Two Stories Worth Relating

Two Stories Worth Relating 

It is worth relating two true stories, here.

There were no cellphones but brick sized walkie talkies.

I packed the family to Ceylon and living alone in the hospital house in UK. 

I had a nasty night with lot of patients and wanted to catch up with my sleep. I came home around 1.30AM and there was a bit racket on the pantry door. I put the fridge, freezer and the dryer against the pantry door so that it won’t open. 

When I woke up 1PM, the next day there was no electricity to make a cup of tea. I gave a call to the telephone exchange to ask why there was no electricity. The lady there started laughing saying;

“You are hell of a guy! Slept through the worse cyclone in our living history. Open your door and see that your parapet wall is knocked down and the roof of the next door is blown off”.

Any way, they quickly restored my electricity and the pantry gadgets saved the roof over my head.

The second story was less dramatic. 

On a Saturday, afternoon in New Zealand, I woke up on the floor next to my bed. There again, no electricity to make a cuppa.

I asked why from the telephone exchange?

With a laugh;

“You are hell of a guy, you slept though an earth quake of the magnitude of 7.2 Richter scale”

“ Well I am on the floor but no injuries”.

When I looked at the “Buddha in a frame”, it was still tilting!

 

Of course, computers were my addiction, even those days.

Macron is a Sick Guy to Tolerate Abuse in Public

I am a medical guy off practice over 25 years but still can identify a Sick Guy.

Tolerating abuse is even sicker.

I left UK long time ago, having seen even police officers in UK involved in abuse of kids. 

I did my part but deep underneath had the fear one day one these guys might come after me with violence unseen.

So, leaving UK, I have no regrets.

When I see three European heads abusing drugs in public and journalists remaining number, is an indication how deep the problem in Europe.

These are the very guys who are talking about Human Rights Violations related to our Internal Conflict.

I think Macron should resign.

I have given up my learning French and visiting Ifel Tower, one day in my twilight years.

Not worth the expense.

I might consider visting Russia, instead.

Only if Zelensky is disposed by popular vote. 

He is the guy who is dispensing "Potent DRUGS" to Ruling Elite.

What a scenario!

Linux Activator and Linux

 Saturday, November 6, 2010
Linux Activator and Linux
 

My approach to Linux 100 was purely academic but I never thought that lot of guys. especially the guys developing Linux would care to listen to my comments with any enthusiasm and would take them with good spirit and add utilities that I tend to like the most.

One of the utilities was PHP / MySQL Admin. since in my age and time I am tired of working on a terminal with poor eyesight and trying to work only on command line.

It is imperative that to encourage newbies that come from Microsoft background to get a hang of (good example is myself- having worked with SPSS and Access especially for my research work and trying to do some work only on terminal was anathema by itself) Linux before delving into commend line and scripts.

This is especially so when admirable utilities with graphic front has or being developed are available for wider use.

When these are incorporated in a distribution that make life easy for lot of users who are not full time administrators but have to get involved in administrative functions, especially database management ( for example in Medical Practice).

I thought only a few Linux guys especially the newbies would be interested in my comments as a way of grumbling and wining especially coming from the Windows background like a spoiled brat.

Judging by the Linux outputs recently my reservation was ill founded.

There are lot of guys /girls with a global picture and with lot of dynamism.

Another reservation is for us in the countries where download speed is hopelessly inadequate downloading a DVD is a nightmare and lot of little CDs are much better than a FAT DVD distribution with lot of utilities rarely used.

This is where PCLinux was a trend setter on its own right.

It is nice to see even Fedora 14 has taken a leaf out of PCLinux history and following its foot paths.

Sabayon is doing it (of course they have been doing it independently).

Salix is introducing Live KDE.

I never thought this will happen in my life time.

There is lot of convergence in spite of the diversity.

That is the beauty of Linux.

I hope I never made a comment to hurt any guy / girl doing hard work for Linux with shear dedication.

All my comments were in good spirit since I am a Linux fanatic by choice and not by descent.

If I had made any comments sharp, they were to tone the commercial trends and subtle insinuation by rival distributions to undermine the advance of Linux.

This is happening everyday.

Beware!

I believe in small is beautiful and small (bet on the strength of the hand but not what others have-re-rival companies) is powerful when chips are down and the stock market is tumbling.

It is nice to see UK stock market is following the footsteps of US stock market even 3 years later (US probably anticipated the crisis 2 years before the event, I guess!)

Partitioning with Magic Tools in Linux

October, 25,2010 

Partitioning with Magic Tools in Linux
Partition Magic is a commercial version now!
 

Gone are the days when I had to install Win98 and then Partition Magic and then partitioning which took ages and then install Redhat or Mandriva or Debian with dual booting.

 Nero was my writing tool in spite of Linux installed on my PC.

Suffice is to say Nero had done enough damage to my CD/DVD ROMs and Graphic Cards.

Then there was no K3B.

Beauty of K3B is it diagnoses the defective CD / DVD and reject them after examination without damaging the RAM or the CD/DVD ROMs.

Next stage is Live CDs starting with PCLinux-2007.

The transmigration and single booting with multiple Linux distributions in my computer network and liberation from proprietary components has given me opportunity to investigate partition tools in Linux.

My favorite partition tool is and was Partition tool in SuSe which is excellent and gave me lot of freedom and opportunities.

But then again I have to have SuSe installed to get full use of the partition tool.
Now SuSe Studio has spawned a KDE Partition Magic it is rightful I should mention about the others for newbies.

1. R.I.P (Recovery Is Possible) is one of my favorite Live CD which I use for partitioning.

2. Damn Small Linux and Gparted were the first of my choices those days.

3. Gparted live CD.

4. Partition Magic CD in zip format only a Linux distribution can decipher is the latest of my utilities.

5. PC Linux, Mandriva were my old friends but PCLinux has dropped DOS partitions (which I keep for spare storage) which is a bit of pain.

My only grouse now is most of the partition tools including SuSe limits partitions to 15 which is absurd with hard disks over 500 GB are on the market and guys like me who want to have several Linux distributions in one box.
 

If one distribution has failed in a trick I mount another and get the job done.
 

For example SuSe gives limited space for Thrash and it cannot delete a large (for example an image of 4GB) file.

Then I mount PCLinux and do the job of deleting the large file with its help.

Do not get fixed to one Linux distribution (especially Ububtu) since there are hundreds of out there with many utilities like blender, gambas, audio video (Media Box) and many more to have fun with.

To have fun and to have many distributions you need a partitioning tool and one has to master partitioning.

It is as chicken feed now unlike the days I was struggling to get everything right at least once a year in December before I recess for some holiday and relaxing.

Fortunately because my 100 Linux adventure (111 now) I can have a long holiday well before December.

Enjoy all partitioning tools they do not hurt the hard disks unlike Microsoft utilities.

Another Trick Exposed!

 Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Another Trick Exposed!

Richard Stallman is right, moment the market forces are introduced to Linux distributions, there is hardly any difference from Microsoft, Apple or Oracle and for that mater XandroS, Freespire, Mandriva, SuSe or ArtistX.

After many days of downloading what is said to be free distribution I am unable to keep a copy of Mandriva, Suse or ArtistX in my USB hard disk for safe keeping.

Thank god I did not bother to download DVDs in the first instance.

I was happy with CDs,

I have no intention of selling them.

I am interested in testing them and saying something good about them generally and expose some of their weaknesses as I see from a customer perspective so that next version can avoid minor irritations.

Customer is the best judge and Linux guys are not trained to be good salesmen any way.

That is why the Linux guys with commercial interest fail.

That is true for Mandriva and SuSe.

The have hidden tricks up their sleeves.

They do not let you keep a copy for reference.

This scenario can be overcome by following methods.

1. Burn several copies of the CD and do not bother about the Iso Image like me.

2. Use K3B and make a image without burning a CD /DVD. 

K3B makes a Temporary Image in tmp and rename it. 

That is what I did with ArtistX. 

Then copy it to a CD/DVD or to a USB hard drive (but remember its temporary name).

3. Forget about using that distribution and select one out of the 100 and 1 distributions I have listed in this blogsopt.

4. Once you are comfortable with Linux avoid all commercial Linux.

5. Best solution is to have couple of Live CDs that have the applications you need.

When you try to copy, in the final few seconds they disrupt the coping process with a little script at the end that says it cannot be copied.

If they say it should not be copied it is a different matter.

Even if I sell a few copies I cannot become a millionaire.

This is absurd in the true spirit of FOSS.

They are no better.
Wolves in sheep clothing.
Take hard working Developers for granted.

Mandriva has the way of disrupting the last few MB which does not tally with total MB so that the would be newbie has to go and buy a copy.

If you are lazy it is far better to buy rather than download a Iso with missing files.

Like a good salesmen one must state the facts but not like an insurance agents or dealers who have hidden clause/s.

A clever customer can catch you and detect the faults unlike the gullible guy with lot of money and spare wallets.

It is like a bad dream or joke!

 

Feather Linux

Web site: featherlinux.berlios.de (not active)
Origin: United Kingdom
Category: Desktop, Mini Distribution
Desktop environment: Fluxbox
Architecture: x86
Based on: Knoppix
Wikipedia: Feather Linux
Media: Live Cd
The last version | Released: 0.7.5 | July 04, 2005

Feather Linux – a small, Knoppix based Linux distribution which fits in under 128 MB.
It boots from either a CD or a USB flash drive, into a Fluxbox desktop environment and works in live mode, but a hard drive installation option is also available. It can run on a 486 or higher, and requires 16MB RAM to run on the console, and 24MB RAM to run the X server.

Feather Linux iso image features a set of applications for many tasks, such as: Firefox, 

Gaim, 

AbiWord, 

MPlayer with all the needed plugins, 

XMMS with a handful of plugins, 

Sylpheed,

 AbiWord, 

Pidgin, 

Rox-filer, and a lot more.

Due it is based on Knoppix (and Debian), Feather offers Synaptic for package managing.

The founder and developer of the Feather Linux is Robert Sullivan.

FeatherLinux
Strangely enough this is 111 in my Linux List.

Like Damn Small Linux and Puppy Linux the Feather Linux is a Beauty.

I always believed the concept "Small is Beautiful".
This is and example in addition to DSL.

I was DSL fan to begin with.

When I was new to Linux and when I first bought the Linux Bible by Christopher Naegus (I have three different editions now, latest one I bought few months ago after a 6 year Gap), and in those that booted from Floppy Disks, there were only a few Live CDs (Knoppix was there but I did not know about Puppy then-Puppy is one of my favorites now with over 25 varieties in my possession) that I copied form one of the CD/DVDs that came with the book.

I booted up live and enjoyed Linux and its utilities.

Just little over 100 MB one do wonders which 1000 MBs or 1GB cannot.
 

It is a Knoppix derivative by the way!
 

One thing they did best was if you are unable to get to the Internet they did it in double quick time (with a router easily but with with Sri-Lankan Telecom modems with some difficulty).

Today I used Dillo and I could not sign up with Google (that was basic test based browser without cookies) and bit fiddly with my keyboard too but I managed to post this in Firefox.

Abiword is there xPDF is there, Xmms is there and many more.

Pretty fast to boot too.

Today just for testing downloaded 700 MB of STUX (which STUCK) after half an hour of struggling it could not configure my NV Graphic Card and configured non existent devs and I was scared it will bust my Graphic Card all because it was trying to mount all its compressed files into RAM.

It could not give me a console (or consolation prize) to exit or a killall command.

I had to switch off the computer by getting into a null state (I call it null state) a non existent command in Linux (just wait a while and switch off the computer with the hand on your chest with gospel words in my mouth-but beware the graphic card and RAM-which I used burn those days and also mid night oil, learning Linux all by myself with no Guru to help).

Thanks a lot the Guys and Girls at Feather Linux.
Keep up the good work.

It is long time since I booted Feather Linux.
You will have lot of feathers in your caps.
Thanks again!

OH-GOD-Linux

 Friday, October 29, 2010
OH-GOD-Linux
If you a Christian newbie this is for you.

Now that I have secured an iso for myself and the full copyright of that iso's name as Go.Go-F.O.F. Linux I am thankful to God and all Linux Developers for providing me with the download facility of AOGOS Linux.

This is a Christian Slackware Linux which is fantastic to learn Linux Tricks.

It is a version that you can carry your Linux Distribution and the Bible in a Pendrive or a DVD.

I was bit unhappy that this was a zip image especially thinking that I have to learn the Bible to perform Linux tricks.

Being a Buddhist I was more than irritated.

Even though it was three (3 AM) in the morning I did not want to go to sleep without burning an iso.

I am safe doing this since all the other Buddhists are fast asleep now.


I went to Softpedia.

Looked at the page description.

This is a good web page and I could find the way to do it / make an iso.

1. Extract the zip file to a folder named AOGOS.

2. Then go to the boot folder and open it.

3. Find the make-iso.sh file.

4. Open a terminal window in Linux

5. Drop the make-iso.sh into the terminal window and hit enter.

6. Find the iso and make a boot CD in K3B.

Presto!
It writes an image in the download folder as a boot.iso.
It gives an option for you to give a name for the iso.

Please do not do that. just for now.

It took ages for me to find the name of the new iso (name is boot.iso) but I knew it was there since my download folder was almost full.

Eventually I booted up the DVD.

It is good as gold.

It is new NFlux box.

right click not writeclique and go to Firefox and then you are at FreeBible web site.

Well done Boys and Girls (Good Christians) who developed this iso.

Only downside is even the Christians in this country are poor in money affairs but not in virtues, they cannot afford a DVD drive and DVD (twice the price of CD).

I hope a CD iso can be made since nFlux is not heavy in its armaments (sorry, for my terminology this is a post military country now, habits are too ingrained and diehard).

Now let me tell you why I did not want you to name the iso file.

I renamed it as the Oh-GoD-Linux and saved it in my archives for any Christian friend of mine who asks for it will have it free if he or she gives me a blank DVD.

Or I can rename it as Do-Do Linux and give it to any friend of mine.

The most interesting part of this CD/DVD is that it has Laminin as a logo (in its desktop image ) that binds all the cells to basement membrane as an anchor) which is almost a replica of the Cross.

Unlike Buddhists who are deeply divided with all the Laminins broken this DVD and the Laminin will bind all the Christians of this country together.

It is a good Christmas Gift for kids.

P.S. (5-11-20100)
Sorry for the glaring mistakes in English which I think were corrected today (5th November).
Who cares for Queen's English in this country especially 3 A.M in the morning, me half awake and trying to burn an iso and run it to see its virtues.
Even the Telecom and the kids who say I am Sri-Lanka would be proud of my English.
When we begin to say "We are Sri-Lankans" but not "I am Sri-Lankan"

God save the Queen and her English!

Puppy_Linux_EliteOS

 Puppy_Linux_EliteOS

by l0wt3ch


Topics
    Puppy Linux, EliteOS, Lupu 511, l0wt3ch

Item Size-374.3M

EliteOS is a Puppy Linux puplet by l0wt3ch and is based on Lupu 511 and uses kernel 2.6.33.2

more details here: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=60856

Added date -2013-07-06 21:10:43

Identifier- Puppy_Linux_EliteOS

Linux and the RAM

Friday, November 5, 2010
Linux and the RAM
It is not so long ago with 4 MB on board VG and 64MB RAM  I was able to boot Redhat 8. 

Mandrike, Debian, Xandros (no live CDs except Knoppix, I had not yet discovered the Damn Small Linux) with some difficulty SuSe in my desktop.

The Linux is somewhat bloated now.

Without at least 512MB RAM one is not able to boot and install Linux now.

This is not a good recipe for average Sri-lankan who cannot afford to eat rice with Pol Sambol now (due to surging RAM on Pol Pol Arrakku and Pol-Coconuts).

If anybody makes a Linux distribution called Pol Sambol Linux, nobody will care to try it even if it is given free of charge (nothing is free in this country liberated except daily headaches).

So RAM is important for a low budget person like me.

Let me talk about the type of RAMs before relating my story.

I started with 100 BUS SDR RAM.

Those days finding two 128 RAMs was extremely difficult especially 100 BUS speed.

I had to wait for years and hack them out of junk computers imported to Sri-Lanka.

Then came the SDR 133 (BUS) speed RAM and somehow I could find 256MB of RAM with an assortment of 128's and 64's.

This was just enough for me to boot all Linux distributions without a hassle.

Then came DDR 1, 2 and 3 and the RAMs were hefty in size.

The other day my daughter's computer with Linux installed was out (the reason was the usual overload and with 20 GB hard disk - over the last one year she had collected junk files (no viruses) and she does not want me to clean the junk files and she does not do it herself and one or two years of IDE hard disk is good throughput, anyway).

I dismantled the hard disk and put a new 80 GB hard disk that I have kept for future use.

I was trying to partition (not with DOS now) the new hard disk with PCLinux-2010 and I could not.

Then I tried LXDE and could not.

Finally I had to go back to DSL and later to Linux Partmagic to get the new disk prepared.

I did not enjoy all this at late night and gave her the computer with SATA 20GB and 80GB IDE (dual) with newly installed PClinux 2010-10 and downloaded, a few of the software she needed for her work.

This was also bought from a junk deal and of course I added 512 graphic card to get it in prime condition.

I asked her whether we buy a new one and she was not that keen on a new one (now that she is very much comfortable with Linux without viruses and dropping her bad Microsoft habits was a welcome change for me).
 

The new Linux (PCLinux 2010) distributions are cravvy on RAM and use the full 256 RAM and after that could not do anything useful including install.

This is why I call KDE the Gorilla Linux with some affection for Gorilla and the KDE (I am a KDE fan now except when I do repair work on old computers),

So if you are using Live CDs have at least 1 GB of RAM if you are thinking of installing the same.

Otherwise it will freeze during the installation process. 

This is true of Ubuntu 10.10 and SuperOs (DVD), too.

SuSe needs minimum of 512 (but ideally 1 GB) and that is also with CD and not DVD.

SuSe of course can be installed (very good feature) from the live CD without loading into RAM which most of the Linux Live distributions do not include or offer including PCLiniux.

Ultimately I decided to use the computer as a TV box in addition to using it as a web outlet with 1 GB RAM added.

Unlike those days there are plenty of unused second hand SDR RAMs in the market without buyers.

For Linux newbies and savvy this can be a Treasure House or Goldmine.

The Linux is far behind in configuring variety of TV cards now on the market and I hope developers will be looking to this aspect since it is cheaper to use a computer as a TV box instead of an expensive and flashy LCD TVS now in the market.

Linux on a low budget and RAM

 Friday, November 5, 2010

Linux on a low budget and RAM

I was somewhat obsessed with the variety of live CD distributions on offer that I have overlooked Linux on a low budget and computers both old and new with little or inadequate RAM.

There are many to list but I will mention a handful of them to conclude my investigation of user friendly tiny vinny distributions that I have come across.

1. Geebox come to my mind that is similar to gamebox or media player with needing 0nly 25MB.

2. My favorite is Puppy which is 90 to 120 MB and there are over 30 varieties.
The last of which I downloaded was EliteOS (with a commercial presentation included).
It is pretty good.
In the Puppy 5 series, the lupu is another celebrity.

3. Damn Small Linux (the one I use when I am in trouble booting and partitioning) is a beauty on its own with only 50MB.

4. Astrumi (120 MB) is another good one. I think it is a Polish distribution.
The older version cannot recognize LCD monitors.
New ones are coming by the dozens.

5. 4MLinux-Gamer is only 11MB and and the standard is 25MB.

6. Voyage is only 45MB.

7. xPUD a web browser and media player is 65MB.

8. The xin-v1 is only 52MB

9. SliTas

10. Tiny Me

11. Finnix is another

12. WiFiWay small 285MB and Standard 408MB (Spanish).

13. Minix is 385MB.

14. CRUX is 220MB.

15. NimbleX was less than 200MB but now is bit fatty and has doubled itself to 400MB.

16. Feather Linux is also another flag bearer (like DSL) of small and beautiful Linux.

Then come to the the partition tools, there are many and one does not need a proprietary software to do partitioning (I have dropped MS partition magic for good but it was the one that saved many hours of sleep (sleepless nights before that) in the early days of Linux experience)

17. gparted

18. partmagic

19. pmagic

20. R.I.P. Linux

20 is a magic number for me. 

In studies of evolution (my personal work) if there are 20 related species in a locality that 20 would circumvent any adverse climatic change at least temporarily but if that figure is 3 the species is critically endangered.

With the same context in time to come Microsoft is an endangered commercial species may be catering for other planetary systems in space.

The host of Ubuntu derivatives that come as TURNKEY should be the fitting end to my list.

The list is endless and my favorites are Puppy, DSL and Feather Linux.

They are the ones I have used comfortably and on a regular basis and I have used in demonstrations to show Linux prowess.

Sorry guys and girls that I have only mentioned your names only and they are much better and my GoGo. F.O.F. Linux which is still under construction with my workforce on extended Christmas holidays enjoying other Linux for relaxation.
 

They are allowed to copy any good idea free of charge or copyrights.

It is an understatement when I say that they are the most useful when one (I am in trouble) is in trouble or on low in RAM to do the tit bits (not bits and bytes).

Bye till new year!

Celebrations without Microsoft

 Monday, November 15, 2010
Celebrations without Microsoft
I am celebrating the third anniversary without Microsoft, this Christmas.

Is there anybody other than Anuradha doing work only on Linux in Sri-Lanka?

Please post an email or comment below so that we can have a private party.

I was trying to catch 100 students (school leavers to train free) from Kandy.

That was a total failure (blessing in disguise for me) but welcome free time for me to enjoy life with my kids.