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User: mini+me

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  1. Acer Travelmate 737TLV on Which Laptop To Buy? · · Score: 1

    I have been very happy with this machine. It's a P3-700, 128MB RAM, 16GB hard drive, 15" 1024x768 screen. Everything in it seems to work flawlessly in Linux, including the winmodem. My only complaint about the machine is the video card, it only has 8MB video RAM.

    The newer versions of this system contain up to a 1GHz processor and fingerprint recognition, but the rest of the system remain the same. Since my model doesn't have the biometrics, I have no idea of that will work with Linux, but you never know?

    For anyone looking to run Linux on a laptop, I'd recommend a system like this one, that is if the video card has enough memory for you.

  2. Re:Reencoding on Who'll Be Using Ogg Vorbis Instead Of MP3? · · Score: 1

    Of course you wouldn't want to be converting a lossy format to something else now would you? That is of course the downfall of lossy compression. It works fine for playback, but don't consider actually doing anything with the audio after the conversion.

    It is exactly like JPEG vs an uncompressed image. You would never want to actaully work from a JPEG, you would just be losing more and more quailty every time you saved it! As for viewing the image when it is done however, JPEG does a great job.

  3. Re:Killing the myth once again on Who'll Be Using Ogg Vorbis Instead Of MP3? · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well I suggest that from this point forward, all adult film music be recorded in Ogg format.

  4. Re:It not the UI on A Visual Comparison Between XP And Mandrake · · Score: 1

    Can anyone else forseen MS branded Linux before long?

    I'm sure that that is exactly Microsoft's plan if Linux ever starts to take over the Windows rien. Not only will the get the entire code base for free, then can then turn around and sell it for a profit. Sure, they will have to provide a free download, but in my experiences getting something for free is fround upon since it implies that there is no accountablity and support. (even though I know this is simply not the case, but try to explain that to Joe Sixpack)

    Microsoft's .NET will also allow them to move thier systems to Linux with ease. (and Ximan is helping them out at it even!) When Office.NET hits the market place, not only will it run on Windows, it will also run on Linux. They will then not have to port Office to Microsoft Linux, it will already run on it. Maybe .NET was designed because Microsoft sees an end to the Windows line, and this will alow them to stay the big players no matter what takes over as the new system of choice.

    Microsoft may not be able to write software, but they sure know how to take out any competition that comes thier way!

  5. Re:Switch User functionality on A Visual Comparison Between XP And Mandrake · · Score: 1

    The application specific point I've found is for applications like file sharing. Brother is transfering files on napster, but sister wants to use the computer to check her email and use her Web browser bookmarks.

    This is why I think that the core of Napsteresq. programs should be seperate from the GUI. You close the GUI, log out, but the core process is still running allowing you to keep on downloading. You could then even use the GUI on another machine to connect back to the core of the program on another machine, over the internet even.

    Sure some of this is can be accomplished with X, but it seems silly having to send the entire GUI over just to tell the server (or client in the case of X) to download a certain file.

    While file sharing programs are the perfect example of this, the same ideas can be extended to any program that has features that do not require human interaction.

  6. Re:exactly on Multitasking Harmful To Productivity · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Eating is mearly a simple daemon process. While it takes a few cycles, and a small amount of memory, the context switch isn't noticeable.

  7. Re:They had better not start switching existing cu on SBC Wants To Switch DSL Format To PPPoE · · Score: 1

    PPPoE didn't save IP addresses in my case, with my previous DSL provider we just ran PPPoE on every machine, giving us a public IP for every machine!

    If saving IP's is such an issue, instead of trying to force PPPoE on everyone, they should be using those resources to move thier infrastructure to IPv6.

  8. Re:It doesn't matter to me... on SBC Wants To Switch DSL Format To PPPoE · · Score: 1

    I've had experience with two different DSL providers, one used PPPoE, the other DHCP.

    I have no problems at all with the DHCP service. Leases are 8 days, but can be renewed every day. Virtually we are talking about a static IP here. I've had the same IP on my machine ever since I got the service. An added benifit of DHCP is that I can allocate as many public addresses as I have machines. Just plug the DSL modem into the hub's uplink and you're away.

    As for the PPPoE, it is the most awful protocol in existance!! Just plain old ethernet can do everything PPPoE can do sans authentication.(but is that really needed anyway?)

    They claim that PPPoE simulates the dial-up experience for the users. If I wanted dial-up, I would have stayed with dial-up, one of the main reasons to move to DSL is to get away from having to dial-up.

    The real reason that PPPoE is used is so you can chose your ISP while maintianing the same DSL, just change your PPPoE settings to point to a different ISP. Personally, I'd sacrifice choice for the use of standard protocols.

    Luckly with my new ISP there is really no other ISP around (for dial-up and DSL) so they have the liberty of doing what they wish.

  9. Re:Anyone have any suggestions on a better name? on Tux Racer 1.0 To Be Closed Source, Windows Only · · Score: 1

    I've got the perfect GPL name:
    Either:
    1. kTux Racer
    or
    2. gTux Racer

  10. Re:Don't speak too soon on Code Red Goes The Way Of Y2K · · Score: 1

    I prefer: cat access_log | grep NNNNN | wc -l Just cause I like typing out long commands! Now for something more useful: #!/usr/bin/perl # Setup # # Location of access_log $access_log = '/usr/adm/access_log'; # # Save directory $save_dir = 'worm'; # # Lynx location, leave blank to skip page downloading $lynx = 'lynx'; # Program open(LOG, $access_log) || die "Unable to open $access_log"; while($line=) { if($line =~ /NNNNN/) { ($addr, $null) = split(/ /, $line); if($lynx ne "") { print "Retriving page from: $addr\n"; $addr_us = $addr; $addr_us =~ s/\./_/g; exec("$lynx -dump http://$addr/ > $save_dir/$addr_us.htm"); } else { print "$addr\n"; } } } close(LOG);

  11. Driving Under the Influence? on Pulse Jet Go-kart · · Score: 2

    Yeah that's just what we need, someone building a jet powered beer cooler and then using the jet engine to power thier go kart once thier beer is cold/consumed.

    But on the other hand, atleast your beer will stay cold on a beer tour!

  12. Re:Dual-booting on Select or Lock Hard Drives... With a Key · · Score: 1

    What would have been really nice if you could switch between which hard drive is master and which is slave from this device. That would allow you to run both drives while still being able to select which you want to boot from.

    As the article explains, they didn't include that feature due to the different jumper settings on different hard drives. It still would have been a great feature though!

  13. Re:perhaps a bit off topic on OSD Database Downloadable As XML · · Score: 1

    Well under the circumstances we are mearly just querying the entire database and using XML to transport that data back. It would be impraticle to query the origional database everytime you wanted to get the data out and you aren't just going to send out the database itself. By doing this the reciever can recieve the database in an open, usuable format and can do what they want with it at that point, whether that be putting it back in a database or parse it out and use the data for something usefull.

  14. I've got a better idea... on Smart Car, Or Dumb Idea? · · Score: 1

    Why don't you talk to real people with a cell phone?

    I thought that Ford (or someone else, I forget who exactly) did a study and showed that any interaction with electronic devices in cars took away the concentration from the road. This was even a problem if you interacted with the device like you would a human. This was not a problem when interacting with a real human though. Hopefully someone out there has more information on that study.

  15. Re:Machrone's Law? on Terabyte File Server for $5,000 · · Score: 1

    "The computer you want always costs $5000".

    I believe this to be true. My current machine, and the one before it, both cost that much. Laptops are just too darn expensive!!!

    Mind you that's $5000 Cdn, so that's what? $2500 US? ;)

  16. Re:violate fair use? on CD Copy "Protection" in California · · Score: 1

    and I haven't had a CD that was so scratched that it was unplayable since the sunrise of the CD revolution

    I haven't either, but I have had a CD melt to the point that it wasn't playable in my car (it gets pretty darn hot in there!) The CD now has an interesting blotch in the centre of it. Half the CD still plays fine though.

  17. It's a bird. It's a plane. No it's a TCP/IP packet on Afghanistan Bans Internet · · Score: 1

    I have a feeling that they will start to see a few more pigeons in the skies of Afghanistan.

    While I understand that their beliefs are quite different than ours you think they could have at least been like China and setup a nation-wide firewall rather than deny total access.

  18. Re:The algorithm makes a difference on Lossy Music Formats Compared · · Score: 1

    I've noticed some operating systems sound better than others. On my machine, using Winamp under Windows 2000 the audio sounds terrible, it sounds very muddy. Under Linux using XMMS or Winamp (under WINE) the audio sounds much, much better.

    Now since they were comparing Windows Media we can assume that they were using a Windows machine so maybe that was a factor?

    Now as to why the audio sounds terrible under Windows, any ideas? Poorly written driver? Some kind of copy protection in Windows 2000 (not likely, but this is Microsoft we are talking about!) Or what?

  19. Oh no, the Chinese can watch DVD's! on U.S., Japan Ask Sony To Not Outsource PS2 To Taiwan · · Score: 1

    which would give the Chinese government opportunies to gain access to the DVD techonology.

    Yes, we sure wouldn't want those Chinese watching our high quality American blockbusters now would we?
    What if they were to tell the world how to crack the encryption on DVD's?? That would just be awful!

    But seriously, what is the big threat to allowing the Chinese information on DVD technology? What is so special about a DVD player? I thought it was merely an over-glorified CD player that could differentiate the different colours from the different DVD layers. Obviously the CSS encryption isn't the issue either since that's been known for quite some time now. So what is it in the DVD technology that the Chinese can't have access to?

    The only issue I could see is China wanting to keep DVD's out of thier country so the people would not exposed to other cultures and ideas (much like how the have moderated net access) but what does this have to do with any other country?

  20. Re:Does it bother anyone else... on Your Daily Dose of Microsoft · · Score: 1

    when Joe User's 30 day grace period is up and their computer won't boot, many of them will be pissed off enough to look for Windows alternaitives.

    To Joe User, the PC is Windows. After thier 30 days and it will not boot, they will send it back from where it came and get them to fix it for them. Joe User does not even know that their computer will run anything other than Windows. Even if Joe User did know that alternatives exist they aren't likely to change due to the simple fact that what they have works for them.

    People buy computer hardware and think that is the complete package. Plug it in and it works, just like all the other appliances we have. How many of you have tried changing the "operating system" on your TV for instance? (I am refering to all those on-screen displays found on basically all new TV's) Sure it's possible, and I'm sure someone on here has atleast tried to do it, but Joe User would never ever consider doing this, it works fine the way it is! Now if you could get Linux to run on your TV...but that is another story.

    While I believe a desktop take over by Linux (or equivalent) is very possible, it is not going to happen just because Microsoft actaully makes you pay to run thier software.

  21. Convertion on Large Scale, Professional, Mail Merge Apps? · · Score: 1

    How about writing a conversion utility that will convert from a SQL database or XML file and output a file that is readable by your software? It wouldn't require much programming at all to do this and it should meed your needs. Sure it isn't streamlined like it could be, but it is an option.

  22. Re: And consider on Napster Signs Indie Deal · · Score: 1

    Morpheus is virtually Kazaa with a different GUI. It uses a Gnutella-like hybrid protocol.

    While it is probably possible to shut it down, it will be more difficult to do then just to go to Music City and tell them to shut down thier servers. Alteast I hope it isn't that easy to shut down. Morpheus in my opinion is Napster done right (if you don't mind the annoying GUI!)

  23. What makes it too close to being the same? on More Trouble With AOL And GAIM · · Score: 2

    What makes GAIM more confusing then say GAIMINAIM (GAIM Is Not AIM)? Both contain AIM, the latter even contains it twice for good measure!

    If it comes down to it (and I hope it doesn't) why not just name it Aim? It's an english word, there should* be no way for AOL to stop you from using an english word!! Take AIM at AOL might not be a bad name idea either.

    * - yes I know this is not the case, the corperations always win. Too bad our society is in such a state of affairs that you can't even speak plain english without trademark violation.

  24. Re:It was the next natural step... on Kernel Configuration As An Adventure · · Score: 1

    When I first read this article, the Kill -9 Doom was the first thing I thought off. How long before we can configure our kernel with Doom? On a miss the option will not be added, a near hit will be added as a module and a direct hit will be compiled right into the kernel. Once you win the kernel compile will begin, if you lose well you are just out of luck!

  25. Run as user? on Multi-User Websites and Lack of Security? · · Score: 2

    A question to all you Apache developers out there. How feasible is it to run as each user depending on the request? If all the users had a corresponding webuser account and subsiquent group you could set it up as follows:

    public_html is owned by bob and the group is webbob permissions are rwxr-x---. When a request is made for /~bob the webserver would then su to a webbob user (who is in the webbob group) and would have read access to the dir. This would stop people from having read access of the files as well as stoping them from running CGI scripts to gain access to other's files because all their CGI scripts would run as their user without the need for wrappers. And for those of you who have ACL's you could even go as far as just adding the webbob user to have access which would end the need of having to create separate groups for each webuser.

    I would imagine that the su would have high overhead for those that simply don't need that kind of features, but if it could be implemented as a module then servers such as this could add the feature as needed.