beonopsontgut
08-06-2005, 12:12 PM
Poetic post title, don't you think? I stole it from a band.
Anyway- I seem unable to install linux by myself. I tried to install Mandrake 8.2 back when that came out 2-3 years ago, and it took me nearly a month to get it to any kind of functionality. My problem seems to always be with generic errors when installing certain packages. I assumed that the cds I burned back then (from ISOs, from the Mandrake site, with the correct md5 check-things) had some errors on them, so I re-burned them. eventually, I tried it so many times that it worked enough to make the OS functional, even though there were still occasionial errors on certain programs. I'm sorry if I'm using Windows terms and don't know it. I only used that version of linux until I couldn't handle life without music piracy. I then installed RedHat on a computer at school, when I was in high school. There also, I had similar problems, and I began to assume that it was the hardware messing up, not the software.
So I have waited until I had a spare computer that's not as old as those. I recently came across a HP with Windows XP, a pentium 4, and 256 MB of RAM. I hope to finally achieve my dream of having two functional computers- one with windows to play games (and steal music) and one to learn linux on. I figured that... (WOW, THIS IS A LONG POST) ... I would try Mandrake again, this time Version 10.1 on DVD, which I promptly downloaded and burned on to the nearest DVD+R. There were no problems (and a very cool installation process) until I got to the Install step; where there were still quite a few errors, no matter what packages I choose to install. I thought I might be able to circumvent this by installing only the minimum of packages, or installing from a network. Well, I don't have a server, and the minimal install still had errors.
So now I'm stuck. Is problem not uncommon? I've heard that Mandrake and Red-Hat are similar- could that be a clue? Is it always that there are problems with the hard drive? Should I try a different distro? Should I burn the CDs/ DVD again? I really don't want another windows machine in this house- there are already 7 of those here.
Thanks for listening (and for any constructive advice.)
Bonus Points if you know what band wrote the song in the title.
Anyway- I seem unable to install linux by myself. I tried to install Mandrake 8.2 back when that came out 2-3 years ago, and it took me nearly a month to get it to any kind of functionality. My problem seems to always be with generic errors when installing certain packages. I assumed that the cds I burned back then (from ISOs, from the Mandrake site, with the correct md5 check-things) had some errors on them, so I re-burned them. eventually, I tried it so many times that it worked enough to make the OS functional, even though there were still occasionial errors on certain programs. I'm sorry if I'm using Windows terms and don't know it. I only used that version of linux until I couldn't handle life without music piracy. I then installed RedHat on a computer at school, when I was in high school. There also, I had similar problems, and I began to assume that it was the hardware messing up, not the software.
So I have waited until I had a spare computer that's not as old as those. I recently came across a HP with Windows XP, a pentium 4, and 256 MB of RAM. I hope to finally achieve my dream of having two functional computers- one with windows to play games (and steal music) and one to learn linux on. I figured that... (WOW, THIS IS A LONG POST) ... I would try Mandrake again, this time Version 10.1 on DVD, which I promptly downloaded and burned on to the nearest DVD+R. There were no problems (and a very cool installation process) until I got to the Install step; where there were still quite a few errors, no matter what packages I choose to install. I thought I might be able to circumvent this by installing only the minimum of packages, or installing from a network. Well, I don't have a server, and the minimal install still had errors.
So now I'm stuck. Is problem not uncommon? I've heard that Mandrake and Red-Hat are similar- could that be a clue? Is it always that there are problems with the hard drive? Should I try a different distro? Should I burn the CDs/ DVD again? I really don't want another windows machine in this house- there are already 7 of those here.
Thanks for listening (and for any constructive advice.)
Bonus Points if you know what band wrote the song in the title.