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Thread ID: 70375	2006-07-01 07:44:00	Should I do Suse Linux install?	Shortcircuit (1666)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
467631	2006-07-03 04:18:00	Well that would have to be the worst computing experience of my life :( A 2 gig d/load, burn ISOs to CD... try to figure out what the hell they are talking about going through the install. 1st install failed half way... just stopped. 2nd install sure enough stuffed up my XP partiton and XP would no longer boot up. Since I had Suse finally running decided to stick with it. Tried to install ethernet card, no go. Readme for linux install just said 'Linux maybe (sic) different to Windows'. Great help and again any menu in (Suse at least) linux is double dutch. trying to set up anything from the menus was like wading through half vague and half deliberately confusing information. (Note that I did a considerable amount of 'research' and reading before I took the plunge, so I should have half known what I was doing). Finally I gave up and tried to boot into XP again... no go, XP had even disappeared from the boot loader menu. After much swearing I inserted XP CD to do an new install of Windows and what do you know... it wouldn't get past Post. Now left with a comp no OS and some beeps (most of them from me) Spent another few hours reassembling old comp so I can run Win98 and know I'm going to be able to get on the net. My impressions of Suse: Set up procedure... crap. When I say I want my Windows opsys left intact- that's what I expect. Ease of install... average. The 'instructions' in the info pane are 'arcane' to say the least. Even with a fair amount of knowledge of computers I had to read some of them a number of times to figure out what the options were. Boot up... slow. Even by Windows standards. Eyecandy... sure. Menus... bad. Just an endless run around between Yast, home, not home, and all the other places you 'might' find what you're looking for (if you can figure out what you're supposed to be doing!). My overall impression: if you've got any sense and want a system that's relatively easy to set up, with clear 'no crap' instructions/menus, stick with Windows (god, did I say that?) you'll save yourself a LOT of grief... and time. I don't care if Linux is the 'domain of geeks', by now it should be almost as user friendly as Windows and there is NO excuse for the confusing way things are set up/labeled/explained. Plain English and ease of use is not the same as 'dumbing down'. As my high school teacher said "Showed promise, but lacking in application" :D Sadly I'm beginning to wonder if Linux will ever make it as a desk top. Flames here>	Shortcircuit (1666)
467632	2006-07-03 06:07:00	Well that would have to be the worst computing experience of my life :( Oh that's sad . :( Been there, done that, though . . . . and got my fingers burnt too . :rolleyes: I have said it before and I will say it again - it is a good idea to use removable hard drive caddies so that you can install and play with Linux on its very own hard drive instead of dual booting if you want to avoid the possibility of getting your Windows trashed . I was going to say it earlier in this thread before you started but nobody seems to take any notice of me and Jen advocating it so I shut up this time . Hold your horses before doing anything silly at the moment as one of the Linux geeks might be able to suggest a way to get your Windows back again intact .	FoxyMX (5)
467633	2006-07-03 06:08:00	So I guess you won't be at the LUG meeting tonight then huh? :p If your machine is beeping, then you have hardware issues. Installing an OS often gives memory and the hard drive a good work out so any faults present can make themselves known after (or during that). I would try checking the memory for starters. You shouldn't of needed to install the ethernet card as Linux already knows it is there and will have the appropriate drivers installed. All you need to do is select either DHCP and it will do the rest, or put in your static IP address and other required IP details (eg router/gateway IP etc). :) Shame you had such a rough first time.	Jen (38)
467634	2006-07-03 06:37:00	Haha Jen, I think I am 'slightly' over computers today :dogeye: Yeah it's sad, I feel like I gave it good try and it does look like a promising opsys, but far too much drama to get it going . . . even when I thought the only choice I had was to make it go because I couldn't go back to Windows! I haven't investigated the post beeps yet, I get to 3 but not 4, so you may be right with the hardware . I am pretty sure that Suse didn't know my ethernet card was there, but then again- there was nothing to say that it DID know and no success when I did the DHCP part (can't remember the message I got) . Nevermind- it gave the brain a workout :)	Shortcircuit (1666)
467635	2006-07-03 07:08:00	You didn't mention your BIOS brand, but three beeps often indicates memory problems. Open your case and check to make sure the RAM is firmly seated. If you have two sticks of RAM, trying taking one out at a time to see if you can isolate the faulty stick.	Jen (38)
467636	2006-07-03 07:27:00	Bios is a Via K8T800pro on an Asus A8V motherboard... ram 2 sticks of 512 Geil. On post it normally gives 1-2-1 beeps, but now 1-2-0 then hangs. Of course they don't give any post 'beep' diagnostics in the manual. I will fiddle with reseating the ram, but am thinking maybe new nforce4 m/board and a new Seagate Sata2 with NCQ (to add to the 3 other HD's that have died on me)... well, it's a good excuse for spending money :D	Shortcircuit (1666)
467637	2006-07-03 07:50:00	Bios is a Via K8T800pro on an Asus A8V motherboard... ram 2 sticks of 512 Geil. On post it normally gives 1-2-1 beeps, but now 1-2-0 then hangs. Hmm ... from what I can tell you have an AMI BIOS. The 1-2-1 is not a normal passed POST code. One single long beep is - Reference (www.bioscentral.com). You might wish to start a new thread about this if you require hardware help. :)	Jen (38)
467638	2006-07-03 07:59:00	Oh dear . They do recommend backing up your harddrive before you do anything that effects partitions on your hard drive as you cannot give a 100% assurance that it won't end in tears (as yours did) . I have done quite a few dual installs and only had the occasional problem . Linux uses different labels for some things for good reason, the Windows terminology dates back to when a system had DOS and 2 floppy drives and thats all (a: and b:) . Linux is more logical in that its hda for the first hard drive, hdb for the second etc etc . Of course if you have a sata drive, then its slightly diffferent, but I digress . I personally like SUSE although I do use Mandrake and Fedora . Although having said that, my SUSE installs have been without any other OS . Hopefully you will not write Linux off yet . I still get frustrated by Linux but I get frustrated by Windows too .	dolby digital (5073)
467639	2006-07-03 08:05:00	The Auckland LUG (Linux User Group) tomorrow night (Monday) will be looking at the latest developments with SuSE - details (www.linux.net.nz). As you can see, it is being presented by Novell themselves (NZ branch). Anyone can attend these presentations. :) Jen, Do you know if the "presentation" is coming down to Wgtn?	dolby digital (5073)
467640	2006-07-03 08:33:00	Yep, it is an AMi bios Jen and from the list sounds like my 'normal' beep 1-2-1 is faulty memory . . . strange as it has done this from new (with diff ram as well) and I have done a mem test on the ram I got now . I shall investigate . . . of course it may mean new m/board, HD and 2 gig of ram! Thanks for the encouragement Dolby, I may try again, but not today, or this week . . . or maybe next . . . :) I wasn't too worried about the Suse install wiping the XP install if I stuffed up as I had only done a clean install of XP a week or so ago, so no great loss so long as I could do a reinstall of XP . In this instance I don't think it would have helped if I'd backed up my HD first :( I guess I've got a couple of options: If the current HD is ok I could install Suse on it and XP on a new drive . Or I have an external USB HD which I could install Suse on until I 'get it under control' . . . not sure how nicely this option would play with Windows, or even if it would work . One thing's for sure- I won't be dual booting XP and Suse on the same HD again .	Shortcircuit (1666)
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