Dpkg and apt-get reading database is really slow [fixed]

I've had problems many times with the "reading database" step in deb package based systems getting really slow. Today it took over 1,5 minute on a quad core machine with 4 gig ram, which is simply over the top for me.

Within 5 minutes of searching I found this:

http://antti-juhani.kaijanaho.fi/newblog/archives/521

So a total of 7 minutes later, it takes me less than 2 seconds to install small packages again. I should've found this earlier :-).

Migrating windows to virtualbox

I finally got rid of the last windows computer in our home. My laptop had a backup installation of Windows XP just in case I realized I had either forgotten something on that partition, or I realized I had some need I had forgotten. This partition has now been moved to virtualbox on my workstation via the http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows how-to.

Also, my wifes laptop running Windows Vista stopped working (again), and she had finally had enough of the problems that Windows installation has caused so she asked me to remove Windows Vista and install Ubuntu 9.04. The harddrive was also copied over to the workstation and I tried the same how-to as above, but it didn't work properly unfortunately, so I winded up just moving the harddrive inside my old Windows XP installation.

Once this is done, I'm planning to reduce the size of the harddrives. This is 220gig data at the moment, so it could be a good thing. I will try http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?p=572#p572 and see how it goes. Once that is done, I'm almost 100% free of all the problems we've had with Windows. The only windows I have left is the backups for emergencies.