I think I killed the Dell.

As is apparently usual with all Linux distributions, when it went out it went out with a blaze of glory.

Was playing with it just this morning, attempting to acquire the next update on one of my programs (Zim, as a matter of fact) and had finally found a repository that had it and had added it to my update manager. I got on the Synaptic package manager, downloaded it, installed it, no problem. Then the update manager (different program) comes up with the icon saying I've got updates waiting. This is usual. It does so every other day or so, usually no more than a bug fix or some incomprehensible thing known only to Ubuntu developers. Takes no more than 5 minutes at most. Woo. This time, however, it came up with 643 updates. 643. After picking up my jaw from the floor and exercising my entire Leet vocabulary by saying "WTF?!?", I trepidaciously hit "Install".

It did so, but was not able for whatever reason to install ALL the marked updates. I don't know why. It just didn't. And it took a couple of hours just to download everything. It seemed like every program on the computer updated.

I was really looking forward to that Open Arena update.

Then the computer froze.

It seemed a little hot, so I figured it was overheating a little from all that chewing threw package data. So I turned it off.

A few minutes later, I came back and turned it on again.

It hung about a milimeter into the progress bar for starting Ubuntu.

Then a few minutes later it comes up saying "initramfs" and won't accept any commands.

Okay, I think, I'll restore from the Ubuntu CD. Put it in the drive, rebooted.

It promptly didn't boot from the CD.

I had to come in here to Copernicus and look up how to get into the BIOS to change the boot order, thinking it wasn't set to boot from the CD.

Contradictory reports had it either as F2 or F12. I tried both. Neither worked. I can't get into the BIOS. I don't know how to do this with Grub, the Linux boot manager. All I get from Grub is the options to boot from the kernel with either normal or recovery mode, neither of which work.

So I have no options left.

Except either buying a new used laptop (there's a nice Compaq Evo at Affordable that I wouldn't mind having) or getting a new hard drive (also an attractive and far cheaper option) and starting over.

Until I get this resolved, I will be WITHOUT MY ENGADGET, EEESITE, UMPCPORTAL, ECOGEEK AND WRAITHBAIT FEEDS. So be advised and use appropriate caution when dealing with me. I am NOT a happy camper!

And damn it, I was really looking forward to that Open Arena update...