But this is seriously fucking up my day. First I discover that the idiots at my college (hey, it's a recession, I decided to finish my degree) deactivated the account I've had for ages on a system I need for class, and lost all records pertaining to it.
Then after I'm told it's fixed, I go to work on it today. Won't take my password. Can't access Gmail to send a goddamn e-mail to the one person my professor found that actually knows root on the system (it's an old alpha running Tru64) for hours. Then when I finally get a password, log in, tweak my settings, all that - I discover that I can't access the directory where my assignment is supposed to be.
At first I thought it was my usual ISP bullshit, reset my cable modem a few times. Problem kept happening. Can't access sites for shit, took me hours to get mails out to this "admin", and now it's after 5PM and I can't get access to this fucking directory because of this fucking bullshit!
Anyone want to pitch in on a plane ticket for me to go there and kill this fucking router admin? I promise I'll post the videos on the net for you. One "network administrator" force-fed a smashed-up router (probably a Cisco) and then garrotted in his network closet.
Well, thanks for the clarification. I probably did get something mixed up.
Regardless, your home machine experience sounds nightmarish, to say the least, and could have a myriad of causes for each problem. I don't know what to tell you really - I practically eat, breathe, and shit UNIX/Linux, so maybe it's something to do with differing mentalities. Though your BSD usage suggests differently to a certain degree. All what I can think of is best of luck and shop around for a hot Linux chick who can help you out (I have worked with one stunning gal that was quite proficient with AIX and Linux, but she had a man already...damnit!).
As far as work, it sounds like you are more of a Windows admin. Even though I think their OS is crap, I do have a fair amount of respect for someone who can make it behave and keep the application stack on it running properly. Though I have gotten into a few arguments with such fellows over Sendmail/Qmail vs. Exchange, because of Microsoft's "creep" effect (having to pretty much run an entire domain just because some PHB decides that just because they've used Exchange's calendaring functions forever, that it's the right solution for company that is almost entirely *nix-based...ugh...headache).
As for your last paragraph, yep, you definitely need to make a business case for any decision, but I've been able to make the case for F/OSS or UNIX apps almost always, since the places I work are almost entirely Linux or UNIX anyways, so management isn't stuck in that "but Microsoft says it will work..." mentality.
The one thing I have yet to work with in an enterprise environment is OSX. I'd like to, just for a change of pace. I should probably get my Thinkpad repaired (drunk idiot stepped on my keyboard, so some keys are broken off, requiring a USB keyboard - no, for once I wasn't the idiot in question) and then get one of those sexy Apples, just for the hell of it. I need to think of putting some money aside for that, instead of just going on hellish benders that often land me in the county jail. What I paid for my last one (lawyer included) could have bought a quite nice Mac.
Speaking of benders, I've been on a liquid diet for about 48 hours, so it's chow time. It's been a pleasure, I hope your Linux experiences are better in the future.
But I'm a hell of a lot more worried about the idiots they give driver's licenses to than flying.
I have literally seen a guy (who looked like he should have been wearing a 'tard helmet and riding the short bus) fail the written exam 3 times, and then have a DPS officer coach him through an oral exam (due to his claim that English was not his native language - hello, anyone? You might not be able to read street signs, but big red STOP signs and lights are pretty much multilingual). If I can drive in Mexico and Switzerland, why can't people drive in their (supposedly) native countries?
Or pull that cellphone out of their ear. There is this thing called "speakerphone", ya know!
I find it odd that you have a "production" need that allows you the leeway to choose between four more or less radically different operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, and FreeBSD).
And my methodology for anything that goes into production is to test it first, spend the time troubleshooting any issues that come to light, and then deploy it. Which I've done with Linux, AIX, Irix, and Solaris many times (and others occasionally, but those are the ones I've supported most often). Perhaps we have a different definition of production (I work with large datacenters almost exclusively).
And I wonder about the use of "production" in an issue that involves Windows. And that's because I think Windows is as enterprise-capable as I am of sucking my own dick. Tried it once, got almost there, and ended up with a stiff neck. Yep, exact same results.
I'm running it. And have the same problem that I've had with every other version of Flash - no sound (please don't suggest a system problem - I'm an audiophile, so I do everything else sound-related on my Linux systems just fine). I'll sort it out eventually, but since (a) I don't really give a damn about any Flash app or site, (b) I never have to support it professionally, and (c) I wouldn't code for a Flash environment if you put a gun to my head, it's just never been a big concern for me.
Thanks for the suggestion, though. And I haven't had Flash crash my browser in ages, so that's not a complaint. I just navigate away, scratch my head, go "well, I probably wouldn't have given a damn what they were saying anyways", and then move on to something important to me.
Okay, sorry for the late response, I had a lot going on yesterday and haven't slept much lately. Based on what you've said (postulating that you're not (a) lying, (b) smoking crack, or (c) both; I'll go out of my way and say that I don't think any of those are the case), I think you're just cursed. Plain and simple. Because I don't have any of the problems you describe, never really have. Of course, I'm one of those hell-bent types who just attacks a problem relentlessly. Which is why I suppose you switched over to a Windows/*BSD solution when Linux wouldn't work on system {X, Y, Z}. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't hire you as a sysadmin either.
You know enough to qualify as a "technical user/helldesk geek" (I mean that in the nicest way possible), seem to have a decent grasp of the basics, and I don't really know what to tell you. If this was real life, you're the guy that I would take away root from, eat some antacids, tell my manager to fuck off and that by fixing all your problems now we would save time down the road, and just dive in and sort out what the issue is with your workstation(s). If I knew you personally, you'd have to get me pretty drunk in order to help you with whatever your problem is. Unless you were female, cute, smart, and seemed to have an interest in me. Then I'd just bring over the wine, dig into the system, and lay you like floor tile.
Seriously, dig up some genealogical records and see if your ancestors were archaeologists working in Egypt. Try to remember if you broke a mirror in the last N years. Watch out for black cats, and be werry, werry careful crossing the street. Because unless you live in Houston and are a cute, intelligent female, I can't help you. Might I suggest you finding someone of whatever gender is mutually attractive to you who is a sysadmin? Barring that, sacrifice a chicken before any Linux install attempt. Or a black goat. I've personally found the goat to work better, but people get the wrong idea when they see you trying to sneak a goat into your house or the office in the middle of the night.
Sounds more like he has one of those rare pieces of hardware that just doesn't work with Linux. That has become a diminishing concern over the years, so I can only postulate that the hardware in question is (a) old and the driver is not well-maintained or (b) it's made by ATI and he didn't run a "supported" (ATI has a far different idea of what that word means than any other company I've encountered). Since X11 is mentioned so frequently, I would guess ATI.
I work as a systems architect/administrator (whatever you want to call it) for UNIX/Linux-based large datacenters, but also use Linux personally and for non-technical tasks (e.g. Word, Excel, and assorted other files), without any difficulty. And I've been using Linux for almost 10 years now - back when things were difficult for users that weren't highly technical.
The only things I ever find myself using Windows for is to run Visio (if someone could recommend a F/OSS replacement for it, it would be greatly appreciated, but I have yet to find one as full-featured - or even close) or to play games (which I do rarely, I prefer other forms of entertainment). And Flash rarely works to my satisfaction, but I don't really consider that a great loss either.
I just don't understand it when people say that they can't switch over to Linux. Or at least dual-boot. Not to insult your intelligence, but most modern distributions are simple to install and productively work in. Maybe it's my background, maybe it's your choice of distributions, but I fail to see what the fuss is about. Especially when there are distributions (Ubuntu, for example) that are specifically geared towards non-technical users. While I personally find Ubuntu to be over-simplified and (as of my last use, about 3 years ago) not secure enough, I don't see why it wouldn't be easy to use as well as a vast improvement over Windows.
Please make it clear to users that mod points are to be used with the appropriate "Category" flag. Some users are using such flags as "Troll" and "Flamebait" for posts that should be, if modded at all, flagged as "Off-Topic".
I suspect it has to do with their personal sociopolitical beliefs. Hence the signature that I have maintained for at least 3-4 years. As a fellow geek, I believe in accuracy. Despite my frequent usage of flagrant profanity and quoting of non-scientific sources which may or may not be known to some of the users who moderate discussions, I feel that a simple look-up in Wikipedia prior to modding a post would be courteous.
For example, in above post, it would have been rather easy for the person(s) who modded my post as "Troll" and "Flamebait" to look up the highly controversial statement made by Bill Hicks in a (in)famous comedic session and realize that it was not a racist comment, but a observation on the sad state of the human race. The Tool song mentioned is a similar commentary, and entirely appropriate in the context.
If the same moderation had been applied to the parent post, I would find it more rational. However, since it was not, I find the rational inconsistent.
And, yes, I've been here long enough to know better. But it never fails to blow my mind that a site for allegedly intelligent, technical, educated people becomes mired down in petty political or social differences.
They'll take you to jail for anything in the U.S. of fucking A. I've been arrested, told I was being arrested for Public Intoxication (which I was not, unless a beer with dinner counts), then charged with Possession Of A Controlled Substance for a couple of 2 mg Xanax (which I'm prescribed to, and had the prescription in my wallet, but no one told me about it).
And, to top it off, since I was in possession of an "illegal drug", I caught two weapons charges for perfectly legal weapons in my truck. Since it's illegal to have "drugs" and weapons on you. Even though the PCS charge was thrown out at my first court date, the D.A. kept it up w/ the weapons charges, knowing that I'd take a plea rather than risk a trial (and pay an extra 10K to my lawyer). So I pled time served on one weapons charge, and walked after only 3 days in jail.
I stand by what I said. Or else I would have posted anonymously.
As for elitist, whatever you say, slick. I've wrestled with those arguments more than anyone I know. It's an ethical dilemma, no doubt.
But you know what I have to say, at the end of the night (well, not quite - I still have a few beers left)? Fuck it. Bill Hicks was right when he said Hitler was just an underachiever. Tool was right to dedicate an album, in memorial, to him. One that contained the song "Aenema" on it.
That's right...learn to swim, motherfuckers. Because if you keep it up, you'll be neck deep in sewage and corpses. You can only build so many dams in the path of evolution before it backs up and chokes your ass.
Probably because he doesn't need it. If I hadn't posted, I'd mod him up just for giving me a new favorite saying about stupid users. And mod you down for sheer ignorant belligerence.
Or we could just have you fixed. I've long been a proponent of mandatory sterilization for people that prove they can't use their brain. Stupid people breeding is the single greatest threat to human civilization since we started feeding and housing them, instead of just letting them starve.
I don't know what dream world you live in, but I'd suggest you check the national crime statistics (as well as welfare and other socially detrimental measurable variables).
Speaking on a per-capita basis, almost all crime is committed by non-Whites. When you isolate it to felonies (particularly violent ones), the gap grows even wider. When you look at interracial crime statistics, it's mostly black-on-white. If hate crime laws were applied universally, then you'd see a similar trend. I won't even start on welfare or other social programs.
And, regardless of how stupid the original posters are, you're just as full of shit as they are. For your information, the majority of jobs in the Texas criminal system in our major cities that do not require a college education are filled by Black or Hispanic candidates.
And you want to talk about shitholes? Have you been to NYC lately? That's the biggest festering shithole I've seen outside of Chicago, D.C., New Orleans, or Southern California. Wow! All but one of those places are not in the South. Yes, Houston isn't exactly nice either, but there's a lot of bright, hard-working people here (of many different races and nationalities, I might add), mostly due to the petroleum and medical industries. We sure as fuck didn't get them from the Katrina refugees from "The Chocolate City" (once again, see crime statistics - it's been so bad that the mayor has offered "financial incentives" for "refugees" to return home - 3 years later, I might add). That's one Black sub-group that you're welcome to have - Houston sure doesn't want or need them.
If there were hunting licenses for humans, you and the two idiots you're replying to would be on my top 50 list.
And, yes, I know this post will be modded down. See my sig and don't talk with your mouth full, motherfuckers.
Hate to break this to you, but TDCJ is state jail and prison (two separate entities, only handles felons). Entirely separate from Houston City courts (which only handle class C misdemeanor sentences and traffic ticket fines - no one stays in City Jail longer than a week) or Harris County Jail (up to 18 months, IIRC, and still a separate entity). And the only thing your idea would do is cause a riot.
Not that it wouldn't break the monotony. But the chain link fences topped with barbed wire, armed guards, and mechanical systems wouldn't be effected in the least. TDCJ is a lot less technical than city/county jails. It's a prison, after all, not a local jail.
Class B Misdemeanor, IIRC (possession under 4 ounces is a class A, but anything under a an ounce is class B). That's pretty minor. You'll generally get 20 days (and each "day" is twelve hours, so by the time you get to court, you generally have 5 days racked up) or the option for probation (never, ever take probation - you're just setting yourself up for failure). Just take the jail time, unless you have to be at work, in which case you bond out, go work, and you'll probably get time served when you show up to court.
Note, this is not from personal experience. I haven't been arrested with pot since I was 14, right around the time I quit smoking that boring crap.
Windows, of course. It's what every single computer that I've seen in any court, jail, or police station in Houston (and Harris County, which Houston is in) runs.
And I've seen more than a few...
Interestingly, courts are pretty technical down here. The employees are still as dumb, but if you're in Houston City Jail, you don't even see a judge or talk to anyone in person (other than Johnny Law). The pre-trial personnel speak to you via a telephone or a speaker in the wall of the room, you don't even see their faces in the newer city jail. Both jails the judges are linked in on a high-resolution screen, whether it's your actual court (for City, not County) or just a probable cause arraignment (which, not surprisingly, never releases anyone, no matter how ridiculous the evidence is).
Harris County is technical in the court, but if you're just talking to your lawyer in the court holding cell, you don't even see the inside of a courtroom.
Of course, Fort Bend County (where I live) is so non-technical it's hilarious. I was jammed up in their system over Thanksgiving (no bonds or releases on holidays - I was in there for a damn class C misdemeanor, and sat 3 days), and got a visit from my father. The moron cops actually used their network closet as a holding tank for prisoners awaiting room in visitation. I was alone in there at one point, staring at a dusty Cisco router that was at least ten years old, plus what could only have been their video system (which looked even older). I was so tempted to just rearrange cables...until I thought about how long it might take them to find someone to fix it, and how that might effect my release (which was scheduled for the next day).
Of course, the plus side to my county is that judges actually see you face-to-face, and will release you if it's a bullshit case. Much preferable to a high-tech system with no justice at all.
Or, rather, not. Pissed, as in drunk. This would be a great weekend to go out, get as drunk as I want, and not have to worry about spending the night in the drunk tank (Public Intoxication is a one-night stay in Houston, just plead no contest and you're out the next day).
But, no, I have to have a cold (just like about everyone else I know).
I found it humorous that both my posts were modded "Interesting" or "Informative", and then "Troll". Nothing but providing an opinion, backed by real world experience.
Probably the same dickhead that didn't like what I had to say. Oh well...he'll get his in the end and it will probably be in county jail, while he's yelling "you can't do this, I have rights!".
Want to know another interesting fact? Some jails will deliberately hold you for an insane amount of time just to get federal tax money.
I recall being arrested for a bogus assault charge (I was at my family's residence, had been drinking, took prescription medication for insomnia, and dozed off on the porch smoking a cigarette before going to bed - I'd had too much to drink to drive; my mother freaked out, called an ambulance, and because the dispatcher heard my father yelling at me to wake up in the background, I was arrested for a class A misdemeanor - punishable by up to 1 year in state jail - assault, simply because that's what the county they live in arrests drunk people on private property for; oh, no ambulance or medical treatment, just straight to jail) and spending 5 days just getting arraigned, bond set and posted, and processed out. No big deal, just 5 days. Case was thrown out in one court visit.
But while I was in there, I was talking to another guy who told me a joke about how he'd tell his wife not to send him any more money, because he'd be out that month, every month. He had long passed the stage where it bothered him, so he was laughing about it. I asked him how long he'd been there (jailhouse rules - never ask anyone what they're in for, and everyone is always innocent), and he replied "6 months" and then started laughing again. I asked him what was so goddamn funny, and he explained it was because he missed 4 hours of community service and thus had his probation revoked. And it wasn't jailhouse bullshit either, because I've been in enough times to know it.
That county was getting 100 USD per day, per inmate, from the feds - so they made roughly 18K off the guy (and once you've pled guilty and taken probation, or are out on parole, there's not a lot you can do if either is revoked, since you're considered guilty already). Not to mention free labor from trustees, or the profit on commissary. Oh, and this same county is building a brand new jail (and not closing the old one) right down the road - and it's a rural county, nothing but farms and suburbs, with a low crime rate and a low per capita income. Greed and corruption, anyone?
While I agree in principle (strongly, I might add), unless you are willing to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights to their fullest (meaning you draw the line at your person and at your property line), you're pretty much fucked until you and I are not the only ones willing to do this.
Which brings up the fundamental question that this country was allegedly founded upon - are you willing to die for your freedom?
Once you are disarmed, alone, or in the open, the police will get you. If the locals can't stop you, then they'll bring in a SWAT team. From there it only escalates. But I can tell you (from living in Harris County, TX - that's right, they execute people all the time here, and that's if they live to see a trial; I can't recall the exact details, but recently the cops here shot a man, on his property, who was unarmed, after family members warned the police that he was mentally unstable but unarmed, 14 or 15 times in the back) that police can and will kill you with little or no justification, with almost no repercussions.
I won't get into the details, but I've been in quite a few incidents with the police. They're thugs with guns and badges, no more. And if you think you can stop them from taking a DNA sample once you're in custody any more than you can stop them from fingerprinting you, you're dead wrong. They'll get it if they have to beat you unconscious to do it, or manipulate other prisoners into doing it for them.
Ask anyone who's been in Harris County Jail about "elevator rides" (a cuffed prisoner gets in an elevator with 3-4 sheriffs, comes out the elevator ready for the infirmary...of course, they generally strip you and leave you bleeding in a cold concrete cell for a few hours first). Or how the sheriffs manipulate prisoners against each other ("no one moves until this asshole does such-and-such" - yeah, try having anywhere from 30 to 200 people, some of which are headed straight to prison for a long fucking time, others who are just getting released, pissed off at you in an unsupervised cell...you'll wake up in a puddle of blood by the toilet and no one will have seen a damn thing) or play petty power trips on you (I've sat in an over-populated cell for over 18 hours with no food, 3 days after my bond was posted, one door and a staircase away from the free world, watching everyone else come in and then be released, just because one sheriff thought I sounded off too loud when he called my name...nothing like sitting through two shift changes because of one asshole who is accountable to no one; even worse if a judge decides that you're not eligible for bond just because he doesn't like you...I spent two weeks floating from holding tank to holding tank, never hit a quad and got a mattress or a proper meal, because it took so many trips to court to get a bond set that the grand jury threw the case out by the time I had one).
So, my friend, until you are willing to wash away blood with blood, and so are a whole lot of other people (who currently would rather watch "reality" TV and eat Doritos) get seriously pissed and actually do something, then your fingerprints, mugshots, and DNA they shall have. Regardless of whether you're innocent or not.
Thanks, truly, for reminding me of these points. I'm a strictly UNIX/Linux user and admin, and work in scientific industries where Windows isn't used by anyone but the beancounters and execs. So my exposure to Windows and it's current standing in the business world is pretty limited.
As for the university bit, I'm about to go back to school for a while (nothing better to do in a recession, jobs are really scarce in my niche market and location, and I can't feasibly relocate at the moment), so I'll get to see whether they still teach systems architecture out of UNIX books and then expect you to write your code for assignments in MASM. I still have nightmares about one class I took where they expected a shitload of assembler written in MASM, yet the version I was given didn't run on my dual-boot machine (the only Windows installation I had), nor did it run on most of the systems in the lab. Imagine 40 students (with about 30 computers) (a) trying to figure out which machines worked and (b) fighting over them.
It was such a goddamn nightmare that I just quit college altogether. It wasn't like it offered me anything that I couldn't get out of CS books and on-the-job experience, and my job was already eating at least 50-70 - sometimes up to 90 - hours a week of my time (so I chalked college up as an unnecessary burden at the time). Why pay to learn when you can teach yourself and get paid for it, and have an extra 15 or so hours a week to relax?. Well, get drunk, work out, and get laid, but that's my definition of relaxing.
It's pretty much a proven fact (a) Windows sucks, (b) people will continue using it, and (c) scientists will by and large not.
How many times per week does/. have to say this? It's not like anyone new here will just slap their forehead and go "Holy shit, Windows sucks and I never knew it! Which Linux distro should I start using?".
On a side note, I actually used Word 2007 the other day (hey, I couldn't get to a Linux system, I was at a friend's house) to compose a simple cover letter for my resume, and my jaw dropped when I saw how unbelievably - and unnecessarily - complex the UI had become. No fucking wonder there's always a fuss over a new Office release. It's like getting out to your truck and discovering that (a) all dials and gauges are now obfuscated, (b) radio stations are listed in base 73 and someone glued a Mariah Carey CD in the head unit, and (c) your gear shift now has all the gears in different locations.
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But this is seriously fucking up my day. First I discover that the idiots at my college (hey, it's a recession, I decided to finish my degree) deactivated the account I've had for ages on a system I need for class, and lost all records pertaining to it.
Then after I'm told it's fixed, I go to work on it today. Won't take my password. Can't access Gmail to send a goddamn e-mail to the one person my professor found that actually knows root on the system (it's an old alpha running Tru64) for hours. Then when I finally get a password, log in, tweak my settings, all that - I discover that I can't access the directory where my assignment is supposed to be.
At first I thought it was my usual ISP bullshit, reset my cable modem a few times. Problem kept happening. Can't access sites for shit, took me hours to get mails out to this "admin", and now it's after 5PM and I can't get access to this fucking directory because of this fucking bullshit!
Anyone want to pitch in on a plane ticket for me to go there and kill this fucking router admin? I promise I'll post the videos on the net for you. One "network administrator" force-fed a smashed-up router (probably a Cisco) and then garrotted in his network closet.
Well, thanks for the clarification. I probably did get something mixed up.
Regardless, your home machine experience sounds nightmarish, to say the least, and could have a myriad of causes for each problem. I don't know what to tell you really - I practically eat, breathe, and shit UNIX/Linux, so maybe it's something to do with differing mentalities. Though your BSD usage suggests differently to a certain degree. All what I can think of is best of luck and shop around for a hot Linux chick who can help you out (I have worked with one stunning gal that was quite proficient with AIX and Linux, but she had a man already...damnit!).
As far as work, it sounds like you are more of a Windows admin. Even though I think their OS is crap, I do have a fair amount of respect for someone who can make it behave and keep the application stack on it running properly. Though I have gotten into a few arguments with such fellows over Sendmail/Qmail vs. Exchange, because of Microsoft's "creep" effect (having to pretty much run an entire domain just because some PHB decides that just because they've used Exchange's calendaring functions forever, that it's the right solution for company that is almost entirely *nix-based...ugh...headache).
As for your last paragraph, yep, you definitely need to make a business case for any decision, but I've been able to make the case for F/OSS or UNIX apps almost always, since the places I work are almost entirely Linux or UNIX anyways, so management isn't stuck in that "but Microsoft says it will work..." mentality.
The one thing I have yet to work with in an enterprise environment is OSX. I'd like to, just for a change of pace. I should probably get my Thinkpad repaired (drunk idiot stepped on my keyboard, so some keys are broken off, requiring a USB keyboard - no, for once I wasn't the idiot in question) and then get one of those sexy Apples, just for the hell of it. I need to think of putting some money aside for that, instead of just going on hellish benders that often land me in the county jail. What I paid for my last one (lawyer included) could have bought a quite nice Mac.
Speaking of benders, I've been on a liquid diet for about 48 hours, so it's chow time. It's been a pleasure, I hope your Linux experiences are better in the future.
But I'm a hell of a lot more worried about the idiots they give driver's licenses to than flying.
I have literally seen a guy (who looked like he should have been wearing a 'tard helmet and riding the short bus) fail the written exam 3 times, and then have a DPS officer coach him through an oral exam (due to his claim that English was not his native language - hello, anyone? You might not be able to read street signs, but big red STOP signs and lights are pretty much multilingual). If I can drive in Mexico and Switzerland, why can't people drive in their (supposedly) native countries?
Or pull that cellphone out of their ear. There is this thing called "speakerphone", ya know!
I find it odd that you have a "production" need that allows you the leeway to choose between four more or less radically different operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, and FreeBSD).
And my methodology for anything that goes into production is to test it first, spend the time troubleshooting any issues that come to light, and then deploy it. Which I've done with Linux, AIX, Irix, and Solaris many times (and others occasionally, but those are the ones I've supported most often). Perhaps we have a different definition of production (I work with large datacenters almost exclusively).
And I wonder about the use of "production" in an issue that involves Windows. And that's because I think Windows is as enterprise-capable as I am of sucking my own dick. Tried it once, got almost there, and ended up with a stiff neck. Yep, exact same results.
I'm running it. And have the same problem that I've had with every other version of Flash - no sound (please don't suggest a system problem - I'm an audiophile, so I do everything else sound-related on my Linux systems just fine). I'll sort it out eventually, but since (a) I don't really give a damn about any Flash app or site, (b) I never have to support it professionally, and (c) I wouldn't code for a Flash environment if you put a gun to my head, it's just never been a big concern for me.
Thanks for the suggestion, though. And I haven't had Flash crash my browser in ages, so that's not a complaint. I just navigate away, scratch my head, go "well, I probably wouldn't have given a damn what they were saying anyways", and then move on to something important to me.
Okay, sorry for the late response, I had a lot going on yesterday and haven't slept much lately. Based on what you've said (postulating that you're not (a) lying, (b) smoking crack, or (c) both; I'll go out of my way and say that I don't think any of those are the case), I think you're just cursed. Plain and simple. Because I don't have any of the problems you describe, never really have. Of course, I'm one of those hell-bent types who just attacks a problem relentlessly. Which is why I suppose you switched over to a Windows/*BSD solution when Linux wouldn't work on system {X, Y, Z}. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't hire you as a sysadmin either.
You know enough to qualify as a "technical user/helldesk geek" (I mean that in the nicest way possible), seem to have a decent grasp of the basics, and I don't really know what to tell you. If this was real life, you're the guy that I would take away root from, eat some antacids, tell my manager to fuck off and that by fixing all your problems now we would save time down the road, and just dive in and sort out what the issue is with your workstation(s). If I knew you personally, you'd have to get me pretty drunk in order to help you with whatever your problem is. Unless you were female, cute, smart, and seemed to have an interest in me. Then I'd just bring over the wine, dig into the system, and lay you like floor tile.
Seriously, dig up some genealogical records and see if your ancestors were archaeologists working in Egypt. Try to remember if you broke a mirror in the last N years. Watch out for black cats, and be werry, werry careful crossing the street. Because unless you live in Houston and are a cute, intelligent female, I can't help you. Might I suggest you finding someone of whatever gender is mutually attractive to you who is a sysadmin? Barring that, sacrifice a chicken before any Linux install attempt. Or a black goat. I've personally found the goat to work better, but people get the wrong idea when they see you trying to sneak a goat into your house or the office in the middle of the night.
Sounds more like he has one of those rare pieces of hardware that just doesn't work with Linux. That has become a diminishing concern over the years, so I can only postulate that the hardware in question is (a) old and the driver is not well-maintained or (b) it's made by ATI and he didn't run a "supported" (ATI has a far different idea of what that word means than any other company I've encountered). Since X11 is mentioned so frequently, I would guess ATI.
Just a guess, please stop throwing things.
Out of curiousity, not hostility, can I ask why?
I work as a systems architect/administrator (whatever you want to call it) for UNIX/Linux-based large datacenters, but also use Linux personally and for non-technical tasks (e.g. Word, Excel, and assorted other files), without any difficulty. And I've been using Linux for almost 10 years now - back when things were difficult for users that weren't highly technical.
The only things I ever find myself using Windows for is to run Visio (if someone could recommend a F/OSS replacement for it, it would be greatly appreciated, but I have yet to find one as full-featured - or even close) or to play games (which I do rarely, I prefer other forms of entertainment). And Flash rarely works to my satisfaction, but I don't really consider that a great loss either.
I just don't understand it when people say that they can't switch over to Linux. Or at least dual-boot. Not to insult your intelligence, but most modern distributions are simple to install and productively work in. Maybe it's my background, maybe it's your choice of distributions, but I fail to see what the fuss is about. Especially when there are distributions (Ubuntu, for example) that are specifically geared towards non-technical users. While I personally find Ubuntu to be over-simplified and (as of my last use, about 3 years ago) not secure enough, I don't see why it wouldn't be easy to use as well as a vast improvement over Windows.
Dear Slashdot Editors,
Please make it clear to users that mod points are to be used with the appropriate "Category" flag. Some users are using such flags as "Troll" and "Flamebait" for posts that should be, if modded at all, flagged as "Off-Topic".
I suspect it has to do with their personal sociopolitical beliefs. Hence the signature that I have maintained for at least 3-4 years. As a fellow geek, I believe in accuracy. Despite my frequent usage of flagrant profanity and quoting of non-scientific sources which may or may not be known to some of the users who moderate discussions, I feel that a simple look-up in Wikipedia prior to modding a post would be courteous.
For example, in above post, it would have been rather easy for the person(s) who modded my post as "Troll" and "Flamebait" to look up the highly controversial statement made by Bill Hicks in a (in)famous comedic session and realize that it was not a racist comment, but a observation on the sad state of the human race. The Tool song mentioned is a similar commentary, and entirely appropriate in the context.
If the same moderation had been applied to the parent post, I would find it more rational. However, since it was not, I find the rational inconsistent.
And, yes, I've been here long enough to know better. But it never fails to blow my mind that a site for allegedly intelligent, technical, educated people becomes mired down in petty political or social differences.
Thank your for your time.
Regards,
Painehope
Which state?
They'll take you to jail for anything in the U.S. of fucking A. I've been arrested, told I was being arrested for Public Intoxication (which I was not, unless a beer with dinner counts), then charged with Possession Of A Controlled Substance for a couple of 2 mg Xanax (which I'm prescribed to, and had the prescription in my wallet, but no one told me about it).
And, to top it off, since I was in possession of an "illegal drug", I caught two weapons charges for perfectly legal weapons in my truck. Since it's illegal to have "drugs" and weapons on you. Even though the PCS charge was thrown out at my first court date, the D.A. kept it up w/ the weapons charges, knowing that I'd take a plea rather than risk a trial (and pay an extra 10K to my lawyer). So I pled time served on one weapons charge, and walked after only 3 days in jail.
Yep, that's the "Land of Freedom" for you.
I stand by what I said. Or else I would have posted anonymously.
As for elitist, whatever you say, slick. I've wrestled with those arguments more than anyone I know. It's an ethical dilemma, no doubt.
But you know what I have to say, at the end of the night (well, not quite - I still have a few beers left)? Fuck it. Bill Hicks was right when he said Hitler was just an underachiever. Tool was right to dedicate an album, in memorial, to him. One that contained the song "Aenema" on it.
That's right...learn to swim, motherfuckers. Because if you keep it up, you'll be neck deep in sewage and corpses. You can only build so many dams in the path of evolution before it backs up and chokes your ass.
Well, I do have some life experience that I won't be putting on my resume any time soon.
Probably because he doesn't need it. If I hadn't posted, I'd mod him up just for giving me a new favorite saying about stupid users. And mod you down for sheer ignorant belligerence.
Or we could just have you fixed. I've long been a proponent of mandatory sterilization for people that prove they can't use their brain. Stupid people breeding is the single greatest threat to human civilization since we started feeding and housing them, instead of just letting them starve.
I don't know what dream world you live in, but I'd suggest you check the national crime statistics (as well as welfare and other socially detrimental measurable variables).
Speaking on a per-capita basis, almost all crime is committed by non-Whites. When you isolate it to felonies (particularly violent ones), the gap grows even wider. When you look at interracial crime statistics, it's mostly black-on-white. If hate crime laws were applied universally, then you'd see a similar trend. I won't even start on welfare or other social programs.
And, regardless of how stupid the original posters are, you're just as full of shit as they are. For your information, the majority of jobs in the Texas criminal system in our major cities that do not require a college education are filled by Black or Hispanic candidates.
And you want to talk about shitholes? Have you been to NYC lately? That's the biggest festering shithole I've seen outside of Chicago, D.C., New Orleans, or Southern California. Wow! All but one of those places are not in the South. Yes, Houston isn't exactly nice either, but there's a lot of bright, hard-working people here (of many different races and nationalities, I might add), mostly due to the petroleum and medical industries. We sure as fuck didn't get them from the Katrina refugees from "The Chocolate City" (once again, see crime statistics - it's been so bad that the mayor has offered "financial incentives" for "refugees" to return home - 3 years later, I might add). That's one Black sub-group that you're welcome to have - Houston sure doesn't want or need them.
If there were hunting licenses for humans, you and the two idiots you're replying to would be on my top 50 list.
And, yes, I know this post will be modded down. See my sig and don't talk with your mouth full, motherfuckers.
Hate to break this to you, but TDCJ is state jail and prison (two separate entities, only handles felons). Entirely separate from Houston City courts (which only handle class C misdemeanor sentences and traffic ticket fines - no one stays in City Jail longer than a week) or Harris County Jail (up to 18 months, IIRC, and still a separate entity). And the only thing your idea would do is cause a riot.
Not that it wouldn't break the monotony. But the chain link fences topped with barbed wire, armed guards, and mechanical systems wouldn't be effected in the least. TDCJ is a lot less technical than city/county jails. It's a prison, after all, not a local jail.
Class B Misdemeanor, IIRC (possession under 4 ounces is a class A, but anything under a an ounce is class B). That's pretty minor. You'll generally get 20 days (and each "day" is twelve hours, so by the time you get to court, you generally have 5 days racked up) or the option for probation (never, ever take probation - you're just setting yourself up for failure). Just take the jail time, unless you have to be at work, in which case you bond out, go work, and you'll probably get time served when you show up to court.
Note, this is not from personal experience. I haven't been arrested with pot since I was 14, right around the time I quit smoking that boring crap.
Windows, of course. It's what every single computer that I've seen in any court, jail, or police station in Houston (and Harris County, which Houston is in) runs.
And I've seen more than a few...
Interestingly, courts are pretty technical down here. The employees are still as dumb, but if you're in Houston City Jail, you don't even see a judge or talk to anyone in person (other than Johnny Law). The pre-trial personnel speak to you via a telephone or a speaker in the wall of the room, you don't even see their faces in the newer city jail. Both jails the judges are linked in on a high-resolution screen, whether it's your actual court (for City, not County) or just a probable cause arraignment (which, not surprisingly, never releases anyone, no matter how ridiculous the evidence is).
Harris County is technical in the court, but if you're just talking to your lawyer in the court holding cell, you don't even see the inside of a courtroom.
Of course, Fort Bend County (where I live) is so non-technical it's hilarious. I was jammed up in their system over Thanksgiving (no bonds or releases on holidays - I was in there for a damn class C misdemeanor, and sat 3 days), and got a visit from my father. The moron cops actually used their network closet as a holding tank for prisoners awaiting room in visitation. I was alone in there at one point, staring at a dusty Cisco router that was at least ten years old, plus what could only have been their video system (which looked even older). I was so tempted to just rearrange cables...until I thought about how long it might take them to find someone to fix it, and how that might effect my release (which was scheduled for the next day).
Of course, the plus side to my county is that judges actually see you face-to-face, and will release you if it's a bullshit case. Much preferable to a high-tech system with no justice at all.
Or, rather, not. Pissed, as in drunk. This would be a great weekend to go out, get as drunk as I want, and not have to worry about spending the night in the drunk tank (Public Intoxication is a one-night stay in Houston, just plead no contest and you're out the next day).
But, no, I have to have a cold (just like about everyone else I know).
Shit!
I found it humorous that both my posts were modded "Interesting" or "Informative", and then "Troll". Nothing but providing an opinion, backed by real world experience.
Probably the same dickhead that didn't like what I had to say. Oh well...he'll get his in the end and it will probably be in county jail, while he's yelling "you can't do this, I have rights!".
evil chuckle...
Thank you. I couldn't have said it better myself (actually I think I have said almost the same thing many times, but no one appears to be listening).
Want to know another interesting fact? Some jails will deliberately hold you for an insane amount of time just to get federal tax money.
I recall being arrested for a bogus assault charge (I was at my family's residence, had been drinking, took prescription medication for insomnia, and dozed off on the porch smoking a cigarette before going to bed - I'd had too much to drink to drive; my mother freaked out, called an ambulance, and because the dispatcher heard my father yelling at me to wake up in the background, I was arrested for a class A misdemeanor - punishable by up to 1 year in state jail - assault, simply because that's what the county they live in arrests drunk people on private property for; oh, no ambulance or medical treatment, just straight to jail) and spending 5 days just getting arraigned, bond set and posted, and processed out. No big deal, just 5 days. Case was thrown out in one court visit.
But while I was in there, I was talking to another guy who told me a joke about how he'd tell his wife not to send him any more money, because he'd be out that month, every month. He had long passed the stage where it bothered him, so he was laughing about it. I asked him how long he'd been there (jailhouse rules - never ask anyone what they're in for, and everyone is always innocent), and he replied "6 months" and then started laughing again. I asked him what was so goddamn funny, and he explained it was because he missed 4 hours of community service and thus had his probation revoked. And it wasn't jailhouse bullshit either, because I've been in enough times to know it.
That county was getting 100 USD per day, per inmate, from the feds - so they made roughly 18K off the guy (and once you've pled guilty and taken probation, or are out on parole, there's not a lot you can do if either is revoked, since you're considered guilty already). Not to mention free labor from trustees, or the profit on commissary. Oh, and this same county is building a brand new jail (and not closing the old one) right down the road - and it's a rural county, nothing but farms and suburbs, with a low crime rate and a low per capita income. Greed and corruption, anyone?
While I agree in principle (strongly, I might add), unless you are willing to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights to their fullest (meaning you draw the line at your person and at your property line), you're pretty much fucked until you and I are not the only ones willing to do this.
Which brings up the fundamental question that this country was allegedly founded upon - are you willing to die for your freedom?
Once you are disarmed, alone, or in the open, the police will get you. If the locals can't stop you, then they'll bring in a SWAT team. From there it only escalates. But I can tell you (from living in Harris County, TX - that's right, they execute people all the time here, and that's if they live to see a trial; I can't recall the exact details, but recently the cops here shot a man, on his property, who was unarmed, after family members warned the police that he was mentally unstable but unarmed, 14 or 15 times in the back) that police can and will kill you with little or no justification, with almost no repercussions.
I won't get into the details, but I've been in quite a few incidents with the police. They're thugs with guns and badges, no more. And if you think you can stop them from taking a DNA sample once you're in custody any more than you can stop them from fingerprinting you, you're dead wrong. They'll get it if they have to beat you unconscious to do it, or manipulate other prisoners into doing it for them.
Ask anyone who's been in Harris County Jail about "elevator rides" (a cuffed prisoner gets in an elevator with 3-4 sheriffs, comes out the elevator ready for the infirmary...of course, they generally strip you and leave you bleeding in a cold concrete cell for a few hours first). Or how the sheriffs manipulate prisoners against each other ("no one moves until this asshole does such-and-such" - yeah, try having anywhere from 30 to 200 people, some of which are headed straight to prison for a long fucking time, others who are just getting released, pissed off at you in an unsupervised cell...you'll wake up in a puddle of blood by the toilet and no one will have seen a damn thing) or play petty power trips on you (I've sat in an over-populated cell for over 18 hours with no food, 3 days after my bond was posted, one door and a staircase away from the free world, watching everyone else come in and then be released, just because one sheriff thought I sounded off too loud when he called my name...nothing like sitting through two shift changes because of one asshole who is accountable to no one; even worse if a judge decides that you're not eligible for bond just because he doesn't like you...I spent two weeks floating from holding tank to holding tank, never hit a quad and got a mattress or a proper meal, because it took so many trips to court to get a bond set that the grand jury threw the case out by the time I had one).
So, my friend, until you are willing to wash away blood with blood, and so are a whole lot of other people (who currently would rather watch "reality" TV and eat Doritos) get seriously pissed and actually do something, then your fingerprints, mugshots, and DNA they shall have. Regardless of whether you're innocent or not.
Thanks, truly, for reminding me of these points. I'm a strictly UNIX/Linux user and admin, and work in scientific industries where Windows isn't used by anyone but the beancounters and execs. So my exposure to Windows and it's current standing in the business world is pretty limited.
As for the university bit, I'm about to go back to school for a while (nothing better to do in a recession, jobs are really scarce in my niche market and location, and I can't feasibly relocate at the moment), so I'll get to see whether they still teach systems architecture out of UNIX books and then expect you to write your code for assignments in MASM. I still have nightmares about one class I took where they expected a shitload of assembler written in MASM, yet the version I was given didn't run on my dual-boot machine (the only Windows installation I had), nor did it run on most of the systems in the lab. Imagine 40 students (with about 30 computers) (a) trying to figure out which machines worked and (b) fighting over them.
It was such a goddamn nightmare that I just quit college altogether. It wasn't like it offered me anything that I couldn't get out of CS books and on-the-job experience, and my job was already eating at least 50-70 - sometimes up to 90 - hours a week of my time (so I chalked college up as an unnecessary burden at the time). Why pay to learn when you can teach yourself and get paid for it, and have an extra 15 or so hours a week to relax?. Well, get drunk, work out, and get laid, but that's my definition of relaxing.
It's pretty much a proven fact (a) Windows sucks, (b) people will continue using it, and (c) scientists will by and large not.
How many times per week does /. have to say this? It's not like anyone new here will just slap their forehead and go "Holy shit, Windows sucks and I never knew it! Which Linux distro should I start using?".
On a side note, I actually used Word 2007 the other day (hey, I couldn't get to a Linux system, I was at a friend's house) to compose a simple cover letter for my resume, and my jaw dropped when I saw how unbelievably - and unnecessarily - complex the UI had become. No fucking wonder there's always a fuss over a new Office release. It's like getting out to your truck and discovering that (a) all dials and gauges are now obfuscated, (b) radio stations are listed in base 73 and someone glued a Mariah Carey CD in the head unit, and (c) your gear shift now has all the gears in different locations.