Ubuntu for a little while

I'm taking a break from the Ruby programming, in part to let my brain absorb the Ruby style. I've found that my brain can do amazing things, if I let it work at its own pace. I can force-feed it things, for a short time, but it quickly rebels. So I will let one part of my brain chew on the 'proc' notion of Ruby while I work on other things.

The other thing I have chosen is Ubuntu Linux. I have three computers with SuSE Linux and would like experience with different distros. I chose Ubuntu because it is popular (Red Hat and Fedora were in the running) and I have several install CDs (so Ubuntu is "shovel-ready").

Of course, I need a computer to run Ubuntu. All of my computers are puny by today's standards, and none will support virtual machines, so I will use a physical PC for Ubuntu. I've made insufficient progress with the Gateway E-3200 (the computer with the 3Com TriROM that will not boot from CD) so that computer is out... for now. Instead, I will use an IBM T21 Thinkpad.

I've successfully installed Ubuntu 5.10 on this computer. This is an old version of Ubuntu, and I would like a later version. I even have later versions: I have 6.06 and 8.04. Neither of the later versions work. Version 6.06 will boot but the install program stops after step 3 (specify keyboard layout) and never gets to step 4. (I don't know what step 4 is ... I never get to it!) The version 8.04 CD does not even boot. It starts, displays the Ubuntu screen, then flips the screen into text mode -- but doesn't display any text -- and keeps accessing the CD, on and off, for at least 30 minutes. I have stopped it after that time. I don't need a live CD to take 30 minutes to load.

So I will next try versions 7.10 and 8.10. I like Ubuntu on this computer. I had SuSE Linux 9.1, but that distro did not see the PCMCIA WLAN card. Ubuntu 5.10 recognizes it with no problem. But version 5.10 comes with Firefox 1.07, and I would like a later version. I suppose I could install Firefox myself, but I suspect that the later version requires a later version of libraries, and these would require other updates. It seems like the later Ubuntu disks are the easier way to go.

I'm going to try. If they work, great. If not, I will keep Ubuntu 5.10 and head back to Rubyland.