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Ubuntu 6.10 server beta works!
by cl＠isbd.net 05 Oct '06

05 Oct '06

The saga of my Abit AB9 Pro motherboard continues. The Ubuntu 6.10 server beta installation CD recognises the CD drive on the JMicron SATA/PATA interface - hurrah! However it didn't initially recognise the hard disks on the Intel ICH8R SATA interface, turning on AHCI in the BIOS fixed this though. (Strangely the Suse installation recognised the hard disks without AHCI turned on). So now I'm installing Ubuntu 6.10 beta, I'll probably upgrade to the proper 6.10 when it arrives but the beta will allow me to play for a while at least. A couple of questions:- Is there any peformance penalty using the AHCI BIOS? Why doesn't Ubuntu Desktop 6.10 beta work in the same system? -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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Someone interested in some PHP/mySQL work in the next few months?
by Ashley T. Howes, Ph.D. 04 Oct '06

04 Oct '06

Hi, I run my own small software/web development company and we may have the need in the next couple of months to sub-contract / out-source some PHP/mySQL work. Please can interested people email me off-list at work(a)ashleyhowes.com. Please indicate in your email whether you have professional indemnity insurance, whether you use a particular development methodology / approach, and your approx. rates. -- Ashley T. Howes, Ph.D. http://www.ashleyhowes.com/ "May your spirit be renewed in earth's solitary places." - Native American Indian Blessing

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Suse 10.1 has installed but ....
by cl＠isbd.net 04 Oct '06

04 Oct '06

Well I'm back from my rather busy week-end (totally away from computers) and, after a few more clicks, the Suse 10.1 installation on my new hardware has completed. However it does have on little oddity, when booted/rebooted it doesn't show anything on the display. It is working though as I assumed there was a login prompt and was able to login 'blind' as root and shut the system down. All the dmesg stuff appears it's just after that the display goes. If I boot in Suse's "safe mode" the normal login: prompt appears and, in addition, I can log in and run startx to get X windows up. So, it's all working pretty well really except for the default console mode. Does anyone have any ideas how to remedy that? -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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How soon will 2.6.18 kernel appear in stable releases?
by cl＠isbd.net 03 Oct '06

03 Oct '06

As per the title - how soon do the 'main' distributions tend to offer ready made upgrades to the latest (currently 2.6.18) kernel? ... and having asked that which of Mandriva, Ubuntu and Suse is likely to offer it first? Being lazy I'd prefer not to have to compile my own kernel though I have done it before. -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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RE: [ALUG] Re: Trackball for Linux?
by Keith Watson 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

> From: Chris Green Sent: 29 September 2006 13:27 > .... > Question: can you program one of the Marble Mouse buttons to > do a double click? Well if you can for other trackballs I suppose you can for the Marble Mouse (under Windows is comes with it's own utilities which do all sorts of wonderful things but I've only used it fully configured with GNU/Linux). The guarded answer is, yes, if by double click you have a specific operation in mind. E.g. with a scroll mouse under Ubuntu the standard setting for the wheel click button is paste (ctrl+v) but with the Marble Mouse there's no direct equivalent. So I've set the left-hand small (upper) button act the same as a wheel button click (which works quite well for me because I can highlight something by holding down the lower (bigger) left-hand button and moving the track ball and then spin to where I want to paste and click the upper button on the same side). Regards, Keith ____________ APPEAL, v.t. In law, to put the dice into the box for another throw. - Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary

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Anyone used Linux Emporium recently?
by cl＠isbd.net 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

I sent an order to The Linux Emporium a couple of weeks ago and apart from an acknowledgement nothing has happened at all. They used to be very good, even after the original owner moved on. Has anyone else used them recently or heard any adverse comments? -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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RE: [ALUG] Trackball for Linux?
by Keith Watson 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

> From: Chris Green Sent: 29 September 2006 12:43 > > Does anyone here use a trackball? I've been using a Logitech Marble Mouse (http://www.euroffice.co.uk/itm_show.asp?G7544=Logitech-Marble-Mouse&AFF =GG00006373 for example, but if you shop around you can get them cheaper) for a while now and I'm quite pleased with it. (I'm left handed so all these so called ergonomic shapes are a complete waste of time for me :o) ) I'm running Ubuntu Dapper and needed to do a bit of web searching for information on setting up the buttons as I'd like, but an evenings work sufficed to get it set up as I wanted. > > I've been using a Kensington Expert Mouse (which is a > trackball) for many years and would like something similar > that will work well with Linux. > > Requirements are pretty simple:- > Must be a trackball > Must have at least three buttons, preferably four. > Should be able to program buttons (e.g. my button four does double > click of button one). Marble Mouse has four buttons. >From what I've remember my research suggested that all trackballs seems to have a fairly standard mouselike interface so, unless it's some weird and wonderful h/w, the main considerations for setting it up are in the Xorg.conf settings. Fortunately the Marble Mouse seem pretty standard. Regards, Keith ____________ If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a hyacinth - Persian Proverb

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Trackball for Linux?
by cl＠isbd.net 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

Does anyone here use a trackball? I've been using a Kensington Expert Mouse (which is a trackball) for many years and would like something similar that will work well with Linux. Requirements are pretty simple:- Must be a trackball Must have at least three buttons, preferably four. Should be able to program buttons (e.g. my button four does double click of button one). -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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[chris@isbd.co.uk: Re: I'm getting nearer, network install help wanted]
by cl＠isbd.net 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

> > However I have one big problem, I can't find anywhere that tells me > what directory of the FTP site I need to point it at. I can't find > anyhwhere on the www.opensuse.org site that tells me where to get the > files from when doing a network install. > > It tells you how to do a *really* difficult install when you have no > CD at all but doesn't tell you what to do when you've booted from the > mini-iso CD. > > So, can anyone tell me where I should point it and/or point me at some > documentation? > .... it's OK, I got there in the end, it's hardly easy/intuitive though! I'm now installing Suse 10.1 from the Internet, it'll take a while so I'm off to bed now! .... and now I'm back at work in the morning, much of the install has completed but it needs some more manual input before completing. I'm away for the week-end (shouts of joy from the list) so the rest will have to wait for next week. However I now seem to have a reasonably easy/reliable route for installing Suse at least. I have to say that the instructions (or total lack of them) were crap, for it to work you have to know:- The IP address of the system itself, i.e. it has at least to be on the local subnet. The IP address of the gateway. The IP address of your DNS server. What protocol you're going to use to get the files (there's about five or six offered). The IP address (not the name) of the server you're going to use. The full path of the directory where the files are, this was the one I had problems with, firstly there's no clue as to what files it wants so how do I know what directory it is, secondly it's about ten miles long and is typed into a 20 character or so wide window. OK, it's do'able but you really need another system working to be able to get all the information you need. It would be well nigh impossible if you only had one computer. -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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I'm getting nearer, network install help wanted
by cl＠isbd.net 29 Sep '06

29 Sep '06

Well I'm making (slow!) progress. The Ubuntu Edgy CD didn't do any better than the Ubuntu 6.06 one so I decided to try a network install. I have put an RTL8139 based network card into the system and it's recognised by my Suse 10.1 mini-iso, hurrah! After a few minor hiccoughs I have it configured and it can see the outside world. I have ven got as far as pointing it at an FTP site. However I have one big problem, I can't find anywhere that tells me what directory of the FTP site I need to point it at. I can't find anyhwhere on the www.opensuse.org site that tells me where to get the files from when doing a network install. It tells you how to do a *really* difficult install when you have no CD at all but doesn't tell you what to do when you've booted from the mini-iso CD. So, can anyone tell me where I should point it and/or point me at some documentation? -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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