Author: Vic Date: To: hampshire Subject: Re: [Hampshire] Is a faulty download to blame for my problems?
> Ever since I installed Etch ... I have been having one problem > after another.
What problems are you having?
> So the question inevitably arrises: software or hardware? I have run
> smartctl (thanks, Vic and Chris :-) ) on the HDD holding the installation
> and it reported that there were no errors.
So there's a better-than-average chance that your disk is just fine. All
my recent (last 4 years) disk failures have been catastrophic; you know
the disk has gone because of the noises it makes.
> But something, somewhere, is obviously actually faulty.
What symptoms are you seeing?
> Is it - however remotely - possible that my install of Etch (I used the
> net install facility) is itself faulty?
I guess there's a remote possibility, but that's not where I'd be looking.
A failed download would have been reported; you'd have had to actively
ignore it. Somehow, I don't quite think that's you :-)
> Is the most sensible thing to do to
> reinstall Etch on the present HDD? Or to install Etch on a brand new HDD?
I wouldn't - yet. If you have a vaguely-working OS, you should be able to
dung it out without resorting to airstrikes...
> Or should I
> have recourse to a fresh install of Libranet 3?
The thing Libranet has going for it is that you are comfortable with it;
personally, I'd declare Libranet dead & never go there again - but this is
about *your* PC, not mine...
> Perhaps even leave my comfort zone and come
> to grips with rpm?
You'll probably never have to come to grips with rpm, just as you don't
have to get to grips with dpkg. Use apt or yum instead.
> Advice, please! This is my main desktop. I need to have it working.
If you have a brand-spankers HDD that is currently unused, you might like
to do a trial installation of Fedora. I've found F7 very good indeed (it's
now my default rescue CD, supplanting the venerable Knoppix). I haven't
used F8 yet, but I'm told it's very good, as long as you're not upgrading
(an issue that is going to bite every distro eventually - just F8 got
there first). And if you don't like Fedora - wipe it.
