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chris319 12-03-2003 03:47 PM

Buh-bye SuSE
 
After two days of trying I can't get SuSE 9.0 to run. I've tried it both as an update over 8.2 and as a new install. Sometimes when installing the bootloader it hangs up while trying to create initrd. Even if the bootloader creation is successful and it boots, it gets to the step just before the KDE login screen with a frozen black "X" over the blue splash screen (BSOD). My installation of 8.2 on another HD, which I still have, went perfectly smoothly.

Normally I would try to find a solution to this problem. That was before Novell entered the picture. Two things concern me about the Novell deal. First, in reading the press release, all they talk about is "enterprise" this and "enterprise" that. There is no mention of what they plan to do with their consumer (personal edition) line. Second, AFAIK Novell has no experience in the consumer market. They have never made a product targeted to consumers. They seem far more interested in making back their $218 million investment by selling technical support than worrying about us lowly consumers. They seem to be another Red Hat in the making.

Time to look for another distro.

Just my humble opinion.

bschneider 12-03-2003 03:52 PM

I just installed 9.0 on two machines at home and did not have a problem with either one after I bought the software. One was installed from the dvd and the other from the CD-ROMs. I did have problems trying to install via ftp, but that was because my connection kept timing out and stalling. So far I like the SuSE linux better than any other distro I have tried.

As to what Novel is going to do that is something that remains to be seen, but it seems to me that maybe they see an opportunity to compete directly with Microsoft with SuSE.

mla 12-03-2003 04:05 PM

I installed SUSE9 on 2 pc's
On laptop IBM Thinkpad T20 where FEDORA never could work
and HP Vectra.
Run smoothly.

chris319 12-03-2003 04:18 PM

Maybe my machine is possessed by evil spirits.

Quote:

As to what Novel is going to do that is something that remains to be seen, but it seems to me that maybe they see an opportunity to compete directly with Microsoft with SuSE.
They can get in line behind Sun Microsystems.

2damncommon 12-03-2003 04:53 PM

Quote:

...I would try to find a solution to this problem. That was before Novell entered the picture. Two things concern me about the Novell deal...
I am looking forward to there being some exciting changes that develop with the Novell deal. I could very well be wrong. Suse has always been a classy distro (I used 6.4 long ago), if not little known in the US. While wanting to try Suse again, but not wanting to purchase something new until it includes a default 2.6 kernel, I went for the FTP install of 9.0. It went well (good luck finding a working mirror, though) and is running fine, so far.
While deciding to investigate other distros is never a bad idea, cutting off one's nose in spite of one's face is.
Have you investigated known hardware compatibility problems and errata? I hate to tell you that these can happen with any distro.
Good Luck.

chris319 12-03-2003 05:22 PM

You make some good points, but to my mind Novell entering the picture introduces a great deal of uncertainty. As I said, if not for Novell I would try to resolve this. I'm not throwing out my 8.2, either.

I've tried three of the big four: RH, Mandrake and SuSE. Might give Debian a try next -- at least we can be fairly certain they won't be bought out.

2damncommon 12-03-2003 05:42 PM

In the end, you will need to make your own decision, of course.

Big four? I always thought the big three; RPM (RPM based), TGZ (Slack based), DEB (Debian based). :)

muddyyork 12-04-2003 12:59 PM

I spent the money and bought a box version of SuSE 9 Personal based on reviews and what I read on SuSE's web site. I have tried it on two laptops that I own (a Maxdata and a Dell Inspiron 5000). Although the distro looks and works wonderfully on both machines, I was never able to get an LTModem, or PCMCIA ethernet or wireless cards to work. The ethernet cards worked, but only until I ran the software update from SuSE, then nothing worked at all. The modem was a complete no-go despite installing the required LTModem package. The wireless remained as dead as a doornail despite all of my attempts. I even went back and tried it again this past week, after I saw that SuSE had posted a fix for folks using WEP encryption. Again no luck...

I had used RH9 with the same hardware before and was able to use it with no problems. I never had any trouble with network connectivity, either wireless or otherwise. I decided to go with Fedora, with which I've had no problems.

Of course networking installation problems are not covered by SuSE's installation support, so I was left high and dry. Even appeals to forums here netted no answers. I wasn't impressed, which is too bad as I loved the other aspects and functionality of the distro.

My two cents...

chris319 12-05-2003 04:55 PM

I finally got 9.0 to run by making some changes to the partitioning scheme. Then I burnt 2 hours trying to get apt and synaptic to install, but to no avail.

It occurs to me that no one should have to waste 2 hours dinking around trying to get apt and synaptic to install. That they are not integral to the distro is INEXCUSABLE. They should be just as much a part of the distro as YAST or the KDE desktop.

2damncommon 12-05-2003 05:18 PM

I installed 9.0 by FTP the other day. Had to go with the 3rd closest mirror.
Had problems getting the update to work. Found that only the slow as molasses German Suse server worked at all.
Did the kernel update. Other than being slow it went well.
Suse has proven easier to get common things working (for me, anyway), than either Debian or Slack but it runs slower.
This is why I do the multi-boot thing.
I decide which runs better for me. No "they should this" or "they should that".
They already have and you have a choice.
IMO
Personally, I notice all distros getting better and better by default. Still room for improvement....

chris319 12-05-2003 05:52 PM

Quote:

No "they should this" or "they should that".
Are you saying apt and synaptic SHOULDN'T come as standard equipment in an RPM-based Linux distro? That's the implication of your remark.

2damncommon 12-05-2003 06:08 PM

Quote:

Are you saying apt and synaptic SHOULDN'T come as standard equipment in an RPM-based Linux distro?
Shouldn't? No.
Quote:

That they are not integral to the distro is INEXCUSABLE.
But inexcusable is much too strong.

A wish list is always nice. :)

mla 12-05-2003 06:30 PM

Few words about Suse installation.
I downloaded by ftp whole 9.0 directory ( about 7G ). With cable modem
speed 200-320k. Enabled downloaded directory on LAN FTP server.
And install it on 4 machines simultaneously. It run as crazy :).

For Linux distro download I am using Netherlands servers during evening time in Montreal Canada. The speed is usually very good.

Eugene 12-05-2003 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chris319
I finally got 9.0 to run by making some changes to the partitioning scheme. Then I burnt 2 hours trying to get apt and synaptic to install, but to no avail.

It occurs to me that no one should have to waste 2 hours dinking around trying to get apt and synaptic to install. That they are not integral to the distro is INEXCUSABLE. They should be just as much a part of the distro as YAST or the KDE desktop.


:(

It took me 2 tries (had to re-install suse 9 once) but I got it.
In the end its quite easy... you prolly forgot to edit the sources.list file.

So when trying: apt-get update you got a smaller list and synaptic wasn't in it.


as for it being included with the distro, I agree 100%! :)

chris319 12-08-2003 04:12 PM

Quote:

A wish list is always nice.
I wish Linux had as many mainstream apps as Winders.

I wish all components of Linux worked seamlessly together.

I wish Novell hadn't bought SuSE.

I wish Micro$oft weren't hell-bent on poking around inside people's computers.

I wish SCO would go away.

We can wish all we want. ;)


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