[PLUG] Linux Distros

[Don Baldwin]

Gosh:

I have nothing against Red Hat.  I think they have
done a wonderful job since 1994 when I first got
interested in Linux.  Infomagic used to include RH on
their 5 CD sets of Linux.  Red Hat has just grown and
grown and grown.  They make a superior product.  I
haven't tried Slackware for around 6 years or so. 
They used to make a good product, but not to my taste.
 (Thanks, Rob for the offer of a CD of Slackware 8.0) 
The strangest one I tried was Yggdrisal (spelling?). 
I don't believe you can beat Red Hat for ease of
install and automatic detection of hardware.  Things
have come a long way.  

In a lot of ways I am still a fossil.  I like to
tinker and Linux is great for that.  Even if I do buy
the Red Hat distros via an inexpensive alternative
route, I still wind up buying support just like
everyone else when I need it.  I have bought RH 5.1,
6.1 and several earlier distros direct from RH.  I
suppose I could just download the distros via FTP in
an ISO format and burn them.  They are on a lot of
servers.  My CD burner though only supports 650 MB
formats and the ISO's are around 700 Mb (including
Index).  So I find it easier to buy them than I do to
burn them.  (I just don't feel like buying a new
burner.)    

I think it is a good idea to support your favorite
distro and I have done that in the past.  I will do it
again in the future.  We are talking a public product
and there is nothing wrong with getting the distros
anyway you can.  I did send Kevin money for a Kevin's
Red Hat Uber Distribution (KRUD) at www.tummy.com.  It
sounds intersting.

I discovered that you can download an ISO of a boot CD
for Debian and then download the rest of what you need
from the internet.  That is an exciting new way to get
the distribution (for me).  I am going to try it
tonight.  There are a few things I don't like about
Red Hat 7.2 so I am going to try something new.

Thanks for all the response.  I didn't mean to be
stirring up any kind of argument.  I think we all need
to work together for the good of computing in general
and Linux specifically rather than shouting
irresponsibly about one distro or company over other
companies.  Any person or entity who is furthering
Linux is furthering something we all love.  The more
boxes with penguins there are in the world will create
a broader customer base for better software.

Thank you for listening.

Don




> On Fri, 2002-08-23 at 16:27, Don Baldwin wrote:
> 
> > I frequently buy Linux distros from Linux Central
> > (.com).  They sell just the distro for a really
low
> > rate. 
> 
> I would do that, but I prefer paying the full price
for a distro I'm
> going to use full time.  How better to support it
than to give the
> company money?
> 
> Although, I wouldn't give RedHat money, 

This statement seems to be just for kewl RH bashing..
Do you realize 
how
much money they put back into our community.. How they
help support 
some
of the best kernel hackers around.. (read: Alan Cox) I
mean come on..
How much code they offer up for better performing
applications and
better performing kernels..  

But I guess now it's cool to hate Red Hat. That must
be it.. 

A-

-- 
----
Aaron Baer
judah at opusnet.com
http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~baera/


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