Going to be One Of Those Days

[Roy S. Rapoport]

I'm currently working on testing an appliance.  The goal is to take nightly
builds of this appliance (which result in an ISO that installs a Linux plus
the appliance code) and install them in a VMWare box.  No problem so far.

Today I identified a desire to have my (real physical) box have two network
interface.  No problem -- ask the hardware folks for an ethernet card, take
down my box, open it, install the ethernet card next to the video card
(open PCI slot), boot box.

Hmm.  No video.  That's not good.

OK, move PCI Ethernet card to another slot.  Maybe there's some wonky
conflict.  

Hmm.  No video.  That's not good.

OK, take PCI Ethernet card out of box.  Maybe there's some REALLY wonky
conflict.

Hmm.  No video.  That's quite ungood.  Did I fry the video card?

Oh well.  Go to the hardware folks, request a replacement video card.
They're a little incredulous and, in fact, come over to install it for me.  

Hmm.  No video.  This is getting a little worse ...

So they take out one of the two RAM modules (which had just been
installed).  

Hmm.  No video.  Dear God, did I just lose this machine by installing an
ethernet card?

So they take out the _other_ RAM module and put the first one in.

At which point, watching them, I say "you know ... I think I'd like to
check the VGA cable connection to the back of the monitor just ... in ...
case."

Yeah.  It's like that.

-roy