On Sun, 4 Sep 2005, Mario Mendes Jr. wrote:

> I do have to admit that I have tried to play with linux only 3 times in
> my life and the last one of those over 3 years ago, so I'll take your
> word for it when you say it is not like that anymore.
>
> The last time I tried to get a free parallel port driver working on my
> PC, it wreaked havoc on the system.  It replaced a bunch of dlls and god
> knows whatever else.  And since the crashes only started happening after
> the installation of the driver, I'm 99% sure that was it.

Linux is complex enough to supply all the rope needed to do the system 
in. On the other hand, if you follow the crowd (and do not do things 
outside the box, like attempting to update the system in bulk using 
packages from another system, based on the *wrong* assumption that any 
rpm package is a rpm package), you will have a smooth ride.

The smoothest ride is currently given by the live boot type cds, like 
Knoppix (which is Debian based). There is *nothing* to configure if you 
have normal hardware (most any pc made between 1998 and say three months 
ago). It does not even install on the hard disk. You put the cd in, boot 
from it, and sip coffee for ca. 3 to 5 minutes until it boots directly 
into gui (x11), with internet connection up (if you have a router you 
are already connected by the time the system is up), Open Office 
installed, access to your hard drive, sound, usb, cd (and dvd) writer 
and about 2000 other applications (including wine, a windows emulator 
that allows many windows-only programs to run under linux). If you like 
it, you can even install it on a partition. It is hard to resist the 
temptation. See http://www.knopper.net -> knoppix . New versions are out 
all the time.

Peter
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