[H-GEN] Cannot control Linux configuration

[Alex Delaforce]

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During the last few weeks I have struggled with setting up the basic
configuration of SuSE 8.1 Linux. The package comes with two manuals,
most of which repeat each other despite being called User and
Administration Guides. I have purchased the O'Reilly publication
'Running Linux' of which I have read about half (and while I read it
seems to make sense). I have also printed out and read the APC published
Linux Pocketbooks (which also seems to make sense).

So far I have installed three times, each time selecting more and more
parts of the software to install from the CDs to try and fix the fact
that at the Humbug meeting I can pick up a DHCP address 100% of the time
but at home using a Windows 2K gateway machine
The DHCP worked only about 1 in 10 attempts. I have followed all advice
given in the Humbug lists regarding checking the 'internet connection
sharing' and dhcp set up of the Windows machine which connected to
Bigpond via a cable modem.

Anyway, the eth0 connection problem seems to be at bay . I don't know
why.

Today I have spent about 8 hours trying to configure SAMBA to connect
Linux to a MSHOME workgroup and vice versa. I have read each book, the
man entries, google etc. At every step the file asked for was either in
a different place or doesn't exist. If the book says 'do so and so and
look for 3 files in the list' you can guarentee there will be two and
both of those will have different names from those listed in the book.
Now I am following the directions to test the samba installation and
apparently although I can ping each machine the DNS is not functioning
to resolve machine names. The book says that a file called '/etc/host'
should be set up. But the file header tells me that /etc/host is for
when DNS is not used??

Finally my question...

Have I chosen a difficult distribution of Linux to learn on? Despite the
way it seems, I'm not stupid and can follow instruction but I seem to
get nowhere. The files are in the wrong places according to the books (I
know different distributions have different file locations but even the
SuSE books don't get it right). My major frustration is that at no stage
of the process do I feel in control of the system - I expected this for
a while while learning a 'new thing' but seem to be making no headway. 

Any advice except 'give up and go back to M$' would be appreciated.
Alex Delaforce
[alextdel at bigpond.net.au][dir.tech.ormistoncollege.com]
Phone (H) 07-3820 2210
Phone (W) 07-3821 8964



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