[ltp] Xandros

[SOTL]

On Sunday 02 January 2005 10:13 am, Donald B. Altman wrote:
> ** Reply to message from SOTL <sotl155360@earthlink.net> on Sun, 2 Jan =
2005
> 08:49:10 -0500
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm sitting next to an A21p on which a friend has installed Xandros 2. =
 I'm
> running on a Thinkpad using SuSE 9.1.  Here are some of my impressions.=
=2E..
>
> Xandros installed easily - a couple of clicks.  But it gives you much  =
less
> choice over what you install.  That comes later when you use their "Xan=
dros
> networks" tool both to update and to download whatever you're missing.=20
> Things like kernel source are not installed normally, so if you're goin=
g to
> use anything that compiles its own kernel modules, like VMWare, be sure
> you're near a wideband connection.

Now we are to the source of my original posting. I had heard rumors of is=
sues=20
like that with Xandors. The reason for my skepatuism about the article.
>
> I don't know whether you have to spring the full $80 for the profession=
al
> edition if you're not planning to use their support.=20

Been that rout. It seems that a few pieces always seem to be left out of =
the=20
on line downloads. And! A few critical [to me] programs to the cheaper=20
version.

> I think much of what
> you don't get is available through Xandros networks.  Also, you can alw=
ays
> go outside their structure and download your own CD burner if you want =
one
> that's faster than 4X.  So if cost is an issue, you have alternatives t=
o
> paying.
>
> (I've not had much time to play with Xandros, though, so some of what
> follows may be coming from lack of familiarity rather than actual
> shortcomings.)
>
> Xandros has rearranged the configuration and log files somewhat. =20

Something else I had heard roomers of; that Xandros's is non standard.

> We're
> having a problem with the ethernet driver (3Com again, sigh.)  'Dmesg" =
does
> not give much output and one ends up chasing from log  to log for answe=
rs.=20
> The logs, as shipped, are less complete than SuSE.  That may be a
> deliberate design decision to keep your machine from filling up with cr=
uft
> if you're a newbie and don't even know or care about the logs.  There's
> probably a way to turn them on.
>
> Xandros seems, overall, to be good for newbies to Linux.  It looks more
> like Windows than most other distros and works well with a point and cl=
ick
> approach.  For anyone who wants to get into the system, though, it keep=
s
> things more hidden. =20

Something else I had heard rumors of.

> At my level of expertise, I prefer SuSE.

=46rom what I know of SuSE on my desktop [which I built so it has no rela=
tion to=20
IBM] I like SuSE better than Mandrake but then I am rather discussed with=
=20
Mandrake at the moment over the failure of 10.1 DVD to install issue whil=
e=20
9.1 DVD does install.
>
> Re SuSE...
> I know it better.  I just installed 9.2 on a box last night with no rea=
l
> problems.  It got video working (I have an old Nvidia GeForce 256 card)
> right out of the box.  That's an improvement over prior versions, which
> couldn't handle the NVidia easily.)  I had a problem with the 3Com card
> when I tried to install it on my A21p, but was more comfortable trackin=
g it
> down than in Xandros.

That is an issue to me I am not confortable tracking down modem issues pe=
riod;=20
especially US Robotics 56K fax full modem ones in which one needs a Windo=
ws=20
bod to install the latest bios before one can program the modem.

> I'll try installing SuSE 9.2 on my T42p next week and so may have more
> specific feedback after that.
>
> BTW - I think you can do much better on hard drives.  Check outpost.com=
 or
> pricewatch.com.  I got a 60GB 18 months ago for under $200.  Currently,=
 the
> 80G Toshiba notebook drives are going for about $121.

Where? Not at our local CompUSA. For that price all I could get was a $20=
 GB=20
which fully loaded would not accommodate 2 operating systems and my data =
much=20
less with my normal partition configuration.

> Good luck,
>
> Don A

Thanks for the feedback. I could just feel it in my bones that that artic=
le=20
was a bunch of !@#%&*.

Thanks
Frank