On Fri, 2003-04-18 at 15:59, Vineet Kumar wrote: > * Jamin W. Collins (jcollins@asgardsrealm.net) [030418 12:23]: > > On Fri, Apr 18, 2003 at 12:53:59AM -0700, Vineet Kumar wrote: > > > * bob parker (bob_parker@dodo.com.au) [030417 11:58]: > > > > Linux was ready for the desktop quite some time ago, especially > > > > Debian. OK it's not that wonderful to install but how many Windows > > > > users install their own system? Very few I'll bet. > > > > > > This is a very important but seldom realized point. I invite anyone > > > who claims that "Linux is hard to install" to attempt a ground-up > > > install of any version of windows. > > > > Sorry, but if you honestly think Windows is more difficult to install > > than most Linux distros, your missing something. I'm certianly > > pro-Linux, and prefer it to any MS release, but the MS releases are a > > fair bit more "hand holding". > > Well, I can't say that I've installed most distros, but I've been > actively comparing installs of win2k and XP versus redhat at a client > site. Of course, this isn't hard evidence, but in my experience, redhat > "just works" more often than does windows. > > Of course, this is getting OT, since redhat's installation process is > orthogonal to whether debian's is difficult. > > Also, I'd say that of the 3, I'd describe redhat's as the most > "hand-holding", while windows' is more like "hand-cuffing". (Yes, I > realize that the terminology I choose here weakens my argument by making > me sound like a raving zealot.) The windows installer doesn't guide you > through any decisions at all, it just doesn't give you any decisions to > make. > > good times, > Vineet > -- > http://www.doorstop.net/ As part of a Windows re-install earlier on the system I wrote about, I had to use a boot disk to start the Windows setup. The default boot disk that Windows creates wouldn't leave enough RAM for the installation program to run. I had to search the cobwebbed corners of my brain to remember loadhigh and devicehigh, and edit the config.sys and autoexec.bat repeatedly until I could boot the monster successfully. No hand-holding from M$ there. The Windows install, once running, was comparable to an OS/2 Warp 4 installation (something I had done a couple of times) and easier than installing Debian or Slackware, but definitely way behind installing RedHat in ease of flow. That said, Windows installs only install Windows. OS/2 installs give you a significant amount of working software relative to standard Windows. Linux gives you the whole range of possibilities - services, hardware support, applications, applications, applications, really obscure applications, utilities, window managers and their related environments up the ying-yang - all in one installation session. Personally, I fear the thought of running dselect against the Sid collection of packages ;) -- Mark L. Kahnt, FLMI/M, ALHC, HIA, AIAA, ACS, MHP ML Kahnt New Markets Consulting Tel: (613) 531-8684 / (613) 539-0935 Email: kahnt@hosehead.dyndns.org
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