Help convert a Mac user to Linux

[Gauland, Michael]

Due to a combination of factors, such as the age of her Mac, the cost of
a new Mac, and the constant presence of two Linux die-hards in the
house, my partner is willing to at least consider replacing her iMac
with a Linux system.

 

We household geeks have been, if not happy, at least willing to play and
tweak and nurse our designed-for-Windows machines as necessary, but this
new system will need to be pretty robust. So, the first task is to find
a moderately-priced (cheaper than a recent-vintage Mac), moderately
capable system which we can be confident is fully Linux-compatible. Any
idea where we can find such a beast?  Reliable suspend would be a big
plus, though perhaps not essential if cold-booting is zippy enough. Any
advice on shops in Christchurch that do this sort of thing, or just
general advice on determining how well a given machine (or component)
will play with Linux?

 

This doesn't need to be a flash system.  Mostly, it will be used for web
browsing, e-mail, light word processing, and photo cataloguing (any
recommendations that an iPhoto user would be happy with?), though a key
requirement is a replacement for Quicken (I believe gnucash will be
suitable, though other recommendations are welcome).

 

Anyone have any experiences to share on migrating a Mac user?

 

Thanks,

Mike

 


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Re: Not sure if anyone has seen this already.

[David Lowe]

On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 3:26 PM, Payne, Owen  wrote:

>
> Covering a lot of safe ground and nothing out of the ordinary, but good
> coverage
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kp806/Inside_the_Virtual_Anthill
> _Open_Source_Means_Business/
>
>
ummm so do I need to install some closed source proprietary software to
view a presentation about open source? Is this irony day?

- D

Not sure if anyone has seen this already.

[Payne, Owen]

 
Covering a lot of safe ground and nothing out of the ordinary, but good
coverage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kp806/Inside_the_Virtual_Anthill
_Open_Source_Means_Business/

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meeting Weds 7.30pm

[Rik Tindall]

Hi all, monthly notice:_

_GNU/Linux Users meeting, Wednesday 7.30pm_
_
Sydenham GLU Free Software class 7.30-9.30pm, first Wednesday of each 
month, February to December, at the South Learning Centre 
, (rear door) South 
Christchurch Library, 66 Colombo Street, Beckenham, 3 June 2009. BYO 
liveCD distro demo & share. Install & secuity tips. Ubuntu tuition focus 
& social event, www.sofwarefreedomday.org base training. *BSD users & 
all others welcome too.


Cheers, Rik

pp Free Software Group 

Re: OT: stepper motors, etc

[Wesley Parish]

On Tuesday 02 June 2009 13:37, Craig Falconer wrote:
> Wesley Parish wrote, On 02/06/09 13:11:
> > Sorry to be so off-topic, but are there any stepper motor suppliers in
> > Christchurch?  I'm wondering if there are any small enough to fit in a
> > cramped location, yet powerful enough to change tension on a wire already
> > under considerable tension?  And electrically robust enough to handle
> > regular on-off switching, while using as minimal an amount of current at
> > as low a voltage as possible?
> > This is for my Pedal Steel Guitar The Next Generation ;)
>
> You want to make it self-tuning or something ?

No.  The pedal changes the tuning of a string from say B to C or C#, while you 
play it; it gives you all sorts of nice effects, eg, the strings BDEF# get 
changed to ACEG or ADEF or BDFG which are totally different chords.  My idea 
is to make the changers electrically-powered and use the amp to power them, 
instead of using the bulky rodding system they have now.  It wouldn't be the 
first time the changer system's changed - the first ones used cables, the 
current ones use rods.
>
> Possibly need some kind of reduction gear instead of making the stepper
> do it all.

That could make sense.  But you'd have to do it for every motor on every 
string.  And the distance between B and C or C# or Bb or A isn't that great 
when you've got strings this thin and under this sort of tension.
>
> And it would have to lock still under no-power, else the string would
> pull back to slack.  Probably need some other controlled clamp to hold
> the string once its been tensioned.

There is a working system for that already in place; it's called the all-pull 
changer system and it is a thing of technical beauty.  The only movement it 
allows is to pull on the changer finger: the changer finger is a lever and to 
raise the string it pulls on one side of the lever while to lower it it pulls 
on the opposite side of it; the default position is the basic tuning of the 
string.  A thing of technical beauty.  The only thing I'm proposing to change 
is the means of making the changes.

The biggest challenge I can see is ensuring that one can use the one motor to 
make all the raises and lowers, no matter whether they are a mere semitone or 
something drastic like a couple of tones.  And that's where the control 
offered by the stepper motor comes in - you want to be able to turn it in 
both directions to specific positions, controlled by the voltage and amperage 
you feed it.  I think you'd be wanting short woven-metal straps to link the 
motor with the changer finger.

(BTW, this must be the strangest discussion ever seen on a LUG - discussing a 
quite technical matter relating to a twentieth-C. musical instrument, the 
sort of discussion that Yamaha or Fender or Gibson would be having behind 
closed doors and with lawyers at ten paces at dawn, and that sort of thing!  
But LUGs are more civilized, it would appear!  ;)

Wesley Parish 
-- 
Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish
-
Are couch potatoes good to eat?
-
Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui?
You ask, what is the most important thing?
Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.

Thanks.

[Christopher Sawtell]

Greetings to CLUGgers,

Many thanks to everybody who turned up to say goodbye to me. I'm touched.

The Twisted Hop management tell me that CLUG would be welcome on a monthly
basis for informal meetings.
As well as wine, food, beer, and bonhommie they can offer wireless hotspot
logins.

I'd suggest a regular date in the month.

Perhaps I might be able to attend virtually via Ekiga or Skype  on the 2
July?

-- 
Sincerely etc.
Christopher Sawtell

Re: Tonight

[dave]

On Tuesday 02 June 2009 11:28:38 am Roy Britten wrote:
> Checking in to confirm we're farewelling Chris from 6:30pm tonight at
> the Twisted Hop.
>
> See you there.
> Roy.

Bugger!

forgot all about this and i did tell the wifey too so she couldn't complain, 
but got home late and sorting kids for bed...

hope things go well for you old man and the camera issues are sorted too.

Dave.