I am going CRAZY.
I really really am.
A number of people in my department use LaTeX instead of Word for writing theses and articles. Partly because we use logic sometimes - and LaTeX handles logic better than Word. And partly because LaTeX looks PRETTY with its typesetting stuff.
So... I was persuaded to make the move to LaTeX.

FIRST PROBLEM: So, um, what do I need to do to download everything I need onto my computer so that I can get started???

Lots of complications here. You need different components, you see, and there are lots of versions of each component. So I get some kind of package installation, the 'everything you need to get started' kind. But... I forget precisely where I found the damn thing (took a while of googling to figure that out) and I forget precisely what distribution I have and what packages I have and what I said it should do with respect to putting directories here or there - tried to go with the defaults but don't remember anything beyond that.

SECOND PROBLEM: Finding a reasonable template to use to get started on my thesis. People are quite helpful there, I get templates from all over the place and figure enough (via google) to compile my own template THAT ACTUALLY TYPESETS OKAY!!! HURRAH!!! Took a %#@&#! while.

THIRD PROBLEM: Computer modern (the default font) is boring and kinda sorta ugly. So... MinionPro is the way to go. I started with visions of copy pasting the files into my font folder. But Noooooooooo that ain't gonna work. I wake up a little and realize this is going to be complicated... I CAN'T INSTALL THE %#@&#! THING.

Takes me a week before I realize that you need to install MnSymbol before you can install MinionPro. Well okay, so that is clearly stated once you know it. My bad.
Takes me another few days for me to figure out how to use terminal just enough to be able to login (sudo bash) and update the maps with texhash and another command that I forget so it installs the .sty file.

Only: THE %#@&#! THING CAN'T FIND THE .map AND IT TELLS ME TO PUT IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTORY. OKAY FINE - BUT WHERE MIGHT THAT BE?????

Instructions tell me to install it to .../texmf-local
Well that is all well and good BUT TEXMF-LOCAL IS A FOLDER THAT APPEARS IN A NUMBER OF PLACES AND WHICH ONE IN PARTICULAR IS THE ONE THAT I NEED TO INSTALL IT TO?
Oh. Its the one in usr/local/texmf-local directory you say.
WELL I DON'T HAVE A usr/local/texmf-local DIRECTORY.
I HAVE usr/local/share
And there isn't a texmf-local in there
I HAVE usr/local/texlive/2007 and while there is a texmf and texmf-dist and texmf-config etc etc etc in there there isn't a texmf-local directory
So WHERE SHOULD I PUT THE DAMNED FONT FILES??? SHOULD I CREATE A texmf-local directory myself and put it... WHERE?????

There are many many many many many instruction manuals on installing the fonts but all of them tell me to put in in a place I don't seem to have. THE DOCUMENTATION FILES IN MY %#@&#! DISTRIBUTION TELL ME TO PUT IT IN A DIRECTORY THAT I DO NOT HAVE. The instructions talk about 'putting things in this folder' and they talk about 'creating this folder' but they seem to think I'll have folders / directories that I DON'T HAVE. AND NOBODY WILL GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER AS TO WHERE THE DAMNED THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO.

So... I tried putting them in one place... And that didn't work. So... I deleted them from there and tried putting them in another place... And that didn't work. So... I deleted them from there and tried putting them in another place... And that didn't work. So I deleted them from there and decided to call it a day.

And so today I thought it might be quite nice if I could get my references sorted out. AND THERE ISN'T A %#@&#! APA STYLE TEMPLATE FOR BIBDESK. But its okay because I found one online. And there are instructions on how to install it. Problem is:

I DON'T HAVE THAT %#@&#! DIRECTORY.

Dammit.

~~~~~END RANT.

I think I'm gonna trash the whole thing and find a new distribution. One that makes some %#@&#! sense. If... Only there is such a thing....