Re: [edlug] Looking for a new Distro

[Space Bunny <lists@xxx.xxx.xxx>]

Matthew Slane wrote:

> I've tried to give VL a try and have given up, the general impression 
> I've got is one of sloppiness.  I can't even get the thing installed 
> due to problem after problem after problem.

I installed it on an old laptop but X does not work. I found this with 
allot of distros I have tried on that laptop. In  fact Mandrake 9.1 was 
only distro to manage to configure X ok on install. I wanted to try 
something else to see if could be less sluggish, and well just check 
them out.

> So after hunting through my meagre collection of floppies I found some 
> without bad sectors and wrote the floppy image files from the cd to 
> them.  They booted into a curses based install program and then the 
> fun began.
> It asks you to select the keymap and then gives you a little text box 
> to try it out in.  It was still the default US map no matter what I 
> selected.


I found this too but you get a second chance to select this on actual 
install/configure and it works then on installed system.

> After installing the base layout it gave me a pretty condescending 
> message about installing the kernel and told me to press ok to move to 
> an option screen to select which kernel I wanted.  I pressed ok and 
> received an error along the lines of "Can not find that kernel".  So I 
> tried again.  Same result.

I thought I made a mistake here in one I choose that lead to cdrom drive 
not working. But maybe it was distro in same way you found problems. I 
can't remember what happened with me at that point.

> A friend has burned me the Arch Iso's and scanning through reviews and 
> the forums, this looks like a distro I will like, I'll let you know 
> how it goes.  I'm not going to hold Slack in a bad light because of 
> VL, if Arch doesn't rock my boat, I'll give that or Peanut a go next.

I enjoy the slackware install where one gets prompted with each package 
if one has the time. I had great fun doing this with a bunch of people 
at a weekend of GNU/Linux workshops as we cheered or booed each option 
with our thoughts on it. One can learn allot but also be amused as 
slackware's idea of vital and recommended.

We had found that Slackware was only installer that could deal with that 
computer.  And have found that in other cases.

I have yet to try Arch or Peanut. So will be good to hear how you get on.

I am going to try a HD install of Damn Small Linux ( 
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ ) which now has HD installer script. And 
then Deli ( http://delilinux.berlios.de/ ) on that old laptop and other 
old pcs.
They both seem to have active forums.

I am quite a fan of seeing how distros developing at http://distrowatch.com

cheers,

Micah
http://j12.org/sb/

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