On Fri, 27 Mar 1998, Mat Serwas wrote:
[----snip----]
> RED HAT, LINUX? why not. 30 years legacy. Salt of the earth. The mother
> of all that is hallowed in the computer world.
>
> I bought it. RED Hat. V4.2.x.x.x.x. Opened the box, shook out the contents
> and out dropped some free NET ads, a 1/2 thick paperback and a CD jewel
> case. What?, no floppy [s].? I might have to read the instructions on
> this
> piece of software.
Heaven forbid! I hope you realized that it wasn't just `software' like
Microsoft Word, but a complete Operating System.
[--snip--]
> OK, I admit, I'm lazy, and didn't read the book. But the book LACKS.
> Granted,
> it's all on the CD. BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE CD INTO THE OFFICE, or
> to the beach.
No, but you *can* purchase one of a multitude of books available on the
subject--or even print out the files you need from the CD-ROM. Or at the
least, talk to some people you know that might provide assistance.
>
> And, it's arcane. UNIX, LINUX, whatever flavor is too damned complicated
> and I do not want to learn another system. Hell, I don't even want to
> learn
[--snip--]
> BUT I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO LEARN ANOTHER DAMNED SYSTEM,
[--snip--]
Then why did you purchase a new system that you obviously knew little or
nothing about, and weren't willing to do do a little basic research on??!!
[--snip--]
> TO DATE, COMPUTERS HAVE COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR IN
> CASH, THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF WASTED TIME FOOLING WITH IT,
> WEIGHT GAIN, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, HATE, LOSS OF FRIENDS,
> THREATENED MY MARRIAGE AND A DEVELOPMENT OF VERY
> PECULIAR HABITS.
Maybe you should find a less taxing hobby...
Seriously, though, if you're going to tackle a New Thing, it helps if you
do a little research. At least read the book that comes with a brand new
operating system!
I had my first serious exposure to anything resembling Unix less than a
year ago now: Red Hat Linux 4.1. I didn't even have a great deal of DOS
background. (Maybe that was in my favor...:) We needed on-site web,
ftp and e-mail hosting here at our plant. A couple people I knew
recommended Linux to do this, and so I purchased a $700 P90 machine,
and jumped right in. Yes, the directory structure was confusing, and yes
the commands were arcane, and I had to go through five or six
installations before I got it right--even *after* reading the user's guide
countless times!! But it finally sunk in, and with the help of my
brother, a couple of books, and the assistance and patience of the people on
this list, within a couple of weeks I had a web server, a firewall, e-mail
for a dozen or so people, etc. Maybe it was easier for me to learn
because I wasn't weighed down by past experience, but I think anyone
with the *willingness* to learn--and a smidgen of patience--can do almost
anything.
While I will agree that the Linux installation can be a BIg Pain In The
Ass at times, I have little remorse for someone that does no research and
then whines about the problems they have.
Now, if you are still willing to give this a shot, I recommend 5 things:
1. Re-read the installation instructions that came with your
distribution. And then read them again! :)
2. Pick up a good Linux book and read what it has to say about
installation and associated issues with partitions, filesystems, etc. It
will go into much more detail than the user's guide. I recommend _Running
Linux_ by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, published by O'Reilly & Assoc.
(O'Reilly's _Linux In A Nutshell_ by Jessica Hekman is a good resource,
too--especially as a command reference.)
3. Seek help from someone you know (or don't know) that has some
experience with Linux or Unix (I think someone else has mentioned a user's
group in your area).
4. Re-install Linux on your hard drive, armed with the knowledge you have
gained. And be prepared mentally to do it more than once.
5. Post questions to this list--even if you don't know what questions to
ask. Myself and others will be more than glad to help you through the
rough spots, and you will soon be up and running!
I hope this has been constructive and that you won't completely abandon
the task you set out to accomplish in the first place. I think you will
find that it was worth it!
Cheers!
Mike
==========================
Mike Edwards, MIS
Edwards Graphic Arts, Inc.
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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