Hewlett Packard, do all manner of unmentionable things to yourselves.

When I sent my computer off to HP, I included a nice note on Hello Kitty stationery that said, since my only problem was mechanical, and I liked my Linux very much thanks, please do not do a System Restore on it.

But, you know, I'm not stupid, so I backed up my files. Because if they reinstalled Windows on it, it wouldn't be THAT hard to get my Linux up and running again.

So when I unboxed my newly repaired netbook, guess what they did?

Yeah.

No, they didn't put Windows on it.

They put their own HP flavor of Linux on it. Where terminal access is hidden (not that I can't Google for it) and I don't have any idea how to install my own Linux instead (because I like what I'm used to, and because I don't want my operating system to be HP-branded, and because I don't need to have terminal access hidden from me.)

THANKS A LOT GUYS.

YOU SUCK SO MUCH.

COME ON. HELLO KITTY STATIONERY. I TRIED.

(no subject)

Since I've been using Linux there have been only two things that completely flummoxed me to the point of giving up.

One was fixing whatever bug broke the sound in Mint 7, which I clearly could live without, having my iTunes on the other computer.

The other is this stupid stupid stupid MIE thing that HP put on to give you Linux-for-Dummies. I have consigned myself to the mercy of the forums, and if that doesn't work then at least I know how to make a bootable USB drive in Windows and I can avail myself of it the next time I'm at my sister's place. (You would think it would be possible to do it in Mac. I guess maybe, but I keep looking for instructions and not finding any that work.)

Why. Why can I not figure this out. Why do things have to be difficult.