second, at no time during the installation was I able to get X configured
> properly. Each time, I had to quit the configuration of X. It would try to
> test it and then hang. I would have to CTRL-ALT-BKSPCE to get out of it and
> complete the installation. Once the installation was completed, I would then
> use XF86Setup to configure X. XF86Setup worked like a champ. It was, and
> still is, my favorite method for configuring X.
I don't remember an install that did setup x the way I wanted it, so I
guess I had lower expectations than you. Funny thing is tha in the
install, my exact mouse was listed. In XF86Setup it wasn't. I ended up
using xf86config because it is much better at creating a list of
resolutions and color depths for your display. Then good 'ol vi lets
you tweak everything, including adding the exact mouse driver,
ZAxisMapping, and whatever else.
> Third (not really part of the graphical installation but what the heck), I
> tried using Lothar to configure sound but it showed a message saying
> something like the PnP device is not identified. But then it said something
> like the PnP device identifier is CS4235. Anyway, I used sndconfig to
> configure it properly. Once again the older method succeeded where the new
> one didn't.
I don't know for sure, but there may be a good reason for the manual
stating that you should run sndconfig to setup sound. I didn't even
know that drakconf and lothar existed for a few days ;-)
I don't know if I'll use lothar again, it brought my X to a
near-screeching halt. Quitting, logging out, and restarting was still
VERY SLOOOOW...I ended up rebooting. However it seemed to give my swap
partition a swift kick in the ass by just _looking_ at the settings. It
didn't seem to be working previously to that (even when my memory weas
near-full) KPM still doesn't report swap usage or swap existance, if
anyone has a clue why please let me know. xosview and swapon (-s?) do
report it though,
> Anyway, that's my .02.
Here's mine.
~Jeremy
