Linux: 5, Me: 0

December 12, 2007

I usually think that I’m fairly capable when it comes to computers. Setting things up, installing things, fixing things that I’ve broken along the way and breaking them in the first place all kind of make sense. Even when I delve into a little tweaking of code here and there, I can usually get by.

However, there is always something that takes the wind out of my sails and plants me firmly back on my butt. This thing is Linux.

The latest round started a couple of days ago with downloading Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) and a spare PC. The setup, the partitioning, the install, even some nifty terminal gymnastics all worked fine, until it came to the networking. After at least four or five attempts at different Linux distributions, I am still yet to get any one of them onto a network or the internet. It usually comes down to a problem with drivers which, coincidentally, is also where my Linux-fu happens to run out (incidentally, the wireless card I’m trying to use is a Belkin PCI card, of the RT2500 variety).

So, Ubuntu, you win this round, again. But I’ll be back, maybe not with this release, maybe not with the next one, but I’ll be back.

And next time, I’ll be learning how to install drivers…

Posted in Tech