Ubuntu Blues

I ran into my first snag with Ubuntu.

So apparently, there is an automatic update feature that is supposed to bring all the software on your computer up to date. That all sounds fine, but when I did it, I lost the ability to open a lot of the software on the computer.

In linux, there is a bar along the top of the screen that gives you access to all your applications. Along with that there is a System menu that gives you all the stuff that you would find in Control Panel on a Windows box.

One of the programs is called the Synaptic Package Manager. As far as I can tell it is the easiest way to update linux and get new software. The standard way of downloading that we have all come to love and know on the other OSs is not as easy on linux. When you download using linux you have to compile and build and then put it in the right folders under root...blah blah blah. And so far, I havn't figured out how to do that correctly.

Well, the version of Firefox that comes with the Ubuntu build that I installed is old... and I mean really old. It is like the 1.0. I found the 1.5 version in the Synaptic Package Manager and updated it to at least that version. But, I want 2.0 which has spell checker. That means less incorrectly spelled words in my posts among other things.

So, I ran the updater in SPM and then I couldn't get anything under the System menu to even load. That really hamstrings the system so tonight, I had to reload linux. I guess it isn't exactly ready for the masses just yet, but I am learning. If you want to know more about my trials and trevails, you can comment on this entry, or wait patiently for more entries because I am sure I will probably be talking more about my little linux experiment in the future.

All in all though, I think I like it.

But one more problem I just remembered. When I reboot back into Windows, I have to unplug and re-plug my USB Wireless ethernet interface to get it to work. I don't know why, but oh well.

MurDog OUT!!!