Re: [OT] RAID

[Ian Oliver <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In article <008d01c7cdcb$9f8ad700$0201a8c0@xxxxxxx>, Ian Lowe
wrote:
> Ubuntu on the desktop crashes no less frequently
> than windows, it's not any faster

I find it much faster than XP, particularly on low end hardware. And
compared
to Vista, it really flies.

> and it's gui is not really any better.

Agreed.

> I
> like it, and I install each new version without fail (more recently,
in a VM
> rather than on physical hardware).

That's a really great way to test a new OS.

1) Boot it in a VM (if the licence allows) from a live CD (if there is one
for
the OS), maybe install it to a virtual HD if you fancy later on.
2) Give the tyres a good kick, make sure it's got a full suite of
applications
such as word processor, a spreadsheet, etc., and make sure it's got all the
server stuff you need, such as software raid, a DHCP and DNS server, email
transports, and the like.
3) If you really like it, copy it from the virtual HD to a real partition
so
you can multi-boot it, make sure it boots cleanly with at most some
graphics
tweaking being required.

Sadly, Windows tends to lack live CDs, the licence often restricts use in a
VM, activation kicks in as you tweak VMs or move an install between VM
booting
and "live" booting, all the essential applications need
installing as a
separate stage, and other than on the high-cost server versions, it's
pretty
stripped down in this regard.

We're finding that Win2k is the least-hassle version of Windows to use in a
VM!

Ian Oliver
Sunny Leeds, UK
Using Java on Tini for control via Dallas 1-wire