[SWLUG] Re: Starting with Linux

[Telsa Gwynne]

On Wed, Jan 19, 2005 at 12:13:46PM -0000 or thereabouts, Michael Parker wrote:
> I would echo the views that buying a computer and installing linux from
> scratch is the way forward.

Way forward to achieve what, exactly?

Perhaps he just wants a working computer.

I am going to go against the prevailing wisd^W opinion here. 
If you just want to use the computer to do something, why do 
the instal at all? I used Unix for years and years before I
ever ventured to install Linux, and I'd say the using helped
with the install immensely. Debian is famously the "do the 
install once, run for ages" distro. According to half the 
Debian proponents I meet, anyway. Have things changed?

And if the original poster has done his research well enough
to decide that Debian is best for him, perhaps he's also come
to the eminently sensible conclusion (IMO) that the Debian
installer is not a good introduction to running a box.

You do not need to install a computer to learn how to run it.

If he just wants to run it, "please, someone, put Debian on it
for me" seems absolutely a good way to start. 

And all everyone here is doing is saying "Ooh no, you don't
want to do that". Perhaps he does.

Hugh, ignore 'em. I am not the world's best PC builder, but
if you have the bits and don't want to put them together, I
can have a go. If you decide on the distro in advance, it
should easily be possible to pick hardwave which is not only
known to work with Linux but known to work with that distro.

I will even venture through the Debian installer. I have
survived it a few times. Although I may bring Fedora CDs
as a backup. 

And then the rest of the LUG can sit back and tell us both
where we went wrong. They're the computer professionals.

Telsa