i would never say something bed to or about anyoen that permits communication with others about an issue. THAT is my main reasoning behind saying anything bad about the techy at Mandrake. I look at things this way, maybe I am strange, but if I offer myself to help others I do not take the easiest way out to avoid any persons problem/s. To me, that is not a service.

On top of that, to make a claim that is really not even part of the issue and use it to invalidate my bug report is totally unprofessional among other things as well. In fact, I only brought it to this forum to show how people in this forum, even more so than in the mdk club forum, are (I think) much more helpful and intelligent

Remember that the discontent is with Mandrake Bug Report Services not with anyone in this forum!


Both, this forum and Linux ROCK!

Well Chaps (presumably),

I think that the theme manager works, but seems a little "flakey". I also feel that this is something to do with the way "3rd party" themes are implemented, compiled and/or archived (as in which tools are used in the first place). This is what causes some of our problems with connection to maestro52's original post.

As far as the critiscm that maestro directs at mandrake (well the person who answered the bug report), mandrake are, from what I can establish, a small(ish) company, who in my opinion do one hell of a job. I feel that it is a shame that they can't sort out a better revenue stream to enable them to do more things, rather than having to rely on their own implementation work, followed by the "beta testing" releases. I believe that there will always be bugs in the system however much testing is done (you've only to look at microsoft and their financial resources).

As it happens, I also intend to update my "sources", to include PLF and Texstar. One of the minor misunderstandings that I have is the actual "how's and where's" of urpmi. It has been explained to me that it "should", work in the same way as "apt-get" though I have yet to be convinced of this.

Maestro, could your problem be with how you have actually updated your kde ? I don't know as I haven't yet got round to trying to update mine to the latest version, but what I do know is that the more "bleeding edge" the software, then the more likely you are to have bugs - IMO this is why for example, the debian group, don't rush updates out so often, they try to be more thorough in their testing phases.

I'll try to have a go later to see if I can update my kde, but it might not be today - I have got a 4 x 3.5 metre floor to sand downstairs and even with the correct machines, it's gonna take me the better part of the day.

regards

John

Hell Maestro...how do you think *I* learn about linux?

Like BigJohn, I have no linux certifications (other than the fact most of my friends believe I'm certifiably nuts...), that's what's fun about linux, I don't need to buy books (but I can if I want to and have the dough) I don't even need to buy software, I can just learn and learn and learn just through my internet access and playing with it....there's NOTHING that beats that.

As for Mandrake, I'll also go with BigJohn on this, its a hell of a company...they make a great distro, but their tech support is like all tech supports, not all their employees can be geniuses and I'm willing to bet that they get more than their fair share of email/phone abuse (I mean, look at the tone of SOME requests around here on LQ sometimes...then think to yourself, imagine if these were people who were PAYING for service...how would they act?)

I would suggest strongly tho, that if Mandrake doesn't suit, do not hesitate to try many many other distros and *tinker*, its much much better to do that early on while you learn because it lets you pick the best "fit" for you. In my own experience, I tried 4-5 different distros before settling on Mandrake for my daily stuff on my laptop...and now, since I use it everyday, it would be difficult to switch (however, on other machines I have other distros so I still get to play).

Well, you're not wrong about the distro thing.

I will, and expect to keep using mandrake for as long as they keep producing distro's.

But, I have already set up partition space to try debian, when I get paid tomorrow (i.e. send off for the dvd version - yes I know that I can do the download thing, but if you read the debian page, even they suggest that first timers are probably better off getting a disc copy first).

Oh and for information to any one who gives a f***, my downstairs floor is now over half way sanded i.e. I've almost completed the rough sand, with a fine sand round the edges and medium and fine sanding tomorrow.

Should anyone who reads this have a partner who suggests that varnished bare wood floors look good - tell them that if they want sanded, varnished floors, then do the work themselves or stick it up their arse - Today's been a REAL back breaker - and that's with all the right equipment

regards

John

Like I tell my future wife:

Computer programmers don't renovate...they hire someone to renovate

Since we're saving up for a wedding next year, its gotten me out of a lot of renovating

Besides, I'm all thumbs on pretty much anything except a computer and a bokken...although I do like my new drill (its been fun having my SO constantly tell me "No...I don't think this problem needs a hole. You can't use your drill to fix this!")

Even for the info on taking care of wooden floors bigjohn!

Back to the issue at hand; bigjohn said, "Maestro, could your problem be with how you have actually updated your kde ? I don't know as I haven't yet got round to trying to update mine to the latest version, but what I do know is that the more "bleeding edge" the software, then the more likely you are to have bugs - IMO this is why for example, the debian group, don't rush updates out so often, they try to be more thorough in their testing phases."

To be honest with you, all of that thinking makes a lot of sense and actually points my kind in another direction. Mainly because it is most certainly true that - while I do upgrade the overall mdk packages when mandrake issues them - my mdk and linux activites seem to have led me into an almost frenzy of update and new software searching/downloading and installing. I guess I could say that I am trying to make up for the way things always were for me when I was a Windows user.

It always seemed that everyone I knew was using newer and more advanced computers and software including Windows. As I became disabled adn my money nearly went into non-existence I could no longer afford to buy anything (at least not to keep up with the times). I even started to build my own computers because it was a cheaper way to go. Then, and I am sorry to admit it, I finally decided to turn to Linux and a friend gave me mdk 8.2. Those were truly interesting days, since I also attempted to download a 3 cd set of mdk 9.0 over a 56 kbps modem and it took a week with constant disconnections and such.

(I need to try to stop telling my long stories) Anyway, a friend bought me a Sony cdrw for my birthday, I moved to a less expensive country (although I miss home), and now I cannot stop trying to stay AHEAD of the times, so to speak. Yet, I think I can truly see where intermittently updating and installing new software could really be a problem. So, I am definitely going to have to STOP and WAIT FOR COMPLETE MDK 9.1 UPDATES since this is the only computer I may ever be able to own and (WHILE I ADMIT THIS MAY BE CHILDISH BEHAVIOR) I can get quite depressed when I have to reinstall and start everything all over again.

Just a small seperation from the issue, I keep hinting in my friends direction, hoping she will think about buying me a 100 gig hd. Then maybe I can make a totally seperate partition just for the experimenting I love to do and then I can better try out the many different linux distros that we have available to us. Anyway, thank you bigjohn, tcaptain, and even TrashCanMan, along with everyone else that reads this forum for being the helping people that you are.

But I am learning!