From: Frank Gevaerts <frank@gevaerts.be> To: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: Users ready for Debian on the Desktop Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:36:19 +0200 On Fri, Apr 18, 2003 at 12:53:59AM -0700, Vineet Kumar wrote: > 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. I usually plan 2 hours for a linux install and at least half a day for a windows install (basic os with all hardware working correctly, no advanced setup or applications) Frank
How true. When I (foolishly) upgraded my laptop from WinMe to XP Pro, it took something like two or three days to get everything working correctly. Not only that, but I had to backup data, format my harddrive and do a clean install and I still had problems. The clean install thing was a real pain, but every single person/technician I talked to said that an upgrade from WinMe was the worse thing I could do.
A couple of weeks ago when I upgraded my system from stable to testing, all I did was update /etc/apt/sources.list, apt-get update, and apt-get dist-upgrade. When I came back an hour later everything was all set, I only had to answer a couple of config question, and voila. It is unacceptable to be required to reformat a hard drive to upgrade to an OS from the SAME VENDOR. Linux would never survive any nonsense like that.
I still think that the Debian install was easier than the Windows install. As a matter of fact, I had so many problems with the unsigned driver thing in WinXP I nearly shot my computer. OTOH, the only problems I experienced with setting up Debian were when I had to configure windows only hardware (winmodem, winprinter, etc.).
-Roberto _________________________________________________________________Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail