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On 2006-09-29, Matty F <> wrote:

> I have forgotten the name of the Linux distribution that a kind person
> installed on a spare hard drive on my PC. The name is really quite
> childish, and I can't see it in any Linux lists anywhere.

Debian names its releases after characters from the motion picture "Toy Story"

Slink Woody Buzz Potato Sarge Etch (not neccesarily an exhaustive list or in order)

Ubuntu seem to be fond of alliteration "Dapper Drake" etc...

Mandrake was named after that cartoon wizard (and later renamed to mandriva
for legal reasons)

Slackware gets its name from the church of the subgenius.

> There are difficulties.
> The Linux disk drive is currently unplugged and I'd like to turn the
> power off while connecting it etc.
> The Win98SE drive has hardware errors and will probably not work again
> if I turn the power off.
> I have backed up all my important data on to CD, which consists of text
> files, JPG etc.
>
> So my questions are:
> 1. What's a silly damn Linux distribution name so that I can Google it?

it may be one of the above?

> 2. Will Linux be able to read my Win98SE backups on CD?

If 98se can, yes.


--

Bye.
Jasen

Philip wrote:

> Gordon wrote:
>> On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 15:40:34 +1200, Philip wrote:
>>
>>> The advantages of MS Windows over Ubuntu Linux
>>>
>> [snip]
>>
>>> Nobody in a Windows support forum will sneer at you for being a n00b
>>> (newbie) and not knowing something.
>>
>> Huh? The Linux support groups are friendly, with the odd grump.
>
> Indeed, most are, particularly the Ubuntu groups, but I've seen some
> absolute classics of teen testosterone strutting in several of the
> geberal Linux discussions.
>
> It's usually centred around "my OS / computer / willy is bigger / better
> / cooler than anything you would have in the rat-infested dungheap you
> call home" shouting matches.
>
> A bit like Apple Mac fanboys only with more bad language and l33t-speak.
>
> Philip


The worst experience I have had with that behaviour was a #windows channel
on IRC
I was asking about sam files, something held on my computer, and holding my
passwords. And I was told I wasnt "allowed" to know about that sort of
thing
To this day it still makes me chuckle that that was their idea of security

--
Fry: He's an animal. He belongs in the wild. Or in the circus on one of
those tiny tricycles. Now that's entertainment.

blog: http://shanes.dyndns.org

On 2006-09-30, Matty F <> wrote:
> Malcolm wrote:
>
>> Puppy or Damn Small Linux maybe;
>>
>> http://www.puppyos.com/
>> http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
>>
>> Have you looked here;
>>
>> http://distrowatch.com/stats.php
>
> No the name is not there. Perhaps "distribution" is the wrong word.
> All I can say is that there were just a few Linux systems being
> installed in an instalfest in Auckland, and this was one of them and it
> was called a name that would put most people off it.
> i.e. it is a really really common name.

like John? (i don't know any linux called John)

> On the other hand, what piece of software allows a connection to the
> Internet on a Linux system? I could not see anything, even though
> almost every piece of software known in Linux is on my machine.

what sort of internet connection, through what hardware...

Bye.
Jasen

Matty F wrote:
> Malcolm wrote:
>
>> Puppy or Damn Small Linux maybe;
>>
>> http://www.puppyos.com/
>> http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
>>
>> Have you looked here;
>>
>> http://distrowatch.com/stats.php
>
> No the name is not there. Perhaps "distribution" is the wrong word.
> All I can say is that there were just a few Linux systems being
> installed in an instalfest in Auckland, and this was one of them and it
> was called a name that would put most people off it.
> i.e. it is a really really common name.
>
SuSe??

Matty F wrote:

> So my questions are:
> 1. What's a silly damn Linux distribution name so that I can Google it?

Doesn't it boot up with a logo or message?

> 2. Will Linux be able to read my Win98SE backups on CD?

Yes...unless they were written with some oddball software that uses its own
non-standard method of structuring data on CDs.

steve wrote:
> Matty F wrote:
>
> > So my questions are:
> > 1. What's a silly damn Linux distribution name so that I can Google it?
>
> Doesn't it boot up with a logo or message?

Very likely. But the Linux drive is disconnected, and I dare not shut
down this Win98SE system because it may not ever start again. Scandisk
indicates a serious error in the hard disk.
However I have just been lent another computer, so I'll put the Linux
drive in that.

> > 2. Will Linux be able to read my Win98SE backups on CD?
>
> Yes...unless they were written with some oddball software that uses its own
> non-standard method of structuring data on CDs.

Just Nero 6 Ultra Edition.

Shane wrote:

> Have you, um, thought about asking the Auckland Lug?
> They run a mailing list somewhere

So far, Linux people seem to talk a different language from me.
I joined the mailing list for 6 months and most of the messages were
meaningless.
#linux IRC is even worse. They seem to be mostly very rude juveniles in
those.

However, I will persevere.

Philip wrote:
> Matty F wrote:

> > 1. What's a silly damn Linux distribution name so that I can Google it?
> > 2. Will Linux be able to read my Win98SE backups on CD?
> >
>
> Silly is a matter of opinion - would you seriously call an oil company
> Shell, a computer maker Apple, a power lines company Thus?

I meant "damn silly". I just cannot recall the name, which is very
frustrating. Never mind, I now have another computer that I can put the
Linux drive in. Then I'll post the name and everyone will say "duh, I
knew that but I didn't think that Flubberjelly Linux was a stupid name"


The Linux system that I have seems very powerful, so I'd rather stick
with that.
I don't need convincing about the merits of Linux over Windows.

I was an IBM 360 assembler programmer, involving reverse-engineering
IBM system software and writing compilers. How hard can Linux be?

Matty F wrote:
> Shane wrote:
>
>> Have you, um, thought about asking the Auckland Lug?
>> They run a mailing list somewhere
>
> So far, Linux people seem to talk a different language from me.
> I joined the mailing list for 6 months and most of the messages were
> meaningless.
> #linux IRC is even worse. They seem to be mostly very rude juveniles in
> those.
>
> However, I will persevere.
>

Have a look at Ubuntu, the wiki, the forums, and some of the unofficial
documentation sites.
https://help.ubuntu.com/
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/
http://www.ubuntu.com/community/irc
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Dapper

And for a basic linux textbook
http://www.amazon.com/Linux-User-Tut.../dp/0130333514
Its mirrored online as html many places.

Earl Grey wrote:

> If you have the option of connecting by ethernet to your ADSL router it
> will probably easier to get working than USB
>
> Usually just the network connections GUI applet in your system options
> is sufficient if you are connecting via an ethernet connection.
> Otherwise all linux distros keep their network settings in
> /etc/network/interfaces
> with an entry like
> auto eth0
> iface eth0 inet dhcp
>
> for help on this file try
> man interfaces
>
> For dialup there are configurators like kppp
> I've always tried to to keep connections to linux boxes either serial
> port modems or ethernet because thats all guaranteed to work.
>
> If I was going to try connecting a USB modem I would be looking at a
> distro like ubuntu which has ndiswrapper to host the windows driver
> supplied with the modem.
> You probably shouldn't bother with any of that if you have, or can put a
> network card in your pc and use the ethernet connection if for example
> you have received a Dlink DSL302 as part of your ADSL account.

Thanks for that. I'll check it out when I get Linux in the new computer
which I have just obtained.

I have a Dlink DSL302G. The single Ethernet socket is being used by a
PC running Windows XP. The USB socket is used by my PC running Win98SE.
That is, until it dies with hard drive failure which is imminent. It's
been running for days without its usual blue screens and crashes. This
is a record.