[AuckLUG] Installing Linux

[Denise Bates]

Nevyn wrote:

> Which to me just smells of progress - rather than a distro war flaunting
> this distro over that, should we not talk about common tools to use for
> configuring and using the modem? Thus we can let Richard make up his own
> mind as to the distro he wants to use.

My suggestion of Slackware was offered in good faith because:
* At least some of Richard's problems seem to stem from the 
eccentricities of GUI-based installers,
* Slackware (and any other properly installed distro with KDE) will have 
KPPP, which will detect and get a hardware modem running without problems,
* He had allready listed a range of distros that he had tried, and was 
seeking suggestions of other distros,
* I haven't tried running SB Live under Slackware, but it is mentioned 
in /etc/rc.d/modules. If Alsa doesn't recognise the card, then 
uncommenting the appropriate line in the above file should get it running.

> Slackware - one of the oldest distributions out there. I don't really know
> much about this distribution except that it appears to be slow and steady.
> The installer wasn't terribly robust the last time I tried it (no back
> button on most screens).

Ah, you are spoilt by GUIs. Slackware doesn't allow "going back" as 
such. If you make a bad choice, you must either cancel that part of the 
installation, or let it run it's course, then when you get back to the 
main setup menu, just re-run that part all over again. The moral: RTF* 
and try not to make bad choices (or treat it as a learning experience).

regards,
*********************************************
Dr Denise J. Bates,
PO Box 50,
Meremere 2441
New Zealand
E-mail: dbates at iconz.co.nz
Telephone 09-2336433
Mobile 021-2541330
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