on Sat, Jun 21, 2003 at 04:55:47AM -0500, Alex Malinovich ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
> My first ever Linux install was done with Potato a year and a half ago.
> The only experience I had had with anything remotely linux related
> before then was using cygwin for a few months. So essentially I knew a
> few basic bash commands. I knew nothing about the kernel, the
> filesystem, or anything. I had no real idea what modules were, and the
> whole "sources" thing baffled me. And, worst of all, I didn't find out
> about this list until AFTER I had a working install. :)
Cool, and 'grats.
> And, just so I can join in the foray of the auto-detect flame-fest here,
> if a user doesn't know his hardware well enough to be able to pick it
> from a list he shouldn't be installing an OS in the first place.
> Besides, if a user is converting from Windows, just how much trouble is
> it to grab a pen and paper and go into Device Manager? (Took me about 10
> minutes a year and a half ago. Barring some odd time-distorting anomaly,
> it should still take roughly that long for John Q. Public to do so.)
> Auto-detection would be nice, but if I have to choose between manually
> selecting hardware or having an installer hard-lock my computer like the
> Mandrake installer did a few months ago, I'll go the manual selection
> route anyday. :)
My suggestion is this:
- Run Knoppix.
- Run the system-info script I've written, and save its output. This
will give modules and other configuration settings.
http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/LinuxSystemInfoScript
Note that "configuring modules" is largely a matter of adding a list
of modules to /etc/modules, when using a stock kernel.
- Copy Knoppix's X configuration file someplace, as a starting point.
With this, the modestly skilled newbie should have few issues with a
Debian install.
Peace.
--
Karsten M. Self <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
What Part of "Gestalt" don't you understand?
Support the EFF, they support you: http://www.eff.org/
pgp00000.pgp
Description: PGP signature
