Re: Mandrake Woes

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Date: 18 Oct 2003 04:28:50 GMT

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 02:01:24 +0000 (UTC), Gregory L. Hansen <glhansen@steel.ucs.indiana.edu> wrote:
>
> I got a cheap computer from eBay for a Linux box, a Kayak XAs, monitor
> cables finally arrived so I could see what I'm doing. I got Mandrake from
> eBay, a 7 CD set for around $5 including shipping. Couldn't figure out
> why it was so cheap.
>
> Installation was fun and easy for the first disk. When it said to insert
> the second disk it just hung there, and eventually said there was an error
> installing some package, continue? Yes. Error installing another
> package, continue? Yes. Eventually I gave up, started over clicking
> "cancel" to skip CD 2. It said to insert International CD 3, so I stuck
> in the International CD which was my CD 7, and it didn't like that. So I
> tried my CD 3 and it didn't like that. Eventually the install finished
> with just the first disk.
>
> Maybe that's why it was so cheap. There's still stuff on the other disks,
> but it's as if the Install disk were made for something else.

I've had a few installations go like that. I bought some Debian disks
where only the installer was readable. It loaded up, partitioned my hard
drive, then couldn't read anything else, leaving me with a lovely blank
partitioned drive.
 
> If I have a working setup, I can add stuff later. But my monitor is stuck
> in crappy mode, the 640x480 strobe light.

Ack!!

> It's an AuroraVision that
> doesn't appear in the hardware list, but I'd entered the settings and it
> told me I'd have to restart GNOME before the setting take effect. Which
> is kind of frustrating because on my Mac I enter a resolution and refresh
> rate and it's set immediately, and if the screen goes wonky it resets in a
> few seconds. I know immediately that something is happening and whether
> it worked. But when I restarted Gnome the settings didn't take effect, I
> still had a cramped strobe light. I've found a few places to enter
> monitor settings, but it didn't seem to take in any of them.

Setting up X can be really complicated. I have no idea how Mandrake does
it.

> My modem settings didn't seem to take, either. It's an ISA modem that
> came with an Optiplex PII 233 MHz, however old that is. There are no
> markings on the modem that I know how to relate to a brand or
> manufacturer, but the computer said it detected a modem.

If it's a Plug-n-Play modem you'll probably need the isapnp tools to give
your modem the magic wiggly bits to know what it's supposed to do. Or
something. (I haven't done that in years. PCI is nice.)

> But my ISP
> information doesn't seem to take. I enter the phone number, user name,
> password, DNS servers, etc., and test the connection and nothing happens.
> Then I go back to the networking wizard and most or all of the fields are
> blank, or all but the first few digits of the phone number were gone.
> Weird.
>
> What's going on there?

Hard to say. One of the files that didn't get installed right might be
one that is needed to store the information you're trying to enter. And
getting the modem to work is a whole other issue, of course.
 
> I'd like to think I could spend $50 on "real" CDs from the Mandrake store
> and all the problems would be solved, but then I imagine spending $50 and
> being exactly where I am now, except $50 poorer.

Two questions: do you specifically need *Mandrake*, and do you have a CD
burner on your Mac?

You might want to consider Debian, which can be downloaded and installed
completely over the internet. Having a CD burner will make it easier, but
I've done it from floppies. You can get a minimal install going with a
few floppies, then get your modem going (with, ah, luck and persistence)
then download the rest of the system.

I've also got copies of SuSE 8.1, Redhat, er... 7.2, 7.3, 8-something, and
maybe 9 around, along with Debian "Woody". I could make copies of any of
these and mail them to you.

-- 
- Laurel   *  *  *   http://amberdine.com

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