Re: A scuzzy SCSI card... (fwd)

[Jeffery Douglas Waddell <jwaddell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Having major mailer
problems, hope this one gets through. Delete it if
you get two :(

Jeff


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 16:12:01 -0600 (CST)
From: Jeffery Douglas Waddell <jwaddell@family.wadsoft.com>
Reply-To: jwaddell@ix.netcom.com
To: mail@frontrowcomputer.com
Cc: klug@klug.armintl.com
Subject: Re: A scuzzy SCSI card...

Hi sorry for the delay.

On Sun, 14 Feb 1999 mail@frontrowcomputer.com wrote:

-->Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 13:25:23 -0500
-->From: mail@frontrowcomputer.com
-->To: jwaddell@ix.netcom.com
-->Cc: klug@klug.armintl.com
-->Subject: Re: A scuzzy SCSI card...
-->
-->Wow!!!  I've got to love your expertise at the hardware level.

HaHaHaHa!!!!!!

-->  And your
-->interest in this sort of thing is commendable for you.

Or certifiable, perhaps.

-->  In fifteen years in
-->the computer industry, I've found very few people who can do what your do.
-->

Really, I guess I hang around the wrong people because most of them are
much better at it than I am.

-->But why?

To KNOW how it works.

-->  To the rest of us, you've spent the time that could have paid for
-->a new state-of-the-art SCSI card.

And HOW could that time have paid for a new card.  I'm not a consultant, I
don't get paid by the hour.

-->  And the rest of us neophytes haven't the
-->foggiest idea of what you're talking about anyway.

Really, none of you?!

-->  And we certainly can't
-->put it to use.

Perhaps not, but then again perhaps so.

-->  (Although I now know the expert to call the next time we've
-->got a hardware-level problem.)

Great, what should me rates be!

-->
-->To everyone else, my recommendation would be to go ahead and spend the
-->money on the recommended BusLogic or Adaptec as Adam said.

Absolutely don't mess with what works.

-->  It works, it's
-->cheaper than do-it-yourself, and it saves a tremendous amount of time.

Yep.

-->Never, ever buy off-brand unless you're sure that the company has a good
-->thing going.

It came with the scanner, it was not purchased on it's own.  I'm
definately not that stupid.  But this is one the reasons to hack on it
because I've got nothing but time (which I probably would have wasted on
hacking someting anyway) invested in it.

-->  That includes checking the magazine reviews and calling their
-->tech support to try them out.
yep.

-->  I can't tell you all the customers of mine
-->who call to tell me the great "deal" they got on some scanner, for
-->instance.

That's why your in business to protect your customer's from all the
"great" deals.

-->  It is either a parallel or USB port device, or it has a strange
-->ISA SCSI card that is hard to configure and good for nothing else.  All of
-->those are usually very bad choices.  But is was "such a deal".  (The only
-->true great deal you'll get is contacting us at Front Row Computer for the
-->KLUG discount.)
-->

Can I get the discount if I'm not in KLUG ;)

-->The whole purpose of most of us attending KLUG is to understand the simple
-->basic methodology to make something work.

Oh and I thought it was to learn about Linux.

-->  And I see that as the biggest
-->downfall that we have in the Linux community right now.  Everyone talks in
-->the expert-speak of that niche market.  We simpletons need to be told the
-->limitations and the benefits in simple, plain English.

Then we will need a translator I suspect.

-->  After all, don't
-->most of us, at one time or the other, fall into the same category as Steve
-->P. and feel as he does?  (Read his letter, it says it like it is.)
-->

Probably.

-->It can be made clear.  An excellent example of that was the network basics
-->talk that Adam gave on 1/19/99.  But I still haven't read anyone, anywhere
-->tell me how to install software.

Hunh, you don't know how to use the rpm program?

-->  At the very least it must be explained in
-->general terms as it may fit various categories of software.  And the
-->How-To's, give me a break; expert-speak explanations for those in the know
-->only.  This is where the TV warning, "Don't try this at home", really applies.
-->

That's why the distros all come with there own books isn't it?

-->So here's the new deal.  Everyone who finds a method to do something useful
-->and basic that  really works, please document it and submit it to me.

That is a great Idea and I hope you actually get people to do it.

-->  I
-->will add it to an ongoing basic primer on how to get up and running
-->quickly.

And where will you put it and will it be GPL?

-->  My primary thrust will be RedHat, but we can diverge some into
-->other flavors as well.

Ok, whatever.

-->  Let's document and see what we get.  We might
-->become the shining lights for everyone.

Any light is better than NO light.

-->  But please, lets make it simple.

certainly.

-->I want to know what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how to do it,
-->keystroke by keystroke.  No exceptions!
-->

the script command my be useful there.

at the shell prompt

$script
$whatever you want to do here
$exit

The file typescript has a transcript of what you just did.  There is
probably an Xwindows version as well, but I'm not familiar with it.

-->Read the current status of the project at www.frontrowcomputer.com/primer.
-->This will be just for KLUG and there won't be any links at first.  And
-->don't forget, your critique is most welcome.
-->

I guess i can't go there then, too bad.  Don't close in on yourselves.
Everybody in the Community needs good information and instructions.  

-->Linux can truly rock!
-->

That is does!!!

Later

Jeff