Ubuntu is still a challenge

I finally got around to updating my Ubuntu install (8.04) on my desktop (not the mini)...so I do the "update my version to 8.10"...and needless to say it broke it hard enough that I can only boot in rescue mode to terminal...I am sure it has something to do with the ATI display. But I haven't been able to fix it.

So I used some unused space on the drive and installed 9.04 (cleared out my unused OSX and WinXP partitions). 9.04 installed nicely and even has dual monitor ability...unfortunately there are no ATI drivers with this version, and the default drivers only allow a virtual screensize of 2500 wide...so the screen size control limited the size of my 22" screens to 1200x1050 on both...yea, great. Then no matter what I couldn't get one screen to be regular size (1680x1050). So having given up all other options, I installed the ATI driver and completely crashed Ubuntu.

I read some more and found that 8.10 still used the ATI drivers and would run two monitors in mirror mode (which was all I needed for now) in full screen size. So I wiped 9.04 and installed 8.10...works good. Interestingly during the install 8.10 recognized my other linux install and copied over some stuff...9.04 did not recognize any other installs. I then had to copy my ./evolution directory and I instantly had a fully working Evolution email setup (the install had copied all my email address info).

All I had left was VMware...first of all apparently the current version only allows a 30 day free use in workstation...but player is free? I could see the virtual machines directory in the other drive, but I couldn't copy it.

So I had to do a bunch of typing with a 'sudo cp' command...pita but it works.