Why most run Microsoft, not RedHat

[Scott van Looy]

Today Tim did spake thusly:

> On Wed, 2007-04-18 at 08:07 +0100, Scott van Looy wrote:
>> For other issues:
>>
>> 1) reboot
>
> Rarely needed on Linux, even for major configuration changes.  Needed
> all the time with Windows, repeatedly, and a major waste of time.  A few
> seconds of reconfiguring something on Linux becomes minutes on Windows.

YMMV, but I don't seem to ever have this problem. Unless I'm updating the 
system through windows update or updating my AV engine I'm rarely asked to 
reboot anything. Windows runs fine for me, and I turn my PC off when I'm 
not using it to save leccy so I usually don't need to reboot at all and 
just hit "reboot later" if requested

>
>> 2) last known good
>
> On Linux, undo the last thing that you did that stuffed things up.  On
> Windows, try and undo a swag of unidentified things that stuffed you up,
> not really knowing which one it was, and not being able to undo just one
> thing.

Same with Linux, depends on your knowledge of the system really. If you're 
using yum to remove a package and mysteriously your X Windows system 
vanishes then what happens?

This wouldn't happen to you or me, but would to, say, a newbie, who'd then 
post here, etc...

For windows, you install a driver, it breaks your system, you boot into 
safe mode and uninstall it, surely? Same diff. If you're not happy with 
your knowledge of the OS then either learn or use something else...that 
applies to ANY OS.

>
>> 3) safe mode (if it runs in safe mode, try rebooting, sometimes that's
>> enough to fix things, sometimes not). Fix the issue there
>
> Turns out "safe mode" isn't really as safe as the name would imply.
> You're truly stuffed if you need to boot in safe mode, yet need to use
> things that don't work in safe mode (e.g. your network).

"Safe Mode With Network Support"

Safe mode basically loads the default video drivers and IO drivers 
and that's about it. If you ask it to you can load the network drivers 
too. This is to minimise the chances of an errant driver breaking things 
when it boots into safe mode, as it's almost without fail badly written 
3rd party hardware drivers that make windows keel over

>
>> 4) insert Windows CD and let it automatically find and repair windows
>> by going through the install wizard until you reach the bit where it
>> finds your old copy of windows and can reinstall
>
> Fine, maybe, if the fault is a broken Windows file.  But not if it's a
> driver from somewhere else.  You're in wipe out and fix up mode, since
> it's damn near impossible to replace just one stuffed up file.

Nah, it does a redetect of all your hardware and a reconfiguration. If 
it's only a missing a stuffed up driver then safe mode would work and 
you'd be able to uninstall that driver

>
>> 5) IF it won't run or won't reinstall correctly, then and ONLY then,
>> reinstall
>
> That's not an "if" but a "very often"

No, it's really not. Very rarely to I have to rebuild windows, this has 
been the case since Windows 2000. I have more trouble with Fedora's 
updates breaking things than Windows updates.

>> It's easier to fix windows without reinstalling than it is to fix
>> fedora
>> ;)
>
> Bollocks.

Nyet, just my opinion tho, and probably that of hundreds of other sysads

-- 
Scott van Looy - email:me at ethosuk.org.uk | web:www.ethosuk.org.uk
site:www.freakcity.net - the in place for outcasts since 2003
PGP Fingerprint: 7180 5543 C6C4 747B 7E74  802C 7CF9 E526 44D9 D4A7
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The one good thing about repeating your mistakes is that you know when to
cringe.