Re: [tlug] InstalFun/SuSE/RedHat

[Patrick Niessen <patrick.niessen@example.com>]

On Tuesday 18 February 2003 18:31, xian wrote:
> lot of SuSE's stuff out. You can bypass the automatic install of SuSE,
> though, and determine which "packages" (sorry, using Slackterms) you'd like
> to install. It's rather intuitive. I believe I used the "Workstation"
> option and had to click a "Custom Install" button or something like that a
> la M$ (which is both a good and bad thing) It's disappointing you had a
> rough ride with SuSE. I had an awesomely easy time, played around with
> runlevels and such other gooey system stuff.. since my Linux-inception,

You need to boot with CD2 and type the kernel name specified in the manual to 
boot the custom install.  Mind you, a runlevel editor was only included since 
8.0

> -the (pseudo)mandatory use of YaST
yast is not bad.  The most powerful feature is that you can supposedly 
completely customise yast, so you can have a mass automated deployment - but 
I never used this feature and I suppose this is where Suse makes real money 
with their consultants.

> -their support (hey, it came with the $40 price tag, i tried it out) are
> tres reticent about any serious system-tweaking info

That's true, their support is terrible!  They define install support as 
automatic install on a "normal desktop" system.  So when my install on a 
Proliant server hung up after 5 seconds, they claimed I need the professional 
support and pay for it.

I actually used the professional support for the Suse Database server 
(enterprise Platform on Suse 7.0 level + IBM DB2 preinstalled).  And they 
were responsive and spot on.

> -and by god, if you're used to a command line, you can't find squat unless
> you're familiar with the SuSE layout. i STILL don't know where the kernel
> source is on my SuSE box. (it's not in my manual, and tech support won't
> tell me, either! ;)

The handbook actually explains it : /usr/src/linux  (if you installed the 
sources) , not the worst place for the sources, no?  They claim that they are 
compliant with the hierarchical file system standard, and did some major 
layout changes in 8.1: server data directories like httpd have moved from 
/usr/local to /srv/.  I am used to /usr/local/ for the stuff, and thats the 
default location of many applications anyway, but it seems more sensible to 
put it into a seperate /srv ddir if you think about it.  What I do not like 
at all is the red hat way of putting apache under /home/apache.

> -GRUB. I don't understand GRUB. I like LILO. Call me old-fashioned.
>

At a later stage of battling it out with Proliant and Suse 8.1,  yast did not 
install Grub properly on the RAID controller.  To fix it I had to learn GRUB 
and manually install it from floppy.  I have to say that I was really 
impressed by the ease and power of GRUB.  Unless you have some sophisticated 
setup of Lilo like automatic alternate booting of Windows / Linux, there is 
no need to waste any time on LILO anymore.

Patrick