1237c9dba25e
tech



Hello Wayne - 

WC>> Well here I am downloading Dragon Linux Lite on a 28,800
WC>> modem ;-) A mere 6 hour download ;-) 

CA>> Would be about 3 1/2 hours here I suspect (at 56k with a
CA>> 44k connect). 

WC> I'm getting a hardware 56k inj two weeks come hell or high
WC> water. 

I wasn't trying to push you into anything. I consider 3 1/2
hours to be almost as tedious as 6 or more hours would be. My
advantage is I can do downloads using my brother's machine
while mine remains available (two phone lines here). I could
ask my daughter to use her DSL connect but she's usually busy
and would probably forget. 

WC>> I really don't like the idea of running it on the same
WC>> partition with Windows but with all the unfamiliar hidden
WC>> files that may remain unmoveable and unobserved to towards
WC>> the end of the drive I'm afraid to run FIPS v.2.0 

CA>> I have had good results using BooitNG's software to add a
CA>> second partition and alter sizes of my W2K setup. No
CA>> problems and it's been many months ago now. 

WC> I've got it here and shall examine it. Does it have a
WC> chcken switch like FIPS where you type fips -t and it runs
WC> through the procedure, created a copy of the boot sector
WC> but alters nothing? Leave out the switch and you're
WC> committed. Think where I messed up the one time was not
WC> booting clean off the system disk with FIPS on it. 

To be honest my memory isn't too clear on all that. I only had
to use the repartioning functions the one time but it has a
mouseable user interface similar to MultiMail (ncurses?). As I
remember it there were many steps involved, possibly one to
'analyze' what could be done, with many opportunities to cancel
along the way. 

I will say it's documentation was a bit cryptic (for me) and I
had the documentation showing on one computer while using it on
the other. One reason I seldom print anything anymore. :-) 

If you can't do that and see both screens and scroll when
necessary you might want to print the docs out and have them
handy. Some of the 'steps' seemed to use odd terminology that
had me wondering if I was using the right options. I remember
it had a list of numbers for various partition types and had
two different ones listed for FAT32. I had to just guess at
which one to use but can't recall what the number was anymore
that I selected. It worked and I left well enough alone. ;-) 

--8<--cut 

CA>> Dragon is compatible with most SlackWare v7.1 according to
CA>> it's creator and if he is honest enough to admit to
CA>> developing his 'package' on a 266mhz machine I suspect he
CA>> is not given to hyperbole. ;-) 

WC> Should run well on the 433 here with 96 Meg RAM if I figure
WC> out how to intstall it correctly. Weird bug bites me in
WC> that if someone tells Me an install is difficult I have no
WC> trouble but if it's reputed to be a snap I fumble about. 

I've not installed Dragon Linux here but based on my experience
with BLinux and GreyCat Linux I'd guess there are no 'easy'
Linux installs until _after_ you succeed. Then it seems as
though it _should've_ been easy if you had completely grasped
what it wanted you to do at each step. 

WC>> I've decided to buy a hardware modem in two weeks then see
WC>> about switching ISP's. The multitasking of 98 has only
WC>> made me lust more for a full blown Linux install. Still
WC>> and all 98 has been running rock solid here. 

CA>> I think a W98 or better yet W98SE install can be quite
CA>> solid if you are careful about what third party apps you
CA>> addon to it. 

WC> Solid here so far, 98 FE with critical updates, 6.0 IE,
WC> Netscape 7.1 (bleck) 7 was the last good one IMO, Free
WC> Agent, AVG, ect. 

Haven't added FreeAgent on this machine as yet and don't use it
lately on the other machine either. I seemed to be reading
goofy nonsense in all the usenet groups I was downloading and
spent a great deal of time deleting the messages. More deletion
than reading. Discouraged me after a couple months of nothing
but goofy drivel. 

Lots of "I need to download the WFWG install disks" or "I need
a free download of MSDOS v6.22" and I just got tired of it. 

--8<--cut 

WC> No MSBLAST here, thought it targeted only 2k and XP? 

Actually it targets those _and_ WinNT v4 but since Microsoft
doesn't 'officially' support NT4 any longer they don't offer a
'fix' for it either. 

There are variations of MSBLAST out there now, one that
actually tries to reverse the effects of the first one. LOL 

CA>> Here, I have found that certain third party apps get along
CA>> with Windows but not each other. If one is loaded the
CA>> other acts flakey and vice versa. When I leave the machine
CA>> (it's on 24/7) I close suspect apps and often just close
CA>> everything. Seems to help here I can keep W2K on without a
CA>> reboot for months that way. :-) 

WC> Nothing flakey here yet but Ross Cassell's entry in
WC> Hyperteminal P.E., the-estar.com, exit's his BBS with an
WC> illegal operation and causes me to have to end task
WC> manually. sole bug noticed so far. Eastern Star is a Linux
WC> BBS 

You're trying to lure me back into that running gag that didn't
work the first time, right? 

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

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