[plug] Linux is out, for now.

[Beau Kuiper]

On Sun, 17 Oct 1999, you wrote:
> Well, today I ended my second foray into Linux. Not that it isn't a 'good'
> operating system, it just isn't all that user friendly. (Easy)

No problem, the idea behind linux is for choice, not about forcing something on
you. BTW, thanks for trying linux and surviving the problems it throws at you.
Hopefully you have learned more about computers in general from your experence
with linux and can use that improved knowledge with whatever system you wish to
run.

> I tried three of the latest distributions. RedHat, SuSE and Caldera. I
> think RedHat may have been the easiest to set up and get going but none of
> them presented a real difficult task, if you were careful to read the
> instructions provided.

The distribution. It really doesn't matter a whole lot what distro you use,
most people find what they like and use it (for me it is slackware).

 > After that I began to have a few problems. For example, I downloaded word 
> perfect v8 but I was unable to get it to install. I'm sure I followed all
> the instructions in the readme file but there may have been some I
> misunderstood. A lot of the terms aren't necessarily written for someone
> with a windoze background.
> 
Yep, still problems in the user friendlyness department. All sorts of problems
are caused by incompatible libraries, and are extremely difficult to document
all the possible problems that may occur. Eventually this will have to be
worked on.

> Undaunted, I made the effort to download, via the internet, star office v5.
> Yes, the whole 68 plus megabytes. Had a few minor problems getting it to
> install but eventually got it to work.   Then, when I came to set up my
> printer, a HP DeskJet 520, I discovered that it wasn't supported. On top of
> that, it ran as slow as a lemon.

Star office isn't what you are looking for if you want good performance :-).
And X can be a cow too at times.

> I guess either Linux is not ready for me, or I'm not ready for it. Perhaps
> in another year or three, I may come back and visit.
> 
I bit of both really :)

> Now, I don't want to discourage anyone from playing with this operating
> system, but, if you are going to use it as a serious tool, think carefully
> before you purge your current system.

Well, it doesn't matter what OS you wish to play with, you have to think very
carefully about whether you really want to purge your current system. Linux
works for me and it does most of what I need. I just have a crappy printer :-)
   
> If your current system is already doing all you want to do, don't fix what
> isn't broken. If there is something you want to do, that only Linux can, or
> Linux can do much better, then let nothing hold you back. I believe, though
> I haven't tried it, that it's about the best networking and server software
> about. It's also very secure. So if you're a bit paranoid about others in
> your family looking at your stuff, it's the ticket.

Hell yes, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Something I have learned the hard
way. And linux is one of the best server platforms I have encountered (But my
experence beyond linux and win-nt is limited)

> For those who read this and get upset, please don't. I am not flaming
> Linux, just admitting that I am not going to invest the time to learn it,
> just yet.
> 

I am not upset, I am happy. You have made your choice and that is more
improtant than actually using linux it. (unfortunatly, the choice you made
was not linux, sigh :-) ).

Have fun, and may our paths meet again
Beau Kuiper
ekuiperbe at cc.curtin.edu.au
> 
> 
> Cheers
> Rick
> 
> E=Mail    - rickd at iinet.net.au
> Home Page - http://opera.iinet.net.au/~rickd/index.html