World: r3wp

Gabriele, I just noticed Sabayon, based on Gentoo, but initial install 
is pre-compiled, and they provide a pool of pre-compiled packages.

you can install gentoo precompiled too, but that defeats the purpose 
of gentoo. :)

ie. if i were to use a precompiled gentoo then i'd rather go with 
debian.

mepis: never tried it; isn't it debian based? i think, that it's 
better to go with the most popular one in this case (ie. ubuntu/kubuntu/xubuntu). 
you find ready packages for stuff (eg skype). :)

Mepis is fine, it is Ubuntu-based currently. I tried Kubuntu too, 
but stayed with Mepis

Mepis was Debian-based, but is now indeed Ubuntu-based

Anton, all the distros based on Debian package pools have a big problem 
in that, when you start adding the Debian repositories and installing 
software from them, you run a high risk of pulling in dependencies 
that will destroy system packages that were modified from Debian

Ubuntu doesn't have this problem because they build everything themselves, 
not using Debian binary packages. For the distros that are now based 
on Ubuntu repositories the problem has been lightened, because they 
don't have to modify as much in Ubuntu as they had to in Debian, 
but the fundamental problem is still there

Building on a major distro seems nice, but this issue means that 
it's really only the major distro itself that is more or less guaranteed 
to work, as far as that's possible with Linux. So that's usually 
Debian and Ubuntu

Interesting Linux-based idea for the always-on generation....Its 
the return of the thin client!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/17/babellinux/

Gabriele, good point.

Kaj, that's very good info, thanks !

I could still use Mepis as a simple "don't change much" install for 
friends who just want a basic computer.

I found that giving large amounts of text to a CALL, causes a permissions 
requester so big that the buttons to allow the action are put outside 
the window and by resizing it, 1-2 pixels of the buttons can be seen, 
but are unreadable. Anyone spotted this?

For the curious.


http://kde-files.org/content/show.php/Linux+Distro+Timeline?content=44218


The artist has created a pretty nice graphical timeline of the Linix 
distributions.

4am
s/Linix/Linux/

just installed Knoppix 5.1.1  like beryl a lot

Alan goes 3D :)

yes !   now to see if I can get Rebol/Altme installed and set-broswer-path 
working with it

You'll get it working...by hook or by crook.  Make sure to drop a 
note once you attack the problem.

what is your graphic card, Alan?

i'm tempted to install xgl and compiz on kubuntu too... even if i 
know that i shouldn't :)

I start up this script which does a forever [ ] ... and start it 
in my rc3.d/S99local .. and curiously, I get a spinning x appear 
in my root console!

I do run the script as a separate process using the & too.

you need -qw in rebol (the spinning x is from a  network access i 
guess) and >/dev/null </dev/null when calling it. (otherwise it won't 
detach)

Ladislav it's on an Acer laptop so uses an on board ATI -it's off 
right now will give you more info when i turn it on  it's onmy 1 
year old so should be a newer ATI

hmm... I got "Killed" in a rebol console that was quit by the machine. 
I wonder if that is similar to a segfault?

e.g. normally you'd see "Segmentation fault", but here I saw "Killed"

I can get that with 

kill -9 (processid)

Did something like that happen?

only if someone has gained access to that box :-) it happened on 
its own

Yikes.

But there are problems with the current 2.7.5.4.2 beta, and after 
the stack space creeps into code space, Iit may cause any number 
of curious side effects.

s/lit/it/

Heehee.  I caved, installed Wine to test the site with IE last Thursday. 
 I was moving

some windows around and just noticed the Icon that got installed 
on the KDE desktop.

Heeheehee. The big blue E upside down, spinning down the drain...had 
to chuckle.

This may have been covered before, what is the status of font management 
on Linux?  Particularly used with Wine?

Wine with the ies4Linux package (don't know which one did this)

installs the msttcorefont package.  Arial, Courier, I'll forget some, 
Verdana, Times, 

Times New,  Comic Sans, Trebuchet, Impact, Georgia, Webdings, I cheated 
and

looked, Andale.  TT fonts are not redistributable but the package 
pulls them from...
somewhere, I wasn't really watching.

Management of fonts is still very distro specific.  Progress is being 
made, but, the 

situation is still kinda hairy.  I have to admit, compared to 4 years 
ago, fonts are now

beautiful on Debian, but limited.   And we have no TEXT in DRAW blocks...yet. 
 :(
A lot of the nicer fonts come with installing LaTeX.

I don't know if it's because X fonts have historically sucked...but 
I stick with

Serif, Sans, and Mono.  All very legible nowadays.  With LaTeX, I 
just let it do its
thing and it always looks book quality, so I don't fiddle.

Currently installing 64 bit version of Suse 10 .. hope Rebol runs!

Did you see Tim Johnson's recent messages on the ML?

Yes!

I'll ask him to patch my binary for me :)

Sounds painful but you know much more about such surgical procedures 
than I'll ever want to know ;-)

Built a Kubuntu machine for my flatmate. Pretty painless install, 
I have to say. There are some issues with the all-in-one motherboard 
though, like inbuilt audio and ethernet chipsets are not detected, 
apparently. Fixed ethernet by plugging in an old network card.

I'll probably fix audio by buying an audio card.

Or wait long enough for new drivers to be written

for this chipset

Actually, I found two old audio cards that should work.
Waiting is not an option for my flatmate :)

The DRM stuff is starting to bite. I'm reading more about difficulties 
getting digital output.

I would like you to suggest me some Linux distribution:

Current situation:


I run old Fedora Core 1 linux, so it lacks on security updates. The 
server is used for few domains, it runs apache, old mySQL 3.5.x version, 
glftpd, sendmail (I am used to that). Server has 2 hads. Content 
of server is packed each week via script and copied to other disk.

Objectives:


- need some easy distro, graphical mode installation, which even 
monkey can configure, forget somo guru stuff, target hardening, etc.
- need mysql 5.x family, Apache 2. family

- adding new users/developers by some tool, e.g. webmin - ftp, apache 
domain, webmail (squirrel)

- needs to run rebol in cgi mode, eventual sqlite library compatibility 
welcomed

- kind of easy recovery - install from CD in graphical mode, copy 
configs, reboot, or even better - instasll some kind of loader, map 
to second hd, unpack backup, reboot. Maybe this could be automated?


Of course I have some sympathies already - stay with Fedora? Try 
Ubuntu server edition? Any other suggestion?

Thanks.

Obviously, Ubuntu has popular momentum, but if you want to stick 
with a Red Hat based distibution, CentOS is a good choice -- http://www.centos.org/.
According to DistroWatch, "CentOS is 100% compatible rebuild of the 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux, in full compliance with Red Hat's redistribution 
requirements. CentOS is for people who need an enterprise class operating 
system stability without the cost of certification and support."

How can one ever get used to sendmail? :-)