Opinions on Red Hat

[jpbtennisman]

I have tried Mandrake and it wouldn't get me into a GUI. SuSE evaluation was great but I have to pay to use it. So I am going to try one of the other Linux versions good for *LINUX* newbies (I am not a newbie to computers, that is for sure!), from what I heard, and that is Red Hat 7. I am downloading it right now.

Does anyone have any experience with it? And if you do, could you tell me:
- how do I install my Linksys PCMPC100 network card?
- how do I get drivers for other devices?
- is it as easy to use as SuSE is?

[hybridd]

man you can get a copy of suse for free but the $30 has a book dvd i think i dunno i got the free download unlike your burn it to a cd and run crap

[Aikidoka]

Hmm, I thought you loved windows and hated linux J.P.? Well, have fun.

[jpbtennisman]

Originally posted by Aikidoka:
<STRONG>Hmm, I thought you loved windows and hated linux J.P.? Well, have fun.</STRONG>
I do love Windows, and the only reason I come out in such strong defense of Windows is because with all its hype, I haven't really seen Linux do something Windows couldn't do.

I am trying to learn what Linux can do for my life as a multimedia designer and a bit of a gamer. If Linux has extreme multimedia and gaming capabilities that I don't know about and can do amazing things Windows can't do, I may just ditch Windows altogether. But from what I have heard, I don't think I'll be deleting my trusty ol' Windows anytime soon.

[Aikidoka]

:rolleyes:

[nholowat]

I agree, Windows does alot of things better than Linux. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to get those blue screens on my Linux box. I'm probably doing something wrong here, so if anyone can tell me how I can get Linux to crash as much as Windows, the help would be greatly appreciated. ;)

[jpbtennisman]

Originally posted by nholowat:
<STRONG>I agree, Windows does alot of things better than Linux. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to get those blue screens on my Linux box. I'm probably doing something wrong here, so if anyone can tell me how I can get Linux to crash as much as Windows, the help would be greatly appreciated. ;)</STRONG>

hehe ;) very funny. Of course, I am talking about some of the mutlimedia or gaming capabilities that Windows has, along with support for more non-legacy hardware and software. From what I have heard (And experienced) Linux has minimal 1394 support, if any.

If you weren't so closed-minded and ignorant and didn't assume all Windows OSes crashed constantly, you may want to try Windows 2000.

Anyway, back to my original question...how good is Red Hat?

[StanLin]

I use Red Hat 7 for surfing, email, mp3, icu (icq) and as a samba server. Had I not used Windows ever before, I would not know the meaning of "os crashed".

[teeitup]

If one is really into multimedia shouldn't you be using a Mac. Windows still can't match it.

As for Windows 2000, administrating a test lab I hang Windows 2000 servers daily. True, I don't get as many blue screens, but hangs are just as bad.

I now take all the servers that 2000 made obsolete, due to lack of hardware support, and turn them into file servers. All I need is a good storage subsystem (StorageWorks) and my old NT servers become Linux file servers with a performance gain my management still can't believe.

my 2 cents,

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by J.P. Balletta:
<STRONG>If you weren't so closed-minded and ignorant and didn't assume all Windows OSes crashed constantly, you may want to try Windows 2000.
</STRONG>

yes, we are all ignorant, none of us here has ever seen/heard of /used w2k, we don't know nothing about it

it must be better than linux at everything including washing my dog, i just need the right firewire dog washing peripheral


don't feed the trolls

[655321]

Well, I use Windows 2k all the time... and I hate every second of it. I have to use it for word processing so I can take back and forth to school computers. True, Windows 2000 doesn't crash very much, but it does hang a lot, and it is pretty buggy at times. I just have never really understood why someone would think Windows is better and be so close minded about Linux....which is free by the way.

[inkedmn]

Originally posted by jmchamp:
<STRONG>...Linux....which is free by the way.</STRONG>


REALLY???!!?!?!

[frankwick]

Which Mandrake did you try? I'm a newbie and decided to wait for Mandrake 8.0 as my very first install. Please give me your honest thoughts.

Originally posted by J.P. Balletta:
<STRONG>I have tried Mandrake and it wouldn't get me into a GUI. SuSE evaluation was great but I have to pay to use it. So I am going to try one of the other Linux versions good for *LINUX* newbies (I am not a newbie to computers, that is for sure!), from what I heard, and that is Red Hat 7. I am downloading it right now.

Does anyone have any experience with it? And if you do, could you tell me:
- how do I install my Linksys PCMPC100 network card?
- how do I get drivers for other devices?
- is it as easy to use as SuSE is?</STRONG>

[Pakrat]

As a Desktop Support and Help Desk person I know how unstable Windows (all) really is. If you've never had a problem with windows, give it a month. Kindof a murphy's law, once you think you've got it good, it goes wrong. Friend of mine bought a new system and he didn't have any problems, then all of a sudden problem after problem, reinstall after reinstall.

I don't bash windows as much as I could because I know how MS is... Push out the product so we can make our money.
The only reason I still use it is because it's mainstream, and I wouldn't have a job because all I do is support it.

I don't mean to be mean, but your attitude here is a piece of why people don't like windows. Windows is not the Best, but because it's the biggest some think it is. For companies it's the easiest which makes it the best for them.

I appreciate what Linux is because it[linux] takes the time to deliver what it promisses. I don't care that it can't play or support the latest and greatest, it's just another reason to have another computer in your linux network, a windows machine.

[ColdPack]

Listen folks, windows is fine for certain jobs. I don't like using it, but it does a couple of things on occasion that I need it to do.
JP, as for multimedia, nothing can outdo a mac. I may not be a big advocate for macs, but ALL of my video and audio editing takes place on my mac... I work in radio for a living and the best is always on a mac. Sure, you can do stuff on winders, but it's not even close to what a mac (actually, BeOS, too, in some cases) can do in terms of performance.
As for linux, it's great for a lot of things. The reason, again, that there is still a lot of hardware yet unsupported in linux is not linux's fault but the hardware manufacturers. Many of them won't release the specifications needed to create drivers so we (linux users) are stuck. Not the fault of linux.
By the way, I can't believe you can't get Mandrake to work. That has to be the bloody easiest distro to install. You have to really work hard to get it not work properly.
Okay, I don't want to rag at you but if you're looking for linux to run your windows programs, that's not gonna happen. They're totally different. If you're interested in what linux can do on it's own, give it a try. It's been a great experience for me... and I don't even know what the fsck c++ is! And those scripts you guys write is just plain jibberish! :)
By the way, I run Debian almost exclusively at home, followed by BeOS (same computer)... my mac I use for editing audio and some video for the local community cable-tv station. Windows gets booted up on a rare occasion... funny, though... and can't even recall the last time I did. Haven't needed it.

[655321]

Originally posted by inkedmn:
<STRONG>
REALLY???!!?!?!</STRONG>

yes, really!!!

[The Occult]

JP, getting Mandrake to work for me took a little bit of hardware inventorying and then checking the HCL for 7.2. I gather from other peoples discussions that 90% of the reasons why you can't get ANY distro to work is because of hardware incompatabilities. Oh and did you also disable PnP on your mobo and devices? (like PnP on a modem?).

I haven't tried RedHat yet but from all reports, if you can't get Mandrake to work, then RedHat may be another experiment in frustration.

[redline]

All I have to say is...

:cool: RedHat :cool:

redline

[jpbtennisman]

Originally posted by The Occult:
<STRONG>JP, getting Mandrake to work for me took a little bit of hardware inventorying and then checking the HCL for 7.2. I gather from other peoples discussions that 90% of the reasons why you can't get ANY distro to work is because of hardware incompatabilities. Oh and did you also disable PnP on your mobo and devices? (like PnP on a modem?).

I haven't tried RedHat yet but from all reports, if you can't get Mandrake to work, then RedHat may be another experiment in frustration.</STRONG>

I didn't touch anything...I have a laptop...since Linux is PnP compatible it shouldn't have a problem...

[bdg1983]

since Linux is PnP compatible it shouldn't have a problem

Where did you read that? Yes, the install will usually detect most hardware, but that is due to the detection routines initiated during the install process. You are better off turning off PnP in the BIOS before installing Linux.

If you want to find out what hardware is supported in RH7, why not head over to their site and check the HCL.

[Red Hat]

Red Hat 7.0 didn't work for me. I had video problems, so maybe next time I install it, I'll have a new video card :D

Like they say:

x.0 = Buggy
x.1 = Getting better
x.2 = Best version


[ 13 April 2001: Message edited by: Red Hat ]

[bkurt]

Macs, well at least someone thinks they are good for something. They crash more than windows machines which is pretty bad. I have never seens a comparatively suited Mac outperform a pc and I doubt I ever will. Maybe I have just had bad experiences, but I work at a University support center and probably 3/4 of our work orders are for macs compared to pc's. If I had it my way they all would have Slackware on them and be running like a charm.

[jpbtennisman]

Originally posted by mdwatts:
<STRONG>Where did you read that? Yes, the install will usually detect most hardware, but that is due to the detection routines initiated during the install process. You are better off turning off PnP in the BIOS before installing Linux.

If you want to find out what hardware is supported in RH7, why not head over to their site and check the HCL.</STRONG>

It isn't? That was just an assumption...sorry...I thought most recent OSes were. When will it be?

[Molecule Man]

Originally posted by J.P. Balletta:
<STRONG>It isn't? That was just an assumption...sorry...I thought most recent OSes were. When will it be?</STRONG>

JP you have never installed Windows on clean bare hardware have you? You are better off turning off PNP for Win2k or WinME.

But in answer to your question, RH7.1 or MDK8.0.

[cga]

Windows is the only plug n' pray OS. Auto probing is a totally different thing.