Friday, April 9, 2010

Hatred, Hatred, Hatred, Hatred

I got my new Windows 7 disk, today. Despite the description as an 'OEM System Builders Pack' it is not designed for the builders of computer systems, but for Microsoft 'partners' who will help to develop future software to patch over windows glitches. F'ing Yay.

To do what I want Windows to do, it will cost $268, rather than the $139.99 I already spent.

So it looks like I am stuck with the hideous joke that is Linux Ubuntu.

I seem to have hurt the Linux 'Community's' feelings, as I can not even post a question there any more, after telling them how disappointed I am.

So, for a while, until I can afford to get my old XP machine repaired (the new, state-of-the-art machine is going to go over a cliff soon) I am not able to post any links, of any kind.

I am so tired and disgusted with this, I cannot even describe my feelings without lapsing into a level of profanity that would have a Navy Chief Bosun's Mate blushing.

32 comments:

  1. Since I can no longer ask questions at the Ubuntu forums, I asked this at another 'Linux Beginner's' site this evening. They asked for a heading describing the problems I am having, so it is titled 'Everything':

    OK, I have been a supporter of the Linux idea for years. An open-source OS seemed great. In fact, I even bought the Debian disks to help support it.

    Last weekend my son & I built me a new PC. We loaded Ubuntu as an OS. Three times...

    Idiotic Grub, no matter how often we told it to load from the hard drive, insisted on looking for a floppy (how 1972, Dude) and we had to do the Command Line over & over to get it to stop.

    Now I am afraid to update Grub, or anything else from Ubuntu, for that matter.

    I had to go to 2 different places just to enable Java.

    Nothing works as it should.

    I think I offended the Ubuntu community by daring to suggest that their baby was less than perfect, despite the ear in the middle of its forehead, as I cannot even ask a question there, now.

    So, What do you do when NOTHING works?

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  2. I just typed a lengthy comment, including quotes from another site regarding the joke that is Ubuntu, and Blogger lost it.

    In too bad a mood to do it again.

    Maybe tomorrow.

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  3. Hey Dances,

    Have you thought about taking the hard drive from your old computer and puting it into your new one, using the new hard drive as a D: drive?

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  4. Matt, I've been thinking of that, but of course there is no possibility of re-registering the XP as my OS in the new machine, and even if I could, it would not recognize the dual-core CPU or the amount of memory I have sitting here uselessly.

    No, I either pay Bill Gates, or try to figure out Ubuntu.

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  5. DWT, I'm just guessing, but I'm trying to figure out how you can get pretty far - being able to post stuff at all is actually getting pretty far - and yet not be able to post links.

    I'm guessing that the "link" buttons in the posting menus don't work for you. (As a workaround, you can post in the Edit HTML posting window and type out the link syntax manually, the way you do for comment posts. If it won't let you post a specific HTML syntax like links, then THAT would be VERY WEIRD indeed.)

    So you've got Ubuntu installed well enough to get to the 'Net, and you've got Firefox installed well enough to post... but link button doesn't work... probably means: javascript is screwed up?

    Question: can you see any image posts in comments?

    Can you see this chick?

    imgw:"http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/lewy14/1995-W-Proof-US-Silver-Eagle.jpg"

    If you can see images in comments but the link button doesn't work, that's very weird.

    Can you verify that javascript is completely broken? Can you see if it got configured "off" in the browser settings somehow?

    Bottom line is that I'm surprised you got as far as you did, actually. I wish I could be more help; I've never installed Linux. I'm just trying to pin down what's broken exactly based on the symptoms.

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  6. Lewy, I had to enable Java in the Firefox browser, in order to do a lot of things, but it still is not really right, and upgrading is a very convoluted process.

    I can see the coin, above with no problems, but any links I try to put into posts, just don't work as links.

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  7. I can see the coin, above with no problems, but any links I try to put into posts, just don't work as links.

    Fascinating. (Best Spock-like voice).

    The fact that you can see the coin indicates that javascript is working quite well. (Sorry if this is utterly remedial, but javascript and Java are completely different things - nothing in this blog relies on Java, whereas javascript is required).

    So the no-linky no worky thing is a mystery.

    Question: are you using the link buttons (with the cute little chain logos) when you post?

    Which tab are you using? The one marked "Compose" or the one marked "Edit HTML"? Have you tried both?

    Most important: what happens exactly when you try to post a link? If you can humor me, update your post and attempt to post a link... I may be able to decipher what is going on by checking out the resulting raw HTML...

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  8. Don't know if this will help you DWT, but you can get Windows 7 for free, which might buy you some time. If this is remotely relevant, post back and I will get you the links from my sons. They got it free.

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  9. Thanks everyone, for your input.

    Too late to get W7 for free, though, I already bought a copy, which I will be trying to install, tonight. If I have troubles with it, then Gus will come over Sunday and do the heavy lifting, as I think my brain has sprained its back.

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  10. W7 works better than Vista, but it's not XP. Unfortunately. We still keep XP on our office PC. When I die, they'll have to pry XP from my cold, dead fingers. :-P

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  11. I would rather have XP, too, but can't find it for sale, any more, and also it would not recognize either my dual-core processor or the amount of memory on this PC.

    I got 64 bit W&, so I can be able to keep up with things as they change.

    Also, I typed wrong ni my last comment - if I can't get this working properly, Gus will be coming Monday, not Sunday

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  12. I sure hope it works for you, Dances. If you get stuck, you're welcome to email us. Hubby has installed W7 on umpteen computers, and he'll help if he can.

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  13. I am serious thinking Mac for my next computer.

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  14. I'm drooling over the IPads.

    *sigh*

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  15. Matt - I haz a Mac. I likez it.

    lady red - the iPad is to the MSM what the iPod is to the record companies.

    It will limit their profitability and make new rules - but it will also help keep them alive.

    I'm not getting an iPad.

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  16. Well DWT, I've heard from several little birdies that The Pirate Bay dot org has xp, cracks, and who knows what else. Since you've already paid for every product under the sun and you already own xp, well...there it is.

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  17. I am about to try to load Windows 7. I rebooted a few minutes ago to be sure the DVD player is the default boot drive.

    I'm a little worried that it might not work with Ubuntu already on the hard drive, but Gus tells me it should do fine.

    Wish me luck, folks.

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  18. Well, THAT didn't work.

    I tried one time and it booted from the hard drive, so I went into the BIOS setup and made the DVD drive the default boot device, then removed the Hard drive from the list completely.

    I restarted, and it booted from the hard drive.

    Apparently Ubuntu is repairing itself when the PC is rebooted, clinging tenaciously to life.

    It would be touching if I did not want to get rid of it so badly.

    Gus is busy tomorrow, so on Monday he will come over with a program that will completely remove the Ubuntu partition, essentially burning the hard disk down to the bedrock, so it has no choice but to boot from the DVD.

    Dammit.

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  19. Is your DVD drive listed in the BIOS? Does your BIOS see your hard drive and your DVD drive?

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  20. Lady red, it sees them both, as well as a stick drive that I added at one point. I made sure the DVD was in the default boot position, and in fact removed the hard drive from the boot list.

    But seemingly Ubuntu healed itself rapidly enough to overcaome that attempt to boot Windows from the DVD.

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  21. Anyway, I'm going to go finish reading my current book, then get some sleep, while visions of strangling Bill Gates dance in my head.

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  22. DWT's dream slowly turns into a nightmare...aaargh!

    img:"http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y113/phasewest/bill_gates_motel_scene.jpg"

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  23. ROFL! Fay, you're a VERY bad girl! ;)))

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  24. Here's Linus Torvalds, keepin' it real.

    imgw:"http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/lewy14/cthulhu/linus2.gif"

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  25. The Bill Gates photo seems to be a photoshop.

    The original is only slightly less obnoxious:

    imgw:"http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/lewy14/billgates02.jpg"

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  26. Now, it's just playing with me.

    I decided to restart the PC, because it was bogging a touch, and it came up with 'insert boot media and press any key'.

    I hurriedly inserted the Windows disk, pushed a key, and it came up with 'to boot from CD or DVD press any key'.

    I did that, and it showed the hoped-for words 'Windows Loading'. Then it stopped, and told me I had no device to load the program to, it could not find a driver for my hard disc. I tried again and again, then decided to start over, so I clicked 'restart'

    And it booted on Ubuntu.

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  27. "And it booted on Ubuntu."

    I'm sorry for laughing DWT, I really am...hopefully Gus can get everything sorted out.

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  28. imgw:"http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/redhawkclan/computer.jpg"

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  29. Gus spent last night away from home, so when he came by today, he did not have his various repair & clean-up disks with him.

    The trouble is that we loaded Ubuntu first, and did not partition the drive, thinking I would just be running Ubuntu as my OS. Ubuntu and Windows have different hard drive encoding systems, which is why Windows can't 'find' the drive coded to Ubuntu.

    He thought he could clear it from various online programs & command line tinkering.

    Now I don't feel so electronically inadequate, at least.

    He will be back either tomorrow or Wednesday afternoon with the full arsenal of IT tech tools.

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  30. OK, I am finally Window-ized. Later, I will see if I can do links, etc.

    Oddly enough, all the pictures come up faster on Ubuntu.

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