[ILUG] RH 8 Upgrade/Installation

[Raf]

FYI: This isn't a request for help - its just a general bitch at RH 8.0 :)

Normally, you'd think that having gone up a major version, the
installation could only get easier. Yeah right.

My previous installation was a fully functional RH 7.2 build, including my
SB audigy, USB kb/mouse, Geforce 2 video card, and SpeedTouch USB ADSL
modem.

First of all - my compaq USB keyboard wasn't detected by the installation.
I had to plug in a PS/2 kb. Same happened during the 7.2 installation, so
I was used to it, although I kinda expected that it would be fixed by the
next version. Obviously not.

My MS optical intellimouse wasn't detected either, and still didn't work
when selected from a dropdown.

At this stage I proceeded with the text installation cause I didn't quite
fancy the GUI without a mouse.

Oh yeah, at this stage, switching to the 'report' VC's, there's lots of
messages about USB timeouts and such. Oh, and apparently it can't probe my
monitor. The XFree version with 7.2 could.

So anyway, everything seems to be upgraded (it installed 2.7gbs
worth of stuff anyway), the bootloader is installed, and so I boot into my
newly upgraded system for the first time.

Once again there's LOADS of error messages relating to USB. There's so
many, all other bootup messages are lost in the mess that is the screen.

Eventually, I'm dumped at a console login. My USB keyboard and mouse still
don't work (at this stage they did work in 7.2).

I try to start X. Couple of flashing black screens, and thats about it.
Obviously my previous configuration has been dumped. A Dialog box asks me
if I want to reconfigure X (or something to that effect). I click yes.
More flashing blank screens. And thats it.

Now, I can get around all this. But thats cause I've had a fair few years
experience with Linux. But were I a linux virgin, the very first problem
would have stopped me dead in my tracks, possibly turning me off linux
forever. Even someone with patience and perseverance would probably have
only got to the console login before they'd become helplessely lost. What
are we supposed to tell that person? "Ah sure just recompile the kernel
and make sure you have the proper USB modules, and then go write a
.XF86Config file"?

I suppose it serves me right for installing a x.0 release.