20080615
Dreams in Digital - Click!
June is the one year anniversary of the thrid greatest project I have ever completed. (The first greatest was obtaining my Eagle Scout. The second greatest was graduating college.)I still have plans for this machine. I am personally holding off any Linux upgrade until Fedora 10 comes around. (It would be so much easier if instead of every 6 months, the people at Red Hat released a new distro every year instead. On the other hand, I should really consider installing software from source code rather than waiting for binaries.)
One plan that sounds affordable for right now is a fan too cool down the hard drive. If the nuclear energy supporters want to make environmentalists happy, they would us a really fast graphics card to generate steam for electricity. Then again, what would they need to use to generate the electricity for the really hot graphics card? Reguardless, the part of the computer that I forsee will be the cause of its downfall is the graphics card. Remember, if your GPU is spiking around 65 degrees Celcius, your main fan is probably broken, or your graphics card is too hot! The print on the wires generally states that their is a heat limit of about 70 degrees C. The normal for the GPU should be around 60 degrees C or less, otherwise everything is going to get hot, slow, or worse break down. I believe that is what happened to the main fan a few months ago. The GPU literally cooked the wires. While their was no puddle of plastic goop in my machine, the insulation that kept the wires from burning up could not protect the wire from the relatively intense heat.
Until I can afford a really nice graphics card, I will try my best to keep the rest of the computer as cool as possible. The fan and raidator on the CPU keep the CPU coool. The main fan aswell as a couple other case fans keep the MoBo and the memory in good order. And I have a new fan that will keep the hard drive cool which was remarkably affordable.
Also on my honey-do list for the computer: replacing the DVD-R/W. This like the GPU is currently a short-term long-term goal. As I have previously stated, I am hoping that a Linux standard for Blu-Ray R/W comes out in the near future and that prices for Blu-Ray drop within the next year. I went to Office Max the other day and saw that a single Blu-Ray disc for Blu-Ray R/W was $20.00. You want to know how much that disc is really worth? About a nickel. That's SONY for you.
Another short-term long-term goal would be to add an infrared controller to the computer. I don't care much for Bluetooth. And secondly, why does SONY use Bluetooth for their controllers and remotes in the first place? Bluetooth has many security concerns, and since it is pretty logical to use the wireless peripheral that interfaces with the computer in the same room, Infrared makes more sense.
Now if you really want to use Bluetooth for something, how about this next project that is definletely long-term long-term. Because Bluetooth can be used in say the next room over, why not create a Bluetooth device for your apartment that aquires free-to-air satilite television to be piped in to your house.
Now I hear some of you say "But Bushido, we can get this from DirecTV or Dish Network." True, but what they are as well as the cable companies are are middlemen between the satilite from space to your house. And if you noticed in your house if you have cable, the signal from your TV that is directly hooked up to your TV rather than a cable box does not have a delay. Likewise, this is the problems with the satilite TV companies. Because they get their feeds from various satilites then bounce the signals back up into space and into your backyard, this delay is much longer. The critism with such a project is that the dish used would be about 3 feet to 6 feet large, or maybe larger. The fact is we have come a long way from the 1980s when my grandpa had this piece of what was then considered high tech equipment in his house. We now have DVB which allows for us to watch TV on cellphones. The truth is, we could probably watch that for free if the big telecom companies didn't charge to do what the satilite TV companies do. And if you think about it, why do you think the Cable company is like "don't swith to satilite" and the satilite TV companies are like "switch to us from cable". It is because both the cable and satilite companies use the same signal equipment to fetch TV signal using thier 30 year old 12 footh satilite dishes. Cable does not go out in a rain storm because they use the satilite dishes that are tuned to the frequencies that can penetrate the toughest rain cloud. This technology is portable to Linux under ITU DVB-S standards.
But why stop at just TV? Shortwave and Amatuer radio could also be combined. This is a little more compilcated as many people know about the size of the amatuer radio and CB radio antennas. What I don't understand is why satilite radio has a small antenna. There is some information about amatuer radio at this link. And don't forget the Internet!
Next question is how do we power this device? In this age with gas price through the roof and people starting to wise up to solar and wind power I was thinking about something that would power the device, but at the same time be grounded from lightening strikes. The grounding mechanism would also be required for the dish as well as the amatuer radio, assuming that there is no way to talke that out of the equation. A Big-Ugly-Dish (BUD) with solar pannels built into it would be perfect, but physics doesn't work that way. I saw on 60 minutes one time BUDs are still used in Iran as a way to override their government's TV broadcasting.
The idea is really good and very smart. It may be the satilite/cable/ISP-company-in-a-box, but first I would condiser the cost and make certain that the telcoms and the satillite/cable compaies don't foil my idea. I do like the idea. It is the most straightforward plan. But their would be some programming involved like telling where to point the dish and the solar-pannels (if any). Generally they point south, but for the first time use, or the poor soul who nevery used a compass in the Boy Scouts (or Girls Scouts). The prototype will necessarily be boatanchor size even though technology can get smaller and maller...but then again you don't want it to get lost or have some ignorant jerk steal it.
But I would like to see something like that be fore the end of the next decade. Maybe the end of this decade if feasable. Two and a half years is a long way to go and a lot of time to learn things.
Labels: blu-ray, bluetooth, diy, environment, freetoair, infrared, linux, radio, tech
posted by Bushido Hacks 6/15/2008 09:02:00 PM (0) comments top
20080413
Linux to Blu-Ray: Get It Together!
Now that Blu-Ray has won the battle, it's time for the Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA) to get with the program.While I admit Blu-Ray is the latest hardware that is on the market in terms of optical disc drives, and that the price is fair for what they are charging for the drives and discs right now, driver support is needed for Linux.
BDA has two options for resolving this issue the hard way or the right way.
While it will still be another years before the average Joe can afford Blu-Ray, there is still time for the BDA to pull its head out of the sand and see that DRM is bad and that there are other operating systems that can demonstrate the full potential of Blu-Ray technology.
BDA is not a corporation but a union between several hardware manufacturer, movie and video game studios, and video retailers. So why act like a monopoly? If they are sharing with other companies, why not with consumers? The only thing that we want is software support. BDA can still make money from hardware, movie sales, and retail revenue. But they can't make money if consumers can't afford to purchase it in the form of Blue-Ray players or video game systems because their members jack up the price for products.
If this is the purpose of the BDA, then the key code has reason to be found and distributed.
Labels: blu-ray, hack, hardware, linux, PS3
posted by Bushido Hacks 4/13/2008 07:36:00 PM (0) comments top
20071225
Watch Out for the Archive Manager Bug in GNOME
A scary situation occured last week that I should have mentioned earlier.There is a but in GNOME's Archive Manager that will cause Linux, or hopefully GNOME to my knowlege, to crash.
Linux doesn't crash, Bushido. That is crazy talk.
True, but not every operating system is perfect. This seems more like a glitch that was probably overlooked by the GNOME developers. Fortunately, no serious damage occured to the system.
What happens is when you open a .zip file with the Archive Manager program, then click extract you get a message about how bash can't extract the files because there are to many arguments. A little while later OH SHI--
The best way to avoid this from happening is to use the console instead of the Archive Manager program.
Just type the following line to extract a .zip file.
unzip filename.zip
Hopefully this will be fixed soon.
Labels: bugs, linux, ohshi, scary, software
posted by Bushido Hacks 12/25/2007 05:35:00 PM (0) comments top
20070618
FUDBusters!
Today I want to start a new segment call FUDBusters. I decided if there was anything worth using the tags again for my blog it would be to dispell alot of these false complaints floating around the Internet which are nothing more than FUD.First item of business is this nVidia Drivers for Linux issue. The only thing people should be complaning about with the drivers is the nVidia logo screen that shows up on startup. It should be noted that you should know what kind of Graphics card your system uses before installing this software. Just to be on the safe side, if you have an nVidia graphics card on your system, the only nVidia Drivers you should install are the basic drivers. FreshRPMs has this problem covered. The have nVidia drivers available for Fedora Core 7. Despite the caveat emptor, it should be safe to install the drivers, just be sure to install FreshRPMs YUM configuration files and use the "Add/Remove Software" feature. You are probably going to want to use GNOME for the desktop interface.
Speaking of GNOME, I've decided to stick with it. KDE isn't as great as I remembered. Probably because KDE 4 hasn't come out yet. I'd like to give Beryl a try, but so far all I get is this white screen and nothing to do buy press CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE. (This will end your session incase of emergency.) There was som instablity with KDE in terms of multimedia. I've been working on getting the HDTV card up and running. Hopefully, it picks up radio since my inital intention was to install a radio card to listen to some local radio stations. Thats another item on the todo list.
Linux 64-bit is great. AMD2 users who are complaning about why they can't install Fedora 7 probably haven't read some of the ariticles I wrote last month.
Java: Still haven't found how to get it running. Quite honestly: WHO NEEDS IT?! Flash is the New Java. Java loves to suck up memory. That's probably why I prefer programming in C++, PHP, Python, etc. over Java. The only thing for SUN Microsystems left to do is turn into a red giant, supernova, shrink into a white dwarf, and die. I just wish Yahoo! would make Literali run on Flash so I don't have to use Java. It turns out I'm not the only person to have problems with Java. The National Weather Service office here in St. Louis was reporting that they had problems with their animations lately because of a Java upgrade. Fortunately, the have KML files to dowload, which brings me ot my final point this afternoon.
YES! Google Earth DOES work on Fedora 7 Linux 64-bit with nVidia drivers. Again with the drivers. The only drivers computer geeks should be worried about are the nirods with a cell phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other on highway who don't use their blinkers.
chmod 744 GoogleEarthLinux.bin; ./GoogleEarthLinux.bin
Now, no more FUD!
Labels: fud, google, hardware, linux
posted by Bushido Hacks 6/18/2007 04:49:00 PM (0) comments top
20070520
Fedora 7 comes out Thursday - Click!
Gearing up in preparation for Fedora 7. Not Fedora Core 7, Fedora 7 according to the Fedora Project website. Although, I do lament not having enjoyed experiencing Fedora 6, or as it was nick named "Zod".I would have loved to install Zod on my computer. I even bought "Kneel Before Zod" stickers from i-mockery.com.
I really liked the name of that distribution, and it's a shame that there isn't a cool name for Fedora 7. Superman II was and still is the best of the Superman movies. Gene Hackman as the original Lex Luthor. Terence Stamp as General Zod. Jack O'Halloran as Zod's silent right-hand man Non. Sarah Douglas as Zod's sexy henchwoman Ursa.
To be quite honest, the supervillians in the Superman movie are way cooler than Superman who everyone known is weakened by Kryptonite, which always seems to be emphasized in the Superman movies.
Basically, the plot in every Superman movie is predictable. Flashy enterance. A segway to Superman does something amazing. A supervillan arrives. The villan learns about Superman's weakness. They use it against Superman. The villians run a muck. Lois Lane gets entangled in the plot. Superman miraculously finds the strength within himself to distance himself from his own capture, saves the day at the last minute, steals a kiss from Lois. Roll credits.
DC and Marvel have better superheros. Batman has no powers but he is way cooler than Superman. Spider-man has problems that people can relate to and he has Jimmy Olsen's job. The Incredible Hulk is one of my favorite superheros though the movie wasn't that impressive. And don't get me started on the X-Men and Teen Titans.
But this post is suppost to be about Linux.
Fedora 7 brings back the well-missed KDE and OpenOffice.org, a couple of great softwares that GNOME really didn't work well with.
I would really like to get some programming done before Fedora 7 arrives. I really would like people to see that.
Labels: comics, diy, linux, movies, software, zod
posted by Bushido Hacks 5/20/2007 08:34:00 AM (0) comments top
20070501
Computer Construction Project COMPLETE!
May 1, 2007. A milestone date. I completed the construction of my first computer. This is actually the seventh computer that I own at my tenth year of owning a computer.Building a computer is a significant event for any computer geek. However, I will not run the machine until I pick up a power surge protector/uninteruptable power supply (PSP/UPS).
If your house does that "dimming" thing whenever the air condition turns on, or if your neighborhood is vunerable to power outages frequently, a do not use a cheap PSP/UPS. My recommendation would be the Tripp Lite Omni or Smart series. These many appear expensive, but you can get them for about half price on eBay.
I hope to start using Fedora Core 7 starting May 24 completing this experiment. Currently, FC7 Test Release 4 is out right now and it should have KDE included again. GNOME is such a drab interface though it is used in many programs, but KDE is far advanced. I recall using the black or transparent status bars LOOOONG before Windows Vista used it.
Well, time to get back to work. My next journal entry will be after graduation.
posted by Bushido Hacks 5/01/2007 01:51:00 PM (0) comments top
20070424
GNU Radio - Click!
I really wanted to come up with a clever title that was a play on Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio", but I just didn't have it in me.With 2007 nearing the midpoint, my self-made computer is nearly complete. All I need now is the memory, a backup power source, a little bit of thermal grease for the processor, and something to patch up that hole in the back where a TV or Graphics card goes.
But since I'm not interested in television, and because I don't play alot of video games to justify shelling $300 for a graphics card, I want to develop an interest in software defined radio (SDR).
It turns out this project will be more challenging that I thought, but I am still eager to find some way to do this project without breaking the budget.
I recently learned that many of the projects I want to do require an industrial level of supplies or components, be it a SDR or an electric generator. An eBay search does not return any results that satisfy my requests.
I spend alot of time working on my computer, but I also want to listen to the radio. Nearly every result returned some form of mediocre FM radio reciever that was part of a TV card. But I want something that listens to AM so I can hear Cardinal games and picks up the FM radio stations that don't play some rap station or top-40/emo crap on five other radio frequencies where my favorite stations are located. I want a radio card that can block out that crap and pick up my Red Birds and Industrial Rock as clear as a bell. Unfortunately, the consumer market appeals to the Lowest Common Denominator. So it looks like I will need to build what I want.
Despite the fact that I did not learn about things like Verlog when I took a computer logic course, I still have the textbook from that class and would like to put it to use. I may need to review my knowledge of assembly language which may be of no use since my new computer is a 64-bit dual-core machine. I'm starting to think that maybe I should have majored in computer engineering rather than computer science considering I have a very limited knowledge about programmable logic arrays (PLAs), but I am willing and open to learn.
Reading the requirement list provided by the GNU Radio website, I really did not want to pay $850 for a hardware device that with the right components can be made for far less. Who ever is running the GNU Radio project obviously is not thinking like a broke college student. Do I really need that many Logic Elements (LEs) for this project? A child can build a radio for a science fair project out of a couple of circuit and a paper clip. These guys are thinking in terms of the most expensive products out there. Altera does have some appealing products that are quite afordable and simple to program. But to place the project cost at $850?! Who's running this project? Kaz Hirai?!
As much as this is an important project, the requirements are full of oversight. I know I can do better at a fraction of the cost!
Labels: diy, hack, hardware, linux, mod, music, radio, science, SDR, software, tech
posted by Bushido Hacks 4/24/2007 09:49:00 PM (0) comments top
20070304
Y2K7
Thanks to your elected leaders, both current (i.e.: George W. Bush) and past (i.e. Al Gore), computer programmers have a new problem, seven years after Y2K and thirty years before Y2K37. (That's when the UNIX clock runs out. Better do something about that, Linus.)Ever since Bush took office in 2001, politicians on both sides of the asle, especially those with something to hide, have tried to manipulate contol of the technology than is suppost to catch criminals (especially the elected ones) and make elected representatives be more honest (espeically the dishonest ones).
Ever since the tape recorder logged Richard Nixon's involvemant in the Watergate scandal, dishonest politician and lobbyists have been pushing more legislation to make Big Brother watch citizens more that their leaders.
While it is reasonable in this day and age to put security cameras in some places like inside shops, busy intersections, buses, and other places where a large number of people congregate, we never see these things inside the offices of public officials. If they can wire tap our phones and log our public internet records, why can't we spy on them?
While these questions should be addressed, it seems more suitable to ask the EFF.
Looking back since 2001, the FBI New York field office was destroyed on September 11, 2001, containing the largest collection of confescated devices created by hackers going as far back as the 1960s.
In 2002, the PATRIOT Act allowed the government to warrentlessly spy on citizens. It doesn't say anywhere to my knowledge that citizens can't sequester the government's privaciy, although common sense would excuse the part of the government that is truely defending this country. What kind of fool would brag about war stragegies that help our troops who risk there own lives to protect this country and to help opressed people in countries that do really like us but are fortunate that we are there to help them and to let them know "I didn't come here to serve the leaders of my country but to serve the people that I love just as you've struggled to serve the people you love."
Which brings us to 2003. I don't think I need to explain a whole lot about what happened that year. War was declared. As much as our country though they were doing the right thing, we actually screwed up. On one hand, we took out Saddam. On the otherhand, we created more problems than we solved. On top of that, just about everyone who had a passion or interest in history worldwide was pisted. Of course our adminstration wasn't going to be lectured by a bunch of history professors, archiologists, scholars, museum curators, or any smart people. Never mind the fact that despite all the troops we sent into Iraq, the leaflets we dropped out of the sky, and the fact that there were even generals at CENTCOM who knew that there is much more in the Middle East that sand and oil. But would it have killed someone to protect the Iraq National Museum of Natural History? Like a special ops team? A phone call? A box of locks to secure the doors? Nope, our leaders were too busy watching Saddam's 23 gold palaces. Thanks to our leaders, nearily every artifact that could tell us about the Cradle of Civilization has been lost, damaged, stolen, or destroyed. Even the Mongolians knew to protect certain places back when they invaded Baghdad in the 16th century. This was also the year gas started costing over $2 per gallon. Who needs an honorary presidential pension when you can steal money from people who have to work for theirs? Let's also not forget the lost of one of the space shuttles due to an underfunded space agency that our country likes to brag about but never supports.
In 2004, there really was no election. John Kerry never intended to win. That would betray his fellow Skull and Bone brother, George W. Bush. Kerry is no hero. When you join the armed forces, you sign a commitment to serve your country, NO EXCUSES! Bush got his daddy to write him a note. Kerry shot himself in the foot, then scraped himself twice. Kerry and Bush are no Vietnam Veterans. I don't see them in black vests, riding motorcycles, working down at the VFW hall, or going to The Wall to rub a crayon on a piece of paper over somebody's name. This was a set up. Another four years of misery. This was also the year that thanks to the Hollywood Elite, the Christian conservative-run FCC cracked down on censorship after an intentional accident during the superbowl and some F-bomb by some old-as-dirt musicians. Thanks for the mamories, you stupid rich people!
In 2005, Hollywood and the media (now known on this website as "the virus") continued to show signs of foot-in-mouth syndrome espeically in the midst of a myriad of disasters. A tsunami in the Indian Ocean in late 2004. A destructive hurricane season that lasted well into the beginning of 2006. The piss-poor response by our government to provide help to a city that was destroyed. While fear-mongers shouted "global warming" and racism, the government once again turned a blind eye. Starting that year, many cities and states began to develop new programs for disaster response, especially greater support for people in low income areas. It was this year, that we learned that the adminstration would leave us to die if the unthinkable happened. We made a statement that if they wanted to preach about how life was sacred yet start wars and let people drown then we weren't going to go down without a fight.
In 2006, elections occured. Stem-cell research (SCR) was approved despite the kicking-and-screeming response of the uberconservative and the hypocritical federal government. When the results came in and SCR got the go ahead, opponents claimed that we didn't know what we were doing or that we were confused. It is bad enough they call the scientist who work on this stuff murderers, but to call the people who know that life begins when sperm meets egg not when boy meets girl stupid should anger anyone who is religious. I'd gladly go back to church if it wasn't for the people who forced their believes upon me or violated their own canon laws. When I go to church, I want don't want to look at some protestor waving their framed fetus-in-a-womb posters. Meanwhile in 2006, Al Gore's head continued expand rivial that of nimrod conservative talk show host Bill O'Rielly. While their egos continue to throw off the Earth's axis, the St. Louis area was hit with three separate storms that knocked out the power in most of the area for over a week. If you want to know what life is like in a post-apocalyptic world, try going without power for nearly a week while the mercury is over 100 degrees or below freezing. Gas topped $3 per gallon, but there were no pumps to fetch it. This was also the year we learned the Internet was not a big truck, but a series of tubes. The inbred intelegence of the telecom industry does not see technology in terms of zeros and ones but a check with a lot of zeros.
So far this year, the egos of the "global warming" campaign continued to get stuck under overpasses as Gore got an Oscar, gas continues to hover near $3, the PS3 and Microsoft Vista suck, and thanks to the federal government's inability to conserve energy, use Abrams tanks that get less than one mile per gallon, and because they've punished California for using more clean renewable energy, we now have to spring forward two weeks earily and fall back two weeks later.
"That doesn't sound like a big deal. You made me read all that to tell me about changing my clocks?"
Wrong! This has much more to do than just clocks. Computers now have to update their timekeeping software because of a bill passed by the federal government extending daylight savings time by four weeks.
That 400 point drop in the stock market last week wasn't because of Far East financial problems. It was stock investors covering their ass because they haven't downloaded any software patches to be Y2K7 compliant. There have been several upgrades to Linux and UNIX time zone data, but no announcements by Microsoft or Apple about their software. Not to metion, no major corporations who home brew their operating system have made any announcements. So what are banks going to be doing way earily on Sunday morning around 2AM? Probably not paying attention to the cyber-prowlers taking advantage of the earily shift in time. I suppose we will find out next week.
Labels: business, dogma, fud, imho, linux, politics, rage, stlouis, tech, thevirus, tubes, weather, windows
posted by Bushido Hacks 3/04/2007 10:57:00 AM (2) comments top
20070203
Mobo Jojo
My beautiful black case came in the mail yesterday. Special thanks to BUYPCDIRECT for providing the first step in my journey.Building a computer is a monumental moment for any computer geek. It is like the same feeling that a wrenchead (one who likes to build their own car or motorcycle) has when they begin building their first vehicle.
My parents think that this project will occupy most of my time and that I won't stick to my regular work. Not true!
This project does cost money, and will need to be spread out over the next few months. This means I will still stay on task while I work on one of my greatest achivements.
That's another thing that concerns them: cost. My brother did a project like this a couple years ago. He ponied up for the biggest most expensive stuff that was out their.
I, on the other hand, have plans on building something a bit more moderate and less expensive.
While I have no interest whatsoever in Windows Vista, Microsoft has brought forth the need to upgrade to 64-bit computing.
In order to keep up with the Gates (as oppose to keeping up with the Jones), I have decided to build my computers based on x86-64 architecture.
If there is one thing that the people at Microsoft and the resistant group of geeks (including myself) agree on it is that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has the better architecture for this task. AMD has been working on 64-bit architecture for several years now, even while Intel was promoting the Pentium 4.
In 2005, one of the most significant competitions in the computer industry begain since the Browser Wars of the mid-1990s. This hype as we now know it is called the "Core Wars".
The "Core Wars" brought forth Dual-Core processing, an idea forged from the concept of parallel computing. Many of us have seen the ads for products from Intel.
For those of you who are not computer geeks, the products that Intel has advertized over the years are for computer chips called microprocessors. A microprocessor is nothing more than a piece of plastic with this little teeny-tiny switches on them that are arranged with such precission that a machine must be used to manufacture them. A computer has many of these devices embedded into them into a big circuit board called the motherboard, or mobo for short. One chip that is heavily advertised, and one of the most important, is called the central processing unit, also known as the CPU or "core". The CPU is "the brain" of the computer. It works so hard, a fan is attached to it to displace the amount of heat. On newer desktop machines, the CPU has its own fan separate from the other fan that keeps everything cool and well ventelated. Some cases have come with thermal gauges to monitor and regulate the amount of heat a computer puts out, especially the CPU.
Until last year, the concept of having more than one core in your computer was reserved for the highly skilled computer engineer or the hardcore gamer. To be quite honest, having one core is good enough for me. But the concept of multi-core systems, though more expensive, does have its advantages.
A computer with one core puts out alot of heat. If the heat is not pushed out of the system, other parts of the computer become warped from the high temperature. To alleviate the stress caused by such a high amount of thermal energy, computer engineers took a page from the supercomputer industry.
If the name is not enough to tell you, a supercomputer is a computer with such high amount of processing capabilities that only a select few research laboratories, industries, and the government use them. A supercomputer, despite the recent advances in miniaturization brought on by improvements in nanotechnology, is about the size of a phonebooth and put out so much energy that it needs its own room with a large fan to blow out the hot air and draw in cool air. I read in some computing magazine that because these machines put out so much wasted energy, some companies in California channel the hot air into the air conditioning system to heat up the building in the winter time. Another company developed another, more practical idea to circulate the air in the room by reusing the air using convection. Convection occurs when hot air rises out of a heat source, then cools down causing the air to sink back to the floor where it is sucked back in again.
A supercomputer is able to process large amouts of information while generating less heat using a concept called parallel computing. This means a computer with dual-core processing uses two processors that have half the processing power as a single processing unit but because they work together, they computer the same amount of processing power as the single processing unit.
Because two processor with half the processing capabilities as a single processor but work just as dynamic, Intel has hyped up the concept with their "do more advertisement." *in that loud Kevin Spacy as Lex Luthor voice* WRONG!. Dual-core processing does not allow you to do work twice as fast as a single-core system unless you purchase a dual-core system with two processors that have the same power as the single-core processor EACH!
So what about this hype about "quad-core" (4 CPUs on one CPU)? Same concept. One big processor divided into four smaller processors with about a quarter of the processing capability as the single processor EACH!
The entire concept of the CPU was to store all those teeny-tiny switches onto ONE microprocessor. They way I see it, multicore processing is a step backwards, that or the chip manufacturing industry trying to cut cost instead of trying to find way to keep the computer from possibly burning up without burning a hole in your wallet, or worse burning the house down. (I'm talking to you Dell Computers!)
The downside to x86-64 architecture is that everything you know about assembly programming (especially for 16 and 32 bit systems) needs to be modified to include 64 bit systems. Fortunately, C and C++ programmers won't need to change the way the program too much. But if you use low level programming, now would be a good time to brush up on 64-bit assembly as technology marches on.
Labels: C++, diy, fud, linux, mod, tech, windows
posted by Bushido Hacks 2/03/2007 08:46:00 AM (1) comments top
20070127
A new year, a new ride
The ride of any nerd is of course the computer. Today, I begin one of the first steps in a journey that only a few people I know have done: build their own computer.I bought a PC case, BLACK. Being a Linux nerd, I don't need to worry about things like Windows Vista which, all bias put aside, is really rediculous.
I went to the office supply store this weekend to pick up some supplies, and lo and behold there was the display for Vista already out there. Oh to have one of Adam Sessler's writers on hand to cut Vista up with a razor-like wit.
Big "whoop dee fricken doo" about Bill Gates. So don't bother metioning him if you are one of the three people who actually read this website.
Anyway, back to what I want to talk about. So I'm looking at the Vista display and the discription is as dismal as the Slashdot niche had imagined. Vista comes with less than what XP has as the big technology conglomorates still believes that proprietary software will work like the Bush Adminstrations plans for Iraq. (I'm not a hippie. I support our troops, but you don't need to be a dirty hippie anymore to see how those things pan out.) So while small businesses get the shirt ripped off their back for an operating system that two days from its release will have a billion problems, I'll still be using my current version of XP and current distro of Linux until I have all the pieces of my new ride assembled.
What's really going to burn the post-Gates Microsoft Corporation is that sales for their operating system will be less than what they were 10 years ago when Windows 98.
Labels: diy, linux, mod, shovelware, tech, windows
posted by Bushido Hacks 1/27/2007 07:46:00 PM (0) comments top
20050203
Nice TuSSH - Click!
A good computer operator should always have a back up of their most important data and aplications when the you-know-what hits the fan.Recently, I have learned to take advantage of Dreamhost.com's Linux Server capabilities including the fact that I can compile PERL and C++ online using SSH and query my mySQL database.
Secondly, I have always wanted a way to access SSH through a small handheld device. PocketPC could not do this, the failed Familiar Project never had anything, but Palm had a program.
The program is called TuSSH, short for Tungsten SSH. SSH is a secure form of telnet. This is one of the greatest programs I have ever used since I learned about OpenOffice.
TuSSH is freeware but it is not open source. So if you really really like this program, donate $20 to the guys who created TuSSH.
posted by Bushido Hacks 2/03/2005 01:16:00 PM (0) comments top
20050201
A crash course in OpenGL with airbags - Click!
The past two weeks I have been racking my brain trying to get OpenGL to work. Fortunately, I finally found some one who can help.Compiling Instructions
Shell Script Instructions
As it turns out, my computer had GLUT, the OpenGL Utility Toolkit, and Mesa all along. In retrospect, I wish I had not upgraded/downgraded the files I already had. But I'm OK. If something bad happens I'll be sure to list it here.
Now, before you get all "Perhaps my computer has this already." Be certan that you do! Some of them have been packaged with GCC. But the most important thing that you should have, is X11. If you are using Linux or Unix, you're OK. Windows and MacOS users will have to keep looking.
Simple instructions:
If you plan on using more than one C++ file for a multipe object program for OpenGL (recommended!)
1) c++ -c gears.cpp -o gears.o
2) repeat step one for each module you plan on using
3) When you have all your .o files ready, execute the following line.
c++ -Wl--startgroup gears.o ... --Wl--endgroup -o gears.exe -I/usr/X11R6/include/ -L/usr/X11R6/lib/ -lglut -lGL -GLU -lX11 -lXmu -lXi -lm
I'll post a template for an OpenGL file later.
Check out the two links to seen what the attributes do.
posted by Bushido Hacks 2/01/2005 01:44:00 PM (0) comments top
20050131
Wanted: Instructions to sync a Sony Clié PEG-UX50 with Fedora Core 3 - Click!
OK, I love my new PDA (thank you, duffstuf123! ^_^), but finding instructions to syncronize such a wonderful piece of new technology has been difficult to find.Yeah, my Clié came with an installation CD and an instruction manual. The guy who sold it to me was even generous enough to include a 128MB Memory Stick. But something I had not anticipated occured: there is no instructions for syncronizing this device with Linux...yet.
PalmSource did make an announcement stating that they would develop software to syncronize PalmOS devices with the Linux operating system. KDE has a good program called KPilot to syncronize the device with programs part of their KDE PIM groupware.
However, their are some relatively simple instructions to set up Palm devices with Linux. I just have not found a common method yet. I hope to find the instructions by the end of this week and when I do find them, I will post them here at BushidoHacks.com or I'll post the link to the instructions that I have found suitable for the Sony Clié.
Stay tuned. Good news is on the way.
Labels: ebay, handhelds, linux, palm, sony
posted by Bushido Hacks 1/31/2005 07:59:00 AM (0) comments top
20040802
A must have for Linux users: Microsoft fonts - Click!
If there is anything more bureaucratic and hypocrictical it's Microsoft's selfish and eletist bias against other software and operating systems. Such is their case against Linux users.They are very close to pulling a Metalica/RIAA move and calling Linux software piracy when it isn't. While their futile attempts to sue Linux users by paying SCO to sue companies that use Linux (AutoZone, DaimlerChryster, Lowes Home Improvement, UPS, etc.)
If their is anyone they should sue, it is Redhat for profiting off of free software for non-commercal users. (Some one at the North Carolina Linux Distributer needs to re-read the GPL license they swore too.)
But that is not why I am here this morning! I'm here to give you something that most distros do not have because of a Microsoft EULA agreement: THE CORE FONTS!
Face it, you feel like the odd man out when you are at a message board and it says you can pick Arial, Impact, Tahoma, and Verdana but you can't.
So what should you do? Follow the instructions in the link. Note that after you have built the 5MB RPM file from the 6KB spec file, the RPM will end out at file:/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/noarch. You should also download and install the cabextract package. You should then restart your computer after you have installed the core fonts.
Labels: fonts, linux, microsoft
posted by Bushido Hacks 8/02/2004 09:29:00 AM (0) comments top
20040720
Coffee Fix - Installing Java on Linux - Click!
All right Linux users, listen up. You use Mozilla or Firefox for Linux but you don't have Java installed. While the literacy rate in the United States is about 98%, you really are not in the mood to exercise you ability to read. You just want to install Java and not read that verylarge disclaimer that comes with downloading AND installing Java. You've already agreed to all that legal mumbo jumbo, wheter you read it completely or not.So lets to a refresher course on how to install Java for Linux.
I will assume that you have the following:
- A machine with a 32-bit processor running some form of Linux.
- You have a Konsole shell ready to run command line sequences.
- You are using Firefox or Mozilla.
From here on out, I'm going to use the <acronym> tag which should project a dotted line below some acronyms. Otherwise, I'll tinker with the CSS in this page later. I wish I could get XSLT to work so these acronyms automatically insert themselves, but I'll dicuss that someother time.
Ready? Good lets begin.
Go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html. If version 1.4.2 has been superceeded by a newer version, goto http://java.sun.com/j2se/. There really is nothing too great about J2EE. Stick with J2SE. One other thing, install the SDK not the JRE!. Click on where it says "Dowload J2SE SDK". Scroll to the end of the License Agreement just to be sure that they don't have a script running that ensures that you look atleast at some part of the agreement. Click accept then continue.
Because your Linux Distro more than likely has an RPM database to keep software up to date and to simplify installing software on Linux, you should download the "RPM in self-extracting file" version of the Linux Platform binary. Currently, the file name is
j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586-rpm.bin. For now, put this file in your home directory.The one thing I was irked about the guys at Java, is that they never tell you what to do, post-download, like HOW TO INSTALL THE FREAKING BINARY! So go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/install-linux.html#install-rpm and pick up where they left of, or read my version of the installation instructions. I recommend my version because there are a few thing the Java guys forgot to tell you about.
In the Konsole
$ chmod a+x j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586-rpm.bin$ ./j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586-rpm.binWARNING! WARNING!When you execute the second line, you will run into the License Agreement again. To make this p.i.t.a. experience a little more bearable, hold down the return button Untill you see section G, the part about Third Party Code. Then tap return carefully until you see the prompt asking "Do you agree to the above license terms?". Press y then return. The file
j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586.rpm is now available to use.Next, become root.
$ suPassword:# rpm -ihv j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586.rpmIt may seem that your screen has frozen up, but rest asure, it hasn't. It will take about minute for the package
j2sdk to become part of the database.Once all that is done, delete j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586-rpm.bin but not j2sdk-1_4_2_05-linux-i586.rpm. It is best that you back up the RPM file until a newer version is released.
Now, hold on! You are not finished yet. You may have java on your machine now but you don't have the java plug-in work.
First off, DO NOT COPY
/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_05/jre/plugin/i386/ns610-gcc32/libjavaplugin_oji.so to the firefox plugins folder! You will crash Firefox everytime jo goto a webpage with a java applete. Not fun!YOU SHOULD CREATE A LINK!
In Konsole:
# cd /firefox/plugins# ln -s /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_05/jre/plugin/i386/ns610-gcc32/libjavaplugin_oji.soTADA! You now have the power to defend the earth like never before, or atleast use Java.
Try going to AnfyTeam.com.
In the future, expect to see Java Applet tutorials aswell as how to create programs in C++ and Java as eariler stated.
posted by Bushido Hacks 7/20/2004 02:26:00 PM (0) comments top
