ral

A clear policy but one with shorter support cycles... and which makes MS Windows better looking. Building a server with Promise RAID controllers. Latest drivers are for RH7.3. They expext RH8 drivers out in 2-3 months. I hope so because, RH7.3 EOL's in May 2003 so the RH8 drivers will come out just before 7.3 EOL's. Come Septmber I hope they have 8.1 drivers... sigh.

Went to see the local distributor of Promise Technology here and met their boss (boy was he young)... anyway, they can set me up with a low cost RAI solution (SMARAID card and two hot swap bays) for $220 or so. I was thinking of trying software raid and mobile racks Well, what can I say, times are bad over here.

Have been using VNC for windows for some time... but can't seem to get it working between a Windows XP home machines and a RedHat Linux 8 machine. From RH8 I see the XP destop and can manipulate it but from the Windows machine... sometimes I cant log onto the RH8 and when I do, I see a root desktop...even if the machine is currently loggod on under a user account. Also I can't control the linux desktop. Any help would be appriciated.

Thanks Pzatch... Okay, I guess we will eventually have to buy the Promise Technologies RAID card and the hot-swap bays (and have to learn how to use them in Linux).

I was wondering, since you can unmount drives in Linux, would it be possible to physically remove an ordinary ATA IDE HD after unmounting it, without powering down the PC. If the answer to this is yes could I than slide a new hard drive in and mount it? Kind of like a poor mans hot-swap drive :) Doubt it but wanted to ask. Too ckicken to try it myself less a short out my MB or something.

Me I loved my PC and Windows... I loved tweaking it, learned hot to network it and even played with the registry. But computers became my hobbie. Now if I did not love computers I would probably not have gotten into Linux. You won't get any flames from me.

Me I am lazy :)

In general I agree.... but I think a warning about compatibility of most games is fair. If you main use for your box is as a gaming box... than your better off with Windows or a console. I don't consider Wine a viable solution. The best solution is too look for Linux alternatives. "To find out if the hardware is supported, have them boot a live cd, for instance Knoppix." - If the instuctions require too much effort, it will not scare users potential away. "Linux really isn't that hard. Windows isn't really that easy. It's just in the public opinion that it's easy. I decided that I didn't want to go that extra mile anymore with Win, and that I did with linux. Ergo, on my system, my webcam doesn't work with win, nor do I have sound from the tvcard under win. I recently got the webcam and didn't bother, could probably get it to work. The tv-card, I reinstalled the drivers, reinstalled the system etcetc." - I don't know. I maintain 11 PC's on a regular basis running Win95 to Win XP (plus 5 more now running Linux). All our hardware works with Windows, even those that specifically state in the box that they do not support a particular version . If it does not work, you should be able to grab an updated driver and get some sort of functionality. Linux is similar with respect to drivers. Most everything works to a greater or lesser degree. But software is a different story. Our Legal Jurisprudence and Laws database simply does not run on Linux. It use Folio Bound Views. Tests on Wine did not work either. I expect this to change in time. But if you don't give fair warning to potential users, I expect their first expereiance in Linux may be a bad one.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t278-s2129964,00.html Looks like Red Hat Advanced Server and Advanced Workstation will have 5 years support. Apparently, M$ also changed its policy to 5 year support, even having extended support for Windows NT. I suppose Mandrake will soon announce the release of a commercial version with 5 year support. I hope that Red Hat comes out with OEM versions. The way it looks RH will cost more than Windows 2000 Server (though still much less than the Windows 2000 Server)... The problem really is the absence of a competing product with Windows 2000 Pro and Windows 2000 Server. I guess that okay in Markets where Linux has already gained widespread acceptance. We are planning an entry to the Linux business here... and the EOL policies are making the orgininal plans appear too too viable. Basically Windows 2000 Server with a 5 client access licences will cost about $700 (OEM). Red Hat 8.0 OEM/Pers/PRo costs $25-$170 but lifespan is the issue. The advance server should cost $500-600, but I don't think it comes with CAL's. Back to the drawing boards.

"don't really agree with your explanation of what an OS is etc..." Please suggest revisions :) As for the link that would be welcome... but I should be getting a new URL and moving to a new server soon.

Oh we should just send him a copy of the "Slammer".

"Sorry to ramble." -- Your "ramblings" are always very imformative. "Anyway, if by a simple server means that win2k Pro quality, I think the personal edition or even GPL edition should suffice since it gives you more than Win2K Pro in terms of server capabilities." This is true. I only know a little bit about samba... and realize how many settings there were to play with when a ran "testparm". I don't mean to say that Win2k Pro is as good as RHAS or even RH GPL. The difference is how long I get support for the product. RH GPL/PE/Pro - 1 year (this makes going back to Mandrake much more appealing now...18 months is a lot better than one year). Win2K (by stroke of luck) - 5 years, but ordinarily 3 years. Debian. I have used Mandrake and RedHat. I doubt they will be the last. :) Having deployed Linux in many capacities (and by the way it is user friendly... you just have to read a bit... since I am a lawyer and have no background in computers and in fact got my first PC in 1999 I can attest to this... it just does not treat you like a idiot who can't understand anything more than clicking buttons and checkboxes): Home: Desktop (Wolf-Linux 1.33 ) Private practice: Desktop (Who needs MSO 2000 :D ) Legal Office where I do voluteer work - Desktop use. (ditto) Internet Cafe: - File & Print Server :). Use to be dual boot used for storage than I learned a little Samba :) :) :) Sorry, kind of proud of this one. Did it without a GUI... and it relegated a Win2K Pro license to a desktop. (Only regret it still no Linux PC for rent to clients... only because our Internet Cafe software is not compatible with Linux. but we have tried lettting clients use both RH 8 and ML 9 for free... the only problems we enountered were clients not knowing to to mount a floppy...forgetting to unmount them and browsing to the floppy/CDROM to attach files... but those can easily be fix posting some instructions. If someone out there is willing to create a Linux client of the software found in www.ecafepro.com please let me know. Willing to pay for the job since we have 7 Win95 units that need urgent rplacement and that will cost us some... would love nto to have to configure the other PC's to use unencrypted passwords... anyway I am now rambling). ... the only machine I plan to upgrade every six months is the home PC. I guess I'll do that with the server too...if I did that with all... its like going back to Windows :( I gotta do all the work myself. I know its just 6 PC's... but its more than just installing.

"Actually I think that one year is perfect for desktop support. By one year should have a good idea how to work stuff and also where to get support at places like this forum..." you have mor like 30-60 days installation support... MS provides 3 years patch support (and have actually extended that for tings like Win2000). They have to force users to upgrade, becuase if it still meets our needs we wont go out and grab the latest (why do we need XP to type letters???). A lot of us still used patched versions of Win98 until now. Unfortunately a Win98 install won't survive 3 years... so you will reinstall 3-5 times during a 3 year period. With Linux, I was imagining that desktops would not need maintenance for a 3+ year period. Basically, now you will have to upgrade even if they are working well if you want the latest security fixes. "Besides, for corporate customers, they should pay for support..." True. RedHat is aware that you cannot ask a company like Google to upgrade its 4000 servers every year, so it will be providing 5 years support for its Red Hat Advance Server. They will release a workstation with a longer support cycle too. I think Mandrake will release similar versions... However, with a $4000/5 year RHAS... Windows 2000 Profesional (which we get OEM for $140) is starting to look like a better proposition for simpler server needs. How about the $170 RH8 Pro and the $199 Mandrake Prosuites. They are starting to look really costly if they only come with one year/18 months of support. I guess for 12/18 months support, the price of the personal ($30-$40) is reasonable, but you had best get it as soon as released becuase the clock starts ticking than. So if I install Mandrake 9 today for business use. I will have to upgrade it in 13 months or be left without security fixes. If I installed RH8 today, I would only have 8 months of security fixes. So with Windows, frequent installs were necessary becuase of the programs inherent weaknesses. With some linux distro's now its going to be programed. I don't know... for my home PC doing reisntall when 9.1 or 8.1 come out is fine... I like PC's. We just migrated a few desktops to Linux in the office ... and I told them that we would not have to do frequent reisntalls... Now those three newly installed 8.1's will have a service life only up to Sept. 2003. I hope the upgrade option in the installation ISO's work... that's all I can say. P.S. Mandrake 12/18 months is a lot better than RedHat's 12 mos.

"For one thing a busines can just download the new (supported) edition like everyone else." Makes Windows Total Cost of Owenserhip argument a bit more valid. Well, at least the upgrades can be had for free.

First RedHat, and now Mandrake... altough Mandrake terms are better: http://www.pclinuxonline.com/modules.php?n...rticle&sid=4404 "With the release of Mandrake Linux 9.1, we will put in place a cycle that customers can easily anticipate. MandrakeSoft will provide 12 months of "desktop" support for distributions, and 18 months of "base" support for distributions. This means that applications such as window managers, desktop environments, browsers, etc. will have a 12 month support life, while applications such as the kernel, Apache, and other "base" components will have a support life of 18 months. At certain times, MandrakeSoft may choose to extend support for certain versions of Mandrake Linux. Finally, specialized "server" products, will have a full life support of no less than 24 months." RedHat recently announced a 12 month EOL for their consumer products, except for the $800+ a year Advance Server (5 years) and their upcoming Workstation (price unknown). I understand the need for an EOL, but I feel that One year is too short. For us in the community, it is probably fine, but for business use a bit too short. I do understand why RH and MS have to do this. Expecially since they will each release 2-3 versions per year. I would have liked it better though if if they both did somethign like this: RH 7.0 - Development Release - 1 year RH 7.1 - Development Release - 1 year RH 7.2 - Development Release - 1 year RH 7.3 - Stable Release - 3 years ML 8.0 - Development Release - 1 year/18 mos. ML 8.1 - Development Release - 1 year/18 mos. ML 8.2 - Stable Release - 3 years/3 years They could even drop support for the development releases as soon as the newer version is out. But it would be good to have one that is supported a long time. Imagine having to upgrade 200 desktops every 12 mos/18 mos.... and that assumes that you installed the distro on its release date.

Sorry, yes I did. Strangest thing. Finnished Wolfestein again (4th time) and the thing never crashed. Working on Open Office or surfing on Mozilla than X has been going buggy for the past two weeks or so. Installed Nvidia's 3123 drivers (rebuilding the .src).

My desktop regularly goes black while I am in X. It than goes back to the login screen. Here is the log: "(protocol Version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6600) Release Date: 23 January 2002 If the server is older than 6-12 months, or if your card is newer than the above date, look for a newer version before reporting problems. (See http://www.XFree86.Org/) Build Operating System: Linux 2.4.18-11smp i686 [ELF] Build Host: daffy.perf.redhat.com Module Loader present OS Kernel: Linux version 2.4.18-19.8.0 (bhcompile@tweety.devel.redhat.com) (gcc version 3.2 20020903 (Red Hat Linux 8.0 3.2-7)) #1 Thu Dec 12 04:37:40 EST 2002 Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting, (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational, (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown. (==) Log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Mon Feb 3 13:52:32 2003 (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config" (II) [GLX]: Calling GlxExtensionInit GetModeLine - scrn: 0 clock: 94500 GetModeLine - hdsp: 1024 hbeg: 1072 hend: 1168 httl: 1376 vdsp: 768 vbeg: 769 vend: 772 vttl: 808 flags: 5 Fatal server error: Caught signal 11. Server aborting" Recently upgraded my kernel and installed a GeForce 4 MX440. Prior to this it did not have this problem. Any advie on a fix? Thanks.

I want to write for John Doe. "Trying to explain to them that they need to check hardware compatibility and then visit a linux forum and then get a pick and choose a distro and then install it.... Will simply give up before the process even begins." I was worried about that part too... especially the hardware compatibility part... But when I got into Linux (ML8.2 - no sound, modem not working)... I would have been out in a flash. Luckiliy I found this (the former board)...and so I stayed on... Not really sure to how to advice the average Joe on how to get started with Linux... maybe I could just skip this part for now?

I need help writing this section for my site. [The rest of my site is here: Only have three pages up so far: http://www.veranda.com.ph/ral/index.html http://www.veranda.com.ph/ral/whyuse.html http://www.veranda.com.ph/ral/distro.html Since I am using RedHat most of the content will be RedHat related stuff, but later I also hope to put up Mandrake stuff.] I was thinking of an outline like: 1. Determine if Linux is right for you. - Basically gamers better stick to Windows and a brief explanation of migrating to native Linux apps. 2. Check hardware compatibility - don't know about this one...fine for us who sleep beside out PC... I wonder how those who don't even know what parts their PC is made of will do... 3. Visit a Linux forum. - 4. Get a copy of a distro.

Thanks Mysti... that will help :)

Actually, I was interested in Unreal II being released this Feb 6.

Anybody know? Thanks.

How does OpenOffice's Imprss compare with Microsoft Powerpoint. Am building a website and want to write about this but I don't use either Impress of Powerpoint, but i have read that Impress is the weakest part of OpenOffice. Second, what is the Linux equivalent for Microsoft Acess (I don't use this either).

Thanks, will try it. Funny I did not have this problem when I installed ML last Oct....

I myself have been guilty of making less than friendly MandrakeSoft posts in the past, but events like this change people and organizations. I think we should all give Mandrake a fresh start. The new CEO has promised as much. We are afterall a Mandrake site. Lets forget the past, and hope that the company that created one of our favorite distro's pulls through (and to think that I use RedHat :) ).