Spend a few bucks more than I did on the TV capture card and you can get the full framerate. I've had at least one other person write me to say that he gets the full PAL framerate (25 fps, I think; I do NTSC) just by going with a slightly more expensive card. All the rest of the project stays the same, with a tweak to the "rec" script and "modules.conf" for the higher capacity card.
It creates files that can be burned to VCDs. I have no DVD burner, so I can't say what would be needed to create DVDs from the output. But it's using all Open Source software, so you can tweak it until it does what you want.
The people who say they have a working Lucent modem do not have this Lucent modem. This Lucent modem (type 048c) is not supported by any driver I can find. One of the people who insisted that the modem works had a type 0440, which is supported by the Lucent driver.
If someone has a patch that makes the 048c modem work, I'll be glad to try it. But the ltmodem driver does not have it, according to the documentation.
I wrote the book "Embracing Insanity: Open Source Software Development" to educate management about the ways of Open Source. It deals less with project methodology and more with the social dynamics of the community, but you might find it helpful.
1. For the same reason that many teachers teach (in the US anyway). It isn't for the money; teachers in the US are woefully underpaid. If teaching were done for the money, the only people who would teach would be the folks not smart enough to get a better paying job. Many teachers are driven by a passion to help kids and improve the world around them. Likewise, many Open Source people are driven by the desire to improve the world and help people.
2. In a culture that praises beauty and physical prowess, geeks often feel out of step or second class. In the Open Source world, they get a chance to strut their stuff and be applauded for their technical talents. Praise goes a long way for a lot of folks.
3. Coz playing with technology is fun if you're a geek! And it doesn't cost nearly as much as the golf habit that many corporate executives have.
I have no idea what is (or isn't) going down at Compaq, but I know that many of the Alpha Engineers are among the most vocal Linux supporters in Compaq. I just wish them well with whatever comes down.
Keep up the great work, guys and gals, wherever you end up.
-- Russ
Re:Question for the Corporate Linux-types
on
VA Layoff Rumors
·
· Score: 1
VA Linux et al are not "fools" at all.
No major corporation -- NONE -- will authorize the use of any software for mission-critical purposes without a support organization on board.
Geeks don't need formal support. But they are not the ones that buy formal support. Companies need it -- and they buy it.
It is a basic rule of IT. Ask anyone who makes IT decisions for large (Fortune 1000) companies.
This is almost the wrong question. The book will hopefully have some value for you, as (presumably) an informed member of the Open Source community. But it should have greater value as the tool which you hand to that boss of yours, or that neighbor who you have talked to about Open Source, or your old roommate who is a VisualBasic programmer.
The role of truth in the community is far more central than in the common culture. Note the context: we are talking about a culture, not merely a pursuit as you describe in your reply. The centrality of truth in the culture makes for a different priority in values and inevitable misunderstandings between Geek culture and common culture. I work through this point at length. Try getting the book at your local library and read it for yourself.
Oh, and of course the term "disruptive technology" was used by Christensen. I never suggested that I invented it.
If it does help, it might qualify as the strangest side-effect of anything I've ever done in my life! I doubt it will work, but go ahead and knock yourself out trying! 8^}
The book might prove to be useful for your parents. I tried to focus on the people standing on the fringe of the Open Source world; people who are trying to understand why this software exists and/or why these people do such "strange" things.
I think Fatbrain has a short excerpt online. Otherwise, perhaps you should suggest that your local library obtain a copy and then check it out when it comes in.
The book is meant to be an explanation for the uninitiated and a tool in the hands of those who seek to promote understanding of Open Source.
The book does distinguish between shareware/freeware of the PC era and Open Source/Free Software found in Linux, *BSD and others. I try to deal with the motivations and functions of the community, and in doing so, show how Open Source can be a powerful thing which is quite different than "just more questionable shareware."
The Linux Journal website has hosted the Linux Speaker's Bureau database for years. Simply go to the page and look for someone who is willing to come and talk about something that interests your group. Of course, since you will need people who will come without a fee, you would do well to find people who are somewhat local or who are likely to be in the area on other business.
But the bottom line is to go to the site, look around, and start asking people.
Many Open Source projects use a modified form of RAD methodology. The ability to use development code naturally generates the "this is nice, but what if we added...?" comments.
RAD methodologies tend to work well if you have people who can respond quickly and properly. The Open Source world has a large number of such people.
Can we do better in giving users a more standard way of delivering feedback? Yes. But you don't need to change the development methodology to get achieve that.
-----
My opinions are my opinions, and probably do not reflect those of my employer, space aliens, or your friend Bob.
I can type much faster than I can handwrite. Not to mention that I don't get cramps in my hand after typing a few paragraphs quickly.
I like the concept of having alternatives to keyboards available, but not wholesale replacement of the keyboard, until we find a better way than just writing.
I don't blame the school system. It's that historically the greater computer community hasn't demanded truth over marketing fluff. We've gotten so used to marketeers telling us that their companies invented everything that we haven't insisted on honoring the truth of history.
Happily, I see this changing. The online community is now demanding fact over fluff. The days of simply accepting marketing garbage as fact are over. People want reality. The history of those who came before will rise from the ashes of the burning lies and half-truths which have scorched the computing terrain. And the worthless marketing banter of the self-aggrandizing fools will fall to earth and be lost.
The term "community" is not new in any way. When I attended the Atlanta Linux Showcase in 1997, I found that a community existed even then. At the time, it was made up of hackers, technical users, and some corporate folks (although VERY few that could be classified as "suits"; most fell into the corporate "geek" category), but it was clearly a functioning community and the term could be heard even back then.
Community becomes far less abstract when you've had lunch with Daryll Strauss, or a planning session with maddog Hall, or (many) a beer with folks you haven't actually known before, but who share much of the same context you do.
Sure, Slashdot folks are part of the community. But don't fall into the trap of thinking that the virtual community via Slashdot is the only community that exists. There is a very real, very concrete expression of that community which can be found at any number of Linux user meetings -- from local LUGs to international conferences.
When you have a group of people who dwell in a certain place (physically or metaphorically), who have related concerns, and who have a desire to work together with others to establish something that is good for the whole, you have something that has a strong basis for community.
I'm not talking about some mystic technical religion or some adolescent fantasy world here. There exists a very real Linux community. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to check out a local LUG or go to one of the technical conferences that are held throughout the world. You might just walk away with an appreciation of what this word "community" is all about.
Please check the article again. Mr. Gardner is not a Compaq employee. Most Linux folks at Compaq are very well informed about what has been going on in the Linux community. Why shouldn't they? Many read Slashdot, after all...
One big hurdle to performance was the math libraries. Compaq recently released those -- they're available on their web page for download. The general compiler issue is one that hasn't escaped Compaq's notice. Things are being examined right now. Don't mistake silence for inactivity in this area.
Keep in mind that Segfault is in the UK. I don't know what the laws are like over there, but they seem to do a lot of parodies on British TV. Hopefully, the British aren't as accepting of worthless lawsuits as we in the US are.
Slashdot Mirror
> 15 FPS. No thanks.
Spend a few bucks more than I did on the TV capture card and you can get the full framerate. I've had at least one other person write me to say that he gets the full PAL framerate (25 fps, I think; I do NTSC) just by going with a slightly more expensive card. All the rest of the project stays the same, with a tweak to the "rec" script and "modules.conf" for the higher capacity card.
Here's a page explaining how I constructed a Linux-based TV recorder for about US$300:
http://linuxprofessionalsolutions.com/pavlicek/tv. html
It creates files that can be burned to VCDs. I have no DVD burner, so I can't say what would be needed to create DVDs from the output. But it's using all Open Source software, so you can tweak it until it does what you want.
Here's a page describing a US$300 Linux solution I put together:
http://linuxprofessionalsolutions.com/pavlicek/tv. html
Yes, you can get a driver at that location.
But, according to the documentation, that driver DOES NOT support the specific chipset used in this particular Lucent modem.
The Lucent driver does not support ALL Lucent modems.
I'm the author of the piece at NewsForge.
Let's get this straight: the modem does not work.
The people who say they have a working Lucent modem do not have this Lucent modem. This Lucent modem (type 048c) is not supported by any driver I can find. One of the people who insisted that the modem works had a type 0440, which is supported by the Lucent driver.
If someone has a patch that makes the 048c modem work, I'll be glad to try it. But the ltmodem driver does not have it, according to the documentation.
> what you REALLY need is the source or binaries to the OS and tools
They are available (many of them, at least). Look at the web page.
I ran three versions of UNIX and RSTS on the PDP-11 emulator.
Nope. AMD made a 486 DX4 120 Mhz (I still have 2 of them, I think).
They also made a 133 MHz under a "586" name. It was the 486 equivalent of a Pentium 75 MHz.
I wrote the book "Embracing Insanity: Open Source Software Development" to educate management about the ways of Open Source. It deals less with project methodology and more with the social dynamics of the community, but you might find it helpful.
Here's a pointer to the Slashdot book review of it.
1. For the same reason that many teachers teach (in the US anyway). It isn't for the money; teachers in the US are woefully underpaid. If teaching were done for the money, the only people who would teach would be the folks not smart enough to get a better paying job. Many teachers are driven by a passion to help kids and improve the world around them. Likewise, many Open Source people are driven by the desire to improve the world and help people.
2. In a culture that praises beauty and physical prowess, geeks often feel out of step or second class. In the Open Source world, they get a chance to strut their stuff and be applauded for their technical talents. Praise goes a long way for a lot of folks.
3. Coz playing with technology is fun if you're a geek! And it doesn't cost nearly as much as the golf habit that many corporate executives have.
-- Russell Pavlicek
I have no idea what is (or isn't) going down at Compaq, but I know that many of the Alpha Engineers are among the most vocal Linux supporters in Compaq. I just wish them well with whatever comes down.
Keep up the great work, guys and gals, wherever you end up.
-- Russ
VA Linux et al are not "fools" at all.
No major corporation -- NONE -- will authorize the use of any software for mission-critical purposes without a support organization on board.
Geeks don't need formal support. But they are not the ones that buy formal support. Companies need it -- and they buy it.
It is a basic rule of IT. Ask anyone who makes IT decisions for large (Fortune 1000) companies.
This is almost the wrong question. The book will hopefully have some value for you, as (presumably) an informed member of the Open Source community. But it should have greater value as the tool which you hand to that boss of yours, or that neighbor who you have talked to about Open Source, or your old roommate who is a VisualBasic programmer.
The role of truth in the community is far more central than in the common culture. Note the context: we are talking about a culture, not merely a pursuit as you describe in your reply. The centrality of truth in the culture makes for a different priority in values and inevitable misunderstandings between Geek culture and common culture. I work through this point at length. Try getting the book at your local library and read it for yourself.
Oh, and of course the term "disruptive technology" was used by Christensen. I never suggested that I invented it.
>Will this book help me... get chicks?
If it does help, it might qualify as the strangest side-effect of anything I've ever done in my life! I doubt it will work, but go ahead and knock yourself out trying! 8^}
The book might prove to be useful for your parents. I tried to focus on the people standing on the fringe of the Open Source world; people who are trying to understand why this software exists and/or why these people do such "strange" things.
I think Fatbrain has a short excerpt online. Otherwise, perhaps you should suggest that your local library obtain a copy and then check it out when it comes in.
The book is meant to be an explanation for the uninitiated and a tool in the hands of those who seek to promote understanding of Open Source.
The book does distinguish between shareware/freeware of the PC era and Open Source/Free Software found in Linux, *BSD and others. I try to deal with the motivations and functions of the community, and in doing so, show how Open Source can be a powerful thing which is quite different than "just more questionable shareware."
But the bottom line is to go to the site, look around, and start asking people.
Many Open Source projects use a modified form of RAD methodology. The ability to use development code naturally generates the "this is nice, but what if we added ...?" comments.
RAD methodologies tend to work well if you have people who can respond quickly and properly. The Open Source world has a large number of such people.
Can we do better in giving users a more standard way of delivering feedback? Yes. But you don't need to change the development methodology to get achieve that.
-----
My opinions are my opinions, and probably do not reflect those of my employer, space aliens, or your friend Bob.
I can type much faster than I can handwrite. Not to mention that I don't get cramps in my hand after typing a few paragraphs quickly.
I like the concept of having alternatives to keyboards available, but not wholesale replacement of the keyboard, until we find a better way than just writing.
Hey, are any of the speakers providing their presentation notes/tutorials on the web?
FWIW, I have the slides from my two Bazaar talks available at http://www.erols.com/pavlicek/bibli ography.html.
I don't blame the school system. It's that historically the greater computer community hasn't demanded truth over marketing fluff. We've gotten so used to marketeers telling us that their companies invented everything that we haven't insisted on honoring the truth of history.
Happily, I see this changing. The online community is now demanding fact over fluff. The days of simply accepting marketing garbage as fact are over. People want reality. The history of those who came before will rise from the ashes of the burning lies and half-truths which have scorched the computing terrain. And the worthless marketing banter of the self-aggrandizing fools will fall to earth and be lost.
There. I feel better now... 8^}
The term "community" is not new in any way. When I attended the Atlanta Linux Showcase in 1997, I found that a community existed even then. At the time, it was made up of hackers, technical users, and some corporate folks (although VERY few that could be classified as "suits"; most fell into the corporate "geek" category), but it was clearly a functioning community and the term could be heard even back then.
Community becomes far less abstract when you've had lunch with Daryll Strauss, or a planning session with maddog Hall, or (many) a beer with folks you haven't actually known before, but who share much of the same context you do.
Sure, Slashdot folks are part of the community. But don't fall into the trap of thinking that the virtual community via Slashdot is the only community that exists. There is a very real, very concrete expression of that community which can be found at any number of Linux user meetings -- from local LUGs to international conferences.
When you have a group of people who dwell in a certain place (physically or metaphorically), who have related concerns, and who have a desire to work together with others to establish something that is good for the whole, you have something that has a strong basis for community.
I'm not talking about some mystic technical religion or some adolescent fantasy world here. There exists a very real Linux community. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to check out a local LUG or go to one of the technical conferences that are held throughout the world. You might just walk away with an appreciation of what this word "community" is all about.
Didn't you know that Al Gore is responsible for both Linux and the Free Software Foundation? Take a gander at Recap's Column: Serious Times Demand A Truly Funny Man.
Please check the article again. Mr. Gardner is not a Compaq employee. Most Linux folks at Compaq are very well informed about what has been going on in the Linux community. Why shouldn't they? Many read Slashdot, after all...
One big hurdle to performance was the math libraries. Compaq recently released those -- they're available on their web page for download. The general compiler issue is one that hasn't escaped Compaq's notice. Things are being examined right now. Don't mistake silence for inactivity in this area.
Keep in mind that Segfault is in the UK. I don't know what the laws are like over there, but they seem to do a lot of parodies on British TV. Hopefully, the British aren't as accepting of worthless lawsuits as we in the US are.