Conclusions like what? That the then-latest linux did not support the then-latest HW is not a conclusion, but a _fact_.

> But characterizing the story above as "linux has driver problems" strikes me as something between superficial and disengenious.

It's disingenious to push back the problem onto the end-user. The "linux community" wants people to use Linux, so it's THEIR responsibility to make it work for the end-user. I don't care about the underlying reasons WHY it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

> But yeah, you can't always blindly throw the newest Linux at the newest hardware and expect it to work.

Well, the CPU + motherboard combo was straight recommended by Intel, and, at that time, I don't think there were any chipsets "supported" by Linux AND the CPU anyway. Should I have bought older-gen HW just to run Linux? Forget it.

> Free Software requires a a certain amount of taking responsibility for your own computing.

Indeed. Free Software is free only if your time is worth nothing. Thanks but no thanks.