Let us continue then, ads "Springtime for Hitler" plays in the
background ("The prodcuers" original broadway Cast album....)
Rodney Mishima wrote:
Rodney,
To answer your questions:
1. I ahev a little experience with Linux as an end user. I've used it
in the past and have a bsaci idea of how to do s7tuff, but I am not a
programmer. that's why I'm thinking I need a cosnultation.
I think your programmer skills are not a barrier here. Your abilities
as your own "system administrator" are what is most important. You
mention a desire to backup a hugh number of video files. Even without
installing Linux, you could purchase another hard disk, install it in
a vacant drive bay, partition/format it (even in the dreaded Windows),
then copy your important data to it. If you have some PC install
skills such as how to jumper a hard drive as a "slave" if appropriate,
you may be more self-sufficient than you think.
I currently have no drvie bays vacant. I have been wanting to buy an
extra external hard drive and attach it to one of my USB ports, but have
lacked the funds being on a disability pension.
2. One of my concerns about my DVD burner are not the software so
much as the driver. when i used Linux before I had a DVD read-only
drvie that the Linux distro I was using only recognized as a CD
drive. I'm worried the same thing might happen with my burner,
especially since it isn't one of the big brands.
I assume you have an internal dvd burner which uses the IDE ATAPI
interface. Under the older Linux with the 2.4.x.y kernel, there was a
layer of code to emulate the SCSI inferface on top of the actual IDE
ATAPI. With the newer 2.6.x.y kernel, the SCSI emulation has been
eliminated and the low-level software goes directly to the IDE ATAPI
level.
Good to know. I suspect both my drives 9a 160GB and a 100 GB) would have
to be formatted, which exascerbates the problem of what to do with all
those video files.
Your problem with a DVD-ROM recognized as only a CD-ROM was probably
encounterred under a much older Linux kernel when support for the UDF
file system ( used by DVD video and data ) support was not yet
implemented in the linux kernel.
Sounds about right, actually. i don't remember the kernel I used, but it
was a while ago 9about two years, i think). Of course, recordables
provide an additional problem in that reagrd.
3. Know how I can contact Matt or Dylan? or, indeed, anyone with the
technical skills to get me set up? I don't have a lot of cash, but I
do need the software itself and probably some help setting things up.
(I have a drive that can be used for this purpose, but to use it
would porbably mean esasing about 90GB of data, almost all video
files, that are currently on it.)
Michael Hopcroft
Here are e-mail addresses for some of the experts whom I personally know:
Dylan Reinhardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Robby Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Matt King <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Thanks.
I am certain that they can either help you directly or refer you to a
competent, skilled Linux expert. BTW, do you live in the east part of
Portland. Most of these guys live around east Portland/Milauake area.
I live in Downtown Portland. And unfortunately the PDXLUg meetings
conflict with another meeting I have to be at every month. Since the
group will literally fall apart without me, I have darn little choice in
the matter.
I cc'd the pdxlug list so we can keep the discussion on-line with
other experts in our group. When you reply, please use the "reply all"
option.
Will do, thanks, although i wonder how on-topic this is.
Rodney
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