Can't Get There From Here

I had a great holiday weekend. I hope ya'll had the same.

I spent yesterday fiddling with Suse's Linux Personal 9.1 distro. I want my PC to run both Windows XP and Linux, so that I can do my work on Linux and my play on Windows. I've played with Suse's live CD, which enables you to run the OS without installing it on the hard drive, and I found the experience not unlike dealing with Windows or MacOS. I am not super proficient in computer stuff but I can muddle through things with a proper set oaf instructions. I thought I was ready to take the plunge.

I was wrong. Oh so wrong.

Linux distros are notoriously difficult for a layman to install. In most cases, distros failed to recognize and configure hardware found in many PCs. Partitioning a PC's hard drive so that a user can choose to run either Windows or Linux used to require a computer science degree. Newer iterations, like Suse Personal 9.1, boast an easier installation process, one that configures and partitions for you. All you have to do is click a few buttons, sit back, and watch the pretty pictures as the OS quietly installed itself.

This process began innocently enough on my computer. I was not interested in getting up to my elbows in the minutiae of configuring hardware or building a partition, so I chose the easiest installation available. The installer found my hardware and designated a default partition. Then it froze. Completely.

My first reaction was to call someone. The distro came with a list of numbers to call for installation help. I called the number for the US and learned that THE NUMBER WAS DISCONNECTED. That did not bode well. Fortunately, I still had the iMac with dial up access to the internet. I found Suse's portal web site and dug around until I found another US number. I managed to get a fellow on the phone. He suggested that I turn off the computer and try again.

I did as instructed. Linux booted up but would not let me go any further until I gave it a password and username, two things I had been unable to establish when I tried to install it. I banged at the keys for a while but I got nowhere. I rebooted and made my way (I thought) to the Windows side of the partition. I promptly got the "blue screen of death". Unlike many encounters with the "blue screen of death", this blue screen told me that I had an "unmounted_boot_volume" problem.

So I couldn't get into Linux and I couldn't get into Windows. I was staring at a very expensive, useless plastic box. I called Suse again.

I explained the situation to the fellow on the other end of the line.

"Did you defrag your hard drive before you tried to install Linux?" he asked. When bits of code are scattered throughout one's hard drive, a "defrag" will gather them into bundles, so they can be easier to find.

I sheepishly admitted that I had not.

"You should have done that," he said. And that was all the help he could give me.

I sat at my desk, phone in hand, staring at my plastic box. I was at a loss. When I gathered my wits, I checked the installation guide that came with the distro. There was no mention of a defrag. So much for ease of use.

I called a couple of friends who I knew had some knowledge of Windows. One of them gave some helpful advice, chief of which was to find the Windows XP disk that came with the computer and reinstall everything.

I did this. In doing so, I learned more about Windows than I thought I'd ever have to learn. I also made sure to install only the stuff I wanted on the computer, instead of all of the crap that came with the machine when I purchased it.

When I finished installing, downloading and connecting, I defragged. I walked away from the device and played with my dog. I read a paperback. Then I tried installing Linux again.

This time, the experience was much as it was advertised. The installer configured the hardware properly and successfully partitioned my hard drive. I tried "toggling" between the OSes and had no problem doing so. The only thing that I have yet to resolve is getting Linux to recognize my wireless connection so I can access the internet on that side of the partition. If anyone out there has a solution or work around, I'd appreciate it.

At the end of the day, I succeeded in getting what I wanted. It took me almost all day and it could have been easier. However, it was a definite learning experience and I am wiser for it.

At least, that's what I tell myself.