Computers

Well, 10% of download complete in about 2 1/2 hours (two and a half)… Interesting although the download speed is only about 20~28kbyte/sec, it is generating enough network traffic that page loads are very slow, normally I can ping www.google.com and get a response average in the 48-62ms range, and maybe 150ms or so to my primary DNS server set by the ISP.

By contrary, the *US* mirror alone for KateOS pinged at > 400ms and still has a just as bad D/L rate, so since it would mean downloading 3 disks from them as they don’t have a copy of the DVD ISO, there’s no loss by a server from a far off place… But I’ve got to admit, if I had the $6… I would by the bloody disk instead of download it LOL.

As I do with many of my pre-planned operations, I’ve assigned this one a code name: Phoenix. Both because it will be raising an old cannabolized PC out of the ashes; and will probably end up either enflaming my rageometer or proving to be worth the trouble…

Here is part of my ~/phoenix.outline file, I’ve worked out a number of things so far. Software needed on the system once it’s ready op, General goals of the overall plan, changes to Vectra, which PC gets what drive, Suggested file system schemes, estimated the probable cost ($95), since time can only be guessed at I factor that as a level of involvedness it will take to get changes done. I’ve also worked out a strnger concept of what each system will be doing. What follows is the tail end of my outline, pointing out the major placement alternitives. I think points 0 and 2 are best, 0 is annoying but probably the best solution given the terrain, although idea 2 is also a nice idea if I didn’t have a fscking parakeet screaming my head off from morning to just before bed time — No wonder they invented WORK !

Ideas:

| 0/ Remote Workstation {
| | Move either Vectra or Phoenix into my room and set the other up
| | in Vectra's current position (Living Room, my PC desk, lower
| | store point).

| | Set up Phoenix? to make use of xrdp server and access it from
| | Dixie, SAL1600, and also if necessary Josephine.

| | Pro's:
| | | Grants a *decent* working environment from my Desktop
| | | without forcing me to use the Cywgin provided x-server
| | | (also an option here, since it's installed on SAL1600).
| | | And without making me use my laptop for every thing.

| | | Takes best advantage of space, e.g. my Desktop (SAL1600) is
| | | the only place I can actually set up a PC to sit at and
| | | use comfortably, hence why my Laptop (Dixie) has been
| | | such a life saver, because I can sit in bed or at a
| | | regular table -- hole problem could be solved with an
| | | LCD Monitor, which I can't afford... Only have 2 CRT's
| | | in the 19 and 17 or 19 inch range.

| | | Further integrates remote access across the LAN, which
| | | is currently limited to all BSD boxes running OpenSSHs
| | | ssh daemon and all systems having SSH Clients installed.
| | | My Desktop having WinXP MCE's built in RDP capabilities
| | | and all other systems RDP Clients.
| | Con's:
| | | Lack of (me) testing RDP based operations for indented
| | | purposes, also no configuration experience with xrdp.

| | | The 'annoyance' of having to use my Desktop as a client
| | | to access another box for getting work done.

| | | Wireless adaptor must be supported by either Linux or
| | | OpenBSD, which could be a bit *hard* to confirm based on
| | | the local shops generic stockpiles.

| | | Due to the amount of local network traffic, it might be
| | | bet to setup the File Server with the Wireless instead
| | | of the Linux system.
| }

| 1/ Bedroom Work Platform {

| | Set up Phoenix? in my room with Wireless adapter,
| | possibly attempt to cannibalize Vectras CD-ROM drive so
| | that Vectra becomes reliant on Floppy disks only. Wish I
| | had a way to either give all systems a card reader or a
| | floppy drive... Would make life easier!

| | Pro's:
| | | Less disturbing of existing systems then other
| | | ideas.

| | | Gets me further away for
| | | disturbances/distractions

| | | Can use Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse, as well as
| | | rest of PC physically rather then remotely

| | Con's:
| | | No decent working environment in my room to use
| | | a full size PC without purchasing either an LCD
| | | Monitor or setting up a /or another PC Desk in
| | | my room; I only have the one that SAL1600 and
| | | Vectra are hooked up to.

| | | I can hear my family  from at least 10 metres
| | | out side of the building! Let along every where
| | | inside of it.

| | | My laptop might get a lot less use, since most
| | | times I use my laptop it is in my bedroom.

| | | Any possible working environment I could arrange
| | | in my room is likely to be much less then
| | | comfortable for physically sitting at a PC
| | | without buying another PC Desk.

| | | Requires Wifi to be compatible with Linux.
| }

| 2/ Bedroom Game box {

| | Move SAL1600 into my room and swap the Ethernet NIC with
| | the Wireless Adapter.

| | Place Phoenix? in SAL1600's place in the living room

| | Pro's:

| | | Eases shopping for wireless adapter

| | | Moves my Gaming system away from most common
| | | 'interruptions'

| | | Better chance of hearing people on TeamSpeak !

| | | Limits potential for using my laptop less

| | Con's:

| | | No decent working environment in my room to use
| | | a full size PC without purchasing either an LCD
| | | Monitor or setting up a /or another PC Desk in
| | | my room; I only have the one that SAL1600 and
| | | Vectra are hooked up to.

| | | Any possible working environment I could arrange
| | | in my room is likely to be much less then
| | | comfortable for physically sitting at a PC
| | | without buying another PC Desk.

| | | With a work platform placed in the living room
| | | (in SAL1600's place), it would be even *HARDER*
| | | to get freaking work done.

| | | Being in my room on the game box would likely
| | | make it harder for Ma to call me when she needs
| | | things done.
| }

The braces denote folds and the pipes I inserted into the copy/paste so it displays as I see it in my text editor. I’ve configured vim to run a function when ever reading or writing a file with a .outline extension, the function sets settings that I find help write an outline and try to categorize my thoughts more clearly. This is actually how my vimrc file sets different style and other minor options to suit the language I am currently editing, for example a standard tab (visually equal to 8 spaces) when working with C files, and 2 actual spaces for Ruby, e.t.c.

The Pipes or ‘|’ are not really in the file, they just show the tab-deliminated indentation. While I don’t use this when editing source code, I find it works nice for things like this. Normally foldmethod is set to indent, and changed to ‘syntax’ where supported suitably. For outlining, since I didn’t have time to work on a more suitable method of folding, I mearly set it use single braces and fdm=marker; usually it uses 3 braces but I rarely use the marker foldmethod.

Heres my function in vimrc:

function! My_OutlineMode()
 setl tabstop=8 shiftwidth=8 noexpandtab
 setl listchars =tab:| " Mark t's with |'s
 setl list
 setl spell
 setl autoindent smartindent
 setl showmatch matchtime=3
 setl matchpairs+=(:),{:},[:],<:>
 " Fold by tabs
 "setl foldmethod=expr
 "setl foldexpr=getline(v:lnum)[0]=="\t"
 " Fold by braces
 setl foldmethod=marker
 setl foldmarker={,}
endfunction
autocmd BufNewFile,BufRead *.outline call My_OutlineMode()

Although it is probably unnecessary on most vim builds but the autocmd should probably be wrapped in an

if has(“autocmd”)
autocmd goes here
endif

hmm, supper time