Best Route/Package for Newbies - ydl.net, manual etc

[John Cochrane]

> Mr. Cochrane:
> 
> Welcome aboard!

Thank you. I'm feeling very welcome already!
> 
> I have been meaning to try answering this for several days -- sorry for
> the delay. Though, as you will see, I don't have much actual data to
> address your specific questions. :-(

No worries. Thank you for taking the time.
> 
> John Cochrane wrote:
>> A few months back, I made my first venture into Linux,
>> with YDL 3.0.1, downloading the ISOs from a mirror,
>> successfully installing (reasonably painlessly) on a
>> Beige G3, and dabbling enough to familiarise myself with
>> the basics.
> 
> That's a good approach. Many of us started in the same manner (it was an
> older Wallstreet PowerBook for me). YDL 3.0.1 has been stable and useful
> for many on these mailing lists, though it obviously leaves newer
> software behind.
> 
>> 1) YDL.net (and it's various mutations... 'enhanced',
>> 'pro') - is it worth it/recommended. The e-mail address
>> and web space doesn't matter to me, nor (at the moment)
>> does the advanced availability of new releases. Is there
>> anything else unique (such as better errata info and
>> updates) that warrants taking out a subscription?
> 
> That's a tough question. I do not have YDL.net myself, so I may be
> missing something; perhaps a YDL.net member will have something more
> positive to say. It seems you have answered the question mostly for
> yourself -- if you don't need any of the added features of YDL, there is
> no compelling reason to get it. I think Terra Soft doesn't do too good a
> job of making their case for YDL.net. The YDL.net Web site just barely
> describes what you get for the money: e-mail mostly, but no support for
> YDL, as far as I can see on the Web site.

Yes, YDL.net is suspiciously vague about what exactly
'YDL.net{enhanced,pro}' actually offers - hence my curiosity and caution. I
just wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing some real 'nugget of
usefulness'. And since no-one is beating down my door saying "get it", I
figure I can do without it and proceed as before.
> 
>> 2) Should I purchase a 'box set' package from TS.
>> Clearly the input of some £ into the system is never
>> a bad thing (for TS at least!), but at the same time,
>> I have no issues (technically or otherwise) with
>> downloading and burning the ISOs, as I did before.
> 
> I was happy with the boxed set of YDL 3.0, so I can recommend that
> option. The manual was useful, though not entirely up-to-date with
> details (I hope they have corrected that). Remember, you do *not* get
> support unless you purchase the US$89.95 edition (however, that is what
> this and the companion Yellow Dog General lists are for!).
> 
> <http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/yellowdog-general>

Actually, I've gone full circle on this one. Initially I thought that I
would get the boxed set, for two reasons:

(i) the manual. But from your later paragraph it sounds like I won't gain
much that I didn't learn on my previous short-term experimental YDL install.
Support-wise, it was always my plan to draw heavily on the good-natured
individuals that prop up this mailing list, with the hope that I would one
day be competent enough to give something back!

(ii) the convenience. But now I'm thinking that the whole process of needing
an ISO (or package), identifying the right element and a suitable location,
followed by download and install is actually a core aspect of the Linux
experience, and therefore, there is much that could be learned from taking
this approach, including familiarisation with mirrors, naming conventions
etc.... Maybe when I become more familiar, and all that becomes a 'chore',
I'll take the more convenient route!
> 
> As for your money supporting a good cause (i.e., Terra Soft's efforts to
> port GNU/Linux to the PowerPC platform), that is your call. *I* like to
> support them, so I purchase my CDs. To keep your conscience clear,
> however, know that most of Terra Soft's money comes from their sale of
> *hardware* (Power Mac G5s with YDL pre-installed) to large corporate
> customers.

I'm feeling better already!!
> 
>> Further, I don't see that I have a need (at least yet)
>> for the included source CDs, or the sticker ;-)
> 
> Again, you have mostly answered your own question -- how insightful you
> are! :-)

I thought long and hard about the sticker :-)
> 
>> So the remaining question is about the 'manual'. Can
>> anyone enlighten me (and probably others) just how
>> comprehensive and useful the manual is, and whether
>> it's worth making a 'box set' purchase for.
> 
> If I recall correctly, I liked, but did not love the manual. Yellow Dog
> Linux 3.0.x is really Red Hat Linux 8.0, and Yellow Dog Linux 4.0 is
> Fedora Core FC2 (I think). Therefore, a good third party manual for
> either of those distributions may be just as useful to you as the YDL
> manual.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.
> 
> Let us know what you decide to do!

Actually, all this has prompted me to consider a more fundamental issue, but
for clarity of this thread, I'll ask that question as a new topic.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Clint
> 
Cheers,
John
> -- 
> Dr. Clinton C. MacDonald | <mailto:clint DOT macdonald AT sbcglobal DOT net>
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