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Lost the Battle...


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After two-three weeks of trying to incorporate Linux into our one and only OS, it's been banished to my "hobby" by the wifey.

 

Now, she's been VERY patient. And a real trooper. Was willing to take the risks, and try and learn linux.

 

But in the end, the lack of peripheral support (it could be done, but recompiling kernals, only to have the "basic functionality" but not the details) was a little disheartenting.

 

Never got the scanner to work right (it's a new MFD device), web cam was an issue, mp3 player support was an issue...mouse support (use a 4 button trackball) was an issue.

 

So I regret to say, that I reloaded windows XP (and 98 ) onto the machine, and we have all the features we liked before.

 

I'm not giving up on Linux. I've got three linux partitions set up, and will monitor the progress of Mandrake 9.1, and even 10.0 if we ever get there. It's just not a product that is ready for prime-time on the desktop yet, IMHO. It's close, very close. And I wish I could help usher that era in, and I will in a smaller manner. But my "trail" around the web as a linux user will not be recorded regularly for now :(

 

Unfortunately, it's a catch22. No software/hardware support till enough users ask for it, no users until there is enough software/hardware support.

 

I feel a huge amount of guilt for this, I really wanted this to work. It will still be worked on as a hobby, but our mainstream desktop is back to Windoze.

 

Thanks to everyone who helped me on this forum, and I'll still be poking around and trying to stay current when time allows ...

 

Thanks again! This board definately made so many things go easier!

 

Derek

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Oh well. I guess you can't win them all. At least you tried.

 

I actually have some of the same problems with Linux and I agree. It is about 90% of the way to be a full desktop replacement, but it is not quite there. My scanner doesn't work either and probably will never work.

 

My solution, as soon as I can afford it, is to buy a Mac running OS X. Full hardware and software support on a UNIX base. Can't ask for more then that. Plus, my wife LOVES macs.

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I'll still be poking around and trying to stay current when time allows ...

 

Thanks again!  This board definately made so many things go easier!

 

thats not a problem. most of us have dual-boot machines and still get to post most of the time here. does your wife use the computer 100% of the time? :)

 

ciao!

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I have to admit that I dual boot... I type on OpenOffice on Linux and print on OpenOffice on Win98... my Canon S400 works with Linux but not without problems.

 

No opreblem though with the HP printer.

 

But this is were EOL will hurt. It takes longer for Linux drivers to come out. Short EOL's means that by the time the new driver is out, that product is almost at EOL.

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Now that she's writing a novel, she does monopolize it a bit though :)

 

Baseball season is starting, I both play softball, and coach my kids team, so without it as the main OS anymore, my time will be pretty limited for tinkering.

 

But maybe that's a good thing, and I'll be pleasantly surprised when I finally get the time, and 9.1 final is out, or 10.0 betas :)

 

D

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Yes, why can't you just dual boot?

On the subject of printers, scanners, etc in /on MDK, I can no longer remember how to configure them. Since mdk 8.1 ,( a load of rubbish) my two printers, two scanners, mouse, graphics tablet, digital camera, all of which are a mix of USB and serial, all of them have worked without me having to do a thing. Why this is, I don't know, many people have posted problems with the exact same printer/scanner etc that I have, for me it works, for them it doesn't, and no, Im not saying they are stupid. I have seen posts of config files, same as mine, but their whatever, still doesn't work.

I really have a strong feeling that something goes wrong during the mdk install, you think the install went OK, MDK says it went OK, but sometimes its lying :evil:

For me, the only thing that can improve MDK/Linux, is the fast 2.6 kernel, (yes, their skipping 2.5) when its finally released. Oh, and a good photo editing app as good as Photoshop 7.

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Actuall, I quint-boot.

 

My disk is set up for:

 

Win98/WinXP/Mandrake 9.0/Xandros 1.0/Mystery Test Linux Distro

 

However, we use our comp in such a mulit-user environment, (not very resource friendly but it works) that re-booting isn't the preferred method of getting things done.

 

So occasionally, I'll boot into MDK and explore or fix things, or do some things I just want to do (like renaming massive quantities of files in Bash, or whatever).

 

However, we'll primarily be on WinXP.

 

What I was hoping for was 100% Linux, with no need for windows.

 

D

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Here is a lesson I learned when trying to convert people to linux, check if they actually are curious or have the time to learn. If they don't and they just want a computer that runs without trouble, I point them to win2k (yes 2k.. not XP.. that bloated, crash-prone piece of garbage). If they actually want to learn more, then I point them to mandrake.

 

Some people just don't have the time to relearn a new OS, even though it is better and free. But you can make the Windows OS as secure and OpenSource as possible by installing mozilla for browser (a lot safer than that wormhole known as IE), using OpenOffice instead of MS Office, making sure they don't install SP3 and Windows Media Player 8 and above, installing a working antivirus software (usually gotten for free, heck I have a few antivirus software lying around just for buying a new motherboard) etc. etc.

 

I still boot to my win2k once or twice a week because of games. ePSXe for windows is the only one that support cheat codes (with PEC). Yes I like to cheat when playing games.. is there a problem with that? :)

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I wanted the move to Linux.

 

She went with it, as long as I was the in house "IT guy " :)

 

it met 95% of our needs. It was just that the 5% it didn't meet, weren't things we were ready to live without just yet.

 

As far as keeping MS windows open source as possible, I don't mind paying for software that is well done and supported. So I don't quite go open source, all the time, but do a mixture.

 

My Windoze programs:

 

Mail: The Bat! by http://www.Ritlabs.com

Web: Opera 6.x Registered Trying Opera 7.0

Office: OpenOffice.org 1.0.2

News: Xnews

Ftp: FreeFTP

 

You'll notice not a MS product in the mix :)

 

D

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Yup agree:

 

"Some people just don't have the time to relearn a new OS, even though it is better and free. But you can make the Windows OS as secure and OpenSource as possible by installing mozilla for browser (a lot safer than that wormhole known as IE), using OpenOffice instead of MS Office, making sure they don't install SP3 and Windows Media Player 8 and above, installing a working antivirus software (usually gotten for free, heck I have a few antivirus software lying around just for buying a new motherboard) etc. etc."

 

Win2K SP2 with Moz, OOo and Grisoft Antivirus (there is a free version for home/commercial use outside Europe)...

 

Go into admin make a few tweaks and its pratically as good as Linux. We have a Win2K running as a server on a PIV 2.0 and its been doing so now 7/24 for about 7-8 months without a reboot.

 

Of course Linux can do the same for a lower cost... provide you go the freebie route.

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WHHHHAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

 

Just reinstalling all of my old WIndoze apps on my WInXp machine.

 

two crashes already, and I have to set up an Auto-ping so that my ADSL connection doesn't die.

 

The Phone companies response after I vented and told them everything worked fine in Linux, but Windows requires a reboot anytime the internet is inactive for more than 5 minutes:

 

This sounds like an issue with Windows XP's implementation of the DHCP

protocol. Windows is know to have problems with DHCP. The fact that the

Linux OS does not have this problem points even more strongly that this is a

issue with the DHCP and TCP/IP of the Windows OS on the computer. If this

were due to ZoomTown then the problem would remain no matter which OS you

booted into.

 

DUh!? Ya think! I asked if they were going to provide Linux Distro when Windows 98 is no longer supported by M$. I'm guessing not.

 

That was the result of their answer. They didn't say they were working on a fix. Just "Windows sucks, live with it" ;)

 

Gotta love it.

 

I may be back sooner than I thought!!!!!

 

Quick someone come up with a fast user switching mod that works like XP, and get all my MFD drivers working... PLEASE!!! SAVE ME FROM THIS HELL!

 

 

D

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Guest duir66

The fact that you have 5 OSs running on the same computer at once is an achievement.

 

Ever thought about getting a new, or used second box. You could continue to work with Linux and the wife could use Windoze. Slap a second nic in the Linux box and use it as a DHCP server to the Windows box. I have that setup and my Win XP box loves it.

 

Just a thought. Best of luck.

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