[PLUG] Warning About SuSE 8

Matt Alexander m at netpro.to
Mon Apr 29 00:45:59 UTC 2002


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 |    --The Mgt.|
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On Sun, 28 Apr 2002, Robert wrote:

> The trouble with posting more details is I could spend all day writing down
> error messages or steps I took to get nowhere.  After hours of frustration
> with Linux I do what most people do and give up.  More people have tried
> Linux then stick with it. The last thing I will do after a few late night
> hours of frustration while trying to scan a picture is log onto a newsgroup.
> I went to bed instead.  The next night I scanned in Windows 98 and thanked
> God for Bill Gates. I also put Linux away for a month.
>
> I did spend some more time with SuSE 8.0, nearly 6 hours now, and I now say
> it is the absolute worst Linux I have ever used.  It absolutely refuses to
> detect my modem, refuses to link up with my network printer, and is
> generally useless.  In my opinion it is a degraded version of 7.2.  Since
> the older version worked fine with my computer modem and the new version
> can't even detect it, what else am I supposed to say?  I like Debian much
> better.  It refused to install on my computer so I never wasted hours trying
> to configure it.  SuSE should have had the grace to do the same.
>
> As for SuSE help, one of the things that made me go to Red Hat 7.2 was that
> after months of trying to get SuSE 7.2 to work with my network, I decided
> that instead of just reading portions here and there of the supplied "SuSE
> Linux 7.2 Network" book, I would read it from the beginning, cover to cover.
> In the beginning I found the following description of the book:  "Although
> installation support is extensive, any network setup is not included."  In
> other words, it a damn book on theory, not actual practice. It lacks actual
> setup procedures for networks.  I should have known better than spend any
> more money on 8.0 or waste my time trying to set it up.
>
> Most people just give up.  I stuck it out with Linux, and get frustrated as
> hell trying to get it to work. If I was doing it all for fun I could
> probably post every error message or click that did nothing.  But I was
> relying on it, making it all the more frustrating when it doesn't work.
>
> I am putting Linux away now.  I am not sure when I will want to boot into it
> again. I am limiting myself to Windows for the rest of the day so I can have
> a restful nights sleep. Linux will have to wait a few weeks or until I get
> some fresh enthusiasm.
>
> Robert
>
>
>
> "Russell Evans" <revans at e-z.net> wrote in message
> news:mailman.1020034882.30869.plug at lists.pdxlinux.org...
> > On Sun, 28 Apr 2002 14:18:56 -0700, Robert said:
> >
> > >
> > >  So we arrive at today. SuSE 8.0 installed alright, easily in fact.
> Weird
> > >  though, it does not install a number of programs any newbie would
> normally
> > >  use by default, so I choose them individually.  Among them Netscape
> 6.2, CD
> > >  burning software, and Mozilla mail (even though Mozilla browser is
> there,
> > >  by default they leave out the mail program!?).
> >
> > SuSE 8.0 default install with office assumes you will use KDE 3.0 and that
> > comes with Konqueror and Kmail.  The reason Mozilla is installed is so
> that you
> > can chose to use the geeko engine if you like and the mozilla plugins.
> Netscape
> > 6.2 is really Mozilla with marketing.
> >
> >
> > >
> > >  I thought I had modem installation and internet access down to a
> science
> > >  now, even in Linux, but the new SuSE has proven me wrong.  In Red Hat
> my
> > >  modem is found under /dev/tty/S4.  The new SuSE only goes as far as /S3
> and
> > >  even if I manually enter /S4 it will not work.  No amount of
> experimenting
> > >  with settings was able to produce a recognizable modem. I went through
> > >  every  listed setting. So no internet access.
> > >
> >
> > As noted in other posts, you seem to be making some mistake in posting or
> > configuration. In Yast2 that is a hardware icon that will probe your
> hardware
> > and give you a very nice read out. You can use this to find your modem
> > settings.
> >
> > >  I gave up on that and decided to now try the CD burning program, but
> found
> > >  it is as defective as any other Linux CD Burner program I have ever
> (not
> > >  been able to) use(d).
> >
> > As you don't say what CDBurner program you are using there isn't anyway to
> know
> > what your issue is. I assume you read the manual on setting up an IDE
> cdrom, if
> > you are using one. The SuSE manual is one of the best parts of the
> > distribution. At $40 a crack, I would get my money's worth and read it.
> >
> >
> > > It also detected my scanner automatically, but
> > >  whenever I click on anything to do with the scanner, nothing happens.
> At
> > >  least with Red Hat, it scans an image, lets me look at it, and then
> refuses
> > >  to save it!
> >
> > Click, click, click, and nothing happens. I assume you're venting
> frustration
> > here and not really looking for help. If you are looking for help, some
> more
> > information will be needed.
> >
> >
> > >
> > >  SuSE 8.0 does have some nice new screen backrounds, but the fonts and
> menus
> > >  are typical Linux at its worst or near worst. I don't feel like wasting
> > >  time fiddling with it since it is probably the best it can ever be and
> I
> > >  will probably reinstall the whole mess again hoping it might, God
> willing,
> > >  detect the modem next time.
> >
> > I think you will be wasting your time reinstalling in hopes of finding
> your
> > modem. Since you bought the distribution you should use the install
> support
> > that came with it. I have found the SuSE support helpful and timely in the
> two
> > cases were I needed it.
> >
> >
> > >
> > >  Although I spent the week hating Microsoft and hoping all the school
> > >  districts would ban new Windows purchases and get Linux instead, I now
> am
> > >  spending the weekend greatfull that a company like Microsoft provides
> an
> > >  operating system that actually works right out of the box.
> > >
> >
> > What this really means, is that Mircosoft had the money, or market share
> to
> > make the hardware vendor supply the hardware documentation or write a
> driver
> > that worked.
> >
> > Linux has neither and so hardware support is not universal and sometimes
> even
> > the best installer fails on supported hardware.
> >
> > We all have bad installs. I spent Friday night trying to Win2K on a box
> and
> > that install was unsuccessful. The box would take Win98se and XP but not
> W2K. I
> > of course, bought W2k for it, not either of the others, so I was very
> unhappy.
> > What can you do? Relax and make lemonade is all.
> >
> >
> > Thank you
> > Russell
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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