This isn’t really safe for work. I’m not even sure how my friend (an old work colleage) finds these things.

He must use some odd search terms.

Here’s a screenshot just to prove I really did install Ubuntu 6.10 and even used Gnome all by myself.

<%image(20061120-Screenshot.jpg|400|300|Ubuntu-6.10)%>

Notice how the colours of Delusion almost match the default colours of the Ubuntu desktop in a round-about sort of way? It must be fate I tell thee!

Well, I’ll admit just a little blame here. I didn’t specify (or have the option to specify) the key type so I went back and tried the key as plain hex instead. Lo and behold I now have a wireless link that I am typing this on.

However, all this aggro could have been avoided if the network config applet didn’t obscure the passphrase/key as you typed it!

/me massages ego.

As expected, here I am a day later (it was so late by the time I’d finished) with a Ubuntised laptop, everything working, except the prism54 based chipset on my Draytek Vigor 540.

Quite why the damn card doesn’t work is problematic. It *appears* to be working correctly, loading the required modules and uploading the firmware to the card, yet it fails every time when attempting to get a DHCP assigned IP from the router.

Annoyingly, in the Network config dialog, I have to type ‘blind’ just like Windows to fill out the passphrase. Why? No, really, Ubuntu people why?? It’s infuriating as *I* know the passphrase, I just want to be able to check it as I type. If anyone was to look over my shoulder or subsequently use my laptop without my permission, they would be too busy recovering in hospital to use my key.

This evening I am mostly installing Ubuntu on my Compaq Presario 2100

This will probably come out a bit garbled as I will write this as I install…

First Impression: Nice installer, it STBs slightly as it tries to set up the mixer for the laptop’s built-in AC97 audio but nevertheless it plays a jingle just after booting. I am then landed in an apparently GNOME-based desktop with a few options to choose from. Feeling like a fish out of water without my QT widgets, I kick of the installation selecting ‘Install’ from the booted desktop by *double* clicking(!) - Don’t these people know how hard it can be to replace laptop microswitches? Not to worry tho as the synaptics touchpad is already working and a double-tap will suffice.

Running through the installer is just as expected, set the language, timezone, keyboard and go with the automatic partition suggestion (the one that overwrites that awful SuSE-10.1 install). Tell it to start and the progress meters show….er….progress as the CDROM drive makes sounds like a turntablist master at work - Don’t these people know how expensive slimline DVDROM drives are?

During the install, the light already shows ‘link-up’ on my Draytek 540 wireless card. I’m fairly confident that it isn’t actually up as I know the chipset uses the prism54 driver which requires separate firmware. Still just a tiny concern that it has got all excited and connected to a neighbours open AP. (Yes, I have my fair share of sheep round here).

The progress meter does enlighten me as to what it is doing but it’s best to multiply any completion estimates by 3, probably due to the general slowness of my Presario 2100.

I now realise that I was not prompted to, nor did I investigate encrypting the filesystem prior to installation. I wonder if it can be done later? Encryption is certainly good to have if you lose your laptop or have it stolen.

…better multiply the time estimates by 6.

On completing the installation, I am prompted to reboot and also to remove the disk just prior to restarting.

The system has rebooted.

To be continued…

I wonder if the BBC are deliberately heading the current front page news story as “UK and Pakistan forge terror pact”.

The implication of the title being obvious. I really do hope this is the result of a perverse sense of humour of the BBC editors.