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By tmoertel (Tue Apr 13, 2004 at 06:44:26 PM EST) (all tags)
If you have been following the saga, I am delighted to report that I have solved the problem of re-installing Win2k on my workstation. The problem, in short, is that Microsoft requires me to re-install from my original, CD-keyed media, which is from 1999. Even though Win2k fully supports my modern computer hardware -- and did so just peachily until last week, when my hard drive failed -- the Setup program on the original media chokes because my modern hardware frightens its older, Service Pack 1 incarnation.

But now my problems are over! After over a full work day of struggling, I am happy to report that I am posting this very diary on the once afflicted workstation.

The solution? Fedora Linux.

(Inside: Give your advice on VMware.)


While writing my previous diary, I was angry. At Win2k. At Microsoft. I had wasted the better part of a day fighting with an out-of-date installer because of a crippling licensing scheme from Microsoft. In my frustration, I spouted off about how much easier my life would be if I could just install Linux on my workstation, taking the easy jab at Microsoft.

Eventually, I gave up on my installation efforts for the day. I posted my tale here, hoping that somebody would give me the magic advice that I could use to finish my Win2k installation.

In the meantime, I figured, what the hell, I'll just put Linux on the workstation. That way, I'll have something to use for diagnostics if I need it. I put a Fedora Core 1 boot disk in the machine, powered up, and spent about sixty seconds starting a Kickstart installation using a standard workstation configuration. When the installation started, I left to walk the dog.

When I returned from walking the dog, the installation was done. I logged in and used Yum to bring all the packages up to date. The hardest part was getting the Radeon 9600 Pro and the Dell 2001fp LCD monitor to work at my preferred 1600x1200 resolution. After about an hour, I was done. I played a game of Armagetron to celebrate.

Now, here's the bad part

My plan was to install Linux for a day, just until I could figure out how to re-install Win2k. But now, after using Linux on my workstation for a day, I don't want to go back to Windows. Under Linux, my workstation is faster. The text is clearer. Software package management is saner. Everything works. There isn't the accumulation of cruft left behind by countless "Setup" programs. It's refreshing.

But, I miss some things:

  • iTunes. (Well, I can just run it on one of my Macs. No big loss.)
  • Halo. (I noticed this because a friend called today and mentioned it.)
  • Seamless support for my OfficeJet G95. The HP OfficeJet Project for Linux doesn't quite compare to HP Director (flaky as it was).
  • Mathematica. I have a for-Windows license. I think I have to pay $100 or something to migrate to Linux. (More dumb proprietary licensing crap.)
I'm sure I'll discover a few other things that I'll miss, but those are the most obvious. They're certainly not reason enough to switch back to Windows.

I'm starting to think that this will be a Linux workstation forevermore. Maybe I'll spring for VMware and handle the occasional need for Windows that way.

Thoughts? Advice? How reliable is VMware under Linux? Is there any reason that I really need Windows? Do chime in.

< no Kracow for me | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >
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- Fedora Linux
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- Armagetron
- HP OfficeJet Project for Linux
- tmoertel's Diary
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Win2k installation problem: SOLVED! | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
Hi. by Stephen Wolfram (6.00 / 5) #1 Tue Apr 13, 2004 at 07:34:20 PM EST
I, too, run VMware on my workstation and I can confirm that it runs very well indeed, although I'm not sure playing Halo under it would be a good idea. I wouldn't know, of course, since I am too busy to spend my time and superior intellect playing shoot-em games.

As for the printer driver, I think it ought to work perfectly, although any Slashdot denizen would have told you not to have bought a printer that isn't supported by Linux.

Now, to Mathematica. First, thanks for buying and using my program; it's very much appreciated, even though you're not half clever enough to use all its features (remember, I wrote it for myself, and I'm smarter than you). Surely you realize that maintaining multiple platform codebases costs me money that I could otherwise spend on caviar, cars and hairdressers? In my opinion (which is, after all, the one that counts) the small sum I ask for a platform upgrade is perfectly justified, and I'm sure a consultant such as yourself can recoup the cost very quickly.




Bravo. by i (5.00 / 1) #2 Tue Apr 13, 2004 at 10:08:14 PM EST
Have you written your post yourself, od did you program a cellular automaton to do it for you?


[ Parent ]

VMWare reliability by spcmanspiff (3.00 / 0) #3 Wed Apr 14, 2004 at 04:31:20 AM EST
I've been using it for about 3 years now with zero issues. 99.99% of my work is done under Windows, but I use linux as a framework to keep myself sane and to provide some stability/reliability to the system, as well as to run other applications and services.

Would that it were open source; but nonetheless, it's paid for itself. The 'free trial' period is very approachable; I think it's good for 30 days or so.



Win2k installation problem: SOLVED! | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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