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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    suse-linux-uk-schools
From:       "Martin Dart" <mjdart () brookes ! ac ! uk>
Date:       2000-10-27 9:26:07
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RE: publicity.

Despite the postings here bemoaning the bad publicity given to Linux,
certain facts have to be considered, and the most painful of these is that
Linux is a very unfriendly operating system to come to terms with, and
intimidates and frustrates the hell out of those who do not have advanced
UNIX knowledge!

I have had SuSE 7.0 personal all week now, and on the 2 machines I have
tried to set it up on, I still have not fully succeeded. I've had partition
trouble (gotta be REAL careful which device to install on - hda/hdb, which
partition etc...), multiple installation crashes (at the 100% mark where the
kernel would not install), mouse configuration trouble (why does choosing
the 'Microsoft Intellimouse' option cause it to go haywire when I do in fact
have this device? How do I then rectify it when I cannot then use the GUI as
the mouse has gone haywire!?), and last night after failing to detect my
modem the system unexpectedly rebooted (that happened 2/3 times for no
apparent reason). And that's on the better of the 2 machines! The other one
still will not run KDE as it complains of the lack of installed servers,
does not recognise my video card, and gives me errors that 'routing' has
failed. Certainly, I have been a long way short of having a running system
within 20 mins of opening the box as SuSE have suggested!

If I were a reviewer evaluating the product, I would have little choice but
to slate it, and advise people to choose Microsoft products - I've installed
1 server & 2 workstations with Win2K, implemented a domain, set up printers,
and  connected to the internet in the same time period that Linux has done
little more than frustrate and annoy me.

But I will persevere, as I am nothing else if not inquisitive and resilient!
It does seem to me however that the Linux community suffers from an overdose
of that sorry old computing tale - assuming that everyone else in the world
knows as much as you, and despising them if they do not!

Regards,

Martin.


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