[aclug-L] New Linux - !!!Status Update!!!

["Carl B. Davis" <cdavis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm the guy with the Pentium 133 and Redhat 5.1.  BTW, I'm kind of
ticked that I bought 5.1 about a week and a half before 5.2 was
available, but whatever.

I'm trying to set up this system as a file server for my small office
lan.  I got Linux successfully installed after working through a number
of problems and replacing, in this order; the hard drive, the mother
board, the case with power supply and the CDRom player.  Ha!!! .  That's
three trips to National Computer Warehouse and two to Prologic.

After replacing virtually all the components in the system, I got Linux
installed and running  basically the way I want after four tries.  The X
Windows works, although the virtual screen was a pain, but I found a FAQ
that tells how to make it fit my screen.   I have tried the RPMS, but it
seems to have trouble mounting my CDRom.  If I mount it before starting
XWindows, it will work, but it won't let me change disks during
sessions, and a couple times it seemed to just sort of forgot where it
was, then I got a message that it couldn't mount it.

So far I don't much care for the editors that are available.  I tried
Vi-m, but I never could figure out how to actually input any text, and
save my work.  I did use the X-windows edit application, but after I
changed the virtual desktop size, I can't get to the top to make any
changes or load a file.  It has scrolled off the screen.  I was
expecting to find Joe, but despite what the documents say, I don't think
it was loaded from the disk.  I never found Jed either. I have for years
used the old Dos Sidekick editor.  I wish there was something like that.

The big problem I face now is what to do with my network card.  This
system has to be on the network, but the auto probe during install
didn't find the installed PCI adapter.  I cancelled network
configuration at that point.  The adapter is an PCI SN3200 that I bought
at Prologic.  It's supposed to be, I think, NE 2000 compatible.  I use
these cards in my other machines without any problems, but of course
they are all running windows.  I have scrolled through some FAQ's about
configuring NE2000 clones, and they seem fairly optimistic, but I
remember seeing one post here that advised that it is just better to
pony out the old credit card and buy one of the specifically supported
adapters.

I'm leaning toward the new adapter.  If I do that , is there a
configuration utility that I can run short of reinstalling the system
from scratch.

Thanks

Carl

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