Baldy’s Paradox

A vendor of Linux-based WiFi arrays is finally releasing a version of its WiFi Monitor utility for Linux desktops. The open source, widget-like Xirrus WiFi Monitor for Linux enables users to monitor, secure, and troubleshoot WiFi networks, says Xirrus. The company refers to the software as a “desklet,” a widget-like applet that provides quick access to information and functions. Developed under the gDesklets framework using the Python language, the utility is being made available under the GPL (General Public License). Users have access to complete source code of the application, says Xirrus.

Sounds great for the really hard to configure setups,Baldy

WiFi software arrives on Linux desktops

Ah, August. It’s the beginning of the end of summer, and the time when we must all start shaking the sand out of our ears once more. The real world wants us back! This week, we here at LinuxInsider felt it our duty to help those who are fed up with Redmond to find their way to Linux. This is August — a month of transition and new beginnings, after all — so what better time for geeks who have been lost on the dark side to come over to the Light that is Linux? Read on, then, for a starter kit, of sorts, that will show the way to Linuxy salvation …

Better Than Beach Reading: A Linux Starter Kit

Well I know it has been a while since I posted but as you read the weather hit me hard and then I had a computer take a dump. So I was surfing distros when a good friend suggested I try Kubuntu(Okay it was LinuxChick) and the last time I tried it I had a sour taste in my mouth. But I gave it a shot. Well I was surprised they cleaned up the installer to start with. And it recognized that there was another distro on the harddrive and wanted to know if I wanted to duel boot or use the entire disk. Okay that is a improvement to say the least. The install included KDE3.9 or a beta of the KDE4 and the first gripe I have is Dolphin I suggest they let Willie free, that is horrible to say the least. And one thing that is still a Ubuntu/Kubuntu thing is they really hide a lot of the controls and you have to know the quick keys to get to them. I updated the system after I downloaded Synaptic(yes add/remove is cute but rather clunky) and I added a repo and updated to KDE 4.1. It looks good but even more of the controls have managed to disappear. Over all I will run it a couple of days and give it a good shake down and see what comes out. One of the advantages Kubuntu has is they are backed by not only their repos but debian and 3rd party ones also, making the search for just the right program a snap. More later and until then have a good day and a better tomorrow folks.

Kubuntu | linux for human beings | Kubuntu

What is Kubuntu?
Kubuntu is a free, user-friendly operating system based on the K Desktop Environment and on the award winning Ubuntu operating system. With a biannual release cycle and at least 18 months of free security updates for each release, it is the secure, stable computing environment you’ve been waiting for.

As some of you know I am ( and have been for quite some time) a die-hard Arch Linux user. A few months ago I bought an Inspiron 1525 with Vista preinstalled because us Canadians were not allowed to purchase the Ubuntu model. I mistakenly thought this machine would be a sure thing with almost any Linux… WRONG!
From what I’ve read lately, the Linux version of this laptop has slightly different hardware…

After trying several distros on it, including Arch, PCLOS and Mepis. Arch couldn’t connect via eth0 to complete an install! I decided to go with Mepis as it seemed to be the one with the least issues.

Now, Least certainly does not mean none! Wireless worked out of the box, eth did not. Sound worked somewhat after many weeks of digging, reading and trying a zillion “fixes”. All in all the system was useable but not even close to being the perfect setup.

Mepis was my first Linux Distro so I’ve had a certain loyalty to it from the beginning. They have been having some issues lately and the other day was the last straw. Wireless stopped working and nothing, I mean nothing would get it back online. The search was on for a new system. What the heck do I try now? Mepis has always been known for ease of use and excellent hardware detection/support…

Enter Ubuntu… Not being a gnome lover, I decided to give Kbuntu a try. I was shocked and impressed, to say the least!
Eth0, Sound and even the integrated web cam worked out of the box! That’s never happened. Wireless is running via ndiswrapper.
It’s only been one day, but so far the only problem I’ve found is a slight volume issue. The max volume is very low, but I’m sure that can be fixed, given some time to research the Ubuntu forums.

Update: Sound is much improved simply by setting the Master Channel to Front. Also the touch volume controls on the laptop itself work, that’s never happened either!

Update: The touchpad is working correctly out-of-box also.

I should also mention, Kbuntu runs much faster on this laptop than Mepis did.

Technorati Tags: Kbuntu, Arch Linux, Mepis

Davenport, QUAD CITIES — Mid American Energy reports almost 15,000 Quad City area residents are still without power Friday morning, 96 hours after a powerful thunderstorm struck the region Monday morning.

The biggest concentration of power outages remains in Rock Island and Moline where 10,000 customers remain without power at 3 a.m. Friday.

Rock Island library officials were able to re-open the 30/31 branch yesterday afternoon, though there is still no computer access.

Western Illinois University’s Quad City campus is fully opening Friday morning, the first time the school has been able to fully operate since Monday.

The WIU-QC campus will re-open for business at 8 a.m. Civil service and administrative employees should report to work at their regularly scheduled times.

As you can see the mess continues for some down here and this is the busiest day of the year as the Bix Fest, and Ragbri are hitting town this weekend. So hotel,motel rooms for those without power are hard to find if they can be found.

I hope your day is going better folks see you later, Baldy

iminplaya writes with a link to an excellent article at Ars Technica, extracting from it a few choice nuggets: “The bad dream of DRM continues. Yahoo e-mailed its Yahoo! Music Store customers yesterday, telling them it will be closing for good — and the company will take its DRM license key servers offline on September 30, 2008. Sure, it’s bad news and yet another example of the sheer lobotomized brain-deadness that has characterized music DRM, but the reaction of most music fans will be: ‘Yahoo had an online music store?’… DRM makes things harder for legal users; it creates hassles that illegal users won’t deal with; it (often) prevents cross-platform compatibility and movement between devices. In what possible world was that a good strategy for building up the nascent digital download market? The only possible rationales could be 1) to control piracy (which, obviously, it has had no effect on, thanks to the CD and the fact that most DRM is broken) or 2) to nickel-and-dime consumers into accepting a new pay-for-use regime that sees moving tracks from CD to computer to MP3 player as a ‘privilege’ to be monetized.”

You have to love this another example of DRM jumping up and kicking the honest folks that tried to conform and use it. Just a perfect reason to say and with a loud and firm voice no more DRM you morons, Baldy

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Yahoo! Music Going Dark, Taking Keys With It

Social-news site Digg.com, a perpetual target of acquisition rumors, is in “final negotiations” to sell itself to Google for $200 million, according to a TechCrunch report Tuesday that cited multiple sources.
Google has been in talks to bring Digg into the Google News group, but it could be a few weeks before the deal closes, if it closes, according to the report.

Representatives for Google and Digg did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Usually a “no comment” or the like is the response to questions about rumored acquisition negotiations. However, that was not the case in March–when the Digg takeover rumor mill was in full swing.

Way to go Kevin are you buying the beer? Baldy

A new stable kernel is out. Three months in the making, Linux 2.6.26 boasts read-only bind mounts, better USB webcam support, 802.11s mesh WiFi, virtualization and paravirtualization improvements, and a ton of new peripheral drivers.

Darn and it even fixed a couple of hardware problems I had gotta love it, Baldy

Linux 2.6.26 enhances desktop Linux

Hi folks here a couple of the pictures from my neighborhood. This is the results of a storm that came through on Monday morning at 6am. I have a ton of the them that show how dark it was worse than any starless night you could dream of. Now I have had a taste of what the folks in New Orleans and other places. We had 113,000 without power and no gas no food and no Ice. And we still have 40,000 without power as I post this, I hope your week has been a lot smoother.

A update the total amount of homes without power was at 174,000 heck any number is a lot really
we are now at the same amount 41,000 without power still at noon, Baldy

One Heck of a Mess

Treeline hurting

Playtoys take a beating

The good thing is only one death in the 94MPH winds a small boy that was out camping with his folks. Have a good one folks, I am going out to try and repair my place.

Posted by Baldy - Baldys Paradox

Linus Torvalds — founder, creator, and general master of all things Linux — is not exactly known for being bashful or slow to share his thoughts. To quote the man himself: “I’m a bastard. I have absolutely no clue why people can ever think otherwise.” This week, though, he’s gotten an extra share of attention.

The Linusmania — which quickly became a bubbling brouhaha — began with a message to the Linux kernel mailing list as part of an ongoing discussion of the way senior kernel developers like Torvalds handle security bug disclosure. Torvalds began by suggesting that “security people” are motivated by a desire for the glory associated with discovering vulnerabilities, and that this devalues the contributions of those committed to fixing “boring normal bugs.” He then went on to identify the “OpenBSD crowd” as typifying this position, and described them — rather curiously — as “a bunch of masturbating monkeys.”

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