[NTLUG:Discuss] Mandrake 7 -- review

[sunflower1043@juno.com]

On Fri, 03 Mar 2000 06:38:50 -0600 Opinionated <opinionated at whoever.com>
writes:
> My only warning about Mandrake is in regards to upgrading a RedHat 
> distro with
> Mandrake.  I tried upgrading Redhat 6.0 with a Mandrake 6.1 distro.  
> It was a
> fiasco.....A lot of problems came from the fact that I let RedHat 
> start assigning
> my regular User accounts with an UID of 500, whereas Mandrake 
> assigned extra
> accounts (such as guest) automatically at the UID=500s Range and 
> started assigning
> Regular Users at UID=1000 or above (Same for group assignments).  My 
> normal user
> account suddenly became guest with a Mandrake predefined group 
> instead of my
> original User/group identity. This confused my system to the point 
> of total system
> failure, and I was forced to Reinstall my RedHat 6.0 setup so that I 
> could recover
> my files.
> 
> Can someone tell me if Mandrake 7.0 also does this?
> 
> The lesson I learned is Do Not Upgrade RedHat distros with Mandrake 
> distros.
> 
> 
> 
> sunflower1043 at juno.com wrote:

<snip>

	Hi --

	(1.)	Each Linux install I've done, it's been with clean partitions;  No
upgrades of existing Linux systems; total partition reformat, so I have
no experience (including this Mandrake 7 install) with your scenario. 

	(2.)	I'm not much knowledgeable about how Linux (nor Mandrake 7 in
particular) creates users/ group accounts.  All I can say is what I did,
just now:

	Using LinuxConf, under Mandrake 7, I created a new group:  Nothing
fancy, just a new group.  System gave it a group ID in the 500 range.
(i.e., 50*)

	(My own ordinary non-privileged user account is also group ID in 500's; 
Root group ID is 0.)

	Then, I created a new user; I had the option to specify group ID; I
didn't.  System automatically put it into user ID in 500's.  And, it is
used private group -- each user a new group, with group ID in 500s.

	Then, I added new group; I had option to specify group ID; I didn't.  It
set group ID in 500s.

	Then, I added 2nd new group; I forced group ID of 1000.  System accepted
it.

	Then, I added new ordinary user; System gave it user ID in 500s; system
created it as new private group, with similar group ID no. in 500s.

	Then, I added 2nd ordinary user; I forced group ID as that group (I
created above) with the *group ID* of 1000.  System accepted it; System
gave it *user ID* in 500s. 

	Yes, of course, save/backup all your data, etc., before any re-install/
upgrade.  Wish I could be more responsive.  Thanks, also, to all the
other folks who commented/ questioned, the last couple of days. -- Doug
****************************************************************
  Douglas D. Darnold	  Principal/ Attorney
  LAW OFFICES OF DOUGLAS D. DARNOLD <sunflower1043 at juno.com>
  P. O. Box 12461	  Dallas  Texas 75225-0461	  Voice: 214-368-0068
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