(geek post)

System is up and running in Mandrake Linux 9.2... basically all that kept me from fighting with Mandrake Linux 10 RC1 was that it didn't work with my DSL modem. I am sure that this is something that has already been fixed in the full version.. but I think I'll be waiting for awhile.

After spending all day today reinstalling my favourite programs it has occurred to me that if I am going to run this as my default desktop, I am going to have to stop effing with my OS like I was when it was on my secondary/backup computer. Sheri doesn't mind using Linux, as long as it works... so it is counterproductive to be constantly changing it. This poses a challenge for someone like myself who always wants the latest/greatest, because even though the Linux OS itself (what computer geeks call the kernel) only changes every couple of years, distributions of the OS change every couple of months. Case in point: I have run 4 different versions of the Mandrake distribution of Linux in only 1 year... this would be unheard of in the Windows world (unless you counted Windows Update Hotfixes, I suppose).

So anyway, I reinstalled all of my favourite software for linux... my media player, my recording software, plugins for Mozilla and Konqueror, etc. I remember doing this about 6 months ago when we first upgraded to WinXP... the install went bad and I ended up having to reinstall all of our software from scratch. So I spent two days looking for our program CDs and installing them one by one. I did the same sort of thing tonight and it was mostly painless.

In fact I have to say that URPMI, the Mandrake version of add/remove programs is fantastic. Instead of installing one cd after another, I just go to two websites that contain lists of public ftp sites that contain Mandrake Linux applications: www.urpmi.org and www.brix.org.uk Then I add links to those FTP sites to the software installing program. Takes just a few minutes. Once that's done I can install anything I want just by searching for what I want to do.. i.e.: if I want to listen to mp3s I search the "install media" for mp3.. and a list of programs that play music...

I don't know if you get the idea, but whatever... I am rambling now.. it is way too late...

So now my PC is up again and running all of my favourite apps.. and that's really the only point of this post.

So there