Every few months, I get the inspiration to try Linux on my work laptop again. I've run Red Hat 8 and 9 on an IBM T22 and a T30, and now I'm using SuSE 9 Professional on my T30. The problem is that every few months, when I try Linux on the laptop, I remember why I inevitably dump the 5 GB or so I set aside for Linux and go back to using my Windows XP partition exclusively. While most of the hardware in the laptop works right after the installation, things that I rely on, like my built-in wireless card, don't work without lots of tweaking. Since I couldn't get the built-in wireless to work, I'm using my back-up PC card instead. Even that card takes some work to make it function properly. The good news is that once it works, it's just like I'm using Windows. I'm posting this entry from Galeon, a web browser running in Linux. I've installed Ximian Desktop 2 on the system, since it's now a Novell product, and so far I like it. If this OS doesn't crash as much as Windows, I just might stick with it. At least I can use it in March at BrainShare and look cool.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Linux is that I can't read my work e-mail (Lotus Notes) or manage my network without going back to Windows. Which is why Linux on the desktop will remain a novelty for me. It's something to play with or use in frustration when Windows keeps crashing, but ultimately I'm stuck with Windows.
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