Warning: Rant within.

I've been trying to get Linux installed for EIGHT hours today. I'm not new to this. I've been an IT manager, am an MCSE, a CCIE and hold a masters in CS. All I am trying to do is get a machine with Bugzilla 2.22 running. Pretty simple, right?

Attempt #1: Debian Sarge
Machines: Dell D800, HP ML360 Xeon server, Dell Optiplex 220

Error #1: Bugzilla 2.22 isn't on apt. I install from source, apache dies. I reinstall, recompile, Bugzilla half-works, but despite my best efforts, CGI just refuses to execute. I reinstall just about everything using unstable (recommended from a few sites to get 2.22 on Debian running) and my kernel explodes.

Attempt #2: Fedora Core 5
Machines: Same 3 as above, plus an older Dell workstation
Errors: Won't get through one CD of installing without missing a file and only giving me the "reboot" option. On the older machine, it took two hours to get through Disc 1, then couldn't find an RPM for CD burning software (which I didn't even select). Game over, reboot is your only option. No skip, no ignore, just reboot. Lovely.

Attempt #3: Fedora Core 5
Machines: Same 4 as above.
New Strategy: Despite Hash checks, I download a fresh set of ISOs from a completely different mirror. To be thorough, I burn them to disc using a different machine and different burner. I even switched BRANDS of blank discs, and went from CD-R to CD-RW.
Errors: Same as above, on 4 different boxes. This is trying the i386 ISO's, AND trying the 64 bit ISO's on the ML360 since it's a 64 bit machine.

Attempt #4: Fedora Core 6
Machines: Same 4, plus an additional D800.
Strategy: Download from yet another mirror (Duke), check hashes with a different program (HashCalc), burn using an external USB burner. Install from both the internal IDE, internal SCSI and external USB drives on each machine if applicable.
Errors:

D800 (two of them): Dies on install about 1/3 of the way through the first CD, only option is reboot.
- Burned new CD, tried again, same deal.
ML350 Doesn't recognize the array controller. FC5 did, but 6 Doesn't. Also doesn't recognize the floppy controller, so I can't load an external driver.
- Older Dell: Just dies immediately with an "Disc Error BB" error. This is with two different mirrored ISO's, burned on two completely different machines using two different drives.
- Newer Dell: Gets to Disc 2, then says "There is no Fedora Core CD in the drive" when I swap discs.

So the tally:

- 8 hours
- Over 20 gigs of ISO files downloaded
- About 20 blank CDs
- Two USB CD burners
- Two high end laptops
- One high end server
- One standard workstation
- One older Dell box

And I still don't have a machine running Linux.

So you know what I just did? I put in Windows XP, ran the install, and 20 minutes later I'm up and running. Rediculous.

I'm trying to like Linux, and again I'm a pretty tech-savvy guy. I'm not new at this, this is just absolutely frustrating as hell.

/vent

Sounds like my own story but when I attempted an XP install and tried to update, install all the apps I needed, etc.. but much longer..

And whoever told you to install unstable applications for Debian in the first round, was stupid.

Probably all you needed to do was post your CGI woes and someone here probably would have given you a solution right off the bat, saving you hours of fooling around with your puter..

Google told me, heh. I'm not new at this, and it's beyond bugzilla at this point. I just hate Linux right now with the fire of a thousand hells.

(And really just needed to vent)

Feel better now?.....
Seriously, I would recommend not trying different distros to solve a specific problem. More often than not, if something---eg Bugzilla---does not work, then it might not work on any setup. Does Google show any reports of people getting Bugzilla set up?

The last time I installed Debian it took me 30 minutes compared to 3 hours installing XP+drivers+updates+all the apps I needed.

Sarge is old, the Etch netinstall is the way to go then apt-get install bugzilla
Bugzilla Version: 2.22.1-2 is in unstable, not sure which version is in Etch.

I wouldn't be blaming Linux right now really, I'd be blaming yourself for a) lacking the knowledge of using Linux and installing applications and b) trying different distro's without understanding the actual problem.

You hate linux as if I were to attempt to fix my Ferrari if I had never driven or seen under the hood of one, I could only blame myself for my lack of knowledge, competence, etc when dealing with a Ferrari. I wouldn't curse Ferrari, I'd curse myself for trying to fix something I knew nothing about.. make sense? I hope so, so you should rethink about hating Linux since you clearly and openly admit to not knowing it.

The actual problem is outside of Linux, if you can't come to terms in not cursing yourself, at least curse Bugzilla for a crappy install at the minimum, but even then, doesn't even seem like it's their fault either in this case..

trickykid, you've got a Ferrari? And you know how to fix it? I'm impressed!

Seventh: Hang in there with Linux; it's well worth it. You've been given great advice here so far and LQ has a lot of members willing to help if given the chance.

I think hating a piece of software is a pretty stupid thing to do.

Congrats on the Ferarri trickykid! :P

I happen to love Debian. It is reliable. It has an enormous repository of software...but it might not be easy to install. Your computer equipment seems to be rather modern. I think that initially I would try working with one of the Debian derivatives, such as Ubuntu, Xandros, or Mepis. I installed Xandros on my wife's machine after Windows no longer worked after an update. She has used Xandros for about three years without a complaint. You can get Ubuntu discs directly from Ubuntu delivered for free. They are quite nice. You might consider Kubuntu also which uses KDE as the desktop, as opposed to the Gnome used by Ubuntu.

You could also consider looking at Centos. Centos is a community recompiled Redhat Enterprise. I use Centos 3 and Centos 4 as my database servers. We use Redhat Enterprise at work (in addition to large Sun machines), and I have found Centos to be virtually identical to Redhat, though updates probably take a few extra days to filter down.

Good luck. I've used Linux for many years and have found it to be extremely reliable. Machines stay up without problems, for extremely long periods of time

freebsd would have made your life alot easier...

...im just saying...

Ferrari was an example.. I wouldn't buy one even if I could afford it..

Seventh, thanks for reassuring me. I was beginning to get a bit worried that we haven't had our new year quota yet. You've opened the innings well.

OP long gone---LQ members left talking to themselves........

Have you ever wanted to go find all the posters here that throw out something and never respond, say thank you, etc.?

<edit> PS: In this case he has been around since 03 and thus maybe should have known better. Maybe a bad hair day???

You know I am seriously wondering how useful certificates are. I mean if you dedicate your life to something isn't that its own certificate?

You tell us about all those certificates, and then you follow up with how you can't install linux. What does that tell us about what those certificates are worth? This is really discouraging. I feel all the more disillusioned about college.

OK Seventh, take a few breath's, and try to relax for a minute.We can all relate to your predicament (most of us have been there before). I would recommend trying an easier distro like Mepis for your first time (in fact try any "live cd" first) Being a live cd you can set your computer to boot from the cdrom first and then try out your hardware to see if it all works. Mepis is the fastest installing os I've ever tried. If you feel a bit more adventurous download the debian etch net install cd , it installs the base system and downloads the rest as it goes.Despite what people say Debian is not hard to install, it's just a text installer with nothing flashy going on.
Being tech savvy from a windows background might actually be a bit of a disadvantage --Linux is not Windows, it doesn't do anything the way Windows does (it's just different-but better!).
Just read the forums, ask questions, think about what you want and stick with whatever distro you pick,learn to configure your o/s the way you like it and try not to jump from distro to distro--or you may end up just swapping one problem for another!