[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Back Ups [Fwd: Windoze->SEUL migrations]

Maybe instead of telling people to backup their entire hard
drive we should tell them to just back up important files
and make sure they have the original install disks for
Win95 and other applications.
I've pointed out to people that if they have the install disks for
windows and their applications then they really only need
to backup their important files onto floppies. For most
people this is all they need. Maybe the solution is some
instructions that explain that much of their hard drive is
already backed up in the form of installation disks.
I had a backup program on my old PC that let me select a few
CD's and backup onto 3 or 4 floppies. 
The problem is explaining which files to back up. -Jeff

-- BEGIN included message

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----


On 20-Feb-98 jfm2@club-internet.fr wrote:
- -> In a distribution intended for end users it is absolutely of question
- -> to force people to embark themselves in an operation as difficult and
- -> dangerous as a complete backup and reinstall of their windows
- -> partition.  In addition few of them have any backup peripheral outside
- -> the floppy unit.

Why don't you people follow these threads, instead of just jumping in when you
feel you can dissagree with somebody.

I'll repeat myself again.  For the last time.

If a user has any data on their machine that is vital, they *will* have a
backup system beyond the flop, which nobody in there right mind uses any more
anyway.  Granted, a computer user in Ethiopia may not have a backup system for
vital data, but I think you'll find it's a priority with users.  If they have
no vital data it's nothing for them to re-install Windows and their software.

One of my customers, a new computer user, bought a tape drive within a month of
buying her first system.  She just wanted it to backup her family album she was
scanning.  To her, that was vital data that she didn't want to loose in a power
failure.  Her next item a few months later was a UPS.  These items aren't
expensive to buy any longer.

We had *better* tell them to back up their data before they install Linux.  It's
a common practice in data safety.

It would be benificial to Linux to have the first part to itself for reasons we
*should* all be aware of.  Then there are the problems with various disk
managers.  Disk modes.  Compressed drives.  User decides they want only Linux
after using it a while and wipes out Windows "Why can't I boot Linux any more?"
 User decides to switch to OS/2 and over writes the Windows part with it "Why
can't I boot Linux any more?"  Or do you intend to write a defrag program that
will defrag to the end of the part instead of the beginning?  This is just off
the top of my head, if I looked into it further I'd probably find more problems
with it.

How many of you, on this list, have Windows installed on the first part beyond
450MB?  How many of you didn't re-part you drive completely when you installed
Linux and Windows on the same drive?  How many of you had to re-install
everything because you had file system contamination because you first instaled
Windows with the drive in LBA mode or used a disk manager that hosed the drive
for Linux?

And again.  I am for trying to work around Windows (keep it).  We can't remain
ignorant to the facts though.  Linux operates best in a perfect environment,
Windows environments are inherantly flocked up and convoluted to make it's bugs
less prevailant.  The *best* option, for Linux, is to do a clean install.

The only reason we *should* work around Winblows is because of the number of
people using it and the amount of software ported to it and not Linux, at this
time.  In doing so we are looking at problems that the *user* will have, not
us, when the fragile ballence between Linux and Windoze is upset or doesn't
meet the initial requirements.

Not to mention, Windoze isn't the only other OS out there, yet we only design
installation methods for Windoze, or a fresh install.

Don't forget.  Windoze complains about large hard drives also.  We have to deal
with it's methods for getting around this as well as lilo's.

- ---
E-Mail: Cyberdyn@seul.org       Date: 20-Feb-98        Time: 14:48:49
You will be the last person to buy a Chrysler.


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.3a
Charset: noconv

iQCVAwUBNO3eI0rwMsuKKoVhAQH6rAP+M/8PMChPgzO4PUiOFSWsy70GeIo+F+uG
xrSvNd48eqayeSfM+PFG4aJWgxPOJvhvdszqB606Q2WrIQ22ZU1qb9ddme20/Vpa
L/ckSNjbUTN+YvJavdcL0wkW8QJQmtwbygw0oyDCRS1Y9Vca8ULhmJu7Ghx9DL+Y
uKpmM+NsmDo=
=WX+W
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

-- END included message