1237ca937df4
tech



Hello Wayne - 

CA>> Shifting from DOS and W31 to W9x I had the feeling I was
CA>> driving a car with no brakes. Everything is fine until
CA>> something goes wrong then it crashes. :-\ 

WC> Well I've not really faced that one yet unless you include
WC> the time I was wrestling with the ribbon cable induced
WC> intermittent crashes. I like the analogy of driving a car
WC> with no brakes, feels the same here but is changing. 

Having image files of the OS partition and having _used_ them I
don't worry too much. If nothing else will stop the machine I
can just kill the powerstrip and deal with a crash if need be.
:-) 

--8<--cut 

CA>> W9x not only changed the user interface it changed the
CA>> terminology. Subdirectories became 'folders' and temp
CA>> directories got buried under multiple subdirectories so
CA>> that just trying to empty temporary files became a puzzle. 

WC> The folder terminology didn't fool me though I prefer the
WC> more accurate subdirectory terminolgy myself I can see it
WC> being less intimidating for the non-technologically
WC> inclined. 

'Folder' was just one example of a needless change but I see it
a bit differently. I used to be able to explain directories to
workers as a shorthand for directions to their home using
street names as 'directories'. I would have them write
directions to get from work to their home using the "\" to
separate street names and add a "R" or "L" for right/left
turns. Once they saw how well that worked the concept of
subdirectories made more sense to them. I would tell them how
foolish it would be for all of us to have the same exact street
name or all live on one winding street that covered the entire
state of Michigan. 

With 'folders' there is no simple analogy. It's obviously a
reference to file cabinets but my experience has been that file
cabinets are voodoo to many office workers and are often
off-limits to most of them because of that (they can't grasp
the concept of 'grouping' files etc.). 

WC> Now the temporary directories being buried as you say has
WC> me downright annoyed as I'm used to clearing them with
WC> deltree/y when autoexec.bat runs. I'll find them all
WC> eventually. 

Go to www.langa.com and download his CLEANALL.BAT for W98. Read
it in an editor (notepad) and you will see all the temp
directories listed for you. :-) 

I use the W2K version here on my system. 

WC> In fact putting just about EVERYTHING in "programs" which
WC> is really "programs files" annoys as well. The "tree" DOS
WC> command seems to have gone so you have to use dir/a:d to
WC> see subdirectories. 

You can "set dircmd=dir /a:d" in the environment but trying to
distinguish a bunch of "Microso~1" type listings from one
another will only frustrate you even more unless you are in the
dosbox mode. 

CA>> The location of user configurable options has been
CA>> scattered under 'edit', 'tools', and even 'view' depending
CA>> what software is executing. Anything meaningful is
CA>> considered 'advanced' according to the new menu structures
CA>> and if you're not careful you can reset the configuration
CA>> trying to just backout of a menu you don't want to deal
CA>> with. 

WC> This has happened to me. The Win 98 manual is more than a
WC> little lacking as well. Wish I could find a comprehensive
WC> manual on the net. 

People mean well and try to write tutorials for W9x but
organization follows their own preferences and as they become
more familiar with the OS they assume too much at times.
Converting all the clicks to text instructions is difficult to
do and do well with graphics screenshots of menus being a bit
too slow for dialup connects it's a nightmare to document W9x.

WC> I've come across tips sites that reveal much and need to
WC> spend more time looking there. 

AXCEL(something) really has all the information there. It's a
huge resource but not well organized IMO. I go there when I'm
bored and discover many useful tweaks but it's tiresome and the
text is very very small too (change to large fonts for this
one). :-) 

CA>> The only intelligent comment I can ever make about
CA>> customizing Windows is to have image file backups of the
CA>> OS partition handy because as sure as the sun will rise
CA>> tomorrow you will wish you did if you do not. :-\ 

WC> I've spent more time discarding changes then setting them
WC> up in the first place tis true. 

I got my desktop _perfect_ once then trashed the entire
partition before I could get around to making a new image copy.
I've never had the ambition to go back and redo all those
changes. I redid maybe half of them though. :-) 

WC>> Hope to get back to Linux soon but it may be some time due
WC>> to current difficulties unrelated to hardware. 

CA>> If you watch ongoing discussions about Linux you will see
CA>> that Linux continues to change (and bloat in the process)
CA>> adding Plug-and-Play where the earlier versions required
CA>> manual editing. If you fall more than two 'distros' behind
CA>> and need help you are most likely going to be told that
CA>> everyone has newer 'distros' and what you can't edit with
CA>> the proper values is automated for them. Even what I
CA>> consider a very basic function to dialup an ISP and
CA>> connect (PPPDial) gets few replies from people who have
CA>> not had to manually edit the configuration for PPP in a
CA>> long time and don't really care anymore how it works or
CA>> why it does not work when it does not. 

WC> Now that wasn't all that difficult a file for me. 

Using BLinux it would either dial out or not. For most it
worked, here EZNET would not work. :-\ 

EZNET is not a standard part of a Linux install. 

--8<--cut 

WC> I'm thinking of the Slackware 8.1 simple install from the
WC> Basic Linux web page. Small enough to fit on the small
WC> second physical drive I'm planning for the 486 I'll need
WC> not just configure files but retrieve libraries and
WC> packages just to get it internet capable, browser, telnet,
WC> mail, pppsetup, ect. 

I've not tried that install yet. I have GreyCat here with a
window manager and Netscape v3. I think that totals about 62
meg with the swap file. Still SlackWare v3.5 though. 

CA>> I was stonewalled for several weeks just because of a
CA>> non-standard dialup and the need to put the 'older'
CA>> original files and binaries in it's place using Linux
CA>> SlackWare v3.5. 

WC> I'm _still_ hung up on Verizon's SMTP authorization, tried
WC> POP3 first as one suggested but SMTP still wants
WC> authorization and the file makes no provision for this. 

ISPs got 'cute' at one point trying to block spammers. It
didn't block anything but innocent users IMO. Now that they've
reconfigured even knowing it was a waste they don't want to try
going back to a normal arrangement. 

CA>> The guy who thought he was 'slick' enough to repackage
CA>> SlackWare v3.5 into a mini install wasn't slick enough to
CA>> figure out how to put back the standard PPPDial files and
CA>> get them configured properly. 

WC> Well I got the dialer configured, it does have the glitch
WC> where you have to run pppsetup first even though the file
WC> exists, just run and quit but that SMTP authorization
WC> problem persists :-( But you nudged my memory above with
WC> your comment on pppdial so when I get it moved where I can
WC> work with it I may well have that one licked. No help there
WC> from the Linux crowd who dismiss the mini installs. 

In part it's arrogance that you use a 'mini install' and part
of it is they've never manually configured the dialup and have
no idea what is required. ;-) 

WC> I too dislike unneccessary bloat but then I want to
WC> _understand_ this software eventually thus my interest in
WC> the mini installs as a jumping off point for more complete
WC> installations. 

CA>> It all began to remind me of Windows users who are on top
CA>> of the world as long as everything autoinstalls and are
CA>> totally lost when their network card suddenly disappears
CA>> from the setup or their printer/scanner/whatever stops
CA>> working. They never actually set it up in the first place
CA>> and have no idea where to even begin testing to find the
CA>> problem. Usually they reinstall _all_ of Windows until it
CA>> fixes itself. :-) 

WC> Naw, just remove it and either let it autodetect or add it. 

Yes, remove and reboot for PnP is often tried first, then a
reinstall of entire OS. Either way the OS must do the
configuration because the average Windows users has no idea
where to even look to find a problem. 

WC> Call me crazy but I preferred manually setting this stuff
WC> up in Win 3.1 

Yes and no. At times there was contradictory advice and other
times it was multiple choice which way was the right way. 

CA>> I've seen the same thing happen with Linux users. They
CA>> reinstall and let the 'distro' try to figure it all out. 

WC> Too many of this group I've run into are an arrogant lot
WC> and dismissive of lessor beings then themselves. Makes the
WC> exceptions to this shine in my eyes but tippy toeing around
WC> ego's for tidbits isn't my idea of fun and I've little
WC> patience for it. 

fwiw: When I needed to replace the dialup in my Linux install
with the original standard setup it was a UNIX programmer who
finally emailed me a 'howto' set of instructions with caveats
as to where things might go wrong. I have found UNIX
programmers to be short on patience if you haven't read the
docs and ask foolish questions but they are extremely patient
when they can see that you have read the docs and are stuck on
some concept that is not clear to you. 

--8<--cut 

WC> What is it with me and cables anyway, first the hard drive
WC> ribbon cable and this morning the phone line. Neither cable
WC> shows visible corrosion, neither cable had sharp kinks or
WC> were stressed in any way but this morning lost both my
WC> phone and internet due to a bad cable. 

Out sourcing to those third world countries is my guess. As one
who has dabbled with hardware for many years on equipment that
predates the IBM PC clones I remember when plugs 'snapped' into
place. There was always that final 'click' feeling when it was
all the way in place. I've noticed a great deal of slop lately
on ribbon cables and even RJ11 sockets and plugs. Even when it
is all the way 'on' they wobble! 

Anyone who isn't having problems with this is simply never ever
removing a cable and putting it back again IMO. 

>
>        ,                          ,
>      o/      Charles.Angelich      \o       ,
>       __o/
>     / >          USA, MI           < \   __\__
 

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