Can any one please help me find a printer solution for the X85 lexmark printer. lex doesnt seem to have a linux driver. are there any compatables out there? can i force it to print in unformated text if needed with some raw commands. I have also been trying to find a dvd rpm with no luck. Win modem is junk too. doesnt really matter because it did happen to detect my Ethernet. Ive heard that realplayer has a compatible version for linux but i cant get it to install. I like the idea of haveing a secure system but at what price? is linux good for anything other than bash hacking? reading till my eyes dry up. please help me escape gates iron grip on comercial software. thanks, Fred

I feel your pain. Linux has come a long way - KDE/GNOME desktops keep getting better and big hitters like IBM and Oracle are involved on the server and developer fronts but Linux still needs some more repect from peripheral manufactures so there are more drivers available for smoother home use. I was surprised that Lexmark had a little Linux penguin on the box of my Z25 printer but didn't include the drivers on the CD! Sorry I can't help you with the X85 or winmodem. You may try e-mailing their support and ask what you could try just to get basic b&w text...? Or try redirecting standard output to your printer /dev? -*warning* I've never tried that and have no idea what it will do to the printer. For DVD playback have you checked out xinehq.de? They have links to places that provide RPMs. I've hardly used Realplayer but I know it's included with some distributions. I'm struggling to get dual monitors and video capture to work on my install... Good luck.