which OS is easiest to install? ***POLL***

[IcemanJer]

linky to article.

personally I think this guy is heavily biased, and doesn't know jack about doing a proper experiment.
first, he used the OEM system restore CD, which is always loaded with third party software.
second, SWITCH cds to install Win2K? you gotta be kidding me.. there's only 1 CD to the Windows base install versus 3 for RedHat. Sure, you might have to insert driver CDs for whatever hardware you have, but having to switch CD 8 times is ridiculous.

Anyways, that useless article aside.. what are your experiences with this issue?
And don't jus say "Linux sucks" or "Windows sucks". Goddamn substantiate any stupid comment like that you make. :|

Oh, and vote in the poll too.

Edit:\> updated topic

 

[CraigRT]

Win2K is the easiest OS I have ever setup.
by the time it's booted and setup, you likely have video drivers installed, the NIC has drivers and you're online, and everything is ready to use.
(if you don't care about using the drivers supplied by the OS)

but THAT is easy! Win2K rocks.

 

[n0cmonkey]

The last time I installed Win2k on a machine I owned I had to install nic drivers. That was pretty crappy since I didnt have a floppy drive.

I havent installed RH since 5.2, but I hear their install went down hill since then. gui? ugh!

OpenBSD has the easiest install. 20min on decent hardware, 30 if you do a net install.

Mac OS X has the second easiest install. I think I have 10 clicks of the mouse and Im done.

 

[IcemanJer]

maybe I should expand the polls. hold on...

<edit>
Okay, poll updated with more options.
</edit>

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
The last time I installed Win2k on a machine I owned I had to install nic drivers. That was pretty crappy since I didnt have a floppy drive.

I've had that happen and it sucks because at first you think "oh, I'll just go online and download the drivers" then you remember what the drivers are for

 

[n0cmonkey]

Service pack installs suck too. Why the heck cant I choose where it stores temp files? Please give me a break, I dont have a large c: partition on every computer!

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
The last time I installed Win2k on a machine I owned I had to install nic drivers. That was pretty crappy since I didnt have a floppy drive.

I've had that happen and it sucks because at first you think "oh, I'll just go online and download the drivers" then you remember what the drivers are for

And you start scrounging through old 486s trying to find a working floppy drive and you find out the floppy you got with the network card doesnt work... Yeah, happened to me.

 

[milagro]

W2k is easier than RH, but I can also say this,

Linux Mandrake 8.0 and higher is FASTER and EASIER than both

 

[DanFungus]

I hear that BeOS is really easy to install....

 

[Amused]

Honestly, XP was the easiest OS install I've ever had. It even had basic drivers for all my hardware.

But I see that's not a choice in your poll, so I'll shut my trap

 

[Tripleshot]

Where is XP? Hell, it practically installs itself, very little user interaction. Plenty of drivers for most anything. And you don't even have it on the Poll? What the heck? :disgust:

 

[Maleficus]

Originally posted by: Tripleshot
Where is XP? Hell, it practically installs itself, very little user interaction. Plenty of drivers for most anything. And you don't even have it on the Poll? What the heck? :disgust:

XP is suck

 

[orty]

Originally posted by: DanFungus
I hear that BeOS is really easy to install....

BeOS is REALLY easy to install. Takes about 5-10 minutes, tops.

 

[IcePhoenix]

Originally posted by: AmusedOne
Honestly, XP was the easiest OS install I've ever had. It even had basic drivers for all my hardware.

But I see that's not a choice in your poll, so I'll shut my trap

I have to agree. When you install WinXP, it starts up and most (if not all) of your drivers are already there.

Mandrake is also pretty easy. Got me through my first Linux install (and the 10 others that day )

 

[Electrode]

The Electromatic OS install meter:
(10 - piece of cake, 1 - oh god no!)

BeOS: 9 (clicky clicky done)
Mandrake Linux: 7 (there is such a thing as too many packages)
Slackware Linux: 5 (hard, but if you have even the slightest bit of *NIX experience, you will prevail)
OpenBSD: 2 (n0c, I don't know why you think this is easy, even I have a hard time with it)
Windows 9x: 4 (very poor on-disk partitioning tool, cryptic errors, pre-Win98SE CDs don't boot)
Windows NT 3.x/4.0: 4 (in the off chance that it detects your hard drive, partitioning and formatting is a pain, and the GUI part of the install often fails to boot)
Windows NT 5.x: 8 (type type wait clicky wait clicky type check docs type clicky clicky clicky type clicky done)

 

[FoBoT]

i can install FreeBSD 4.6 on virtually any box i put together in my house with only TWO 3.5 " floppy disks!!!!

tell me another OS that can match that!

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: DanFungus
I hear that BeOS is really easy to install....

this is true, but it isn't on the poll

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Electrode
The Electromatic OS install meter:
(10 - piece of cake, 1 - oh god no!)
OpenBSD: 2 (n0c, I don't know why you think this is easy, even I have a hard time with it)

Its quick, straight forward, doesnt crash, well documented, easy to understand.... Like I said, no problems.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i can install FreeBSD 4.6 on virtually any box i put together in my house with only TWO 3.5 " floppy disks!!!!

tell me another OS that can match that!

OpenBSD only needs 1 floppy, and supports more architectures (Im almost positive NetBSD only takes one floppy and supports what? 22 archs? :Q)

 

[Mem]

XP is suck

Maybe you need lessons installing XP ,I would have to say WinXP was so simple that my cat could do it ,well almost .

 

[Killbat]

Originally posted by: Maleficus
XP is suck

Uhm.... no. XP installs almost accidentally it's so easy. Keep that CD locked up tight!

Plus, XP has been just as good to me as 2000 was, which is to say awesome. If you have personally had problems with XP, care to share? Or are you just expressing an opinion you think is trendy without any firsthand knowledge of the subject?

 

[UnixFreak]

Actually, I think Suse Is the easiest, you don't even have to reboot.

Can't even say that about FreeBSD really. (although I suppose you could leave /stand/sysinstall and run the shell somehow)

 

[ViRGE]

I have to give Kudos to the Mac here. The installer for 8/9 is so easy, you can't screw up. The entire thing is literally just clicking "agree" buttons; the installer automatically picks out the disk, what components to install, ect(and it's usually right too, although if it's wrong, it's 1 click to get a window to pick your components, and then unchecking the components in question). X is almost as good, it just gets bogged down slightly since you have to create a user account. Even with that, it's leaps and bounds ahead of any *nix I've seen, and I'd still consider it better than Win2K or XP.

 

[Ryan]

XP kicks ass

 

[ToBeMe]

Why even have a poll if the OS it seems a lot of people have specified isn't even a choice?

None are that difficult, but, I have to agree, XP Pro is so simple a mindless dolt could get through it without a problem.....................Linux isn't bad, and as soon as they can include as many drivers as XP Pro does, it will rank right up there, but, as long as I have to have several drivers in hand post install to get everything going, XP wins even over 2K since everything is already setup, including printer/scanner/camera when installing XP Pro............