Bert: May 2008 Archives
I finally made the leap. Even though I had dabbled in various Linux distributions before, I never had the guts to step away from the dual boots and live CDs to do a full install. Now I finally have.
This past weekend I made it my goal to fully switch over to Ubuntu; no dual boots where I could easily go back to Windows at the first sign of difficulty. After spending the past few days staying up until the wee hours of the morning working out problems I finally have a stable rig running.
After figuring out how to get my dual monitors working as well as install Photoshop in a seamless Virtual Box install (check out the screen shot above), I've been able to find a few things that I really like about Linux over windows.
First off, the Terminal is my new favorite tool. I've barely scratched the surface of all its commands but using a command line interface is very fast and efficient. Additionally, this efficiency is complemented by how Ubuntu deals with files. When you copy and paste files and folders, it is done instantly; no need to refresh a folder view to see changes.
Some of the programs I've discovered so far are also very cool. Having multiple desktops is a convenient feature, allowing me to switch from a web-browsing environment to a photo-editing one quickly and without all the clutter of having multiple programs open on one desktop. The data backup software I'm using also seems to be a million times better than anything I have used before. I loved using Syncback for windows, but now using rsnapshot I'm able to have much more control over how my backups work.
I've also found it's a little easier managing my web server in Ubuntu. Before I would have to use an SSH client like Putty to access my server, but now I can do so through Terminal, eliminating a few extra steps.
I've only been using Ubuntu for a few days now and I absolutely love it. It has some downsides (having to run PS and Zune in a virtualization), but besides that it is fantastic. Once I get a few more basic things worked out I can't wait to start working on an installation of apache to make a new and improved music server.
This past weekend I made it my goal to fully switch over to Ubuntu; no dual boots where I could easily go back to Windows at the first sign of difficulty. After spending the past few days staying up until the wee hours of the morning working out problems I finally have a stable rig running.
After figuring out how to get my dual monitors working as well as install Photoshop in a seamless Virtual Box install (check out the screen shot above), I've been able to find a few things that I really like about Linux over windows.
First off, the Terminal is my new favorite tool. I've barely scratched the surface of all its commands but using a command line interface is very fast and efficient. Additionally, this efficiency is complemented by how Ubuntu deals with files. When you copy and paste files and folders, it is done instantly; no need to refresh a folder view to see changes.
Some of the programs I've discovered so far are also very cool. Having multiple desktops is a convenient feature, allowing me to switch from a web-browsing environment to a photo-editing one quickly and without all the clutter of having multiple programs open on one desktop. The data backup software I'm using also seems to be a million times better than anything I have used before. I loved using Syncback for windows, but now using rsnapshot I'm able to have much more control over how my backups work.
I've also found it's a little easier managing my web server in Ubuntu. Before I would have to use an SSH client like Putty to access my server, but now I can do so through Terminal, eliminating a few extra steps.
I've only been using Ubuntu for a few days now and I absolutely love it. It has some downsides (having to run PS and Zune in a virtualization), but besides that it is fantastic. Once I get a few more basic things worked out I can't wait to start working on an installation of apache to make a new and improved music server.
This week I spent some time helping Zack put together a computer from the parts he ordered online. Putting everything together went pretty smoothly with 2 minor exceptions.
First was the heat sink. If you have never had to install one, feel lucky. All the heat sinks I've worked with required a good deal of force to install correctly, making me worry that I'll break something or snap the motherboard in half. This heat sink was no exception. After assembling all the parts we decided to turn the computer on for the first time. It seemed to work fine until it started to turn off randomly before we could install an OS on it.
I encountered this problem on the first computer I ever built so I recognized immediately. What took me a few days to figure out on my first computer took only a few minutes to fix this time around: the heat sink was not seated correctly and the CPU was overheating. Easy fix, no biggie. The bigger issue came with one of the monitors.
The setup was supposed to run dual monitors off of one video card. One of the monitors worked flawlessly while the other one was having some issues. The second monitor, which was working just fine the day before, was now showing inverted colors and the corners of the screen were flipped around (the mouse would show in the bottom left when moved in the upper right direction, etc...). Also, there was a latent image stored in the video cards memory so it would show windows screen shots during boot up, which was confusing at first.
We tried a dozen things to get the second monitor to work properly, installing and reinstalling video card drivers, re-seating the video card, switching inputs for the monitors. For two days this problem stumped the two of us; we were running out of things to try and had no idea what the problem was.
After two days Zack found the simple error: even though we had checked monitor connections to the computer a million times, some how the connection to the second monitor had become loose. After making sure it was in all the way, the second monitor "miraculously" worked again and all problems were solved.
Oh the joy of troubleshooting computers.
First was the heat sink. If you have never had to install one, feel lucky. All the heat sinks I've worked with required a good deal of force to install correctly, making me worry that I'll break something or snap the motherboard in half. This heat sink was no exception. After assembling all the parts we decided to turn the computer on for the first time. It seemed to work fine until it started to turn off randomly before we could install an OS on it.
I encountered this problem on the first computer I ever built so I recognized immediately. What took me a few days to figure out on my first computer took only a few minutes to fix this time around: the heat sink was not seated correctly and the CPU was overheating. Easy fix, no biggie. The bigger issue came with one of the monitors.
The setup was supposed to run dual monitors off of one video card. One of the monitors worked flawlessly while the other one was having some issues. The second monitor, which was working just fine the day before, was now showing inverted colors and the corners of the screen were flipped around (the mouse would show in the bottom left when moved in the upper right direction, etc...). Also, there was a latent image stored in the video cards memory so it would show windows screen shots during boot up, which was confusing at first.
We tried a dozen things to get the second monitor to work properly, installing and reinstalling video card drivers, re-seating the video card, switching inputs for the monitors. For two days this problem stumped the two of us; we were running out of things to try and had no idea what the problem was.
After two days Zack found the simple error: even though we had checked monitor connections to the computer a million times, some how the connection to the second monitor had become loose. After making sure it was in all the way, the second monitor "miraculously" worked again and all problems were solved.
Oh the joy of troubleshooting computers.
During the last few weeks of my first year at Case I thought how nice it would be to have a bike on campus. I probably wouldn't use it to travel from class to class (like the majority of students do; I think it's more of a hassle than convenience though) but rather to explore more of Cleveland. Only after taking a field trip around the city did I realize the immense size of the city, and how my access to most of it is blocked due to only having access to public transportation and walking. It's not realistic to be taking 10-mile day trips on foot while public transportation...is public transportation. I really don't mind using it except when I have my camera bag on me. I totally feel vulnerable. So a bike would be superb to have.This past week (when it hasn't been raining) I've started riding my bike again. Riding around has been a really nice way to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. Also, I realized what a speedy mode of transportation it is. I timed myself today and was able to get from my house to downtown in about 10 minutes, and it took me about another 15 to get to Woodmont from there.
I think an additional goal I'll have for this summer will be to bike around as much as I can. I don't mind riding in traffic (I did a lot of that today), and I think my only problem might be what will happen when it gets dark. Riding around at night is definitely not the safest thing to do, so I'll have to come up with a way to solve that. Lights are a possibility, but I'll see.
Also, since I'll be using a bike more, I want to see how that effects my gasoline usage for my car. Luckily, I discovered a neat Twitter bot today called FuelFrog. Every time you fill up your car with gas you message the bot with information like how much gas you bought, how much it cost, and how much you drove since your last fill-up. It then stores that data and produces a bunch of neat statistics and graphs for you online. Hopefully switching from driving to biking everywhere I'll see a difference in my gas consumption (I have a past record written on paper, but this is a more efficient way of collecting this data).
I spent my first two days home from Cleveland unpacking my
belongings and getting some chores done that I would otherwise have to
do on the weekend (when it will be warm and sunny and not cold and
dreary like today).
I started off by visiting a few banks around town to try to get a job. One outright said they have a "hiring freeze", a few others use only online applications (ugh, I feel like these never get looked at), and was able to fill out an app at one location. Hopefully I'll find something out within a week or two or I'll have to try plans B and C: waiting tables or working at some small business like a bakery.
Also today, I assembled my computer. Normally not a big deal, but this time I decided would do something about the hideous mess of wires that are usually just hanging around underneath my desk. I bought a cable management basket (read about it in a Lifehacker article about computer cable management) and it works well. The mess of cables that used to dangle over the floor now is neatly kept hidden from view under my desk in this basket.
Additionally, I decided to look into X10 devices today. The X10 protocol is pretty cool; it sends information through AC power lines during zero crossings. Hopefully, once my equipment from eBay arrives I'll be able to control some electric devices via remote and computer. If that works without any major issues I'll be able to add in cellphone SMS texting control as well.
Ultimately, my goal is to make an easily manageable party system for my suite's common room next year. Something along the lines of MIDAS.
I started off by visiting a few banks around town to try to get a job. One outright said they have a "hiring freeze", a few others use only online applications (ugh, I feel like these never get looked at), and was able to fill out an app at one location. Hopefully I'll find something out within a week or two or I'll have to try plans B and C: waiting tables or working at some small business like a bakery.
Also today, I assembled my computer. Normally not a big deal, but this time I decided would do something about the hideous mess of wires that are usually just hanging around underneath my desk. I bought a cable management basket (read about it in a Lifehacker article about computer cable management) and it works well. The mess of cables that used to dangle over the floor now is neatly kept hidden from view under my desk in this basket.
Additionally, I decided to look into X10 devices today. The X10 protocol is pretty cool; it sends information through AC power lines during zero crossings. Hopefully, once my equipment from eBay arrives I'll be able to control some electric devices via remote and computer. If that works without any major issues I'll be able to add in cellphone SMS texting control as well.
Ultimately, my goal is to make an easily manageable party system for my suite's common room next year. Something along the lines of MIDAS.
Today is my last day of exams. After I finish taking my economics exam between 2pm and 3pm, I'm off to meet my father, load the car, and start the drive back to CT. Hopefully I'll make it back before midnight. Then I have three and a half months of vacation!
True story: I had written an epic post analyzing the most unfavorable items of the writing process, but unfortunately I forgot to save the file and it's now lost forever. It was so well-written with so much supporting evidence that I probably could have gotten it published in a writer's journal if I wanted. Now, all that remains is the screen capture that I was able to get on the right.
Anyway, the gist of the post was this: writing is time consuming. Additionally, I get distracted very easily when writing anything, ranging from short emails to long papers. Solution: Darkroom.
Darkroom is a text editor with two awesome features. First, it has no graphics, buttons, menus, spell checkers, text formatters, or anything else that usually makes me lose focus when writing anything. Secondly, it is full screen. Darkroom loads fully maximized, not even leaving a menu bar open up top. This allows me to write without having to give in to the distractions of email, instant messaging, Facebook, and whatever else I have open at that time.
Darkroom is very customizable (although the default easy-on-the-eyes-green-on-black color scheme is sweet) and is awesome if you are like me and easily get distracted while writing anything. If you are like me and easily lose focus when writing anything, visit the Darkroom website and try the freeware 136kb editor out.
Anyway, the gist of the post was this: writing is time consuming. Additionally, I get distracted very easily when writing anything, ranging from short emails to long papers. Solution: Darkroom.
Darkroom is a text editor with two awesome features. First, it has no graphics, buttons, menus, spell checkers, text formatters, or anything else that usually makes me lose focus when writing anything. Secondly, it is full screen. Darkroom loads fully maximized, not even leaving a menu bar open up top. This allows me to write without having to give in to the distractions of email, instant messaging, Facebook, and whatever else I have open at that time.
Darkroom is very customizable (although the default easy-on-the-eyes-green-on-black color scheme is sweet) and is awesome if you are like me and easily get distracted while writing anything. If you are like me and easily lose focus when writing anything, visit the Darkroom website and try the freeware 136kb editor out.
Three days. That's all I have left until I'm back in Milford. I can't wait.
I've taken my accounting and calc exams already and all I have left are statistics and macroeconomics. I'll have to do a good amount of studying for both, but I'm not too worried.
What I am concerned about however is packing all of my stuff before Wednesday. Not that I have that much with me (just clothes and my computer), but with two CYWS concerts, two exams, and a final paper that needs editing, I'm not quite sure when I'm going to pack.
Today was Mike P.'s junior recital. I got to have the very important role of being John's page turner. I screwed up a turn during rehearsal, but the performance went very smoothly. Overall, I enjoyed the sax pieces at the recital a lot.
Tonight should be enjoyable as well. I'm off to a few parties for celebrating the end of the year and congratulating some graduates. Hopefully the rain will hold up (otherwise it will be raining down) so we can enjoy the party outside and not be cramped up in a house.
Tomorrow marks a long day of studying. Stats in the morning, economics in the later morning, and then alternating between the two later in the day until my brain is totally shot. I cannot wait for finals to be over and to be back home in Milford.
I've taken my accounting and calc exams already and all I have left are statistics and macroeconomics. I'll have to do a good amount of studying for both, but I'm not too worried.
What I am concerned about however is packing all of my stuff before Wednesday. Not that I have that much with me (just clothes and my computer), but with two CYWS concerts, two exams, and a final paper that needs editing, I'm not quite sure when I'm going to pack.
Today was Mike P.'s junior recital. I got to have the very important role of being John's page turner. I screwed up a turn during rehearsal, but the performance went very smoothly. Overall, I enjoyed the sax pieces at the recital a lot.
Tonight should be enjoyable as well. I'm off to a few parties for celebrating the end of the year and congratulating some graduates. Hopefully the rain will hold up (otherwise it will be raining down) so we can enjoy the party outside and not be cramped up in a house.
Tomorrow marks a long day of studying. Stats in the morning, economics in the later morning, and then alternating between the two later in the day until my brain is totally shot. I cannot wait for finals to be over and to be back home in Milford.
Over the course of the past few weeks I've been explaining to friends and family the benefits of using RSS feeds to read their daily news.
RSS feeds are great because they allow you to get the news you enjoy reading in a nice streamlined manner. You can input all of the feeds for the websites you read (nearly all websites nowadays are including feeds for their content) into an RSS reader which displays all of the news on one nice page. It's kind of like if you cut up your favorite sections from the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, and Wired Magazine, and pasted onto one organized page.
My RSS feed reader of choice is Google Reader. It has a simple to use interface and is accessible from any computer with internet access. This makes it especially useful when I have a few minutes to kill between classes; I can sit down at any computer and be able to read my personalized news feeds.
One of the coolest features about Google Reader is the ability to categorize one feed into multiple folders. For example, I keep all my blog feeds in a "Blogs" folder, daily news in "News", etc... In addition to this, I have a SFW folder that contains a few feeds from each of my other folders. What makes this folder special is that I only include feeds in it that I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen reading in public places (my daily recipes feed is NOT in there) so that in between classes I can read my "Safe for Work" feeds. The neat thing is that once I read a feed item in one folder, it gets marked as read in all other folders its in as well.
I also like the ability to have a "Shared Items" feed. I can mark items I read as "Shared" and they will be added to my own custom RSS feed that I share with friends. That way, it makes exchanging news with others quick and easy. If you are interested, you can check out my shared items feed here.
Overall, I think everyone should use RSS feeds. They save time by bringing you all of your daily reading to one easy to manage location. They also work well for keeping you updated on sites that may not update that often (like band tour pages or announcements). So what are you waiting for? Go read some feeds! And while you are at it feel free to add my Google Reader shared items feed, the feed for this blog, and my flickr account feed.
RSS feeds are great because they allow you to get the news you enjoy reading in a nice streamlined manner. You can input all of the feeds for the websites you read (nearly all websites nowadays are including feeds for their content) into an RSS reader which displays all of the news on one nice page. It's kind of like if you cut up your favorite sections from the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, and Wired Magazine, and pasted onto one organized page.
My RSS feed reader of choice is Google Reader. It has a simple to use interface and is accessible from any computer with internet access. This makes it especially useful when I have a few minutes to kill between classes; I can sit down at any computer and be able to read my personalized news feeds.
One of the coolest features about Google Reader is the ability to categorize one feed into multiple folders. For example, I keep all my blog feeds in a "Blogs" folder, daily news in "News", etc... In addition to this, I have a SFW folder that contains a few feeds from each of my other folders. What makes this folder special is that I only include feeds in it that I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen reading in public places (my daily recipes feed is NOT in there) so that in between classes I can read my "Safe for Work" feeds. The neat thing is that once I read a feed item in one folder, it gets marked as read in all other folders its in as well.
I also like the ability to have a "Shared Items" feed. I can mark items I read as "Shared" and they will be added to my own custom RSS feed that I share with friends. That way, it makes exchanging news with others quick and easy. If you are interested, you can check out my shared items feed here.
Overall, I think everyone should use RSS feeds. They save time by bringing you all of your daily reading to one easy to manage location. They also work well for keeping you updated on sites that may not update that often (like band tour pages or announcements). So what are you waiting for? Go read some feeds! And while you are at it feel free to add my Google Reader shared items feed, the feed for this blog, and my flickr account feed.
