[Wylug-help] help needed

[John Hodrien]

On 15 May 2003, Nigel Metheringham wrote:

> If you just want to *try* linux out without changing your current
> computer system at all then I would strongly recommend looking at
> Knoppix, which works on almost all hardware without needing any further
> configuration, and runs completely off CD.  You can later install it
> although I have never tried this.  Knoppix downloads (you need a 700MB
> CD to record it onto) and other information can be found at
> 	http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
> Linux emporium also have CDs of Knoppix for sale.

Knoppix is fantastic to decide whether or not you *could* use linux.  I
always try to keep a copy knocking around, so I'd definitely rate this as a
sound recommendation.

> The major boxed - with documentation - sets of Linux available are Red
> Hat, Suse & Mandrake.  Of those I have used Red Hat for a number of
> years and am pretty happy with them.  I have had horrible experiences
> with Suse and now avoid them as a matter of course (which means I have
> not touched Suse in the last 2 years).  I have no opinion on Mandrake.
> All of these are available from the Linux Emporium:-
> 	http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/

Again, couldn't really disagree.  I've hopped about a bit, and I hopped off
Suse and have never gone back, but keep on flipping between RedHat and
Mandrake.  At the moment, RedHat have it by a short distance.  Mandrake always
had some funky *extras* the RedHat didn't, but I pretty much forgot that
advantage when I bothered setting up...

> If you want to do things cheaper or don't care about (printed)
> documentation, then look at the various other distributions.  One that
> is very good, but tends to be a little out of date and can be difficult
> to install is debian.  However the package management including
> automatic update facilities of debian are second to none and do not
> require any ongoing subscriptions or painful processes to obtain
> continuing updates over the network.

... apt-get for RPM.  Combine it with the package verification you can kick
into life (GPG key verification, to make sure you're not downloading packages
made by people other than who you thought) redhat has the ease of update
(almost) of debian, without the debian-ness...

One of the downsides of Mandrake is their knack of removing all mirrors of the
previous distro within a bat of an eye of releasing the new distro, which gets
right up the nose of their automatic package tool (urpmi*).

jh

* that Steve K would assure you noone on this earth ever liked except me.

--
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
                                                     -- Pablo Picasso