The Joy of Having a Second Computer...

One of the greatest things about having more than one computer in the house is not being stuck if one of them fails... But... What do you when both of your computers fail?

The power supply failed on my Ubuntu rig.
The chipset fan failed on my Windows rig.

You tear them apart and build one working computer! So I took the power supply out of my windows rig and got the Ubuntu rig running. Until the new parts arrive, I will have to use Linux...


Lindsay doesn't speak Esperanto (and my feeble attempts to learn it failed) so I wiped the Ubuntu off and installed Fedora 8... in english. HUGE difference! Not only do I understand the words on the screen, but all my hardware was configured without any coercion from me.

Why do I comment on this? Because this is the first time I've found a turnkey Linux distro for a custom-built computer without consulting a linux compatibility hardware list. Maybe I just got lucky, but I consider this to be a good sign. Linux may be reaching a tipping point for mass adoption. Walmart seems to think so...

Mental Challenge: Ubuntu Linux and Esperanto

Not only have I wiped Windows off one of my computers, I have installed Linux in another language! Laugh all you want folks, but this is for real. I'm hardcore Esperanto now... sort of.

As I installed Ubuntu I noticed they offered Esperanto as a language. Since the best way to study a language is to immerse yourself in it, I took the plunge. As installation messages sped passed I deciphered the cryptic words with a beginner's fervor. I could only translate a couple words on the screen before new messages wiped my progress, but I was learning. Mia nomo estas Markus!

Then the reboot came and something amazing happened: everything turned back to English. Turns out there is an icon you have to click on (before logging in) and change the language there. On the up side, changing languages isn't hard so I can switch back if I get in over my head.

For now I'm getting used to my new Komputilo software and memorizing vocabulary.