Re: SEUL: SUEL: Install part deux

[Michael Peck <mjpeck@mailhost.rsn.hp.com>]

Greg Bell wrote:
> 
> Well finally finished downloading the RedHat version of linux and
> installed it so here are my observations:
> 1) (doesn't really have to do with the installation, may be skipped.
> When I first attempted to get the RedHat files I read just about
> everything that was on their web site about installation and could find
> nothing about what files needed to be downloaded.  Sent a message to
> their tech support asking simply what files were needed for a base
> distro.  Got a message back from them saying in effect if you didn't buy
> it don't ask. This I felt was rather short sighted of them.

I thought this was the way everyone did it: if you buy it, you get
technical support, if you don't, you don't. That's pretty much RedHat's
solid policy, and I'm sure it wasn't personal; they get a lot of
technical support requests from non-paying customers, and it's not cheap
to fund a tech support division. How else could it possibly be done?

This is an important consideration for SEUL. I wouldn't advocate
charging money for it, but some thinking has to be done regarding how
work will be compensated, when work is not done for free (like tech
support).

> 2) finally determined what needed to be downloaded and completed the
> downloading of files (approximately 500 files of varing length) made the
> boot disks with rawrite and began the installation.

You can actually perform the RedHat installation, choosing packages and
all, via FTP without pulling the whole thing down. Just get the boot and
supplementary disk images, RAWRITE them to floppy, and run. It'll be
slow, but no slower than pre-downloading. Just make sure your link
doesn't die partway into the install :-)

> 3) The installation screen were in my opinion rather childish looking
> but seemed to work correctly.
> 4) When needing to swap disks (only two are required) if you don't swap
> the disk you are reminded, A GOOD POINT.
> 5)Attempted to install over my current (Slackware) linux set up install
> went alright program selection was exceptionally good because of the
> tracking of what programs are needed by other programs.
> 6.) Installed Lilo on the root master block
> 7.) entire installation took about 10 minutes on my pentium 166
> 8.) shutdown and did a reboot tried to get into linux but nothing
> 9.) did a reinstall first erasing the partition that will hold the linux
> system
> 10.) again installation went without a hitch
> 11.) rebooted and got the lilo prompt and was informed that I could boot
> to linux or dos (which I never told lilo to do as I already have a boot
> manager on my system for either windows or linux).

You probably don't remember it, but there was a screen wherein you set
up your partitions' mount points. Root will already be filled in, with a
"linux" label next to it in the "boot label" (I think) field. If you
have a FAT partition, RedHat will also fill that in with a "/dos" mount
point and a "dos" LILO label. You can change these and others from that
screen. If you simply "Return" key through it, it's easy to miss.

> 12.) booted linux. Worked fine
> 
> General observations on the redhat distribution:
>  When I use linux I tend to mix the command line with the use of
> XWindows and it seems that with RedHat it is either command line or
> XWindows (you have to use XDM to get XWindows to work) this is rather
> restrictive in my point of view and a definate drawback.

This is definitely not true. I have never run XDM on any of my RedHat
installations, but I use X Windows all the time. I'm not being coy; I
really don't know what made you think this.

Perhaps the confusing part is that during installation, if you choose
not to install Metro-X, the installation will run you through some sort
of curses-based X configurator. That program is really lousy, and I
usually cancel out of it and run "xf86config" instead.

The main problem here is that, apart from Metro-X and other commercial X
servers, there isn't a good X configurator. This should be a major goal
of SEUL, in my opinion. The thing to mimic is Metro-X's Xconfig, which
runs in X based on a baseline 640x480 mode, and thus allows
configuration to take place within X, instead of having two parts: a
text part and an X part. It's all in X. Nice.

> The installation program did offer support for my zip drive.
> 
> The installation program seemed to take care of setting up Xwindows
> without a problem.

And installed XDM?!? I've never seen this happen.

>                     Greg

MJP
-- 
Michael J. Peck
Hewlett-Packard, Convex Division
mjpeck@convex.com
Opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of my employer.
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