Everything is a Freaking DNS problem

I`m one of those guys that really doesn't like to agree with certain EULA's

While it's sad enough that Dell still fails to sell an Ubuntu based laptop in Belgium and claims they have to charge extra for removing the irrelevant software from Redmond hence trying to trick you into paying more money for freedom there are things you can work around easily, I won't be accepting the EULA that comes with those new boxen.

However back when I last installed a virtual instance of some software from Redmond one of my test Xen servers , I was presented with a screen that that urged me to press F8 in order to accept something I didn't want to accept.

Back then I just asked a friendly guy from the office next door , to come in and press that F8 button, he didn't mind.

But with with this new amazing technology, I don't even need to use the services of the windows admins anymore .. I can just call my cat onto the table and have her do the dirty work :)

The thing with a new laptop is that you have to transfer your data again and again and again .. and that you forget to install packages you installed once..

All the theory about large scale installs and reproducability isn't worth a dime on a tool you install stuff to on a daily base.

Anyone has a good recipe to manage his own workstation t?