I do appreciate everyone trying to steer me right so that I can understand the deal with Linux and CentOS. A lot of fair points have been made, and I've got to think about it a bit. Some people seem to be saying I can do the things I want to do, it just takes some work. Some people say I should lower my expectations of Linux. I suppose it's a little of both. Manage my expectations and be prepared for things to not be so clear. We'll see if I can get this dvd-rip software to fly. If so, I may be over the worst of my conversion pains. Dave