[wellylug] Re: Distrowars (was OpenOffice 1.1.1)

[JP]

 --- Wood Brent wrote: > 

> The intriging thing: the totally new to Linux user
> who got Mandrake installed
> without modem support at the installfest turned up
> at the next LUG meeting.
> Complete with MDK10 system & working modem, sorted
> out by himself.
> 
> While this sort of makes us "Mandrake experts"
> suspect, but as I've noted
> before, it ain't hard to find Debian guru's, or
> Gentoo, etc. A very different
> story with Mandrake because 99% of the time it
> installs & goes & does what is
> required. No need to learn about config files, etc.
> So few guru's who really
> know what is under the hood.
> 

Well, as you've just confirmed, an install using a
modem which is well-known to be supported under Linux,
did not work.  Even with an experienced Mandrake user
-- yourself -- available, and a recent version of
Mandrake, and access to drivers via the net if we
needed them.

The user, who is no doubt a smart guy, managed to fix
the problem himself, presumably by googling/asking on
a list somewhere and then manually setting up the
modem (installing an RPM, whatever).  But it didn't
just "do what was required" on this occasion.  

Given that this is one of the very few PCI modems
actively supported under Linux, would you really put
this outside the 99% you mention?

> I don't use a PC to become an expert in configuring
> an OS, I want to use it for
> other things. To date Mandrake has let me do this
> better than anything else
> I've tried.
> 

Well, if all you want is something which handles
system configuration for you (without requiring
googling), Windows or Mac are your best bets.  Really.

It's all a question of balance really.  I'd say that
your preferences reveal that you don't actually mind
doing _some_ OS configuration to get the benefits of
Linux, as long as it isn't too much.

I tend to lean a bit further in the direction of being
happy to configure the OS, because I like the
flexibility that offers.

Whence:
> Your needs/preferences may vary, & the one thing
> Linux does offer is choice- we
> can all pretty much get what we want!!
> 

Roger that.  

Cheers
Tony

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