[CLUE-Talk] would like to try Linux

[Timothy C. Klein]

* R Frank (rfrank at rfrank.us) wrote:
> If you are bundling comments about Debian, I'll mention my take on it.
> I would *love* to use Debian, but it fights me in significant ways.
> Two examples: Java and nvidia drivers.  In distributions like RedHat,
> "real" Java from Sun goes in painlessly.  With Debian, java-common
> bring in something quite different.  We use nvidia video cards and
> we use them accellerated.  The nvidia drivers, which admittedly taint
> the kernel, are easy in RedHat, and so far for me impossible with
> Debian (to go from "nv" to "nvidia", acclerated).  I might add a third:
> printing.  CUPS is my choice, but Debian fights me there, too, even
> after what I believe is the right apt-get and even the localhost:631
> setup.  This is all with woody.  If there are fixes for these obstacles
> I'd like to know about them, but that's the point: a user should not
> have to struggle with an installation as I have.
> 

Strange.  Debian has a package to automatically install the nvidia
drivers.  It is very easy.  Granted, it used to be a little complicated,
but not any more.  apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source
nvidia-glx-source is what I think they are called.  It will get the
source packages from nvidia, compile, install, divert, etc.  I have used
the Sun java package, and it was not really hard.  I had to put it in
/usr/local, and I just did not install any Debian java packages.  What
kind of problems with cups?  I run it, no glitches.  It did seem darn
tricky to set up, but that was hardly Debian's fault.  If I remember
correctly, the default Debian install of CUPS works, but is *very*
secure, so that many things are turned off.

I find that Debian rarely fights with me, and that it behaves in very
predictable ways when I need to work outside the 'Debian way.'

Post some of your troubles, us Debian folks gotta stick together ;-)

Tim
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== Timothy Klein || teece at silverklein.net   ==
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