Linux Desktop for university staff

[Hodgins Family]

Good afternoon!

> My wife who works in micro would like to see Windows based lab 
> equipment that work and don't crash in the middle of a test run.
> Talking with the instruments is one thing, actually working is 
> another.  She has fought with the supplier of a new machine since it 
> has arrived for not working properly.  For office work she uses a Mac. 
>   At home we use Linux and she wouldn't let me even think about dual boot.
> 
> -- 
> Robin Laing

Gang! This is an opportunity to make a difference! Let's help Robin's
wife and her computer.

Step 1) Take a look at your Linux boxes. At one time, for most of you,
that case housed an x86 architecture with a Windows "setup" of some sort
or another.

Step 2) At some point or another you decided to install Linux (any
variant) and you had to learn probably more about your box than you, at
first, thought was necessary.

Step 3) At some point, you had to ask for help.

Step 4) You were asked to define your hardware, your software, and your
problem. Then some helpful souls asked you to try this or that command
(hdparm, top, cat x.0rg, etc.) And as you interacted with these souls
and your new OS, you learned more and more about your computer. That
information not only aided you in your use of Linux, but could also be
helping other people with other OS's. Now...you/we can help Robin's
wife!

So, I'll start off. Robin, tell us about your wife's computer:

Motherboard, RAM, video card, hard drive, etc.--all the hardware she
has.

Is the computer on the Web. If so, is it checked regularly for viruses,
etc.

Is regular maintenance done on the computer: defrag, scandisk, etc?

Next tell us about the operating system (Win ____ fill in the blank).

Next tell us about the actual package she is having a problems with:
Name, version, manufacturer and what it is supposed to do.

Finally, tell us what it isn't doing. Or rather, what it is doing when
it is supposed to be doing something else.

While you/she is gathering that information, find out how stable the
hardware is by booting a Live CD and letting it run for a "long time".
Find out how stable Windows is by running any software EXCEPT for the
vendor's package. Find out if a grad student is running Doom in the wee
hours. 

To keep this thread Fedora based, we should be able to use Fedora-type
(or at least Linux-based) tools to determine if the hardware is acting
up, or the OS, or the package itself. No points allowed for blaming
Windows before we rule out the hardware or the package!

Whaddya say, gang? Think we can do this?
Whaddya say, Robin? Wanna try?


Rob