yes but-t'is'nt it fun!!! Config this - config that!!
heh heh - actually it kinda is fun if and when you finally crack it.

The BBC recently reportedfindings that one in seven computer users have difficulty switching their computers on and off. Given that, it is inevitable that a number of people will find Linux hard to install.

The main reason Linux is "harder" to install than Windows is that what works on my Linux setup won't necessarily work on yours (different kernel, different libraries, etc, etc) without configuring and/or compiling from scratch, whereas basically all Windows machines are identical (predictable kernel, standard known libraries, etc). Click-to-install new software won't therefore work consistently well on Linux - but if you have (say) Red Hat and use RPM packages from Red Hat you should generally not have too many problems. OTOH, you won't have a tweaked high performance system, but maybe you don't need that.

Euan

installation would be a snap EXCEPT redhat didn't send me a quality product and installation won't recongnize disk 2. if it did, i'd be using linux by now.

Ouch!

If they think that so many people don't know how to push one little button to turn on their computer, I'd say they're full of it and don't know what they're talking about anyway!

And about the high perforance computer idea... you going to get a high performance computer with Windows? You got to have a few million billion dollars to afford one! Software companies rob you blind! Look at Macromedia's stuff! $400 for Dreamweaver? YA RIGHT!! I'll just use Mozilla's editor if I need a GUI interface for web pages THAT bad!

mossy
even you have to admit that it takes more time to get all the hardware running on a Linux box(seven supported stuff).
IDE cd burners- add scsi emulation to the kernel and then modify grub. With windows I just put it in and run the install CD.
This isn't a contest to see who can figure things out.
Some hardware just is not supported.

When I want to boot of of a raid array, I just press F6, stick the floppy in when the Windows installer asks and then it goes on its way.
It can be done under linux it is just more time and effort.

badgers

yeah there are benefits to Windows and there are benefits to Linux. Windows is universally compatible. I'll give it it's dues. Everything mainstream is written for it. [edit - it sucked the general population into using computers - for this reason I respect ms].

However with Linux you need to configure it. Once it is configured you usually have less problems and it is usually efficient in it's tasks. The kernel itself is the key. How many times have you gotten worried when you start getting blue screens [ha ha ha ha ha]. Or how about when explorer.exe starts crapping out - even after reinstalling ie. Format and recover. I am free of that. FREEEEEE!!!

not to mention all that you learn when working on linux.

The reason we are all here is that we agree with you.
But the point is Learning is hard for some people. My dad is a crabby oaf. I love him and he is a good dad, but just don't bother him with why it works. He wants to sit down and follow along by clicking next.
Everyone has their opinion.

yeah I know - I was agree it can be tiresome. I will not deny it. I am still not confident buring cd's in linux at the moment - I am going to try some software called gear. hopefully it will instill some confidence in my burning - what prog do you use?

none yet, I am going to try the OSS drivers for my sound card.
I have an old Mistumi burner. I was hoping to play with the ATAPI over IDE so that I could do away with SCSI emulation.

I don't burn much, I have little data that is backup critical.
I have a second hard drive and I copy data over when ever I remember to, (not as often as I would like) I was going to play with a script and a cron job to copy things to the second drive.
K3B seems to be a nice GUI front end to cdrtools

you asked why is linux considered to be difficult to install and then say you use redhat 9, one of the most user friendly distros when it comes to installation besides like Suse or Mandrake.

maybe not installation itself but post-installations is a mess. getting your moniter,soundcard,videocard, modem,etc configured can be a hassle. especially if your not using a non-user friendly distro.

h1tman are you talking to me? I use gentoo no RH

It pretty much depends of your hardware too. There're so many exotic win-stuff around. Inbuilt modem, inbuilt soundcard, graphics card. I have an ex-girlfriend who works as analyst for an Internet Provider(mostly phone support for customers). From time to time she comes to me and say so, so many odd modem names that makes me laugh. I mean, it's impossible to make all this to work in Linux without pain. If you buy nice stuff, as Nvidia, SoundBlaster and US Robotics, you are all set. In fact, you should buy nice stuff. If it was a car, you'd buy the best tires you can afford for security reasons, but peoples don't do the same with hardware

yeah - and people often loose scope of the fact that MS has their drivers written for them all the time by the h/w Co's.. MS is a multibillion corp that can fund their developement, test and research. Wheras ordinary people research and create linux drivers from their own time mostly. Tough competition for Ms eh?
heh heh heh