What were the hardware compatibility issues like back then?
When I started Linux, Redhat is just at version 6.2. RHEL doesn't exist yet. Also tried Gentoo, Debian, SuSE but eventually settle for Arch.
Soft-modem, such as Conexant 56k Internal Modem, is one of the biggest issue because the software component of it is very much still not found in the Linux kernel. Back then, people still believe a lot in a monolithic kernel, not so much of modules driven like what we see commonly today. Of course between the 2 modes of codes distribution, it is always a balance to seek between kernel size, hardware accommodation and loading times and compatibility. But today given the high speed hardware we have today, it's not so much of an issue anymore.
Often graphic cards do not have adequate support from the vendor, so pretty much everything fall back to VESA standard. There were no 2D acceleration even to speak, just whatever VESA offers that Linux comply towards. Audio is fine with the basic as usual.
Did my fair share of compiling my kernel from time to time. Was pretty fresh back then, so was always trying to get as much of features into the kernel. I forgotten if there was any repository back then, so a lot of times, end up compiling a lot of my own tools, believing that own compilation will be more suitable for my hardware and I can control the compilation process and hence faster software.
There weren't so much hardware back then compared to now. Most of the stuffs are pretty much still built into the machine. While USB exist, there ain't much use for it.
I guess my largest endeavour was to compile the Openoffice in my laptop, which in total source code few hundred MB, but the total space required is ~4GB. Waited more than 24hrs on my laptop and eventually still didn't manage to compile it
Just plain too slow on a P3 400/500Mhz with the slow Hitachi DK23AA-60 HDD of 6GB of 4.2Krpm.
2 years later, got myself the first Apple Macbook white G4 running Mac OS X and things changed. No longer have to keep compiling for hardware compatibility. X server running in Mac OS X makes it possible to run a lot of unix applications just fine. Don't think I used VirtualPC, nor was there bootcamp.
But since I have given up gaming ever since I enter JC, I no longer have any issue with sticking solely with Mac. Did most of my stuffs in Mac, occasionally have to still use my Versa Lite for Windows stuffs, or do it in the lab. Unix stuffs, connecting to NUS network, accessing the SunFire is totally fine
I only finally got back to Linux when I started work. Still using my MacBook for another 2 years until it finally gave way and then I continue with a MBP 17" (Non-unibody), then keep upgrading a long the way until now my MBP(Unibody) 17" mid-2009 version still serving me strong for 5 years.(Typing away on it right now)
Due to my experience in Solaris(SunFire), Linux, Mac makes me very versatile in *nix platforms. The only good reason for me to fall back to M$ Windows is the Office Suite and a few odd balls applications only found in M$. Ever since Parallels came onboard, never really looked back at a Windows PC except Windows Servers. With the Parallels, I can have all 3 Operating Systems running on my Mac. Why restrict yourself to just one OS ?