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I agree. Red Hat desktop Linux sucks big time. It takes more machine than Win2K, runs pitifully slow, crashes and doesn't recognize WinXP network printers. I haven't dared to try the USB stuff yet. In addition it isn't as easy to install or setup as Windows.

Huh? Last night I set up a box with an Gigabyte MB and an Athalon 1800+ that used to have Win2K on it with RedHad 9.0. Using the DVD that came with the software (so I didn't have to swap CDs), it took less than 25 minutes to get through the interactive part, and I just took all the defaults. The system was up and running in about the same time as getting a Windows system up. And it recognized the USB mouse without any problems. Add another 60 seconds to configure the printing to a HP PSC 2110 all in one, directly attached to a WinXP Pro workstation (and RH 9 has the right drivers for that printer too!) and I had no problems at all! And the system seems a bit faster, or at least as fast as the Win2K system that was running on the same hardware.

Mark

"I set up a box with an Gigabyte MB and an Athalon 1800+"

I was running it on a Pentium II MMX 300 with 256MB. Win2K ran fine. Redhat Linux 9 does not. It finally ran on the 3rd clean install.

It took over an hour to do the installation (stock RH9 Pro setup). Also, I am still trying to get it to recognize a network printer. I'm sure there is an easy way to do it, but the documentation is so overwhelming that I have been unable to do it. I have about 4 hours invested in the printer setup.

It appears that RH9 requires a better, faster, stronger computer than Win2K. That is disappointing because Linux users have been telling me it runs fine on old equipment. I guess they were running older versions.

I'll post again when I try it on a faster computer. I hope the PIII 650 that I will have in a few weeks will handle it. I can't afford to take a 2GHZ unit off-line to test Linux. I might be able to get my hands on a PIII 900 with 256MB. Then, I'll start evaluating the business software that is available for Linux. The mahjong game is excellent once it boots.