ELX Linux
 

I have downloaded the ELX Linux system and the burnt two CD's. (Thank goodness, 'cause Win98SE crashed.....again). Anyway, I cannot install them. The images are not bootable and there is no referrence to a boot floppy. Lockergnomes "Penguin Shell" editor suggested it as a great system for a " non-geek newbie", like me, to try out.

If the dang thing won't install, its kinda tough to judge its value. Support is only available to those who purchase the system. I keep trying to find a system that will work for me. And after nearly $1000 bucks invested into Linux systems, I can't afford to buy another one that doesn't work and my retirement doesn't allow for many "extras". I'll buy the CD's to get support, if it works, but not until I have it on my PC and functional.

And if someone suggests "compiling" anything, forget it. I don't do windows either! (Pun intended) :newbie:

I've never heard of ELX and I suspect the number of people who can help you with it are going to be limited to the people who actually created it.

My advice is try Mandrake.

I downloaded the same 2 ELX disks and you are correct. They wont boot. I went in bios to boot from cd-rom, did all the things I know to do and the discs act like they are blank. Wierd

Try Mandrake or RedHat versions. Just an idea!

albertaboy
 

Thanks for the reply. :cool: I was wondering whether or not I had missed something in the download. I guess not, it you also had a problem with it. Makes me feel a little better about it anyway.

As to the others who have made suggestions, I have several versions of nearly all Linux distributions that go back several years. Many I have paid for to the tune of around $1000 US dollars, as I had stated earlier. I am retired. I have limited funds to work with. I also am not anxious to buy / build another computer just yet. What I have is just over 2 yrs old and very fast and extremely functional. Most all of those Linux systems have a problem with my computer hardware / software and that is precisely why I am looking elsewhere for a system.

The only Windows system that is of any value is W2K Pro, which is one of the 5 Windows systems I have available for use. The rest are crap, including XP, which is, in my opinion, as bad a system as Win ME is.

In the time between when I first posted and now, I have had to reinstall W98SE......again. It broke.....again. And also took out W2K Pro for me. And I have a lot of security software inplace, so it wasn't something from the outside, necessarily, that broke it. I am not qualified to dig deeply into the system to discover the issue that caused it to break. Actually, I could care less what it was. Just another testimony as to the faultiness of Micro$oft's garbage systems. :cool:

You could always boot a minumum linux from floppy and start the install process from there, hell you can build a full fledged custom distro beginning only with a single 1.44 floppy :)

In the old days, boot floppies were a must. It may come in handy in your situation. Usually in d:/boot or d:/floppy or d:/image. Just read the readme in d:/

I got ELX and it worked for me. It booted and installed. The only thing I couldn't figure out is make it go online.

It sounds like you're looking for perfection: works with every weirdest device you got. If something works for you, stick with it. Be it Windows or Linux. My friend is always buying and installing software, but I always wonder what he makes out of the $1000+ investment. I've gone CDRW routine now that I know every Linux distro is pretty much the same: Linux. So if I don't want it, download and overwrite the discs.

At the moment, I'm pretty happy with www.asp-linux.com

SLOHANDS.. I am curious as to what you have installed, both hard ware and software. You seem to be having difficulties with both linux and windows. Sounds like a conflict, incompatibility, something not right somewhere. Especially if you have difficulty loading something like windows xp or mandrake. both are almost automatic. What happens when 98 crashes, why does it also take out 2000 pro?
Could be anything from your cpu overheating to a ram problem or something else to do with your hardware. Bottom line is something is not normal........

I have downloaded the Elx iso rc2 images from linuxiso.org. The installation went like a song. I find it weird why the install cds are not bootable. Try posting your problem in the elx forum at www.elslinux.com. I have found from my presonal experience that the elx guys respond to the issues in the elx forum.

Coming to the problem with the iso images. There are 3 possibilities:
1. iso have got corrupted during download, did you verify the md5 checksum.
2. the iso images itself is screwed up.
3. the way the iso images were burnt on to the cd. The very first time ever I burnt an iso to a CD I just copied the iso image to the cd, and it obviously did not boot. then I used Adaptec CD creator to open the iso and burn the image into CD and it worked. I remember a thread in this forum itself talking of such an issue.

Elx is a new but very neat distro. Has a very good selection of packages and easy to use for someone new to linux.

Sorry it should have been www.elxlinux.com

jetblackz, what you say is true.

As to perfection, yeah, who isn't? Achieving it is not about to happen. We all know that.

Having a stable and secure system is the goal, which keeps getting closer.

Do I have any "wierd" hardware / software installed? What I have is a Quantex SM 700SE circa Nov. '99. All of the hardware was the best I could get and configured to function as compatable. Including the software. Some of which I have since found a better product than what was installed. Although I am certain that some of it doesn't "play nice" with other software. Now, which is "best" for my particular configuration? Who knows? Trial and error is the name of that game. Logical! And logic works for me.

One systems "boon" is another systems "boondoggle". With Drive Image, I am able to install stuff and if it doesn't work, get back to a point where it didn't happen. That's cool. What is not cool is that much of the software doesn't ALL get removed, ALL the time and what is left behind causes problems. THAT, IMHO, is the basis for the crashes and malfunctioning software. Is that the WHOLE answer? NO! But it is a contributing factor to unstable systems and crashing systems. Logical!

I am also aware that systems want "exclusivity" and are "propietary" in their functionality with other hardware / software in the marketplace. That also causes crashes and unstable systems. Reality! So, what is left is that searching for a system to "play nice" with my particular system is where I am at. And, getting closer all the time. Biggest problem is drivers. ISP's are no help either. I think they are 5 yrs behind what is available today and refuse to incorporate advances readily. That makes for additional problems for everyone.

Manaskb, I thought I had addressed the problem in the forum, but may not have. I try that! Thanks for that reminder. All of those possibilities are optional causes and viable. I use Nero 5.5 burner software, which I think is a little better than Adaptec, which came in the "package" from Quantex. I think that this system is very cool, also. I want very much for it to work on my PC.

Thanks again, to everyone for their ideas. Worth a look! Hope one is an answer. If so, I will post back! :D