[Gllug] Debian

[Ian Northeast]

Peter Rutherford wrote:
> 
> >>On Mon Oct 21 Peter Rutherford wrote:
> >> I would almost be willing to wager my internal
> organs
> >>
> >> that Linux
> >> will not take off until it is as easy to install as
> >> Windows 95.
> 
> >On Tue Oct 21 00:35:42 2003,ian at
> >house-from-hell.demon.co.uk inquired:
> 
> >What do you mean by "take off"? Linux has already
> taken off in a fairly
> >big way. At work we are running important
> services....
> 
> By taking off, I mean that more people in
> the high street running Linux than not
> running it. Loading Win95 on an empty
> machine is easy. 

So have you installed Win95 onto recent hardware lately? 

> There is a bear trap in
> the form of TCP/IP which is put on or not
> according to some curious rule which
> only those in the Microsoft inner sanctum
> will know about. But otherwise, the
> installation is a piece of cake if driver
> discs are to hand. This is how Linux could
> be.
> 
> This is how Linux should be.

What do you mean? Linux should require extra driver disks? Or randomly
fail to install critical components? I fail to see your point.
Installing the more mainstream Linux distros like Red Hat or SuSE is
very easy, certainly easier than Win95 on recent hardware or WinXP on
anything. I have never seen Linux fail to install TCP/IP:) And a recent
Linux distro does not require extra drivers for anything but the very
latest or esoteric hardware.

Admittedly this thread started out about Debian and its installer is not
newbie friendly. I still find installing Debian easier than installing
Windows though, and Debian is not targeted at newbies. There are plenty
of distros which are.

The fact that the Debian installer requires some experience and thought
to use effectively cannot be used as a criticism of Linux in general.
Debian is not suitable as a first Linux distribution for the majority of
people. This is fine IMO. People get experience with other distros and
then switch to Debian. I did. I never recommend Debian to newbies unless
they are using non Intel hardware, which the mainstrean "personal"
distros do not shine at, while Debian does.

Regards, Ian

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug