The Wind(ow) s of Change

So, Microsoft has finally decided to draw a line in the sand and announce final cut - off of technical support for Windows XP, and let's be fair, they've gone far and above the call of duty on their most popular OS to date.  But, it's time to move on.  Which leaves a bit of a dilemma for a number of consumers.  Their older hardware won't run Windows 7 or Windows 8. If they are unwilling, or unable, to purchase a new machine, then they are stuck with an aging OS the won't receive any more security updates. Or are they?

Most machines can gain new life if XP is replaced with Linux.  If you have a lower end machine with 2GB of RAM and a Core Duo or Core 2 processor, then I recommend Lubuntu - the Ubuntu operating system with the LXDE desktop environment.  It's interface is reminiscent of Windows XP, will run quicker and smoother than XP ever could on such hardware, and no more worries about viruses.  If you have 4GB or more of RAM and a powerful graphics card, then I recommend Kubuntu - Ubuntu with the KDE desktop environment. It's interface is much like Windows 7.

Changing from Windows to Linux is very difficult.  You have to get used to the fact that most of your Windows programs won't work.  Try to find alternatives in the software repository.  Frequently, these programs can read and write popular Windows file formats. If there is a Windows program that simply doesn't have a satisfactory alternative, then the use of WINE is recommended.  However, since basic WINE is very difficult to use, I recommend CrossOver which makes installing Windows software on Linux a but easier for the new Linux user.

Munich Kicks Microsoft to the Curb

So, Munich, Germany got tired of the proprietary lock-in of Microsoft's products and switched to free open source software.  A rather daring move as it required consolidating the IT infrastructure and retraining their employees.  Microsoft's Steve Ball mer canceled a ski trip to go try to convince the city council not to switch, all to no avail.  Go Munich!

New Android Phone

I recently replaced my old HTC Evo 4G with another Android phone.  I got the Samsung Galaxy S4.  I got it for two main reasons: first, it has a microSD slot so I can transfer all my data from the old phone to the new one on the microSD card; second, it has a removable battery.  I'll never understand the point of a locked in battery.  Anyway, the new phone is much faster and smoother than the old one. I'm very happy with it.

Linux on the Rise

Things are really developing in the Linux world these days. For one thing, the creation of Microsoft's app store to go along with Windows 8.1 has upset Valve CEO Gabe Newell to the point where he has declared the the future of gaming will be user created content experiences on Linux.  Already, the popular Steam game distribution system has been ported to Linux (primarily Ubuntu,  but other distributions can adopt the software).  New Linux capable games appear in the Steam Greenlight Project every week.

Speaking of Ubuntu, the world's most popular Linux distribution is trying to create an OS the runs not only on desktops and servers, but also high end phones and tablets. They've already created Ubuntu Touch for mobile devices. In addition, there has been a push to replace the X rendering system on Linux with something more up to date. Up to now, this has been a program called Wayland which has been in development for the past five years. Now, Ubuntu has decided to create their own software called Mir which essentially does the same thing. They've got it up and running in three months. So, my question is, what has the Wayland Team been doing for the past five years?

A long while back, I mentioned that I use a Windows machine at home to play MMORPGs.  Well, not any more.  I purchased a program called CrossOver which allows you to install and run Windows software under WINE on Linux without all the configuration fuss of pure WINE. So, I no longer use Windows on any of my machines.  I certainly haven't missed the blue screens of death or the constant malware scanning.  And pretty much everything I did on Windows I can do in Ubuntu with no trouble.

New Direction

I've been taking a more active interest in Linux development.  I think I shall start sharing this with you in the form of articles I've read and my own personal opinions about such things.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Wow, we just had an earthquake here.  5.8 on the Richter Scale.  Apparently, the epicenter was in Virginia, but could be felt all the way in Toronto.  Nothing serious.  The walls shook a little.  As usual, though, the cell systems are down.

Android Replaces BlackBerry

So, recently I upgraded my phone (I had my BlackBerry Curve for three years).  This time I decided to get an Android phone.  I got the HTC EVO 4G.  It's a very nice phone, I'll grant you, and the Android OS is superb, but I miss my physical keyboard.  I suppose I'll get over it eventually.  Having fiddled with the iPhone for a bit, I can say that I like Android better.  For one thing, I can actually change the battery in the EVO.  Always a plus with me.  For another, I'm free to customize more with Android.  Being related to Linux doesn't hurt none, either. ;)

I'm already finding a number of useful apps to use including the Blogger app, which I am using to type this entry.  I'll try to keep you posted on what I do with the new phone.

Relax, It's Just an Alternative

Ok, so I'm finding out that the more I use my Ubuntu netbook for work applications, the more useful it becomes. Recently, Monument City Computronics has been doing some ad campaigns with a ad company. We're primarily a Windows desktop outfit (we use Linux on all our servers). I'm the only one who uses a Linux desktop system, but then I'm head of IT, so my prerogative. Last week we received a notice from the ad company that the latest commercial they've done for us was ready, and they they'd like to send it to us. I gave them access to our FTP server so they could just drop it onto our network. The file I received, however, was a corrupted ZIP file. We sent back to them the the transfer didn't work, so they overnighted to us a playable DVD and USB flash drive.

Here's where things get interesting. The DVD, as it turned out, was also incomplete. It played part of the video, but cut off before the finish, leaving a black screen for the remainder. Not an auspicious sign of success here. When our communications people tried to pull the video file off of the flash drive, they got a message from Windows stating that the flash drive hadn't been formatted. At this point, they were in a bit of a panic. One of them decided to bring the drive to me. So, I plugged it into my Ubuntu netbook, and lo and behold, there was the file: a 4.5 GB Quicktime video. This explained a couple things. First, the reason why the FTP file was corrupted was because there is a 2 GB limit on file transfers into our network. I figured at the time 2 GB was reasonable. However, the video was in uncompressed HD, which made it huge. The second thing was that since the file was in Quicktime format, it meant that the ad company we hired uses only Mac computers. They created the video on a Mac and saved it in Macs proprietary format, and placed it on a drive that was formatted in Mac's local file system.

Why then, do you ask, did my Ubuntu netbook read the flash drive when Windows coulnd't? Simple. The current Mac operating system (MacOS X) is based upon BSD which is a version of Linux. Thus, my Linux machine spoke the same language, file system-wise anyway. Thus, all I had to do was copy the file onto another USB flash drive with a Windows file system on it, and boom, we're back in business.

This week, one of our board members did some testifying at a hearing in the state legislature and it was recorded and streamed for the public. The bosses wanted a copy of the vid, but the state legislature opted to use Silverlight as their streaming solution. Unlike Flash Encoder, you can't download a Silverlight stream and save it directly. Fortunately, there is a free, open source video player called VLC which has a few hidden talents. One of these talents is streaming into a file container. So, I started the stream and save the initialization file (a WMV file that does a redirect to the streaming server), then I opened that file in VLC and told it to output the stream into a file container instead of viewing it. There. Problem solved.

More and more, I'm finding that my Linux system can handle the work I need to accomplish on the job, often with solutions that are simple and don't cast the budget anything. I still use Windows, of course. At home. Where I play a lot of my favorite MMORPGs. But that is about all I use it for these days.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

Merry Christmas, from an IT minded person. :)

Ubuntu 10.10 UDS 25.10.10 New Ad.mp4

Another Geeky Update

Well, let's see. Some interesting things have happened since last update (Last year. Sorry about that). About my netbook, as it turns out, the 8 GB SSD wasn't working out as well as originally planned. SSDs are much slower than standard HDDs in terms of read/write speeds (especially the cheap ones). So, I reset the device back to factory specs (I put the original OEM install of Windows XP back on the machine) and donated the netbook to a youngster I know with a Barbie Web site addiction. :-) Not without installing a Web filter on it first, of course. Out there be monsters.

So, I bought a new netbook with a standard hard drive. Other improvements include a slightly larger screen (the old netbook was 8.9" whereas the new one is 10") and a longer lasting battery (six cells instead of three). Also, since the change, Ubuntu upgraded twice. Last October I moved from 9.04 to 9.10. Lot of nice improvements to the system there. It runs much faster and more smoothly than before. Possibly the most negative change I could find about it was that I could no longer organize the Favorites list in the Netbook Launcher. There's actually a way around this, but it a pain to use. Basically, it's the equivalent of using RegEdit in Windows. Not hard to do, but not fun. I've also discovered a very neat little program for keeping Ubuntu in tip-top condition called UbuntuTweak. Not too much different from TweakUI for Windows, but with a few more details features that are Ubuntu specific.

Ok. Guilty pleasure time. I've been playing an online role playing game for kids called Wizard101. I thought it was cute and thought I'd give it a try. Now, I'm addicted to it. And it just keeps getting better with new content. I have six student wizards (the maximum amount allowed in an account) and I have been busy leveling them. Interestingly enough, my favorite and most successful wizard is a Life Wizard. She uses spells to heal and revitalize as well as attack opponents. Kind of like a Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons or similar games. She's the only one to reach the current level cap and beat the current penultimate villain. The others are still playing catch up. If you get a chance, you should try it out. It's a different tone than the tense atmosphere of most MMORPG games. The focus is on helping one another to achieve a common goal. Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the player killer mentality in those other games.

So, there you have it. My family is having a reunion this summer. I'm a little nervous as I haven't been in touch with anyone in my family except my big brother. Well, we'll see what happens. Later.

Repurposing the Blog

I think that I'm going to repurpose this Web log. I mean, I just can't inform people about my goings on in the dead of night. Mostly when there's a related investigation to a particular crime I'm involved in bollixing. So, from now on, I'm going to talk about my other love. Computers and their trappings.

So, I am the first to admit that it's a Microsoft World out there. Which really sucks because it stifles innovation. Microsoft doesn't innovate, they steal and reverse engineer. Even Windows Vista/Windows 7 is riding the coattails of MacOS X. They haven't come up with anything original...ever. Even their first OS, MS-DOS was a redesign of PC-DOS which was ripped off of CPM which was ripped off of UNIX. Geez, everybody was stealing from everybody else.

The reason I bring this up is that since it's a firmly entrenched MS world, you need to adapt to it. One of Microsoft's biggest issues is cruft. When a hard drive writes a files, it doesn't write out that file in a single straight piece from beginning to end. Of course not. That would actually make sense. What it does instead is break up the file into tiny bits and writes it all over the drive in between bits from other files. The end result? After a while of use, your computer starts to slow down because it has to spend most of its time hunting for file pieces to put back together.

Well, I have the perfect solution for you. Defragmenting the drive. Now, Windows comes with a built-in defragmenting program. It's okay, but you have to either religiously run the program manually, or schedule it to run when you are not using the computer. I don't know about you, but if I'm not using the computer, then the computer is usually off. Those electric bills add up, you know.

Now, there are many other defrag programs out there that you can use. A number of them are free. But the one I want to talk about is JKDefrag. JK are the initials of the programmer Jeroen Kessels. He has a few other useful little do-dads on his site, but JKDefrag is far and away the best. I use this on my Windows based Acer Extensa. As with most defragging programs, you can run it manually, but this baby has one ace up its sleeve that the others don't. You can set JKDefrag as your screen saver. You heard right. When your computer times out to the screen saver, it starts defragging. You have this running on a daily basis, and your disk will be regularly defragged. The speed improvements have been stellar since I started using this software.

I'll probably be back later and review other software I like. If you can't tell, I have a soft spot for FOSS (free open source software). I mean, com'on. Nothing says welfare of the commonweal like free software that any programmer with the right skills can update or improve without taking credit for the program other than the changes made. I call that community oriented, and that's what I'm all about. :-)

Catch Up Thoughts

Well, I really called it on the Windows Vista. Bloatware first class. On top of that, they went to far to the right in terms of security. Security isn't much good when it reduces the system's functionality. So, now they're coming up with Windows 7, which is getting warm reviews even from the anti-Microsoft crowd. That's pretty impressive. I may in fact get a Windows 7 machine in the future. I seriously doubt it will work on my current hardware. For right now, Windows XP is fine for what I use it for.

On a related note, I've been bitten by the Ubuntu bug. I used to enjoy Linspire (formerly Lindows until MS got bug up their shorts and decided to sue over the name. They lost the suit in the US, so they took their act on the road and won the suit on the Netherlands). Anyway, the head of Linspire Michael Robertson sold Linspire to Xandros without informing investors. So, Linspire no longer exists. Click N Run, the software download system for Linspire is also pretty much dead too. Which is a shame.

I needed to find another Linux distro to champion, so I decided to check out Ubuntu as I've been hearing loads of great things about it. I must say I am thoroughly impressed. It helps that, though I tried Intrepid Ibex (v8.10), my working system is using Jaunty Jackalope (v9.04). Everything just worked right off the bat. Not like Linspire where there was no WiFi support.

On another related note, you might call it a segue, I bought myself a netbook. Partly to say, I have one, and partly to use while I travel for vacations and the like. I got an Acer Aspire One, primarily because I have been having great luck with Acer portables lately. It has 1GB of RAM and an 8GB solid state drive. It originally came with Windows XP installed, and as much as I like WinXP, it's not exactly the best OS for a solid state drive. There are a limited number of writes on an SSD, and Windows writes constantly, even when you're not using the thing. So, I went to the Canonical site and downloaded Ubuntu Netbook Remix, a version of Ubuntu that designed for the small form factor of a netbook computer. Then, I handily "burned" the image to a 2GB USB drive and booted the netbook from the USB. It installed very easily after that. I used a non-journaling file system for Ubuntu Netbook Remix so that the OS isn't constantly writing to the SSD.

This baby runs much faster and smoother with UNR than it did with Windows XP, and outside of high level gaming, this system does just about anything that my full sized WinXP notebook (also an Acer). So, I am happy doing the Ubuntu thing, plus there is a version update coming soon (Karmic Koala; don't you just love those kitschy names?).

So...that's what I've been up to. Sorry it's a bit geeky, but hey, I'm a network admin, what do you expect. :)

Blows Dust off the Table

Wow. Been a while, hasn't it? What can I say? With all the things going on in my life between work and...extracurricular pursuits. It doesn't help that R'y'sha got me hooked on World of Warcraft. Whenever I can get a chance to play it. If you're ever running about and come across a female Tauren named Angulabova, well, that's yours truly. I love those cow girl warriors. I could see myself as a Tauren. :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm another year closer to the big Four-Oh. Strangely enough, I don't feel any older. No wrinkles. No crow's feet. No bags under the eyes. Not even so much as a gray hair. It feels kinda weird, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Anyway, the girls all took me out to lunch, and later that evening Kevin had special plans for us. Heheh. ^_^ Here's to another year!

Vista - Just Another Cry for Attention

So, Micro$oft has finally release it's latest version of its bloatware OS, named Windows Vista. The question still remains...why? No one really needs the thing. I mean, XP was good enough. It solved all of the peccadilloes of the Windows 9x series and then some. Security was higher. Programs no longer crashed the entire system.

This new monster, however, is a resource hog all around. You need a minimum of 1 GB of RAM and 15 GB of free space for the OS. 15 GB? It's an operating system for cryin' out loud? It's primary job is system functionality and system security. What the heck takes 15 GB? All those damned graphics, that's what. Wasted space. I think I'll stick with Linux for work and XP SP2 for gaming. Soon, XP SP3 will be available. After that...I think Windows is dead after that.

The wave of the future, folks. It's either gonna be Apple or Linux (and Apple isn't much better than Micro$oft).

Happy Belated New Year

Oh my. Christmas has come and gone. So has New Year's. It's been an interesting year. One can only hope that things get better. For me personally, it's been pretty uneventful. I do have a new Yahoo 360 page, though. You can check it out at http://360.yahoo.com/trisha.fate

I'll try to keep in touch, but you know how it is. How does Batman keep this pace up anyway?

DrewsArt

Hi there! It's been a while, hasn't it? The life of a crime fighting IT specialist saxophone player is never dull. :)

Another fantastic artist by the name of Drew Gardner has decided to do some of his work here on Blogger. Please view his art at DrewsArt. It's quite impressive.

No minors allowed, please.

Artist Extraordinaire

There's an artist I've met on deviantART who also has a blog here on Blogger. Check him out at Wagner's Gallery. Be warned, a lot of his work is "mature" in nature. No minors allowed.

If I Can Just Keep Laughing

Hey there! Long time no blog. As you know, life for me can get pretty hectic. So, I don't get to type in here as often as I like. Sometimes I completely forget about this thing altogether; and when you have computer wetware in your head, that's really saying something.

Anyway, a very good friend of mine has a blog that you may find of interest. She is a person of strong wit and intelligence; always a dangerous combination. Go ahead and check her out. At the very least she'll make you laugh.

If I Can Just Keep Laughing