Linux

[Susan Bugher]

just for a change of pace . . .

Posted in the langalist

Brooks Hatch sends along this spoof of Linux:

If Linux was a car...Sense of Humor required!

M: Hey Pete, Can you help me put a radio in my Debian?

P: You're an Idiot, RTFM!

M: I need more help than that.

P: You're an idiot! I did a Google search. It's in the page referenced
by the footnote in the 37th hit. If I could find it, so can you.

GS: (good Samaritan) You need to rebuild the engine to add a radio.

M: Rebuild the engine?

P: You're an idiot!

GS: There's a how-to. It's written for a "Hat", but it's mostly correct
except that engine is in the rear. It's translated from German, but they
did a pretty good job. It'll tell you to hook the radio to the red and
black wires, but since you've got a Debian, there won't be any red and
black wires. And you still need to write the radio driver. Don't forget
to regrind the camshaft. If you don't, you'll get an error message that
you don't have permission to change the tire pressure, but it's the
camshaft. You'll need a lot of tools, but you can get them for free.
Most of them come with instructions... about 900 pages in all. Read 'em
all carefully and understand 'em before you start. Should be able to
figure it all out in a couple of months.

[MUCH LATER...]

M: Hey Pete, I didn't get all the stuff I needed to rebuild my engine.
Can I borrow your Drake again?

P: The wife has the Drake, but you can borrow the Hat.

M: This is different. Where's the steering wheel?

P: That dashboard was really using a lot of gas. This has what is called
a CLI. Just type CTRL-L to go left and CTRL-R to go right.

M: What about the gas and brakes?

P: That's all combined into a single speed number. Just type ps | grep
speed. The headings are in Klingon, but the third number is the one you
want. Just divide by the speed of light to get meters/second. You'll
have to parse it out, calculate the new speed and use the nice function
to change the priority of the process. That changes the speed. If you
had just read the manpage, I wouldn't have had to tell you all that.

M: Which manpage?....never mind... What if I need to stop in a hurry?

P: Gotcha covered. There's a script for panic stops. Just type
PanicStop-3.8.63278665-HAT when=now. It will ask you for a password.
Enter the password and hang on cause you're gonna stop real quick. I'm
really proud of the deceleration optimization routine. Be careful
typing, it's case sensitive. If it gives you a cryptic error message and
doesn't stop, it's probably because you forgot to add yourself to the
brakes group. It's all in the manpage.

M: Which manpage?....never mind...

[MUCH, MUCH LATER....]

M: I wish I hadn't sold my Gates. At least I could drive it to town and
pick up Granny....

P: You're an idiot!.....

 

[mike ring]

TOP POSTING THIS ONE TIME:

This is a very nice and helpful post Richard! We could use more posts
of this caliber.

For anyone who missed it:

Ain't that the truth;

But first I need a new modem; it wo't talk to the internal one - any ideas
for a cheapie external one that will work.

I'm happy enough to have found a flavour that wors at all. I didn't know
enough to go for a custom install.

I'm deeply into windows, and if I move it will have to be slowly, and I
need to try out software, my special interests are midi, astronomy - I
believe Carte de Ciel, an excellent prog, also works with linux - and
little utilities like keytext, birthday reminder (NOT just for birthdays)
and stickies that I would be lost without.

but first a modem.... I must admit I'm not chancing it on my main computer,
I had to format C: and then reinstall windows once I'd got linux going on
my standby box

mike r

 

[Susan Bugher]

just for a change of pace . . .

continued . . .

Recently the following undocumented error-codes were found. MicroSoft
forgot to explain them in the manuals, so they will be spread via the
Internet:

WinErr: 001 Windows loaded - System in danger

WinErr: 002 No Error - Yet

WinErr: 003 Dynamic linking error - Your mistake is now in every file

WinErr: 004 Erroneous error - Nothing is wrong

WinErr: 005 Multitasking attempted - System confused

WinErr: 006 Malicious error - Desqview found on drive

WinErr: 007 System price error - Inadequate money spent on hardware

WinErr: 008 Broken window - Watch out for glass fragments

WinErr: 009 Horrible bug encountered - God knows what has happened

WinErr: 00A Promotional literature overflow - Mailbox full

WinErr: 00B Inadequate disk space - Free at least 50MB

WinErr: 00C Memory hog error - More Ram needed. More! More! More!

WinErr: 00D Window closed - Do not look outside

WinErr: 00E Window open - Do not look inside

WinErr: 00F Unexplained error - Please tell us how this happened

WinErr: 010 Reserved for future mistakes by our developers

WinErr: 011 Window open - Glass too dirty Do not look outside

WinErr: 012 Window closed - Glass too dirty Do not look inside

WinErr: 013 Unexpected error - Huh ?

WinErr: 014 Keyboard locked - Try anything you can think of.

WinErr: 018 Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed. Buy a new
one. Old windows licence is not valid anymore.

WinErr: 019 User error - Not our fault. Is Not! Is Not!

WinErr: 01A Operating system overwritten - Please reinstall all your
software. We are terribly sorry.

WinErr: 01B Illegal error - You are not allowed to get this error. Next
time you will get a penalty for that.

WinErr: 01C Uncertainty error - Uncertainty may be inadequate.

WinErr: 01D System crash - We are unable to figure out our own code.

WinErr: 01E Timing error - Please wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

WinErr: 01F Reserved for future mistakes of our developers.

WinErr: 020 Error recording error codes - Remaining errors will be lost.

WinErr: 042 Virus error - A virus has been activated in a dos-box. The
virus, however, requires Windows. All tasks will automatically be closed
and the virus will be activated again.

WinErr: 079 Mouse not found - A mouse driver has not been installed.
Please click the left mouse button to continue.

WinErr: 103 Error buffer overflow - Too many errors encountered. Next
errors will not be displayed or recorded.

WinErr: 678 This will end your Windows session. Do you want to play
another game?

WinErr: 683 Time out error - Operator fell asleep while waiting for the
system to complete boot procedure.

WinErr: 815 Insufficient Memory - Only 50.312.583 Bytes available


AUTHOR UNKNOWN

 

[SINNER]

* mike ring Wrote in alt.comp.freeware, on 2004-01-12:

@news.gates_of_hell.INVALID:

Ruggish

I am sure you meant rubbish but...whatever.

I am living proof that its not 'ruggish' as are many people that have
responded in this thread.

If you expect handholding or for someone to re type information that is
widely available becuase you are lazy then you got what you deserved,
same thing happens in real life.

 

[DC]

just for a change of pace . . .

And yet another. }:O)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up
with the technology like the computer industry has, we would all be
driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon." In response to
Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM
had developed technology like Microsoft; we would all be driving cars
with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to
buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You
would have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the
windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you
could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver, such as a left turn, would cause
your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would
have to reinstall the engine.

5. Only one person at a time could use the car unless you bought
"CarNT", but then you would have to buy more seats.

6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable,
five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would only run on
five percent of the roads.

7. The oil, water, temperature, and alternator warning lights would all
be replaced by a single "General Protection Fault" warning light.

8. New seats would force everyone to have the same sized butt.

9. The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?" before deploying.

10. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out
and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door
handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of
Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither
need nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately
cause the car's performance to diminish by 50% or more. Moreover, GM
would become a target for investigation by the Justice Dept.

12. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn
to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in
the same manner as the old car.

13. You'd press the "Start" button to shut off the engine.

 

[SINNER]

* mike ring Wrote in alt.comp.freeware, on 2004-01-12:

(e-mail address removed) wrote in news:[email protected]:

but first a modem.... I must admit I'm not chancing it on my main computer,
I had to format C: and then reinstall windows once I'd got linux going on
my standby box

Caused by a mistake you made no doubt. Thinking you can just install
over windows and expect it to work with out a little reading BEFORE you
try is nieve thinking.

I have always installed with a dual boot option and never had to format,
more likely you didnt either, just didnt ask the right question to get
it fixed. My guess, boot the win CD, enter rescue mode and type fixmbr.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

I have always tried to stick with the freebies, and if I were just now
starting out (and had a more powerful computer), I would probably go
with Knoppix. From what I've heard, it seems to be the most
trouble-free of the "Try-Me" distros. But all of the newer "Try-Me" types
just simply won't work on my 760EL.

Have you tried the SUSE Live CD version? SUSE is supposedly a little
more cutting edge in hardware detection.

Also Mandrake now has a Live CD version called Mandrake Move. Since
Mandrake is considered the most user friendly of the distros and
pretty good at hardware detection, you might want to try it.

I don't think any newbie should try to jump in cold
to Linux, and this is where I think the "Try-Me"s like BasicLinux,
Knoppix, and others are essential helps.

You might be right, but I haven't tried the Live CD versions yet,
although I intend to because they are also useful for rescue CDs. I'm
just wary that Knoppix has as much resources behind its distro as
Mandrake or SUSE, and therefore I suspect it might not be as easy to
install as a main distro. I may be wrong, we'll see.

The main advantage of a live CD distro is you can ignore the
partitioning aspect of an install which is where a lot of people come
to grief.

The other main problem people have with installs is getting X to work
with a specific monitor/video chipset combo (or at least with the full
resolution and color depth the combo supports), and in getting certain
peripherals (usually motherboard-integrated sound, in fact
motherboard-integrated anything, and things like oddball NIC cards and
Winmodems or internal DSL cards) to work.

There's no doubt that Linux still needs to work on ACCURATE and
COMPREHENSIVE hardware detection. It's not helped by companies that
refuse to write drivers or even make the specs of their Windows
drivers available to Linux driver writers. Nonetheless Linux hardware
support is light years ahead of where it was a couple years ago and
getting better all the time. Reverse-engineering can work.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

But first I need a new modem; it wo't talk to the internal one - any ideas
for a cheapie external one that will work.

Anything that has the COMPLETE modem guts in the external (or for that
matter, on an internal card) box will work. Just don't get one that
uses the CPU to handle half the modem duties - they're called
Winmodems. There are such things as "Linmodems" - internal modems
that work with Linux, but I don't know any specific brands. Go here:
http://www.linmodems.org/ They specialize in that stuff.

I'm deeply into windows, and if I move it will have to be slowly, and I
need to try out software,

Me. too, I just started with Windows in 2001 and am now moving to
Linux (as well as Windows 2000 or XP if I can find a cheaper source
than paying Bill $200 or whatever). Slow is the word. I got Red Hat
7.3 installed on my main machine and RH 7.0 on my older machine. Now
I get to slowly upgrade 7.3 to current levels. I have a couple dozen
CDs full of Linux software from the last two years of Linux Format
magazine, so all I have to do is just keep upgrading until I get
current. Nice thing about Linux - you can't really ever go obsolete;
you just have to keep installing new kernels and new libraries and new
versions of the same apps. Takes time, but you control your upgrade
costs.

my special interests are midi, astronomy - I
believe Carte de Ciel, an excellent prog, also works with linux

I ran a Google on that and most of the sites seem to be in French,
which doesn't help me, but I found this
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/index.php

you might want to check out if you haven't already.

You might also already know about astronomy software reviews being
done here http://www.weasner.com/etx/software_reviews.html

A post on that site said the following:
===================================================
Subject:Unix software
Sent:Sunday, January 6, 2002 10:42:23
From:[email protected]
Linux/FreeBSD software:
Xplns : http://www.astroarts.com/products/xplns/index.html
Xephem: http://www.ClearSkyInstitute.com/xephem/xephem.html (can
control
autostar)
Kstars : http://kstars.sourceforge.net/ (kde desktop)
digital universe (3d flytroughs)
openuniverse : http://www.openuniverse.org
celestia : http://ennui.shatters.net/celestia/download.html
hope you will print them om your website.
Many astronomers work with Unix so i think these links will be usefull
Bas
=====================================================

Also, http://www.linux.org/apps/all/Scientific/Astronomy.html is the
astronomy page of the Linux.org applications listing. It lists five
programs, many of which were mentioned above.

little utilities like keytext, birthday reminder (NOT just for birthdays)
and stickies that I would be lost without.

That stuff is around. Little stuff like that tends to turn up on
things like the Linux Format CDs which always has a lot of little
programs as well as some bigger stuff. Browse through the Freshmeat
site or the Linux.org apps site mentioned above.

I had to format C: and then reinstall windows once I'd got linux going on
my standby box

It CAN happen that a Linux install will hose the partition table on a
disk it's not even supposed to touch. Happened to me with my old
Compaq Deskpro. But that was a special case, since something about
that machine just doesn't work well with any distro later than RH 7.0.

Most of the time, you install Windows first and then Linux. For
Windows 2000/XP, I think the preferred approach is to install them
first, then install Linux, installing the Linux bootloader at the
beginning of the Linux partition instead of the MBR, and letting the
more advanced Windows boot loaders (more advanced than Windows 98, I
mean, not the Linux bootloader) set up a multiboot menu that accesses
the Linux bootloader in the Linux partition. If you install Linux
first, then Windows, Windows overwrites the Linux boot loader in the
MBR - which means you can't boot Linux - which just means you have
to rerun the boot loader from Linux after booting into Linux with a
boot CD or boot diskette.

On Windows 98, usually you install Linux second, let it detect the Win
98 partition and it automatically adds Windows to a multiboot menu -
slick. Windows 2000 and XP are more complicated as I indicated.

There are distros that install right into Windows FAT32 partitions and
are booted by running a Windows or DOS utility. Not too common,
though, especially since live CDs are happening. It used to be the
way to install and try out Linux without repartitioning your system.
Not as nice of course, since you forego the benefits of the more
advanced Linux file systems.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

just for a change of pace . . .

Posted in the langalist

Brooks Hatch sends along this spoof of Linux:

If Linux was a car...Sense of Humor required!

I think I saw this one once somewhere. It's funny. Not entirely
untrue for some distros, probably, and for all distros in some
respects.

I like the one somebody uses as a sig where it simulates a WindowsXP
error where it detects Linux on your hard disk and then proceeds to
trash the partition or something. It was funny, too. I'll capture it
the next time I see it. Shows up a lot in one of the Linux
newsgroups.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

Recently the following undocumented error-codes were found. MicroSoft
forgot to explain them in the manuals, so they will be spread via the
Internet:

WinErr: 005 Multitasking attempted - System confused

Wow, I see this one on Windows 98 every time something happens
relative to the Net - a browser crash or something.

WinErr: 006 Malicious error - Desqview found on drive

I'll look for that Linux one which simulates a WindowsXP error message
that detects Linux and tries to destroy the system or whatever. It's
good.

WinErr: 009 Horrible bug encountered - God knows what has happened

This is the Partition Magic dreaded "Error 005" - that's exactly what
it means.

WinErr: 01D System crash - We are unable to figure out our own code.

Yup. WIndows 98 again.

WinErr: 01E Timing error - Please wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

Yup. Every time I try to kill a process in Windows 98, I wait and
wait and twenty or thirty seconds later it pops up a Window saying the
process is not responding and might be dead and would I like to kill
it? Well, yeah, actually....that IS what I was trying to do when I
popped up the Task Manager and said ****ING CANCEL!!!...

WinErr: 683 Time out error - Operator fell asleep while waiting for the
system to complete boot procedure.

You forgot one:

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

And yet another. }:O)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up
with the technology like the computer industry has, we would all be
driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon." In response to
Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM
had developed technology like Microsoft; we would all be driving cars
with the following characteristics:

And whenever you wanted to turn off the radio, it would keep playing
for ten more minutes and then ask you if you wanted to turn it off.

And when it finally turned off, the car would crash.

 

[REMbranded]

But first I need a new modem; it wo't talk to the internal one - any ideas
for a cheapie external one that will work.

I'm in the same boat myself Mike. This is what many have been saying
about being aware of the hardware you buy. I wasn't planning on Linux
back when I bought this machine, but things change.

At Walmart there was a single hardware controlled modem. It looks like
it has been opened/returned several times. I decided to pass. It was
about $80. They had a shelf full of soft modems. This is probably why
there are so many people who have problems with Linux. The win stuff
is cheap and popular. Maybe you'll have more luck. This one
specifically had Linux listed as an operating system that would work
with it.

In the meantime you can mount a Windows partition in Linux if you have
a dual boot going. I'm downloading in Windows, rebooting, mounting the
partition and copying the download over to the Linux partition.

I'm happy enough to have found a flavour that wors at all. I didn't know
enough to go for a custom install.

One step at a time <G>. I'm right there with you. I have a good book
on Redhat and it helps. It's easier to browse and read than the man
pages.

I'm deeply into windows, and if I move it will have to be slowly, and I
need to try out software, my special interests are midi, astronomy - I
believe Carte de Ciel, an excellent prog, also works with linux - and
little utilities like keytext, birthday reminder (NOT just for birthdays)
and stickies that I would be lost without.

I found after trying two Redhat's, I boot to Windows and tend to stay
there, as it's more productive. I have to make myself stop and go play
around in Linux. After I do get a real modem I suspect it will be a
bit different. I can read news, browse, etc. and will naturally stay
longer.

but first a modem.... I must admit I'm not chancing it on my main computer,
I had to format C: and then reinstall windows once I'd got linux going on
my standby box

It's a trip. I think the modem is a basic necessity in using the OS on
a daily basis and learning a bit everyday.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

But first I need a new modem; it wo't talk to the internal one - any ideas
for a cheapie external one that will work.

Just found this link in the Mandrake newsgroup - might help you out.

Go here:
http://www.pcworld.co.nz/PCWorld/PCW.nsf/UNID/2F32F1EAB74E7830CC256D500015C2AC

The URL may wrap - it should be all on one line when you paste it into
your browser.

It's an article called "Linux Step by Step - Part 2 - "Not tonight
dear, I have a modem". Shows how it is possible to track down a
driver for a Winmodem if you use a utility called Scanmodem to
determine the chipset. Maybe it will help.

 

[REMbranded]

I like the one somebody uses as a sig where it simulates a WindowsXP
error where it detects Linux on your hard disk and then proceeds to
trash the partition or something. It was funny, too. I'll capture it
the next time I see it. Shows up a lot in one of the Linux
newsgroups.

Those were hilarious! Very nice.

I'm reading posts at justlinux.com. The best idea I've seen is
affixing a sig with all hardware details. This looks like a great idea
for anyone looking for help:

"Athlon XP 1700+; MSI KT3 Ultra (motherboard);
128 MB DDR RAM;
40 MB Maxtor HD;
Nvidia GeForce 2 MX 420;
Realtek ALC650 sound card;
NEC CD-ROM;
1.44 MB Floppy;
Dual Booting Win XP/Gentoo Linux Stage2 install"

That's a bit much for a newsgroup sig. It looks good for a forum sig
though. Failing to list hardware/software is probably the easiest way
to go about not getting a serious answer to a question.

Clever sigs from justlinux:

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to
pause and reflect."

-Mark Twain


"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other human
invention in history...with the possible exception of handguns and
tequila."

-Mitch Ratcliffe


And my favorite:

"They say if you play a Microsoft CD backwards you hear satanic
messages. That's nothing, if you play it forwards it installs
Windows!"


To those who use Windows, or are sitting on the fence:

We're getting tarred on the sig front! I mean totally creamed. It's
tough to sustain a beach head in light of the witticisms! We direly
need some clever and good hearted comebacks... any suggestions?


Thanks to whoever recommended justlinux.com. I bookmarked it and got
back to checking it out later. Very nice site!

<http://justlinux.com/forum/index.php?s=b04e970102b8ee34308bb2d936c13d39>

 

[DC]

And whenever you wanted to turn off the radio, it would keep playing
for ten more minutes and then ask you if you wanted to turn it off.

And when it finally turned off, the car would crash.

Of course! <BG>

 

[DC]

On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 17:49:51 -0500, Susan Bugher

I think I saw this one once somewhere. It's funny. Not entirely
untrue for some distros, probably, and for all distros in some
respects.

I like the one somebody uses as a sig where it simulates a WindowsXP
error where it detects Linux on your hard disk and then proceeds to
trash the partition or something. It was funny, too. I'll capture it
the next time I see it. Shows up a lot in one of the Linux
newsgroups.

This one?

--
DC

Longhorn error#4711: TCPA / NGSCB VIOLATION: Microsoft optical mouse
detected penguin patterns on mousepad. Partition scan in progress to
remove offending incompatible products. Reactivate your MS software (3
days grace period).

 

[Sietse Fliege]

Yup. Every time I try to kill a process in Windows 98, I wait and
wait and twenty or thirty seconds later it pops up a Window saying the
process is not responding and might be dead and would I like to kill
it? Well, yeah, actually....that IS what I was trying to do when I
popped up the Task Manager and said ****ING CANCEL!!!...

You can change this behaviour. Use e.g. X-Setup
If you trust yourself with the registry you can do it manually:

From: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/tmcd2/Shutdown.htm :

Key : HKCU \Control Panel \Desktop
Entry : HungAppTimeout
System : 95, 95+IE4.x, 98, ME, NT, 2K
Type : REG_SZ
Range : 1 to 65536
Default : 5000
Delay in milliseconds until Windows closes a task after you have
clicked on End Task. Afterwards, the system indicates that the task does
not respond any more or closes it by force if AutoEndTasks is enabled.

Key : HCKU \Control Panel \Desktop
Entry : AutoEndTasks
System : 95, 95+IE4.x, 98, ME, NT, 2K
Type : REG_SZ
Range : 0 or 1
Default : 0
1 : Speeds up Windows shutdown by closing VDM and 16-bit applications
more quickly. See also HungAppTimeout

Key : HKCU \Control Panel \Desktop
Entry : WaitToKillAppTimeout
System : 95, 95+IE4.x, 98, ME, NT, 2K
Type : REG_SZ
Range : 1 to 65536
Default : 20
Delay after which Windows considers a task does not respond any more at
shutdown. Reduce this delay to speed up shutdown.

Key : HKCU \Control Panel \Desktop
Entry : WaitToKillServiceTimeout
System : NT, 2K
Type : REG_SZ
Range : 1 to 65536
Default : 20,000
Delay after which Windows NT closes a service at shutdown. Reduce this
delay to speed up shutdown.

HTH

 

[mike ring]

Thanks to whoever recommended justlinux.com. I bookmarked it and got
back to checking it out later. Very nice site!

Spybot says that this site is trying to download "Avenue Inc" what itsays
is a known threat

mike r

 

[mike ring]

I am sure you meant rubbish but...whatever.

No, I meant "Ruggish" - if you never came acoss Morecambe and Wise it
explains some of your attitudes

I am living proof that its not 'ruggish' as are many people that have
responded in this thread.

If we are to belive anecdotal evidence only, I am living proof etc, etc.

I stand by my experience of linux ng's, and am glad to have met some
exceptions in this thread, but mainly the linux protagonists are tending to
give their OS a bad reputation - odd when they think they're defending it.

"Methinks he doth protest too much"

mike r

 

[mike ring]

I ran a Google on that and most of the sites seem to be in French,
which doesn't help me, but I found this
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/index.php

Thanks for the link, Richard, I went to my usual page and it didn't mention
linux, so I was a bit worried, I didn't realise it was the beta version 3
which isn't generally released yet

CdC is a cracking prog, not a huge basic download unless you want a lot of
exotic catalogues which for me are just added bloat; does just about
everything including artificial satellites and iridium flares, lovely display
..... and free

On Windows 98, usually you install Linux second, let it detect the Win
98 partition and it automatically adds Windows to a multiboot menu -
slick. Windows 2000 and XP are more complicated as I indicated.

What I did wrong was not to go for the dual boot option as it passed by me
without my realising it, so I could not get into windows without constantly
using a boot disk.

Reinstalling windows did the same thing to Linux!

So I reinstalle d linux.... more carefully.

I've doenloaded the modem finder, but I can't even find the floppy on linux,
let alone if a file downloaded on a windows box would be recognised, this is
a lifetime job

mike r