[Sderby] kppp & SuSE Linux 8.1

[Tony Martin]

Dear David, I must say I feel very much the same as you, frustrated at 
getting things to work, yet I definitely think that Linux is the future 
of computing (Although I think a complete redisign of hardware and 
software from the ground up will be seen as the only way to get a stable 
computer within the next 5-10 years.)

Wants followed by IMHO the current state (0-10) of  SUSE 8.0  (I have 
tried 8.1and found it to be very buggy although others have reported 
very favourably on it.)

To install with a GUI with good quality help that does not have you 
reaching for a dictionary (9)
Divers available for all but the most recent kit  (8)
Automatic and manual update. (8)
Modem drivers and assosiated software for all modems including Win 
modems which most people have (0)  I have never got a modem going with 
Linux including an external bought one especially for it!
Connecting via DSL just worked without any problems. (10)
Change of screen resolution as easy as Windows (2)
Installation of programs on original disks  (9)
Installation of external software (3) Very few come with a easily 
workable loader.
Range of software (6) Mozilla, GIMP and Open office, are excellent and I 
currently use the Windows versions (I have SUSE 8.1 installed currently 
but I will be going back to 8.0)
Availability of internet help, quantity (10) how easy is it to 
understand and implement (3)
Cut and paste between applications (2) So simple, yet so not implemented 
   8(
Help from groups such as this (11) Very helpful and probably the best 
asset Linux has  8)

IMHO there are some myths about Linux that with my limited experience I 
think are incorrect (perhaps due to my familiarity with Windows and my 
lack of knowledge of Linux?, I am sure someone will put me right on that 
(and I don't mind one bit  8).
"Linux needs less resources than Windows",  so far Linux seems to gobble 
resources just as well as Windows.
"Linux is much more stable than Windows" Possibly, but could this at 
least be part due to the amount of different things that people run on 
Windows. For a couple of years I have used my PC as a Video recorder, 
hifi,  and all the rest of the stuff. Linux has only just started to 
make these things available?

I have attempted at least 100 installs of Linux over the past 2-3 years 
(Corel, Caldera, Mandrake 6,7,8,9, SUSE 7, 8, Red Hat, plus two others I 
can't remember) so I feel I am kind of an "experienced newbie" 8)

SUSE 8.0 has been by far the most sucessful install for me.

I did have 8.0 running for a month or two and moved all my stuff to it 
to use on a daily basis. Unfortunately it ran out of HDD space and the 
whole thing just fell to pieces and I lost my email and other files.

What I would say is most encouraging is the rate at which Linux has 
improved over the last few years.

I'm also not very knowledgable on Netiquete so hope I havn't upset, and 
just would like to say thanks to all the members who have been so very 
helpful over the last year or so.

Tony

david joseph wrote:

> Hello everyone, and belated new year's greetings.  I've just installed 
> Suse Linux 8.1 professional, and (sigh) here I go again, endless hours 
> trying to get a working system up and running - one that I can use to 
> do some_ productive_  computing.
> It's so frustrating - I know I'm not alone - endless re-installs, 
> endless loads of just about every distribution going in a fruitless 
> search for the holy grail of a useable Linux system and of course 
> endless hassles along the way. And I still don't have even a basic bog 
> standard Linux system that I can use!.  No wonder Microsoft rule the 
> universe!
>
> Anyway sorry for the rave, but I can't get the kppp dialer work - even 
> when I'm logged in as root! It dials out ok, then promply dies.
> Trying to use kppp to dial out for any other user is even move 
> hopeless - just get the message  - "you have insufficient permissions 
> etc" - well I've tried using chmod etc and even editing  /etc/pam.d 
> (changing required to sufficient in every permutation!) So what am I 
> missing? What really drives me nuts is that I had no problems with 
> kppp when I was running SuSE 7.3 A few more incremental improvements 
> like that and SuSE will be following Mandrake down the pan of 
> computing history.
>
> I really feel that the Linux community needs to address the issue of 
> making Linux more user friendly and easier to set up.  What's the 
> point of thousands of programmes yet not being able to access the 
> internet or have a half decent word processor available.
> If you enjoy playing with computers great - but if you also want to 
> use a computer in other productive ways Linux is not that great.
> When I attended a sderby LUG meeting last year, I was impressed by the 
> fluency and knowledge of some of the members - but it was also 
> reassuring to find that my experiences with Linux were not unique.
> I really want to see Linux succeed - but there are some serious issues 
> to be addressed.
> Any comments anyone - and please don't jump down my throat for telling 
> you your baby is ugly and you've dressed it funny.
> I still prefer Linux to Windows.
>
> Sorry this has turned into War and Peace - I expect it's an 
> unforgivable breach of Netiquete
>
>
> Yours to a cinder, David Joseph
>
>
> p.s. this come to you courtesy of wvdial
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