So I recommend to a friend with a hosed WinXP box to use the Ubuntu Live CD to grab their files before trying a factory restore. The jury is still deliberating on that call due to most likely non-Ubuntu issues with an external drive. We'll see when I get my 1 TB MyBook.

BUT I'm personally impressed with Intrepid Ibex (having basically switched to a Mac when I needed new hardware), with its new eye-candy typical of OSX and Vista. The only problem I intended to report was that the Live CD seems to cause my friend's Dell XPS 400 to continuously spin the optical drive and maybe the fan, giving the appearance of raping the system resources.

I check out the forum and find that Halo PC is now running on Ubuntu with WINE, (the last reason I personally have for keeping my WinXP around) -- the sole game/app I use on WinXP. So I figure, let me grab this Intrepid Ibex and see if I can get Halo PC running on Ubuntu too, as well as maybe the Halo Dedicated Server (unknown to me if this is yet possible).

So I let the Upgrade Manager get all the required updates to the existing 8.04 LTS. And I decline the recommended updates like to xine and I suspect other optional stuff I installed previously.

The upgrade to 8.10 looks like it's going fine.
I'd like to suggest that when the update (any update/upgrade) pauses for interactive input, that an audible tone/sound/voice message be given to alert the user.

So I say yes, please continue by installing gdm/Gnome/whatever. I come back periodically and notice that I now have the cool Intrepid Ibex desktop graphic. I use my mouse to continue answering interactive questions. Time to reboot...

Hey WTF? Intrepid Ibex doesn't want to recognize my keyboard or mouse?

Still not ready for prime time! Now I remember why I was going to stay with the LTS versions! Make sure you have time to muck with any update/upgrade!!! Damned eye-candy...damn you to heeeeelllllll!!!!!!

Hey, just so you know, I'm tired of most computers/operating systems/programs: MS Windows/Mac OSX/Linux; especially at update/upgrade/install/change something time.

So, assuming I devote some more of my time, how do I get my mouse and keyboard working (which worked from 4.10)? Maybe something to do with
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/810 X.Org Input Devices
I can't type.