On 11/15/2010 03:29 PM, mike cloaked wrote: > At the weekend I was invited to attend a local linux user group > "installfest" since all the other people there was Ubuntu-centric. I > took along a Fedora f14 Gnome desktop install DVD, as well as a > bootable usbkey containing the DVD iso as an install medium in case of > need (written with livecd-iso-to-disk. > > The banter at the event was all about the latest Ubuntu, and a young > Italian lady had dropped in, who was not best pleased with the default > operating system on an EEEPC 901, and had brought it to the > installfest with a view to getting a "proper" version of linux on it > with the help of the experts at hand. > > The Ubuntu helpers worked out how to boot a usbkey and eagerly set > about starting an install of the latest Ubuntu, whilst I discussed > Fedora with them in terms of differences from what they were used to. > "So what drivers will you need to load to get the wireless going on > the EEEPC if you installed F14?" I told them it was very likely it > would just work out of the box. They were not convinced! "What about > the webcam?" - it'll probably 'just work', I replied. Anyway it was > by now becoming clear that the Ubuntu install was not going well, and > questions were being asked across the room about how to get around the > error that was popping into the screen before the install had got off > the starting blocks! > > I offered my help to try an f14 install as an alternative. I popped > my key into the usb slot and initiated an install. Anaconda did its > thing, and I configured the install - and set it going - of course > with a slow machine it would take a while, and an hour and a bit later > it went into first boot. > > Ubuntu people watching over my shoulder waiting for the inevitable > failure to connect to the local encrypted wireless signal > (authenticated via a radius server) were surprised when the wireless > network connection was running about 30 seconds later. A little > desktop tweaking, and then adding in a couple of extra repo > definitions allowed the young lady access to her mp3 player via the > usb port,and play her mp3 files, and Skype fired up without issue. > Chrome was running a few minutes later, and then the Italian keyboard > was put through its paces. Not a single problem, and she went away > with a beaming smile delighted at the working system, and commenting > on how wonderful the desktop background graphics were. The others were > clearly impressed. > > One guy commented that the colour scheme was rather more pleasing to > his eye than his own Ubuntu scheme! > > I donated the install DVD to the event, and left for another > engagement. I later learned that they had used it to do several f14 > installs on other machines! > > Fedora does seem to work! > Two satisfied customers. For the first time I was able to successfully perform a preupgrade. The previous two times I had to do a fresh install. My group also runs installfests (http://blu.org/cgi-bin/calendar/2010-ifest38), but we are not as Ubuntu-centric. I try to be up to date on my Fedora, SuSE, and Ubuntu knowledge. What is always interesting to me is that some distros install on some hardware and not on others and vice-versa. Usually, when I run into trouble with one distro on some hardware, I try another. But I have a wierder problem at work. I have 5 nearly identical rack-mounted systems. (4 have 64GB memory, and 1 had 16). Installing RHEL 5.2 works fine on 4 of the systems including the 16GB, but 1 system always hangs on udev until I manually blacklist the edac modules. I've had similar issues during the installfest where 1 media failed to install on one system, but did install on a second system. We've been doing installfests for 16 years and a number of the core volunteers are distro neutral even in one meeting where SuSE bought the pizzas :-) -- Jerry Feldman <gaf@xxxxxxx> Boston Linux and Unix PGP key id: 537C5846 PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846 -- users mailing list users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
