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3239 discussions

Re: programmer or serial killer?
by Richard A. Franklin 10 Jan '05

10 Jan '05

Brian Kelsay wrote: > Richard A. Franklin wrote: > >> This quiz is actually a better use of your time than trying to make >> Jim feel like a dumb adolescent for leaving his laptops in a car (I >> am sure he already feels like $&%@, knows "what went wrong", or is >> completely over it ... so go beat up on yourself if you have nothing >> better to do). BTW, I am surprised that Google only revealed 417 >> results for "pedantic nitpicking". After all, pedantic nitpicking is >> what people do, and they either get over it or they don't. > > > > Sorry, not trying to make Jim feel bad, it just sounded that way. It > was merely an environmental unfriendliness warning for other laptop > users and Jim if he gets his replacement. One place I worked lost 8 > laptops in the same pre-Christmas week. 6 from cars parked in front > of the bosses house while at his Christmas party. Jim's a big boy and > I'm sure he'll deal with it okay. It's the data loss that can really > hurt. > And Richard, pedantic nitpicking is a sport we geeks form teams for. > I've heard that it is a long ways down the list of future sports to be > voted on by the IOC for Olympic status. I can wait. Yep, I did not begin to think you were trying to make Jim feel bad. And pedantic nitpicking can be fun among friends. I was just a bit surprised by the silly tonality of a previous post in response to Jim's misfortune, which most of us had the good taste and common sense to simply ignore ... but it was just such a tempting lead-in to the serial killer / programmer link Too many grey days in a row bring out my shadow humor (if that is not too redundant). And BTW, as a pilot of 18 wheels, I have to remember to not let my laptop sit for 48 hours in Minot, ND during the months of January and February ... and I don't, but it is a good reminder. More to the point, how well did you score on the quiz? ---------------------------------------------- Somewhere there is a village missing an idiot. _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug(a)kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug

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RE: unmounting a volume
by Brian Densmore 10 Jan '05

10 Jan '05

How did you mount the device? I get unmount issues with usb file devices with some regularity. I have closed all file managers, and terminals I've had open with varying success. Generally, logging out of KDE and back in does it for me. Some bug in kfilemanager perhaps? I've never had a command line hang as a result of this though. I have also used ctrl-alt-bspace to kill X entirely, and all it's real and imagined processes. Either of these techniques has always worked for me. It is a bit extreme, if you ask me (even a bit Microsftesque). Still it's better than rebooting, or walking the process tree. Also you might try looking at ps and using the option to display the child/parent relationship, but if the problem is similar to mine this won't help. Brian Densmore > -----Original Message----- > From: Duane Attaway > > What do you do when you want to unmount a volume, but its > BUSY by some > nonexistant process? > > I had a USB drive mounted and the drive went into suspend. > It doesn't > wake up properly with this kernel and unmounting hangs the > command line. > Syncing hangs too. Unmounting with the -f option tells me > umount is also > busy?! >

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unmounting a volume
by Duane Attaway 10 Jan '05

10 Jan '05

What do you do when you want to unmount a volume, but its BUSY by some nonexistant process? I had a USB drive mounted and the drive went into suspend. It doesn't wake up properly with this kernel and unmounting hangs the command line. Syncing hangs too. Unmounting with the -f option tells me umount is also busy?! root@dattaway dattaway # umount /v -f umount2: Device or resource busy umount: /v: device is busy root@dattaway dattaway # fuser /v /v: The only thing I know how to do at this point is to guess and start killing processes all the way to init. There has to be a better way. -=Duane http://dattaway.org

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RE: OT: generator for ice storm
by Brian Densmore 09 Jan '05

09 Jan '05

> -----Original Message----- > From: Dustin Decker > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: kclug-bounces(a)kclug.org > [mailto:kclug-bounces@kclug.org] On Behalf > > Of Brian Densmore > > Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 1:38 PM > > To: brad; > > Subject: RE: OT: generator for ice storm > > > > Please don't feed the trolls. > > So at what point, exactly, did my insightful information about the > possibility of obtaining a generator on the cheap qualify me > as a troll? At this point: "/me ignites the fireplace and returns to his book.". You have to read Brad's email where he asks if you've lost power. Obviously, if you had no power you couldn't send an email. Therefore, implying that you lost power by the above statement could be taken as a troll. ;) Although the above statement could also just mean you like to have a fire going in the fireplace. But taken the context of the subject matter, it is more likely to be read the other way. I guess I need to be less subtle on my list humor. No offense was intended. Brian Densmore

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Job listing
by Monty J. Harder 09 Jan '05

09 Jan '05

The Bride of Monster pointed this out to me on KC PhilanthroNET - the KC Public Library is looking for a Web/Database developer. The URL is: http://www.kcphilnet.org/cgi-bin/db/db.cgi?db=default&uid=*&ID=*&Title=&Emp…

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RE: anybody using SBC Yahoo DSL?
by Garrett Goebel 08 Jan '05

08 Jan '05

I've had Business Class (1.5Mb/386Kbs, 5 static ip) SBC DSL since they introduced it. I had SBC ISDN before that. I moved house about a year ago, and was forced to change ips. All I ever wanted was a few static ips, so I've never used their email, etc. My comments are inline below... Brian Kelsay wrote: > > Current pricing is $26.95/month (1.5Mbps down) for a one yr > commitment with free hardware and self-install. The higher > speed (3Mbps down) is avail. for $36.95/month and same free > hardware and install. $27/m is the price for 384Kbps-1.5Mbps/128Kbps (down/up) w/ 1 dynamic ip. $37/m is same but gaurrauntees 1.5-3.0Mbps/384Kbps (down/up). > If you have this service and use Linux, did you have to hook > up a Windows PC for the initial install and then move the NIC > used for the install to your Linux box or Linux based firewall? I've never had to use windows. They've never made a deal of it either. My service is the Express-S 384Kbps-1.5Mbps/128Kbps (d/u) w/ 5 static ips. I don't know how the dynamic ip service is configured, but I've never had to move a nic (nothing tied to the nic's mac address). > Do they use PPPoE? I've never needed to configure it. > How is their customer service if you are competent with PCs > and networks? It is all about getting past the first 2 tiers. Ask to speak with a manager as soon as diplomatically possible. I have an ancient DSL terminal adapter... It pretty much assures that I get passed up quickly, because none of the lower tiers know how to deal with it. The initial two tiers' support is about on par with Telektronics. It sucks. I wouldn't trust them to do even the simplist things. When I got DSL installed at the old house, they entered me in the system twice, double billed me, and when I told them which account wasn't active or in use, they cut off the live one. In fact pretty much every time I've had to deal with customer support has been a nightmare. Murphy's law applies. Keep notes of everything they say they've done or will do. Keep names, note down times of phone calls, tracking numbers everything. You'll need it. > Do they try to give you the run-around and have you do > stupid things in their support script books or do they > listen to you when you tell them you have already tried > all that? Not so much. What they do do, is make you wait forever and drop calls. Getting past the initial two tiers is the key to solving any real problem. And you won't be calling them unless its a real problem anyway. > Have you had any problems with the service being down > frequently like some users here that have RR have > experienced? The one good thing I can say about SBC is that I haven't had to call customer support much. 5 years ago, or whenever they intially offered DSL... they did have problems. I used to keep a log of downtime. Now a'day's it's pretty good. > have you had trouble with email being down? never used it. I've always done my own. > If I get this DSL connection I intend to try to have my own > mailserver, but the family will probably be on the > ISP mailserver. You're going to do that on a dynamic IP? Do you (or anyone else for that matter) have experience with DynamicDNS and/or other providers of dynamic dns resolution services? > Any trouble running a home webserver, mailserver and using ssh > into said servers? no problems. no complaints. > Any blocked ports by default? no problems. no complaints. -- Garrett Goebel IS Development Specialist ScriptPro Direct: 913.403.5261 5828 Reeds Road Main: 913.384.1008 Mission, KS 66202 Fax: 913.384.2180 www.scriptpro.com garrett(a)scriptpro.com

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programmer or serial killer?
by Richard A. Franklin 08 Jan '05

08 Jan '05

http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/ This quiz is actually a better use of your time than trying to make Jim feel like a dumb adolescent for leaving his laptops in a car (I am sure he already feels like $&%@, knows "what went wrong", or is completely over it ... so go beat up on yourself if you have nothing better to do). BTW, I am surprised that Google only revealed 417 results for "pedantic nitpicking". After all, pedantic nitpicking is what people do, and they either get over it or they don't. 10 simple questions ... I do think your liver is probably safe if you can score 8 or more correct. Don't know if this has circulated widely ... I just saw it this morning. Have a nice day :-) And yes, I am having fun.

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anybody using SBC Yahoo DSL?
by Brian Kelsay 07 Jan '05

07 Jan '05

I have a few questions about details of the above service install. Answer only if you are a current or former user of the service or have performed installs for others with the service. I need details, not flames and trolls so I can make an intelligent, informed decision. Current pricing is $26.95/month (1.5Mbps down) for a one yr commitment with free hardware and self-install. The higher speed (3Mbps down) is avail. for $36.95/month and same free hardware and install. If you have this service and use Linux, did you have to hook up a Windows PC for the initial install and then move the NIC used for the install to your Linux box or Linux based firewall? I had to do this when I originally signed up for @Home, but this problem went away with the switch to Comcast.net. I noticed this change when setting up friends with Comcast. I have not really dealt with Roadrunner or DSL for anyone. The deal was that your MAC address was used as part of the authentication scheme somehow. I don't really recall more detail than that. Do they use PPPoE? Not a big deal, but I know it can be a pain in some ways when you try to keep alive your connection for an always on PC. How is their customer service if you are competent with PCs and networks? Do they try to give you the run-around and have you do stupid things in their support script books or do they listen to you when you tell them you have already tried all that? Have you had any problems with the service being down frequently like some users here that have RR have experienced? I have not had outage problems with Comcast until I moved to the new address, but I'm looking to save some money and maybe lose the ties to cable. This is probably more dependent on your phone line quality, like cable is on the age and quality of cable wire, than anything else, though DSL is dependent on distance to switch. Tied to the last question, have you had trouble with email being down? I think they just have most people use Yahoo webmail, which I do now anyway, but with paid service you can do a legal POP download of mail. Again, this is a frequent complaint of RR users, but not a problem with Comcast. If I get this DSL connection I intend to try to have my own mailserver, but the family will probably be on the ISP mailserver. Any trouble running a home webserver, mailserver and using ssh into said servers? Any blocked ports by default? I've not had a problem with Comcast, but some RR users have had to call CS to get ports unblocked. I'm not planning on running a business or getting 5 nines of service, I just want a playground for server stuff, so don't get yer panties in a bunch over getting a business level DSL connection. Any other caveats about using their service that you have noticed, any limitations that I haven't thought to ask about? Brian Kelsay

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Wireless "crossover cable"?
by Leo Mauler 07 Jan '05

07 Jan '05

I'm going to be going to a private outdoor festival in Kansas in about six months. The festival is held in an area without wireless access (no Internet, no cell phones) but electricity/generators are scattered around the site and you can park your car next to your tent for electricity if necessary. A couple of friends of mine are going to be coming to the festival too, but because we're in different groups we will be camping in different areas of the campsite. We all have handheld CB-like radios, but we were also considering bringing our laptops and setting up some sort of wireless connection between the computers. There are a couple of telephones available, and--among other things--transmitting current photographs over landlines to people who weren't able to make it was one idea we had. My question is: is there a way to connect just two computers together with wireless (probably 802.11b) without a wireless AP between the two of them? If not, I suppose we could just use a wireless router in a plastic bag. There's a rather large hill on the site with a telephone pole and electrical connection near the middle, rather ideal for some central wireless AP to sit on and provide access throughout the campsite. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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RE: Computer stores
by Brian Densmore 07 Jan '05

07 Jan '05

> -----Original Message----- > From: Jonathan Hutchins > > On Thursday 06 January 2005 01:24 am, Leo Mauler wrote: > > > I haven't been there in awhile, but "Telectronics" is > > still at 80th & Santa Fe. Run by a nice Korean > > Family, they do a two page ad in "ComputerUser" and > > they always have inexpensive things such as $20 CDROM > > drives. > > Note that should you have any problems with items purchased > there, the ability > to speak Korean is essential - no-one who speaks English will > be available. > They make their living on price and price alone, quality is no object. And should you find an English speaking person, you will be accused of having configured something wrong, regardless how expert you may be. At least that has been my experience and others also. So as long as you never need to have customer support they have great prices. Of course it has been a long time since I've shopped there, having found other sources where price is comparable, or from NewEgg.com.

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