Re: panel error *** ORBit patch ***

[Michael Johnson <hekate intergate bc ca>]

On Fri, 14 Aug 1998, Andy Coyne wrote:

> FYI: I have had several friends install Linux, esp RH51 (because the RH install is almost trivial
> nowadays), who have managed to end up with broken ip. They chose a hostname and domain name and didn't
> realize they needed to modify /etc/hosts (or else use a name that resolves correctly on a DNS server they
> have access to). By default, when the system starts the first time sendmail just sits there and tries to
> resolve their hostname, and in their words "Linux hangs and I have to reboot and it just doesn't work".

Yeh but my /etc/hosts/ is set up right and the panel apps still crash and
won't connect. Is there any possibility that there is some other answer
besides this for why the applets aren't working for everyone? Maybe I did
something wrong, but I doubled checked and my system (including DNS) seems
sound. 

> 
> Of course, sendmail will error out *eventually* and the system will complete the boot, and the fix is
> trivial for a propeller head, but basically ip and networking issues really confuse newbies and frankly
> can give Linux a bad name, eg: "What? I'm not on a network. What do you mean? Why doesn't it just work
> like Windows does". (Ouch, sorry. But that is the sort of thing I hear sometimes. :)
> 
> Let's remember that tons of newbies will try Gnome, and it musn't dissapoint them because of our
> assumptions. Perhaps when it executes the first time, the panel could verify the validity of its
> assumptions about basic networking (on an otherwise functional Linux install).
> 
Um, I've been using Linux for years, but I only installed Gnome ( and kept
it installed, the other times don't count, cause I just wanted a
'tastetest' and didn't keep it on board) recently, and think, if people
remember it's in ongoing development and only getting stronger, that they
can't help but be impressed with where Gnome is at so far, whether those
cute applets work with the panel or not. 
Michael