*sigh*
It looks like I may semi-retire the Ubuntu “side” of this dual boot config in favor of a Linux Mint or PC BSD dual boot config with Windows 7. I’ve really liked most of the things about Ubuntu, but the consistently poor upgrade experience ever since 8.04 is beginning to wear me down a bit. Heck, I dunno. I do like some things about Ubuntu a lot. For one thing, I can run old Windows programs in WINE in Ubuntu much more smoothely than in Windows 7, even with “compatibility mode” selected for the specific Windows version. And there are three old Windows programs I really, really do not want to simply ditch.
But. I’ve fallen into the trap (well, I laid it myself) of having this particular computer act as the print and media server using Win7’s “Homegroup” facility, and there are other users on our lil home network who have come to rely on the ease of use that offers.
Sooo…. yep. Resurrect another old computer for use as an Ubuntu (or PC BSD or Linux Mint) standalone for use with those old Windows programs running under WINE. It’ll mean getting a really good KVM switch that’ll handle the digital line from my vidcard to my 23″ Acer monitor, since I’d likely need to have both computers running at once here at my desk, for ease of access to the old windows programs, and I’m really out of desktop space on this 3’X6′ desktop. (23″ monitor, one computer, 2 printers, “cash drawer”–serving as printer supplies storage–phone, speakers, 3 external hard drives and various detritus of daily use. No more room for another monitor, and I’ve done the multiple keyboard/mouse thing in the past–not again, thatnks. :-))
Oh, what may be the last straw for Ubuntu on my main machine? Got around to installing the “gold” upgrade to 9.10. Nuh-uh. Python broken, tracker broken, other dependencies for multiple apps broken. *sigh* Not good.
Maybe things’ll work better with a fresh install on another machine. Probably will, but if I do that, the computer I’m thinking of will be an old single core machine that’ll use the 32-bit Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu but slicker) pretty nicely, I think. Or the latest PCBSD, which is always a nice OS.
Just have to see.
Well, micro-mini update. Installed Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu 9.04) and Ubuntu 9.10 in VMWare-based VMs. Kinda quirky mousing in the Mint VM, have to see what that’s all about, but otherwise, it’s really nice. Ubuntu 9.10 installed fine as a clean install in VM. Should be workable. Next? NimbleX Linux, based on Slackware. It should be pretty cool, as the folks at NimbleX allowed me (as they would you) to specify what additional components I did/did not want and “built” an iso to my specs. There isn’t a world of choices, but I managed to have nearly everything I need for a basic Linux desktop included, including the latest build of WINE. Nice.