My
next new year resolution is related to the incident I discovered
today.
Just
today I went to drop a friend of mine to the airport and being new
year we arrived at the friend's place in good time.
Since I did not
have a good night sleep yesterday (I was looking for various Linux
gamers to download for the new year) I had a bath and had a little
snooze on the arm chair.
I
usually carry a book and gossip is not my pastime; I forgot the
wine making book I fished out from a secondhand bookshop,
unfortunately.
We
had lunch and tea and all that but my friend and wife were taking an
unusually long time getting ready and I was bit bored dropped into
their daughters room to say hello, and found a computer and sat in
front of it.
There
was a glaring message saying that the hard disk is at risk and blah,
blah.
Then
she came in with another cup of tea before leaving and she told me
that it is giving trouble and could not connect it to Internet.
I
Looked at the router it was OK looking form outside (no evidence of
hit by lightening) but not blinking properly and the outer panels
were open pulled out the hard disk and the cable and she had another
hard disk and fixed it as the slave and booted a Linux live CD
(Peppermint with Google utilities) I had given him earlier.
It
took a little time to configure first but in less than ten minutes
with 256 RAM, I was up and running the Chromium browser and typed
asokaplus and parafox.
So
router part is OK and my friend was still not ready, I decided to
boot the computer (XP, I believe a pirated copy vendor had installed)
without the Internet cable not plugged in and I could not find any (I
had given her Medi Linux disk, too but did not use it for virus
check) problem and it was running well.
I
booted again with Peppermint, to show how to use it, this time it
quickly configured and it was up and running.
My
diagnosis Microsoft secretly spying on pirated copies and infecting
the hard disk and giving instructions not to recognize the router
with the message I did not care to read.
Router
is above the operating system and Microsoft has no right to fiddle
it at that level but they are doing it on unsuspecting
Sri-Lankans who are using pirated copies.
So
my solution is get hold of a Linux live CD and boot it with it and go
to Internet.
When
using XP (pirated copies of course pull the Internet wire out, a very
simple remedy).
I
prefer DSL (Damn Small Linux-that is what I have given my wife) with
less than 50 MiB which boots fast.
If
you have enough RAM go for any Live CD I have listed in Linux
100.
The second message is to say do not use Microsoft for
Internet.
Third resolution is to promote Sinhala Linux for the
next 3 months and go into full hibernation so that Microsoft would
not be be able to find a trace of me or my old testicles which are
still producing enough testosterone to fight any villain
against Linux.
If
you have any brain take a few (5 enough) minutes a day and learn bit
of Linux from a Live CD. It does not do any harm to your computer
since it is running on RAM and there are enough forums to guide you
through the early phase.
Down
below is a note I sent to a Young newbie.
2
GiB is enough (not for graphic intensive windows games) for Linux
except for games.
I
have only one (1) GiB (4 GIB in my laptop which I use only for
testing occasionally).
It
is a waste of money going for more RAM with very slow Internet in
Sri-Lanka.
I
only use K-Torrents now and it is currently downloading at less than
5 KB/sec .
Solution
is for having at least two computers.
1.
For games and videos
2.
Simple secondhand computer with Linux for Internet (can share with
your sister or brother and family members).
3.
Netbook with Android when you enter University (not now).
I have fallen out with Newtbooks and Tablets now.
Except
my laptop and my daughters netbook all the computers at home are very
good secondhand IBM computers (cost less than 20,000 with few updates
with RAM but not graphic cards).
Secondhand
desktops are good buys if you understand the hardware and look at
inside before buying.
I
test them with my Linux CD/DVDs before buying and there are lot of
Linux utilities to test and Linux will work day and night for 10
years.
None
of my computers broke down after I started using Linux (before that 3
new ones on Windows) except few graphic cards and RAM in the learning
stage.
They
work 24/7 schedule and the UPS battery is very important.
This
is one reason I promote Linux and I do not fear viruses now.
Only
down side is Games with Linux which I will probably concentrate when
I retire and nothing else to do.
I
have two game DVDs but I will not give it to anybody since Linux is
for real and serious computing and not for games and leisure!
Never
buy a secondhand laptop or netbook (I have written about secondhand
laptops in my blog site).
Wait
till new models come and with long battery life and you need it in
the university and the government is unable to pay dons and do not
expect them to help you with computers (not in Singapore though) when
you eventually enter University.
Learning
Linux is easy if you take one step at a time.
When
I started there was nobody to guide me.
I
used to read books (This is where English is important) and fast.
That
is a technique (reading fast and also digesting the material) I
developed on my own.
Give
me any big book I will read (not from cover to cover) only what I
want to solve a problem (in this case installing Linux) and pick up
the important things in 3 to 4 days.
This
is something essential in higher studies. One does not read for the
sake of reading in science (reading in other fields including
philosophy is different).
One focus on why one reads this
or that and make one's own personal assessment in the course of the
reading.
Early
days I used to get bogged down in two or three days without any
progress.
Then
I take a break and think about the problem deep and somehow get to
the point (D.I.Y- Do It Yourself) where I want to make progress.
It
naturally comes.
We
all have this natural ability but examinations do not make us better
but show where we are weak.
After
every examination we have to go for a higher level and a more
difficult level.
Even
though A Level is difficult we make life easy after the 1st year
Examination.
Unfortunately
1st year examination is the most difficult for all and problem with
English compounding the disability.
This
is especially so in maths and IT.
Maths
is difficult if one is not in it.
I
was very good in my maths including applied mathematics and used to
beat all in my class.
Then
one day I decided to go for biology in particular (with my reading
talent and the fast speed was a bonus) and without any help covered
the syllabus myself (D.I.Y).
Rest
was history and I never felt big but looked for the next challenge.
When
you get bogged down in a mathematical problem do not try to solve it
by somehow.
Think,
analyze and look at the problem in a different way.
There
is always several ways of solving problems and try to grasp the
concept.
What
I find in my teaching in the University is students struggle to grasp
key points an concepts.
Not
like our time.
I
do not know why?
Other
problem is they cannot read a manual and follow instructions
according to the manual and instructions.
This
is where reading is important.
So
concentrate on your mathematics and English.
Rest
will follow.
Linux
take as a problem and a hobby to take a break from your studies.
Do
not make it your first interest.
But
keep trying and look at where you go wrong.
This
talent is essential in IT.
There
is something called fixing bugs.
This
is where both mathematical concepts and programming merge.
Even
though I do not write programs, I am good looking at bugs.
That
probably has come from my analytical skills learnt from pathology.
Try
to be a problem analyst.
The
term in IT is system analyst.
If
a server breaks down one has to find where and when and what has gone
wrong?
Without
trying to spoon feed I have given you a list or methods that I have
used to solve my problem with Linux.
You
try all and decide what is good for you.
One
is enough at an examination but in teaching (as a teacher I have to
cater for different type of students) one has to look at the global
picture and focus on different aspects of a problem.
That
is the difference between a student and a teacher.
It
is sometimes very hard to become a good teacher.
If
am given a chance I prefer to be a student.
That
is where I always enjoyed.
But
having to teach a brighter student is a blessing.
Linus Torvalds, I like him the most because he showed that his professor was
wrong.
There
are many ways to solve a given problem.
Not
one professors given method.
This
is how the business world operate and there are Teams and not Lords.
