no

Well, I'm currently using SuSE 9.1 Pro on mine and my mother's desktop. I purchased Linspire and a year subscription to CNR for my mother. Well, here are a list of things that worked

SOME of the programs in CNR
Sound Networking, etc... But horrible support for vid card when compared to SuSE

Things that didn't work

Printer (Samsung ML-1710). Most distros come with either this printer driver or the driver for the ML-4500, which uses pretty much the same driver. I downloaded the installer from Samsung's website and it wouldn't work (I've used it on Debian and Knoppix flawlessly).

Scanner (In SuSE, I simply click on the scanner name out of a list). In Linspire, no where to be found.

Many screensavers and other similar programs simply would not work.

In the end, I got a refund for CNR.

Also, anyone else ever have an error that said it couldn't mount the root filesystem after installing with Linspire? This is the first distro to date that has this error on any of my computers. So I dial 1-800-LINDOWS and it doesn't work.

Also, Geneius,a simple look in Mandrake's main menu under System > Packaging I believe leads you to a utility that upgrades your OS for free, flawlessly. Linspire has no free equivalent, and apt-get under Linspire is a joke, it just simply doesn't work. And if you could somehow download the ISO for free, what good is it when apt-get doesn't work, you have to pay for CNR and there is no compiler other than the one in CNR.

Mandrake 10 installed flawlessly under 6 different computers for me, without "bugging out".

You say that you pay $80 for a distro and all you get is CD's with bundled software. Hmmm, well, under SuSE, I paid 70 dollars, got two massive books about user and sys-admin topics, A nice little sticker which I stuck on my computer, A fancy box, 32-bit and 64-bit support, 5 CDs and 2 DVDs (1 DVD but double sided), and support, Trust me, I wouldn't have paid $80 if all I was getting was a disc I could download for free. Also, I can install this on as many computers as I want (even ones that aren't mine) and the software included on the CD's easily matches Linspire, never mind the fact that I can use this as a desktop OS, workstation, command line only or server. Trust me, you get more bang for your buck with SuSE. Also, my aunt uses SuSE and she doesn't have internet access, explain to me what good CNR is without internet, or on dial-up which is slow?

I always thought Microsoft's business model was bad, but when a company takes an OS built almost entirely from free software and then cripples it in such a way that the only way you can install FREE software onto the system is through CNR. Yes, they definately have the right to charge for their service, but forcing people to use it is wrong. Xandros charges for free software on Xandros networks, but they also make it easy to install software through other methods, they even have a menu entry for installing rpm and deb packages in the Xandros Networks program. That is why you don't hear bad things about them like you do Linspire.

I didnt know that about XN thats pretty nice of them, I used Linspire when I first converted to Linux, I hated the way it looks, and feels, but it did help me get into Linux, I use Xandros, (because I'm Lazy and somtimes dont feel like doing the Commandline thing) and but I also use SUSE and PCLinuxOS, the only thing I can see using Linspire for is converting Windows users, or even a laptop, many distros are hard to get on a laptop but Linspire was easy.

Okay

First any linux distro has driver issues. I've not yet encountered a distro where someone somewhere didn't have problems with drivers. Anyone disagree?

I'm no longer recommending Linspire for first time users. Every other distro in the universe has updated to the new KDE and Kernel. I'm still waiting for Linspire 5. Further -- I admit to reinstalling Linspire twice since I got it. Both times were issues related to fstab file being corrupted. Last week CNR went down and I had to reset it at the commandline.

Your right on about the how dependent Linspire is on CNR. It's great at first. But after a while you start wondering.. what happens if I can't access the internet?

The bottom line is I'm not currently recommending Linspire for n00bs. If Linspire 5.0 isn't all that and 'a bag of rice' I won't be renewing my CNR subscription. I will probably switch to SUSe. Currently I suggest Mandrake or SUSe for n00bs.

Peace Bro.

i really don't like it. i have used slackware, fedora and mandrake and i don't like how it tries to do everything for you. plus, i am a bit of a cheapskate and i don't want to pay $5 per month for CNR when using yum and apt-get are free in fedora.

I tried to use it - bought and downloaded it last Dec. when "Lindows" had special offer.
Finally got around to doing an install, failed, with "error 200 - rsync failed".
I feel scammed - they got my hard earned money, and I got a piece of crapware that won't install!
So, I reinstalled Knoppix 3.3, without a hitch, and here I am!
I'll be unsubsribing to those Linspire mailing lists. They'll never get another penny from me.

Hi,

did you verify the downloaded .ISO image? you can verify with following link?

http://www.linspire.com/checksum

Also, Linspire require at least 2 GB to install. I would suggest increase the partition size(4 GB) and try it.

about "error 200 -rsync failed" issue, it might be problem with CD-ROM drive, just replace the CD-ROM and try it.

You may want to do the installation into diagnostic mode and put the last 10-15 line here. we will try to find some solution.

Also, you may want to visit the following link to learn how to install Linspire.

http://www.linspire.com/faq.php?faq=faq15

http://www.linspire.com/installhelp

Hope this helps.

--Hitesh

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hitesh_linux
[B]Hi,

>did you verify the downloaded .ISO image?


Yes, I verified it with the checksum.

>Also, Linspire require at least 2 GB to install. I would suggest increase >the partition size(4 GB) and try it.

I had given it a 20 Gb partition.

>about "error 200 -rsync failed" issue, it might be problem with CD-ROM drive, >just replace the CD-ROM and try it.

Can't do that - the downloaded iso image file is gone, due to my Maxtor HD failing in just under a year. I'm sure not buying "Linspire" again!

>You may want to do the installation into diagnostic mode and put the last >10-15 line here. we will try to find some solution.

>Also, you may want to visit the following link to learn how to install >Linspire.

>http://www.linspire.com/faq.php?faq=faq15

>http://www.linspire.com/installhelp

>Hope this helps.

Appreciate your efforts. Originally, I had installed Knoppix 3.3 to HD, but Lindows/Linspire looked attractive because of the (supposed) easy software downloads and install. Unfamiliar with creating directories and unzipping and installing linux software, and the attendant worries about associations with other software, Lindows seemed to offer a good solution while I learned.
However, I re-installed Knoppix 3.3, and was delighted to discover the "Klik" download system which is better than Linspire's, because it is FREE! AND, it WORKS.I'm happy, Knoppix is great. I no longer have any interest in Linspire, and regret having thrown forty dollars their way and gotten nothing for my money!


JdB

Close this issue.

--Hitesh

i beleive that the filresystems linux uses just don't fragment. so there is no need to defrag. tho i wouldn't swear to this in court.