-=> CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-

 WC>> Don't have two heavy duty machines at the moment. I just
 WC>> won't configure to mount HDA on boot and Windows should be
 WC>> out of risk save for the dual boot setup.

 CA>> Until the hands touch the keyboard, yes. ;-)

 CA>> I always seem to find that I 'need' some file(s) that are
 CA>> sitting on the non-Linux partitions and don't want to
 CA>> reboot to transfer them to floppies.

 WC> I do this as well.

 CA>> THEN the fun begins if you don't un-mount the FAT
 CA>> partition.

 WC> Yup, that describes my one and only major screwup, " cp
 WC> filename.html /dev/hda1" Very ungood. Better I should have
 WC> used cp filename.HTML /mnt/target_ directory

 CA> There are many Linux executables that operate at a lower level
 CA> than is wise IMO. I realize there are purists that insist this
 CA> is a good thing but really, for general use, it's not IMO.

I'll do the low level stuff as root and create a user account
for myself after I setup my permissions for the use of
things like printer, network and modem.
This should keep me out of harms way.

Well the CD you sent is safely tucked away and Knoppix
installed flawlessly onto my hard drive dual boot.
About the same installation time as for Win 98!!!
Got it dual booting as well :-)

 WC>> Knoppix has telnet and I can already write online.

 CA>> Standard Linux telnet does not include zmodem
 CA>> up/downloading.

 WC>> There's a Linux InfoZip? I use Pkzip 2.50 in DOS here.

 CA>> Yes, you use pkzip in DOS but you won't have access to
 CA>> that when using KNOPPIX. ;-)

 WC> That much I knew, GZIP

 CA> Nope, the other 'zips' are not compatible with pkzip and the
 CA> BBS's that will be sending you zip'd packets of FIDO messages
 CA> won't necessarilly be using GZIP. They should never have
 CA> subsumed the 'zip' into the names of those binaries since they
 CA> are in no way compatible with the original 'zip' (pkzip).

MultiMail binaries are available from William McBrine/s
web site with the .GZ extention.
"Man GZIP" should have me on my way.
Expect I'll have to setup the configuration file for MM
so I set up a third Linux partition hda2 I'll mount to experiment with
until I find out what's what.

Then to locate the correct ztelnet for this distribution
and configure it's configuration file for upload and download
directories.
Once happy I'll move these apps to hda4.

I also have to make 4 MBR copies with FIPS just in case and
save a file showing where each partitian begins and ends sometime
in the next day.

 WC> Well I'm working towards all Linux and your help was
 WC> unbelievably welcome :-) 98 will be a fallback OS until I
 WC> get my Knoppix just the way I like.

 CA> If you intend to _create_ files you will need Windows for the
 CA> foreseeable future.

I'll pickup Abiword as word proccessor so I can have MSWord compatibility
and WP can convert.

The Peanut Linux abbreviated Partition Magic made setting this up
after scandisk and defrag a breeze but I fdisk'ed
the drive with ramdrive Basic Linux 1.8.

Gave the command to launch the interactive GUI script
from root and off she went like a charm :-)
hda1 - Win 98, hda2 experimental Linux native, hda3 256 Meg swap
and hda4 3 Gig Linux native for Knoppix.

So smimplee a cihld kood due it ;-)

 CA> If you only intend to use other peoples
 CA> files then you can drop Windows.

 CA>> Image copies of the partitions would be safer but, yes,
 CA>> I've done that here for my multiboot to DOS and W2K.

 WC> I've used xcopy32 with appropriate switches as well.

 CA> That might work for FAT partitions but won't do much good for
 CA> the Linux partitions. :-)

You know that's one of many things I'll have to look into.
No bother now the man pages and HOW_TO's are on the local drive :-)

I may yet delve into that imagining software you mentioned
I've on the FAT 32 partition when I obtain a second drive.
Next month it's a 56K hardware modem, following month hard drive
and Ultra 133 drive controller card.

For March I may change ISP's to 1/2 price local outfit or go DSL where
I'm at not sure which yet.

 CA>> KNOPPIX gives a person the opportunity to _see_ what OS
 CA>> they are trying to learn to use. Being a good looking
 CA>> Desktop is some encouragement that it will at least look
 CA>> good if nothing else.

 CA> > ;-)

 WC> SMTP, POP3, Newsgroups and all that's left is telnet and
 WC> some multimedia apps.

 CA> Not telnet, ztelnet (the 'z' is significant). :-)

 Gottcha and thanks.
 Now to dig up which Debian this is based on and try
 to find intructions in English.

 CA> --8<--cut

 WC>> Another favorite is "Catch 22", the book not the movie.

 CA>> Enjoyed the movie, never read the book. :-)

 WC> Book explains bits glossed over in the movie. Bob Newhart
 WC> was great and Orson Wells played the general. The scene
 WC> with the briefing and lass stroking her leg was worth the
 WC> price of the movie :-) I doubled over laughing when Wells
 WC> said take him out and shoot him!

 CA> The part where the old man in the brothel explains that he is a
 CA> 'survivor' who will support any government that is in control
 CA> just to survive made a lasting impression on me. I recall a
 CA> quote "There are no heros here, they are all dead, we are just
 CA> soldiers". Somewhat similar.

I took that movie to be a indictment of war in general and
the Vietnam war in particular.
Set in WWII to avoid controversy and make it palatable to
theater goers.
I vaguely recall the old man's cynical but practical
take on life.
 
--- MultiMail/MS-DOS v0.45