[Hampshire] Favoured MySQL reporting tools
Open question for the hive mind: I have a major development underway on an existing bespoke MySQL database; at the end of which we will need an end-user reporting tool a la Crystal reports, but Open Source and preferably without recurring commercial licence fees. I've started to short-list, but I welcome any yay's or nay's or other suggestions from practical experience. Free: Datavision http://datavision.sourceforge.net/ dmyreports - Dynamic MySQL Reports - http://sourceforge.net/projects/dmyreports/ One-off/small fees: MySQL Reports http://mysqlreports.com/ DBFacePHP http://www.dbfacephp.com/purchase/ MyDBR http://mydbr.com/download Reports Maestro http://reportsmaestro.com/ Going down the Business Intelligence route, I arrive at BIRT http://www.eclipse.org/birt/ ReportServer http://reportserver.net/en/ which are both BI suites which starts to get complex. Pentaho, Datapin, Ubiq and Jasper fall into the commercial arena with recurring annual or monthly licencing. Begin your abuse below. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Google drive files and dropbox
Ed, Dropbox' Linux client 32 and 64 bit works just fine on Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, Lubuntu, including virtual machines, both desktop and server; always has, never lost a thing, barely a stutter even on poor broadband, even with the free account. It just works quietly in the background at its own pace. Or was there more to the question than that? Rgds RC -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 14 August 2014 20:18, j...@osml.eu wrote: On 2014-08-14 10:58, Edward Beckmann wrote: Hi Does anyone have experience (good or bad) of sync'ing drive files locally, or directly with a dropbox account, with linux as the OS. I'm not into a debate about the trust / security issues of either as they are a separate issue. There simply seems to be a variety of free and paid-for offerings and I'd welcome the experience of anyone who has tried to achieve this themselves. Personally, dropbox works for me but I need to be able to link to files in a cloud as opposed to locally. Running a separate data server myself is not an option. I guess you could say that I have a Google ring in my nose. 18 months ago I bought a Chromebook. A couple of days ago, I doubled down and bought a Chromebox. The hardest admin task I ran into with the new box was typing in the Wifi-Router password to connect to the network. The software on the new box was several months out of date but once it automatically downloaded the latest version and rebooted, everything sync'ed between my two Chrome machines. Passwords, browser history, bookmarks, and of course all files. It's not Dropbox and it's now pure Linux, but it does work. YMMV Next week or so, the Chromebox will have a H/W upgrade to memory and SSD disk. I will continue to dual boot Chrome OS and Mint or similar for a while. I like the security of Chrome and the once every 6 weeks or so re-boot to update SysAdmin but I do need a CLI fix from time to time. Just wish that Google would do for Linux what the did for MS Windows and provide a sandbox VM. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
[Hampshire] Open Source CRM
Ok, here's a wide-open question on CRM... We're a registered charity in the social care space providing training, publications, conferences, workshops; we have members on subscription and sales to Joe Public; we're looking to move up to the next level, doing more in education and with the private care sector. So yes, we need to manage contacts, invoices, orders, products, events, mailings, prospects, reports and all those good things. My illustrious predecessor took on a commerical trial of Salesforce and promptly ran away. One of our Heads of Practice is leaning toward Open Source from cost and licensing concerns and not wanting to go bespoke or re-invent the wheel. And yes, I can run a Google search on Open Source CRM and get back a list of products that may be more or less Open Source and may be more or less 'CRM.' Anyone want to suggest feasible Open Source CRM that doesn't require a team of developers in-house to maintain it? Anywhere on the scale of £ less than Salesforce and more than free is an acceptable option. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Dual boot Ubuntu with Windows 7
David, I've done it both ways; Windows doesn't respect your Linux Grub menu so you'd have to restore that if you install Windows second. RC On 13 August 2014 13:34, David Wills cthl...@gmail.com wrote: Why not just install windows 7 into a virtualbox virtual machine? On 13 Aug 2014 13:31, li...@themilwards.biz wrote: Hi All I have the need to put Windows 7 back on my laptop however I currently have Ubuntu installed with /home on another drive. Would it be easier to reload the laptop with Windows installed first then load linux and reuse the /home in the new install or is it possible to get Windows on after Ubuntu has been loaded? Cheers for any help. -- Kind Regards, David Milward -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Open Source CRM
On 13 August 2014 15:17, Alan Pope a...@popey.com wrote: On 13 August 2014 14:44, Edward Beckmann edward.beckm...@gmail.com wrote: I'm a tad confused - a search shows Full Circle Podcast (your email address) as a sideshoot of Full Circle Magazine, which supports the Ubuntu community. If that is you guys then I would have thought you have all the information in house somewhere. If that's not you, then there needs to be a discussion about one of you changing your names to reduce confusion. If I sign up to the list as Microsoft Security microsoft_security1...@gmail.com would you make similar assumptions? *boggle* Al. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- I happen to be signed up to this list as FullCirclePodcast, the CRM is for my current employer, the Social Justice unit at Dartington Trust. Perhaps next time I should try posting as PayPal, the Arkansas Lottery or a Nigerian general with several $m dollars to transfer out of the country? RC -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Suggested Distro for an original Acer Aspire one?
Linpus Linux Lite, or Lame, Limp and Lacklustre as we affectionately called it at work. Just say no. Debian + Xfce should work, Puppy Linux will definitely work. Lubuntu is my lightweight distro of choice. RC On 13 January 2014 08:58, Lisi hants...@googlemail.com wrote: On Sunday 12 January 2014 18:36:26 Peter B. wrote: I think when I was playing with them there was something called Linpus for it A very lite Linux. There was an extremely mall hard drive in there at the time and very little RAM going around. Yes, it is what it came with. _Awful._ I thought it can't be that bad if it is Linux. Yes, it can. Lisi -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] DVB Tuners
Adam, so good when a plan comes together! You got the HD or standard-def? How's your graphics card coping? I'm considering upgrading the Freecom for an HD. VLC is a bit of a faff with the manual tuning but after that works like a charm. Aerials are the problem wherever you are with these USB devices; such low power. The supplied aerials (length of wire with a bit of coat hanger on the end) mostly useless. A mains powered booster box might help you standard indoor aerial; I've a 5ft spear aerial and a ring aerial in the loft, less than that I don't bother. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 20 November 2012 20:53, Dr A. J. Trickett adam.trick...@iredale.netwrote: ** On Friday 09 Nov 2012, Dr A. J. Trickett wrote: Hi, Every now and then I think I may get a DVB tuner for my computer. Now that Hannington has been upgraded to HD I could even watch/record stuff in HD (in theory) on my computer - our TV is still ye olde CRT. The Hauppauge PCTV Systems DVB-T2 290e nanoStick HD is apparently supported in Linux on 3.0 Kernel and above. It's also not so expensive on Amazon and other online retailers. To answer my own question I bough one from Amazon. It arrived yesterday. You get a tiny little USB tuner, a short USB extension cable, a small remote control, a short cable to a small indoor aerial and a converter plug for the aerial if you use a standard UHF aerial and cable. I plugged it in, and once seated in the USB socket a little blue light came on. My stock Debian 3.2.0 kernel detected it and loaded the drivers without a problem (it thinks it's Sony device). Kaffeine detected it and was happy to tune it up, signal strength 60-70% on the supplied aerial. VLC doesn't work directly you need to install a separate DVB apps pack and then run a manual tune - once that is done you can use the resultant file in VLC as a media playlist. In use with either Kaffeine or VLC on my aged system I was able to get TV reception okay. There were a few digital artefacts and some picture breakup but for a tiny internal aerial going through 3 heavy 1930s walls it did very well. I may install a loft aerial in the room above my office and run a cable to it if that turns out to be required. -- Adam Trickett Overton, HANTS, UK Despite all its complexity, fuzziness, uncertainty and spooky action- at-a-distance, quantum mechanics is probably a Good Thing. However, I must also note that QM permits Microsoft Windows to exist. -- John Walker -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Remote wipe of Linux systems
Oh dear. This old chesnut again. Michael is absolutely right. They need an information security policy to cover use, storage and transport of data before they go leaping to BBC1 'Spooks' solutions. If I want to acquire data off a hooky laptop, first thing I do is remove the hard drive to a usb enclosure and set to with my Linux data recovery tools. Do not turn on machine, do not pass go, do not collect £200... And I'm an amateur. Never done such a thing. Ever. Of course... -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 14 November 2012 10:24, Michael Pavling pavl...@gmail.com wrote: On 14 November 2012 10:04, Tony Whitmore t...@tonywhitmore.co.uk wrote: I quite agree Michael, but at the moment encryption is not what they are looking to do. Ah... I see, corporates have made a decision about a solution, and are now looking for a problem it fits :-) What is their use-case scenario? - Michael loses his Ubuntu laptop in a house burglary, which has company confidential information on it. - Michael calls the helpdesk and they send out a wipe command. - Ronnie (the burglar) turns on Michael's laptop at home, and is presented with an Ubuntu login screen. Scratching his head, he gives the machine to Reggie (his techie mate), who installs a hooky MS Windows X onto the machine, wiping everything that was on there... Are they relying at some point on Ronnie or Reggie plugging the machine into their home ethernet to receive the wipe signal? What if Reggie goes one step further, and slaves your hard drive in his desktop? - no wipe signal will be received now, and he can browse your data at his heart's content. The remote wipe stuff works well for machines that have their own network connections (3G phones and tablets), but for a desktop or laptop, it's not that likely to be of much use. If the machine auto-logs in, so that Ronnie or Reggie can at least use it (and maybe be tempted to hook it up to their network at this point), it would work, but why would you set up your machines to auto-login if you're worried about your data in the first place?! :-) Probably not the best security if security is the primary concern... -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] DVB Tuners
Adam, you can get pretty much all of them to work in the current kernel; I keep resurrecting my ancient standard def Freecom USB stick on various antique machines: http://everythingexpress.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/how-to-freecom-dvb-t-resurrected-again-pt1/ http://everythingexpress.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/how-to-freecom-dvb-t-resurrected-again-pt2/ so long as you get the right firmware: http://everythingexpress.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/how-to-when-the-tv-tuner-firmware-is-wrong/ and VLC works a treat: http://everythingexpress.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/how-to-watch-digital-tv-in-vlc-player-ubuntu/ but as has been pointed out, has no timer-record function. I can see Rowridge transmitter from the end of my road and both portable aerials inside the house get good signal without resort to a signal booster box in all but the worst Solent weather.. If you go with a newer HD device, graphics and processor performance will be an issue (stating the bleedin' obvious). Quad Core required for full HD playback as I discovered when the Dual Core laptop failed to keep up with full HD .mp4. AGP won't cut it unless it's from a gaming rig. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 10 November 2012 07:26, Benjie Gillam ben...@jemjie.com wrote: I had a MythTV system set up with 4 tuners for a long time. Unfortunately I've had to move to cable/TiVo now which means better TV but terrible interface (in comparison to MythTV). Worked fine in Ringwood, Gosport and various locations in Soton. I still have a couple on Freecom USB sticks - you're welcome to borrow them (for 6+ months) if you want - they worked under a 2.4 and 2.6 kernel but I've not tried them for a couple of years. No idea if they support HD; there was no Freeview HD when I used them. I'm in Maybush, Soton if you want to collect. I'll even lend you an aerial splitter/booster and some cables if you want :) Benjie On 9 Nov 2012, at 20:52, Dr A. J. Trickett adam.trick...@iredale.net wrote: Hi, Every now and then I think I may get a DVB tuner for my computer. Now that Hannington has been upgraded to HD I could even watch/record stuff in HD (in theory) on my computer - our TV is still ye olde CRT. The Hauppauge PCTV Systems DVB-T2 290e nanoStick HD is apparently supported in Linux on 3.0 Kernel and above. It's also not so expensive on Amazon and other online retailers. Questions: 1) Do these kind of devices actually work? is the signal strength in Hampshire strong enough to get a decent picture without a proper external aerial? We can see the Hannington transmitter clearly from our house and our set-top DVB tuner has always claimed excellent signal strength. 2) Other than the kernel module, what other software is required? I see that both VLC and Kaffeine offer up digital TV as a video source. 3) What kind of CPU/GPU is required to render HD video? My desktop PC is a first generation AMD64 and the graphics card is a last generation basic AGP graphics card, so neither are whizzy by modern standard. They can playback MP4 files downloaded from the BBC fine but I wouldn't describe the playback as perfect. 4) I'm in no way attached the USB device I suggested and would welcome comments about it and of alternatives. As ever, thanks in advance. -- Adam Trickett Overton, HANTS, UK A man is known by the books he reads. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Ubuntu Unity - Dash - context lists
Gordon, Popey probably won't thank me, but the answer may be gnome-session-fallback atop any Ubuntu/Unity, which will give you a Gnome-2-like desktop with all the other benefits of the 12.x releases (of which there are many. I've already gone to 12.10 on my two main machines - okay, the Beta is still a bit buggy in places, but so much better than 12.04, already. I *can* work in Unity, I know what it's trying to provide, mostly I choose not to use it; mainly because Unity seems to want to make me type more, whereas Gnome menus do 80% of the things I want within 2 clicks and there's the old Gnome search tool for files and ALT-f2 for everything else. Look on the bright side, Mark Spaceshuttle could have copied Windows 8 NOT-Metro, Modern-UI, Tiles-thing for a desktop instead! Overall I still think the Vancouver team book, Unity: Simplify Your Lifehttp://ubuntu-za.org/sites/default/files/unity-5-10-0-final-pdf.pdfis the best guide for the Unity doubter, and our Ubuntu and Unity Special Edition is available from the main *Full Circle*http://fullcirclemagazine.org/ubuntu-11-10-and-unity-special-edition/site. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 2 October 2012 16:06, Alan Pope alan.p...@canonical.com wrote: Hi Gordon, On 02/10/12 11:42, Gordon Scott wrote: On 01/10/2012 21:36, Alan Pope wrote: On 01/10/12 21:32, Gordon Scott wrote: Can anyone say if 'upgrading' from 10.04 to 12.04 would result in a default switch to Unity? It will. Frankly that is alarming, but also as I suspected, and precisely why I have not upgraded. What's alarming about upgrading a system and getting new stuff? It happens in all software distributions. OS/2 2.x - OS/2 Warp, Windows XP - Windows 7, Android 2.x - 3.x - 4.x, Linux Mint 11 - 12. Some more dramatic than others, granted. Have you any idea how disruptive that change would be if it were unexpected? How would be unexpected? When you click upgrade to go from 10.04 to 12.04 you are presented with release notes and a clear link to:- http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/**featureshttp://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/features Which goes out of its way to detail what's new and funky in the later release. Do you have any idea how badly a change like that can be received? I recommend this book:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/**product/0091816971/http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091816971/- Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life I have already spent many hours trying to work out how to make Unity effective for me as my _work_ environment. Unity is already costing me time, and I don't yet even have it on my work machine. So don't use it. Use something else if it's that much of a bugbear for you. There's lots of different desktops in the repository. I'm sure one suits. Are there any nasty surprises in the upgrade from 10.04LTS server to 12.04LTS server, without the GUI? Not that I'm aware of. We generally don't go for nasty surprises in Ubuntu, either on the desktop or server. We tend to favour new features and updated software. Hopefully with absolutely no bling at least that one should be relatively OK, though any upgrade is always a risk and challenge. You say bling I say beauty. Let's call the whole thing off. Does the upgrade process inform us of fallback, or better still offer it as an option? No. However it's as easy as clicking this link once you've upgraded. apt://gnome-session-fallback Does it remain comparable to my present desktop, i.e., I don't waste hours or days betting back to something with which I can work. You want the world to stay the same, but upgrade nonetheless? Should we have all stayed on GNOME 1.x or perhaps CDE? :) The reason I'm on Ubuntu LTS was because I understood that there would be steady upgrade process and I hoped that that would minimise many of the disruptive changes that have happened in the past .. stupid things like a new blingy CD writer that doesn't work properly superseding the old drab one that did. That's a reasonable set of expectations. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade right now, are they? I mean, there may be software you need for your work which isn't available in 10.04, or there may be hardware which is only supported on a newer kernel? But if you're on 10.04 then you've got until April next year before you need to think about no more bug fixes and security updates on this release. Why not sit back and take stock of the changing world around you and make the step when you're ready? At this moment, Unity feels a little like Ubuntu threw a grenade into the mix. Yes, I know it's been around a year or so, but I ditched it back then as too profound a change. I'm trying to prepare for what seems presently to be an inevitable change, but at the moment that's feeling a bit of a struggle. I'm still hoping I'll mellow. I like Ubuntu, it's always been relatively painless to work
Re: [Hampshire] Rejoinder to CIO
A fine rant. I look forward to living in the People's Republic of Kobiernicki However, did you actually read the whole article? Take a valium and chill out for the weekend. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 22 September 2012 10:43, Leszek Kobiernicki 1 l.kobierni...@ntlworld.com wrote: Dear All There have been numerous threatening moves made by the supporting legions of Ignoranti, trying to put the fear of God into the IT industry, since 2008-2009, when the MoneyBags decided, finally, and completely, to impoverish us all, by winding down the White ( Production ) economy, in order finally to substitute fot it, the Black ( Criminal) one .. It's simply a key part of the ongoing programme of squeeze the masses, feed the results to Greed__Money Inc. For sheer cheek, the latest pronouncement is hard to beat: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/cio-insights/it-departments-warned-evolve-or-die/39749435?tag=nl.e019s_cid=e019 My comment: *Who's irrelevant ? * l.kobiernicki@... http://www.techrepublic.com/members/profile/5190793 less than a minute ago Just let 'em try getting their work done dusted without us. Then we'll soon see who's needed, and why. As for all these bums-on-seats healthcare pros, in whose interests it remains, for people to get/remain sick, to be medicated up to their eyeballs, they're not aiding healing: far from it ! They're part of a keeping-us-all-ill industry, feeding us inorganics, which we can't digest, but which maintains the cash flows of the allopaths. Increasingly, the big batallions ( MNCs, international NGOs, all the other dinosaurs ) prove themselves not only unnecessary, but parasitical on the people co-opted to service them ( eg. IT, secretaries, all those others impressed into their service ). What's needed is a purge of all the freeloaders, jargon-munchers, other parasites gobbling up all the goodies they can, while the poor people struggle fail. Without IT, they're dead in the water. Don't try to frighten us; we're onto you: we've understood what your priorities are. When did you last do something useful, necessary, absolutely crucial ? IT keeps this whole juggernaut rolling. When you limber up to fire us, the whole awful momentum slows, and your end approaches that much sooner. Get real. We don't need you. YOU need US ! Without us, you can't continue to spout your guff, threaten, and otherwise attitudinize. Without our support, you'd just be a lone fantasist, dreaming power. ** Sorry, but this Essex County Council CIO David Wilde, really got my goat. I spent years servicing the monoliths ( government, multinationals etc. ), only to be threatened into fearfulness with the loss of a job. Stuff 'em ! And mount 'em in a Museum of Obsoletes/Unnecessaries .. End_Products nobody wants, or needs Lesz -- The power of this life, if men will open their hearts to it, will heal them, will create them anew, physically and spiritually. Here is the gospel of earth, ringing with hope, like May mornings with bird-song, fresh and healthy as fields of young grain. But those who would be healed must absorb it not only into their bodies in daily food and warmth but into their minds, because its spiritual power is more intense. It is not reasonable to suppose that an essence so divine and mysterious as life can be confined to material things; therefore, if our bodies need to be in touch with it so do our minds. The joy of a spring day revives a man's spirit, reacting healthily on the bone and the blood, just as the wholesome juices of plants cleanse the body, reacting on the mind. Let us join in the abundant sacrament--for our bodies the crushed gold of harvest and ripe vine-clusters, for our souls the purple fruit of evening with its innumerable seed of stars . Vis Medicatrix Naturae, by Mary Webb, in Spring of Joy: Nature Essays, Constable, London, 1917 -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [ADMIN] IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!
Seconding Tim for chair. Not sure yet if I can make the October meet, my diary is not my own, but it is marked. -- RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 24 August 2012 14:08, Vic l...@beer.org.uk wrote: I am willing to stand as chairman, if anybody wishes to nominate and second me. I'll nominate Tim for chair, then. Vic. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Citrix
Lisi: couldn't remember which Act precisely (hence 'disability rights legislation' in lower case), but that would be the one. Not that I expect Rob will need to quote from it, since the merest hint of industrial tribunal tends to kick the management's backside into action, speaking as former member of said management. This is the sort of technology thing that should override standard IT policy as a matter of course, anyway. -- RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 19 July 2012 11:17, hants...@googlemail.com wrote: On Thursday 19 July 2012 10:46:48 Full Circle Podcast wrote: a gentle reminder about disability rights legislation around the coffee machine I assume you know (and apologise for mentioning it if you do) that the Disability Act 2000 has been superseded by the Equality Act 2010? Lisi -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Citrix
Rob, * * *The reason I ask is there's some specialist software for the visually impaired that I use which is never going to work over Citrix because it was never designed to do so. I have a nasty feeling that they're going to turn around and say my software can't be used - and that could have very far reaching consequences for me.* Show willing. Test it. Report back. If it doesn't work, a gentle reminder about disability rights legislation around the coffee machine to the right people usually works wonders in producing a solution! RC On 19 July 2012 10:38, Simon Reap si...@simonreap.com wrote: On 19/07/12 09:20, Rob Malpass wrote: I freely admit to knowing next to nothing about Citrix but I thought this was something akin to remotely controlling another PC - except that the PC you're remotely controlling was virtual - is this wrong? If I'm right, surely it means that all this wonderful Intel i5 power is effectively being used as a terminal and the speed we'll have is the speed of the machine we're controlling. If this is a remote service, then having just two people testing may not expose load limitations. We have to use a terminal server in Ireland - it's fine for a few people running xterms and web browsers, but really struggles when people start running huge databases. Simon -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Citrix
For my own education please, I need someone to explain a potentially far reaching decision made by our IT people at work This will be a budgetary thing. Somebody expecting a magic wand to save lots of IT support money; server software licensing presumed cheaper than individual desktop licences. 'Instant' fault-fnding; if a machine breaks (desktop or server) you just blitz it back to a stock image and start over. Because nobody keeps data except in the designated network drive. Of course. And everyone has a standard set-up across the enterprise. Naturally. Been there. Bought the t-shirt. At least you've got Win7 PC's and not Wyse thin clients... -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] My 2p on the GUI 'Wars'
One thing I have learned (particularly since I have joined in the Ubuntu QA testing effort for 12.10): never say 'never.' -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 1 July 2012 23:20, Tim Brocklehurst t...@engineering.selfip.org wrote: Very much with you on this, guys. Touchscreens have thier place, notably for small displays or kiosks (or other places where separate mice etc. are impractical), and the GUI design does change to suit them - as it should. However, the rest of the time (in my case, as near to all the time as makes no odds) I use a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Now, I may be told that this is archaic, but it's actually a pretty good solution which is quick and accurate. And this allows for small icons, and more real-estate for programs. Another thought, you remember the way that RiscOS (particularly 3.7) handled applications? a folder with a ! at the start of the name? and a toolbox of applications on the iconbar? Let's revisit that. That system was nice. At the moment, I'm glad that I'm using KDE. It seems to be an island of sanity in a sea of who can out-do each other lunacy. My 2p. Tim B. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Unity on Ubuntu 12.04 v. old Gnome/KDE on 10.04.x
Andy, Alan and I take the mick out of each other all the time (often on podcasts and in IRC), and we've had this very conversation a couple of times. We have very thick skins. Merely pointing out a couple of pertinant facts. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 1 July 2012 02:30, Andy Smith a...@strugglers.net wrote: Hello, On Sun, Jul 01, 2012 at 02:22:58AM +0100, Full Circle Podcast wrote: I use it on all my machines, I guess that makes me a dummy. We couldn't possibly comment. But then again, if you're Canonical's Product Strategy Manager, you are kind of obliged to eat your own dog food. This was not a very constructive post. Please can you try to be less needlessly offensive when posting here. Thanks, Andy -- http://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux) iEYEAREDAAYFAk/vqD8ACgkQIJm2TL8VSQvxQgCeN/Xe/Dw+zKnfBDDykS+s2+H4 q8cAoJ706dgFnkJxXzBjz8eVMCS9QfCP =1npe -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Unity on Ubuntu 12.04 v. old Gnome/KDE on 10.04.x
...and I haven't touched the sherry since 27 July 2000. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast I this this the right room for an argument? I've told you once... (Monty Python) -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Unity on Ubuntu 12.04 v. old Gnome/KDE on 10.04.x
Who are you and what have you done with the real Alan Pope? Question about Unity and HUD that no-one's yet answered: why are you making me type and search for stuff that I used to, errm... have in nice menus and panels? Still not beginner friendly (I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!) Use instead Gnome Fallback Session. Easy. RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 30 June 2012 11:37, Alan Pope alan.p...@canonical.com wrote: On 30/06/12 11:09, Leszek Kobiernicki 1 wrote: On 10.04.x, you can access every single app cumulatively installed, ever so easily In 12.04 it's very search-oriented. Press the Ubuntu button then click the second lens along (Applications Lens) or just tap the Windows (super) key + A and then start typing what you're after. Way more efficient than squirrelling through menus IMO. So to find xchat I do this:- Super + A, X, enter For audacity I do:- Super + A, au, enter etc. Is there a SysAdmin's walkthrough, of how to return a Unity desktop to full administator's ready functionality ? You could install gnome-session-fallback which is a bit like old GNOME 2, but not quite identical. Please advize, if you can. ( If not, I'll downgrade, keep on updating that .. ) .. and then have the issue again in a while when those older releases stop being updated and you have to choose a supported desktop again. You could try other derivatives like Linux Mint with Cinnamon or Mate, but I would question the sustainability of those desktops. When you install KDE, LXDE, XFCE desktops, they take on a kind of Unity cut-down format .. I hear Debian is quite nice :) All this is a backwards step - offering less user-friendliness more system-initiated control ( Ubuntu for dummies ? ) I use it on all my machines, I guess that makes me a dummy. Cheers, -- Alan Pope Engineering Manager Canonical - Product Strategy +44 (0) 7973 620 164 alan.p...@canonical.com http://ubuntu.com/ -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/**mailman/listinfo/hampshirehttps://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --**--**-- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Unity on Ubuntu 12.04 v. old Gnome/KDE on 10.04.x
Oops, almost forgot, Popey: You could try other derivatives like Linux Mint with Cinnamon or Mate, but I would question the sustainability of those desktops. Nice plug of the corporate line, I mean, who wants to get stuck on a proprietary desktop supported by only one commercial Linux vendor oh. When you install KDE, LXDE, XFCE desktops, they take on a kind of Unity cut-down format .. Hmm. don't suppose those project teams would take that as a compliment. Or an accurate comparison. Ho hum. I use it on all my machines, I guess that makes me a dummy. We couldn't possibly comment. But then again, if you're Canonical's Product Strategy Manager, you are kind of obliged to eat your own dog food. -- All in fun, RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] The Cookie Law
I liked author Charles Stross' take on the whole thing: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2012/05/implied-consent.html Implied consent: if you use this blog and attempt to post comments, or are an active moderator or guest blogger, you are presumed to have given consent to the use of cookies for those purposes (and only those). This has been a public service announcement made necessary by some damn' fool European Commission directive that confused a goal (securing web users' privacy) with a technology (cookies). Film at eleven. We now return you to your usual viewing. RC On 27 May 2012 22:16, Tony Whitmore t...@tonywhitmore.co.uk wrote: On 27/05/12 08:37, Tim B - Mobile wrote: And the chance of the ICO going after Microsoft is what exactly? More likely they'll go after Facebook because it enables free speech. Oh sorry, doesn't declare it's cookies. Looks like we'll all have to add a disclaimer... Caution. This site uses the following session cookies after you log in. 15 pages of explanation. If you don't wish to accept these cookies then please don't log in. Find another site elsewhere. Not quite 15 pages, but here's the list of cookies I've found on my site: http://tonywhitmore.co.uk/blog/privacy/ As I mentioned, I can't be 100% sure I've got them all though! -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Yet more on DVD+RW ripping
Rob, an ISO image of the disk is as good (or bad) as the disk itself; image quality, menus, navigation is all intact, it's similar to doing DD on a hard drive. Once you've got an ISO you should be able to run the .vob files through another conversion utility (I've just done it in Openshot of all things!), or re-capture in new format using VLC's convert function, or just re-record it through VLC; sans menus and navigation obviously. Sounds like your DVD player is struggling with old media; either the laser is losing focus or the sub-strata in the old disks are starting to crystalise. Not all optical media last so well, even branded disks. Copy them, back up and throw anything that gives you trouble. Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 18 May 2012 19:09, Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: Hi all ** ** [OK - if you're sick of the sight of emails from me about ripping DVDs - I don't blame you and you're probably best not reading further] ** ** For the hardy breed that have gone past that disclaimer please bear with me. I have these 200+ DVD+RWs recorded since 2004 and the following phenomena have been observed. ** ** 1) Very few (10-20%) play ok in either a DVD player, a DVD drive on a PC, a console or (most irritatingly) the darn machine that recorded them. 2) In most cases, if playing though the DVD recorder that recorded them - it gets to around 40-50 minutes in and just about freezes. Identical, you might think to the disk being dirty - but they have been well looked after and are pristine. 3) Ripping software has (because the content has camera angle moving) proved pretty bad. All sorts of results from delayed audio, to wavy vertical lines when the camera angle moves and nothing has fixed this. I've tried Handbrake, Alcohol52%, DVD Decrypter, Digiarty and just about everything else suggested. 4) This is what's really odd... I have just created an iso from a DVD+RW showing the behaviour in 2) above. Mounting this and playing a DVD it *seems* to work fine! ** ** Now here's the dilemma as I need to get a working strategy to get rid of 200 disks as I hope to move house shortly... ** ** a) Why is making an iso working when I can neither rip nor play these things properly? b) If I simply make iso images of these disks, this is equivalent to making a copy of the disk itself is it not? As such, if I happen to find a workable ripping solution at some stage later - all I have to do is mount the iso do I not? In other words, I'm not losing anything at all by creating an iso - that is right isn't it? ** ** The reason b) is bothering me so much is that my current method of watching these ripped videos and dvds is via a netgear neotv which is a little box under the tv that can understand most file formats. I very much doubt if it will understand isos. To be honest, I don't care if it doesn't understand isos if one day I can transform these isos I will be creating into avis, mpgs or whatever but it's proved impossible so far to go from dvd+rw to avi. Perhaps iso to avi at some later stage might be easier - but the key is I don't want to lose anything in the process of going from dvd+rw to iso. ** ** Sorry this has been a bit rambling but I've spent a lot of time over the last few years building up this library - I don't want to lose the physical media in the move and I certainly don't want to lose the content thanks to an oversight. ** ** After all this - my question boils down to - do I lose anything if I create an iso of a dvd+rw image? ** ** Cheers Rob -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] DVD Ripping
VLC player is my Swiss Army knife for all things media; using the Convert/Save option to front-end gstreamer tools and ffmpeg, you can do convert most things; the subtitle track of City of Lost Children is the only thing to give trouble in copying. MP4 files are fairly economic in size and keep quality. Just remember to test your codec combination before you off-line. I often use Brasero to create an ISO image of the DVD's I travel with; you keep all the DVD menus and extras intact in original quality. Gmount-iso is a useful GUI utility to mount them for VLC to play like any physical disk. RC On 27 April 2012 17:09, Ian G l...@grody.me.uk wrote: ffmpeg or mencoder. convert to anything and works many a DVD. Just need to clue up on its syntax Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: Hi all I think I asked something similar a few months back but please bear with me - as ever this is driving me mad... I want a simple program to turn a DVD into a video file - purely for personal use - need the space in the living room - I'm not doing anything knowingly nefarious here. For the moment, let's not concentrate on which format and therefore which codec. For what should be not far short of a simple job - I'm coming up against all sorts of weirdness trying to do it either free or with Linux or both. I've tried k3b, which just hangs I've tried k9copy to produce an iso - which works but not sure what good that actually is - save for burning the iso back to optical media again as backup. I've tried dvd:rip which seems to work - until you play the avi back and you get the equivalent of an analogue TV picture which hasn't been quite tuned in well i.e. diagonal lines and crackled unintelligible sound. I must be missing something - and I'm getting to the stage where I'd happily pay for something that works. With umpteen DVDs and a smaller living room, need something quick (in every sense). Surely there must be a simple program out there to rip DVDs easily. Any ideas anyone? Cheers Rob -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Netbooks
Sean: my Dell Mini 10 is a bit long in the tooth now but bual boots Win7 and Ubuntu 11.10. It came cheap from http://www.studentcomputers.co.uk/ but they don't discriminate, they sell to anyone. There's some decent 2nd hand/refurb kit on there worth a look if you want cut price and not bleeding edge kit. Friends of mine have Samsung and HP netbooks of last years's models, all good. Screens on all of them are great, chiclet island keyboards on their's I find a let down. The Acer Aspires are also good. You should think of finding the latest Atom processor you can afford, there is a noticeable difference between the current 450's and the earlier N270 I got, more horsepower, the onboard graphics are better. That said, mines' been fine as my out-and-about workhorse and it drives my 20in screen over VGA at hi-res, so I've not complaints. 2Gb memory also better than 1Gb. If you're not scared to dismantle the thing, you may be able to upgrade the memory as I did mine ( http://catlingmindswipe.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-upgrade-dell-mini-10v-memory.html), but hardly any netbooks at the bottom end take more than 2Gb RAM. Battery life is seldom as quoted; my Dell Atom N270 is good for 4 hrs not 7-8. Those Samsung and HP's I mentioned with the Atom N450 are much more efficient and get closer to 7hrs. That's probably the main headlines from me for now. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 24 April 2012 08:01, Sean Gibbins s...@funkygibbins.me.uk wrote: On 23/04/12 20:18, Dominic Rodriguez wrote: Hey chaps! Would any of you happen to know about cheap netbooks? My Toshiba NB200 is great and currently dual-boots Win 7 and Xubuntu 12.04b. It wasn't cheap at the time but I would imagine it would be possible to find a decent second-hand one now. Sean -- music, film, comics, books, rants and drivel: www.funkygibbins.me.uk -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Anyone know about Dell Latitude D600 laptops?
Concur with Isaac; Dell went through a batch of duff trackpads at one time, some were flaky OOTB; that's where I'd start. RC On 8 March 2012 19:06, I Close a...@etho.org wrote: On 03/08/12 18:19, Vic wrote: Hi All. I've been using this scrotty D600 for years now, and I'd be loathe to get rid of it, but it is developing a problem. After a while, I get vast numbers of mouse/touchpad events. It becomes unusable (random movements and clicking all over the place). It seems to be heat-related; the unit works better if I sit it on the thermally-conductive mat I bought, and fails more rapidly if I run something that causes it to work harder. I have replaced the thermal grease under both heatsinks, and I have cleaned out the fan and fins. I've also cleaned all the connectors with IPA. Any ideas? It certainly does sound just like a heat related issue, have you tried disconnecting the touch pad from the inside and using an external mouse ? If the issue goes away, ebay could be your next port of call, the fascias cost peanuts, since the market is flooded with parts for dell laptops like the D600. If that fails to solve the issue, it is likely something else is cooked :( Sorry, its a bit of a cheap answer. many thanks, Isaac. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/**mailman/listinfo/hampshirehttps://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --**--**-- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] RAM available
Tim, what have you got and where are you? I'm trying to resurrect a couple of PC's for elderly friends and any donor parts less than 3-4 years old would be welcome. Travel to collect not a problem. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 4 March 2012 13:41, Tim Brocklehurst t...@engineering.selfip.org wrote: Hey guys and gals, Someone was asking for DDR ram at the meeting yesterday. I have a whole load of old PC kit (some ok, some dead, some dying) that I wouldn't mind getting rid of. I'll bring it all to the next meeting and you can have whatever you want, anything that's not taken I'll bin. Cheers, Tim B. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] grub2: how can I predict what will happen?
... invent time-travel? Although if you could do that, grub-2 would be a doddle... RC On 17 February 2012 03:44, Chris Dennis cgden...@btinternet.com wrote: Hello HantsLuggers How can I tell what will happen when I reboot a server without actually rebooting it? In other words, is there a way to get grub2 to display the currently-installed settings, to give me an idea of which disk / partition / kernel image will be booted? I'm aware of grub-script-check, but when I run that it just hangs until I press ctrl-C. cheers Chris -- Chris Dennis cgden...@btinternet.com Fordingbridge, Hampshire, UK -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/**mailman/listinfo/hampshirehttps://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --**--**-- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Gladrags and Handbags (was: Re: Help! I'm buying a laptop.)
I think I came in too late for Awful Albatross. Was that back in the day when you had to knit your own ethernet cables? RC On 15 January 2012 11:20, Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: -Original Message- From: hampshire-boun...@mailman.lug.org.uk [mailto:hampshire- boun...@mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of Keith Edmunds Sent: 15 January 2012 11:04 To: hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Subject: Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Gladrags and Handbags (was: Re: Help! I'm buying a laptop.) [snip] This is true of LUG lists in general, not just this one. It's interesting that this should crop up now - or coincidental at the least. Several years ago, I used to read Alan Cox's blog - though I confess I couldn't make much sense of it. His wife's blog was quite interesting too. He stopped several years ago but yesterday, I thought it might be fun to see what he's doing now so hunted around a bit and came across [1] via wikipedia. I wasn't part of the original incident (or whatever you want to call it) on this list but [1] really shows just how things can escalate over email. Here we have the grand daddy of the entire OS which spawned our list IMHO really having a go at someone for whom if I was ever mentioned in the same breath I'd be satisfied. I don't take sides as I don't know either AC or LT personally - but what I will say is I suspect all of this could have been sorted out with a phone call and a beverage of some description. Email is great - but by goodness things can escalate out of hand - and that is not a backhanded criticism of anyone on this list - just meant to show that even the greatest of us can have a barney over email. If you read other articles it seems that AC got so fed up - he walked away from kernel hacking. [1] https://lkml.org/lkml/2009/7/28/373 -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Help! I'm buying a laptop.
For what it's worth, everyone I know who's bought either E-Systems or E-Machines branded kit (laptops and desktops) has had reliability troubles. Bargain bucket pricing means bargain bucket build quality. RC On 12 January 2012 02:18, Michael Daffin james1...@gmail.com wrote: These days I don't think it makes much difference, for general computing, which you go for... unless you have something that needs a more beefy computer (like gaming, image/video editing). But either way it mostly depends on what you want out of it. I will say that one of the most important things when deciding is what manufacture made it ^^ but both Toshiba and ASUS I have found very reliable. Also, think carefully about fully replacing your desktop entirely :) both have a 15 screen, which can be quite small if your use to larger and the keyboard and mice can get annoying for intense use (though this is down to personal preference, its just something to make note of). Personally I like having a very powerful desktop (which are generally have a better cost to performance ratio and easier to upgrade) and a low spec'd laptop for when I cannot use my desktop (which is quite often). One hidden advantage of not relying on a laptop is that its not a huge loss (assuming its all back up properly) when it gets damaged/lost/stolen, which laptops have a tendency to do more often then desktops. And as for benchmarking, it highly depends on what you want to do as different computer will come out top on different benchmarks... I find they are only useful if your looking at a particular aspect (ie you want to know how good it is for doing X and only really X). Just for comparison, I have a ASUS 1018p 10 netbook [1] as my mobile computer, and find it is capable of doing just about everything I need it to when away from my desktop. This includes programming and compiling, even running the occasional virtual machine. The only think I found it lacking in is its graphical capability which is more then made up for by it being small, light-weight and having large battery life. But then this is what I generally want I want from a laptop. But what ever you decide to do, make sure its if from a trusted manufacture, can do what you need it to and you cannot really go wrong :) Michael Daffin. [1] http://uk.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_1018P/ -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Help! I'm buying a laptop.
Consulting firm I did some work for ran a handful of Novatech laptops far longer than they or I thought was feasible for the spec or the money. Not bomb-proof but surprising nonetheless. On 12 January 2012 23:33, Vic l...@beer.org.uk wrote: Pretty much all the laptops I was interested in came up as only being instock at Portsmouth. There is an active Novatech forum. Whilst there are a substantial number of idiots on it, there are also some very knowledgeable and helpful people. If you've got a specific question on Linux compatibility, I'd recommend a visit. Just be prepared for numpties... Vic. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Anyone coming to the AGM?
Deja vu all over again. Sadly can't make it today. Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 3 December 2011 12:10, Vic l...@beer.org.uk wrote: Hi All. We're having real problems becoming quorate at the AGM - if anyone is planning to come, please do so :-) Vic. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Changing from TalkTalk
Vic, - threaten to sue their ass, mention the name of a good solicitor. I have a maxim by which I stick: never threaten to sue unless you really intend to. ...and I generally stick to that, too. However, in the poker game of life, the opposition doesn't know if you're seriously hacked off enough to mean it, or just bluffing. Having to resort to the company solicitors shows up badly on a department's budgets, Directors prefer to head things off. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Changing from TalkTalk
Adam, for you next trick, I recommend the following: - comb their website for the name of the Customer Service Director and send a strong letter directly to him/her at the HQ address. - copy in your local trading standards office and include the CC. on the letter to the CS Director. - threaten to sue their ass, mention the name of a good solicitor. - attach whatever documentary evidence of their screwup you think is most relevant, just a couple of pages to show you're on the ball. - wait for the executive office/PA to bounce it back down to the monkeys in customer services as a Priority One. It shouldn't take long. It worked for me with Globalnet and Orange. Directors their PA's hate having to deal with stroppy custards who are organised. Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 30 November 2011 23:00, Ian Grody l...@grody.me.uk wrote: On Wednesday 30 November 2011 20:58:22 Dr A. J. Trickett wrote: Hi, Some time ago I mentioned I was changing phone company and ISP. For the record BT terminated my account correctly on the day I changed to the PhoneCoop. TalkTalk are still billing me 4 months after they stopped providing service. They keep promising that they will sort it out but they so far keep failing! TalkTalk are scum, stay clear of them and if you are with them then leave them now! At the moment I've reported them to the Ombudsman and Ofcom - not that they have even replied to my complaint... Bravo! :-) I've avoided residential ISP's ever since BT Orange screwed me. Keep pestering the Ombudsman - Shame TalkTalk's ADR isn't CISAS - Sofa king much better and faster :-) Andrews Arnold all the way for me now. 2 years + and never once had a single raise for issue. Odd for me, I like to complain. Ian -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] The Price of Hard Drives
Rob, find an external enclosure with screws and you can remove and replace the drive as you wish. The ones without screws have snap-together (or 'snap-off') tags and lugs which usually come apart if you're bold enough to find the right place to insert a thin flat screwdriver. My plan B a while ago was to switch to 2.5in laptop drives on my old P4 desktop. That should open up more stock and prices. You may need a converter cable to downsize the connectors for IDE drives - I got mine off Amazon. SATA connectors and cables are easier. It'll still work out cheaper than current price of 3.5in drives. -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 6 November 2011 19:51, Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: -Original Message- From: hampshire-boun...@mailman.lug.org.uk [mailto:hampshire- boun...@mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jacqui Caren Sent: 06 November 2011 19:35 To: hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Subject: Re: [Hampshire] The Price of Hard Drives Another discussion on other lists was buying cheapish external drives and removing the HD. Evidently PCworld now has some of the best prices - bette rthan amazon who is currently one of the out of stockers... That's an interesting point - does anyone know how easy this is to do? They all seem to be moulded units to me. I've ended up with a 1tb external bought only around April 2011 which I've no great use for. I've never tried booting from USB and the barebones thing I'm buying doesn't tell me about its BIOS. Do most modern motherboards support booting from USB? Cheers Rob -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Video editing recommendation please
Is nobody going to mention ffmpeg on the command line??? We've lost our geek credentials RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast On 30 September 2011 14:00, john j...@jesoftware.freeserve.co.uk wrote: Hi All Have a look at Format Factory. www.formatoz.com This works in WINE and works reasonably well for most things. It is not a viable video editor as such. However it is very good at splitting videos, converting videos and combining videos. It has kept videos in sound sync when the linux video editors have failed. It is also good at re-sizing videos. John Eayrs On Thursday 29 September 2011 16:10:54 Philip Stubbs wrote: On 29 September 2011 14:12, Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: Hi all With due respect to those that do it all the time and love it - I hate video editing. What I need to do at the moment is take a 3 hour mpg file and split it (manually is fine I'm not in need of a batch job) into 6 half hour mpgs. If the mpeg is a TS then when you cut it, it will likely screw with the audio sync. If that happens, try using Project-X to do the cutting. http://project-x.sourceforge.net/ -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Video editing recommendation please
Another vote for Openshot from me; capable edit window and very easy to export and resize in a variety of formats. PiTiVi is okay for most basic edits but not so stable or versatile. RC On 29 September 2011 14:45, Alan Pope a...@popey.com wrote: On 29 September 2011 14:12, Rob Malpass li...@getiton.myzen.co.uk wrote: My only experience is Windows Movie Maker which has always crashed on me with long mpgs. So I'm happy to try something Linux (Ubuntu probably but I do have a Slackware box). Could someone please suggest something that makes this simple job easy? I don't need anything more involved than something which lets me move to say 29 minutes, watch from there, then split when I click the mouse? I'd go for pitivi or openshot. Openshot seems to be getting a lot of love recently. Al. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Rgds RC Robin Catling Full Circle Podcast -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
