He's just someone that understands physics and radio, unlike all these "armchair broadcasters" on Slashdot.
As ham radio operators, we know what it is really like out there, we know what an uncontrolled band is like.
Microwave is different, and more freedom there is justified, but when someone spouts bullshit like the original parent post, we have to call them on it.
This is a "well, duh" sort of thing. PCS is lower frequency.
From 0-300Mhz contains nearly all widely used ham radio bands, most fire, TV, radio, government, railroad, shortwave radio, and just about everything most people associate with "radio".
That 300Mhz is a lot more important than 4.5Ghz-4.8Ghz, just because it is lower frequency. It's apples and oranges to compare PCS to a high microwave allocation.
a) 95/98/ME are terrible examples of an OS. It's basically how *not* to write an OS properly.
b) Check out FlightGear, it's an open source flight sim, very much like MS Flight Sim. I'm not sure what parts you are interested in, but it's fully functional, just not quite as many features as MS.
Million custom patches.... I doubt it. That doesn't happen with free software, and I seriously doubt it would happen with any software.
Once you start a custom patch, you have basically forked the product. Unless you want to maintain that product 100%, rolling every change on the main tree back into your fork, which is very time consuming, then you aren't going to want to do that. There are plenty of forces like that to limit fragmentation in open source.
I'd say there are, for example, maybe a dozen meaningful patches to core of the linux kernel, if even that many. Meaningful meaning too big and making too many custom changes to likely ever get rolled into the main tree. (XFS, openMosix, etc)
Sure there are tons that modify a module, or something like that, but maintaining a major patch is a lot of work. I've been watching the openMosix people do it, and I see how much trouble it is just to keep up with the main tree. It takes a lot of time away from developing new features.
Anyway, to reply to the original topic, I see no reason for MS to open their source, except maybe so they can sue people, claiming they copied MS source. I personally don't ever want to see MS source widespread, it could be used as a weapon.
Actually, the mafia is currently trafficking in CFCs, and assumedly making huge profits. Maybe that is why the economy didn't suffer, because people kept using CFCs.
I'm not kidding, look it up.
Re:Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days...
on
Remembering the BBS
·
· Score: 1
Do you have the original CP/M disks, or were they MS-DOS by then?
I think they were DOS. When I got it, it was running 3.3 I believe. This was in the late 80s early 90s or so. At work we have a copy of DOS 2.something that came with an IBM PC from around the same era. It was nice hos IBM used to put everything into those cloth coated binders.
I don't get it, do you work for e-gold Ltd or not? The page you link to refers to e-gold Ltd.
Re:It's not actually "open source" ...
on
Open Source... Mining?
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Bounty hunting is a viable model for open source revenue though. If I see an open source program that almost does what I need, I'm likely to pay the programmer to add features that he might not otherwise. This is basically what Red Hat does with their large customers, and it's what every company can do by directly contacting authors.
If you don't know anything about electronics, what would be the point? It would have to at most be a ramsey-type kit, sort of like painting by numbers, but in this case you would probably need a hot-air rework station to be able to put the thing together. Soldering thousands of tiny SMT components and chips with high pin densities doesn't sound like too much fun to me.:)
Re:Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days...
on
Remembering the BBS
·
· Score: 1
How about the original "portable" computers?
I still have the case from an old IBM portable PC/XT (5151 I think?)
It has the 6-7inch amber monitor built in. When I bought it, it still had an 8088 motherboard in it, but the keyboard had been replaced, and a half height hard disk added.
I have dreams of ripping out the old power supply and monitor, retrofitting it with LCD and a modern mini-keyboard, and modern motherboard, but time and money has kept me putting that project off.
I did once run a pentium in it, with a TV-out video card run to the composite amber monitor. Kinda weird seeing windows 95 boot on that old box. I used to use it as an 8088 to do some writing on. I even took it to college (in 1997) and used it in the study lounges for kicks.
I can't claim to have been doing much but watching cartoons and playing with Tonka Toys when it was new (I'm not that old), but I still have a place for old hardware. My first computer was a C64 in 1986 or so.
Re:Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days...
on
Remembering the BBS
·
· Score: 2
To think, that downloading a 3 CD linux distribution (nearly 2GB! That's like 20 hard disks full, just 8 years ago!), and making it into CDs is something that can be accomplished in a single morning, while using the same computer as if nothing were happening in the background!
It's a whole different mindset these days. The technology has moved so fast...... It's hard to comprehend. It still hasn't sunk in to the population at large that a 2TB file system now costs less than an economy car.
I still barely comprehend it myself. When I was building large RAIDs lately, I kept saying they were 2.1 Gigs, and things like that. My head cannot comprehend a hundred fold size increase in just the last 5 years.
You don't need all that. The various getty type programs can be configured to run a BBS type system, with as many nodes as your server and connection can handle.
Maybe you were aiming for running vintage software, in which case this may not be the way for you to go. If you just want to run an IP based BBS, go look at the selection of linux BBSs.
The GPL does not allow per-seat licensing, you have to give the person you sell it to the same rights you had, if you told them they could not copy it to every workstation in their company, you have restricted their rights with regard to distribution, and therefore have no rights to use the software under the GPL. They can only do this with the non-GPL parts of the OS, i.e. BSD type so-called free software.
All a surge protector that you get in a store is going to be is some MOVs (metal oxide varisistors). Since we are in a DIY mood, you could just buy some MOVs yourself and hook them up. Some spark gaps may also be in order, in case of something big surging, it will help to save the MOVs from a sustained blow.
I'm somewhat in agreement with you though. This isn't something that someone with no electronics experience should do, and think they have something that is exactly like a commercial unit.
The UPS is working fine. The manual says to never unplug the UPS when it is operating. This is because it needs a proper reference ground, otherwise the ground and chassis float with a fairly low voltage, 50-90volts. Enough for you to feel it I'm sure.
Any catastrophe that could knock out power to your outlet is going to be big enough to ruin the UPS in the process.
You must not have weather where you are or something. 98% or so of the people in the world live in areas where natural events knock out power at least once a year. (educated guess)
A single diode is all you need to prevent that. As another poster pointed out, make sure the wattage of the diode is high enough, and also allow for voltage drop of the diode.
An alternative would be to have a relay operated off a wall wart that would stay energized while the wall power was on, and cut the charging system off when the wall power went off. Again, watch amp ratings.
Keep in mind the AC safety rating of 12 guage wire (for wiring houses) is 20 amps. Probably less for DC. If your UPS is more than a small one, better use 6 or 8 guage.
Also, running non-sealed batteries indoors can be dangerous. Putting them in a box outside and running wires in would be best. It also allows for more expansion, and solar charging systems.:)
Slashdot Mirror
He's just someone that understands physics and radio, unlike all these "armchair broadcasters" on Slashdot.
As ham radio operators, we know what it is really like out there, we know what an uncontrolled band is like.
Microwave is different, and more freedom there is justified, but when someone spouts bullshit like the original parent post, we have to call them on it.
This is a "well, duh" sort of thing. PCS is lower frequency.
From 0-300Mhz contains nearly all widely used ham radio bands, most fire, TV, radio, government, railroad, shortwave radio, and just about everything most people associate with "radio".
That 300Mhz is a lot more important than 4.5Ghz-4.8Ghz, just because it is lower frequency. It's apples and oranges to compare PCS to a high microwave allocation.
Thanks!
The guys over on the Motley Fool Red Hat board should get a kick out of it.
a) 95/98/ME are terrible examples of an OS. It's basically how *not* to write an OS properly.
b) Check out FlightGear, it's an open source flight sim, very much like MS Flight Sim. I'm not sure what parts you are interested in, but it's fully functional, just not quite as many features as MS.
Million custom patches.... I doubt it. That doesn't happen with free software, and I seriously doubt it would happen with any software.
Once you start a custom patch, you have basically forked the product. Unless you want to maintain that product 100%, rolling every change on the main tree back into your fork, which is very time consuming, then you aren't going to want to do that. There are plenty of forces like that to limit fragmentation in open source.
I'd say there are, for example, maybe a dozen meaningful patches to core of the linux kernel, if even that many. Meaningful meaning too big and making too many custom changes to likely ever get rolled into the main tree. (XFS, openMosix, etc)
Sure there are tons that modify a module, or something like that, but maintaining a major patch is a lot of work. I've been watching the openMosix people do it, and I see how much trouble it is just to keep up with the main tree. It takes a lot of time away from developing new features.
Anyway, to reply to the original topic, I see no reason for MS to open their source, except maybe so they can sue people, claiming they copied MS source. I personally don't ever want to see MS source widespread, it could be used as a weapon.
That's great, can I use that elsewhere? Do you want some sort of attribution?
Actually, the mafia is currently trafficking in CFCs, and assumedly making huge profits. Maybe that is why the economy didn't suffer, because people kept using CFCs.
I'm not kidding, look it up.
Do you have the original CP/M disks, or were they
MS-DOS by then?
I think they were DOS. When I got it, it was running 3.3 I believe. This was in the late 80s early 90s or so. At work we have a copy of DOS 2.something that came with an IBM PC from around the same era. It was nice hos IBM used to put everything into those cloth coated binders.
Yes, that is something I had forgotten to mention, thanks for pointing that out.
I don't get it, do you work for e-gold Ltd or not? The page you link to refers to e-gold Ltd.
Bounty hunting is a viable model for open source revenue though. If I see an open source program that almost does what I need, I'm likely to pay the programmer to add features that he might not otherwise. This is basically what Red Hat does with their large customers, and it's what every company can do by directly contacting authors.
If you don't know anything about electronics, what would be the point? It would have to at most be a ramsey-type kit, sort of like painting by numbers, but in this case you would probably need a hot-air rework station to be able to put the thing together. Soldering thousands of tiny SMT components and chips with high pin densities doesn't sound like too much fun to me. :)
How about the original "portable" computers?
I still have the case from an old IBM portable PC/XT (5151 I think?)
It has the 6-7inch amber monitor built in. When I bought it, it still had an 8088 motherboard in it, but the keyboard had been replaced, and a half height hard disk added.
I have dreams of ripping out the old power supply and monitor, retrofitting it with LCD and a modern mini-keyboard, and modern motherboard, but time and money has kept me putting that project off.
I did once run a pentium in it, with a TV-out video card run to the composite amber monitor. Kinda weird seeing windows 95 boot on that old box. I used to use it as an 8088 to do some writing on. I even took it to college (in 1997) and used it in the study lounges for kicks.
I can't claim to have been doing much but watching cartoons and playing with Tonka Toys when it was new (I'm not that old), but I still have a place for old hardware. My first computer was a C64 in 1986 or so.
To think, that downloading a 3 CD linux distribution (nearly 2GB! That's like 20 hard disks full, just 8 years ago!), and making it into CDs is something that can be accomplished in a single morning, while using the same computer as if nothing were happening in the background!
It's a whole different mindset these days. The technology has moved so fast...... It's hard to comprehend. It still hasn't sunk in to the population at large that a 2TB file system now costs less than an economy car.
I still barely comprehend it myself. When I was building large RAIDs lately, I kept saying they were 2.1 Gigs, and things like that. My head cannot comprehend a hundred fold size increase in just the last 5 years.
You don't need all that. The various getty type programs can be configured to run a BBS type system, with as many nodes as your server and connection can handle.
Maybe you were aiming for running vintage software, in which case this may not be the way for you to go. If you just want to run an IP based BBS, go look at the selection of linux BBSs.
Locks havn't changes, and the anarchist cookbook is still filled with the same mostly inaccurate information. Some things never change. :)
The copyright symbol as the mark of the beast? Interesting possibilities there.
Hehe, good point, lets assume they were wall mounted busbars. :)
The GPL does not allow per-seat licensing, you have to give the person you sell it to the same rights you had, if you told them they could not copy it to every workstation in their company, you have restricted their rights with regard to distribution, and therefore have no rights to use the software under the GPL. They can only do this with the non-GPL parts of the OS, i.e. BSD type so-called free software.
All a surge protector that you get in a store is going to be is some MOVs (metal oxide varisistors). Since we are in a DIY mood, you could just buy some MOVs yourself and hook them up. Some spark gaps may also be in order, in case of something big surging, it will help to save the MOVs from a sustained blow.
I'm somewhat in agreement with you though. This isn't something that someone with no electronics experience should do, and think they have something that is exactly like a commercial unit.
The UPS is working fine. The manual says to never unplug the UPS when it is operating. This is because it needs a proper reference ground, otherwise the ground and chassis float with a fairly low voltage, 50-90volts. Enough for you to feel it I'm sure.
ACtually I typed in the less than signs, I forgot HTML would mangle them.
(It was supposed to be a joke, I never allocated any space to the pointer, doing that would overwrite random data.)
Any catastrophe that could knock out power to your outlet is going to be big enough to ruin the UPS in the process.
You must not have weather where you are or something. 98% or so of the people in the world live in areas where natural events knock out power at least once a year. (educated guess)
A single diode is all you need to prevent that. As another poster pointed out, make sure the wattage of the diode is high enough, and also allow for voltage drop of the diode.
An alternative would be to have a relay operated off a wall wart that would stay energized while the wall power was on, and cut the charging system off when the wall power went off. Again, watch amp ratings.
Keep in mind the AC safety rating of 12 guage wire (for wiring houses) is 20 amps. Probably less for DC. If your UPS is more than a small one, better use 6 or 8 guage.
:)
Also, running non-sealed batteries indoors can be dangerous. Putting them in a box outside and running wires in would be best. It also allows for more expansion, and solar charging systems.