It still Hertz

I'm still walking funny after my weekend fling with Linux.  I've been wanting to try it for some time and have learned a bit so I took the plunge this weekend.  I got Mandrake 8.1 and proceeded to install on my 40 Gig Maxtor that also houses Win 98.  I let it partition the hard drive itself on the second unsucceful attempt at installation.  Third time I found that X-Windows couldn't talk to my generic monitor and Ge-Force 2MX with Generic driver. Both Recommended during install.  Finally got X-windows up after tweaking the resolution.  Don't know why that helped but it did.  When I put this computer together I was careful to avoid a Win-Modem due to the problems that that can cause.  I bought a HaM Modem, which I found out is little better.  All I had to do was to download a driver right? Wrong.  The only computers with Internet Access was windows based and I'm pretty sure that once downloaded the disk I would save it to would be unreadable due to file structure.  But to seal it off no one had drivers for the new kernal of linux (that I could find, I didn't look long 'cause I was gettin' pissed.  While messing around trying to get it working good Lilo was giving me grief and when Windows booted it set off my Bios antivirus for a bootsector virus (But not when loading Linux, any guesses?)  Then it completly crapped out and I couldn't even load failsafe.  I now decide to scrap it and move on.  Couldn't load harddrake to recify my partions due to no Linux, so after two hours of fighting with the installation program i fooled it into making one large Fat 32 partition and formating it so I could use Window  utilities on it and get one useable (I use the term loosely) OS loaded.  All in all my experience sucked and I'm sorry but I had to vent.  Linux has potential but d@mn it can be frustrating.  I don't know the command line commands and that would help I think.  Just want to know if anyone has some reassuring words or snide remarks?