Dear Sir:
Loaded SL 7.2 for third time and finally got it to where we can run it.
I hate to complain but doe anyone check their work anymore.
Or just compile it without errors and shove it out the door.

There a several major things missing or wrong:
1.  It groans and complains about size of /boot - its set to 101 Meg.
Reloaded 7.2 again and there does not seem to be way away to change size 
of /boot partition.  I periodically nags at you because there is only 25K 
left.  Now way to fix problem or to shut of "NAG" function.

2.  Could not find a way to set up groups or add new users.
Had to go back to hand edit of passwd and groups to make it happen.  No way to 
assign user id numbers.

3.  Could not find a utility to set up Internet connection - When you used a 
KDE or Gnome the Mac address of the router was different. !!!!  We have not 
been able to connect it to Network. 

4.  Default monitor was set to a pixel size you need a microscope to make out 
the text.   If you used the Gnome it said monitor was IBM 12" France.  KDE 
said monitor was IBM 12" Brazil.  No other options were available. Maybe go 
back and hand edit Xterm stuff.   A major step back by 20 years.

5. With out com and a way to make display readable it becomes useless to run 
word processor, spread sheet, or anything.  Can't optimize width or set 
width,  You can go to full screen and the result is the same.
There no way to set up terminal for other colors or text.
Borders of GNOME are same color as other windows so you have to look twice to 
see which is which.   List of dislikes goes on and on.

6. We (everyone in the shop) unanimously hates the GENOME desk top.  There 
does not appear to be able to select an alternate.

7. Could not find a way to turn off high pitched sound when you tried to step 
back too far on a line.   This part of "NAG" function and can't turn it off.  

8.  Tried to play a CD - old Marty Robins and it skipped tracks and got hung 
up and could not X it out.  Had to Reboot.   There is something basically 
wrong with the OS if you can't kill an application.  Disk plays fine in my 
Dodge truck and does not have any visible defects.  DVD writer is good as we 
were able to make a dual layer DVD for 7.2 with it using SL 5.11.

9.  Gave up on SL 7.2 

Notes:
The default set up was like a quadriplegic Windows 7.  We use one on our UPS 
account to ship stuff.  Everyone who uses it hates it.   Another disaster 
story.   

We have SL 5.11 deployed in the shop and support about 50 systems.   I would 
not like to tell the boss that we had to trash 45 to 50 perfectly good 
monitors and give up our ability to add users, groups and network extensions 
etc.
example:
We have a number systems in shop and one by Mill and Lathe so there are no 
paper prints.  Guys can review prints on line and set up CNC stuff on line.  
Saves a lot of time.

The evaluation box is a dual core AMD, 16 Gig of Ram, 4 disks - totaling 2 TB. 
and a GForce Video card, all pretty current stuff and a working 5.11 system.
We will reload SL5.11 on to test box and start looking for another Linux 
distribution that has not been mangled by Ex Microsoft employees, working at 
RH.

Due to obtuse problems we quit evaluation and will not deploy SL 7 -

The best solution is to drop back and evaluate SL 6.5 and see if we can live 
with it.  We have a SL 6.2 used on special project.

We need to run spice, a Circuit layout editor, many spread sheets and a number 
of in house programs to manage inventory, component ordering, e-mail,  VMWare 
to run several cad packages and a stress analysis program.  Some employees  
run  12 desktops and two monitors.   So fare we have not see a limitation for 
5.11 but have had to install a number of newer libs to accommodate new SW.


Larry Linder