I've given up(for the moment)
 

I'd really like to be able to use Linnux. Put mandrake 9.1 on box as dual boot with XP. Very impressive and fast install, and boot option works fine but i never use it for Linnux. Gave up after about 3 weeks and maybe 50 hours. It does work, but modem does,nt printer does'nt ,screen refresh is much to high ( I might not get away with that if the machine was'nt new with flat panel).

Yes this is a rant and I do'nt expect any further handholding( sincere thanks to all those here who tried to help) but surely this belies and challenge Linnux can make for the desktop.
I suppose" Linux for dummies" or "idots guide to Linux" do'nt exist. I'm in Ireland and dependant on U.K. magazines and all Linux mags here are too advanced. Are there any U.S. mags for Linux beginers??
I just had an awakening. This multitude of distros makes it impossible for any magazine to be generally helplfull. So if I buy any Windows mag they all refer to the same thing with the same name but each Linux has a different name and this must be a huge barrier to the widespread adoption of Linux, and that apart from hardware compatability.
just to indicate my interest in Linux I did buy a new copy of "The Cathedral and the Bazzar"
RGDS
mgbgt

Sorry it didn't work out. Three weeks might be a bit too soon to give up, though.

As for magazines, I really like LinuxFormat, but being in the US, I have to mortgage my house to pay for it. I don't know of any US Linux magazines exclusively for beginners but most have at least a section for beginners.

And if you wait a couple of months, there will in fact be a Linux for Dummies.

Steve

I use RedHat 9, and there are plenty of usefull books. Now if you go online, then the sky is the limit for docs on alot of distros including Mandrake,
Don't know about your problems, but this forum is a great place for answers. Just ask or do a search, I am sure your problems have been discussed here before.
If you really are giving up, then good luck, and if you come back, we will still be here to help
I have seen it said here many times, use what is best for you.
Good luck

I agree with you too, 3 weeks is too soon to give up.

First time when i installed linux on my comp. i also meet a lot of problem, but i never give up, i tried to search for the documentations, etc.

Now almost 1 year and noe i am able to handle linux although i am not a Guru and still learning with member of the linuxquestions and maybe the others.

But as twilli said do it what is the best for yourself not for anyone's sake.

We will help you if you really need help, ofcourse you must post your questions here.


Good luck

Well I was'nt 100% honest. A contribuory fact was that I started a very stressy "computer course""(all Windows of course) and just did'nt have the surplus energy to devote to Linux. Will probaly get that "Dummies" book in November which is coincidently when my course should be finishing.
rgds
mgbgt
3 weeks is not enough. huh. Wonder if they'll ever put that on the box. Buy now use it 6 weeks later. Well yeah u do'nt have to buy it,it's free so it's a bit like joining a church I suppose. No pain,no gain. I'm just annoyed, I though I was smarter:lol

Why not just leave it on the dual boot box and every once in a while boot into linux and play around for a few months, thats what i did then eventually I ditched windows on my dual boot system. Its tough getting it going but once you do its well worth it. No BSOD or Illegal program crap. Just horse around with it for fun if you can and before you know it youll be using it everyday. :D

I'm almost there with mgbgt. Unfortunately i have no other choice. Similiar to what the marketing gurus at Microsoft did by making their software necessary in the business world, my school has adopted linux and i am now forced to learn it and write code for it. I have only just begun but it seems like this will be a hard road to hoe. As of yet through what i've read through the mouse crapped out then now after getting it working the startx will not load because of no screens found that are compatible, blah blah blah. The list goes on. (Slackware 9 by the way.) I have not found any really good sources for info either other than these forums. While i admit that often times i lack sleep and do not comprehend everything on the first time thorough it is very frustrating. For example if i want to learn how to open a file and read it through the command prompt (which i have yet to come across in the 12 hours of reading and installing i've done), i would need to search on the web for it. the linux.org site is for experts. slackware's site is for advanced users and they figure that people have gotten further than the point to which i am at. I will look forward to the linux for dummies book to come out or might look into getting some other beginners book. Any recomendations? :confused: would i be better off with red hat?

Sorry for the flame on linux i'm just deterred from the looks of my situation. And MANY THANKS to all of you who make it a little easier on us by sharing your invaluable knoledge.

the only major troubles people seem to have with Linux is on the hardware, and getting everything configured. Sometimes you might be better trying a different distribution, or installing on an older machine. Getting hardware to work for a complete complete beginner isnt easy, but if you can still get online its worth sticking out. After a while youl gain the confidence to go through the stupid methods of getting that piece of hardware to work.

For example iv promised my girlfriend il get a webcam (since im moving really far away from her and wont see her that often anymore) but i know its not going to install nicely. Iv had a look around before i buy and it appears its gonna take at least a kernel recompile with the necessary modules i need to download (as well as building in somethingoranother support). It shouldnt be as difficult as that though with more common hardware

jonnyfive, you said opening a file and reading the command prompt, you mean just:

more <filename>

that should output whatever is in the file to the screen, and you can then move through it.

more sucks, try "less <filename>" :-)

have fun

my gripe with Linux (maybe i should say redhat as it is the only distro that i've installed) is that it will install perfectly on one machine....and on my other box, 7.3 and 7.2 both failed and im back to 7.1 just to get an OS on the damn thing. im gonna put BSD on it anyway but damn...the box had 7.3 on it not long ago, now there is some mysterious error during install and the system reboots...i hate having 7.1 on there..took me all day to upgrade everything, damn near every package on the 7.1 CD has since been found to have security problems.

do basically im just posting to say, i can understand why people quit before they even get Linux on the macine. Sometimes it just wont install, and for a newbie....having problems at install time is just too much to deal with sometimes, it's like trying to learn to tie shoes with shoes tha tdont fit

quote:
i hate having 7.1 on there..took me all day to upgrade everything, damn near every package on the 7.1 CD has since been found to have security problems.

How old is 7.1? Been out for awhile I guess, because I loaded up 7.3 a year ago. Don't you think any os over a year old is going to have security problems, and alot of the packages will be updated?
I have loaded up RH 7.3 and 8.0 on this machine, and am now running 9.0 with no problems with installation.
Me is lucky I guess:cool:

I gave up on linux at least two dozen times in the last 6 years. I installed it, played with it for couple of weeks, couldn’t do something and give up. Lack of applications and miscellaneous software didn’t help either. Few weeks ago I stared a project which required me to use linux. This time I must say so far so good, most of the issues I encounter have been resolved pretty quickly and everything seems to be working. I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of applications available. I am not 100% happy as hardware support is far from being acceptable and at this point it’s the biggest draw back to using linux exclusively, at least in my opinion.
The bottom line is: you don’t have to use linux if you don’t like it or don’t feel comfortable with it but when you’re less busy with your work and want a little project, give it a try. Read, read and read and use the “New Thread” button on the forum as there is a lot of knowledgeable folks around here willing to help.