> > I agree with you that 7.0 + is not as backwards compatible. I understand
> > what you are saying about older hardware. But, I do believe the original
> > idea of Linux was so that it worked on all of these old pieces of
>hardware.
>
>Certainly you are right with this principle. It's amazing what
>Linux can do with a worn out 386-33 box.
>
>But this is not the point here. All-in-all Linux is here to get
>every *normal* piece of hardware to do it's very best. Cut out
>the *junk-hardware* as GDI(Win)-printers or those halfhearted
>modem cards.
But it is the point here. The Linux kernel supports this hardware and the
earlier version of Mandrake supported the hardware. If we are going to dump
this support, then Mandrake should at the very least not label the product
stable, as they have done, and develop some sort of patch for the problem.
The problem doesn't occur in the Linux part of the distribution, the problem
only occurs in the software that Mandrake wrote for the distribution.
>Each distribution has it's special corner in the market. IMHO
>there is no egg-producing-wooly-milk-giving-pig (that's a german
>saying for one-fits-and-does-everything).
Granted, not every distribution is going to cover every piece of Hardware.
But the idea behind Linux support was to develop drivers for at LEAST the
hardware that Windbloze supports in order to compete. That is why my cdrom
IS supported by the Kernel.Mandrake should at least write software that
supports what the Linux kernel supports. It doesn't have to be backwards
compatible, but if we start dropping things willy-nilly without any warning
to customers of previous versions, then Mandrake's QC/QA and customer
service becomes no better than Apple.
>That has to be in the same way as cars are here for the
>overall purpose of transportation. But there are reliable trucks
>and vans for the stable heavy-duty tasks, luxory limos for the
>one who want his toilet-paper warmed before usage, and sleek
>sportscars with state-of-the-art souped up engines and special
>tires and manual gear-shifting.
>
>Now, would you use such a sportscar on a rainy day when you
>*have* to rely on getting to your destination on time? Or would
>you rather take a normal, less fancy but the more reliable car?
>Or would you complain about that sportscar being too rough on a
>bumpy road?
I'd rather have a fancy Sports Car, but I see your point ;) However I think
you may be oversimplifying the problem. The problem seems to be a QA/QC
issue with Mandrake. If you don't believe me, go to their website and read
about all of the outstanding bugs that they haven't fixed yet.
>I hope I did not offend all the bikers with my useage of car
>examples ;-)
>
>Here comes the stable MDK 6.1 for your daily work. And here
>comes the new fancy MDK 7.0x for testing your hardware to the
>limits and checking out what *modern* Linux can do with *modern*
>hardware.
True. Then Mandrake should not claim that 7.02 is stable until they work all
of the bugs out. IMHO Mandrake 7.02 is still BETA software and should be
labelled as such until the new Mandrake software added to the distribution
has been properly debugged and modified. This is all I'm trying to say.
Thanx for your patience in this conversation.
SA
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