can't ever compile anything :-(

[Trevor Smith]

On January 26, 2004 06:19 am, Andy Green wrote:
> Just a philosphical thought on this... many times I too have burnt days and
> sometimes weeks on a thing that WILL NOT WORK (not just on Linux).  I am
> left depressed and defeated by the experience.  But then some months later,
> I am faced with an unrelated task that happens to touch near a common area
> with the job that defeated me.  To my pleasure I realize I know quite a bit
> about that subsystem due to the earlier struggles and am able to get the
> new task to work immediately in that area.  I ponder then just how wasted
> the time spent being defeated actually was.

Point well taken. I'm enrolled in computer science classes and last term, when 
I should have been working on a Java assignment, I spent nearly 5 days trying 
to get Linux to connect to ADSL through my ehternet card. In the end it 
turned out to be a faulty(?) NIC and replacing it solved the problem (it 
worked in Win2k and OS/2 but...). The experience was infuriating and I 
*should* have used the time for school work.

But this term I'm taking a course on C and shell script programming and, to my 
surprise, the prof is basically starting out with weeks of basic *nix system 
use and he is even using FC1 as his example system. Now I find myself easily 
able to follow everything because I've already been familiarized. (Compare 
that to how hard it would be to follow/remember what various linux commands 
and programs do just by watching an overhead projection with no computer to 
test on in front of *you*.)

I'm still angry that I spent so much time trying to get FC1 installed and 
working properly but it's coming in handy now.

-- 
 Trevor Smith    |    trevor at haligonian.com