Cutting a Hole… in a Plastic Model… (and Computer Woes)

“Old people do not understand computers!”

Who said that? If you answered “every youngster in creation” you are correct, sir.  Which is why, about six months ago (?) I scrapped Windows and moved to Linux. My Linux laptop runs Unbuntu and it is where I shoot my videos, edit my videos and do all my Youtube stuff.

Hence my feelings of horror when my editor of choice — Shotcut — suddenly began to freeze up at random, and then just freeze up, period. Just as I was about to break free to the green fields beyond and cruise the open meadows of video mastery, my cover was blown. I was revealed to be a person who not only couldn’t fix a linux program, I couldn’t tell you how the damn thing worked in the first place.

But fear not, says I. After a few moments of stark terror, followed by sobbing and nose blowing, followed by a nap, followed by apple pie fresh from a Wisconsin farm courtesy of my sister-in-law, I was ready to confront the monster again.

It appears (emphasis on “appears”) that I’ve accidentally installed TWO copies of Shotcut. One is fully and automatically updated and is ready, willing and able to help me to become a Youtube sensation, and the other is the one I use. It sits, rotting away from neglect, gradually crumpling under the weight of my endeavors as it struggles to do a job it cannot do without the much needed updates that are going to “you know who” — the nasty step-sister who sits in front of the TV munching apple pie while poor Cinderella does all the work.

So I shot Cinderella in the head and switched over to the proper install, and all was well. However, I am very much afraid to simply bury the doppleganger Cindy– since I have no idea what bizarre relationship may exist between the new, healthy installation and the old, diseased one that I foolishly created by accident, as a warped and corroded duplicate of the true original.

I may have slightly over-dramatized my situation. But I think I found the answer. If anyone has any other possible suggestions, feel free to share.

That is all…