He also annoyed websites by removing their ability to pay for their hosting. Yay.
Dude, you can go straight to hell with that, you fucker. And BTW, what the hell have you done for teh interwebs that's so golly gosh-darn wonderful you ass-crack shit-scab?
I use the AVR family of Micro controllers, cheap powerful and fast with low power consumption.
AVR makes ARM compatible micro-controllers as well though I haven't had much experience with them. I started fiddling with the AVR's about two years ago(something to keep me busy while looking for employment) it's the first real use of my engineering education as I have worked as a network engineer for most of my career. I haven't found any US based employers looking for electronic engineers, at least not any willing to hire someone without experience. It's too bad as I really enjoy programming micro controllers. As I'm 38 and over the hill as far as employment goes, my dream of an engineering job should be put to rest.
The EULA in the installer seems incompatible with this milestone, however:
"2. Scope of License. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. You may not
* work around any technical limitations in the software;
* reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation;
* publish the software for others to copy;
* rent, lease or lend the software; or
* __transfer the software or this agreement to any third party.__"
We rely on ASP.NET MVC for a couple of products that we sell to customers (for them to install locally, not in a SaaS-type environment). That EULA clause would appear to prevent us from re-distributing ASP.NET MVC in any form (even the pre-packaged installer).
It think the biggest problem I have with Linux fanatical loonies like DiabolicalDog is that we cannot rely on visual effects to show how way better we look than Windows. That proves nothing.
Youtube with all those videos of complies are driving me to bust a nut. Let show more videos of other great stuff using Linux. There is no need to prove we make real good use of visual effects than Windows, that has already been proven. Let focus on other stuff as well.
If we were to criticize Linux, we would also have to criticize other OS vendors. I've been using Linux operating systems for other reasons than regular users do, due to my professional work. At work I have plenty of UNIX-es, so it's natural I have a Linux boxes at home. However I will never take Ubuntu as the first choice.
I have used Windows XP for many years too, but that's history. Of course, I may complain about Linux glitches, but look around. Look at all the software that's produced on any OS, Windows, Macs, etc. Have you not noticed that the software evolution is heading in the wrong direction? Is it only Linux that is responsible? After all, Linux is just an operating software, where as all the other software is an add-on you use.
What do you want to criticize, the operating system, or the software that comes with it?
If you would like to criticize Linuxes, you would have to first install at least 10 distros and compare them. Ubuntu for me is again not the choice. Look around, how many choices you have with Linuxes and how many with other operating systems?
My choice is Sabayon-Gentoo. One good reason â" it's easy to install and has ALL the software I need. Price is not the issue, the fact that I can have an installation for free is not the main reason I use Linuxes.
Sander85 is right and I agree with him. You would like to criticize, but you have not mentioned how much time you spent communicating problems and helping programmers solve them.
On the other hand, try and contact Microsoft saying their OS system lacks this or that, that we are threatened everyday with viruses, malware, etc, that we have to purchase tons of additional software to get the full functionality Windows doesn't have out of the box?
So far Linux distributions have evolved enormously in a way you could have hardly imagined a year ago. It makes competition tougher.
They'd be unilaterally agreeing to the terms of the EULA, while right now it is unclear if a EULA is even binding at all.
All right, well, I love the concept, but it doesn't make it clear to the user what they can and can't do with the work. If the statement doesn't grant a license, then any copying, distributing or modifying the work would violate copyright. If the statement is intended to imply that certain uses of the material are permitted without violating copyright, it is hard to determine where the line is. Out of curiosity, I would love to see people reply in the comments with what they think would and wouldn't be permitted under the EULA. Which of the following do you think would be permitted under the proposed license:
1. Use of the software;
2. Copying the software;
3. Distributing copies to other people;
4. Making modifications and derivative works of the software for your own use;
5. Making modifications and derivative works to sell to other people?
I realize the example was intended to make a point, but I think it would be useful to build on the idea and create a short EULA that is respectful to users and includes a little more detail about what the author expects the user to be able to do with the material.
*sigh* Here we go again. Seriously, a code is the most simplistic and effective means of copy protection. One key = one install. Simple as that.
If you implement measures, that online / LAN multiplay is restricted to valid and unique CD-keys and executables cannot be cracked easily is one of the most reasonable methods to balance between players and publishers available.
It serves the following purposes: - prevent non-paying customers from using unpaid-for online servers - (inofficially) let people (via keygens) rather freely test-drive the full software, offline on their own machine with the option to buy a key and make your installation legit and online-enabled in seconds. - ban detected cheaters from online play and introduce a financial risk to cheating (you have to buy a new key when you're caught) which deters non-hardcore cheaters from trying - prevent mass copying of your software: if the same key is encountered online in the thousands, disable the key - all this encourages defined and responsible ownership of the software: if you give out your key, you possibly cannot play online anymore
- and inofficially: limit the resale-value of a used key: as a buyer, you cannot be sure if the key is not banned for cheating or shared with the entire school/workplace of the reseller.
I don't know of people who been hindered from doing legit things with their paid-for software because of a cd-key. But I know several people who "test-drove" dozens of pirated games with a keygen who found out the game was so crappy that even downloading it was a waste of money and time.
FUCK YOU, zollman LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME SURF THE WEB AS THE FLYING SPAGHETTI WEASEL INTENDED
=Smidge=
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Follow up to: "How to Serve Man"
on
Managing Humans
·
· Score: -1
FUCK YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME SURF THE WEB AS THE FLYING SPAGHETTI WEASEL INTENDED
=Smidge=
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Or you could read the article and see that if you buy said Dell at $1,800, and fill it up with RAM from Dell, you end up paying $50,760, which is over 20-fold.
You didn't hesitate to throw your ignorant opinion in when the assholes where conspiring to triage maliciously, now you want to cry and act like a retard when called on your ignorance? How about you keep your mouth shut when someone who knows a whole lot better than you what is and isn't considered malpractice calls the dicks out that are conspiring to commit it and you can avoid the little butthurt, profanity-laced temper-tantrums?
Let's review, shall we? You ran your mouth, acting like you did. I correct you and you got butthurt and responded like a pissed off 3 year old. Did I miss anything, dave420?
With a F/OSS project, they'll make their money with service and support. It'll change their fortunes.
Agreed: I was angsty in my 20's too. I had long frizzled hair and wore an army jacket with patches all over it, and hated the world and all the Web 2.0 Facebook stupid morons in it.
I'm now in my 40's. I have a haircut, I'm sitting in an office cube wearing a polo shirt next to the network Nazi aka Samschnooks.
And I've got some news for you. It's *all* pointless. The end is the same for everybody. We're all worm food. Doesn't matter if you rage against the machine or use sperm whale oil in its gears. In a hundred years, I promise you, I promise it won't matter one whit.
What does matter is what you do with the time your have. And I'll say this - I'm happier now at 40 with a nice job, nice house, nice car, nice pool, nice BBQ, nice yard, nice Jew's harp, nice RV, nice stand-alone DVD player, nice Betamax and a family I love dearly - however boring and polite they may be - than I *ever* was at 20 running around rebelling against everything mocking the stupid Slashdot shit-eating sheeple.
My advice would be to take whatever brilliance Samschnooks can give you and apply it to your own life, if you're able. Solve your own problems, 'tards. Find whatever happiness you can. Because sitting around picking your nose and your own wounds to keep them fresh doesn't do a single bit of good. But it sure does feel good to scratch them from time to time
I have friends who never "sold out". They're miserable. They sell PCs at Circuit City. Most are too poor to fix their shit-encrusted Linux boxes. If you sit around and tend a harvest of misery your whole life, then that will be your reward.
To sum up, life only sucks if you work at making it suck...as Samschnooks will tell you. Let it go. NOW.
FTFA: To really get the most out of the book a reader should be familiar with JavaScript, html and css. It wouldn't hurt to also understand RESTful web services. Once the first two chapters explaining Zembly are over, this really is a cook-book, or set of examples/tutorials rather than instruction on how to code or do markup. The experienced developer could probably slide by even if they were not working regularly with these technologies. Someone who has never written a bit of code may want to spend some time building some familiarity with javascript before they tack this book. Zembly itself has some quick tutorials that require almost no knowledge of programming. I watched a graphic art guy at work throw together a facebook widget/app in about 10 minutes using Zembly.
And my take: Ever noticed how the taillights on some cars flicker? I guess they are LED's with a refresh rate low enough to notice. If you sweep your eyes from the far left to the far right of your field of vision, the taillights will 'leave' a dashed line trailing 'behind' them. Even with a good night of sleep it's a bit strange:)
Personally, I have no idea what he's talking about in the first place. Unless it's an abysmally low-quality rip, MP3 sounds just like any other format. No sizzle, nothing.
They've got an excuse: "During a laptop demonstration provided by Dell, the laptop weathered jetted water and 3-foot drops while running, but the non-operational 4-foot drop proved to be a problem. After a third drop from 4 feet, the LCD screen's protective plastic cover shattered.
Dell responded to the crack by saying that the demo laptop was a pre-production model that had already been dropped a hundred times. There's a three-year warranty on the machine and a cracked screen will be replaced immediately, Bolen said.
Despite the screen crack, the laptop is protected by a chassis made of ballistic armor, which is a high-strength substance used in ballistic missiles, cryogenics and other military applications. It is a high-end polymer that is two to three times more durable than the magnesium alloy material used on most laptops today, Bolen said."
I like the ballistic armor (spectra flex/kevlar)...makes me want to shoot a Dell with a 9mm STEN.
Graphics is what got me interested in programming. I remember my high school Pascal classes. Unfortunately they were pretty boring. We did do some simple EGA graphics at one point but that was really the only interesting thing we did in class, though I did end up learning the fundamentals.
Thing was, to do anything cool you had to do all this VGA initialization stuff that was forever out of our reach at that level. Not to mention the computers were pretty obsolete even at that point.
I know there's a lot of (mostly unreasonable) hate around here for Flash, but I'd say get them into Actionscript3. It's really easy to do graphics in without having to setup windows and rendering contexts or getting to know huge APIs. It will introduce them to object oriented programming, but won't involve pointers or memory management or any of the more esoteric aspects of something like C++. Another thing is they can easily share whatever they produce with most anyone else who has a browser. If they are at all into social networking online (all that myspace bullshit) they can make some pretty interesting stuff for their friends' pages. Using Actionscript could also lead they to branching out into other web technologies, something probably more important in today's world than ever. It also has a similar syntax to Java or C++ if they want to go in that direction. And as far as help and tutorials, there's really one of the richest communities around Flash, being a technology that was practically born in the middle of the blogging phenomenon.
The best thing about Actionscript is how quickly you can put something visual together and how little setup it requires. Graphics is definitely the way to go, and nothing in programming has a more immediate "wow" factor than throwing something pretty up on the screen.
Hmm. It seems like it'd be really easy to do this yourself with a little ingenuity. I think I may have just found a nifty little project for this weekend.
All it should take is:
* Add an inittab runlevel (7?) for "shutdown to instant boot".
* Add an/etc/rc7.d with a script that writes a file that records the fact that we're in "shutdown to instant boot" state, then switches to runlevel 6.
* Add an init script in late in the normal startup sequence that checks for "shutdown to instant boot" state. If it finds that state, it removes the file and then initiates suspend or hibernate, depending on a configuration option.
At that point "sudo init 7" should cause your machine to shut down to "instant boot" state. Hitting the power button will then "instant boot" it.
"sudo init 0" or "sudo init 6" will do a normal shutdown or a normal reboot.
The final step would be to modify the "shutdown" command to go to runlevel 7 when given some new option, and then to modify the GUI-based shutdown tools to provide the instant-boot option as well, and maybe make it the default. Oh, and maybe modify the ACPI script that's executed when the power button is hit so that the power button does a "shutdown to instant boot" by default.
Pretty easy. Of course, in Linux I don't ever see any reason to shut the machine down anyway. My laptop pretty much only gets rebooted when there's a kernel update to install. Other than that, it just gets suspended. So, kind of pointless in Linux, but easy. The same would apply to *BSD.
Slashdot Mirror
He also annoyed websites by removing their ability to pay for their hosting. Yay.
Dude, you can go straight to hell with that, you fucker. And BTW, what the hell have you done for teh interwebs that's so golly gosh-darn wonderful you ass-crack shit-scab?
=Smidge=
Someone else can maintain AdBlock
Agreed; I herby nominate Nosehair to handle all new Ad Block updates.
=Smidge=
I use the AVR family of Micro controllers, cheap powerful and fast with low power consumption.
AVR makes ARM compatible micro-controllers as well though I haven't had much experience with them.
I started fiddling with the AVR's about two years ago(something to keep me busy while looking for employment) it's the first real use of my engineering education as I have worked as a network engineer for most of my career. I haven't found any US based employers looking for electronic engineers, at least not any willing to hire someone without experience. It's too bad as I really enjoy programming micro controllers. As I'm 38 and over the hill as far as employment goes, my dream of an engineering job should be put to rest.
=Smidge=
The EULA in the installer seems incompatible with this milestone, however:
"2. Scope of License. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. You may not
* work around any technical limitations in the software;
* reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation;
* publish the software for others to copy;
* rent, lease or lend the software; or
* __transfer the software or this agreement to any third party.__"
We rely on ASP.NET MVC for a couple of products that we sell to customers (for them to install locally, not in a SaaS-type environment). That EULA clause would appear to prevent us from re-distributing ASP.NET MVC in any form (even the pre-packaged installer).
=Smidge=
It think the biggest problem I have with Linux fanatical loonies like DiabolicalDog is that we cannot rely on visual effects to show how way better we look than Windows. That proves nothing.
Youtube with all those videos of complies are driving me to bust a nut. Let show more videos of other great stuff using Linux. There is no need to prove we make real good use of visual effects than Windows, that has already been proven. Let focus on other stuff as well.
=Smidge=
If we were to criticize Linux, we would also have to criticize other OS vendors. I've been using Linux operating systems for other reasons than regular users do, due to my professional work. At work I have plenty of UNIX-es, so it's natural I have a Linux boxes at home. However I will never take Ubuntu as the first choice.
I have used Windows XP for many years too, but that's history. Of course, I may complain about Linux glitches, but look around. Look at all the software that's produced on any OS, Windows, Macs, etc. Have you not noticed that the software evolution is heading in the wrong direction? Is it only Linux that is responsible? After all, Linux is just an operating software, where as all the other software is an add-on you use.
What do you want to criticize, the operating system, or the software that comes with it?
If you would like to criticize Linuxes, you would have to first install at least 10 distros and compare them. Ubuntu for me is again not the choice. Look around, how many choices you have with Linuxes and how many with other operating systems?
My choice is Sabayon-Gentoo. One good reason â" it's easy to install and has ALL the software I need. Price is not the issue, the fact that I can have an installation for free is not the main reason I use Linuxes.
Sander85 is right and I agree with him. You would like to criticize, but you have not mentioned how much time you spent communicating problems and helping programmers solve them.
On the other hand, try and contact Microsoft saying their OS system lacks this or that, that we are threatened everyday with viruses, malware, etc, that we have to purchase tons of additional software to get the full functionality Windows doesn't have out of the box?
So far Linux distributions have evolved enormously in a way you could have hardly imagined a year ago. It makes competition tougher.
=Smidge=
They'd be unilaterally agreeing to the terms of the EULA, while right now it is unclear if a EULA is even binding at all.
All right, well, I love the concept, but it doesn't make it clear to the user what they can and can't do with the work. If the statement doesn't grant a license, then any copying, distributing or modifying the work would violate copyright. If the statement is intended to imply that certain uses of the material are permitted without violating copyright, it is hard to determine where the line is. Out of curiosity, I would love to see people reply in the comments with what they think would and wouldn't be permitted under the EULA. Which of the following do you think would be permitted under the proposed license:
1. Use of the software;
2. Copying the software;
3. Distributing copies to other people;
4. Making modifications and derivative works of the software for your own use;
5. Making modifications and derivative works to sell to other people?
I realize the example was intended to make a point, but I think it would be useful to build on the idea and create a short EULA that is respectful to users and includes a little more detail about what the author expects the user to be able to do with the material.
=Smidge=
*sigh* Here we go again. Seriously, a code is the most simplistic and effective means of copy protection. One key = one install. Simple as that.
If you implement measures, that online / LAN multiplay is restricted to valid and unique CD-keys and executables cannot be cracked easily is one of the most reasonable methods to balance between players and publishers available.
It serves the following purposes:
- prevent non-paying customers from using unpaid-for online servers
- (inofficially) let people (via keygens) rather freely test-drive the full software, offline on their own machine with the option to buy a key and make your installation legit and online-enabled in seconds.
- ban detected cheaters from online play and introduce a financial risk to cheating (you have to buy a new key when you're caught) which deters non-hardcore cheaters from trying
- prevent mass copying of your software: if the same key is encountered online in the thousands, disable the key
- all this encourages defined and responsible ownership of the software: if you give out your key, you possibly cannot play online anymore
- and inofficially: limit the resale-value of a used key: as a buyer, you cannot be sure if the key is not banned for cheating or shared with the entire school/workplace of the reseller.
I don't know of people who been hindered from doing legit things with their paid-for software because of a cd-key. But I know several people who "test-drove" dozens of pirated games with a keygen who found out the game was so crappy that even downloading it was a waste of money and time.
=Smidge=
FUCK YOU, zollman LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME SURF THE WEB AS THE FLYING SPAGHETTI WEASEL INTENDED
=Smidge=
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
...it's an http://oreilly.com/ cook book.
FUCK YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME SURF THE WEB AS THE FLYING SPAGHETTI WEASEL INTENDED
=Smidge=
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
...there is: the Coon
=Smidge=
I heard they made lamps out of human skin and soap from the fat of dead Jews. Correct?
=Smidge=
Or you could read the article and see that if you buy said Dell at $1,800, and fill it up with RAM from Dell, you end up paying $50,760, which is over 20-fold.
You didn't hesitate to throw your ignorant opinion in when the assholes where conspiring to triage maliciously, now you want to cry and act like a retard when called on your ignorance? How about you keep your mouth shut when someone who knows a whole lot better than you what is and isn't considered malpractice calls the dicks out that are conspiring to commit it and you can avoid the little butthurt, profanity-laced temper-tantrums?
Let's review, shall we? You ran your mouth, acting like you did. I correct you and you got butthurt and responded like a pissed off 3 year old. Did I miss anything, dave420?
=Smidge=
No need to be so pendantic...
You're right: there is nothing worse than a pedantic pundit. FWIW.
=Smidge=
Parying during the exam is forbidden.
I read this as "partying" during the exam is forbidden. Then I LOL'd... ;-)
=Smidge=
You forgot one: Lotus Notes.
=Smidge=
With a F/OSS project, they'll make their money with service and support. It'll change their fortunes.
Agreed: I was angsty in my 20's too. I had long frizzled hair and wore an army jacket with patches all over it, and hated the world and all the Web 2.0 Facebook stupid morons in it.
I'm now in my 40's. I have a haircut, I'm sitting in an office cube wearing a polo shirt next to the network Nazi aka Samschnooks.
And I've got some news for you. It's *all* pointless. The end is the same for everybody. We're all worm food. Doesn't matter if you rage against the machine or use sperm whale oil in its gears. In a hundred years, I promise you, I promise it won't matter one whit.
What does matter is what you do with the time your have. And I'll say this - I'm happier now at 40 with a nice job, nice house, nice car, nice pool, nice BBQ, nice yard, nice Jew's harp, nice RV, nice stand-alone DVD player, nice Betamax and a family I love dearly - however boring and polite they may be - than I *ever* was at 20 running around rebelling against everything mocking the stupid Slashdot shit-eating sheeple.
My advice would be to take whatever brilliance Samschnooks can give you and apply it to your own life, if you're able. Solve your own problems, 'tards. Find whatever happiness you can. Because sitting around picking your nose and your own wounds to keep them fresh doesn't do a single bit of good. But it sure does feel good to scratch them from time to time
I have friends who never "sold out". They're miserable. They sell PCs at Circuit City. Most are too poor to fix their shit-encrusted Linux boxes. If you sit around and tend a harvest of misery your whole life, then that will be your reward.
To sum up, life only sucks if you work at making it suck...as Samschnooks will tell you. Let it go. NOW.
=Smidge=
FTFA: To really get the most out of the book a reader should be familiar with JavaScript, html and css. It wouldn't hurt to also understand RESTful web services. Once the first two chapters explaining Zembly are over, this really is a cook-book, or set of examples/tutorials rather than instruction on how to code or do markup. The experienced developer could probably slide by even if they were not working regularly with these technologies. Someone who has never written a bit of code may want to spend some time building some familiarity with javascript before they tack this book. Zembly itself has some quick tutorials that require almost no knowledge of programming. I watched a graphic art guy at work throw together a facebook widget/app in about 10 minutes using Zembly.
And my take: Ever noticed how the taillights on some cars flicker? I guess they are LED's with a refresh rate low enough to notice. If you sweep your eyes from the far left to the far right of your field of vision, the taillights will 'leave' a dashed line trailing 'behind' them. Even with a good night of sleep it's a bit strange :)
=Smidge=
...and using it to code Java apps; physically impossible. Now, back to my RAD struts build...
=Smidge=
Dear AC,
Fuck you.
--Linux
No, no, no. You've both got it wrong. The real culprit here is the human hand. Tax that and you're half-way home to a solution!
=Smidge=
Personally, I have no idea what he's talking about in the first place. Unless it's an abysmally low-quality rip, MP3 sounds just like any other format. No sizzle, nothing.
=Smidge=
They've got an excuse: "During a laptop demonstration provided by Dell, the laptop weathered jetted water and 3-foot drops while running, but the non-operational 4-foot drop proved to be a problem. After a third drop from 4 feet, the LCD screen's protective plastic cover shattered.
Dell responded to the crack by saying that the demo laptop was a pre-production model that had already been dropped a hundred times. There's a three-year warranty on the machine and a cracked screen will be replaced immediately, Bolen said.
Despite the screen crack, the laptop is protected by a chassis made of ballistic armor, which is a high-strength substance used in ballistic missiles, cryogenics and other military applications. It is a high-end polymer that is two to three times more durable than the magnesium alloy material used on most laptops today, Bolen said."
I like the ballistic armor (spectra flex/kevlar)...makes me want to shoot a Dell with a 9mm STEN.
=Smidge=
Graphics is what got me interested in programming. I remember my high school Pascal classes. Unfortunately they were pretty boring. We did do some simple EGA graphics at one point but that was really the only interesting thing we did in class, though I did end up learning the fundamentals.
Thing was, to do anything cool you had to do all this VGA initialization stuff that was forever out of our reach at that level. Not to mention the computers were pretty obsolete even at that point.
I know there's a lot of (mostly unreasonable) hate around here for Flash, but I'd say get them into Actionscript3. It's really easy to do graphics in without having to setup windows and rendering contexts or getting to know huge APIs. It will introduce them to object oriented programming, but won't involve pointers or memory management or any of the more esoteric aspects of something like C++. Another thing is they can easily share whatever they produce with most anyone else who has a browser. If they are at all into social networking online (all that myspace bullshit) they can make some pretty interesting stuff for their friends' pages. Using Actionscript could also lead they to branching out into other web technologies, something probably more important in today's world than ever. It also has a similar syntax to Java or C++ if they want to go in that direction. And as far as help and tutorials, there's really one of the richest communities around Flash, being a technology that was practically born in the middle of the blogging phenomenon.
The best thing about Actionscript is how quickly you can put something visual together and how little setup it requires. Graphics is definitely the way to go, and nothing in programming has a more immediate "wow" factor than throwing something pretty up on the screen.
=Smidge=
Hmm. It seems like it'd be really easy to do this yourself with a little ingenuity. I think I may have just found a nifty little project for this weekend.
All it should take is:
* Add an inittab runlevel (7?) for "shutdown to instant boot". /etc/rc7.d with a script that writes a file that records the fact that we're in "shutdown to instant boot" state, then switches to runlevel 6.
* Add an
* Add an init script in late in the normal startup sequence that checks for "shutdown to instant boot" state. If it finds that state, it removes the file and then initiates suspend or hibernate, depending on a configuration option.
At that point "sudo init 7" should cause your machine to shut down to "instant boot" state. Hitting the power button will then "instant boot" it.
"sudo init 0" or "sudo init 6" will do a normal shutdown or a normal reboot.
The final step would be to modify the "shutdown" command to go to runlevel 7 when given some new option, and then to modify the GUI-based shutdown tools to provide the instant-boot option as well, and maybe make it the default. Oh, and maybe modify the ACPI script that's executed when the power button is hit so that the power button does a "shutdown to instant boot" by default.
Pretty easy. Of course, in Linux I don't ever see any reason to shut the machine down anyway. My laptop pretty much only gets rebooted when there's a kernel update to install. Other than that, it just gets suspended. So, kind of pointless in Linux, but easy. The same would apply to *BSD.
HTH. HAND.
=Smidge=