Re: BDI install disk for EMC

At 11:14 PM 2/5/00 -0600, you wrote:

>From: Jon Elson <jmelson@...>
>
>
>
>Steve Carlisle wrote:
>
>> From: "Steve Carlisle" <quatsein@...>
>>
>> That would be possible if everyone used the identical
>> hardware. The video seems to be the only real wildcard.
>
>Not only video, though. There is also network card, disk interface (if
>not using the
>built in IDE), CD ROM drive, even the mouse (although this is easy to
>reconfigure).
>There are also subtler issues, like the PCI controller, which depends on
>which brand
>motherboard is used, etc.
>
>Jon

There is another problem with a fixed hardware configuration. It is a
moving target with last month's hardware disappearing from the market and
new stuff taking its place.

You can't get the stuff that was the standard two months ago and must
accept new cards before the xf86 people can write the drivers, but they are
doing their best to keep up. this means we cannot avoid configuring the
hardware we acquire.

Some advice I learned the hard way. Don't buy stuff for your Linux box
from any source that dosn't have someone on the staff who knows and works
with Linux. That means Don't buy from mass merchandisers, and don't buy
from traveling computer fairs where merchants without Linux capabilities
will assure compliance and then leave town. I bought from such a firm who
then disowned any responsibility for or knowledge of their claim that their
box would run Linux. I don't go to computer fairs any more.

If you don't have a local source that is properly nerdly, put together a
local support group. You can do it yourself, which many of these list
members have done, but it is sure a painful way to do it. The Brain Dead
approach is very promising for people far from an affinity group. Please
support it.

Ted