Re: Emacs - was Re: Mail/news software [further OT]
James Ravan wrote:
>
> At 12:31 PM 5/4/00 +0800, Corey Popelier wrote:
> >I take an extremely simplistic view. I'd use Windows more if it didn't
> >crash 20 times a day. That's why I use Linux. Simple.
>
> Based on my experience with Debian Linux to date, I also take a simplistic
> view. Windows has worked with all the hardware changes I have made to my
> machine since I bought it this past January. I have also been trying to
> install Debian on this machine for days. I cannot get Debian installed. The
> installation process simply, stubbornly hangs. If I can't get it installed,
> I don't care how robust it might be after installation. I CAN'T GET THAT FAR.
>
> I have installed Suse on my laptop, and that was a breeze. I have installed
> Corel Linux on this machine, and although it was not a breeze, at least it
> installed. And, quite honestly, it only took about two hours of fiddling
> over two days to get Corel Linux up. Compared with my current experience
> with Debian, I should just suffer Corel Linux, without a sound card (that
> works under Windows), and an ethernet card (that works under Windows) and
> be done.
>
> VERY frustratedly,
James, you are doing several things wrong here.
First of all, if I were you I'd either order an official Debian CD set
from some place like Cheapbytes (yes, they are *very* cheap), or, if you
have lots of time and bandwidth, download the base floppy images from
the Debian site, then let dselect or apt download the other packages
from there. There seem to be a lot of problems with people using the
CDs in the backs of these books. If I'm wrong about this one, I
apologize, I'm just saying I've seen lots of complaints on this list.
In fact, that's probably why your earlier question was apparently
ignored; folks are tired of dealing with these broken CDs.
Try this:
http://www.cheapbytes.com
I just noticed that Debian is not in their "Mondo" pack like it used to
be. That's too bad; that's how I got my Debian CD originally. Once I
tried that, I never even broke out Suse, Caldera, or Slackware (already
had RedHat, which I later uninstalled). :-)
Second, if you have a question for this list, don't "piggyback" it to an
ongoing thread, like you've done twice now. Just put it out there so it
will be a new thread. People tend to ignore you otherwise, because
you're just off-topic for the thread.
Third, don't criticize Debian for something Sams puts out. You got your
Corel Linux from Corel, you got your Windows from Microsoft, you
probably got your Suse from Suse, but you're criticizing Debian because
something in the back of a Sams book doesn't work? More than a little
unfair, dude.
But I grant that it is a problem that lots of folks don't know how to
get an "Official" Debian distro that works. Basically, www.debian.org
does not get you there: you are led into a maze of Release Notes and
Installation Instructions, without any clear instructions about where to
get the dang thing.
Maybe there needs to be a www.debian.com that does not have any
compunctions about linking to CheapBytes, et al. Hmmm, that's already
taken by www.debian.org.
Still a commercial or commercially-oriented arm that wants to "sell"
pure Debian (i.e., not Corel or Stormix) - I wonder...
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