Make the recycle information MACHINE READABLE and put(print) it everywhere! This would not solve human laziness, but it would prevent unnecessary information loss after disassembly with minimal cost increase. And this would change 'Not recyclable unless I put this fscking mess into gas chromatography - practically not recyclable' into 'Just need more labor, I would adjust the price accordingly' recyclable material. This would even help 'willing to recycle but confused(I'm not sure if this jell-o top film is vinyl or plastic?)' consumer, because practically everyone now have universal barcode reading device - smartphone.
1. Integrated REAL keyboard - no virtual kbd, no separate bluetooth crap that I must manage its separate battery charge status, can STAND BY ITSELF and GUARANTEED TO STAY IN ONE PIECE on irregular,vibrating surface like bag on my lap on subway so no separate keyboard with kickstand or magnet connected like MS surface/current netbooks 2. Lightweight for mobile gaming - can be used continually with two hand grip(like nintendo DS) or one hand grip(like smartphone). In my experience the upper weight limit is somewhere around 400g~500g 3. NO castrated storage - cpuwise Atom is OK you can even use OLD generation low power Atom like Z530(2W)+yucky imagination GMA500 GPU to run dosbox/SNES emulator/2d games rather well. Current Atom(after bay-trail) with REAL INTEL GPU can even run lightweight 3d games well if you set the preferences low. All the slowness comes from its slooooow eMMC raw flash(no parallel tricks like SSD) storage especially it's write speed is painfully slow. 4. adequate memory - minimum 2GB 5. good battery capacity - minimum 10 hours for light use/3 hours for heavy(gaming) use. 6. OS freedom just like PC - install & use linux just like pc without problem. android? I'll install android myself if necessary. 7. NO castrated USB(like having only 1 micro usb that also used for charging - huge headache for charging&attaching external devices simultaneously) 8. REAL connector to external display device - NO MIRACAST CRAP
For now I have one that satisfy 1,2,7,8(now discontinued UMID mbook SE) I hope to find one that satisfy all my requirements(plus more)
(Boilerplate warning - this info is as of 2015-02-16 only, this info may be incomplete or incorrect, this may not work for you, or your environment) For wheezy -> jessie users who do not want to manually compile packages AND keep systemd out of the system. First, go to "options->preferences" menu on the aptitude and uncheck "Install recommended packages automatically" checkbox(or do equivalent on synaptic). This will also make your system more managable(stops installing unwanted packages). Then HOLD OR DOWNGRADE POLICYKIT-1 PACKAGE TO 0.105-4 - this is the last version that don't depend on systemd related library. If you don't have this version, get this version manually from net and install it using dpkg. I think all bad things starts from this package. - if you hold this(and be careful), you'll still be able to enjoy many of the improvements of jessie without installing most of the systemd crap(even systemd-shim). After this, there will be 2 problems left to your general desktop user experiences. One is about login environment -> this relates to the fact that not long ago most of the display managers(gdm3,kdm,lightdm) became dependent on logind included in systemd(again corrected in kdm,lightdm so these 2 are safe again) - if you're paranoid, just use slim or wdm or xdm(since these 3 are ugly, you'll need some additional tweaking) instead and DON'T FSCKING USE GNOME3(gone are the days when one can install gtk/part of gnome2 libs only freely to use standalone(not gnome related) gtk2 programs. Gnome3 become more intermingled like windows) or XFCE4(core functions of xfce depends on libpam-systemd). If you are using LXDE, don't install lxde task since this depends on several packages which again depends on systemd. Install lxde-core task instead and invidual packages you want to use on LXDE(oh, and get/tweak pygtk-shutdown from net instead of existing shutdown button of LXDE to enable shutdown/reboot). Other simple WMs don't need to worry(just worry about DMs). The other is printing. CUPS on jessie depends on colord which depends on libsystemd0 and policykit-1 so unless you use CUPS on wheezy version there is no simple way to prevent libsystemd0 from being installed on your system, but you can still prevent other systemd crap if you hold polcykit-1(systemd, libpam-systemd, etc.) Packages to avoid like plague - policykit-1(0.105.5 or later) - Unlike others who are helpful about reducing unnecessary systemd dependency, the maintainer of this package is vehement about keeping libpam-systemd(and dropping seemingly still working consolekit) dependency to this nearly essential package for desktop(see bugreport #747105 yourself), libpam-systemd - this package depends on systemd directly even with systemd-shim present on system.
I have no scientific data to back it up, but I strongly suspect both CFL and LED's premature burnout problem arises from using cheap,low-grade capacitors(Both needs capacitors for power conversion circuit). And I think LED last longer than CFL just because LED draws less current from that same cheap,low-grade capacitor so that it's less damaging to that crap.
1. Raspberry Pi(not practical) RPI+linux+iptables+openvpn pros : cheap, low power(5W), no noise, low heat cons : 1 100Mbps port only, usb-ethernet/usb-wifi+additional switch needed, usb performance not good. Not recommended unless your outer ethernet side is very slow.
2. DD-WRT + supported hardware(ap/router) AP/router(typically arm based)+linux+iptables+openvpn pros : relatively cheap(depends on hardware model), low power(typically 10W), no noise, low heat, integrated WIFI/wired ports. small. clean looking. cons : limited internal storage/memory. May brick your hardware if you are not careful enough(and void your warranty) useful for dedicated role(firewall, vpn)only
may use for printer/file server or other role if your hardware has usb port, but (typically) slower than full pc.
3. Mini ITX based PC Low-end bay-trail based Mini ITX motherboard(j1800 recommended)+dc-dc power+12V power brick+small case+storage+linux/bsd(?)+iptables/pf(?)+openvpn pros : versatile(file/full printer(cups)/application(ex. minecraft) server capable depend on configuration, up to 8/16GB ram + TBs of storage),
still can be made fanless&no noise if you've planned well,
relatively low heat(warm) if you leave it on open space cons : most power hungry(~15W, depend on configuration), additional usb-ethernet adapter/switch/wifi needed, biggest of all above(20cm*20cm*5cm + brick)
tips -for cheap 12V power brick, look for power brick for LCD monitors(12V 3.5A/5A SMPS - depend on your system's power usage- widely manufactured) -about iptables, read iptables tutorial on frozentux.net -p910nd - light, spoolless(no file operation) print server daemon. turn your cheap usb only printer to always-on networked printer even on limited storage platform.
attaching some additional pieces of hardware like some rubber, plastic pad, spring,small stick to make it behave like real joystick? I remember that there were some hobby projects to make something attached to MSX numpad to make it work like joystick long long ago.
Roughly 3 yrs ago the company I work for noticed that Price of Nylon 12 resin had been steadily rising. Once asked, representative of resin manufacturer said "Oh, they're hugely popular replacing fluoropolymer based plastic(PTFE-teflon I think) in solar panel(in china)." While Nylon 12 is still better than more common plastics for this purpose, it is definitely less durable and cheaper alternatives to fluoropolymer.
What I want for my ultimate mobile computing device:
1. Small, lightweight and have physical keyboard
I walk a lot so I want small device that fit comfortably in my backpack (so that's below 7'') and weight less than 1.5(preferrably 1) pound. I'm not all-day mobile warrior so I can live with cramped keyboard but after testing my wife's galaxy s2 touch keyboard I decided I DO NEED a physical keyboard for typing documents/playing games(like nethack, old dosbox compatible games).
2. MS application/IE compatiblity
I need to do business with MS office documents and MS IE only internet banking/payment processing. Libreoffice is not good enough if you have to edit/exchange MS office documents with other business entity(and that stupid and powerful entity is stubborn enough that it want genuine MS office docs only and complain slightest of incompatibility problems)
3. Very low power 10W - It will still need fan or huge heatsink. Moving part/high power is not good for longivity/ruggedness let alone battery life. My estimate is that you'll have to go below 2W to acheive compact & sleek design without fan/huge heatsink - Yes atom Z5XX do that and I have one now.
4. usable graphic core without fsckup. I need graphic core that supports linux well and play angry bird. PVR core in atom don't support either. Even their xp driver don't support basic opengl well enough.
5. Support basic net tools/secure net connection I feel comfortable I want to redirect all normal net connection via VPN using my secure home base using openvpn when I connect to untrusted/public wifi. I believe that is reasonably achievable(without heavy source modifying/manually recompliling) with only linux/winxp~7 for now. And I hate OS that don't support basic net tools.
6. Trusted application that I know What it is doing. I don't want application that does unknown things behind my back(leaking private info for whatever reason or doing net connection I don't want it to do). So I prefer well known/open source apps and become skeptical on many android/google apps.
If you go ultrabook route, you can acheive 2,4,5,6 for now. If you go atom route, you can achieve 1,2,3,5,6 for now. Currently I've settled for this. If you go arm based smartphone/pad route, you can achive 1(depends on device),3,4,may be 5 (if you rooted your phone/pad) for now. With WINRT device, may be you'll be able to achieve 1,2,3,4.
Of course things are changing so somewhere in future may be you could do things with a platform that counldn't do for now(compatibilty/standard compliance got better,intel finally make 2w non-atom processor/drop FSCKING pvr core from atom, better performance to run emulation comfortably, corporation changes their mind about privacy...). So I think it is the race between platforms which acheives the most within reasonable time.
Look at the picture of this board. Unlike typical atom330+945gc nettop board it has NO FAN. And if we recall the fact that 945gc chipset consumes 25w of power, way more than 8w cpu itself, I would rather call this board "Nettop ATOM board done right, powerwise". So if you already have netbook which uses 945gse mobile chipset(which is already power efficient), this would mean nothing more than minor facelift. But if you're going to buy atom330+945gc itx nettop board, this is much improved product to consider regarding power. And minor upgrade from gma950 to gma3150(slightly improved g31), would be better than nothing.
That's why I always bring my oqo with me when travelling.
0. Assuming you have openvpn installed in always-on trusted gateway(home or office, windows or linux) 1. When needed ask/try to find just a network connection, not a public terminal. 2. Connect to your openvpn gateway pc. Don't do anything unsafe using normal network. If openvpn says something suspicious, don't use openvpn session and just use that network connection just for absolutely safe, casual activity e.g. viewing slashdot anonymously. Beware spyware. 3. When openvpn connected successfully, route all your internet traffic via your gateway pc using openvpn session. 4. Done. Other vpn solution also works, but openvpn is free, available for windows and linux, sniffing free, man in the middle attack free.
I use W2K on my home and work PC. Security? As long as it is supported by MS(security patch until 2009) and behind my via epia linux firewall(heavier one at workplace) it is pretty safe from being pwned. That leaves just two security hole, the 'malicious ActiveX' problem and 'user installing random crapware' problem, which is not just W2K's problem(and I'd rather say, it is not the hw or sw problem. It's 'something between keyboard and chair' problem) and can be mitigated by education and providing Limited user accounts(My wife is power user with privilege-escalated IE icon(used in internet banking with ActiveX plugin) in menu, My son's is just an user with limited privilege).
I don't do serious gaming, but I'm content with mame(including that 3d hw accelerated game starts with 't'), warzone2100(3d accelerated too), dosbox(MOO, MOM, settlers etc.), snes9x, freeciv, wesnoth, UQM, Privateer remake, starcraft. My little sons are pretty satisfied with flash games, UQM, and snes9x too.
Drivers? This PC is AMD 690G based, not that old PC. Though they aren't officially supporting W2K(they didn't mention it at ther web support site), the driver CD included in the mainboard just installed amd graphic driver(catalyst ver 6.12 or something with DX9) fine. Yes, generally W2K is pickier than WinXP on CDROM on newer IDE chipset(especially non-intel chips such as highpoint, marvell) when it is about to be installed, but it can be solved by copying install files when it is on previous OS(win98 etc) or copy it directly in dos mode(I386 directory) or sata-to-ide adapter(I've bought 1 for $5) if you have IDE cdrom and intel chipset board.
Workplace? We've standardized on Office2K on W2K too. With firewall, automatic update, Limited user account with some exceptions(those nasty ActiveX my customer requires) and AV product they are pretty safe too. And I can freely relocating OS, App license to machine to machine due to non-activation status of these OS/APP. My desktop PC OS is debian. But I use W2K as KVM guest OS when Internet banking is needed(those fscking activeX plugins!). The only application I've encountered that can't be installed on W2K is CATIA V5 R18 which is fairly new.(It could've been installed on W2K until R16). Even if W2K in office use would become obsolete, there are many older PCs 'waiting with honor' to be installed with W2k on working area in my plant.(they are pentium-PIII era w9x based pc managed with PXE network booting and dd imaging. Funny? they works pretty well if they are used for their dedicated purpose with their own legacy apps and restricted net access)
Conclusion? MS can theoretically grab WinXP OEM from your live hands when your motherboard dies, but they'll never be able to pry W2K OEM from my cold dead finger. By that time, it'll live on virtual world created by my penguin god which MS can never dare to touch on.
"For now, at least. History suggests that Sveasoft will continue to push the boundaries of the GPL. Recent history also suggests, however, that Sveasoft may become less relevant in this area; by many accounts, the fully-free alternatives - beyond OpenWRT itself - go beyond the Sveasoft offerings in a number of ways."
Maybe they are not violators technically, but I'd be very irritated if I was a customer of their product.
0. the most sure way
[install strategy]
a. just install main OS and accumulate data
[when something goes wrong]
a. backup data (to somewhere)
b. format c:
c. reinstall
d. restore data
1. overhead in install procedure, but easy restores
[install strategy]
a. make 3 partitions
a1. main OS partition : w2k(ntfs), 16GB for me, though I did it for w9x, w2k(fat) also.
a2. data partition - (rest of free disk space - 5)GB : place for backup, iso,mp3,avis.
fat32 filesystem recommended(accessible for most OS)
a3. rescue partition - 5GB, linux
b. install main OS and patch it to latest, install VNC(if you have to access this pc remotely), defrag it, overwrite zero on all free spaces
c. install linux(don't forget ssh, screen if you have to access remotely)and make it multi-bootable(boot default=main OS)
d. in linux, "dd if=/dev/hda1 bs=32M | gzip > mainOSimage.gz" it took roughly 160MB in w9x
and 800MB in w2k for me(my native language version - your mileage may vary)
e. store mainOSimage.gz in data partition or linux partition or other media.
f. accumulate your data on data partition
[when something goes wrong]
a. backup essential data in your main OS partition to data partition(bookmarks, certificates, etc..)
b. boot in linux, do "zcat mainOSimage.gz | dd of=/dev/hda1 bs=32M ; shutdown -r now"
c. restore essential data needed in main OS partition
d. patch main OS some more(some more patches from MS in between...) and you're good to go! This setup works well for your granma's interweb peecee.(uhm.. just keep tapping ctrl-keys as soon as you power on your peecee, when screen turns red, select 'leenuks' using arrow key and hit return, read your internet address in boot screen using shift-pgup.. OK I'll do the rest!)
1a. Variation - dual boot is not l33t enough
Similar to method 1, replace linux partition with live linux CD or rescue floppy(tomsbtrt?) or bootable usb-keychain. This is for people who don't tend to forget needed media when somthing bad happens.
1b. Variation - I already have linux server somewhere in my network.
You have another computer acting as NFS boot server in your network. Just make your pc netbootable
before you install your main OS - write & insert pxe or etherboot rom in your network card if you
have PCI lan card or buy motherboard that has intergrated lan(and enable network boot rom) EXCEPT
PCCHIPS motherboard! If you're unlucky enough to have bought PCCHIPS motherboard(which has NOVELL
RPL rom instead of PXE rom), use BIOS disecting tool(cbrom.. etc..) to discard RPL portion and
insert etherboot rom instead(DANGER - I'm not taking responsiblity for damaged motherboard. Do it at
your own risk! Really!!) This setup works well for small office environment(up to 50 pc per maintenance personnel, I guess).
You can store your main OS images in central NFS server.
1c. Variation - Why use linux?
Use other utilities like ghost.. etc..
Ouch, where's my mod point when it's needed... According to GP's analogy, this thing will be super stable without XBox360 XP's resource eating crap plus super-duper copy protection+activation, though would be short-lived..
"Why won't Microsoft Office install?" Because if you read the box, it requires Windows. If you really need Microsoft Office, it is still less expensive to buy crossover office or Win4Lin than a copy of Windows. And one can even try with WINE.
And QEMU! I use it with my debian testing desktop at work. Yes it's slow, but it's free(and faster than bochs and emulates accurate enough to run windows & office). With this emulator(and windows, and office which my company provides), I can open some obnoxious docs my openoffice wouldn't render correctly, and do bank transactions via web(yes it is also part of my job) which is IE only(ironically, firefox renders most of the site correctly, but the kicker is ACTIVEX SECURITY PLUGIN!!). If I have enough time, I could also compile the qemu source to use(non-free but free $$$) kernel module virtulization accelerator which is said to run programs 50% the speed of the native environment(which is amazing - for a free emulator)
With these working well, I plan to convert other desktops to linux(I've already installed the pxe boot rom/buy systems with integrated network port (which invariably have boot rom in bios) for maintenance purposes - pxelinux,memtest86,prime95 and dd,gzip for hdd imaging and system testing) which should be painless.
Ugh.. my story goes a bit off topic, but the thing is,
1. If I and other geeks around the world succesfully convert many of the desktops to linux then
2. The number of IE only web site will decrease - more comfortable use of firefox instead of emulated IE
3. Same for documents - more comfortable use of openoffice instead of emulated MSOFFICE
4. PROFIT!
Since this comment is not meant to be funny, I'll elaborate more about PROFIT things.
4-1. Reduced 'must run' tasks which is emulated - faster computing experience for me(I don't care for others;-))
4-2. Reduced occurrence of virus,adware infection, random program trashes registry - which requires reinstall, which have additional side effect I don't want("I have urgent things to do now, do it over 7pm", "I really need this fancy comet cursor for my work 'productivity'", "I didn't installed this crap game/porn+adware, someone must've installed it last night though only you and I know the bios password(then who?)"
4-3. UNIFIED OS/OFFICE ENVIRONMENT FREE OF LICENSE HEADACHE(and $$$) even with FAIRLY DIFFERENT HARDWARES - My office consists of just 30 white-collars and tight budget.. not practical for site license + dell in my country. So we have mixed-hw, mixed os(98,98se,2000,xp.. oh I forgot to mention 1 95osr2 machine deep in the closet), mixed office(excel+word, excel+word+ppoint * 2000,xp(due to unavailabilty of used 2000 licences - I tend to buy 2000 if available)) This leads to
4-3-1. One of the system fried thanks to power supply and only mainboard with other chipsets available - reinstalling from images? If you've win9x or win2000, pray. winxp or officexp? Have a nice time chatting with MS representatives(and convincing them it's really an accident, also they tend to prohibit reactivation of officexp if the replacement motherboard is not the same model even you've convinced them).. then pray. Since you're not a true believer, usually you end up looking monitor like idiot for hours(or distracted enough to the point that you can't post comments on slashdot or play freeciv;-)).
4-3-2. In linux, you only have to prepare one general filesystem structure and share this with nfs or replicate it to each user's harddisk plus vmlinuz-2.X.Ywithkitchinsinkandworksforallhw kernel plus few vmlinuz-2.X.Ythisoldviacrapisexception kernel(Of course, all user data/document is stored on central samba/nfs server with raid and rigorous backup)
4-3-3. Even if you can afford site license+dell why should you if you can buy more cheap beige boxes without windoze pre-installed? For comparision, I've just rece
Overlap the image with EULA or link to EULA that has scariest word possible. Mention IP(this image is your property), copyright(this image should only transferred from www.your.site only), DMCA(if you're in US - this image is part of copy protection method for copying your email address info.), intended use only, maximum penalty, suing, anti spam law, civil/criminal law, (anything feasible). Consult your lawyer. They'll make a nice, scary EULA.
Because it is radically different. I believe very few people would be able to develop on that architecture, let alone hardware acceleration support(this would be hard too - it's not just an opengl application. it would be dri+opengl stack).
1. Lessen the MHZ race. 2. Allocate your engineering resource to make the processor/system run cooler instead, to the point that it no longer need the active cooling measure(fan) on processor and (hopefully) whole board/system. 3. Make a new small, low power, quiet PC form factor standard(or push the less known existing standard or join others) accomodating this advantage and invite every other in the industry with no/minimal IP restriction. 4. Make this combo your main production, push other heatmaker to the niche.
(Okay. This is what VIA already tries to do but following item is what only intel probably can do)
4. MARKET IT HEAVILY. It would be easier than current marketing based on speed because you no longer need to deceive the customer. And it is the OBVIOUS BENEFIT to average customer - small, quiet, power saving PC with standard parts that one could leave it always on without stress/anxiety -, and to industries - always on -> new usage -> new software and hardware -> new market!- 5. You've just created a whole new market. keep chugging along, 800lb!
Once it get passsed in US, THEY(US+company who benefits from it) tries to make other countries to adopts same, if not similar, regulation using every means including threatning(especially trade related), money, fist, etc., in the name of "Fair Trade", "Intellectual property". And those who are helpless in any of these means follows the words of them eventually(and there are many, including my country). Not that I hate US(on the other side, I post this message to/. using PC-wouldn't be available this soon without US=), but your country has far more influential on this earth than you think.
Slashdot Mirror
Make the recycle information MACHINE READABLE and put(print) it everywhere!
This would not solve human laziness, but it would prevent unnecessary information loss after disassembly with minimal cost increase.
And this would change 'Not recyclable unless I put this fscking mess into gas chromatography - practically not recyclable' into 'Just need more labor, I would adjust the price accordingly' recyclable material.
This would even help 'willing to recycle but confused(I'm not sure if this jell-o top film is vinyl or plastic?)' consumer, because practically everyone now have universal barcode reading device - smartphone.
What I want :
1. Integrated REAL keyboard - no virtual kbd, no separate bluetooth crap that I must manage its separate battery charge status, can STAND BY ITSELF and GUARANTEED TO STAY IN ONE PIECE on irregular,vibrating surface like bag on my lap on subway so no separate keyboard with kickstand or magnet connected like MS surface/current netbooks
2. Lightweight for mobile gaming - can be used continually with two hand grip(like nintendo DS) or one hand grip(like smartphone). In my experience the upper weight limit is somewhere around 400g~500g
3. NO castrated storage - cpuwise Atom is OK you can even use OLD generation low power Atom like Z530(2W)+yucky imagination GMA500 GPU to run dosbox/SNES emulator/2d games rather well. Current Atom(after bay-trail) with REAL INTEL GPU can even run lightweight 3d games well if you set the preferences low. All the slowness comes from its slooooow eMMC raw flash(no parallel tricks like SSD) storage especially it's write speed is painfully slow.
4. adequate memory - minimum 2GB
5. good battery capacity - minimum 10 hours for light use/3 hours for heavy(gaming) use.
6. OS freedom just like PC - install & use linux just like pc without problem. android? I'll install android myself if necessary.
7. NO castrated USB(like having only 1 micro usb that also used for charging - huge headache for charging&attaching external devices simultaneously)
8. REAL connector to external display device - NO MIRACAST CRAP
For now I have one that satisfy 1,2,7,8(now discontinued UMID mbook SE) I hope to find one that satisfy all my requirements(plus more)
(Boilerplate warning - this info is as of 2015-02-16 only, this info may be incomplete or incorrect, this may not work for you, or your environment)
For wheezy -> jessie users who do not want to manually compile packages AND keep systemd out of the system.
First, go to "options->preferences" menu on the aptitude and uncheck "Install recommended packages automatically" checkbox(or do equivalent on synaptic). This will also make your system more managable(stops installing unwanted packages).
Then HOLD OR DOWNGRADE POLICYKIT-1 PACKAGE TO 0.105-4 - this is the last version that don't depend on systemd related library. If you don't have this version, get this version manually from net and install it using dpkg.
I think all bad things starts from this package. - if you hold this(and be careful), you'll still be able to enjoy many of the improvements of jessie without installing most of the systemd crap(even systemd-shim). After this, there will be 2 problems left to your general desktop user experiences.
One is about login environment -> this relates to the fact that not long ago most of the display managers(gdm3,kdm,lightdm) became dependent on logind included in systemd(again corrected in kdm,lightdm so these 2 are safe again) - if you're paranoid, just use slim or wdm or xdm(since these 3 are ugly, you'll need some additional tweaking) instead and DON'T FSCKING USE GNOME3(gone are the days when one can install gtk/part of gnome2 libs only freely to use standalone(not gnome related) gtk2 programs. Gnome3 become more intermingled like windows) or XFCE4(core functions of xfce depends on libpam-systemd). If you are using LXDE, don't install lxde task since this depends on several packages which again depends on systemd. Install lxde-core task instead and invidual packages you want to use on LXDE(oh, and get/tweak pygtk-shutdown from net instead of existing shutdown button of LXDE to enable shutdown/reboot). Other simple WMs don't need to worry(just worry about DMs).
The other is printing. CUPS on jessie depends on colord which depends on libsystemd0 and policykit-1 so unless you use CUPS on wheezy version there is no simple way to prevent libsystemd0 from being installed on your system, but you can still prevent other systemd crap if you hold polcykit-1(systemd, libpam-systemd, etc.)
Packages to avoid like plague - policykit-1(0.105.5 or later) - Unlike others who are helpful about reducing unnecessary systemd dependency, the maintainer of this package is vehement about keeping libpam-systemd(and dropping seemingly still working consolekit) dependency to this nearly essential package for desktop(see bugreport #747105 yourself), libpam-systemd - this package depends on systemd directly even with systemd-shim present on system.
I have no scientific data to back it up, but I strongly suspect both CFL and LED's premature burnout problem arises from using cheap,low-grade capacitors(Both needs capacitors for power conversion circuit). And I think LED last longer than CFL just because LED draws less current from that same cheap,low-grade capacitor so that it's less damaging to that crap.
There is more than one way to do it.
1. Raspberry Pi(not practical)
RPI+linux+iptables+openvpn
pros : cheap, low power(5W), no noise, low heat
cons : 1 100Mbps port only, usb-ethernet/usb-wifi+additional switch needed, usb performance not good. Not recommended unless your outer ethernet side is very slow.
2. DD-WRT + supported hardware(ap/router)
AP/router(typically arm based)+linux+iptables+openvpn
pros : relatively cheap(depends on hardware model), low power(typically 10W), no noise, low heat, integrated WIFI/wired ports. small. clean looking.
cons : limited internal storage/memory. May brick your hardware if you are not careful enough(and void your warranty) useful for dedicated role(firewall, vpn)only
may use for printer/file server or other role if your hardware has usb port, but (typically) slower than full pc.
3. Mini ITX based PC
Low-end bay-trail based Mini ITX motherboard(j1800 recommended)+dc-dc power+12V power brick+small case+storage+linux/bsd(?)+iptables/pf(?)+openvpn
pros : versatile(file/full printer(cups)/application(ex. minecraft) server capable depend on configuration, up to 8/16GB ram + TBs of storage),
still can be made fanless&no noise if you've planned well,
relatively low heat(warm) if you leave it on open space
cons : most power hungry(~15W, depend on configuration), additional usb-ethernet adapter/switch/wifi needed, biggest of all above(20cm*20cm*5cm + brick)
tips
-for cheap 12V power brick, look for power brick for LCD monitors(12V 3.5A/5A SMPS - depend on your system's power usage- widely manufactured)
-about iptables, read iptables tutorial on frozentux.net
-p910nd - light, spoolless(no file operation) print server daemon. turn your cheap usb only printer to always-on networked printer even on limited storage platform.
attaching some additional pieces of hardware like some rubber, plastic pad, spring ,small stick to make it behave like real joystick? I remember that there were some hobby projects to make something attached to MSX numpad to make it work like joystick long long ago.
Roughly 3 yrs ago the company I work for noticed that Price of Nylon 12 resin had been steadily rising. Once asked, representative of resin manufacturer said "Oh, they're hugely popular replacing fluoropolymer based plastic(PTFE-teflon I think) in solar panel(in china)." While Nylon 12 is still better than more common plastics for this purpose, it is definitely less durable and cheaper alternatives to fluoropolymer.
Happy to know that bay trail platform finally drops PVR graphics core. Hope that some manufacturer produces small factor platform that I want in 2013.
What I want for my ultimate mobile computing device:
1. Small, lightweight and have physical keyboard
I walk a lot so I want small device that fit comfortably in my backpack (so that's below 7'') and weight less than 1.5(preferrably 1) pound. I'm not all-day mobile warrior so I can live with cramped keyboard but after testing my wife's galaxy s2 touch keyboard I decided I DO NEED a physical keyboard for typing documents/playing games(like nethack, old dosbox compatible games).
2. MS application/IE compatiblity
I need to do business with MS office documents and MS IE only internet banking/payment processing. Libreoffice is not good enough if you have to edit/exchange MS office documents with other business entity(and that stupid and powerful entity is stubborn enough that it want genuine MS office docs only and complain slightest of incompatibility problems)
3. Very low power
10W - It will still need fan or huge heatsink. Moving part/high power is not good for longivity/ruggedness let alone battery life. My estimate is that you'll have to go below 2W to acheive compact & sleek design without fan/huge heatsink - Yes atom Z5XX do that and I have one now.
4. usable graphic core without fsckup.
I need graphic core that supports linux well and play angry bird. PVR core in atom don't support either. Even their xp driver don't support basic opengl well enough.
5. Support basic net tools/secure net connection I feel comfortable
I want to redirect all normal net connection via VPN using my secure home base using openvpn when I connect to untrusted/public wifi. I believe that is reasonably achievable(without heavy source modifying/manually recompliling) with only linux/winxp~7 for now. And I hate OS that don't support basic net tools.
6. Trusted application that I know What it is doing.
I don't want application that does unknown things behind my back(leaking private info for whatever reason or doing net connection I don't want it to do). So I prefer well known/open source apps and become skeptical on many android/google apps.
If you go ultrabook route, you can acheive 2,4,5,6 for now.
If you go atom route, you can achieve 1,2,3,5,6 for now. Currently I've settled for this.
If you go arm based smartphone/pad route, you can achive 1(depends on device),3,4,may be 5 (if you rooted your phone/pad) for now.
With WINRT device, may be you'll be able to achieve 1,2,3,4.
Of course things are changing so somewhere in future may be you could do things with a platform that counldn't do for now(compatibilty/standard compliance got better,intel finally make 2w non-atom processor/drop FSCKING pvr core from atom, better performance to run emulation comfortably, corporation changes their mind about privacy...). So I think it is the race between platforms which acheives the most within reasonable time.
We sacrificed creativity, and some unknown possibility for the security fit for dumb majority.
Look at the picture of this board. Unlike typical atom330+945gc nettop board it has NO FAN. And if we recall the fact that 945gc chipset consumes 25w of power, way more than 8w cpu itself, I would rather call this board "Nettop ATOM board done right, powerwise". So if you already have netbook which uses 945gse mobile chipset(which is already power efficient), this would mean nothing more than minor facelift. But if you're going to buy atom330+945gc itx nettop board, this is much improved product to consider regarding power. And minor upgrade from gma950 to gma3150(slightly improved g31), would be better than nothing.
That's why I always bring my oqo with me when travelling.
0. Assuming you have openvpn installed in always-on trusted gateway(home or office, windows or linux)
1. When needed ask/try to find just a network connection, not a public terminal.
2. Connect to your openvpn gateway pc. Don't do anything unsafe using normal network. If openvpn says something suspicious, don't use openvpn session and just use that network connection just for absolutely safe, casual activity e.g. viewing slashdot anonymously. Beware spyware.
3. When openvpn connected successfully, route all your internet traffic via your gateway pc using openvpn session.
4. Done. Other vpn solution also works, but openvpn is free, available for windows and linux, sniffing free, man in the middle attack free.
I use W2K on my home and work PC. Security? As long as it is supported by MS(security patch until 2009) and behind my via epia linux firewall(heavier one at workplace) it is pretty safe from being pwned. That leaves just two security hole, the 'malicious ActiveX' problem and 'user installing random crapware' problem, which is not just W2K's problem(and I'd rather say, it is not the hw or sw problem. It's 'something between keyboard and chair' problem) and can be mitigated by education and providing Limited user accounts(My wife is power user with privilege-escalated IE icon(used in internet banking with ActiveX plugin) in menu, My son's is just an user with limited privilege).
I don't do serious gaming, but I'm content with mame(including that 3d hw accelerated game starts with 't'), warzone2100(3d accelerated too), dosbox(MOO, MOM, settlers etc.), snes9x, freeciv, wesnoth, UQM, Privateer remake, starcraft. My little sons are pretty satisfied with flash games, UQM, and snes9x too.
Drivers? This PC is AMD 690G based, not that old PC. Though they aren't officially supporting W2K(they didn't mention it at ther web support site), the driver CD included in the mainboard just installed amd graphic driver(catalyst ver 6.12 or something with DX9) fine. Yes, generally W2K is pickier than WinXP on CDROM on newer IDE chipset(especially non-intel chips such as highpoint, marvell) when it is about to be installed, but it can be solved by copying install files when it is on previous OS(win98 etc) or copy it directly in dos mode(I386 directory) or sata-to-ide adapter(I've bought 1 for $5) if you have IDE cdrom and intel chipset board.
Workplace? We've standardized on Office2K on W2K too. With firewall, automatic update, Limited user account with some exceptions(those nasty ActiveX my customer requires) and AV product they are pretty safe too. And I can freely relocating OS, App license to machine to machine due to non-activation status of these OS/APP. My desktop PC OS is debian. But I use W2K as KVM guest OS when Internet banking is needed(those fscking activeX plugins!). The only application I've encountered that can't be installed on W2K is CATIA V5 R18 which is fairly new.(It could've been installed on W2K until R16). Even if W2K in office use would become obsolete, there are many older PCs 'waiting with honor' to be installed with W2k on working area in my plant.(they are pentium-PIII era w9x based pc managed with PXE network booting and dd imaging. Funny? they works pretty well if they are used for their dedicated purpose with their own legacy apps and restricted net access)
Conclusion? MS can theoretically grab WinXP OEM from your live hands when your motherboard dies, but they'll never be able to pry W2K OEM from my cold dead finger. By that time, it'll live on virtual world created by my penguin god which MS can never dare to touch on.
So either US had too tight grip on crypto export then or we koreans unfortunately adopted online banking too early.
Of course not everyone here like MS only world, so there are some attempts to change that
The operator of above site is running a lawsuit against government, banking certification authority
to ensure that non-MS OS is treated equally.
Please read
http://lwn.net/Articles/178550/
"For now, at least. History suggests that Sveasoft will
continue to push the boundaries of the GPL. Recent history
also suggests, however, that Sveasoft may become less
relevant in this area; by many accounts, the fully-free
alternatives - beyond OpenWRT itself - go beyond the
Sveasoft offerings in a number of ways."
Maybe they are not violators technically, but I'd be
very irritated if I was a customer of their product.
0. the most sure way
[install strategy]
a. just install main OS and accumulate data
[when something goes wrong]
a. backup data (to somewhere)
b. format c:
c. reinstall
d. restore data
1. overhead in install procedure, but easy restores
[install strategy]
a. make 3 partitions
a1. main OS partition : w2k(ntfs), 16GB for me, though I did it for w9x, w2k(fat) also.
a2. data partition - (rest of free disk space - 5)GB : place for backup, iso,mp3,avis.
fat32 filesystem recommended(accessible for most OS)
a3. rescue partition - 5GB, linux
b. install main OS and patch it to latest, install VNC(if you have to access this pc remotely), defrag it, overwrite zero on all free spaces
c. install linux(don't forget ssh, screen if you have to access remotely)and make it multi-bootable(boot default=main OS)
d. in linux, "dd if=/dev/hda1 bs=32M | gzip > mainOSimage.gz" it took roughly 160MB in w9x
and 800MB in w2k for me(my native language version - your mileage may vary)
e. store mainOSimage.gz in data partition or linux partition or other media.
f. accumulate your data on data partition
[when something goes wrong]
a. backup essential data in your main OS partition to data partition(bookmarks, certificates, etc..)
b. boot in linux, do "zcat mainOSimage.gz | dd of=/dev/hda1 bs=32M ; shutdown -r now"
c. restore essential data needed in main OS partition
d. patch main OS some more(some more patches from MS in between...) and you're good to go!
This setup works well for your granma's interweb peecee.(uhm.. just keep tapping ctrl-keys as soon as you power on your peecee, when screen turns red, select 'leenuks' using arrow key and hit return, read your internet address in boot screen using shift-pgup.. OK I'll do the rest!)
1a. Variation - dual boot is not l33t enough
Similar to method 1, replace linux partition with live linux CD or rescue floppy(tomsbtrt?) or bootable usb-keychain. This is for people who don't tend to forget needed media when somthing bad happens.
1b. Variation - I already have linux server somewhere in my network.
You have another computer acting as NFS boot server in your network. Just make your pc netbootable
before you install your main OS - write & insert pxe or etherboot rom in your network card if you
have PCI lan card or buy motherboard that has intergrated lan(and enable network boot rom) EXCEPT
PCCHIPS motherboard! If you're unlucky enough to have bought PCCHIPS motherboard(which has NOVELL
RPL rom instead of PXE rom), use BIOS disecting tool(cbrom.. etc..) to discard RPL portion and
insert etherboot rom instead(DANGER - I'm not taking responsiblity for damaged motherboard. Do it at
your own risk! Really!!) This setup works well for small office environment(up to 50 pc per maintenance personnel, I guess).
You can store your main OS images in central NFS server.
1c. Variation - Why use linux?
Use other utilities like ghost.. etc..
Ouch, where's my mod point when it's needed...
According to GP's analogy, this thing will be super stable without XBox360 XP's resource eating crap plus super-duper copy protection+activation, though would be short-lived..
And QEMU! I use it with my debian testing desktop at work. Yes it's slow, but it's free(and faster than bochs and emulates accurate enough to run windows & office). With this emulator(and windows, and office which my company provides), I can open some obnoxious docs my openoffice wouldn't render correctly, and do bank transactions via web(yes it is also part of my job) which is IE only(ironically, firefox renders most of the
site correctly, but the kicker is ACTIVEX SECURITY PLUGIN!!). If I have enough time, I could also compile the qemu source to use(non-free but free $$$) kernel module virtulization accelerator which is said to run programs 50% the speed of the native environment(which is amazing - for a free emulator)
With these working well, I plan to convert other desktops to linux(I've already installed the pxe boot rom/buy systems with integrated network port (which invariably have boot rom in bios) for maintenance purposes - pxelinux,memtest86,prime95 and dd,gzip for hdd imaging and system testing) which should be painless.
Ugh.. my story goes a bit off topic, but the thing is,
1. If I and other geeks around the world succesfully convert many of the desktops to linux then
2. The number of IE only web site will decrease - more comfortable use of firefox instead of emulated IE
3. Same for documents - more comfortable use of openoffice instead of emulated MSOFFICE
4. PROFIT!
Since this comment is not meant to be funny, I'll elaborate more about PROFIT things.
4-1. Reduced 'must run' tasks which is emulated - faster computing experience for me(I don't care for others ;-))
;-)).
4-2. Reduced occurrence of virus,adware infection, random program trashes registry - which requires reinstall, which have additional side effect I don't want("I have urgent things to do now, do it over 7pm", "I really need this fancy comet cursor for my work 'productivity'", "I didn't installed this crap game/porn+adware, someone must've installed it last night though only you and I know the bios password(then who?)"
4-3. UNIFIED OS/OFFICE ENVIRONMENT FREE OF LICENSE HEADACHE(and $$$) even with FAIRLY DIFFERENT HARDWARES - My office consists of just 30 white-collars and tight budget.. not practical for site license + dell in my country. So we have mixed-hw, mixed os(98,98se,2000,xp.. oh I forgot to mention 1 95osr2 machine deep in the closet), mixed office(excel+word, excel+word+ppoint * 2000,xp(due to unavailabilty of used 2000 licences - I tend to buy 2000 if available)) This leads to
4-3-1. One of the system fried thanks to power supply and only mainboard with other chipsets available - reinstalling from images? If you've win9x or win2000, pray. winxp or officexp? Have a nice time chatting with MS representatives(and convincing them it's really an accident, also they tend to prohibit reactivation of officexp if the replacement motherboard is not the same model even you've convinced them).. then pray. Since you're not a true believer, usually you end up looking monitor like idiot for hours(or distracted enough to the point that you can't post comments on slashdot or play freeciv
4-3-2. In linux, you only have to prepare one general filesystem structure and share this with nfs or replicate it to each user's harddisk plus vmlinuz-2.X.Ywithkitchinsinkandworksforallhw kernel plus few vmlinuz-2.X.Ythisoldviacrapisexception kernel(Of course, all user data/document is stored on central samba/nfs server with raid and rigorous backup)
4-3-3. Even if you can afford site license+dell why should you if you can buy more cheap beige boxes without windoze pre-installed? For comparision, I've just rece
Overlap the image with EULA or link to EULA that has scariest word possible. Mention IP(this image is your property), copyright(this image should only transferred from www.your.site only), DMCA(if you're in US - this image is part of copy protection method for copying your email address info.), intended use only, maximum penalty, suing, anti spam law, civil/criminal law, (anything feasible). Consult your lawyer. They'll make a nice, scary EULA.
That's the day I got married! ;)
Err.. may be he's right
Bit off topic. But couldn't resist.. There's a game just for you. I have no tomatoes http://tomatoes.sourceforge.net/
Because it is radically different. I believe very few people would be able to develop on that architecture, let alone hardware acceleration support(this would be hard too - it's not just an opengl application. it would be dri+opengl stack).
eXtreme Profit Reloaded(..in their dreams..)
I would say to intel:
1. Lessen the MHZ race.
2. Allocate your engineering resource to make the processor/system run cooler instead, to the point that it no longer need the active cooling measure(fan) on processor and (hopefully) whole board/system.
3. Make a new small, low power, quiet PC form factor standard(or push the less known existing standard or join others) accomodating this advantage and invite every other in the industry with no/minimal IP restriction.
4. Make this combo your main production, push other heatmaker to the niche.
(Okay. This is what VIA already tries to do but following item is what only intel probably can do)
4. MARKET IT HEAVILY. It would be easier than current marketing based on speed because you no longer need to deceive the customer. And it is the OBVIOUS BENEFIT to average customer - small, quiet, power saving PC with standard parts that one could leave it always on without stress/anxiety -, and to industries - always on -> new usage -> new software and hardware -> new market!-
5. You've just created a whole new market. keep chugging along, 800lb!
Once it get passsed in US, THEY(US+company who benefits from it) tries to make other countries to adopts same, if not similar, regulation using every means including threatning(especially trade related), money, fist, etc., in the name of "Fair Trade", "Intellectual property". And those who are helpless in any of these means follows the words of them eventually(and there are many, including my country). Not that I hate US(on the other side, I post this message to /. using PC-wouldn't be available this soon without US=), but your country has far more influential on this earth than you think.