Messing around with Linux

Had a day off today as I was sneezing all day long yesterday, got better this morning tho, so I spent time reading my Java cert book, still up to Chapter 2, man it’s so complicated.. currently learning declaration and access control, i just realised that I know little about Java’s features, I mean honestly when would I ever use these keywords in my programs: transcient, strictfp, synchronized, native etc2.. I only knew some of them exist after reading this book. But I am happy, I will learn heaps from this certification for sure, it does clear up some things that I am always confused with, things like private, protected, default access, they don’t get proper treatment on Java programming books (or I just never introduced properly by my lecturers).
Spending half day trying to get a game going in my Linux box. The game is called ballsmacker, it’s just a pool game. Like usual, i had to go through the process finding files and packages necessary for the game. In the process, i managed to learn a thing or two about urpmi, I am forced to use it, as I couldn’t find my Mandrake disk 1 anywhere. Urpmi allows you to add ftp sites that have Mandrake files/rpms to your list, so that when you need to update/install a package, you can just type urpmi packagename and it will search for it and download it and install it on your system, pretty cool huh? I’ve heard about this similar concept that makes Debian “cool” among geeks, well good thing that other distros followed Debian’s footsteps in providing easy ways for updating.
Anyway I still haven’t finished finding what I am looking for.. 🙁 Why does it have to be so complicated in Linux?