Cheap Red Hat Linux 7.2 (Software) (Linux) Price
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The most substantial innovation present in Red Hat Linux 7.2---which is based on the Linux 2.4.7 kernel--is a new file system called ext3. An improvement on the reliable ext2 file system that's long been standard in Linux, ext3 is a journaling file system. A journaling file system keeps notes on what it's doing with data in the file system--it logs all of its read and write operations. This decreases file system downtime because after a crash, error-checking utilities (like fsck, which must run after an unanticipated shutdown) need not inspect the entire file system--they can look just at those regions that were being manipulated at the time of the problem. This saves enormous amounts of time, particularly on large volumes of 50 GB or more.
By design, ext3 is backward and forward compatible. You can take an ext2 volume (a volume used to store accumulated data, say) that was created under an old version of Linux (Red Hat or otherwise), and mount it as an ext3 volume under Red Hat Linux 7.2 and enjoy the protection of journaling. Conversely, you can take a volume that was created as ext3 and remount it with no problems (though also with no journaling) as an ext2 volume. By switching to ext3, you gain a valuable new feature and give up none of the reliability of ext2. It alone is worth the upgrade if you run a large file system or if you require especially high availability and can't tolerate long fsck cycles.
Another substantial improvement reflected in this version: GRUB, an improved boot loader that replaces the old standard, LILO. (Both bits of software follow the Unix tradition of naming utilities with goofy acronyms: LILO is LInux LOader, while GRUB is GRand Unified Bootloader.) GRUB serves the same purpose as utilities like System Commander, which allow you to select at boot time from among several installed operating systems. Unlike LILO, GRUB allows you to choose to boot pretty much any installed operating system, including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, OS/2, and any version of Microsoft Windows. It's a handy utility to have on a workstation, though you can opt for LILO if you prefer.
Other improvements have more to do with increased hardware support--many more network interface cards and printers are recognized--and general refinements in the user interface (this release uses GNOME 1.4 and KDE 2.2.1). A handful of new utilities make life easier for users and administrators, chief among them the Nautilus file manager. Nautilus does a decent job of displaying local and remote files intuitively--it makes it easy to manage the contents of an FTP site, for one thing. Another graphical tool makes it easier to manage user privileges. As has always been the case with Red Hat Linux, version 7.2 ships with a load of goodies that includes the Mozilla 0.9.2 browser, the Apache 1.3.20 Web server, and the StarOffice 5.2 office productivity suite. Anything else you want, you can easily download and install. Software installation is particularly easy thanks to the long-popular Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) file format for distributables, which this operating system naturally supports.
True enough, you can download Red Hat Linux 7.2 in its entirety from Red Hat's corporate site, and if you have a high-speed connection to the Internet the time required for downloading may not be too forbidding (the download--if you get just the two CD-ROM images required to install the operating system with no frills--is about 1.3 GB). But if you buy the boxed product, you get the installation CD-ROMs, the complete source code, a lot of documentation, and a slew of ancillary software. Plus, you get 30 days of online (not telephone) technical support--enough to get you through any installation hassles.
Red Hat Linux 7.2 represents a significant improvement over its predecessors. The ext3 file system improves system reliability, and a lot of minor refinements increase the product's quality of "fit and finish." It's a worthwhile upgrade, and a better way than ever to get into Linux for the first time. --David Wall
| PLATFORM: | Linux |
| CATEGORY: | Software |
| MANUFACTURER: | Red Hat Software |
| TYPE: | Computer software (programs), Operating Systems System (OS), Linux, Unix |
| MEDIA: | CD-ROM |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 638347502064 |
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Customer Reviews of Red Hat Linux 7.2
No need for fancy slogans.. It just works. Reliable
Secure
Easy to use
Isn't that what MS promises with each new release? Red Hat has been providing all three for years now. This release is the best so far. You don't need to be a computer nerd to know how to use it. I find it simpler to use that Windows XP! If all you use your PC for is to surf the web, e-mail, and chat, then this is for you. KDE, and Mozilla are great, and getting better all the time. If you want to be stuck in the upgrade cycle, that is windows, then stay away from this. When you use it, you'l never go back. It's all you need in an operating system and more. (Redhat comes with Star Office, and the Gimp), you get everthing that would cost you... (Office XP and Adobe Photoshop) if you went with windows. That alone is a good enough reason to try it out. You might just be surpised with what you find
Best of the Red Hat(s)
Linux has always been the rave of geeks and the fearsome altar of the average Joe. This is precisely what keps people away from this "god" OS.
However, with Red Hat 7.2, it seems that the barriers linux is facing to enter the desktop market will finally be shattered. Red Hat has always been one of the most easy of the linux installations. Its installer it just a bit tougher than Mandrake Linux's installer.
Apart from the installation, the actual OS also seems to be pretty stable. I run it on a comp which is never shut down, and it seems to be taking the punishment pretty well, with now slowdowns or whatever. (Dont try this on Windoze OS's).
The applications supplied with this OS are numerous and you should just go along with what the default is, unless you want to have some fun tweaking around with your OS. Red Hat's installer manager (RPM) is currently one of the best (Debian is supposed to have a better one, I never tried it).
This edition is very suitable for the desktop user, if you are tired of feeding Micro$oft every two years.
There are only two problems with this distribution, one with Red Hat and one with Linux in general.
The problem with Linux is still the lack of a good office suite. Koffice tries and Star Office somewhat succeeds. But both are not as robust and well designed as Microsoft Office. Sun is supposedly coming out with Staroffice 6.0 this year. The beta of that was very impressive but a bit buggy. Lets hope Staroffice 6.0 ends the drought of the office applcaiton.(I am also wondering when IBM will develop a port of Lotus Smartsuite to Linux, their commitment to Linux seems pretty small till now, without this important contribution.)
The other problem, and this one is with Red Hat, is that it is a very bloaty distro. There are so many usless apps that duplicate the function of each other, that you sometimes get confused about which one to use. For example, take a look at the listing of browsers supplied - Netscape, Mozilla, Galeon, Konqueror. I know linux is a matter of choice, but so much choice is confusing. The average Joe would be scared right away when he takes a look at 3 installation CD's. Win2k just takes 500 mb on its own. Red Hat 7.2 can take upto 3GB. Of course, most of that is applications, but still there is no justification for so much material. I really wish that some day app developers for linux, will collaborate with each other and try to build one good product, rather than each person making his own version of the one application.
Lets say, there is still some way for Linux to go. At the same time it is my OS of choice.
Amazing potential
Linux is what people wanted out of Windows... that being stability.
WinXP started off pretty stable, but as I add more software, it keeps having new problems and it feels like the updates never stop. So when I need to get some critical work done, I swing over to Linux. Linux feels a bit like a step back graphically for most Windows users (Red Hat doesn't have MEs or XP's slick looks), but I haven't been able to kill Linux yet... It tells me when it doesn't like what I'm doin', but the only problems I've encountered were done through my own toying with hardware configuration files.
Linux has a lot of options Windows doesn't, and the command-line option IS preferable for old DOS jockies like me.
KDE is a good GUI, but it isn't nearly as as advanced as XP or MAC O/S 10.1. I'd say Linux is more of a workhorse. The games for Linux are very behind the times, and it's standard processes can be confusing for those new to it. The capabilities this O/S offers professionals is amazing, however.
I'm starting to like Mozilla better than MS Internet Explorer, and after I get the hang of it, I know Linux is probably going to be first choice booting up. I'll probably always have Windows running on a seperate PC, or partitioned with Linux, as Windows does support the widest range of software.
Still, be aware; If you just bought a brand-spankin'-new PC, and think that your GeForce 4 and Audigy sound-card configurations are going to be a walk in the park, you're wrong. In most cases, you'll be hunting down drivers on the internet, and trying to figure out how to compile your kernel.
All in all, Linux is a great O/S, but the learning curve is steep. Don't feel bad if you're a long-time Windows user, and feel like a dumb newbie again with this O/S... I've spoken to many people about it... you're not alone!