Re: SEUL: linuxconf rpm

[Juhana Siren <jsiren@pc164178.oulu.fi>]

On 01-Jul-97 Thomas Molesworth wrote:
[linuxconf]
>Anyone with too much time on their hands care to post a review? :-)

I tried it - managed to mess up my system in the process so bad that the
kernel got corrupted (apparently) and I ended up reinstalling the entire
base system (which, among other things, broke the RPM database so now I'll
have a hard time upgrading software... >:-( ...and just when I got that f*ing
PnP "sound" card working...).

To make a short story unnecessarily long, I installed the system and let it
replace the necessary parts of my system. It claimed to make backup copies.

OK, so I tried running it from several places:
 - An xterm on a remote display. No good, there's no way you can read the
   screens, at least if the xterm is b/w.
 - An xterm on console. See previous.
 - Via Windows telnet. Even less good (the whole Windows telnet is less good).
   This messed up the lines so that it was impossible to see where the cursor 
   actually was. (No, I _will_ _not_ press Ctrl-L after every keypress.)
 - On system console (text screen). This actually worked for a while, I was able
   to fiddle with the settings. Upon exit I was asked whether I wanted to commit
   the changes made, preview what was to be done or just exit.

The problems began when I quit linuxconf and tried to switch back to the VC
where I had xdm running. The console froze. Plain and simple froze. No response
whatsoever - even the *Lock lights on the keyboard didn't react. I could log in
through the network, however, and reboot. On bootup Linuxconf asked for a 
default runlevel, so I selected networking and X. Result: xdm and _one_ text
console (!?!). At this point I decided I didn't want to use the system anymore
and ran the uninstall script. The next thing I know after rebooting, I only have
an xdm login screen that doesn't accept keyboard input and won't let me out.
Just great. Had to power down on the fly - no good, the system didn't boot
any more. Init complained about a segmentation violation. Couldn't fix it with
rescue disks, so I reinstalled the base system. (Will not repeat the words
uttered in the process...)

I don't know if I did something wrong, but I certainly wouldn't like this to be
a part of SEUL - it isn't simple, and certainly not for the end user.

Also, it seemed to suppose that the user knows quite a bit about Linux. A
beginner would be very baffled with it. Besides, the English is bad...

Result of evaluation: Not recommended.

Sorry about typos, I'm watching a movie with the other eye...
-- 
Juhana Siren (Mr.) - Juhana.Siren@oulu.fi - http://rieska.oulu.fi/~jsiren/
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All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?
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