On Thu, Jul 18, 2002 at 04:27:11PM -0000, Grant Edwards wrote:
| >> > 2.4 system installed and running. Installing Redhat on the
| >> > same system takes about 15 minutes.
| >>
| >> As I found the install to be unnecessary lengthy, I've 'installed' the
| >> last few Debian boxes by just cloning the disk and changing the few
| >> things that needed changing. As the dpkg means purged pkgs leave almost
| >> no cruft behind, I've never run into problems with that.
| I've never installed Suse. Installing RH typically involves
| answering a few questions, coming back twice to change CDs and
| answering a few more questions.
Actually, when I last installed RH (version 7.2) it took a few hours
of dickering back and forth with their package selector because it
wanted to install lots of junk I didn't want on that system.
| Installing Debian requires constant attention and loads of manual
| adjustments, tweaks, and fixes afterwards. Here are the problems
| seen yesterday:
|
| * Tasksel UI is confusing. I watched as my neighbor was
| accidentally dumped from the program when he thought he was
| selecting a task.
I've never tried tasksel. If its UI is confusing, then file a bug
report with specific suggestions on how it can be improved. Otherwise
the authors won't know there's a problem.
| * The dselect UI is completely cryptic.
Yeah, so don't use it. I wouldn't be surprised if dselect disappeard
some time soon. Use apt-get or if you want a "gui" tool try aptitude
or deity or something.
| * Package configuration asks pointless questions.
The first config question is for debconf and it asks what priority
questions you want to be asked. If you pick "low" you'll get lots of
questions asked.
[snip problems caused by woody calling itself "stable" when it wasn't]
| * LILO was supposedly installed in the MBR of /dev/hda, but
| the system won't boot from the hard drive. This happens on
| most of the Debian installs I've done -- I generally
| install GRUB from sources, since Debian's LILO rarely works
| for me.
I've never used LILO. It never worked for me. It's a long story, but
I can tell specifically what the problems were and why (when I finally
found it) grub just works. Grub is packaged for debian, you know.
| * With LILO broken, it's particularly annoying that the boot
| floppy created during the install takes 15 minutes to load
| the kernel from the floppy
Wow. That's bad. I've never seen it take that long.
| * We had to purge GPM in order to get the PS/2 mouse to work
| properly under X11.
Why do people have _soooo_ much trouble with this? It is NOT that
hard. I've explained the procedure (making special note of the
settings people tend to get wrong) several times on the list. Maybe
I'll record that in a document on my web site some day.
I've installed RH (5.2, 6.1, 7.0, 7.2) and Win2k (besides potato and
woody). I also "restored" win98 on a compaq once. *I* find the
debian installer to be the easiest to use because
1) it does what it says it will do
2) it does what you tell it to
3) it lets you tell it *exactly* what you do and don't want it to do
4) you have a fully functional system when you are done
(compaq restore, any windows system -- you have to go
install lots of 3rd party addons to have something useful)
5) you don't jump back and forth between an unsorted list of
packages and a list of "these are dependency problems"
(rh)
6) you don't reboot a dozen times (windows)
I'll agree that the debian installer isn't something a monkey can do,
but it isn't rocket science either.
| Then you've had far, far better luck with Debian than I have.
I guess so.
-D
--
If you hold to [Jesus'] teaching, you are really [Jesus'] disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31-32
http://dman.ddts.net/~dman/
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