I don't know if I would use the term arcane to describe the Linux file system. Fact is, once you understand that whichever partition you are installed on is always referred to as /, which is the root partition, then folders and files are referenced from the root, so paths generally start with /. In DOS and Windows, you start from the drive designation (normally), but both allow you to refer to the current drive when you don't specify. For instance, you could enter C:\WINNT\System32, or \WINNT\System32 (as long as you know that the current drive is the C: drive).
You only run into a problem when you seek to reference a partition other than the root one under Linux. Drive partitions are identified under /dev, meaning that they are listed in the dev folder on the root partition. It seems strange that all drive partitions are listed here, including the root partition itselt. In fact, if you were installed on the hda1 partition, what woiuld normally be the C: drive, you could reference that partition as either /, or as /dev/hda1/, which is sort of a circular reference.
And, as pointed out, because Ubuntu has the unique feature of identifying IDE and EIDE drives as SCSI devices, implying removable media, the content of its partitions are actually traced from entries in /media, and the drive designations are sd** instead of hd**.
Actually though, I have found that configuring a multi-drive, multi-partitioned PC for use with Windows is more difficult than doing the same thing under Linux. It's very easy to unintentionally cause Windows to change letter designations on partitions, and that is enough to render them unbootable. The Linux approach seems to be far more stable over time. In fact, it took extra steps with my configuration to make sure Windows would not flake out on me when I added my Linux partitions.
I still rely on Windows for many things, primarily for bulletin and newsletter work for my church, because I use Word and Picture It! 2002 software in their production, and the driver for my printer is another limiting factor, though it works pretty good with a different model's. But I am close to the point where I use Ubuntu for about half of everything else I do. It's easy enough to start VirtualBox and Win2kPro when I am ready to check my mail, and I find exploring Ubuntu to be both interesting and fun. You don't have get much experience before you feel at ease with a product as good as Ubuntu is proving to be. I've begun using OpenOffice, and it is proving itself useful, and hardly any more quirky than Microsoft Office is. That is not meant as an insult to either product, but I've found that there are tricks to be learned with both in different circumstances.
I recently updated my PureBasic software as well. There are a couple of new versions that have come out since I last had much to do with it. But once you have a license, updates are free. And of course it is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even the Amiga.
But, I guess I'm tired of programming. It takes a lot out of you, and I've come to a point where I would rather look for something already done than have to do it for myself again from scratch. Every once I awhile I think of some of the things that might be worth doing, such as using PowerBasic under Windows on folders and files on my EXT3 partitions, just to make sure everything works as expected. But I just can't work up any enthusiasm for something like that. So I might wait to see what others try and learn in that area.
