On Tue, 2007-07-17 at 22:44 +0100, Alan Mackenzie wrote: > Hi, Matthew! > > On Tue, Jul 17, 2007 at 12:52:24PM -0400, Matthew Harrison wrote: > > Then my question is now "why in the world are you using Linux?" > > You're describing things that aren't an issue at all if you know some > > basics about Linux, and if you use a package manager, all of this > > virtually disappears. Perhaps you would be happier with an OS that > > barely changes for years at a time such as Win2k? > > I love using Linux! It's a wonderful system to use! So versatile, so > flexible, free (in both senses). I actually know somewhat more than the > basics of the system. I'm a bash and AWK script enthusiast, and I hack > Emacs. I've set up a qmail server running to connect me with my ISP. > > It's _installing_ and _configuring_ the system which I detest. Finding > the necessary info seems a black art. It took me a whole day and a half > to get my printer working, for example. I don't think there's a coherent > description of how to configure the network stuff anywhere. Of course, > it doesn't help that the main IDE controller on my motherboard is hd[gh], > and its hardware address shifts each time I add another card in. Maybe > things would be less bad if I next installed something like Ubuntu. > > By contrast, installing Win2k is about as difficult as inserting the DVD > into a virgin machine, but it's really not the sort of system I want. > > As for package managers, they're like magic spells. When they work, > they're wonderful, when they don't, they're a nightmare. At least when > you build and install from a tarball, you can see what's going on, and > you can be reasonably sure that the Makefile won't be doing anything > "helpful" behind your back. It was a package manager which failed to > install the OO help file(s) on my system, for example, and it was another > package manager which dismantled Jonathon's X-Windows when he > de-installed Firefox. Unfortunately, building things from source is only > practical for isolated programs. > > > I'm a full-time Linux user that runs a bleeding-edge Gentoo system on > > the unstable branch (meaning, I use the latest of everything on my > > system whether or not the Gentoo gods have deemed the software stable) > > and this isn't the experience I have with it at all. Updating > > openoffice is as easy as typing "emerge openoffice (or openoffice-bin > > if I don't want to wait for a compile)" when a new version is > > available, and my package manager handles the rest - config files > > intact. I really suggest using a different operating system or > > learning some Linux basics and using a package manager. There's just > > no good reason to be using 1.1.3, really. > > There would be no reason to install 1.1.3 from scratch. However, given > that it works on my system, and I can work it on my system (more or > less), the right time to install the new version is when I've got several > days of calm in which I can learn its idosyncrasies in peace, not when > I'm hopelessly stressed out like I am at the moment. > > It would be nice to have the help working, though. > > I put it to you that the way you continually update your system isn't an > easy natural thing to do at all; rather, it's a highly refined skill that > you've developed over an extended period. >
Hi Alan, I installed Red Hat 8 and 9 before they went commercial. I have to say that those distros were not up to casual use by my wife. Recently, I installed Ubuntu. I have to say, even though I have had a few problems, it has been great. My wife can use Evolution and Open Office. I am a programmer and my complaint is that OO dox are difficult if not impossible to get. However, I am new to Open Office (OO) programming, so it probably will get better. My Canon scanner won't work and the Lexmark 32 printer works only after a fashion. Canons says http://www.hamrick.com has a front-end for the scanner for about 40 bucks. As far as the printer goes, I have been considering an HP laser printer even b4 Ubuntu in order to save on ink carts. At any rate, I am happy with Ubuntu and Synaptic, the package manager. Synaptic is way cool compared to what I had to do in Redhat in order to install stuff. I'm not going back to Uncle Bill. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
