http://www.tsky.net/ Caffeine, Code and Geek Thoughts. en Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:10:08 GMT Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:42:06 GMT http://www.tsky.net/ Tskynet v3.0.1 webmaster@tsky.net webmaster@tsky.net http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=195It always amazes me how with each new revision of Windows something important to your operation ceases to function. Key items of disgust this week: the continuing fact NTLM doesn't operate correctly with our previous filtering system (forcing me to get a trial for and try and configure the new SmoothWall School Guardian system); The fact that Windows 7 Professional has no way to install Windows Services for Unix, thus rendering any notion of NFS mounting obsolete; The complete lack of support for Server 2008 R2 operation with software firms - Kaspersky effectively killed our servers when installing AV. Nice.
Not only content with this, I've been trying to move 2.5 metric tonnes of scrap IT hardware on my own in the work van - only to find the recycling firm didn't turn up in their big 7.5 tonne truck but a SWB Transit which meant I could only get rid of 1.4 Tonnes of hardware. This now leaves me with another load or two that needs to be shifted urgently.
Effectively, I have one day next week to get every machine on site up to date with Windows updates, get the dreaded SIMS system working (seriously, what application firm writes handlers that require read/write access to the Program Files and Windows folders by the user!? Idiots.), Get Internet access fully working for staff and students, Create the email accounts for all students, Complete installing dual booting on the iMac suite (having had a nightmare trying to trouble-shoot and install XP on them), Installing all machines in the lab that hasn't been built yet and bringing the VLE and Intranet back online.
There's just no end of work we must get through - every time you try and bring something else back online there's another fault with Server 2008 or software that needs to run on it. Starting to wish we'd just stayed with 2003 and scrapped the idea of 2008. Such is life eh?
Been looking at the hackerspaces sites across the world and drooling over some of the setups. It would be nice to set one up over here as there's nothing between Leeds and Edinburgh on the east coast. Wondering if it's possible to try and find somewhere to run one or use the resources at work to do something. There really isn't anything in Teesside that caters for Linux or Hacker groups from what I can see. Must change that.
So, yeah, not particularly been a good week (feeling very tired - body and brain hurting) but at least my number 1 is back this week as a second set of eyes and brain and we've also got a new lad starting to take over as NVQ trainee for the year. Busy times.
Switch to Linux on the laptop has been fairly painless, loving Snow Leopard on the Mac Server - it just talks to Windows how you'd expect it to both ways... Windows 7 Pro on the desktop is starting to peeve me a little but on the whole it's ok as long as I run XP Pro in a VM on it.
Managed to get Citrix XenServer running on hardware at home so should be able to set some virtualised infrastructure up for testing and development.
Rather impressed with my three year old son's progress on computers and his ability to troubleshoot and get working on the programs he wants to. In a lot of respects, he puts many of my peers to shame. Well done son.Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:42:06http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=195http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=194Another week of redevelopment work down and we're still so far away from completing the summer work. No matter how much work you get through, you're always still reliant on someone having actually built something or rebuit a room or generally completed their task before you can do what you need to.
So one week to go really, in which I need to construct three laboratories, get shipment of my replacement mice and keyboards for my iMacs and create an XP and Mac drive image from which to blast the iMacs (which I've never done before so that'll be interesting to learn on the fly!), oh and then there's all the finishing off, clearing and cleaning the place down and waiting for one of the labs to be built before I can do any work in it!
There just aren't enough hours in the day!
so.. yeah.. anyway...
Hopefully I'll get everything up and running at home too and sort out some networking bits there. Need to continue gathering thoughts and putting words onto pages again (got another eLearning book up my sleeve which shouldn't take to long to get to print, where I seem to be selling more copies of my previous VLE book hurrah!)
Had an interesting look at the XO laptop and watched a presentation at a recent meetup in Edinburgh which was quite informative - will be interesting to see what the new version of it will look like. On THAT front - also heard that the HP Slate will be making a debut soon with windows 7 on it. Yeah, I think I might actually look into one of those devices. Let's hope the price is right and it comes out around my birthday time mwuahahahah.
Still inspired by a lot of volunteer computing work going on around the globe with a Christian ethos - a lot of it seems to have been underground, not wanting to be marred by the "airy-fairy less-than-adequate" side of things. I mean, I've seen some REALLY bad firms out there over the years (heck, it's the same for any firm that sets up to try and meet it's own community's needs from what I have experienced). A lot of the recent stuff I've seen has inspired me and challenged me to the core and made me think about ways in which I can use the facilities and expertise I have to a greater good. I'd quite like to see some more work in my region related to this area and some better links with Africa - perhaps being able to sort some more links with our partner school in Lesotho. Thinking cap needs to remain on head for a few days with that one.
Had a nice catch-up with Aliz this week too which always brings a smile to my face with the crazy coding and hardware bits he's involved in. I managed to help out with some extra (ready for the bin but still useful for haX0rZ like us) hardware. I like passing kit on.. if anyone has any mac gear they don't want.. pass it my way! ;)Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:47:12http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=194http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=193Just had a nice couple of lazy days in a log cabin in the middle of a wood next to a lake. Besides the fresh air and peaceful nature of watching grown men spend all day trying to hook a fish (then throwing it back again once they caught it - just eat the damn thing I say!) was a refreshing abundance of wireless Internet connection provided by the site. A few external access points around the site with nice high gain antennae delivered a decent enough web access to the cabins and caravans. A good place for a techie retreat if you're ever in need of a coding vacation!
So anyhow, hopefully all is going well at work - I'll find out when I'm back in on Thursday after another couple days off to recharge the batteries!
Really love the Sony eBook reader, very useful on recent log cabin excursion and worked well in a variety of illumination levels inside and out. Relaxed the brain somewhat which was well-needed.
Fresh thinking can now occur.Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:19:19http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=193http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=192It's amazing how quickly in the I.T. sector that your skills can become rusty or out-dated. Take, for example, the recent annoyance with the latest versions of Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft's WDS services. Oh my goodness, has it been a while since we've had to do crazy fault-finding work on these systems. Take security systems however, if you're not at the cutting-edge of it or constantly reading up on sections, consider the excessive implications to your corporate or personal networks.
I think I need to get some more books and do some more reading.
Continuing to look at PHP5/6-ing my systems - lots of paper scribbles required ahead of the coding phase.
So very tired after moving all this equipment around the buildings at work. Next year I'm going to buy very small, very light systems. This is most definitely the last time I have to traipse these ugly big PC's around, my arms and thighs are complaining way too much at me tonight.
[Boot note - when I find the eedjut who designated the top floor of a building for computer labs with only stair access and external door access a far reach away, I shall enlighten them to the pleasures of electrical discharge through an aqueous biological system].Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:41:38http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=192http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=189Just thinking about this today, what's your favourite place to write software? Where do you find is most comfortable and conducive to coding for you? I reckon more and more people would be arguing for al-fresco coding nowadays, but I reckon the real code-monkeys still prefer to hide away in the dark with a lavalamp on... am I right?
Only just found Hackers for charity this week. My. Gosh. How the heck did I not know about that before now? Slapping myself with hickory sticks for not finding them sooner. Going to try and help them anyway I can - hopefully I can do some fundraising with the school.
Going to try and port my software up to OO-PHP instead of the traditional linear format, hopefully it'll work. Investigating the use of non php-globals to reduce impact of XSS opportunities.
Started looking at my old Virtucoll code and system in general and thinking.. "hey, you know, if I completely re-wrote this stuff, I could build it like an OLPC type interface to help developing IT countries get into electronic learning systems. Might develop down that route soon.
Really need to have some techy-sharing meets in the next year, must try and get to BarCamp next year - see if I can drag the like-minded gang along too.Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:33:34http://www.tsky.net/responses.php?blogID=189