[ale] slackware

[William Mahavier]

Many thanks for all the responses to my frustrated post, trying to 
install slackware on my new computer. Many suggested I get redhat and 
if I do I will certainly get the cd that benefits ale. I am hesitant
to start over having used slackware for 2-3 years with no problems. 

Thanks to the ale, I bought Running Linux from O'Reilly and
associates, I installed the tcp/ip discs and now have an
/etc/printcap and lpd is running. I have downloaded the aps-filter
and the beta version 3.1.2G of XFree86.

Unfortunately I still have no printer. When I try
cat testfile > /dev/lp0, the lights on my HP 4MP blink, but
nothing prints. If I then go back to windows 95 and try to 
print something, then I get my testfile, followed by the print
from win95. I have no idea what the problem is, but will spend
more hours reading faqs and Running linux.

I still think this should be easier for a novice. It seems to
me that linux is more and more a system for use only by gurus.
I had no printer problems 2 years ago except that the dos
parallel port was not set for bidirectional communication.
It seems to me this should be in the printing howto. I think
the experts don't realize how many problems novices have. Perhaps
we need a printing and installation howto for dummies. I am reading
the printing howto for the second time. I can't figure out if I
need to know what plip and kerneld and insmod are to make my
postscript printer work.

As much as I dislike win95 and 3.1 I give them this: I plugged
in my computer and my printer and I could print.  I bought a Canon
color printer, turned it on and it printed. I bought an HP tape
drive, installed it and the software and made a backup, all in
a few hours. 

Forgive the waste of bandwidth. I still want linux on my machine.
I have been using unix for some 10 years, but I did no administrative
work until I got linux. Then I learned about tar and cron and fdisk
and other goodies.

I am still working on it. Thanks again for all the help.