Re: ...the Linux saga...

["Adam Williams" <awilliam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 	Yes, it did do the MOUNT stuff, but still no DIR (or LS) of either
drive...  By now, I'm beginning to realize that Linux - enen though it may do
some jobs better and easier - is NOT the OS for a beginner, and will require a
LOT of time learning it's command structure... Win95, and it's ease of use, it
wasn't...

You ls the directort where you mounted the CD or floppy:

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
ls -l /mnt {or} cd /mnt

Or witha floppy just do "mdir" to see the directory of a MS-DOS floppy,  or
mcopy to copy a file on or off, or mdel etc...

>
>
> 	BTW, what is the correct pronounciation of Linux?  I went to a computer
show and asked the guys at the Linux booth about "LIE-NUX" and they looked at
me like I was nuts... after some study, I found that it was supposed to be
"LEE-NUX" - but then that didn't seem to be right either... I know that Linux
is patterned after UNIX - but is is pronounced "LUU-NIX"??

Haven't got a clue, and who cares.  I've been using it for going on four/five
years.


> 	Finally - two things that have been bothering me... First, is Linux
really useful to a "home user" who only wants to do a few apps - word
processing, get on the Internet, etc... and the most bothersom thing... why do
Linux people on the news groups seem to find it more important to point out the
minor problems that people are haveing with other OS's, than spending that same
time and bandwidth supporting their favorite OS and helping others with their
problems??

	Agree.  I personally used WfWg 3.11 before moving to Linux.  And
everyone says that Windows 3.11 sucks,  but I ran it on a 386 and it NEVER
crashed.  My roommates PC however dumped on a regular basis,  whether or not
you can really judge the OS by that... who knows.  My luck with Win95 so far on
MANY machines has been far worse,  but again, who cares, this is a discussion
of Linux.
	At home I have used Linux exclusively for over two years, ever since
the advent of Word Perfect for Linux.  Admittadly I do some programming and
other "strange things."  Although I could afford "real" OS's (AIX, Solaris, NT,
NextStep) I got linux for $10 years ago and have never left.  My beaf with
Windows was that everything I wanted to do was more $$$.  You want a word
processor? A compiler? A spreadsheet?  A e-mail reader? And then the upgrade
fees every six to nine months.  I use a LOT of commercial software on my Linux
box which I have paid for,  but I don's have to pay for what SHOULD come with
the OS in the first place.
	Also there are a lot of features usefull to me.  Multiple users,
multiple displays, etc...  I live in a house with 4 people and one computer,
 and lots more than that you want to use it.  Linux lets me use old/strange
hardware to accomplish amazing things.  I run my one name server for instance
and what my Web Pages fly.  A roommate and I can log onto diffrent stations and
blow each other's brains out in Xpilot.  I often have dozen's of windows open,
 just beacuse it's easier to open everything and work from there,  and
performance is AMAZING.  Linux is not so great until you adjust you work habits
to it (or it to yours),  and then you can't live without it.

>
>
> 	I still have the 486 systen, and I won't give up easily to Linux's
unusual requirements... I'd like to learn how to use it.  It seems like someone
should write a book for Linux beginners that would say things like... "if you
want to see the DIR of your CDROM, do this command..." and then state the
command, rather that assume that the user already knows what the command is...


	It's not that hard.  It is just diffrent.  You seem to be struggling
with the lack of drive letters,  which i see as one of it's greatest features.
 I think that is true that it is often much easier for someone with NO computer
experience than someone with a lot of experience with single-user operating
systems.  Most the newbie manuals aren't that great in my opinion.  Next time
you hit a snag send me or this list a question and we'll do our best to answer
it.  That is what were here for.

>
> 	I have the Red Hat 5.1 on CDROM coming soon... I could not get it fron
the local Linux user group, as they requested that I travel 50 miles, and bring
my machine with me to get it installed - at the very inexpensive price of $2...
 but I found that I could buy the latest version from the Linux Mall for only
$1.49 (plus shipping) and it would be delivered to my door... can't beat a deal
like that!

RedHat is the right choice in my opinion, RPM makes adding and removing
software EASY, like it should be.  And most commercial software recommends
RedHat.