What really annoys me about Linux


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I change the order of my hard drives, now in sitting here re-installing Mandrake 9.2 because the kernel wont boot.

Linux is a great OS when it works properly, but unfortunately for me, it rarely ever works properly.

People talk about it going mainstream, but unfortunately the average Joe doesn?t want to have to re-compile their kernel when they add new hardware, they don?t want to have to re-install when they change their hard drive layout.

I have 2 hard drives, a 120GB (primary drive) and a 40 GB. Linux is installed on the 40GB, if I disconnect the 40GB hard drive the boot loader shoots out "010101010101010101" and then the computer halts.

I like Linux, but these things really frustrate me and I can never see the average Joe ever wanting an OS that doesn?t adapt to how you set up the computer.

Windows seems to work no matter what you do to your computer. Linux needs to get itself up to this level if it wants to succeed.

IMO Linux still has a LOT of development left if it ever is to have a hope of competing with Windows.

Sorry I?m a little annoyed about having to re-install Mandrake, just had to get that off my chest.

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If you're using lilo, you might have to edit your lilo.conf (depending on what you changed in the drive layout) and then rerun

/sbin/lilo

If you're using grub, check your grub.conf/menu.lst. :)

If you changed your primary master drive to secondary slave, windows probably wouldnt boot either. In fact, i'm not sure if you would be able to recover from something like that under windows :p

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Done that. Anyways its re-installed now, luckily i have a "/home" partition, so i didnt loos my settings, it booted straight away with my wallpaper and theme already set up.

Still annoied about having to reinstall all progs again though.

If you're using lilo, you might have to edit your lilo.conf (depending on what you changed in the drive layout) and then rerun

CODE

/sbin/lilo

If you're using grub, check your grub.conf/menu.lst.

If you changed your primary master drive to secondary slave, windows probably wouldnt boot either. In fact, i'm not sure if you would be able to recover from something like that under windows

I couldnt get to the command prompt, neither my new kernel or the old one would boot. But thanks anyway, no doubt that will come in handy in the future.

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Does the Mandrake CD have a linux rescue option you can type in, instead of just going to the installer?

That would get you a command line so you could reset the bootloader.

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People talk about it going mainstream, but unfortunately the average Joe doesn?t want to have to re-compile their kernel when they add new hardware, they don?t want to have to re-install when they change their hard drive layout.

Sorry I?m a little annoyed about having to re-install Mandrake, just had to get that off my chest.

Ummm... Not to sound like I am jumping all over your statements, but...don't;t have to recompile the kernel to add new hardware. What did you do that required a recompile?don't;t have to re-install when you swap your hard drives around (though why was this necessary?). Your data is still there, and valid. You just need to point to it. And, if you were booting off of windows, and swapped drives, you would have the EXACT same problem. The Boot Record points to valid partitions. When it is no longer accurate due to user swapping of drives, it won't work without intervention. This is a BIOS issue, and there is NO OS loaded to hJack Squatat, until after it finds and reads data off the correct drive. Linux/Windows/DOS/OpenBSD/whaever does not exist until after the MBR points to a good partition, and data is read.

Ok... Maybe I jumped a bit, but you are placing blame on the OS when it is a BIOS thing - No OS involved. Believe it or not, there are people who listen to comments like this, and think it is the gospel truth.

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well it doesnt matter now anyways, I'm trying to compile 2.6.0 again, and this time around my wireless mouse seems to work properly.

I tried the backup stuff on the MDK cd's. Not much help there. This is all part of the learning experience i suppose, so I pray i will end up with a better system as a result of this.

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well it doesnt matter now anyways, I'm trying to compile 2.6.0 again, and this time around my wireless mouse seems to work properly.

Let me know how 2.6 goes! I have heard people say that it is faster, even on a single processor system. I was wanting to find out first-hand, but that would mean doing t myself! :whistle: So, I will gladly take direct second-hand info from you! :D

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In fact, i'm not sure if you would be able to recover from something like that under windows :p

This would be pretty easy to fix on Windows. Boot the recovery console and use fixboot and fixmbr. The story changes if you try to boot that drive in a different pc.

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did you think about posting here to ask for help before going as far as re-installing the whole OS?

try that next time...99.9% of the time you'll find a better solution than re-installing.

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This would be pretty easy to fix on Windows. Boot the recovery console and use fixboot and fixmbr. The story changes if you try to boot that drive in a different pc.

We have the same thing under Linux depending on Distro, I'm using a floppy to start my Cooker installation (by network) when I'm at the prompt I use the option to boot into the repair mode and use the lilo installer after that. It scan for a kernel and set the lilo.conf to boot with that, only thing you have to make sure is the line into the lilo.conf is in the proper way and point correctly.

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Annoying, yes, difficult, not really.

Certainly no need to reinstall the OS.

For most users, I dont see why they bother with Linux, they just complain when they cant get something to work instead of working at it to make it work.

Only install Linux if you are willing to work at it and ask for help.

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Annoying, yes, difficult, not really.

Certainly no need to reinstall the OS.

For most users, I dont see why they bother with Linux, they just complain when they cant get something to work instead of working at it to make it work.

Only install Linux if you are willing to work at it and ask for help.

dang skippy :D

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This would be pretty easy to fix on Windows. Boot the recovery console and use fixboot and fixmbr. The story changes if you try to boot that drive in a different pc.

This would involve a windows repair (same deal for a mobo upgrade) and you just have to reinstall chipset drivers and service packs, etc.

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I change the order of my hard drives, now in sitting here re-installing Mandrake 9.2 because the kernel wont boot.

Linux is a great OS when it works properly, but unfortunately for me, it rarely ever works properly.

People talk about it going mainstream, but unfortunately the average Joe doesn?t want to have to re-compile their kernel when they add new hardware, they don?t want to have to re-install when they change their hard drive layout.

I have 2 hard drives, a 120GB (primary drive) and a 40 GB. Linux is installed on the 40GB, if I disconnect the 40GB hard drive the boot loader shoots out "010101010101010101" and then the computer halts.

I like Linux, but these things really frustrate me and I can never see the average Joe ever wanting an OS that doesn?t adapt to how you set up the computer.

Windows seems to work no matter what you do to your computer. Linux needs to get itself up to this level if it wants to succeed.

IMO Linux still has a LOT of development left if it ever is to have a hope of competing with Windows.

Sorry I?m a little annoyed about having to re-install Mandrake, just had to get that off my chest.

People talk about it going mainstream, but unfortunately the average Joe doesn?t want to have to re-compile their kernel when they add new hardware, they don?t want to have to re-install when they change their hard drive layout
The average joe wouldnt add new hardware or change there hard drive layout.
Windows seems to work no matter what you do to your computer.

You are joking right.

You seem to have the same set up as me and it seems to work prittey f:)e for me :)

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It amazes how many people think that GNU/Linux is supposed to work and act exactly like Windows. Sorry it doesn't. It can be a mainstream OS and for many people it is.

If you want a unice that does all those things you want it to then try MacOSX.

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This would involve a windows repair (same deal for a mobo upgrade) and you just have to reinstall chipset drivers and service packs, etc.

And if the drive letters change, you're screwed (windows). :p

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Windows just pretend to be easy. Once you screw it reinstall is necessary. Linux is different. Once I accidentally deleted /usr/* and I managed to recover it with knoppix and apt-get automatically (tricks with dpkg).

Just remember this magic word *************** KNOPPIX ***************** or any other linux on cd (MandrakeMove, SuseLive perhps; though knoppix is the best). With it you can have everything even Windows repaired.

if u messed boot loader: grub install /dev/hda and you can boot again (optionally edit /boot/grub.config)

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Merry Christmas, even for Gates and McBride

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