CoachDANNY's Blog

Netbook Distraction

2009-03-10T09:27:00.006-05:00

I'm a bit perplexed by the whole 'netbook' thing (sorry Psion). A nine to 12 inch screen, compact keyboard -or worse, rearranged keyboard, and if it comes with Windows XP you get limited functionality. At the very least, the Dell Mini 9 below comes with Ubuntu

This eeePC below is running Ubuntu. You can get a good idea of how small it is

I just don't get the whole netbook thing. Ever since the first Windows CE Handheld computers came out (mine first was the Casio Cassiopia), I had one. I got pretty good at three finger typing, and wrote an entire operations manual on one.

When the HP version came out, I was in HPC heaven. The keyboard was a great improvement:

But those handhelds were compact, easy to carry around. I could keep mine in my pocket, or a little belt pouch. My Toy, as it came to be known, was always with me. These netbook things are almost big enough to be a regular laptop. Big enough to be just slighly too big to be portable.

I think people see the price tags on these things (usually under $400, and some close to $200), and think they can get by just fine with it. Some people like them, some return them -Linux or not.

Besides price, I think the other thing people like about these netbooks is battery life. I have a P3 Acer Travelmate with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS on it. I consider that my 'netbook' because it has a 4 hour battery life. My 2.8 Ghz HP is more powerful, but with the battery hold a 40 minute charge at best, it's more a desktop replacement. The travelmate is pretty light and thin enough, and the HP is heavy and bulky. Guess which one I use more?

As laptops come down in price, increase in battery life, and cellphones like the G1 and the iPhone increase functionality, these netbooks are not going to last.

2009 Predictions

2009-01-05T09:05:00.002-05:00

Let's start with the Tech Predictions:

Linux will just slightly overtake Mac OSX- Many people are choosing to keep their existing hardware. At the same time, many geeks are promoting Linux -especially Ubuntu- to help keep malware off the average users system. By the end of this year, Linux will just barely, even arguable, beat OSX.
Steve Jobs will quit Apple, sort of- He will leave his current position, but will remain on the board. This will cause a slight dip in Apple shares. But, when the announcement comes, so will a significant technology from Apple. Within less than 3 days, Apple shares will recover and increase slightly.
OSX will have a significant security problem.
Oracle will buy or form some sort of partnership with Red Hat. The shares of both will rise.
There will be a major security breach in the credit industry. One or more of the credit data sources will be greatly compromised.
Windows 7, if it comes out this year, will be a hit. Like Windows XP, there will probably be fewer choices, maybe even just one version. It will be the cheapest version of Windows so far.

National Predictions

I think most of us realize things are not going to be that good in the USA for awhile. It's easy to predict that mortgages will fail, foreclosures will happen, jobs will be lost, etc. I'll let the financial people deal with those. My national predictions will have to do with trends I see that we don't hear much about.

The publishing industry as we know it will falter- We're already seeing agents taking fewer submissions, and most don't even take fiction submissions at all anymore. Like Realtors, some have even changed jobs. One of the major brick-and-mortar stores, Borders and Barnes and Noble, or both, will go belly-up.
The discussion of the legalization of marijuana will greatly increase -anytime there is a downturn in the economy, there is an increase in crime and drug/alcohol use. As long as drugs are illegal, more crimes will be drug related, and they will be violent crimes. Usually the talk of crime in an economic downturn is toward gun control. I don't think the Obama administration is going to touch that discussion. The legalization of marijuana will be dicussed as a possible measure to prevent violent drug crime.
More people will began to suspect the 'bailout' money is not going toward any bailout for the businesses, banks, or people.
The security breech to the credit system will start a major change in the credit structure.

International:

China will start to speak up on some of the problems in the middle east and Islamic terrorists. Their problems with internal Islamic terrorism will become a major topic of discussion in the US.
The US and Mexico will enter into talks on a major economic transition between the two countries.
Toward the end of the year, a few people will find out where all the bailout money is actually going.

So, those are my predictions. At the end of the year, I'll review this post and see what came to pass.

Now is the time

2008-12-31T01:36:00.001-05:00

Now is the time,
Now is the best time,
Now is the best time of your life!
Life is a prize,
Live every minute
Open your eyes and watch how you win it

Yesterday's mem'ries may sparkle and gleam,
Tomorrow is still but a dream
Right here and now,
You've got it made,
The world's forward marching and you're in the parade!

Now is the time,
Now is the best time,
Be it a time of joy or strife,
There's so much to cheer for,
Be glad you're here for it's the best time of your life!

Sorry. Got a bit carried away with pre-1994 Carousel of Progress song lyrics.

While it may not seem like the best time to many, for 30 and younger there will be a lot of new opportunities ahead. I highly agree with consumer advocate Clark Howard; hard times and economic strife tend to push the creative flow and innovative abilities of Americans. If we can adapt to the changes to come, we can be in the best times of our lives.

Now, on with the show.

This post is about Now is the time for Free and Open Source Software. I know that's been said many times, and many people are saying that now. I'll give my reasons why now is the time, and how it can happen.

The popularity and use of Open Source solutions is gaining momentum in the non-geek market. OpenOffice.org is probably the primary path.
Most people did not know there were alternatives to Windows or OSX. With very usable Linux distro's out, even the almost-but-not-quite geek types are installing Ubuntu, Fedora, and OpenSuSE for people.
Windows XP isn't exactly easy to install, or re-install. Ubuntu is very easy to install from a LiveCD.
Windows Vista's horrible public reception. Whether or not it really deserved the bad publicity, it did happen. Apple's marketing campain against Vista worked. Vista itself was a turn-off, even for many geeks.
Windows XP, while it's still preferred by most consumers, is pretty much a sponge for malware. XP gets infected within three months. The scareware popups can get a new machine infected in one day.

There are two paths that can will bring Linux to the forefront

Re-Install XP and install Ubuntu for a Dual Boot Machine
IT people, in their spare time, will do a complete reinstallation for a very low price. The standard price for this service is $50. Don't over pay Geek Squad, so they can buy more VW Beetles and helicopters. Once a system has been compromised, it can't be trusted. Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs can tell you if you've been infected. Some malware can't be detected. If your machine is just getting too slow, it's time to do a reinstall.

When I do a reinstall for someone, I also setup a Dual Boot with Ubuntu. With StartUp-Manager (SUM) on Ubuntu, the preferred OS can be set to default boot. If I setup a computer for somone prone to malware infestation (porn sites, gambling sites, travel sites, and hair care sites), I make Ubuntu the default boot OS. I'll teach them how to use Ubuntu if needed, but most people take to it quickly -even without my help. I encourage them to use Ubuntu whenever they're surfing the internet, and to use Windows ONLY when they are doing something that just isn't available on Linux: Some sites that require Internet Explorer, people who use Quicken or another Windows only financial product, or they use other software that won't work on Linux. Some students need software for school that only works on Windows.

Over time, most of those people use Ubuntu far more than Windows. There are the occasional few that have difficulty with any change, and will stick to Windows only, and will need a reinstall every three to six months. I need to meet more of those people.

Trickle-Up tech
For the past thirty years, we've been in a trickle down economy. It has been argued that we need to move to (or back to) a trickle up economy. Linux has a chance to be a part of trickle up.

As a Free Geek volunteer, I know know how many thousands, if not millions, of usable computers are sitting unused in closets, attics, and garages. Most often, there was nothing wrong with those computer other than a malware problem. Or the person got a newer, faster system, and never bother to get rid of the older one. Getting hold of those computer, installing Linux on them, and giving them out to people who can't afford a new computer is part of what Free Geek is about. Those computers can be used by millions of people.

Small businesses can take advantage on second tier market too. The can greatly lower that IT and tech costs, and possible improve their security and up-time in the process.

Vendors Will Notice
As more computers are being used with Linux installed, hardware and software vendors will have to take notice. They already make hardware and software for Mac and OSX, and that is only a little more than 5% of the market. If we can get Linux to even 10%, vendors will have to respond.

While I prefer my OS to be Free and Open Source Software, I don't really care if a program I use is free or open source. If a program is good enough, like a movie or book, I don't mind pay for it at all. I'd feel a bit more secure with an Open Source package, but I'm not opposed to closed source programs. I'm GREATLY OPPOSED to closed source systems and programs being used in government -especially education and law enforcement. Let just say when it comes to that, my opposition borders on the extreme.

This can be done. Other than vacuuming lots of dust from older computers, it wouldn't really take much effort.

If the Matrix Ran on Windows

2008-11-18T08:54:00.004-05:00

Watch all the way to the end:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Personal Responsibility

2008-10-24T08:06:00.006-05:00

"Whatever happened to Personal Responsibility"? This is a term and question that gets thrown around a lot these days. People who accuse others of abdicating personal responsibility seem to avoid looking at their own life, and examining their own abdications.

So what did happen to Personal Responsibility?

In one word: CONVENIENCE. We now actually have a choice in the matter.

Physics and Personal Responsibility

One hundred years ago -or even just eighty years ago- we had no choice in personal responsibility. Just getting through daily life was a struggle. Very few, only the super rich, had a choice in how they went about daily life. I'm not talking about he major life decisions here. I mean simply tasks of living; waking up, getting to work, getting food, acquiring clothing, all that stuff. Those tasks are so freaking simply for us today, we don't give them much thought or consideration.

Modern conveniences have made life much easier. The clothes washer, dishwasher, microwave oven are examples of things in our home that make life easier. One hundred years ago, when we didn't have those things, getting those tasks done -washing clothes, washing dishes, cooking meals- required much more labor.

For example, in the USA we can go to the supermarket, pickup some chicken, get the shake n' bake pack, a box of rice, and have dinner done very quickly. To be absolutely convenient -we can go through drive through and pick it up. Sometimes buying food that way is actually cheaper!

In other parts of the world, if you want chicken for dinner, you get it two ways; go out in the backyard and catch one, or buy one at the street market. In both these instances, the chicken is still alive. Before you can cook chicken, you have to kill it. Cut it's head off, gut and pluck it, skin it if you like it that way, then cook it. Rice can be a wee bit easier to get, but not much.

In the modern world, especially in the USA, we've become addicted to convenience. The conservation of energy -and conservation of momentum- are laws of physics that greatly apply to all areas of life. Basically, an object as rest will tend to say at rest, unless an outside force is place on it. In the past, daily life was that outside force. Any organism will produce as little energy as possible to get a task done. This is a universal in all living organisms. We will produce only the required energy to get a task done. If we have the option to produce less energy, that is exactly what will happen. Every animal, every creature follows that law.

Ron Paul made an excellent point about health care: "We don't have a health care problem in America. We have a health problem." He is right. Humans are not made to move a little as we do. Our bodies are adapted for locomotion, for movement. But our cars do our moving for us. Our buses, planes, elevators, escalators. I'm convinced part of the rash of anxiety issues in our society is directly related to our lack of movement. That speculation probably comes from my observation of the effect in dogs. Just watch The Dog Whisperer, and you'll see what I mean.

In today's world, especially in the USA, you actually have to make a concerted effort to produce more energy than is required. This goes against the law of Conservation of Energy. We actually have go against the laws of nature and animal instinct to produce more effort than we have to! We actually have to try to lose excess body weight!! We actually have to go out of our way to walk more, bike to work, take the stairs, or almost any other daily movement decision.

This addiction to convenience extends to all areas of modern life. You see it in our daily impatience. I speculate that people were much more patient, out of necessity, before one hundred years ago. Because we have the ability to produce almost-instant results, we expect it. We live with convenience so much so, that we sometimes forget there is another choice. We actually forget to 'take personal responsibility'. The use of convenience is the abdication of Personal Responsibility. You've done it. You know you have. We all have, simply because the convenience is there.

Trial Lawyer, and Personal Responsibility
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
"Trial Lawyers are the cause of idiocy in America!"

It works like this:
Part of what's kept us alive as humans are critical thinking skills. Living off the land creates very well developed critical thinking skills -everything you do is critical. In today's world, you don't have to think anymore. Someone else has done it for you.

Someone stands too close to Niagara falls, and falls in. That's a completely natural event. No violence, just poor judgement skills. But, the Trial Lawyer was on his visit to Niagara too. Rushed over and immediately assumed representation, and made the surviving family wealthy. The Niagara park was sue beyond wits end, and new policies and procedures where put in place -along with taller rails. Since then, no one has gone over the falls.

Now, that story is fake, of course, but it kind of makes the point. People don't get to exercise the critical thinking skills of, "Don't get so friggin near that drop." Now imagine something like that, put in place everywhere you go. Our society does not get to exercise critical thinking skills. The necessary external force (from the law of conservation of momentum) is simply not there for us anymore. Natural selection simply isn't happening.

All because of trial lawyers.

In the Discovery Channel movie, "Alien Planet", biologist and animal behaviorist discussed the concept that the predatory instinct enables intelligence. No, I'm not talking about the lawyers. I'm talking about us. Our predatory instinct drives us to observe, plan, consider options, and take risks. Like muscle, that ability must be utilized and practiced, or it atrophies. We are no longer, as a society, using our predatory instinct or critical thinking skills because we aren't force to do so. The external forces that push us to use those skills are far less, to be virtually non-existent.

Now, the problem gets worse. We're currently in our second or third generation of people who haven't needed to use critical thinking skills. How can we expect someone to learn and use critical thinking skills if the necessary environment does not exist? How can we expect these people to teach their children those skills? How can we expect teachers who grew up in that environment to teach what they have never learned? Is it their fault they haven't acquired critical thinking skills? Remember the laws of the conversation of energy and momentum? People who expect personal responsibility to just arise out of nowhere in our society are doing the same as expecting a Dolphin to just flop up on land, and suddenly start walking. A Dolphin is able to use its innate abilities in the water, but not on land.

Until we live in a society where we have no choice but to learn and practice critical thinking skills, Personal Responsibility will not occur. To expect Personal Responsibility to be learned or practiced in an environment where it's not required, is futile. When the option exists where we don't have to use it, we won't. When we have to produce more effort, when we are forced to make more critical decisions, Personal Responsibility is the natural result of that environment.

Social Responsibility
The problem is compounded further by our current practice of Social Responsibility.

We're at such a population density that what happens in one part of the world has ripple effect, and we're all affected. Even small decisions can have a world wide impact. "A Computer on Every Desktop" started off as a small idea. That idea has literally changed the face of the earth.

When people are at a point where they cannot or will not take care of themselves, that effects us all. 'Cannot' and 'will not' are two very different occurrences, but the social effects are the same. If that occurrence increases, the effects can be disastrous. We are one of the few animals that have the ability to be altruistic. I've witness dogs and dolphins doing so, but for the same reasons we do; what benefits the pack (or society) benefits me.

We have a desire, even responsibility, to help our fellow man. We even do it with the knowledge that doing so helps ourselves. But has that intent created a society that produces sicker people, with less intelligence? Have the lawyers that got the big business to do our thinking for us created a society leading towards Idiocracy?

When you make a purchase, do you consider the entire chain that created that item? Take a stick of gum:

Where did the raw materials come from? How are those workers treated?
Where did the packaging materials come from? How are those chemicals going to affect the area?
How did the transportation of that item affect us? Is the truck driver paid well enough? How is that transportation decision affecting us all?
Do the ingredients in the gum compromise your health? Are you even aware if they do?

Entire books can and have been written on the chain of effect. But, to make a conscious decision, you have to be aware of the effects. Then again, who has time for that? It's far more convenient to just grab the stick of gum, and let others make those decisions for us. As consumers, we make social compromises everyday, especially where convenience is concerned. Those compromises also affect our Personal Responsibility.

We're not going to be able to wipe the social slate over, and start clean. That's impractical. It's also impractical to promote the idea of "going back to" anything. We don't travel back in time, yet. Our human experience is always forward in time. But how can we create a social environment the enables and increases critical thinking skills? How can we create a health system that helps created stronger, more disease resistant humans? Is it our social responsibility to produce a society that actually challenges, and even probably endangers, our posterity to make sure they retain and increase critical thinking skills?

As for me - I'm going to keep being a Personal Energy Conservationist.

Ginny Agility

2008-10-21T20:52:00.002-05:00

Ginny and I practicing agility. Actually, Ginny is the agile one:

Nice Little Laptop

2008-10-01T15:16:00.000-05:00

I recently acquired an Acer TravelMate 260 (really a 261xc) laptop. It's a Pentium III, came with 256 MB ram, and a 30 GB 4200rpm hard drive. The battery was shot. It didn't work at all. As I usually do when I acquire a piece of equipment, I did a few searches on it to find out what the perks and quirks were. There was some good news - it was reported to have a 4 hour battery life.

I installed Xubuntu on it. It worked okay, but not to the level of what I thought Xubuntu should give me. Speed wasn't very good at all. I wiped Xubuntu, and installed stock Ubuntu, just to see what would happen. Weirdly enough, stock Ubuntu ran faster. Much faster. I'm not sure what didn't work with Xubuntu, but I'm glad Ubuntu worked well. I'm now encouraged to make stock Ubuntu the regular Free Geek Central Florida install, no matter what the machine (except a Pentium II -those get UbuntuLite).

Battery life has always been more important that speed for me. I'm not a gamer, and if I was I'd use a desktop for my gaming. I use my laptop for internet, writing, and various wireless security practices. This laptop actually matched my needs better than my current laptop.

I purchased a faster 80 GB 5400 RPM, added 512 MB ram to it, and reinstalled Ubuntu. Processor throttling is there, not heavy command line work to get that going. Suspend and Hybernate just work. And, the battery life is crazy good. I've been on it for 3 hours, and yet to have it drop below 60%.

The computer has only two issues:

Occasionally, I have to eject and push the battery back in for the computer to start -without being plugged in. Not a big issue at all.
Full screen Youtube videos are choppy and jitter. Regular boxsize work fine. DVD's play good too. Just large screen Flash isn't that good. Might be because of the 8 MB video ram.

Tech Comparison: iPod Shuffle, HP iPAQ, and iPod Touch

2008-09-09T08:43:00.007-05:00

Two weeks, I acquired an iPod touch. I guess through the gifts of Karma, I get to experience the iPhone/iPod Touch phenomenon. So, I thought I'd do a slight review and comparison between the different devices I have.

iPod Shuffle

I chose the shuffle after reading several reviews, but one review in particular sold me (click here to read the review). This is one tuff little cookie of an MP3 player. I have the 1 GB model, and it holds about 5 audiobooks, and 10-15 more podcasts depending on their size.

What I like:

I love it's size. It's actually smaller than a Sweet'n'Low pack, thicker, but not much. The controls are simple.
I like that I can quickly start, stop, forward, and reverse.
The battery life on the iPod Shuffle is long enough that I haven't been able to leak it all the way down yet. I've gone a whole week without a recharge, playing it for a few hours a day.

What I don't like:

I don't like that I can't load on OGG files, WMA files, or other types.
Sometimes, when I connect the Shuffle to the desktop, it resets the bookmark on an audiobook or podcast, and I have to fastforward through the entire thing. Fastforward seems to go at 3 second forward jumps. Not very fast.
I don't like that I can't see what's playing. Occasionally, I'll have several episodes from one podcast show, and I can't tell which one I'm listening too. As a trade-off for the size, this is one that really doesn't bother me too much, but was a thought.

HP iPAQ rx3715

I've had my toy for almost 5 years. With the Rhinoskin aluminum cover, it's held up pretty well. Held up externally, at least. The biggest problem I'v

e had with the rx3715 is the earphone jack. I've sent it off to be repair once at a resonable cost, but it broke again a year later. The right earpiece is the only one that works. If I was really into music, I'd be upset. But since I listen to audiobooks and podcasts, it's that that big an issue.

What I like:

I like that Windows Mobile OS is somewhat like Windows. Close enough that most anyone would know where things are. Adding programs is actually easier on Windows Mobile than it use to be. With Windows CE, you had to add programs from your Windows desktop. With Windows Mobile, you can download programs wirelessly, and install them right from your device.
I like how many wireless hacking tools are available for Windows Mobile. I can use my toy for site surveys. Yeah...we'll call it that; Site Survey.
I like that I can download podcasts and audiobooks directly to the device.
I like that I can sit it on an infrared keyboard, and write.
Battery life is pretty good. As long as I don't use the wireless access too much, it lasts a long time.
I have a library of 15,000 ebooks in all kinds of different formats, and the rx3715 has programs available for all of them. I usually keep at least 500 ebooks on that toy at any time. Just because I can.
I like that I can download ebooks directly to the toy.
I can add podcasts or videocasts any time I want, as long as I'm wirelessly connected.
I can control all of the TV's, DVD players, and stereo's in our house with it. Very handy, especially when we've lost the original remote.

What I don't like:

I don't like the problems with the headphone jack. This seems to be a common defect on this model, as there are a few PocketPC vendors that has a specific service fix for the issue.
I could do without the whole stylus thing. I've gone through at least six.
It has the older 802.11b wireless card. Works, but weak.
It's a bit heavy and bulky. But, that's only in comparison to newer gadgets. In it's day, it was the best of the best.

iPod Touch First Gen

Let me start off by say; This type of interface is the future of how we will interact with a computer. For at least the next 5 years, the laptop will become less important, and devices like these will increase. Rapidly.

What I like:

The touch interface is awesome. Apple really got this right.
WiFi is fast.
Lots of applications.
Pretty much everything I do online can be done on this thing.
I can put almost all of my podcasts and audiobooks on this device.
I makes a good alarm clock
Except for Microsoft Reader books, most of the eBooks I have can be put on the device.
Battery life is pretty good. A bit better than the iPAQ.
I can be used as a wireless 'jumpdrive'. Yeah...that's right; wireless!

I'm going to stop there before I fall deeper into the Mac Cult. I've got to hold to my Penguinista mentality.

What I don't like:

It doesn't work with Linux. At least, not yet. But, I don't hold any confidence that apple will produce a version of iTunes for Linux.
No way to read Microsoft Reader ebooks, yet. This isn't a show stopper, but I'd still like to be able to read my 800 .lit ebooks on the iPod Touch
It's not an open platform. I'm curious how Google's Android will be. I'm waiting for that to come out before I decide to upgrade my phone.
No camera on the iPod Touch.
No capability of making video on either.
I can't control the TV's, DVD's, or stereo equipment.

Category Winners:

Versatility: iPAQ rx3715

Portability: iPod Shuffle

Useability: iPod Touch

Edit January 5, 2009: The Stanza app on the iPod Touch/iPhone with 2.2 update allows for some MS Reader .lit file to be used. Basically, all my .lit ebooks can now be read on the iPod Touch

Write Me In!

2008-08-28T15:19:00.003-05:00

Write Me In in November!

Citius, Altius, Fortius

2008-08-12T20:46:00.006-05:00

It's the Olympic motto. Faster, Higher, Stronger.

There is a distinction between gold medalist and Olympic Champions. I don't think there is a word for what the difference is. I did an earlier blog about one, my favorite Olympic moment - John Stephen Akhwari in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. For the purpose of this post, I think it bears repeating:

To this day, I tear up hearing those words. "...they sent me 5000 mile to finish the race."

Do you remember who won the marathon in 1968? They said it in the video. Even people who where in Mexico City for those games don't remember, but they remember John Stephen Akhwari. Akhwari, even though he came in last -with a broken leg, still beat 17 other competitors who didn't finish.

Citius, Altius, Fortius - Faster, Higher, Strong. I'll let you decide which it is.

Fly Like and Eagle

Another Olympic favorite story for me: Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards

Edwards, a ski jumper from the United Kingdom -the first Brit to do so. He trained with used or donated equipment, and was extremely short-sighted. His glasses and goggles usually fogged to such a degree while training, they were rendered useless.

On his jump in 1988 Calgary Olympics, Eddie came in last. But, he'd jumped his best, threw his hands up in victory on his landing, and the crowd roared for him:

From the Wikipedia Entry on Eddie The Eagle:
At the closing ceremony the president of the Games singled him out for his contribution: "At this Games some competitors have won gold, some have broken records and one has even flown like an eagle." At that moment, 100,000 people in the stadium roared 'Eddie! Eddie!'. It was the first time in the history of the games that an individual athlete had been mentioned in the closing speech.

The President of the IOC singled out the last place finisher, not the gold medal winner. Even ski jump fans will remember Eddie The Eagle before they remember who won that event. Who was the real Olympic Champion of the 1988 Ski Jump competition?

Citius, Altius, Fortius - I think Eddie's nickname implies which one.

Cool Runnings

Did the gold medal winner of the Bobsled event of the same 1988 Calgary games get a movie made about them? Does anyone even remember who won the event that year? Or, do most remember who showed up?

Jamaica stunned the world by showing up. And, they had a successful movie made about them.
Citius, Altius, Fortius

The Eel

Eric Moussambani, from Equatorial Guinea, had never seen an Olympic size pool till he walked into the venue in 2000 Sydney Olympics. He'd only started swimming eight months before the race, practicing in a hotel pool. Moussambani proudly represented his country, and had to do it by himself, in front of an Olympic crowd:

While the video above is done by a pair of comedians, the performance of Moussambani, while imperfect, is still very memorable.

The Gold Medal winner is not always the Olympic Champion.

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Linux Beauty

2008-07-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

Can you do this with Vista or OSX?

HTML class done, but not done with Valencia Community College

2008-07-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Taking the html class at school really helped. I think the pace of the online class was a bit much for the amount of material covered. I'm going to keep learning web publishing. Eventually, coding programs directly on an OS will be obsolete. Unless your program to run a warp drive, or hyperspace jump stuff. Don't even get me started on how bogus a transporter beam would be. Let's just say, I agree with Scott Adams.

Unfortunately, my days at Valencia Community College aren't quite done. Evidently there is one little 1 credit course I have to take to graduate, then move on to University of Central Florida. It's a 'job search' course. I hear it actually helps some people, especially with resume preparation. When I first heard I had to take one more course, I was really discouraged. I'm wanting to get to UCF, and get done with it. Move on. But, that irritation lasted a day, then I was fine with it.

I'm going to spend the next few months focused on studying for, taking the tests, and getting as many IT certifications as possible before December 31. I already have the A+ certification, so next:

Network+
Security+
Linux+

After that, I'll start on the MCSE stuff (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer). I'm loath to go there, but I need to (like I actually know what loath means).

HTML, XHTML, and CSS makes me angry

2008-07-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

After 20 minutes of homework

The Pace of Ubuntu

2008-07-12T00:14:00.000-05:00

Since Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Hardy Heron came out I've been receiving updates almost daily. No exaggeration. Daily. Not just system updates, but updates for different programs I have installed.

Microsoft does updates once a month, the second Tuesday of each month. And, they only update Microsoft software. Apple isn't much different.

Now, granted, much of the Open Source Software is in the alpha or beta stage, so frequent updates are expected. But Windows XP and Vista aren't really much different. Even after seven years, XP still feels like the beta version, and Vista is barely alpha. Sure, it works, but even after the service pack, there's STILL the file transfer problem.

In a recent article, Windows, OSX, and Ubuntu were compared for system and security update server 'up-time'. This was based on the servers being 'pinged' every 5 minutes. Windows won, with zero downtime. Mac came in second, and Ubuntu came in third with one day, five hours, and 45 minutes of downtime.

I have machines with Window, Mac OSX 10.5, and Ubuntu 8.04(.1). In the time between April 1st and June 30th, I received updates from Microsoft about six times. My install of OSX 10.5 is recent, but I've received two updates from Apple. It would take most of this blog to tell you how many updates I got from Ubuntu in that time. Not just to the system software, but individual program updates. Updates from Ubuntu come in almost daily still.

I'm wondering if Open Source Software is growing faster. I mean exponentially faster. It's quite possible. But, when I listened to the most recent episode of LugRadio (their last episode, evidently), it seems that big projects like OpenOffice.org have organizational problems that hold back progress (not just OO.o -they're an example). It seems the bigger the project, the slower the pace. Still OpenOffice.org is growing fast than MS Office. MS Office is still far ahead in functionality -or so I'm told. I've used only OpenOffice.org for over a year now. I've not experienced any functionality problems. I do admit to the most basic use of Office applications, so I'm not pushing the envelope there.

Maybe it's just my perspective -being that I watch things like this. It may take awhile for Open Source projects to match or best proprietary one, but I think it will happen sooner than most think. As more desktops and servers have Open Source installed on them, the momentum will be unstoppable. Until the asteroid comes, that is. Or Yellowstone blows. Or global warming melts everything. Or we trash everything, and Wall-E has to save us.

The Pickens Plan

2008-07-10T08:15:00.000-05:00

Which Operating System are you?

2008-07-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

Not sure I like how mine turned out:

Which OS are You?

The Website is Down

2008-07-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Introducing Baby Gavin

2008-06-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

This is baby Gavin, about 15 minutes after he was born. He was looking around at all of us.

I'm Voting Republican!

2008-06-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

Pretty fly for a white...computer

2008-06-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

If you're Apple user, consider this question carefully:
Would you still use Mac OS X if it could be installed on any type of PC?

I believe most people move to Apple because they were seduced by the pretty equipment. I'll give Apple that; they make good looking hardware. Others moved to Apple because they liked their iPod. The Mac vs PC commercials have been pretty successful at moving people to Mac.

Apple hardware is expensive. They usually go with the best stuff available at the time of manufacture, and make sure it runs on OS X. Price is the biggest obstacle for most people who'd like to buy a Mac. When money is tight, there's little choice when the laptop PC is $600, and the Mac is $1200. Yes, there is the Mac Mini. That does bring OS X closer to the masses, but the Mini hasn't been that great of a seller. I'd get one, but I'm me.

If you could go to Wal Mart, back in the electronics section, up to the software wall, get the recent upgrade to OS X (we'll call our imaginary version 10. 7.22.1 "Ferral Cat"), take it home and install it on your laptop or desktop PC, would you do it?

If so, why? Besides the malware issues with Windows, what other reason do you choose or prefer OS X over WindowsXP/Vista or Linux?

Knowing me, I'd rush to the Apple store, get me a brand spanking new Mac Book Pro, and have buyers remorse before I got to my car. I'd keep the computer, though. It's pretty.

Security or what?

2008-06-17T15:20:00.001-05:00

Best line I've heard in years:

"It's not a question of Security vs Privacy. It's a question of Liberty vs Control!"

Security Updates

2008-06-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

I'm of the mindset, "Once a system has been compromised, it can't be trusted." If I find malware on a computer, be it Windows, Mac, or Linux (unlikely for the last two), I complete wipe it (Dban), and reinstall the system. It's funny to me that people still call it, "reformat". We've passed the Windows 98 days, folks. If you try to simply clean the system with anti-virus/spyware/adware solutions, you can't be sure the problem is gone. Only by wiping and reinstalling can you be sure.

Wipe the hard drive:
Dban
Tutorial on using Dban: Iron Geek

Some information on reinstallation:
PC World - Step By Step, reinstall Windows
About.com - How to Reinstall Windows without losing your data
Chris Parillo - How to Reinstall OSX
Dartmouth - Reinstalling OSX

Reinstalling Ubuntu is about the same as the above information. You can install Ubuntu from the DesktopCD, or the Alternative Install CD. Free Geek Central Florida gives a copy of Dban and the Ubuntu DesktopCD with each FreekBox.

But, you then hit the problem of how the malware got there in the first place. Wipe/reinstall won't stop the problem from happening again. It might - if the original problem happened from a vulnerability that's been recently patched- but it will probably happen again.

Once you're wiped and reinstalled the system, don't forget to do ALL the system updates. This is especially important on Windows.

Most malware comes from manipulation the user in order to get to the system. Email attachments, malicious scripts on websites, malware imbedded in picture files, and 'cross site scripting' are just a drop in the bucket of social engineering. The hard part is to learning how the original problem happened.

If you're a home user, a simple wipe, reinstall, update will take care of most malware and vulnerabilities. But, if you're an organization with 5 or more users, that simple procedure won't be enough.

What will be enough depends on the size of your business, the importance of the data, and what you can afford. That is whole 'nuther book, not just a blog post.

Use the anti-virus/spyware/adware products and programs to detect if you have something. If you do, don't bother 'cleaning', 'quaranteening'. Just wipe and reinstall.

Free anti-malware resources:
ClamWin -This is what I use for Windows
ClamXav - ClamAV for Mac
ClamAV - for Linux/BSD

And don't keep your personal files on the same disk as your system. That's just asking for trouble.

Render Me This

2008-06-09T18:37:00.000-05:00

Last week, I listened to the recent episode of the The Linux Link Tech Show, with special guest Campbell Barton - Technical director of Big Buck Bunny. Big Buck Bunny is an animated short movie created using Blender, a free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License. Blender is an incredible program maintained by The Blender Foundation. And, like many open source programs, it's completely free. Blender also has a huge community, lots of free training information, and The Blender Institute behind it.

I was really impressed that Big Buck Bunny was created in less than a year, but a fairly small team. Campbell Barton gives a good insight into the process that helped create Big Buck Bunny, and how it pushed Blender to increase functionality.

When I first heard of Blender, I took it as an alternative to something like SolidWorks, or possibly even Pro Engineer, but I may have been wrong about that. Then again, I could be wrong about being wrong. Either way, Blender tends to be used more for content creation than solid model design and engineering.

Today on the Linux Today news feed, I saw this article about the creation of Helmer -a 24 core, 48 GB ram clustered machine using a Helmer filing cabinet from IKEA- for just $3500 in parts. Many companies offer rendering server farms to accomplish this tasks for unbelievable costs, but Helmer (and I hear Helmer II is almost complete) can be put together by almost anyone with a A+ certification. There's even pictures of the building process and documentation on the Helmer page. I wouldn't be surprised to see Helmer Servers showing up at IKEA stores soon. What appeals to me is that Helmer might make an incredible Ubuntu LTSP Server.

A small company could use just one of these (probably the Helmer II at 50 Teraflops!), or even two or three, to produce animated movies like Big Buck Bunny.

So, watch Big Buck Bunny here, then buy the DVD!

Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

Green Screen Space

2008-05-30T15:48:00.002-05:00

I now see the point of having multiple desktops, but I don't think multiple monitors are necessary. Here's my setup at work:

My home computer has only one CRT monitor. It used to be a 21" model. I decided to try a 19", and found 19" is perfect for me. 21" is just too big.

At work, I've also found that while I have two monitors displaying stuff. I really only use one at a time.

Since Beryl and Compiz/Compiz-Fusion came out, I didn't really see the usefulness of anything like the Desktop cube, wall, expose, all that eyecandy stuff. I sit now with new information. I'm going to flip-flop.

It's been claimed that having a second monitor brings up productity 20% in the average office. With the cube, a person has 4 "monitors". With enough memory, video graphics and such, using the cube is incredibly productive, and using the engery of only one monitor.

So, Compiz-Fusion is green software.
Cool.

Edubuntu Classroom installation

2008-05-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

Blogged about it on Free Geek Central Florida Blog. Pictures too:

http://freegeekcentralflorida.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26613431@N05/

An Almost Edubuntu Nightmare

2008-05-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Free Geek Central Florida will be installing the Edubuntu LTSP system in the Interventions Unlimited school. I'm looking forward to it.

But, last night, I was sweating it.

Wednesday or Thursday, a bunch of updates came through for Ubuntu. One of those was a security update for openssh. As usually, I installed all the updates. But, from experience I decided to test the server/client. I set up one of the clients, booted into the server, and all seemed well. At first.

The Ubuntu login screen appeared. I entered the user name, then the password. Then.....nothing. I just said, "Verifying Password. Please wait...." I did just that. I waited. And waited. And waited. No login happened.

By now, I was on the edge of a slight panic attack. Not of of my full blown freakouts that happen when all my patterns change at once, but a "Oh NO! I'm going to have to stay up all freakin night!" panics.

I quickly searched the Ubuntu Forums, and found a post with the same problem. There was no answer, so I bumped the question up by dittoing the problem for myself. Within 5-10 minutes, there was a reply and a solution, from someone in Melborne Australia. I followed the instructions, rebooted the server and the client, and the login worked.

Disaster and a sleepless night averted.

We'll be taking pictures of the installation. I'll post them here, and on the Free Geek Central Florida Blog.

Peer Reviewed Software

2008-05-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

Maybe Open Source Software isn't the term we should use anymore. When I say, "Open Source Software" to the average person, they reply with, "I have some band-aids, if you need them." Other times, people reply, "Shareware." I have to reply, "No. Shareware is so 1990's".

The term Open Source seems to give businesses the heebie-jeebies. I've heard one business person say, "I ain't using that commie crap. Give me good old capitalist stuff." I'm sure the Good-Ole-Boy network helped him get his job.

Open Source also seems to imply that the code base is just out in the wild. Available to anyone. I feel much more confident with Open Source, but if I took a look at the code, I'd have no idea what I was looking at.

When I worked in exercise research, the professors refused to even look at anything that wasn't Peer Reviewed. It also had to be independent of corporate involvement. Never mind that our checks had an exercise company's name on them, and not the University's.

The other day, I explained to someone that Linux was Peer Reviewed, while the code for Windows wasn't available for Peer Review. That made more sense to him that the term, Open Source. I also explained that Linux code was a meritocracy, while Windows wasn't. The best code made it into Linux, but whatever code was close to being ready made it to Windows.

While Linux is Open Source, I Peer Reviewed Software might be a better term. It implies that the code has been looked over -which it has- been reviewed by industry peers- which it has- and submitted for use -which it has.

I'd like some comments on this idea. Thanks.

Edubuntu Victory!

2008-05-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Since my Network+ class, I've been working on setting up an Edubuntu LTSP (Linux Terminal Service Project) classroom. The stumbling block was getting old Pentium II computers to PXE boot. Most of the older machines don't have a PXE option in the BIOS. I'd tried to use the rom-o-matic.net to make a bootable disk, but wasn't having any luck at all.

The new version of Edubuntu is different. Instead of Edubuntu being a completely different distribution, it's an add-on to a regular Ubuntu installation. To install an Edubuntu server or workstation, you install Ubuntu from the Alternate Install CD. If you want to create a server, you press F4 after selecting the language, and choose the "install LTSP" option.

The first Alternate Install CD I burned, I used the new Brasero disk burning utility. Everything seemed to checkout okay; MD5 checksum and disk integrity looked good. The installation when well until it had to install LTSP chroot. Each time it tried to install, it failed. After several more disk wipes and reinstallation, I tried burning another disk, this time using GnomeBaker -the utility I'm used to. On the next install attempt; success.

Free Geek Central Florida also recently got a donation of three enterprise level 24 port switches. I plugged one in, plugged the newly installed server up to it, and plugged my laptop to the switch. Netbooted my laptop by pressing F12 at boot, and it successfully booted in the the server.

I still had the problem of getting all the older computers to network boot. I surfed back to rom-o-matic.net. While looking through the list of individual Network Card drivers, I noticed a gPXE:all-drivers option. "Okay, that looks interesting." I downloaded the image, burned, and booted an older Pentium II up. It booted right into the Edubuntu server. I think this netboot image should be on the Edubuntu site.

So, this morning, I feel on top of the world.

Invictus

The next task is to install the classroom in the Interventions Unlimited center.

Ubuntu Story Dot Com

2008-05-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

UbuntuStory is a must see site:
http://www.ubuntustory.com/

Warriors of the Net

2008-05-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

A video of how packets work:

Users

2008-04-28T11:06:00.002-05:00

No...not stoners. Computer users.
In my IT classes, IT message boards, and other areas, I found that many IT people often blame users for computer problem. The infamous ID ten T error (IDIOT), or "the problem is between the computer chair and the keyboard". I disagree. Users aren't idiots, and they shouldn't need to speak binary to use a computer.

Windows is a excellent system. Yes, I actually said that. Windows is easy to use, easy to install software, and very user friendly. The problem I have isn't with Windows. I have a problem with Microsoft's business practices, especially those practices that led to a 95% market share (probably more, actually. I also have a problem with the code for Windows being closed source, and not just in the ethical sense. I feel safer when source code is 'peer reviewed', so-to-speak (or write). From what programmers tell me, much of the closed source software is closed, not just for business reasons, but because the code is so full of garbage the programmers would be embarrassed to let it out.

Windows is an excellent system because is easy to use. Between Ubuntu, Mac OSX, and Windows, Windows is probably the easiest. I'd say Ubuntu would be next, but I'm sure I'd get heat from the Maccult people, so I won't say that. I'll just think it. (Thinking) OSX is an excellent system, and also easy to use, but not as easy as Windows. Microsoft has invested a lot in research for usability, and it shows. With millions of computer users, usability feedback is readily available.

All the system copy each other's 'usability' ideas. Window managers, desktop layout, file managers, Graphical User Interfaces, etc. While some of the companies may like to think they have software patents on some of the ideas (like Microsoft and double-clicking the mouse) those patents will eventually fall when challenge. That, or the companies will realize that the USA's stupid patent laws are holding innovation back.

Mac OSX has some usability features that help users. Primarily, for most tasks, there is only one way to get something done. I call this the 'franchise' approach.

McDonald's tries to create all it's equipment so that you have to try to mess up. Ideally, everything at a McDonald's would be so easy to use, the user wouldn't need an education to perform the task. Mac OSX seems to follow this model, and for the most part it works well.

I use and recommend Ubuntu for two reason:

Of all the Linux distros, it's the most usable for the common person. I know the PCLinuxOS people will complain, but I'll remind them of one thing: PCLinuxOS is rpm based. Nuff said.
Ubuntu, like most Linux distro, give you the ability to lock-step usability like Mac OSX (with Gnome), or have incredible variety and choice like Windows (with KDE). Gnome provides choices too, but Gnome is easier to use for the average user.

The reality is; what we now know as the Graphical User Interface will change drastically in the next few year. Windows, Mac, and Linux will progress fast. Usability will increase also.

The difficulty of computers today is NOT the users fault.

Bohemian Rhapsody on Acoustic

2008-04-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've been a bit off the Tech and Linux stuff lately. Final Project, and Finals, don'tcha know:

Endeavour

2008-04-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

For years, I've told this story. I got the date and place wrong, but now I know the details. I got the words right, and to this day I can't repeat them without a tremor in my voice:

Drama

2008-04-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't tech relevant, and you've probably seen at least one of these videos, but I just like them:

WarGames: The Dead Code

2008-04-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

I'm actually looking forward to this:

Boon2

2008-04-08T11:02:00.001-05:00

Every so often I read complaints about how the Ubuntu name is spread too thin. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Gobuntu, Fluxbuntu, nUbuntu. There's a few more, but that's not the point.

Some people say it should be; Ubuntu Gnome Edition, Ubuntu KDE Edition, Ubuntu XFCE edition, Ubuntu Educational Edition, Ubuntu Server Edition. The server edition actually exists, but the others were already named above.

Okay, Ubuntu and Linux folks: BUNTU is the base name, if you didn't notice. So there's no need for that Ubuntu (insert favorite desktop) Edtion.

However, I propose changing the name to Boon2. We could have, OoBoon2, KooBoon2, ZooBoon2, EDooboon2. That way, people could have their base name. Then again, some would clamor for Boon2 Gnome Edition, Boon2 KDE Edition. You get my point. Freaking naming Nazis.

I don't really care how they name it.

Speaking of Naming
I understand the point of GNU/Linux, but like most others I refuse to say, "Ganew, slash, Linux." I don't say, "FreeBSD slash Darwin slash Aqua"when I mean OS X, or "EnTee plus Windows." The work done on GNU is a very important part of any GNU/Linux distro, but I prefer to call each by their own name.
Windows
OS X (Mac is the hardware)
S0laris
Ubuntu
Puppy Linux
Damn Small Linux
DesktopBSD

Those are ones I use. I don't go around explaining, "Ubuntu is a Linux distribution." I tell people, "I use Ubuntu on most of my computers", to which the usual response is, "What?" When I talk about Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, I don't bother explaining about Linux. Linux is the underbelly of those distribution.

Of those operating systems above, only Puppy and Damn Small have Linux actually in the name. If Linux is part of the name, then it should be called ____ Linux.

Most people who own a Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, or BMW don't care all those cars are assembled at the same plant in Belgium, and share some of the same frames. Most people don't care that almost all laptops come from three different plants, two in Taiwan, one in China. All they care is that the Operating System, car, or laptop works. Maybe they should care (I do), but they don't.

Most people don't know, and for them most part don't care, that alternatives to Windows and OSX actually exist. They don't even care most of them are free. But upcoming economic conditions may change that soon. When people don't have the extra money to spend on constantly upgrading to a newer, faster computer, systems like Ubuntu, Puppy Linux, and Damn Small Linux will be very important.

So, call your system whatever you want. I'm not a naming nazi.

Say Anything

2008-03-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

My feelings about working:

Thou Shalt Kinda-Sorta Covet

2008-03-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

At work, they gave me a 2.4 GHz Core2 Duo with 2 GB ram, 160 GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE graphics card, and a pair of 20" LCD Monitors. It has Windows XP Professional, fully updated, of course. It's nice:

At home, I have an older Dell GX260, upgraded the CPU from 1.8 GHz to 2.26 GHz, 1 GB ram, a 200 GB hard drive -dual boot Windows XP Professional and Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon, NVIDIA GeForce4 440 graphics card, and one really big and heavy 21" CRT monitor.

To be honest, I can tell only a wee bit of speed difference between the two. Some webpages load a bit quicker, but you have to really pay attention to notice. If I used Flight Simulator or Flight Gear, I'm sure I'd notice a difference. Otherwise, I don't really do much to tax my home system. Adding another gig to it might help with MS Virtual PC, but other than that, I have no need to upgrade.

A couple of weeks ago, a nice HP, 2.8 GHz, 160 GB hard drive came in. I was temped to change over to that one, especially since it could go to 4 GB of faster memory. That would be nice when working with multiple virtual machines. I played with different graphics cards in it, and had visions of sugarplums dancing on my screen.

A few days after f0ndling the HP, installing and testing Windows and Ubuntu Hardy on it, I realized the machine would work much better for the Edubuntu Classroom I'm working on. Especially since it can go to 4 GB of memory -something really important in Linux Terminal Services. I re-wiped the hard drive, and installed Edubuntu Server on it. I'll probably wipe it again and install Edubuntu Hardy on it, when it comes out in a month.

The upgraded Dell GX260 I have works just fine. Better than fine. It's not slow at all, has enough memory for what I need, and is extremely easy to work inside. Even my mammoth of an HP laptop (should be called 'portable desktop') works just fine. I have no need to get a new computer, or even take another donated one.

Maybe the commandment, "Thou shalt not covet...." should have been:
"Thou can covet for a short time, as long as you eventually come to realize you didn't really need or want what you were coveting."

It would be nice to have two big LCD monitors at my home computer, though.

The Advantage of No Money

2008-03-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

My new job is excellent. If you watch the IT crowd, it's like that, but at a University. In the last few days, I've:

Set up my workstation
Replaced 14 computers in a computer lab
Installed more memory in all 14 computers
Nuked the hard drives from the old 14 computers
Set up 3 iMac G5's

I did some more stuff, but that's what I remember so far. The time change has left me with sleep deprivation, and brain fog.

What's really cool is that everything I've been doing, I learned mostly from my experience with Free Geek. At school, I've learned the fine details of how and why things work, but Free Geek has provided a hands on experience that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else. In school, we had some hands on experience, but a lot of the learning environment is simulation. Some of the simulations (Samacademy, for instance) were not very good. Others, TestOut for instance, were very good, and very helpful. But simulations just don't provide you with enough problems to overcome in the real world. Free Geek provides you with almost every problem you can imagine.

Free Geek has also provided a major unexpected advantage over others in my field: I've had to learn how to do things cheap. I haven't had the advantage of money to spend on equipment. Maybe, I should rename it, Redneck Geek. Then again, I guess that would be redundant. In trying to make things work with no money, I've had to be very creative, very resourceful, and very patient. Luckily, I'm already a patient person, and Free Geek has helped me exercise that character trait.

Taking that to a University IT department can be a major plus. While others are use to having a budget to work with, I haven't had that luxury. Taking that mindset -frugal computing- to a business can be a major advantage, especially in an interview.

"I've collected, repaired, and rebuilt 50 or so computers. I've practice careful data destruction, and on occasion, consumer-level computer forensics. I've installed the system in those computers, delivered and installed them, and provided support for those computers. I've also set up a classroom network using terminal services. I've done that with absolutely no money or budget."

For a IT student trying to get a first job in the field, Free Geek is a major help.

Forbidden Fruit

2008-03-09T10:33:00.001-05:00

Last week, Nancy and I took some furniture to my stepson. On the way home, we stopped at The Mall at Millenia for dinner. I had a Giro. I like Giros (or, would it be Giri?). After that, we walked around so I could do my usually grumbling at all the over-consumers, so I could justifiy my lack of income. Anytime we go to the Millenia Mall, we stop by the Apple store.

(Image from Flickr - not me)

This is about how crowded the Apple store at the mall usually is. I've been to the mall a few times, and many of the other store may have few, if any, customers, Apple is always crowded. I'm willing to be they have people waiting at opening, and must do 'last call' a few times before closing at night.

It easy to see why Apple has such a cult status. Even I get drawn in to the beautiful machines. Deux ex machina. The sleek, smooth curves, wonderful lines....SEE! There it goes. The reality distortion field is real. I'm willing to be its alien technology.

Apple does make good equipment. Their OSX operating system isn't half bad either. Far better than Windows. They also have programs like Garage Band, iMovie, and other such iLife stuff that make content creation very easy. When it comes to content creation, OSX is way past the rest of the bunch. Even Microsoft programs seem to look and work better on OSX. Most people think they need MS Office, but NeoOffice works just fine, and writes in .doc format. OpenOffice.org should soon have a native aqua version for OSX.

Content creation is where the future of the internet is moving. Content for entertainment, news, and especially education. The easier it is for anyone to make content, the easier it will be to become an 'internet star'. Apple is making the path to internet stardom almost thoughtless. While businesses are moving to collaborative environments -where the emphasis on good hardware is greatly reduced- content creators will still need good hardware. For business, a thin client will do, but to record, edit, and publish an audio or video lecture on Quantum physics, you'll need high quality equipment. Even business will need good content creators. Apple is in the lead on content creation.

It always takes me great strength to walk out of the Apple store. Being an Ubuntu fan boy, it's still difficult to leave. Even while walking away, I hear myself saying things like, "Well, it is based on FreeBSD", and "There's lots of Open Source software for OSX", and "I could really use it for (insert rationalization here)", and other such nonsense. In reality, without the distortion field, I covet those beautiful machines.

Ubuntu Server

2008-03-05T00:32:00.000-05:00

I've acquired a copy of Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration:

I've picked out a rather beat-up machine to use for server practice. I've tried hacking it through by myself, but I get stuck trying to network it. I'm going to follow this book, and learn as much as I can this way.

Why Ubuntu Server? Why not Red Hat, SuSE, or at least CentOS?

I'm somewhat good at short term trend predictions, especially in technology. I think Ubuntu's mastery of desktop adoption will carry over to enterprise level server adoption. As Ubuntu desktop grows, the server will follow. While I don't think too many are going to abandon their Red Hat installations, I think many new servers will be set up with Ubuntu. So, this is a skill I need to learn. While I could do it in a virtual machine - VMware or Virtual Box- I'd rather set it up on dedicated hardware. I want to make it work in a real setting. While virtual machines are important for more things than I'm aware of right now, they still seem more like computers in Second Life.

By the time I learn what I'll need in Ubuntu Server, it will be a necessary skill for most IT people, especially ones that claim to know and use Linux. That, and I want to show Nancy that The Command Line isn't Cranium Command - a no-longer-used audio animatronic show at Epcot in the Wonders Of Life pavilion.

Edubuntu LTSP update

2008-03-03T23:10:00.000-05:00

We've run into a stumble. It seems most of the computers will not boot to the network. There is a selection in the BIOS to enable network boot, but without PXE, it's a no-go. So, I visited the Ubuntu LTSP documentation site, and found instructions for creating etherboot disks. Now we have to boot each computer from a Edubuntu LiveCd, find the type of Network Interface Card, look it up on ROM-o-matic, and create a CD or floppy boot disk to boot to the network.

An LTSP set up isn't easy. It will help keep older hardware in use, if we can get it to work right. This first setup we're doing will help us learn what to expect for the next network we create. Hopefully, the next setup will be easier.

New Job

2008-03-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, Nancy saw a job in the classifieds. An IT help desk position for UCF. I sent in my resume. Good thing I check my spam folder often. The response came there, instead of my inbox. I went in for an interview on Thursday. Panel style interview. In retrospect, I realized it was the first interview for me. First ever. They hired me.

I'll be working in IT, at a University! A University I'll be going to in the fall.

I was born a luck child. Times like this make me look for Frey over my shoulder.

I'm really curious what it was that led them to choose me. I'll ask in the next few week, and maybe post about it.

This job is about getting experience in the IT field. Free Geek has really helped with that, and I think it may have been a part of their choice in me. But this job will show me how things work in a large environment. I hope it will push my knowledge around a bit. Show me what I need to learn.

Shift Happens II

2008-02-26T21:34:00.001-05:00

My brother, Mark, sent me a link to the update:

So, go there:

http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/

The Future of Furniture

2008-02-25T12:17:00.001-05:00

Edubuntu Classroom Project

2008-02-21T20:38:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to take on a project. A person on FreeCycle.org Orlando group asked for computers for a new school. Interventions Unlimited works with children with learning or behavioral difficulties. Right now, most of their kids are autistic. I asked about the possibility of helping set up an Edubuntu LTSP (Linux Terminal Service Project) system for them. After listening to The Linux Link Tech Show podcast episode 217, I wanted to do an LTSP. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn how to set up that system. I'm taking Network+ right now, and asked Professor Brunick if my group could use this for their project. He agreed, adding it to a larger overall project for the class. I set up a single Edubuntu workstation for the school to try out, and see if they liked it. They liked it, and accepted the offer. Hey, who's not going to accept free.

I had most of the equipment we needed in Free Geek Central Florida storage, except an appropriate computer to be the LTSP server. As the Law of Reciprocity works, one came in that weekend.

A Linux Terminal Service setup requires only one computer to be the 'big boy'. The other computers can be older. For a general terminal type setup, only a 200 MHz with 32 mb ram is needed. For a good Edubuntu implementation, 400 MHz, 128 mb ram, and 2 mb video is recommended. The teachers server is the only one that needs to be a powerful computer. It doesn't need to be as powerful as todays computers, but it would help. The teachers computer dishes out everything to the 'thin client' computers. The client computers don't have a hard drive; they boot from the Edubuntu server. All the client needs is a processor, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a network card enable to boot the computer. Everything is run from the server/teachers computer, but shows up on the client computers. This type of setup enables many business and organizations to convert to Ubuntu/Edubuntu with very little setup costs. Most business could convert and use their current equipment for many more years. Sorry Windows. Okay, I'm not really sorry.

There a several ways to setup this system. The picture below is the one we choose for this set up:

Because this is a school, with kids, the system has to be able to filter internet content. Dansguardian is the primary content filter Linux uses. The Internet has to come through the server so it can filter bad things. You know. Things like stories about The Skull and Bones at Yale.

So, I brought the stuff to school:

Above, we're installing the Edubuntu system. The server is a Compaq 2 GHz Sempron, 512 mb ram, 164 GB hard drive. It would help to eventually boost the memory to 2 GB.

Here, we're booting one of the students laptop from the Edubuntu server. The laptop has only Windows on it. Being a Compaq, you can press F12 to boot from the network.

Once you have the system set up, any student can log in to their own log in name, and have their information at any of the terminals. Everything stays on the server hard drive. In the future, I want to figure out how the kids can log in to their system from home.

There are a few things that would make this system better:

A really good desktop/server. One that can have lots of ram
A NAS (Network Attached Storage) - something that can hold lots of files. Maybe a Drobo, with a Drobo Share.
A second server might help too.

I've added a wireless PCI card to the server. It might be easier to access the internet wirelessly, or is might be possible to get some of the terminals to boot from a wireless card. That would be a really big benefit to some schools and business.

If you'd like detailed information on the Edubuntu LTSP thing, checkout the online book:
https://wiki.edubuntu.org/HowToCookEdubuntu/Chapters

So, if any of my readers have had experience building and installing an Edubuntu LTSP system, please email me ( bodycoach2@hotmail.com ), or leave a comment.

Twitter

2008-02-12T00:56:00.000-05:00

I'm Web 2.0ing myself everywhere now. I've added Twitter to my web ammunition:
http://twitter.com/bodycoach2

It's kind of difficult to explain Twitter. If you use Facebook regularly, Twitter is like the Status Update. I can post a brief, quick update about myself, Free Geek, or anything I want to from almost anywhere. I figured out how to Twitter from my Pidgin instant messenger, and from my phone.

My Twitter feed on the blog will remain at the top right of the page -next to the latest blog entry. So, visit my blog frequently to see what new Linux adventure I'm having, what the dogs are doing, and the age old twitter question, "What am I doing now?"

I gotta get me one of these

2008-02-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

An RV for modern survival:

Link to the Unicat site:
http://www.unicatamericas.com/

Using my Pocket PC iPAQ with Ubuntu

2008-02-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

Notice I did not write 'syncing' Pocket PC with Ubuntu. I don't even bother syncing my iPAQ with Windows anymore, so I have no reason to sync anything. I don't use Outlook or Evolution. If there was a way to sync Pocket PC contacts and schedule with Yahoo Calendar and email, I'd probably use it, but I use that on my cell phone anyway.

I have to admit, I really like My Toy, as I call it. I've had this one a long time. I got a RhinoSkin case for it:

The case has really helped it take a beating. I've dropped it a few times, and the worst that happens is the SD card will pop out.

I don't use My Toy like most people use their PDA's. Mine is more of a tool. Here's what I use My Toy for:

Listening to audio books - one's I've either ripped myself, borrowed from someone else, or the one's I've downloaded from Audible.com. I don't really listen to music. I use GSPlayer from GreenSoftware. It plays MP3's, OGG, streaming audio and other files types I don't use. It has many more features than the standard Windows Media Player for Pocket PC. I highly recommend GSPLayer. I also use the Audible Player from Audible.com to play those files. Listening to audiofiles doesn't drain the battery as much as reading ebooks. The backlight goes off after a predetermined amount of time -I set mine for 2 minutes. Sometime, I'll do an audio-only battery time test.

Reading eBooks -
My primary reader is Microsoft Reader, mostly because I have a collection of 15,000 ebooks I acquired before I started using Linux. Many of them came from Baen Free Library and Blackmask Online (now called 'Munseys'). Even though it's proprietary, I still recommend MS Reader.

I also use Mobipocket Reader. Mobipocket is owned by Amazon. I've started a small collection from Manybooks.net, and they don't support MS Reader, but do support Mobipocket. Mobipocket is also an excellent reader. The best think I like about the Mobipocket reader is the ability to make it full-screen mode - something I've not been able to do with MS Reader.

Adobe Reader for Pocket PC - isn't the best option. The 'respin' of the text to Pocket PC size rarely works. When it does, even then the pages turn slow. I really wish this format was better supported -if that's possible- because so many things are saved and published in .pdf (Portable Document Format).

CHMReader.net - many books, including .pdf files, are converted to html help files. If you ever read a help file on Windows, you're looking at a chm formatted document. I've learned that I can find most of my textbooks online in chm format.

The main advantage to reading on a Pocket PC -or any digital device, for that matter, is the library. At any given time, I carry more than 500 eBooks in my pocket. Standing in line at the grocery store? Read a page or two.

Being able to change the font size or style is also helpful. As I grow older, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. But, with an eBook, I can instantly increase the size of the print. I've discovered this helps with comprehension too.

Another advantage of reading on the Pocket PC - Backlight. When your significant other turns the light off while your reading, you're backlight is still on. To cut glare, I turn the screen brightness down to almost-the-last setting. Saves on battery life too, which brings me to my last point about eBooks.

The primary disadvantage is battery life. Reading an ebook requires the backlight to be on. In normal settings -for me about midway- reading an ebook will drain the battery faster than listening to one. Not nearly as much as using WiFi on the iPAQ though. Usually, I can get about 12-15 hours of reading before I have to refuel it.

Taking Pictures - I use the onboard camera to take most of the pictures on My Flickr page. Since this is an older iPAQ model, the camera isn't as good as I'd like, and the video capture quality is barely workable. Nancy's Nokia phone take better pics indoors and in dimly lit rooms. I'd love a camera as good as the ones on an iPhone.

Surfing the net - Since My Toy has WiFi, I use it to get online.

Site Surveying - The program WiFiFoFum works much like Netstumbler, and works better than ministumbler, in my opinion. I can use this program for doing wireless site surveys. Okay, I use it for Wardriving and Warwalking too. I use the program WiFi Graph to do get signal level analysis. These tools really help when I'm putting a FreekBox in for a Free Geek candidate. I can quickly determine if there's a community or municipal wireless service available nearby. Of course, I can't stop the FreekBox recipient from borrowing their neighbors wireless signal, if they want. I do recommend that they ask, and offer to share in costs.

Since I use Yahoo calendar for my scheduling, email and contacts, I don't need to sync that with my Pocket PC. I've set Yahoo to text me for important appointments. I would eventually like to have my phone and pda in one complete package, but what I have is working just fine for now.

Using the iPAQ with Ubuntu is much easier to do than I thought it would be. I purchased a $12 multi-reader (compact flash, SD, xD, etc). From the day I started using the iPAQ, I've used the SD card to keep most of my information. I have most of the programs I use to automatically save to the SD card, or I save the file there myself if that option isn't available. I save newly installed programs to the onboard flash storage, and back the entire thing up to a second SD card. I've completely boinked the system a few times, and had to do a complete restore. Luckily, it takes less than five minutes.

Since I'm a writer, I use the Pocket PC to do much of my writing. Instead of saving in Pocket Word format or even .doc format, I simply save it as a .txt file. I usually get prompted with "You will lose any formatting," as though Pocket Word can do any real formatting. I can bold and italic things later. Once the file is saved on my SD, and can open it in OpenOffice.org, or in Gedit. If I ever forget to save in .txt format, OpenOffice.org actually opens a .pwd file. Older OpenOffice.org versions use to have it as a save option, but I guess they decided to drop that.

While I do miss having the Pocket PC Documents folder synchronize with the Mobile Documents folder in Windows, using the SD card actually works just as well. By keeping my files there, I can use it just like most people use a USB Thumb Drive. The advantage I have is that files transfer way faster using the SD card than through the Pocket PC link on Windows. It takes about 2-5 minutes to load a few podcast on the Pocket PC through the Windows link, but with the SD card it takes 2-5 seconds. Same with moving pictures.

I don't know if the current crop of iPAQ's and other Pocket PC devices have an SD or miniSD card, but I understand most of them have something like that. Even the Smartphones.

When Pocket PC's first came out, you had to have them connected to Windows to install applications. Now, many app writers create a package you can install directly on the Pocket PC. Almost all the apps above have a direct install package available.

Someday, when I have the guts, I'm going to try the Opie system for the iPAQ. I have a friend who's ported it for the rx3700 series, but not everything is working. It would be nice to be able to use Linux on it. I'll really have to do some thinking on it. I'd miss the eBook experience.

For now, I'll keep hacking away on Ubuntu and My Toy.

Am I a Socialist?

2008-02-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

I'm known for a few quotes. "I'm not lazy! I'm a Personal Energy Conservationist" is a favorite of my family and friends. But, another of my quotes, "I'm all for socialism, as long as the government isn't involved."

I'm involved with an organization that seeks to reuse, rebuild, and recycle something. If it can be rebuilt or reused, it's virtually free. Basically, we're promoting the sharing of a resource.

FreeCycle.org is an organization that seeks to keep items in use by sharing what you no longer need or want with someone who does need or want it. FreeCycle is how Free Geek acquires many of it's computers and computer parts. When Nancy and I put a stainless steel cooktop on FreeCycle, it took a few day, but someone came and got it. While we no longer wanted it, someone else was either able to use it, or recycle it.

We live in a world with a three tiered economy:

First Tier is brand new items that are purchased.
Second Tier is used items that are resold.
Third Tier is used items that are given away for reuse.

Ebay and Craigslist are good examples of Second Tier economy. FreeCycle and Freegan are examples of Third Tier ecomony.

More people are turning away from over-consumption, wasteful living, and avoiding earnings through ignoring abusive practices. Some people are discerning about what they invest in, even when it means a lower return. It's simple not worth it to those people to earn money if it means the company they invest in provides a good return partially due to abusive business practices.

Some people even seek to practice living making as little income as possible. Another one of my quotes; "I've found the best tax shelter there is - Make less money." In retrospect, I wasn't too far off-track. If you can live well with little money, why bother with the pursuit of a higher income? Once you realize you don't need or want more stuff, you can easily lower your tax burden.

Making less money doesn't mean you promote or are even able to live a lazy-ass lifestyle. Quite the contrary. Living with less money requires just as much work as making more money. The difference is that the work you do is completely for yourself, your family, or your community. The work and labor you do to live with less money increases your independence from a job, a boss, even the utility companies and the government. Your sweat equity goes toward your independence, not someone elses pocket.

Living such a lifestyle comes with a responsibility to share. To make such a lifestyle work, you have to realize you can't do it completely alone. Even animals know they survive best in packs, herds, schools or gaggles. It requires the help and sharing of resource from others who are working toward more personal independence. It requires sharing your efforts and resources with them. It really is true; the more you give, the more you get.

Non-profit organizations, and even underground sharing organizations are the largest growing part of the US economy. No government organization needed. It's becoming more evident that The path to financial independence doesn't mean increasing your income. It means needing less income.

Streetview, Anyone?

2008-01-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'll stick with Mapquest or Yahoo Maps.

Actually, I still like Google Maps best.

New Tools

2008-01-26T23:20:00.000-05:00

Neue Handwerkzeug.

Last Thursday, I went to University of Central Florida's Decision Days. You bring your transcripts, a check, and they can tell if you're in right there. I went to find out what I'd need to get in. As it turned out, I need just one more non IT class; German II. I took German I at Jacksonville State University in Alabama in 1983, but when I took German II at University of Georgia, I had to drop out of school during that semester, and never finished the class. So, I have to take to finish that requirement now.

Life is way different that it was in 1984. Back then, I had a text book to help me, and a few Berlitz Phrasebooks. We weren't allowed to copy the schools audio tapes, so I got no help there.

Now, in the matter of four hours, I was able to subscribe and download ten different German language study podcasts, 'preview' a full audio series, download free and 'previewed' software, bookmarked about fifteen German language teaching websites, and downloaded free German/English dictionaries for my Pocket PC. Since Thursday, I've gone through four lessons of the audio files, four lessons on the software, and practice some phrases with Nancy. I've got more files in my downloading hopper, and I'm about ready to use old business cards to label everything in the house.

Yeah. Life is different than it was in 1984. The accessibility to educational material is incredible. This is a big part of the reason I want to be involved with the delivery of educational content. By setting up kids with Edubuntu computers, I'm helping in a small way. If I can get many more of those machines out, I'll be helping in a large way.

Being an information junkie, this accessibility is intoxicating for me. Some would think it overwhelming. For me, it's like a kid in a candy store. I want it all.

And I Thought It's Cold In Florida

2008-01-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

This happened off the coast of Newfoundland.

Geek Reading

2008-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

I know it's hard to believe, but Geeks do indeed read. Not just web sites, tech manuals, and hacker instructions, but actual, honest-to-G~D fiction. That's right - Geek stories actually exist.

Geek Mafia
Right now, I'm reading Geek Mafia, by Rick Dakan:

Here's the blurb about the book:
Fired from a job he hated at a company he loved, videogame designer Paul Reynolds is drowning his sorrows in late-morning margaritas when he meets an alluring, pink-haired conwoman named Chloe. With her gang of techno-pirate friends, Chloe helps Paul not only take revenge on his former employers, but also extort a small fortune from them in the process. What more could a recently unemployed, over-worked videogame designer in Silicon Valley ask for?

I like Geek Mafia because the story uses actual technology hackers/crackers use. Anyone in Network Security should read Geek Mafia. The author's writing style needs practice and polish, but like I say, "A good story will beat poor style." Dakan's style isn't poor, by any means, but there are parts in the story where there's a bit too much telling instead of showing. But, the story of Geek Mafia is just plain good.

You can even download a free copy of Geek Mafia here. You can choose the format you want. If you click on the picture above, you can download the .pdf file of the book.

Here's Rick Dakan doing a talk about his book at PhreakNIC - a hacker convention:

And here's a link to the book on Amazon:

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
This book isn't available yet, but when Neil Gaiman recommends something, I listen:
"I'd recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I've read this year, and I'd want to get it into the hands of as many smart 13 year olds, male and female, as I can."

"Because I think it'll change lives. Because some kids, maybe just a few, won't be the same after they've read it. Maybe they'll change politically, maybe technologically. Maybe it'll just be the first book they loved or that spoke to their inner geek. Maybe they'll want to argue about it and disagree with it. Maybe they'll want to open their computer and see what's in there. I don't know. It made me want to be 13 again right now and reading it for the first time, and then go out and make the world better or stranger or odder. It's a wonderful, important book, in a way that renders its flaws pretty much meaningless."

Little Brother is about some hacker kids in San Francisco. Here's a blurb from Cory about the book:

"...hackers who declare war on the Department of Homeland Security. Every chapter has got a real-world how-to about why homeland security does not work, and how you can defeat it. And it talks about the math and computer science and information science behind the war on terrorism, the junk science behind the war on terrorism. But it's also meant to be an instruction kit for teaching kids to be culture jammers and technology jammers. I've been calling it Encyclopedia Brown meets The Anarchist Cookbook. My editor at Tor, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, called it Wikipedia Brown. So I just finished it, and finished the outline of book two. It's a two book series."

I've added a countdown button to the release of Little Brother on the right side of the page. I'm a Doctorow fan, not only in Cory's fiction but his activist efforts too. Here's a link to the Little Brother MySpace page:

The next book isn't a fiction, and I haven't read it yet. I highly intend too asap.
The Pirate's Dilemma - by Matt Mason
Here's a pretty cool presentation about the book:

| View | Upload your own

And here's a link to the book on Amazon. You can read through the first few pages:

I hope this book comes out with an audio version soon.

Read up, folks.

Alex 2.0 is here

2008-01-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

Baby Alex Khoury was released at 11:38pm Thursday, January 10, 2007. The new package seems very stable, with no evident bugs to report, and mostly no problems. Alex Khoury 2.0 does require A LOT of dependencies: Blankey 2007, libmilk 4.5, Diaper 8.0 -which seems to require several daily updates, and many other packages. Unfortunately, Baby Alex comes with no documentation. But, like Linux, Baby Alex has a HUGE community of volunteers to help with the information of experience with previous Baby releases. One interesting thing about Baby package releases: Each package seems to be specifically designed only for the new user. There are occasional, but rare duplicates sent, and some users will receive more than one baby package at time. With all the dependencies involved with Baby, more than one seems like a lot of work with dependencies, especially the Diaper dependency.

Actually, I'm not sure if this release of Baby Alex is 2.0. It could be 10.0, for all I know. I'll ask the project's namesake later. I am aware that the Alex project does have 3 major forks, but they all seem to cooperate quite well.

Congrats to the Baby Alex team. Well done.

KDE 4.0 is here

2008-01-11T17:39:00.000-05:00

KDE 4.0 is here, and it looks pretty good. On the lottalinuxlinks podcast #59, Dave Yates interviewed Rich Johnson, a contributor to Kubuntu. Since Kubuntu uses KDE, Rich has experience through the development cycle of KDE 4. Rich indicated that the average user should probably wait for KDE 4.1.

I'll probably load up one of the more powerful Free Geek computers up with Kubuntu when KDE4 is integrated, and see how it feels.

Jimmy ef'n Carter

2008-01-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

Now, I know Carter didn't write this, but it makes a bit too much freakin sense:

I Got What America Needs Right Here

Sometimes I'm a little stupid, maybe, a little slow in the head, so I'm wondering if you can help me get something straight....

Bug Reporting

2008-01-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

My friend, K.Mandla got called out on bug reporting. K responded, realizing that K should start doing more bug reporting, to 'give back to the community'. I admired K's response, and still reread K's post on bug reporting.

But, after listening to the recent Linux Action Show podcast (#69), I now question the person that challenged K on bug reporting.

I highly recommend listening to the show. The hosts make some good points on the responsibilities of who should be doing bug reporting. I hope this point gets discussed more throughout the year.

Still Not Getting It

2007-12-31T01:58:00.000-05:00

I'm sure it's mostly me, but I struggle to find the advantages of selling pre-loaded Linux machines. I'm glad there are companies that do; System76, ZaReason, Dell to name the one's I really know. But I struggle to see the advantage. I like the idea of promoting open source software, and open drivers for hardware -which I think all vendors would do well to go with- but where is the advantage of sell a pre-loaded Linux machine?

There are thousands of used and older computer that run Linux very well. If someone is really a stickler, many of them will run Windows XP just as well too. Vista's turned into more of a flop than a wow, so the need for super hardware is mostly a niche market; Gamers, Engineers, Graphic and animation specialist.

The only real benefit from the absolute newest hardware is battery life on a laptop. Other than that, a used computer is just as good as a new one. A Pentium 4 machine with a good graphics card feels just as fast as a Core Duo.

Maybe my old hardware fetish clouds my judgment. Maybe my over-consumer stance clouds my judgment too.

Someone please tell me: Why spend $1200 on a new computer, when a $300 spent on rebuilt older hardware is just as good?

Disclaimer: Even after all this rambling, I'd love to have a System76 Darter, topped out. Four hour battery life? Yeah, baby!

A Few Reviews

2007-12-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

In the last few days, I've set up a few VirtualBox systems. The idea is to install and use an OS well enough to get a good idea of it. As I try out a system, I focus on one primary principle- Ease of Use. I try to put myself in a frame of mind of a complete new computer user. It's not easy.
Here's my experiences so far:

CentOS

CentOS, short for Community enterprise Operating System, is a complete copy of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The difference is, other than community support, CentOS comes with no official support. Oracle produces a copy of Red Hat called Unbreakable Linux. Fedora is Red Hat's cutting edge future work, but Red Hat Enterprise is what is used in business.

I decided to load CentOS in a VirtualBox machine so I could go through some Red Hat tutorials. The installation and desktop reminded me of my first experience with Linux - Fedora Core 4. Other than being an RPM based distribution, CentOS is pretty good.

Many businesses use Red Hat Enterprise, or even CentOS, on their servers. I need to know how to use it in a business setting. From what I can tell, CentOS is an excellent way to learn how to use Red Hat Linux.

PCLinuxOS

PCLinuxOS is topping the distrowatch chart lately, so I decided to try it out and see why. Installing PCLinuxOS was fairly straight forward, but there were a few places where a new user unfamiliar with Linux might get confused. Just like Windows, it's easier to just go with the default settings.

PCLinuxOS is a KDE based distribution. There's a variant designed to look much like Windows XP/Vista, but it's not really supported by the forums.

Other than visual appeal, I didn't see anything really special about PCLinuxOS. I'm not sure why it's topping the Distrowatch list at the moment. It looks better than Ubuntu/Kubuntu, but the Ubuntu variants installation seems easier.

I'm not a KDE fan, so PCLinuxOS wouldn't be a primary choice for me. Don't get me wrong -I'm glad KDE offers a choice. Maybe KDE 4.0 will change my mind. But, for now, my desktop of choice is Gnome, and my distro of choice is Ubuntu.

gOS

I did a few reviews of gOS recently, but I wanted to comment a bit more on it. There have been some recent reviews of the Everex gPC, featuring gOS, and they were not raving reviews. gOS offers an excellent Ubuntu variant, but can be confusing for a completely new user. I still think gOS is a good option for millennium kids, but not for the average person. Everex would have done better to go with a straight forward version of Ubuntu.

Over the next year, I'm going to try out the top 20, and maybe a few more, Linux distros. I'll report on them as I experience each one. Unfortunately, a Virtual Computer doesn't give you the real information about a Linux installation. A true test would be to install and use it on a laptop.

Windows Security

2007-12-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that I may never have had a malware problem on my Windows partition. I used to figure that if I had Windows running longer than six months, it got malware. At least, that was my previous experience. But, that experience was based on running Windows only.

In the last 1 1/2 years since I installed my dual boot desktop, I used Windows for schoolwork, iTunes and Audible.com. I used Linux for everything else, especially random internet surfing. If I didn't have school, I'd wouldn't use Windows at all. I get it through school, as part of our materials for training. I rarely use Windows for surfing the internet, and I never went on myspace or facebook with it. Most of my mail was opened in Ubuntu, and unless I know who it's from, I don't open attachments. So, looking back, I rarely exposed Windows to potential malware.

Maybe most people who insist on using Windows should have a dual boot system. They could surf and email from Linux, and do whatever they need to for work or school in Windows. As more applications are available online, there will be less of a need for a particular operating system, be it Windows, Mac, or Linux. That's a whole 'nuther security issue itself, though.

Upgrades

2007-12-21T00:44:00.000-05:00

The Tinkering Monster got me. I did the upgrades on my desktop:

Graphics card- from 32 mb ATI to 128 mb Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440. -- I did this upgrade first. When I turned the computer back on, Windows came on, but obviously wasn't using the drivers. Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake didn't work with the Nvidia card. It could have, but I didn't bother to go through the xorg.conf file to fix it. I was already planning more upgrading anyway.
Pentium 4 processor from 1.8 GHz to 2.26 GHz - The major difference isn't necessarily the speed of the processor, rather the speed of the bus. From 400 MHz to 533 MHz. That is where the speed really comes from. Anyway, the computer worked right away. A good bit faster.
Dbanned the hard drive, reinstalled Windows and Ubuntu.

The reinstallation is something I've been wanting to do. I save all my personal data and setting to external hard drives, wiped the disk, then reinstalled my dual boot system. It's REALLY important to install Windows XP first. Not that you couldn't do it another way, but it makes setting up a dual boot much easier. I installed Windows, did all the updates, installed the anti-virus and anti-spyware, the defragged the disk and installed Ubuntu.

Here's the catch: Ubuntu to all of 2 hours to:

Install the system
Do the system updates
Enable all the repositories I want
Load all the software I want
Copy specific personal data to My Home folder.

Done. Actually, in slightly less than 2 hours. Windows, however, was another story.

The installation alone took almost 2 hours, and that was before the updates. 10 hours later, almost all the updates were finally done. I counted seven rounds of restarts. That should have been the justice departments punishment for Microsoft: to restart their entire business seven times a day. I eventually got most of what I need installed. Once again, I've learned what I use and what I don't use. 95% of the software I installed on the Windows side is open source. A few proprietary programs, but not many. I'll go without Microsoft Office as long as I can, and use OpenOffice.org exclusively. I would love to say that I use Open Source exclusively, but I'm in school for IT, so it's not an option just yet. I'd love to say that I use Ubuntu Linux exclusively, but I have to know how all the other Operating Systems work: Windowx XP/Vista, Mac OSX, Unix, Solaris, FreeBSD. Yes, I know the last four are basically the same thing. I have to know how to use them.

The main advantage to upgrading Ubuntu from 6.06.1 to 7.10 is being able to use the files in the Windows partition. Click on the disk, browse to the folder with the file I want, and use it. I don't even have to drag it to the Ubuntu side. And no extra packages to install to make that happen. 7.10 also comes with the latest packages/programs for Ubuntu.

The only real upgrade left that I really need is the ram. It's 1 GB right now, but 2 GB would work better for me. If I wasn't in school, I'd probably not bother, but many of my classes use Virtualization for learning and practice. For now, 1 GB is fine, but I'll probably have to upgrade the ram with my own money. If I get a job, that is.

I did decide to scavenge the Gateway box for this upgrade. The Gateway isn't dead though, not by a long shot. I had some extra processors, so I put in a 2.8 GHz Celeron in it, and the 32 mb ATI graphics card that was in my Dell to the the Gateway machine. Installed Ubuntu, and it's ready to go to a trusty volunteer. I just hope whoever gets the machine doesn't try to upgrade the ram.

What to do?

2007-12-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

The semester is over. The urge to tinker is overwhelming. I have plenty of machines to work on for Free Geek, but that's almost getting routine. A good routine:

Pickup or receive equipment
Wipe the hard drive(s)
Check and upgrade if necessary

BIOS
Memory
Graphics card

Load Ubuntu or Xubuntu as an OEM installation
Deliver to recipient or have them pick up

Usually deliver, since people who can't afford a computer usually can't afford a car.

Prepare for the inevitable onslaught of "Thanks You"s

Yep. A good routine.

The Gateway I recieved is a pretty good one, except for the RDRAM. Now RAMBUS is actually a really good technology, but the company messed themselves up on the licensing, so RAMBUS is just way too expensive. To upgrade the memory from 512 mb to 1 Gb would cost almost $500. Not practical at all. The only choice with a machine that uses RDRAM is to wait till other machines like that come it, and use those memory chips. For our purposes, RAMBUS is a show-stopper.

So, I've decided to scavenge the Gateway for parts. As I am the primary volunteer, I get first pick of best-of hardware. So, I'm going to try to use the parts from the Gateway to upgrade me Dell:

The Pentium 4 processor from 1.8 GHz to 2.26 GHz
The graphics card from 32 meg to 128 mg

Those would be the main upgrades. I would eventually want to upgrade the memory from 1 GB to 1.5 GB on too. I use my desktop for lots of projects using a virtual machine, so memory is important to me. When you have two virtualized servers going, and two virtualized desktops going, memory tends to forget.

The problem is: my desktop is working fine. It dual boots Windows XP and Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake. I set it up like that right after Dapper Drake came out, so it was around June 2006. I've been running that setup this long - probably the longest I've gone without doing a system reinstall. Every once in awhile, I'll scan my Windows installation with different tools for malware, but nothing comes up. I use the Ubuntu side to do 90% of my internet surfing or IMing. I use the Windows side mostly for school assignments that require Windows, so my Windows side is rarely exposed to the outside world.

Windows XP SP3 (service pack 3) is due out soon, and I hear good things about it -as far as security and speeding things up. Also, Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Herron will be an LTS release (Long Term Service, like Dapper Drake is) meaning 3 years support for the desktop. My original idea was to wait till both are available, and do the hardware upgrades and system reinstalls then. Part of the reason is that I don't look forward to the Windows installation. Getting the system installed, updated, and programs reinstalled and updated can take almost 48 hours -or more even. Getting everything setup and installed just like I want -including programs and desktop settings- in Ubuntu take two hours, three at the most. It would probably be shorter if I didn't walk the dogs during the install process.

There is also the possibility that if I wait till both of those are available, even better equipment donations will come through Free Geek, and I can use some of those. That, and while RAMBUS is expensive, it runs very well with just 512 mb. I could give the Gateway to a volunteer -provided they'd never need to upgrade the memory.

So, to my avid readers, what do you suggest?

Finals Are DONE!

2007-12-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

My first final -Advanced Network Security- took all of 7 minutes. 40 questions, multiple choice. Five seconds or more a question? Something like that. I got 100.

My second test -Introduction to Business- took even less time. I got to class -filled in the scan tron sheet with my name and school number- then the teacher took up the sheet from me and another girl, and said, "Thanks. You can go."
Now, when a teach does and says that, my instant assumption is that I've done something wrong. "Whad I'do? My book? I'll take it off the desk."
"No. You got an A," she replied.
The who's from Ukraine, and has been speaking English for only a few months, grabbed my arm and said, "Come on, let's go."
Clueless me is still going, "Huh?"
"Merry Christmas," the teacher said.
"Merry Christmas?" I replied, still clueless.
When we got out to the hall, Nelya told me what was going on. Evidently, she and I had above a 95 average, and were the only ones in the class who'd done all the work. We could have failed the final, and still gotten an A. Reward for effort.

My third final -Introduction to Network Security- was about as fast as the other test, except I missed two questions on Public Key Cryptography- Sender/Receiver keys and digital signatures and digital certificates. I get all those a bit confused. I'll get them ironed out eventually. Maybe a bit of practice with GNUPG (GNU Privacy Guard) will help.

I made a 95 on the Intro to Security, after I'd made a 100 on the Advanced Security. Go figure.

Today, I took my last final -Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure. I got a 97. The class uses SamAcademy by Course Technology. I don't like that product. TestOut is WAY better. Learnkey is somewhere in between. The final was completely practical, using the simulator environment in SamAcademy. Windows always you many ways to do the same thing, like close a window. You can click the X in the top right corner, click "File" and select close, or right click on the Window bar and select close. SamAcademy lets you do it only ONE way in their sim. Like Mac OSX, you have to do it THEIR way. The problem is you get use to doing it one way, and you reflexively do that way. Then you get the "INCORRECT ACTION". How Soviet. This time, I went back through all the simulations, wrote down everything step by step (in an OpenOffice.org file, of course- who uses paper?) and followed it in the test. I only missed one question -and I think it was sim error, not mine. But I got a 97 anyway, so I'm not complaining.

Even after all that, I consider my best achievement this semester to be getting our printer networked in Ubuntu. It's cool being able to print wireless from my laptop.

I've Been an Elitist!

2007-12-13T00:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's difficult to see when it's happening. In the USA, pretty much any purchase you make puts you in the category of an elitist. The massive overconsumption we do (and I'm just as guilty as anyone) would take six and 1/2 planets to sustain. We've gone past the point of abusing our resources to the point of running them dry.

What I never realized was the impact of actually using Windows. The exclusionary and elitist statement that even turning on a Windows machine says is pretty big. Bruce Byfield, a journalist and editor for the Open Source Technology Group, did a really good article on the subject in November 2006. I highly recommend reading it.

I have a Windows Server 2003 test due tomorrow. To quote the dinosaur in Toy Story, "Now I have guilt!"

Compiz

2007-12-06T23:43:00.000-05:00

Today, I received a donation of a Gateway tower, 2.26 Ghz, 512 mb RAMBUS ram, 40 gb hard drive @ 7200rpm, Nvidia GeForceMX 440 graphics (128mb). Except for the RAMBUS ram, it's a really nice machine. Rambus is actually an excellent and fast type of memory, but the company screwed themselves with a stupid licensing deal, and their memory is WAY too expensive. It would take $500 or more to take this computer up to 1 gb of memory, and it's not really necessary with the RAMBUS type of memory to do that.

This computer is the first I've had with a good enough graphics card to use Compiz-fusion - the desktop effects that comes with Ubuntu. I decided to enable the effects, install the effects manager and play a little.

Mac OSX and Vista got nuthin over compiz for desktop effects! Here's a demonstration of what the desktop effects can do:

While I like the effects, I probably would rarely use them myself.

Truecrypt is DONE!

2007-12-05T01:16:00.000-05:00

While I mean my presentation is done, it would be just as true to say, "Truecrypt is DONE" as an application. This is one incredible program.

I spent most of the end of last week watching Truecrypt tutorials, like this one on YouTube, or this one on Irongeek. The Irongeek one is especially informative. I spent most of Sunday and Monday actually practicing using Truecrypt. It's pretty easy to use, but to use it to it's full potential takes practice. I first learned about Truecrypt on Security Now! with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte, espisode #41. I highly recommend listening to it a few times if you intend on using Truecrypt.

If you have files that you don't want anyone else to see, use Truecrypt
If you use a laptop, and have sensative files on it, use Truecrypt
If you keep any files on a USB jumpdrive, use Truecrypt - even regular files can contain sensitive information that can be used against you
If you want to keep important records with your attorney, mother, best friend - make a CD with Truecrypt and have them keep it - just in case of fire, hurricane, or flood
If you work for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, and you're sending a CD with 7.25 million peoples ID's by courier service - use Truecrypt. And get a different courier service!
If you suspect your ex has hired private investigators to find out how much money you really have - use Truecyrpt.
If you finally have evidence that the Electoral College if fake - use Truecyrpt

I really can't say enough about how important a tool Truecrypt is, and how important the skilled use of Truecrypt can be for a company with sensitive information - even if that company is only one person. At the very least, watch the Irongeek video on Truecrypt.

The Linux version of Truecrypt is command-line based, and the Truecrypt people are working on a GUI for it. A Mac OSX version is suppose to be forth coming too. I'll play around with the command-line version over the holidays, and report back.

"Nuke it for Morbid"

2007-11-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

In working on my Data Destruction presentation, I wanted to use that quote from Aliens. On looking it up, I learned the real dialog is;
"...take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

I liked it better as "Nuke it for Morbid". Much more poetic.

Security Presentations

2007-11-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

In an inevitable twist of academic logic, I'm taking Introduction to Network Security and Advanced Network Security in the same semester. Evidently, the school will not be able to offer Advanced Network Security till next year, so they allowed some of us to take both classes. Luckily, Advanced Network Security was only slighty more advanced than the Introductory class. Both classes have presented new material for me, and tickled my interest. I can watch movies like Hackers or Live Free or Die Hard, and know what they're talking about, or being slightly inaccurate about. I now know just how much a problem home users of Windows XP have to deal with, and also how much they unknowingly contribute to the problems.

Next week, I have to do a presentation in both classes. It can't be the same presentation either. I'm keeping my presentations simple, and on things I'm interested in.

In the Introductory class, I'm doing my presentation on Data Destruction. Specifically, I'm presenting Darik's Boot and Nuke -Dban. Organizations like Free Geek have to present their Data Destruction Policy up front, so people can feel safe about turning over their hard drives to us. I've created a Virtual Machine to show the actual program, a slide presentation to present specific information, and I'll probably show this video at the end:

If I don't need to show the video, at least you got to see how Dban works. Dban is also helpful if you want to reinstall an operating system. Simply reformatting your hard drive isn't always good enough. If you had an infection from a virus, or got spyware, or hacked through a vulnerability, your system can no longer be trusted. Dban it, reinstall and rebuild the system. As they said in Aliens, "Nuke it for morbid."

In my Advanced class, I'm presenting Truecrypt - an open source data encryption program. Steve Gibson discussed details about Truecrypt in Episode 41 of Security Now Podcast. I highly recommend Security Now for anyone interested in Network Security. I don't understand about half of what they say at the time, but as I learn more I think to myself, "Oh yeah. I heard that on Security Now." I'm learning how to use Truecrypt, but with my complete openness philosophy, I don't really have a need for it. There is a Truecrypt for Linux, but I'll learn that over the holidays. Maybe you have some files you'd like to keep from prying eyes. My presentation will look something like this:

Through these Security Classes, I've learned the most from listening to podcasts. Here are the main ones I listen to:

Network Security Podcast

Mostly current events and news. My favorite segment is "C-Level"- used to be called, "Dealing with the Suits" - how to deal with management.

Security Now

Very detailed explanations of specific security topics. I think the first 50 or so should be mandatory listening for the Intro class.

Pauldotcom

News and current events with commentary and analysis. Authors of Wireless hacking books. These guys are pretty funny too.

Security Round Table

Martin McKay from Network Security Podcast host a discussion with people in the business. This is a really good podcast if your interested in working in the Network Security field.

I can't say any one of them is better than the other. I've learned something from each show and each episode I listened to.

Throughout these classes, I've had an occasional thought: I wonder what an Operating System designed by Smith and Wesson would look like.

Cooler

2007-11-23T18:56:00.000-05:00

After all this time working on computers, I have yet to replace a CPU cooling system. I've taken a few CPU's out, and have a few extra laying around, but I'd never replaced a CPU cooling system. Until this week.

We got in a nice 1.8 GHz Intel P4 machine. Each time I tried to wipe the hard drive, it froze. I replaced the memory, still the freeze happened. When I examined the machine again, I notice the CPU heat sink was loose. Not good. The heat couldn't conduct from the CPU to the sink. That was causing the freeze. I got out my thermal paste, and went for my first try at fixing it. I used the instructions from this video:

All went well till I tried to put the fan on the sink. The fan was what locked the sink to the motherboard. The fan and the sink just wouldn't stay seated. I looked again, and found the fan connector attached to the motherboard was broken. Luckily, I had a few of the same model in the Free Geek CPU/Heat sink and fan collection. I replaced the connector, and tried again. This time, it worked perfectly. Booted the computer up, and it was ready to go. Dbaned the hard drive, installed Ubuntu as OEM, and it's ready for it's new home.

Machines that we get in over 1 GHz go to volunteers. Volunteers basically get the best of the equipment. They can use use best of what comes in to upgrade their hardware. Machines under 1 GHz are absolutely free for FreekBox recipients. An 800 MHz machine with 256 mb ram and Xubuntu installed runs just fine. With 512 mb ram installed, it feels like a new machine. As long as the user has no mission-critical Windows applications they need to use, the machine is as good as anything on the shelf today. It might be a bit slower if you try to do any deep level photo work or video editing, but other than that, it's more than fast enough.

As a bonus for my efforts this week: I finally figured out how to network our printers. It was much easier than I though it would be. No more USB thumbdrive to print things.

Another Wireless Booster

2007-11-22T00:35:00.000-05:00

I found another site about creating a wireless antenna booster. I'm not sure if it's actually any better than the Windsurfer. It may be, but it looks harder to make. I can knock out a good Windsurfer in 5 minutes, and really boosts the signal strength. This one take a bit longer. Here's the link to the template:
http://www.techanvil.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/TechAnvil_WiFi_Booster.pdf

And here's the video of how to actually make the TechAnvil WiFi Booster:

My Fully-Installed gOS Review

2007-11-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

So I loaded gOS on a test machine:

1.0 GHz AMD
768 ram
20 GB HD
32 mb graphics card

The machine had trouble at first booting. I kept getting "Grub Error 15". I may have finally learned how to fix that issue. I checked the jumpers on the hard drive and sure enough they were set to "slave". After putting the jumper in the right place, it booted right up.

gOS is no faster than Ubuntu, but it's prettier. I found gOS to be about the same speed as Ubuntu, but a bit slower than Xubuntu on the same equipment. If speed is an issue, I'd recommend Xubuntu.

It uses Enlightenment e17 window manager. I'm not sure if I really like Enlightenment just yet. I'd have to use it a bit more. After looking over the Enlightenment home page, and the Download page, I see that Enlightenment has a connection to the Darwin project. Now I see why gOS seems close to Mac OSX.

gOS uses Ubuntu as it's underbelly, so everything was familiar for me. The little leaf in the lower left corner is the applications button - not unlike the Windows Start button on XP, or the Window button on Vista. But, the icons at the bottom of the desktop respond like Mac OSX dock icons. they can be resized to be smaller -which I did. Looked much better. Most of the Ubuntu programs are there, maybe in a few different application menu places. The settings and system menu took some getting use to. The close, minimize, and maximize buttons are in the same place as OSX in the window manager, and program windows. OpenOffice.org, GIMP, and the regularly installed Ubuntu apps are there along with the links to the Web 2.0 apps on the 'dock'.

If I were setting up a box for someone between 16-22, I'd probably use gOS. It's OSX like interface (thanks Darwin) will be familiar for some of them. The Web 2.0 links on the 'dock' are an extra bonus -Google, Blogger, FaceBook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Gmail, Skype, and others are just what most people in that age group uses. The people at gOS looked at 'what do people use' as the factor for what goes in the system. I'd add a link to Flickr myself.

If you're a kid putting together used computers, or putting a used computer together for a kid, gOS is probably the way to go. Personally, I'd wait till gOS 2.0 -If that's how they're going with their numbering scheme.

I really like the green them, though. Good touch.

The Wrong Direction?

2007-11-14T01:32:00.000-05:00

Wal Mart is now selling an Everex gPC. This computer is made with a mini ITX motherboard, much like what's found in a Mac Mini, but Everex put it in a bigger box. Seems people like big better. And, they use a specific version of Ubuntu called gOS.

I decided to download the gOS LiveCD and give it a try. After rebooting my computer, the "Start or Install gOS" options menu appeared. Same as ED/K/X/Ubuntu, including an OEM installation. I use the OEM installations for Free Geek Central Florida.

If you look close, the desktop seems to be Google-centric, and a bit OSX-like in the interface. The green leaf at the lower left is like a 'start' button on Windows, but the rest of the icons across the bottom work like the OSX doc. Checking out the menus, it seems gOS kept most of the programs that came with Ubuntu, so things like Pidgin and OpenOffice.org are there.

gOS is a pretty desktop. Simple to use, and has most of the stuff teens and college age kids use. It would be a excellent OS for a one of them.

Even though I was using the LiveCD version, and not installed to the hard drive, gOS seemed slower than Ubuntu on the LiveCD. I'll eventually install it to a hard drive to see what it's like, and I'll report back.

Overall, I like the look and feel of gOS and may even use it in some Free Geek Central Florida installations.

gOS has come to the forefront as it's the installed system on an Everex gPC sold at Wal Mart for under $200. From what I understand, the Everex gPC is only sold on the Wal Mart online store, and not in the Supercenters quite yet. ZaReason sells the Everex gPC too. Looking over the specifications of the gPC, it's not bad for the price.

The major advantage of the gPC is energy use. Supposed the machine averages just 2 watts of power consumption. I'm not sure what they mean by averages. It's possible that if I kept my computer off when I'm not using it, I might average 2 watts.

I'm glad to see another Linux distribution -especially a pretty one- and especially glad it's based on Ubuntu/Debian since I'm use to those. I'm glad they included the OEM installation in the options.

What I'm concerned about is what seems like a step backwards as far as hardware goes. I'm probably wrong on this, if their claims of energy consumption are correct. The VIA processor the gPC uses is a 1.5 GHz C7-D. The processor seems to really focus on performance per watt, and have a max of 20 watts of usage. With Linux, you don't need the latest superfast hardware to get your computer working well. And 512 MB ram is enough for most machines, and most people, so a computer like this is excellent.

What I'm concerned about is why I'm working on Free Geek here:

There are thousands of perfectly good computers pushed aside for upgrades.
Those computers are often just sitting in a closet, or worse, in a landfill.
There are computers that get discarded simply because one part stops working. It's sometimes cheaper to get a new computer, so people don't get repairs done.
In Florida alone, there is about 3-5 workable computers available for every man, woman and child living here.

Maybe having a computer like this, along with a restoration program like Free Geek is ideal, but I don't see it just yet. It seems we should focus on getting usable hardware into people's hands first, and use those for their lifecycle.

Everex is suppose to be coming out with a low cost, low power laptop with gOS installed pretty soon. That would be something that might be a good idea.

Flights of Nancy

2007-11-05T01:13:00.000-05:00

Nancy's book is AVAILABLE NOW!

Switch

2007-11-05T00:16:00.000-05:00

In the matter of 4 hours, I switched out Nancy's computer for a recent donation.

The old computer:

Compaq Presario 5004US
1.1 GHz AMD Athlon (I think)
1024 mb RAM
16 mb AGP graphics card

The New Computer

1.6 GHz AMD AthlonXP
1034 mb RAM
64 mb AGP Graphics card

I was using the Newer computer for 'access' at the other house, with the super wireless setup I did. The problem was the computer came with only 354 mb DDR memory. I finally got some more DDR memory, and could boost Nancy's computer up.

Now, the thing Linux can do that Windows simply can't is; take the hard drive out of a computer, put it in another computer, and work. With Windows, that just don't happen. At least, I've never seen it happen. When this happens to a hard drive with Windows on it, Window says, "Oh my G-d! What happened? Where am I? I don't know what to do. I'll just freak out now." If this happens to Linux, Linux says, "Oh, how interesting. I'm in a new place. Let's look around a bit. Different processor, we can use that. Different memory, no problem. Different graphics card, we'll get that to work after we've moved in." In the matter of 2 minutes, Ubuntu Linux had moved to another computer with no problem. I was even able to move the hard drive in the New computer to the Older computer with only a minor adjustment.

Yesterday, I helped a friend with his laptop. He had a Toshiba, Intel Celeron, 512 mb RAM, with Microsoft Vista installed. I asked myself, "Why would any company sell a computer with Vista with only 512 mb ram?" The thing ran like a slug. We could barely rescue his data, as Vista wouldn't burn a CD, or recognize the USB jumpdrive he had. After emailing himself the data to his gmail, we installed Ubuntu. Major difference. Much faster. Wireless works, and everything he needed installed automatically. The only problem I have to work on is an issue getting his sound to work.

I've come to the conclusion that Microsoft is paying major money to Adobe and Intuit to NOT produce any prominent Adobe program (Photoshop) or Intuit to produce Quickbooks for Linux. If that happen, Windows would have some serious problems.

If GIMP and GNUCash can get to the level of Photoshop and Quickbooks, small companies might be willing to make the switch.

Not Much

2007-11-03T22:09:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much lately, mostly because I haven't had much worth writing about. You already heard I dropped my HTML class. I have A's in all my other classes though. School is much less stressful now. I'm still learning HTML, though. I use the books I have, and some of the online tutorials I found.

We took the dogs to the Fleet Peeples Dog Park yesterday. They were so glad to get back there. Wore themselves completely out.

My Stepson is going to be a papa soon. Life comes at you fast. No parachute here.

The Free Geek Central Florida team is working hard to get the by-laws, articles of incorporation, and application for 501c3 status going. Lots of work. This is going to be my only volunteer organization I'll be working with for a few years. After all, I started it.

Oh, and Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard? Wait a bit. Some security issues to iron out. Cool functionality and effects, but some vulnerabilities. All systems have vulnerabities; Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix. Doesn't matter. If a hacker really wants in, they'll get in. That is, if there's something worth getting in for. And no, your personal bank account number isn't really worth it. Your banks bank account number? That's worth getting. Your bank's database? Yep. The database where you work? Probably.

Funny thing is; your biggest security problem is not your computer.

It's your garbage.

Dropped

2007-10-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

The HTML class got to me. Go figure. Not Advanced Security, or Windows Server, but HTML.

The problem for me was threefold:

The delivery of the material - The Thomson Course Technology books aren't the best, even though they are way too expensive. The delivery of the material in the HTML and XHTML course book isn't very well thought out.
The amount of the content - The amount of work the html class has to do is not really that bad, as long as you're not taking any other classes. Or working.
Transitions - The content literally goes from here's a header tag, here's a body tag, this is a paragraph tag. Now make a website with a floating image map. No exaggeration.

Basically, the class is okay, if you already know html. I'll take the class again next semester, but after I've already learned html. Then I won't have to learn AND do the work.

So, I dropped the class. Yeah, it bothers me. I can honestly say I gave it my all. Ask Nancy. It still bothers me. I wish I'd been able to keep up.

I can accept my limitations, but they still suck.

Gutsy So Far

2007-10-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

So, I'm liking Gutsy:

Wireless stuff just works. In Fiesty, five of the wireless gadgets I have wouldn't work. In Gutsy, they all work, but on the newer model Belkin PCI card, it works for about a minute, then you get the 'server not responding' messege in Firefox for every website. The card appears to be working, but no longer connecting. I intend on trying it again, in a different machine.
My Laptop fan spins much less. I'm guessing this has to do with power control
Laptop battery goes the distance, out-of-the-box! One hour is about the best this computer ever did with WindowsXP, and 1 hour 20 minutes is the best Feisty did with some CPU throttling. With Edgy, I only got 5 minutes, if that. With Gutsy, I still get one hour, but I don't have to do any funky throttling.
Screen fonts look better. I have no idea why. Others have noticed it too.
OpenOffice.org starts up way faster out-of-the-box. Sure, I can do somethings to get it to start faster on any distro, but why bother?
Pages seem to load faster in Firefox. I don't know if that's Ubuntu or Firefox's doing. I suspect Firefox.

Those are the primary things I've noticed.

Other things of note:
Openproj

Openproj is a Microsoft Project-like application, but for far less money. Free is far less money. They have a new .deb package installer on their download page, for Debian based Linux distros - which Ubuntu is one of. I installed it, and it works perfect.

Project Management is a skill I'll need to acquire. In fact, many people will need to acquire it in the future. One piece of software will not make you a good project manager, but having a free one to use will help. I highly recommend doing an iTunes -or other podcast client- search for project management, and learning as much as you can about it.

I have found a site I wish every computer user would view: Securitycartoon.com
Security cartoon teaches the average user why you need to do certain things to protect yourself and your information. The how will change over time, but the why is very important. Here's a sample about anti virus software:

Reproduced with permission. Please visit www.SecurityCartoon.com for more material

My Gutsy Laptop Power

2007-10-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I gave the battery a test run with a pure install of Gutsy -no throttling adjustments. I unplugged the cord, lowered the screen brightness, and surfed wireless. Other than the wireless adapter, nothing else pulled power. My laptop lasted one hour. Not almost one hour. It leasted one hour exactly! Down to the second. Who'da thunk?

Towards the end of the hour, I could tell the machine was getting slower, so some automatic throttling must have been going on. I could also tell the surfing was slower, but that could be lots of reasons.

My laptop lasted an 1 hour 20 minutes after doing some throttling adjustments with Feisty. I never tried Feisty straight-up on the battery, so I don't know how it would have worked. Edgy lasted all of 10 minutes.

I don't see any reason to hack at the power settings right now.

Suspend still doesn't work. I put the machine in suspend, and turn it back on to a blank screen, and responseless keyboard and touchpad. Hibernate works, but isn't any faster than shutting the machine completely down, and powering it back on. In fact, I think a full powerup is faster. The suspend functions may work on new laptops, though.

So far, Gutsy's got a thumbs up from me.

Gutsy Review

2007-10-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

So far, I've set up 4 different Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon installations. Here's my thoughts;

Desktop Setup

To save the servers, I used BitTorrent to download the Gutsy Desktop LiveCD. It actually came in really fast. I burned the disk, then tested it on a FreekBox Installation.

1.6 GHz AMD Athlon XP
384 mb ram - I'd like to have much more
20 GB 7200 rpm hard drive
32 mb Graphics Card

This was a good system to test. To my surprise, the Desktop version now includes an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) installation option, so I went that route. The disk booted to the desktop, and I thought, "I guess that part isn't working yet." But, when I clicked on the Install icon, within a few clicks I saw that I was indeed creating an OEM installation. I was really glad to see this. Now, setting up a new FreekBox for Free Geek is a little easier. It's much more graphical from the Desktop CD.

The installation when fine. But, it didn't recognize the Wireless Network Adapter I'd installed. Well, it recognized it, but it wasn't working. I plugged in the wired adapter, did the updates and added a few programs, and when I restarted, the system asked if I wanted to download the 'restricted drivers' to enable the wireless adapter. Duh! Within a few seconds it was working.

From this initial test, I was really happy with Gutsy. A few new tools I've yet to try out, but I'll report on those later.

My Laptop

2.8 GHz
964 mb ram
60 GB hd 4800 rpm
64 mb shared graphics memory

I was a bit apprehensive about installing Gutsy on my laptop, as it's my primary computer. I'd tested IE for Linux on the above system, and it worked fine, so I took the plunge.

First, I tried the "Upgrade Now" prompt from the Upgrade Manager. That didn't go too well, but I expected such. I'd made too many specific changes, and added too many independent repository sources.

Next, I followed the same installation method as the above Desktop, with disastrous results. The installation took almost 2 hours -not a good sign at all. When I finally booted up; the boot screen never showed, the graphics driver wasn't the right one, no sound, and the computer wouldn't shut down. Not Acceptable!

I downloaded, burned, and installed Gutsy again (after a good Dban on the machine) with an Alternate Install CD. This time - Gutsy Excellence! The installation was actually faster than before - less than 10 minutes to desktop.

I've yet to try out battery life, but I'm expecting that I'll still have to make the power adjustments on it. Bonus if I don't have to fiddle with that. The computer does seem much quieter than before. The fan only comes on occasionally now. Another bonus.

Xubuntu Installation

600 MHz Celeron
256 mb ram
15 gb hd - probably 4800 or less rpm
no clue on graphics

I used the Alternate Install CD. On old equipment, I don't bother with the LiveCD. Once again, everything worked perfectly. This version of Xubuntu actually looks more professional -less like a comic book. Not that I minded the comic book look before.

Evaluation

While the Live CD is good for trying out Ubuntu, I still highly recommend using the Alternate Install CD if you know for sure you want to use Ubuntu, either as the sole OS, or for dual boot. Maybe the LiveCD problems only applied to my specific laptop. Maybe not. Either way, I still recommend the Alternate Install CD. It way faster to install it that way, too.

From the end user perspective, Gutsy is simply an upgrade of some desktop things, and program updates. If I was an end user, I'd be a little upset. Couldn't these things simply be upgraded by the Update Manager, like they do throughout the life-cycle? Why should I risk a broken upgrade -like on my laptop- for newer programs?

Now, to answer my own questions, I know that each Ubuntu version is an entire newly created distribution, and not just an 'upgrade'. Things that are needed are added, and things that aren't needed are dropped. The latest kernel, the newest Gnome (or KDE, or XFCE), the newest file manager, and finally, the newest programs. And, of course, new artwork. For an average geek, the newest version is a must. The the average user, it's not. The average user will be just fine with Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake. After all, it's only a 1 year, 4 months older! Then again, things progress way fast in the Open Source world.

My conclusion: Use the Alternate Install CD.

Again on Education

2007-10-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

In this morning's Orlando Sentinel, I read an article on the success of Florida Virtual School. FLVS is a prime example of what I've been talking about; the future of education. "Any Time, Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace" is their motto. Click here to read the article in the Orlando Sentinel, and Click here to see the main page of Florida Virtual School.

I looked through their site, and noticed the system does not currently support Linux. I hope they will be able to support Linux soon. I'd love to work with this school to help bring hardware to kids and families who need it.

Attack of the Gibbons

2007-10-17T17:36:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is release tomorrow. It's probably released somewhere in the world already.

I'm tempted to upgrade immediately. But, I have some school work on here that I can't afford to get mangled in the process. I could backup those files on a seperate drive, do a fresh install, and reload the files. The big problem is that I need IE for linux (Internet Explorer for Linux) to work. My Windows Server 2003 coursework is through Course Technology, and it only works with Internet Explorer. I have it working on Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn, but I can't afford for it to 'break' in an upgrade. I'll have to wait and see.

I still recommend holding off on upgrading for a few weeks. Wait for the servers to calm down from the rush of requests. Watch the forum and see what the complaints are. If there are few, or you can live with the ones that do happen, slam the upgrade in. If you do decide to download the latest and greatest Ubuntu version, do the servers a favor and use BitTorrent to download it. It will probably be way faster anyway.

Audible Denied Me!

2007-10-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

I joined Audible.com a few months ago. The produce audiobooks for popular books. The audiobook sometimes makes it to Audible before the print edition makes it to the bookstores or Amazon.

Earlier this week, I applied to be an Audible Affiliate. They denied me. From the response, they denied me because my site is a blog, not a 'real site'. I sort-of understand. Audible has no control over what is put on a blog, and they might not want to be associated with some blog content. Understandable, but.....they still denied ME! Emperor Danny! ME!

I'm almost inclined to cancel my Audible membership. Almost.

Since they denied me affiliation, I put the Podiobook.com widget on the right side of the entries. My readers will remember that I'm a Podiobook fan. You can download Podiobooks for free, listen, and pay what you feel they're worth. When I actually make some money, I'll pay some to the authors I've listened to.

I make no money off the Podiobooks you download. No benefits, other than the links to some good, kinda-sorta free content. So, checkout the Podiobook links, or go to Podiobooks.com and look through the library. You can even listen to a preview on each audiobook's site. If you like it, you can use iTunes to subscribe, or if you're a Linux user, Rhythmbox, Amarok, or Songbird to subscribe.

Enjoy!

Too Many Versions?

2007-10-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

One of the complaints I read about Linux is how many different versions/distributions there are. There are currently 12 or more versions of Windows (including XP, all the versions of Vista, Server2003, media center, Server2008), about 5 currently used versions of Mac OSX (10.x), but with Linux, there are untold, vast numbers of versions. If you're really into it, you can even throw your own version together.

Now, Mac OSX is build on FreeBSD, but a slightly older version of FreeBSD. So should I count Mac in with all the BSD versions out there? PCBSD (based on FreeBSD), NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD. Most BSD's are text base, but you can put a desktop environment on any of them. Like Linux, Gnome and KDE are popular. Oh, wait, there's that whole Sun Solaris thing (Unix/BSD type of thing). Should I include that in the BSD's?

Then there's Linux.

While they like to tell us there's hundreds, if not thousands of version, I really only see four:

Gnome - Mac-like desktop, Windows-like in use. Easier to use, simple.

KDE - Windows-like desktop, Mac-like in use. Lots of options, and very flexible.

Lean Desktops; XFCE, Fluxbox, OpenBox, IceWM, and others - simply and sometimes familiar layouts

Pure text base - Sys Admin favorite. Very frugal, but very powerful

All the Linux distros fall into those categories. And for the most part, all the the BSD's fall in those categories too, except Mac OSX. Sun Solaris uses their customized version of Gnome.

So far, I've used most of the above. If you read this blog much, or just look around on it a bit, you'll know what I like to use. My current 'other favorite' is Damn Small Linux. Puppy Linux would run neck and neck with it -the two trading leads for my second favorite. I guess you could count Fedora as my third, but I haven't used it in awhile, so I'm sure there are better things out there now.

I think this is something Apple really got right - one OS. While I like having choices and options, Apple made it really easy by sticking to one OS. No matter what Mac you get, it's still the current version of Mac OSX.

Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon

2007-10-09T00:42:00.001-05:00

How good is the Windsurfer?

2007-10-09T00:08:00.000-05:00

Here's how well it works:

Nuff said. Download the template, and build a few.

Don't forget to checkout MY STORE.

My Stores

2007-10-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

If you've seen my main CoachDANNY.net site lately, you may have noticed more changes. Beside my CafePress.com apparel store, I now have an Amazon aStore.

I've always liked Amazon.com. I go to Borders, Barnes and Noble, or the library to see what new books are available. If I want one to keep, I buy it on Amazon. I bought the Head First HTML book on Amazon for far less than the store. I choose the Super Saver Shipping option -a good idea since I don't have much money- but the book came in only 4 days anyway. Bonus.

My aStore contains things I already have, or would like to have. There's a Tech section, Fitness and Lifestyle section, and SciFi section so far. As you can imagine, my Tech section has a bunch of Linux related stuff. I'll add more sections and stuff as I go. If you usually use Amazon, check and see if I have it on my site first. That way, I might make a buck or two. If you're into something I'm into, like home fitness training, check my fitness section. I'll grow the aStore more over time. My main focus here is really to give voice to things I like, recommend them, and possible make some money for tuition and such.

Since I really like Audible, I'm going to join their affiliate program too. I post audiobooks I have, and one's I'd like to have. If you have an audible account, or thinking about getting one, you might like the audiobooks I like.

Okay, personal commercial over. Yoga time.

HTML kickin my Ass

2007-10-06T22:52:00.000-05:00

When I signed up for my classes this semester, I was most nervous about the Introduction to Business, and Windows Server 2003 classes. Turns out those weren't the ones to be concerned with. The HTML class is more difficult than Organic Chemistry was the first time I was in college. This HTML class is why I haven't blogged in awhile. For every hour I spend studying for the other classes, I spend at least 4-5 hours on the html class, and I'm still struggling.

I dislike putting the blame on someone or something else, but the textbook for this class is one of the worst I've looked through. I highly DO NOT recommend it. I DO recommend Head First HTML. I purchased it off Amazon, and what a difference. The Head First series uses every means possible to help you learn a subject, not just throw the material at you, and see what sticks.

The teacher for my html class is very helpful. I'm not blaming him at all. Part of it is me, and my learning issues. When I'm struggling with a subject like this, the only way for me to really learn it is through a Brute Force learning technique, sometimes called over-learning. In his book, "How to Learn Any Foreign Language", Barry Farber emphasizes a multi prong attack. I used it to help with language learning. In this method, you use whatever you can to learn; books, tapes, CD's, software, videos, etc. This is exactly what I've done with this html class. I've downloaded, borrowed, and purchased as much material as I can get a hold of on the subject of html and xhtml.

I'm not too upset about the class, just a bit stressed. When I've had difficulty with a subject in the past, I set to overlearning it so well that it became a strength. Since collaborative workspaces and online educational content is something I want to go into, this is an important step for me. That, and I want to keep my GPA for better possibilities for scholarship money.

You may have noticed some changes to my blog. The text is different; was Times New Roman, now Verdana. The color is a bit darker (darkkhaki), and the links are different colors. That's partly from me playing and learning html. I'm also trying to keep a consistent look through all my linked sites from the main CoachDANNY.net site. I even updated the colors on my YouTube.com channel. I liked the original color of the blog better, actually, but I need to figure out how to use it in all the pages. I wish Flickr would enable different color schemes, but it's not really that important.

I'm looking forward to Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon, coming out on October 18th. I've loaded the beta on a FreekBox. It looks good and works very well. It actually feels faster than previous version. Many new tools, too. I don't recommend an update on the 18th though. I'd wait about a month, at least. Let all the users find and fix the bugs first.

Networkmanager Applet in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn

2007-09-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

I did a screencast. Let me know what you think:

More on Windsurfer Antenna

2007-09-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

Most of the hits to my blog seem to come from searches about the Windsurfer Antenna booster for wireless antennas. People gravitate toward those posts. I have to admit I'm a big fan of the Windsurfer Antenna. It makes a tremendous difference in distance and signal quality on my router. When I add it to a desktop pc, the pc is able to pick up many nearby signals in the neighborhood. If I use the Hawking Technologies signal booster, it triples the signals strength, and even more access points show up. Here's a little video I found on making the antenna:

Free* WIFI Booster - The funniest videos are a click away

So far, that video has done the best instruction job. I followed the advice on the video, and used a glue stick. Makes a big difference. I do a few things different:

I make the entire thing before I put the foil on. After I've finished constructing the booster, I glue-stick the back, and roll it on the shiny side of the foil. This seems to make the putting the unit together a lot easier.
I use a box-cutter to cut out the antenna, and cut the slits in the backing.
I cut the pole-slits before I put the booster together. It's not easy to cut those when it's already together.

Once you get the thing together, if you can get the antenna up high, it makes a difference. I've had to actually put some desktop units on top of the desk. Doing so has save some FreekBox customers from the necessity to pay for internet. Don't worry; they were in an apartment where the wireless was offered. I think.

Tools Needed

2007-09-22T23:05:00.000-05:00

In particular, audio and video tools needed for Linux.

Sure, there's Audacity for audio. It's an excellent program. But, it's no GarageBand. And while I hope Jokosher comes up with something, eventually, it's not GarageBand either. Audacity is what many people use for Podcasts, but a majority of podcasters use GarageBand. It has Podcasting built in. Audacity will work just fine for most podcasters, but GarageBand is easier.

And then there's video. The guys over at The Linux Action Show podcast were frustrated about their attempts to make a video podcast using Linux. While these guys do a great job of supporting Open Source formats (.ogg, theora), there just isn't a program that will work well for video editing in Linux. There are a few, but there just too complex for the average user.

"But Danny, Shrek 3 was done on Linux!"

Yes, I know. But that's 3D modeling. I'm not trying to model a 3D. I'm I'm not about to make a cluster supercomputer just for video editing. Then again, Alameda County Computer Resource Center made one out of used parts. Use parts donated in just the previous week. All powered by a veggie diesel generator.

Maybe someday I will make a cluster supercomputer. But I don't think I'll need it for video editing.

At the moment, I could use Audacity for Podcasting, if I wanted. But for video, I'd have to use Nancy's iBook. I don't want to learn a how new career just to do a few videos.

The future of education is going to be in this type of content, both in creation and delivery. If Linux is going to be a part of that future, the guys writing software in their spare time for audio and video editing need to work a bit more. That, or I can only hope Apple will make iLife availabe for Linux.

Don't forget to check out the updates on My Website. You'll get to see my html education over the next few months.

Personal Update

2007-09-20T23:20:00.000-05:00

I made some changes to my website. Check it out. I think were going to learn about color in the next chapter, so I'm looking forward to bringing that.

I'm doing well in my classes. I just have to keep up with the work. The Web Publishing class seems to take up the most time. The Security Class and Windows Server classes aren't too bad, but I have a lot of extra software to study from for those subjects. So far, Testout is the best software for learning this stuff.

We're Now Officially a Police State!

2007-09-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

This happen at University of Florida today. John Kerry was doing a question and answer session. Judge for yourself what really happen. For me, I now see the tremendous value of Video cellphones:

By the way, I agree with the guy: John Kerry threw the election, just as he was instructed to do.

html and double click

2007-09-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I spent a total of 10 hours doing Web Publishing class homework. After I'd finished the homework, I used the tutorials to make myself a new website. The new CoachDANNY.net was done entirely in a text editor. No fancy-shmanshy FrontPage or DreamWeaver to help me. My website will change each week, so check back every Monday or Tuesday, and you'll probably see something different.

All this talk about html brought me to another thought: How stupid is double clicking?

I've installed Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux (DSL) a few times. I've noticed that both distributions require only a single click on the desktop. I thought, "How freaking genius!"

Have you ever noticed that the entire internet requires only a single click? Actually, some people haven't noticed that, and they get double charged on orders over the internet. And, older people or people with motor skill problems have difficult with the whole double click thing.

Now in Windows uses the double click for a purpose. You select an icon with a single click. Or, you can click and hold, drag and drop with a single click. Double clicking an icon makes that icon do something, like bring up the program to present it. Double clicking on a "text.doc" file will bring up Microsoft Word, or OpenOffice.org, or some word processing program your computer uses. Single clicking on the icon will only highlight the icon.

Okay, so that's fine and dandy. Now we know you need to double click to open an icon in Windows. Or in Mac OS X. Cool.

Oh, but then there's that start button. Should you double click the start button? Nope. Not necessary. And then there's the menu bars (File, Edit, View....). Single click on those too.

Okay, so double click on some things, single click on others, right click to...

Oh yeah, we forgot to mention the whole right click thing. Sorry iBook/MacBook users. Then again, they can't right click.

And we wonder why some people are confused and frustrated with computers.

Even the Linux Desktops of Gnome, KDE, and XFCE are guilty. I know how it works, but for someone who's never used a computer it can be confusing. I understand the functionality of the double click, but I question if it's really necessary anymore. Puppy Linux and DSL don't need it. But, they do need the right click.

Anyway, single click here to see my new website.

Friends and School

2007-09-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

Personal Commentary

(I'm trying out a different font - Verdana- with this post. If possible, let me know if it helps readability)

My friend, K.Mandla has been a busy blogger lately. He's been testing different low end Linux distributions on his ugly little laptop, as he calls it. Checkout his recent findings.

My friend, Drew Baye, is working on a book. Working very hard too. I get to hear some of what he's worked on. I think many people in the fitness industry are going to find it an excellent, informative read. Drew has a snappy writing style, and get's to the point. He has an excellent collection of free information on his website too.

While she's not really a friend, I really enjoy the YouTube Videos done by Happy Slip. This girl is talented, funny, and like me is obviously born without the faulty gene called, "embarrassment". If you're looking for a quick, 3-4 minute entertaining moment, checkout some of her videos. Reading her blog gives you some insight on how home production isn't easy, but it is fun.

School

By October, I'll be taking 5 classes. I'll actually be taking Network Security (Security+) and Advanced Network Security at the same time. Advanced Security won't be offered next semester, so it wasn't really a choice to not take it.

To get through this semester, and even the next, I downloaded and previewed some software training courses for the subjects I would take. With the time I had, and how long it takes to download some titles, I was able to view the first few weeks of the subjects. Much of the software I have goes it into greater detail than my course material. Throughout most of my course work, I've come out of the classes with an A, but a feeling of, "What was that about?" I felt like I'd passed the class, but had really learned the material. At least not to my satisfaction.

I'm going to have to actually use much of what I'm learning, or at least trying to learn, so I really need to know the material. To that end, I have been trying to go through the borrowed software as much as I can. This has helped me learn the material, but caused some friction with my classes.

This weekend, I've learned I need to do the course work first, then learn the material after I've finished the assignments.

As one of my professor said, "If you think you're going to learn this stuff in class, you're in the wrong subject."

DSL - Damn Small Linux

2007-09-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

It's true: Obsolescence is Just a Lack of Imagination A few months ago, I tried Damn Small Linux (DSL). I wasn't too thrilled with it. It seemed difficult to use, nothing was familiar, and I moved on to other things. Earlier this week, I received a donation of a Sony VAIO laptop, 300 MHz Pentium II, 64 mb RAM, 6 GB Hard drive. Xubuntu just wouldn't go on with that low of memory, and Puppy stumbled on it too. I downloaded, burned to disk, and booted up DSL. WOW!

DSL runs FAST on this little machine. Either I've learned more about Linux in the past few months, or DSL got easier. I don't remember learning anything really new recently, so I can only guess the DSL people have done some work. I took out the CD, loaded Dban, wiped the drive clean, rebooted DSL, and found the option to install to hard drive. It installed in less the ten minutes. Was actually closer to five minutes! Once I figured out how to install more programs with MyDSL, the new programs loaded on very quickly. At first, I was using a PCIMCIA ethernet card to get online. I stuck in a Lucent Technologies 802.11b Orinoco card, booted it up again, and it found everything without me having to do anything other than turn the computer on. Instant wireless! After looking through the forums, I found how to do screenshots like the first one on this post, using Imagemagick. I loaded on Abiword, and eventually OpenOffice.org 1.1. I installed Java and Flash. I tried youtube on this computer (I'm entering this blog on it), and it ran very stuttered, slow, and no sound. I think that may be due to the low memory.

I cleaned the machine up as best I could. You can see it sitting on newspaper. It seems the little rubberlette feet on the bottom have turned to mush, and come off on anything they stick to. I tried to use alcohol to get them off, but no go. If anyone knows how to remove those gooey globs, let me know.

I am freaking amazed at how fast this machine is. Puppy Linux gave me another too for older equipment, but DSL give me an even deeper tool. Puppy needs about 128 MB ram to run, but DSL can run on as little as a 486DX with 16MB ram!! I would still rather give out a machine with Xubuntu on it. Xubuntu is much easier to use for a Linux nuubie. But, for the price, and the ability to use really old equipment, DSL is excellent.

So who could use a computer like this? Someone without any computer at all, for starters. Sure, they'd have a bit of a learning curve, but it's still a free computer. By using the DSL forums and wiki, anyone can learn how to use DSL in a very short amount of time. Free is a good motivator. Someone who is working on a novel could use it. Or, someone who just wants to surf the net. Works good for that too. With more memory (for only $15! I checked), youtube would probably work ok, enabling you to watch episodes of The IT Crowd.

Update to the laptop: With the kind info, baby oil got the gooey glob off the bottom. I tried to run the unit on just the battery - no go. Battery is dead. But, it runs plugged in.

Audio Meltdown

2007-09-01T23:29:00.000-05:00

My HP iPAQ rx3715 PocketPC has been acting up again lately. The headphone jack would sometimes work, some times not. Or the right channel would work, but not the left. A week ago, I had to push the headphone plug to get any sound at all. I don't have the money to get another MP3 player, so I went into my usual obsess on it until I get it working. I did get it working. Sort of. I had to open the thing up and work on it. I learned a good bit about audio jacks.
For instance; if you point the audio jack tip up, the tip is the left channel of the stereo sound, the center of the pin is the right channel, and the start of the pin is the ground. I realize that information will never help me in life again. Anway, the left channel connection in the audio jack 'female' receptical wan't working well. Seems HP did a funky design on it to make the on-board speaker come on when you pull jack out. But the design just isn't very good. If I could learn to solder, I pull a good jack receptical out of something else, and solder it in that. I don't care if the on board speaker works anway. I just want the headphones to work. But, since it's giving me problems, I'll have to get something else.

I've decided on getting an iPod Shuffle. At the moment, I'm not too happy about it. I'd rather have an all-in-one solution, but that's not available yet. At least not with the features I want. The iPod Shuffle is almost indestructable. About the only way to kill it is run a car over it. Twice! It so light that if it falls, it barely even gets a scratch. It's only 1 GB, but I don't need much storage space anyway. I have less than 50 mb of music, but have enough podcast subscriptions to keep at least 20 GB around, and about 50 GB of audiobooks. I don't care to carry around every song I've borrowed either, but I'll gladly listen to the books I've purchased. Or the free ones.

When I get it, I'll give a review.

Give the Girl a Second Chance

2007-08-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

The IT Crowd

2007-08-26T22:42:00.000-05:00

I watched the entire first seaon of The IT Crowd. Why can't they make shows this good in the USA? Here's the first episode of Season 2 (don't worry -- the IT Crowd has very little to do with IT):

It seem that NBC is going to try an Americanized version.

Do you have Guts?

2007-08-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is coming. October 2007. It looks like they've added some really interesting stuff. AppArmor will bring an added level of security to the Linux Distribution. One thing I'm glad to hear is they're adding a new printing system. The other system wasn't well maintained. In the new system, more printers are supported, a PDF printer is automatically installed and is the default printer. That's a boon for the paperless office people. Even better, plug a printer in, and it's automatically detected and setup. That will be a huge blessing for Free Geek FreekBox installation. A FreekBox recipient won't have to go through the 'add printer' routine. Plug it in, let it set itself up, and you're good to go. Most excellent.

My hope is for better wireless support. I know much of that is out of Linux developers hands, and sits on the decisions of Wireless card manufactures. But, I hope they've added more cards to be automatically detected in Gutsy. And, I hope they fixed the ones that were broken, particularly my Belkin USB sticks.

Anyway, you can checkout the testing release for Gutsy here.

Upgrading your system in Ubuntu takes a bit of strategy. It's not necessary to upgrade with each release. My Desktop computer, for instance, is a Dell GX260, dual boot Windows XP and Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Dapper Drake. The LTS of that version means Long Term Service. I can expect updates to specific programs till 2009. On my server, till 2012. I keep Dapper on my desktop because it's stable. It works fine, and I dont' need to change it. I need this computer to be secure, and dependable. This is the computer I do much of my school work from, usually on the Windows XP side of it. I only boot into XP when I have to for school, or studying for an IT certification.

If Gutsy turns out to be a good version, I may upgrade to it. That will not be an easy thing. I would basically need to rebuild the entire computer system from scratch. Save all my personal files on other drives (pretty much do that anyway), Dban the hard drive clean, clean install of Windows, then a clean install of Ubuntu. If I'm going to bother to upgrade my system, I'm going to upgrade some hardware too, especially the graphics card. Right now, it's a 32 meg card. Good enough for what I do, but not enough for what I'd really like to do: FlightGear Flight Simulator! I will put Gutsy on my laptop, especially if it gets the hibernate/suspend function working again.

Ubuntu does an upgrade ever six months. Not ever five to six years, like Windows. What Ubuntu doesn't do is a rolling upgrade. A rolling upgrade would mean they would distribute individual package, program, or kernel upgrades as they came available. There are some advantages to such a system, but I'm guess there are some disadvantages too.

Ubuntu completely rebuilds their distribution every six months. They support that build for 18 months, and three years on the Long Term Service releases. The next LTS version is suppose to be Ubuntu 8.04. I might wait for it. We'll see.

If you use Ubuntu, or are the recipient of a FGCF FreekBox, I recommend waiting at least 2-3 weeks after a release to upgrade. Watch the Ubuntu Forums, and see what works and what doesn't. You may find something of yours doesn't work anymore, or something you wanted to work now does. Also, the servers are slammed at first. If you do upgrade, use bittorrent to download a CD, and do a clean installation from that. The biggest hint I can give you about Ubuntu upgrades: Be excited, be patient, be cautious, and be prepared.