[Discuss] Fresh Install Problems

[Branden Rishel]

Hello, I'm new here and sorta new to Victoria.  I hope this is the
right place to ask for help.

I had problems with ndiswrapper in Ubuntu disappearing interfaces and
intermittently working.  It was working most of the time until I
updated the kernel, but then it wanted new kernel headers and somehow
I never got it working again.  I decided to start over from a fresh
6.10 install.

The install process complained about missing drivers of some sort,
then completed booting from the CD.  I clicked the install icon on the
desktop, and the discs whirred for 15 minutes until the system locked
up.  The same thing happened the next 3 times.

Then I tried a Debian 3.1 DVD install, but somehow it didn't install
xwindows.  I'm not familiar with Debian packages, but I tried
installing a KDE virtual package with aptitude (hoping that everything
dependent would also be installed).  That didn't work either.

So I'm flailing all over the place and would appreciate some basic
install help, preferably in person.  I can offer yummy food /
transportation / labor in trade.  I haven't run Linux much (and that
pre-1999), but I'm comfortable with OS X and as a /user/ of FreeBSD.
The computer in question is a Dell Latitude 110L (low-end Celeron M
laptop, 2 years old).  It needs to be a basic web/word processing
machine.  We have no ethernet at home, only wireless.

Thanks for your time,
-Branden