Text 14875, 140 rader
Skriven 2011-03-24 10:17:00 av WAYNE CHIRNSIDE (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JAMES BRADLEY
Ärende: Re: up and atom
=======================
-=> JAMES BRADLEY wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-

 -=> WAYNE CHIRNSIDE wrote to TOM WALKER <=-

<snip> 

 WC> I still play with Slackware but were I too decide to go
 WC> for a Windows looking box there's always Knoppix 6.4.4

 JB> A fellow has touted Puppy Linux. My first poke at it looked pretty
 JB> great, and most everything I was used to was found right where I was
 JB> accustomed to finding it. I should install it on a machine here when I
 JB> sell my only Ubuntu box.

I've been meaning to give that one a look see.
I'm down to one burnable CD as I've been giving copies of Ubuntu away
trying to convert the unwashed Windows masses. 

I may give it a go on machine two once I go ahead and repartition
hda.

 WC> The trick is discerning the _proper_ hardware, not the most expensive.

 JB> As mentioned earlier, "Win"modems, "Win"sound, and don't forget
 JB> "Win"printers are the only three classes of HW to avoid - even if you
 JB> are Windblows addicted - that I am aware of. Now, ATI and Nvidia are a
 JB> closed shop to protect their trade secrets, but they both work well
 JB> with open source 2D drivers. 3D is available for both as executable
 JB> files with the edge going to ATI the last I heard.

Yeah, Nvidia contaminated my kernel without even asking and thus out
came that card.
I use it to test only now in unknown hardware, a sacraficial virgin as 
it were.

 JB> Other than that, maybe a flaky SCSI card, or an impotent NIC... Any
 JB> other generalizations? I seem to recall a few versions of bridge chips
 JB> were problematic, but I believe most of the sticky bits (Pun not
 JB> intended!) are addressed with firmware updates or kernel modifications.

Yeah, i need to update my kernel.
I've not been liking what I've heard about the native kernel for 13.1
though it's supposed to support Nvidia.

I've a Rage 128 agp video card but no machine to put it in as that motherboard
or CPU appears to be dead.
I must pull the CPU and see if it then attempts POST.

 WC> This machine is a Gateway 2.8 GHz purchased for $20 nearly two years
 WC> ago as a clearance item.
 WC> Uptime, identical to ownership time.
 WC> Zero problems.

 WC> As long as there remain dedicated loyal Windows users
 WC> I remain on easy street :-)

 JB> "The last guy cleaned our computer, and by the next day there were
 JB> forty new viruses on it." came from a neighbour that I helped years
 JB> ago.

I don't do Windows support any longer.
A fellow came to me with his need to clear virus off of his newly 
acquired laptops and I said hey why don't you try Knoppix 6.4.4?

He says, no I like Windows.
Not eager for yet another long no pay commitment to support that lame OS
I suddenly decided I was unavailable for support.
Had I put Knoppix onto the machine he'd have likely found it
rather easier and better than Windows.
 
 JB> I told this "client" about the last time I even *looked* at a Windows
 JB> screen. (A bit of a lie, as almost every machine I consider at auction
 JB> is preloaded with the crap.) Another fellow wanted to buy that Ubuntu
 JB> machine I talked about, but *needed* it loaded with Eight-gigs of RAM,
 JB> and Six-146G SCSI drives so he could squeak that latest and greatest
 JB> Win-Server OS on the pig. "I got away from Windows for *exactly* that
 JB> reason. I can equip you with a bare machine for you to load up, or you
 JB> can be running Apache and an FTP server before sundown with my cast-off
 JB> parts. Move to a real OS and get twice the work done with half the
 JB> resources."

We are of like mind in this.
The Emachines snagged for $20 does really fine now the power supply
has been replaced.

That came with Windows preinstalled and with 512 Meg it took some
20 minutes just to close and leave Windows and this with XP.

It's a bit slow even with Slackware on 512M but mere seconds 
rather than minutes.

I'd been intending to keep that Windows XP install and split
the partition but it was just so d**ned annoying to work
around I zero'd the drive instead.
It felt GOOD to vanquish that abomination :-)

 JB> I haven't heard a peep out of either since. <BWEG>

I've managed to lose my only two Windows suppport dependents
through feigned ignorance or unavailability.

My one huge advantage is the Linux dealership two blocks from here.

The owner gets in bulk shipments of used hardware from time to
time and then it's scavenger hunt time with big rewards as he only
purchases hardware that's Linux compatable.

Anything he has not the time to work on goes up for clearance sale
and the informed buyer can advantage themself of this.

An example.
Ray got in a shipment on the cheap and refurbished and refitted
an Emachines of a later model than mine then listed it
at $160.

I got a rather similar box he figured he didn't have time for
for $20.

A spare power supply I had laying around fixed it right up.
Fortunately this time the motherboard wasn't completely fried
as is often the case due to the too limited OEM power supply.

My only two need this coming month are a 40 - 44 pin wiring harness to 
put Linux on the laptops and from there it's a matter of desires
rather than needs.

Oh yeah and a printer.
Ray has two Linux compatable used for $5.00 each and he informs me
that Walgreens up the street supplies cartridge refills for $9.00.

Between this guy Ray and Maurice all my hardware and software difficulties
vanish into nothing.

Oh boy do I remember more difficult times struggling with Windows
and its attendent never ending string of difficulties.


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