Good Tools, Stable
Written: Oct 23 '99 (Updated Oct 23 '99)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Stable, good tools, free (if you have patience or a good Internet connection)
Cons: Learning curve
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| jnerad's Full Review: Red Hat Linux |
Redhat is free by download. You can get CD's sent to you for a couple of dollars, or you can buy the full blown box set complete with installation support. The support is a good deal if you are beginning to learn about Linux and want to make sure Linux will run when you are through installing it.
Pro: Ease of Installation. It didn't used to be the case that Linux was easy to install. I've installed RedHat on three different machines. Each time, with a basic knowledge of what components I had, I was able to get Linux working inside of 25 minutes (not counting the time it took to read the manual), by choosing in the Redhat installation program the stock workstation setup. I could do everything I wanted to do with Linux as soon as I started it. This is becoming a more common ocurrence. It is not always the case, as evidenced by the many Web-pages available on the Internet that discuss RedHat installation issues. The manual that comes with the official RedHat Box set is very handy, and if you read it through before you start the installation, you should have no problem. Caldera's most recent distribution has a nice installation tool. Much better than RedHat's.
Con: The RedHat installation program supports _a lot_ less hardware by name than Windows 9x does. It sometimes takes knowing devices that have similar specifications to yours to get things working, or trying all the devices before you find one that works. For instance, there are many hundreds of ethernet cards available. 3com makes a whole slew of them, but RedHat out of the box only recognizes, say ten (3Com is producing drivers for Linux now). Those ten cards, however are very similar in specification to the other cards that 3Com has made, and one of them may work even though it has a different model number than the one in your computer. As well, setting up video can be a difficult experience. You have to know the vertical and horizontal refresh rates of your monitor if it's not listed and, if your video card is not listed, the chipset upon which the card is based.
Pro: Stability. In my experience, Redhat has been very stable. That means that it doesn't freeze or have many problems running the software that I use. None of the features of RedHat are undocumented. In fact, the source code is openly available, which means that developers are able to see exactly how RedHat is handling a particular action and make changes to their program accordingly. This results not only in super stable programs (take for example Apache, or the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) which is very like Adobe Photoshop in its capabilities), but also in a stabler operating system because developers can send suggestions in the form of new code to kernel (the program that is the _core_ of the operating system) developers if they find a serious problem, rather than simply working around it.
Con: Learning Curve. Unless you are willing to spend some time learning to use a Unix-like system, you will be constantly frustrated by Linux's seemingly uncooperative nature. It takes some time to learn how to set up a printer that is not listed in the RedHat printer set-up tool. I had a very difficult time learning how to set-up my OkiPage 4w. I kept reading documentation and eventually I figured it out. But it will take you some time to learn to use the operating system itself. The online help system is very good, however, so you have all the tools you need if you are willing to learn.
Pro: Powerful programming tools. RedHat ships with the text-editors VI and EMACS built-in, as well as GNotepad, which is an enhanced version of the windows notepad. Emacs is a really, really potent text editor that comes in the standard RedHat distribution. It takes a while to learn how to use Emacs efficiently, but the pay-off is great in terms of speed of editing, searching, replacing, syntax coloring -- this text editor has all the doodads. It allows you to edit web-pages and save them directly on the webserver (that is, you don't have to use a separate ftp program to move them there). You can compile C and C++, Fortran, BASIC, python, Tcl/Tk, assembler and scheme. You can write PERL scripts to automate complex tasks, make programs that run on web-servers or scripts that act as a front-end to databases.
Who should get Redhat:
a) do-it-yourself-ers. Redhat takes some initiative to learn and use. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty and spend some time figuring out file permissions and other system particulars, particularly if you are going to start hosting web-pages or connecting to the internet. You have to spend some time learning about security on a Linux machine so that you can get rid of unnecessary services (like sendmail for many) to make your machine as hacker proof as possible, particularly if you are using Linux at an office with a large bandwidth internet connection.
b) programmers. The tools that you can use with Linux are truly powerful. And they are inexpensive compared to what is available on a Microsoft platform.
c) webmasters. Reliability and availability of the programming and scripting tools available make this one a no-brainer, in my opinion.
d) CS students. Fewer costs while you don't have money is a Good Thing. Learning to program in C and C++ using a free compiler is a Good Thing.
e) hobbyists. People who want to learn about *nix operating systems for the fun of it.
g) power users. If you get along pretty well with computers, you should try Linux if your hardware is supported by Linux. Check RedHat's compatibility guide (http://www.redhat.com/corp/support/hardware/) to see if your hardware is supported.
h) those who have a spare machine lying about and want to see what RedHat is like. Linux works well on just about any Intel compatible machine. There are minimum requirements (120 MB Hard drive space, 80386 processor or later, and 16MB of RAM. I wouldn't try this configuration though. Allow enough for a comfortable stock workstation install, like 600MB, especially if this is your first time installing RedHat).
You should not install Redhat
a) If you and computers don't get along.
b) If you find learning about how computers work uninteresting.
c) If you have no reason to program, run a webserver, learn about computers, learn a programming language, or create or use a home or office based network. If your computer and operating system and software does what you need it to do currently, you shouldn't install Linux.
The bottom line: If you are satisfied with your current OS, don't change unless you have the opportunity to try Linux out and like it (on a friend's machine or on a loaner). If you are frustrated with your current OS, due to cost or stability or lack of tools, I think you might find Linux a pleasant surprise.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jnerad
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Member: Jack Nerad
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 20 members
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