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DSL Proves Difficult but not Impossible.

Configuring Java into dsl is not simple on an older pc
I currently use one of my custom jobs
233mx pentium II cpu, 96mb of sdram, and a 14gb raid hard drive setup{8.4gb + 5.1gb + 512mb} and a trident edo pci vid card. 8x hitachi cd-rom

Now I recently fixed a friend of mines winblos box, his comp had much more of all of the above and installing java for him {I had him switch to DSL} was easy but I have found that on my box it is not so easy. first I went the dpkg route it proved to be dangerous as it destroyed my x-server twenty miutes later after a full reinstall and package update I tried a different approach, the java plugin for mozilla suite 1.7 did not work, finally I thought about running two web browsers so for all things internet I run glinks or mozilla but for java {including chat rooms web messengers etc} I use Netscape Communicator 4.7.4 it is not top of the line but it allows for instant messaging

Variations on a Theme

When I first started doing computer forensics I used a windows based tool called EnCase. They have since grown into the Microsoft of the forensics world using many of the draconian and bullying tactics that the software giant uses.

I had heard of Linux when I started in the computer crimes unit(back in November of 2000) but hadnt really explored it. I bought a linux for dummies book(gasp!)and had my first linux experience with RH 7.0. Since then I have progressed to Mandrake, Debian and Slackware. I dont really care for RPM based distros and I am not a masocist so Gentoo is out of the question(though I understand there is a new distro that uses a graphical installer). I have installed Suse as the OS in my son's computer lab at school.

Tyan AMD Geode motherboard

There isn't much info out there, but it looks like Tyan is about to come out with a low cost Geode board to rival the Via mini-itx line.

So far, all that is on the web is in Japanese, here is a computer translation of the details:

"Consequently explaining the motherboard "S2498AGN" that Masauzi Wada Tyan Computer Japan headquarters chief was developed in for Geode NX. You expressed that it installs the same product and, it is born by the cooperation development withthe corporation laurel intelligent systems whichsell the equipment and the set top box etc., installs basically and it is something which becomes use, but the shop front it sells also for the end user.

FINALLY!!!

I am a standard DOS junkie, I have always hated winblos. Damn Small Linux is hardly anything like windows as I have seen so far. I am in the habit and business of maintaining and rebuilding old boxes. dsl had proven to be an asset {after all the work I put into it} i must say that I dont have the most up to date build and my current lack of cd burner hampers that.{not all programmers are rich idiots that work for MicroStuck} Anyway I am thinking about upgrading my dsl by rebuilding it
from the kernel up when I am done if anyone wants it they can have it unless the sysop here has a problem wi

DSL as a Gaming Platform (or) How can I get my kids off M$

Well I wrote this once, but when I went to "preview", I'm guessing
I was autologged off, and lost it ALL.. ( boo.. )

There are many threads in the forums answering the tough, technical questions about using the new Xfree/3D extensions, but I wanted to post about my experiences with them, and my kids reactions to them as this new side to DSL develops. I have had great success in running many of my kids favorite titles under DSL. Quake III Arena, Unreal Tournament 2003, StarCraft, and some of the more popular Linux titles, TuxRacer, Chromium, VegaStrike, Heroes III (Might & Magic), Myth II, Heretic II, Foobillard and Railroad Tycoon II. ( they ARE fun! :) )

The New Frontier

An atom isn’t very dense: there is a probability cloud for the electrons, a very small nucleus, and the rest is empty. If you are in the probability cloud, the chances are high you’re going to be hit. Same goes in the nucleus. Anywhere else and you’re home free. The same is true (I think) as far as knowledge goes: there is a field that non-technical people hang out in, a solid core where computer geeks know what’s what, and the rest is pretty much unexplored. Try to tell a literature major about a book’s style, and they’d kick your but. Try to run a principle component analysis better than a math major and they would take you to task. But look at the space in between and there’s room to move. Linux, because of its flexibility and its depth, is a great way to explore this new frontier of empty space.

Remastering DSL or Borrowing Code

Recently I was forwarded an email asking if it is okay for a group to do a remaster of DSL. For the record, we are okay with anyone doing a remaster and distributing it. There have been plenty, and I personally take it as a complement. The same goes for other light distributions which barrow ideas, that's really flattery in my opinion.

Yet, when a project uses code, which is nearly verbatim taken out of our project and then pretends like it is unique work it absolutely drives me nuts. Once, we had a guy take a shell script written by Robert which was then just encased in a perl wrapper. The script was nearly identical, yet was put out as original work. In my opinion, that's just low class.

Changing Lives

This last week has been incredible for me. The funny thing is that the biggest thing that happened has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.

This week I gave out my first Linux PC's to 12 needy families. The looks on the kid's faces that were receiving their first PC was beyond words. More than half the parents thanked me for the computers and told me that I had changed their children's lives. Other than the birth of my children, I cannot think of another thing in my life thas brought me that level of joy.

The unbelievable thing is that I was doing this with 'throwaway' PC's. According to the previous owners, they we not good for anything and I was crazy for taking their 'junk'.

having one of those days.

Some kind of Christmas.

Well, I may not be able to do much of anything for a while, at least as far as DSL goes.

You see, the motherboard on my desktop has decided to go off and die on me.

At least, I hope it's the $70 mobo and not my nice $200 corsair ram.

Thanks to my D-bracket diagnostic panel, I know that it's failing to initialize the ram. So that means that either both sticks of ram are bad (I tested both of them one at a time) or the memory controller on the mobo is shot.

Please let it be the mobo.

...also need a nvidia card, because the Linux ATI drivers weren't worth the trouble to compile, and most definately aren't worth the trouble to pack up into a .dsl.

Thinking in Linux

I read a comment the other day, where the person said most new Linux users are still thinking in Windows. I made me wonder what that meant. Is it like that Clint Eastwood movie "Firefox Down" where he needs to think in Russian to make the plane fly? What does thinking in Linux mean? What would you do differently if you were "thinking in Linux" instead of "thinking in Windows?"

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