Wednesday Night KH Computer Help Desk Chatroom 09/13/06

[mommalina]

We could have promoted our chatroom session last night as Everything You Didn't Know about Linux and Wouldn't Have Known to Ask. Many thanks to Lawrence (qldit) and Pete F for their input, knowledge, and patience answering questions. Pete's enthusiasm about Linux was contagious.

Lawrence and I closed the room just before midnight -- so I wouldn't turn into a pumpkin.:)

WHO WAS THERE

KH Members: Lina, Doug, Lawrence, Pi rules, Dan, Pete (he finally made it), Vince (Spawn), Elliot, Vivienne, Kern (rbob), Fred Freehold, N3BQA,Rich and.....drum roll!......Chryssi!:cheer2:

Visitors: Despotsdiva (poor guy still on dialup) , Shapeless, Detective Linux, Grand River (insisted we pronounce Linux as Leenux), Dummie411, Ocean_Rain (printer didn't work, couldn't wait two minutes for an answer -- which is probably why he can't get his printer to work:rolleyes: ).

COMPUTER PROBLEMS DISCUSSED

LINUX, LINUX, LINUX, AND MORE LINUX!!!!

- Installing Puppy Linux on old computers for seniors citizens and newbies who just want to do email, surf the web, and maybe type a letter, is catching on. Such computers would be affordable, free of infections, not need software to prevent or scan for infections, good for the environment (recycling old computers), and provide more business for those who set up and service computers.

- Go to Puppy Linux web site and forums. There's a lot of information out there! I googled and found these and more: http://puppylinux.com/ http://www.murga.org/~puppy/index.php (http://www.murga.org/%7Epuppy/index.php)

- Although Linux is free, commercial support, documentation, installation, and instruction are available. For example, the TaFusion Linux Commercial Website http://tafusion.com/

- Pete will try to get a TaFusion guest speaker to participate in one of our Wednesday night chatroom sessions.

- Rumor, hearsay: Because Linux is gaining fans, Dell did something so only Windows will run on its computers. This should be confirmed or dispelled as more of our members install Linux on newer Dells. (Wonder if they'd buy a new Dell - ugh! Maybe not -- many new Dells may arrive for repair soon enough.)

- Linux needs a way to easily determine if a computer's hardware is Linux-compatible.

- Linux includes backup programs.

- Kanotix is simple version, 720 megs, lovely system to use, similar to Windows, easy to get on line (per Lawrence).

- Kubuntu = KDE (Ubuntu is gnome), edubuntu is a light education distro.

- Pi recommends Ubuntu, believes Mark Shuttleworth started Ubuntu (he's very rich and first African national in space).

LATE KH EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS OF REPLIES AND PM'S

- It just not our overseas members who are affected. Stateside members have same problem as have users of all browsers and all email programs whether web or O/S based.

- We hope this will be resolved soon. Frustration is building.

THE WORLD AND COMPUTERS

- Bright computer people in India. Brilliant guy there working to save enough to start a free health facility for poor people.

- Nigeria generates a lot of spam. Problem is many of these people need the money for food for their families.

- Russia generates a lot of malware. Imagine what they could do if they put their energies towards something worthwhile, like Kaspersky AV.

BELARC ADVISOR AND EVEREST

- Handy tools to check what's on your computer (hardware, software), provide license keys, etc.

- Lina learned importance of updating Belarc. It reported that I did not have all Windows Updates, and the Windows Updates Review List alarmed me even more by indicating "failed" and "cancelled" updates. A Belarc upgrade found all Windows Updates were up to date. Whew!

STICKY KEYS - AN XP ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE
(Pi rules' contribution)

- Ignores repeated key strokes

- Can be inadvertently triggered by hitting Shift key 5 times (that's the shortcut - hit the Shift key 5 times quickly)

- To disable go to Control Panel | Accessibility and disable Sticky Keys

NON-COMPUTER TOPICS

OUR PI RULES' HIGHER EDUCATION

- High school senior (Wisconsin), bright young man, likes physics and computers, thinking about computer science in college.

- Our members encouraged Pi to contact Adam Zucker. Adam our young, hard-working genius who made the KH forum possible. He recently graduated from college. Pi, there's nothing like advice from someone who's been there and done that. Hope you contact him!

KANGAROO RAT - a rat who hops around in the desert.

ASTROLOGY- What's your sign? We compared some of our members to their astrological signs. No comment!

No tall or outlandish tales last night. I think we used up all our energy discussing Linux.

Join us next week. Bring your sense of humor, and help lighten up things when they get a little too technical for some of us.:)


Lina

[Tortanick]

- Pete will try to get a TaFusion guest speaker to participate in one of our Wednesday night chatroom sessions.

Then if he does you copy and paste the whole speach :whip:


- Linux needs a way to easily determine if a computer's hardware is Linux-compatible.

don't live CDs count? They seem to be the best method



- Pi recommends Ubuntu, believes Mark Shuttleworth started Ubuntu (he's very rich and first African national in space).

I tried ubuntu, its not really for me. I like the really easy distro's like PClinuxOS. Tinkering is for servers not desktops. On the other hand if I want to customise everything I'd learn Gentoo. P.S. He's right about Mark.

[mommalina]

Lina wrote: Pete will try to get a TaFusion guest speaker to participate in one of our Wednesday night chatroom sessions.

Tortanick replied: Then if he does you copy and paste the whole speach

I imagine he would be using the microphone and not typing in the text box, sorry. Will try to take notes, but my shorthand skills died a good while ago with many of my brain cells. :)

If I were able to tape-record the session, I'm not sure I'd be able to transcribe like I did years ago. It would probably take me a month.

Maybe Pete could provide a summary of the TaFusion guest speaker's comments? But remember, his visit is not a done deal yet. Pete is working on it, bless him.

Lina

[Tortanick]

Do you have audacity (freeware)? if so try what u hear recording. (been a while so I forget if any sort of setup is required, sorry.)

[Tortanick]

Its the commercial arm of MEPIS linux.

MEPIS linux is just a collection of slightly modified third party applications, mostly open source, precompiled and setup on top of a Linux Kernal. I never liked it much. PCLinuxOS and Lin/Freespire have the same goals but do better.

[Pi rules]

I'm not sure about the Dell/Linux thing, see here (http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/alliances/en/linux?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz). It mostly pertains to servers, but I doubt they would specifically block Linux. The proprietary hardware they use (to make PCs less expensive) may not be supported on many distros.

Too bad I had to leave pretty early, it looks like it was a good night.

[chryssi2001]

ASTROLOGY- What's your sign? We compared some of our members to their astrological signs. No comment!

Interesting Lina, where was I, probably before i logged in. I am very interested in these kind of conversations. When i was younger and had time i used to buy and read books for Astrology signs.

[PeteF]

don't live CDs count? They seem to be the best method


Tortanick,
That note was about a comment I made about hardware compatibiity
testing. Yes, the Live CD method is a great method for testing compatibility
but sometimes you'd have to have a stack of hardware and keep switching
components until it finally worked. It all takes so much time. Trial and
error works but it's not an efficient method.

I'm thinking about an online database you can enter model#s into to check
for compatibility to save the time of opening the case and going through
the whole process of the live CD.

If I was attempting to purchase components to build a Linux PC,
I'd like a method to check hardware compatibility before purchasing
the components. We can't seem to do that with only the live CD
method.

---pete---

[PeteF]

ASTROLOGY- What's your sign? We compared some of our members to their astrological signs. No comment!


I noticed that positive personality traits are often used to convince
someone that they match one particular astrological sign. Most
times if you compliment someone they will tend to agree with you.

Try this test. Select some negative personality traits of a particular
astrological sign and see if people agree it suits them.

The test might go like this...

Let's see, you are Aries, Aries people are moody and can't
concentrate on more than one task at a time. Does that sound
like you?

If you can get people to agree to the negative characteristics
of a particular sign, it would be more convincing to an onlooker
like me. Personally I don't buy the whole thing. Most times in
reading about astrology they use very general statements that
can apply to just about anyone and use positive statements
that offer hope or something that would make the person happy.
The person's emotions take over the thinking process and
logic goes out the window.

That's why I say, try using negative traits and negative
statements or concepts that would match a person to
an astrological sign and see how succesful those tests
are. Now that's a real test.

---pete---

[chryssi2001]

ASTROLOGY- What's your sign? We compared some of our members to their astrological signs. No comment!


All those written in the Astrology signs books are very general. Even if detailed, and you try to match them with relevant people you met in your life with certain signs, they are never fully matched. As a matter of fact 2 persons with the same Astrology signs, could be 2 very different characters, showing different Astrological signs. And i believe that doesn't come from the time of birth as the books say but, it depends on other facts, like let's say the way you were brought up (don't know if correct word) in your family, if you are shy, stubborn, generous, etc.

[mommalina]

From Post #1 of this thread:- Rumor, hearsay: Because Linux is gaining fans, Dell did something so only Windows will run on its computers. This should be confirmed or dispelled as more of our members install Linux on newer Dells. (Wonder if they'd buy a new Dell - ugh! Maybe not -- many new Dells may arrive for repair soon enough.)
Pi rules replied: I'm not sure about the Dell/Linux thing, see here (http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/alliances/en/linux?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz). It mostly pertains to servers, but I doubt they would specifically block Linux. The proprietary hardware they use (to make PCs less expensive) may not be supported on many distros.

Thanks for dispelling that rumor, Pi! The url you provided
[ http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/alliances/en/linux?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz ] sure tells a different story.

EXCERPT: Dell and Linux
Choose the freedom of open source on Dell. Get more out of Linux.

With Dell, you can take full advantage of your Linux operating system. You can have an open infrastructure to support your open code. You can simplify complex installations, time-consuming integration, workload serving, and change management.

I've checked my notes. Will notify the person who passed on the rumor.

Thanks again.:hug:

Lina

[PeteF]

Thanks for dispelling that rumor, Pi! The url you provided
[ http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/alliances/en/linux?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz ] sure tells a different story.



I read the above statement from DELL indicating that Linux will
indeed run on their computers. It makes me wonder if some time
in the past Linux would not run on DELL computers.

So I did a search on.. DELL LINUX compatibility
at the mepis lovers forums and nothing found.

I googled.. DELL LINUX compatibility
and found plenty of sites where people are using Linux with DELL PCs.

If I can get us a guest speaker the topic of Linux for the
Wed night KH Paltalk sessions this compatibility issue with
DELL PCs is something we can inquire about.

For Dell, industry standard now includes Linux
By Colin Barker
Special to CNET News.com
Published: June 8, 2006, 3:16 PM PDT
http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6081793.html?part=rss&tag=6081793&subj=news


Everyone,
Notice it says "now includes" Linux.
To me that suggests the rumors could be true, where at
one time maybe years ago Linux would not run on DELL PCs.

I really don't know. Only a long time Linux
expert can give us the true story.

Hopefully it's an issue of the past.
It seems Linux & DELL now play nice together.
Oh but what about putting Linux on older DELL PCs?
To be continued....

---pete---

[Seth]

Most times in
reading about astrology they use very general statements that
can apply to just about anyone and use positive statements
that offer hope or something that would make the person happy.
The person's emotions take over the thinking process and
logic goes out the window.

---pete---

That's it exactly.

There is a story about a king who discovered that his birthday was the same as one of his slaves. The king then executed his astrologer.

Good riddance to ignorance.

[chryssi2001]

That's it exactly.
There is a story about a king who discovered that his birthday was the same as one of his slaves. The king then executed his astrologer.
Good riddance to ignorance.

:roll: silly people, silly acts for easy believers in astrology.