Worrying?

[Xyem]

I just read an article in the Micromart ( a computer magazine ) about someone trying to install Ubuntu.

The whole article is negative. The gentleman trying to install Ubuntu is installing it onto a USB drive and then blames GRUB for not being able to find Ubuntu on the next boot. I have had this issue with my father's installation and after some quick research I found out it was because the BIOS was re-ordering the drives depending on what you selected to boot from. This was put into BIOS code to work around a limitation of Microsoft Windows which has to be on the "first" drive, otherwise it will not start.

Next he complains when he finds he didn't have permission to edit the menu.lst file.. the fact that this is because Ubuntu doesn't allow any user to edit any file for increased security is *entirely* omitted.

People would say that "you don't have those problems installing Windows".. the retort of course would be 1) The rest of the computer is making up for the limitations of Windows and 2) non "power users" don't install Windows anyway!

What is worrying me is not that Linux isn't getting any "mainstream" attention.. it is that it is getting negative attention for things outside of its control. And there seems to be no "balancing" articles on it.

I hope this doesn't sound zealot-esque as all I want is fair articles where the actual problems are identified at their cause, not where they show up.. thoughts?

P.S.
My father came to me and said he wanted to try out Linux "full-time", a couple of months ago, after knowing about it for a long time. I've helped him out with my knowledge and now he has it on both his laptop and desktop and he's happy with it.
After I accidentally deleted my Windows partition a month ago, I haven't re-installed it. I only booted it up to play Assassin's Creed! I'm running Linux exclusively and loving it.

[clanky]

So if someone has a bad experience installing Linux (or any other OS) should they make it sound like it wasn't bad in order to make a "balanced article"?

[cariboo]

You have to remember that most people that write articles for magazines are paid for what they write, and usually they are told how to write the article and what conclusions they should come up with.

Jim

[So Tough]

Overall 1 bad experience is offset by how many good experiences, millions?

So is it right to judge ubuntu on 1 experience, ultimately no


saying that though, i've never tried usb installation

[Xyem]

So is it right to judge ubuntu on 1 experience, ultimately no
Agreed but when you are exposed to several bad experiences and none of the of good, most people will think it is all bad.


So if someone has a bad experience installing Linux (or any other OS) should they make it sound like it wasn't bad in order to make a "balanced article"?
I didn't say that, I said it should have the truth in there so the reader can make an informed decision. It's like me having a short fuse and blaming you for it because it only shows when I am around you. Is there something wrong with that? Yes, it isn't your fault and there isn't anything you can do about it. Just like it isn't a cat's fault if you are allergic to its fur, the fault lies with you(r body). Make sense? ( sometimes I don't )

As a counter-example, installing Windows XP is hard if you want to install it on a SATA drive because it doesn't have SATA drivers on the CD. If I was writing an article about it, I would mention that Windows XP is over 5 years old and SATA was not widely used when it was released instead of just saying "Why can't Windows just install". However, it still doesn't work, even if you have Service Pack 2 slip-streamed, which is bad :P

[Skripka]

You have to remember that most people that write articles for magazines are paid for what they write, and usually they are told how to write the article and what conclusions they should come up with.

Jim

They also usually go into the whole thing with massively preconcieved notions that Linux is a FOSS Windows OS.

[Dr Small]

As a counter-example, installing Windows XP is hard if you want to install it on a SATA drive because it doesn't have SATA drivers on the CD. If I was writing an article about it, I would mention that Windows XP is over 5 years old and SATA was not widely used when it was released instead of just saying "Why can't Windows just install". However, it still doesn't work, even if you have Service Pack 2 slip-streamed, which is bad :P
I've installed Windows XP on my parent's SATA drive multiple times without a problem.

[Xyem]

I've installed Windows XP on my parent's SATA drive multiple times without a problem.
Really? How? SATA was created 2 years after Windows XP's release according to Wikipedia so it wouldn't have had any drivers for it. I always have to slip-stream SATA drivers when I install it..

[MysticGold04]

Usually in the bios you can disable "Native SATA mode" so that the drive will act like a normal IDE drive....

No worries here.. I'm lovin' Ubuntu immensely! It runs like a dream on my systems.

[Dr Small]

Really? How? SATA was created 2 years after Windows XP's release according to Wikipedia so it wouldn't have had any drivers for it. I always have to slip-stream SATA drivers when I install it..
Dunno. I just installed like normal.

edit: or it could be, that they weren't really SATA drives, just had SATA connections. Both were IDE drives with SATA connection converters to work with the new motherboard. Maybe that's it.

[Xyem]

Usually in the bios you can disable "Native SATA mode" so that the drive will act like a normal IDE drive....
Isn't there a downside to this? If not, what is the point of 'Native SATA' mode? Even so, isn't this a bit of an "upstream" workaround to a downstream problem, much like the drive re-ordering? :)

[miegiel]

What is worrying me is not that Linux isn't getting any "mainstream" attention.. it is that it is getting negative attention for things outside of its control. And there seems to be no "balancing" articles on it.

There is no thing as "bad press" ;)

[cariboo]

I've got a Microsoft OEM XP Pro SP2 cdrom the only thing it does include is SATA drivers. I bought it about 3 years ago. The last time I looked my supplier was selling OEM XP SP3 cdroms. A lot of white box retailers get the basic OEM cd's and use the drivers supplied by the different hardware manufacturers for the peripherals.

When I sell a system there is usually half a dozen cdroms included in the sale.

Jim

[mkendall]

There is no thing as "bad press" ;)

Not true. Just ask Larry Craig or Gary Condit. What there is no such thing as is "bad publicity." Similar, but different.

[t0p]

Overall 1 bad experience is offset by how many good experiences, millions?

So is it right to judge ubuntu on 1 experience, ultimately no


saying that though, i've never tried usb installation

USB installation isn't a black art. In fact, it's easy as all heck with a utility called NetBootin. Someone should have told the reviewer about NetBootin...