Without trying to slam anyone, I would not take an install problem on one machine to mean much. I also wouldn't take a lack of install problem to mean much. I can truthfully say I have never had a problem installing Winblows 3.x on a machine (and did it many times). Anyone care to say it is superior? I have had trouble with a Slackware install. But I also worked through said install. As for the problems in maintaining RedHat, I think the problem that some run into is trying too hard. I have installed both RPM and the compile thing. For some, RPM is easier. For others, it will lead to problems later. (Domn, that is starting to sound like so many other things with computers and life in general.) But for most things, there are straight forward tools to do your configuration for you. My complaint about RedHat is that you get many things installed that you don't know about. Then again, I think that a great thing would be a database with all dependancies listed for each package. Yea, I know RPMs provide that (in theory). But there is no tool (for any distro I have seen) that allows one to plan ahead seeing all dependancies and configure the system to install just the way you want it minus perhaps the settings. I think going with a preconfigured machine is a good idea. It won't take any longer to wipe out the installed OS then if you get one with Winblows. I mean really, fdisk covers a multitude of sins. If you know you are going to run linux and that is an option for the machine it makes sense. You can always blow it away and install a different distro. (And you can later do the same thing to that distro. I know it is obvious, but too often it is forgotten.) -- Kirk Wood Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net ------------------ Seek simplicity -- and distrust it. Alfred North Whitehead
