[NCLUG] Mandrake 8.1 installed.

[Les]

Hi ncluggers,
  I've been silently lurking on this mailing list for
a long time and had to share something. I recommend
Mandrake 8.1 Linux to other linux non-power users
based on my recent experience with it.  Ever since I
got a cable modem last year I was never able to get my
Redhat 5.2 setup to connect to the internet inspite of
hours of trying. Henceforth I was frustrated and
losing interest in linux. I'm too much of a cheapskate
to buy an $80 or so to upgrade for the latest greatest
linux so I slowly and quietly quit using linux
altogether. However, keeping up on this mailing list
has kept my interest going and I've wanted to get back
into it. The other day I discovered
http://www.linuxsoftware.org and found I could
download a complete version of any of 20 distros for
FREE! I chose Mandrake because it looked like it would
be a painless install. Downloaded 3 CD's worth (from
ftp.tucows, about 2GBs in 3 files in about 10 hours)
of iso image files and burned them on 3 CDs. The
install was the easiest and most intuitive of any I've
ever done due to a great GUI and a logical progression
of questions and a lot of automatic stuff. That was
great because I'm too busy right now, and not much in
the mood, to spend hours upon hours of futzing with
every little setting, configurator or makefile, to get
X going or to get the network stuff happening. I had
those running in about 15 minutes with mandrake. I've
spent days upon days (weeks really) messing with
Slakware and Redhat and never ever had this much
success. I'm still exploring KDE and GNOME and trying
to decide which I like best. The software package
installer is wonderful. I'm basically a happy camper
now.  
   Anyway I just had to share my story. My linux
experience is vastly improved. Now all I need to is
add a new harddrive on my newer computer and intall it
on there because my tired old P133 is dog slow with
all this automation and gui stuff running. I was
hoping to attend the installfest but alas I have to
attend a nieces silly 4th birthday party instead.

Les Watkinson

"When I die I want to die quietly in my sleep
 like my uncle.  Not yelling and screaming
 like my uncle's passengers."


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