Well, it's been nice knowing you all, but I probably won't be posting here much anymore. I've no longer got the time to learn linux very much, and my main linux only computer (or at least, it's SUPPOSED to be) refuses to be ran by pretty much any distro. That computer was finally the proverbial straw. A very simple computer (a single HD, a single DVD/CDRW combo drive, nothing fancy, using i815 chipset with onboard graphics disabled and replaced by a Radeon 9000), but I tried gentoo (kernel refused to work no matter how I configured it), Ark (utter failure), JAMD (utter failure), Arch (utter failure), and mandrake (worked partially). Finally I just gave up, and I have no desire to try again anymore. I love linux, but can't seem to find a distro that fits my needs. Maybe in another year, someone will have come out with a fast, easy, stable, up-to-date non rpm-based distro that doesn't take 5 days to install. In the meantime, if anyone knows of a distro that might suit me, let me know of it, these are the ones that don't work and why:
1. Ark linux-it's alpha still, no surprises
2. JAMD-kernel panicks. Who knows why.
3. Gentoo-takes too long to install, and still didn't work, even using a pretty much "will work with anything" generic kernel.
4. Arch-Installer couldn't even START. Just ejected the cd, then restarted. Again, and again. Thinking about trying 0.5 again to see if it gets any better, but not holding my breath
5. Red Hat-Hated it. No reason, just do.
6. Mandrake-Only one that ever worked. But it's rpm based, and I just didn't like all the changes from a "generic" linux distro
7. Debian-WAY out of date unless you run unstable, and I've had really bad luck with unstable. That and I'm not enthused about their installer. But again, they're supposed to be working on that for the next version, so in a couple years, when it's released, I'm sure I'll try it.

Sorry to see you go.

You might want to keep the current KNOPPIX Linux Live CD handy just to look at it once in a while. If that works and you like it, who knows?

Good luck.

If you have any patience left, give Slackware a try.

Another 'peace out Linux' thread. At least Mr. Miller isn't completly bashing Linux though.

Have fun in whatever you do sir.

Yeah, I always keep Knoppix around. It's just fun to freak people out with.
I tried slack once long ago (8.0 I think). Wasn't impressed (WAY over my head). Has the newer versions made installing any simpler? I've also considered Vector, but I misplaced the cd I had burnt to try of it, and never got around to it again.
As said, I'll be back, it might just be a while. Right now there just doesn't seem to be any distro that has come far enough to allow me to really get to use it without more hassle than I have time for. I remember Mandrake 7.0 and how that was, so I have no doubts that in another year or 2, a few at least will have advanced to where I want them to be.

On a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again...

Perhaps if you posted your system specs as detailed as you can someone who has similiar hardware could point you in the right direction. I have an intelchipset and while certain things were a pain to get working (well mostly the sound, after a week I finally managed to get it working ) yes gentoo does take time to compile and it is probably the longest install of any distro I've tried or heard of other than LFS. I absolutely love gentoo, portage is a great package management system.

Why tell us your leaving? Not to offend you or anything, but we really dont care. If you have a specific question, everyone would love to help you, as you dont seem like an asshole (as some people who leave are).

Slackware is EXTREMELY easy to install. All you do is use a simple partitioning tool (cfdisk), choose your packages, set up LILO (which is automatic),and your done. Most things should work out of the box. But its install hasn't changed much, so if you didnt like it then, you wont like it now.


If you want the easiest distro to install and use and update, install KNOPPIX to your harddrive. Its like a 3 step wizard, and its debian Testing. So you have a nice mix of features/stability. Also, you can use APT for package management, the best tool out there.

It seems like there are a lot of people leaving lately

Oh well, sorry to see you go. I left Linux once then was forced to return to it for school. Then I remembered why I really hated MS.

We'd thank you for not talking for other people on LinuxQuestions, and not to be rude - whether you decide to disclaim it first or not. thanks.

I wouldn't say slack is "extremely" easy to install. From all the install posts concerning it, it doesn't seem too easy for noob's anyway...

Because there are some people on here that I consider freinds, and I want to let them know I'm leaving.

MSI 815 pro (8337 rev. 1.0)
VIA C3 1 GHz (Nemiah core)
256 MB Crucial PC100 CAS2.0
ONboard sound
radeon 9000
generic DVD/CDRW combo drive
generic 20 gb hard drive.
That's quite literally it. A VERY basic system. No overclocking, all hardware set to proper specs. Haven't even run the RAM out of spec.
I did actually post most all this except the processor and exact model of board.

Actally, I had an old board that had a celeron 300 (oc'd to 450) in it, intel chipset (unsure which one, but it was slot-1), didn't have any problems getting the sound to work on it.

Onboard sound sucks (and doesn't that mobo have onboard video as well, another no-no in my box building guidelines?) and is terribly noisy and the sblive is so cheap now...........

Yeah, that's the reason I started using linux. Unfortunately I no longer have the time to invest in learning it. I just need something that works, straight away, with no fiddling whatsoever. And with GHOST, when windows borks itself (which, of course, it will always do), I can get it reinstalled with all the programs and drivers quickly.