JD Austin wrote: > Lynn David Newton wrote: > >> kg> If it were me, I would put something newer than >> kg> redhat 8 (which has long since been end-of-lifed >> kg> by redhat) on the machine. >> >> Of course that's the ideal solution, and probably the >> source of many of my problems, but I'm not in a >> position to do that. The system in question is my >> *only* Linux system, and I use it all day every day to >> make my living on. If I try to install a new version on >> the system and it fails to come up properly I will >> effectively instantly unemploy myself. >> >> QUESTION 1: What are the chances that installing *any* >> Linux distro on this system will go as smooth >> as glass and allow me to get right back to >> work? >> >> ANSWER 1: 99.999% likely to fail. >> >> >> > It depends on what you're going from/to. I just upgraded from RH9 to > Fedora Core2 on my development server, absolutely no hitches. > My RH9 server was just a stock install with patches though. It just > depends. I would recommend the following: > Either -> go buy an external USB drive, make a complete backup of > anything important (just back up the whole thing to an image). > Or ->buy a new drive, make your existing drive a slave, and install > the new distro on the fresh drive. > > In a pinch you can use chroot to run things from the old drive. > > Just an idea. > >> QUESTION 2: What are the chances that installing *any* >> Linux distro on this system with the >> assistance of people at an Installfest will go >> as smooth as glass and allow me to get right >> back to work? >> >> ANSWER 2: 99.991% likely to fail. >> >> >> > Wow, you're a pessimistic fellow :) > I'd be willing to help you personally to get it done. > >> Those odds aren't good enough. >> >> >> > Your odds are based on speculation. > >> Nonetheless, it's been my hope to install a new version >> as soon as possible, probably by means of an >> Installfest. Regretably, I am unable to get to one this >> weekend. I'm targeting the one next month, and hope by >> that time I will have archived everything important, >> and made a list of all the other stuff I need to >> install and/or re-configure. >> >> >> > I've never been to an installfest.. my schedule is always too limited :( > Im sure other people on this list would be as willing to help you > through it as I am > with or without the installfest. > >> Traditionally, whenever I do an OS upgrade, the pieces >> don't stop rolling for a couple of weeks. >> >> kg> by the time you fiddle around with getting the >> kg> correct libraries on that machine in rh8, you >> kg> will have probably spent the same amount of time >> kg> it will have taken to back up your data, install >> kg> a newer linux, restore your data. >> >> >> > That happens. I typically install apt for redhat, set it up, and simply > do apt-get install ... for > whatever I left out. > >> Not to mention the tons of other stuff I have on this >> system that has been installed over the last couple of >> years. >> >> kg> you might look into one of the distros which >> kg> don't require that type of update, like gentoo or >> kg> debian. you will be much happier in the end, with >> kg> an easier to maintain system. >> >> >> > Great argument for a second drive. Then you could leave it alone until > you're done. > >> I was planning on Debian. Not real familiar with >> GenToo, other than I've heard positive things about it >> from technically savy people. >> >> >> > I love Debian, but the installer still sucks. > If they could install the hardware detection from Knoppix/whatever I > wouldn't hesitate to load Debian. > I ended up loading my old laptop with fedora core2, and then installing > apt for redhat on it. > >> >> >> Greetings, >> >> >> I've been out of town and not watching the list, so >> >> maybe this has been discussed recently, but ... >> >> >> I just downloaded the FireFox 1.0PR bundle, unwrapped >> >> it, tried to install it, and as it tried to unwind it >> >> spit out the message: >> >> >> Fatal error [-618]: Couldn't open xpistub library >> >> >> In fact, I do have four different iterations of >> >> libxpistub.so on my sytem: >> >> >> /usr/lib/mozilla-1.0.1/libxpistub.so >> >> /usr/local/mozilla/libxpistub.so >> >> /usr/local/netscape/libxpistub.so >> >> /usr/local/mozilla1.2.1/libxpistub.so >> >> >> but not what the installer is looking for. >> >> >> I'm trying to install this on a Red Hat 8.0 system, >> >> which is getting increasingly difficult to maintain. >> >> >> There's no readme, no instructions of any kind, etc. >> >> >> Just like the old days. Here I thought the days of >> >> supposedly high quality projects delivering things that >> >> are broken from the get-go or missing important pieces >> >> were mostly behind us. Apparently not. >> >> >> So ... does someone have a clue what I should do next? >> >> >> > Definately time to upgrade :( > > JD > I was thinking too that a new HDD would make the migration possible. In my case, I ended up getting a new IDE controller too, as my MB (PII) was too old to use all of 40G, in addition to using the newer DMA modes. I've got a couple brand new 40G drives collecting dust. Interested in one? -- -Eric 'shubes' "There is no such thing as the People; it is a collectivist myth. There are only individual citizens with individual wills and individual purposes." -William E. Simon (1927-2000), Secretary of the Treasury (1974-1977) "A Time For Truth" (1978), pg. 237 **************************************************** This message has been scanned using Contraxx Technology Group mail server v2.3 and is virus free. **************************************************** --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss