[LUG] Upgrades to mandrake 7.2 ?

["Ray Smith" <raysmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm running 7.2 Mandrake for one reason. Mandrake 8 and all other versions
odf linux with xfree version greater than 4.01 don't work with my ATi rage
pro 128 :-(

I'm very happy with it but of course there's some thing that I don't have.
The newer kernels. I could upgrade this but the only usb device I have is my
scanner and handspring visor. The visor works great with linux and the
scanner I can live with running under windows.

Some of the newer 3D apps,games etc need newer version of SDL but when I try
to install these & all their dependencies my existing games and apps no
longer work properly ! So I would have to donload and compile all the newer
version of those too.

So what I do want is the newer version of KDE & Gnome (well the Ximian
version anyway). I somehow got Ximian to install ONCE my forceing all the
rpm's to ignore dependencies & it worked from the linux format cover cd but
after a reinstall from a crashed disk I have never been able to get it to
install again even by trying the same method.
And the redcarpet installer to update online is a HUGE download.

KDE ? I've tried to install this following suggestion in this group but
after kde starts every single application I try to run comes up with a
segmentation error !

Now one of the reasons I like linux so much was the feeling of choice I
have. The ability to have my system running exactly as I wanted. I
customized windowmaker to how I wanted and sawfish. Installed all the apps I
wanted removed ones I didn't. Compiled kernels to take out stuff like scsi
that I don't use to it boots faster etc. etc.

But.... Why is it that upgrading certain parts of the operating system break
other parts. Such as SDL or X.
4.01 worked a treat. Even with my old banshee card. As did 4.02 and 4.03
with the banshee. Now 4.1 cause problems with the banshee with some via
chipsets and won;t work at all with my ati card even though it now works
with the Radeon ! (even then you need to compile to latest source from the
CVS tree according to loads of people on the DRI mailing list).

Mandrake 8.1. Blimey, aren't I going on. Ooh lovely but hang on. sound card
works after install. Now it doesn't. rund sound config. works again. next
time booted no sound. run sndconfig. No isapnp installed. check rpm tree.
yes it is. ok maybe it's a permission problems. (Suse is always doing this
after running it's own configuration scripts. Tip. avoid yast2 and edit
scripts yourself) got to /dev folder. Wheres all the files in the /dev tree
gone. No sndstat files to change to 666 or mid or snd etc.

The worst bit. Can I install my old X driver. Not flaming likely mate. Too
many dependies have been upgraded by the rest of the system.

Windows has a lot of bad rap but one thing I can say is that if I put on a
drive that doen't work as well I can uninstall it & put the old one back on
! Or at least shove in the windows CD and restore the original config files.

I use linux most of the time (even though I'm using outlook for this mail)
but guess who is getting a bit ticked off with some stuff.

This list isn't the place to sound off I know but I would welcome suggestion
on how to get certain parts of my 7.2 system updated without cocking up
other bits based on what I've said above.

I can't believe I've gone on for so long.

Sorry everybody.

Ray Smith.

(From the only windows desktop of Win 98)


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