- WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Re: [Wlug] REMINDER: WLUG meeting coming up

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > Some 1st timers questions: > > 1) How do I get there? I have never been to the WPI campus and a street > address would be helpful. Hi "1st timer", There are directions posted here for your convenience: http://www.wlug.org/directions.html The address is: 100 Institute Road Worcester, MA 01609 One can find those directions from the WLUG home page, click "WLUG Meetings" (the yellow box near the top of the screen), and from there scroll to the bottom of the page to find the "directions" link. > 2) Where do I park? (part of question 1) Anyplace you can find an available spot - there is no cost for parking. Sometimes there are places on campus, and other times one needs to park on an adjacent street. It varies from meeting to meeting depending upon campus activities. The directions link is more specific about places to park on campus to minimize walking. Here is a link to a WPI campus map: http://www.wlug.org/files/wpi_campus_map.pdf > 3) Is it OK to be a lillte late and how late does the meeting go? We try to start right around 7:00 PM and the meeting generally runs to about 8:30 PM (occasionally later, but never past 9:00 PM that I can recall). If you're a few minutes late, we won't force you to install Windows or anything like that. We promise not to bolt down the doors at 7:00:01 PM. :-) Thanks for your interest in WLUG! Hopefully, you'll be able to make it on Thursday. See ya later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGw4/FHl0iXDssISsRAgIfAKCHnlNvgfYOvZkSUmVX/Gv9VFAkWwCcDXNl RH1wAYOniDcA2AXVCoIpIh0= =sbGC -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 15, 2007

Re: [Wlug] REMINDER: WLUG meeting coming up

by kstratton＠fastmail.us

Some 1st timers questions: 1) How do I get there? I have never been to the WPI campus and a street address would be helpful. 2) Where do I park? (part of question 1) 3) Is it OK to be a lillte late and how late does the meeting go? On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:20:52 -0400, "Andy Stewart" <andystewart(a)comcast.net> said: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > > HI Everybody, > > Its that time again for a WLUG meeting: > > Thursday, August 16th > 7:00 PM > Access Grid Room > WPI Campus > Worcester, MA USA > > See ya there! > > Andy > - -- > Andy Stewart, Founder > Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) > Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) > Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) > Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org > > iD8DBQFGwn8kHl0iXDssISsRAikMAJ9zfo16xjYwhPIRJFOIr2D0raS23ACcDEmA > D3w9ynOUYfEUFrgymuELv90= > =Jnxo > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug -- kstratton(a)fastmail.us

Aug. 15, 2007

REMINDER: WLUG meeting coming up

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI Everybody, Its that time again for a WLUG meeting: Thursday, August 16th 7:00 PM Access Grid Room WPI Campus Worcester, MA USA See ya there! Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGwn8kHl0iXDssISsRAikMAJ9zfo16xjYwhPIRJFOIr2D0raS23ACcDEmA D3w9ynOUYfEUFrgymuELv90= =Jnxo -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 15, 2007

Linux meta-questions - platform choice

by Adam Keck

Hello All, I have some "meta-Linux" questions regarding platform choice. I am wondering if anyone knows of any research, papers, or other work that has been done on the topic. Given two major types of IT infrastructure: - Heterogeneous, where each application/service uses the platform to which it is best suited. - Homogeneous, where one bends a particular platform to fit every edge case. where the platform can be anything from and OS to a language to an application stack. o Under what general conditions is one infrastructure type more efficient than the other? o What other types of infrastructure are there? o More generally, how does one compare infrastructures in a rigorous manner? - How does one rigorously define "efficient" when comparing concepts like infrastructures? - What other metrics, besides "efficiency" (however defined) may be useful in comparing infrastructures? Does anyone know of any work where this topic has been abstracted and analyzed mathematically? Or of any trade papers where this question has been looked at in practice? So far, I found the following paper via Google: http://uic.edu/cba/cba-depts/ids/IDSNewsFiles/JGITM_Evaristopaper.pdf that seems to be on the topic and some hits on arxiv that appear related but not specifically on the topic. This relates to Linux in that convincing an organization to switch entirely over to Linux seems to be prohibitively hard in practice, but if one can show that the heterogeneous case above can be more efficient, then one can make the case for using Linux where it fits best. Thanks for any info/opinions/personal experiences! -Adam

Aug. 10, 2007

[Fwd: looking for someone to do system administration]

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI gang, Can anybody help out Anita? If so, please contact her directly. THanks! Andy - -------- Original Message -------- Subject: looking for someone to do system administration Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 17:43:45 -0400 From: Anita Wos <anita(a)artofrowing.com> To: andystewart(a)comcast.net Andy- I came across your name on the WLUG web site. Perhaps you can head me in the right direction. I am looking for someone to do System Administration on my Cobalt web server. It runs Apache, mySQL and pHp. It runs a couple of web sites. If you have any ideas, please let me know. - - Anita - -- The Art of Rowing 279 Plantation Street, 1st floor Worcester, MA 01604 tel: 978-342-8333 http://www.ArtofRowing.com Anita Wos anita(a)artofrowing.com <mailto:anita@artofrowing.com> mobile phone: 978-808-1102 - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGt6/3Hl0iXDssISsRAvR4AJ96n9QU6ubmvNa0bJN3VAV0XPX86wCfc2Rq 57Ba3eYAzgBsjiZPJxiQlQU= =EFYE -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 6, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > Even though nobody said to do this, I personally would be careful using > the decTOP directly wired to the car battery. I have seen car batteries > under charge with 15 volts or more at the terminals. This is outside > the range of the ATX power suply standard for the 12V output (+-5%) > acording to: http://www.formfactors.org/developer\specs\ATX12V > PSDG2.01.pdf. My greatest concern is for the 3.5" hard drive and > possibly the DC to DC converter that converts the 12V to a logic level > voltages. Point well taken - thanks! There is the theoretical possibility of slightly modifying the box to use something like this: http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-60-WI?sc=8&category=13 Granted, I haven't checked the specs in sufficient detail, but there is hope. :-) Also, I've sent email to the decTOP folks asking them for the spec and tolerances for the 12Vdc input. Once I get this info, I'll pass it along. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGtonUHl0iXDssISsRAqRiAJ42at0gvTzEghAhnIck0Kr/i8ph3wCdF8ZV s2bUk14IPE+cN4F0+Zs4iEg= =Zdyj -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 6, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Brian J. Conway

On Sun, 5 Aug 2007 14:41:35 -0400 (EDT) Jamie Guinan <guinan(a)bluebutton.com> wrote: > On Fri, 27 Jul 2007, Andy Stewart wrote: > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > Hash: SHA1 > > > > > > HI everybody, > > > > Check this link: > > http://www.dataevolution.com/dectop%20info%202.htm > > > > This company bought the assets to the AMD PIC (personal internet > > computer). They're selling it for $99, or three for $299. > > > > Yes, it runs Linux. Here is one person's experience: > > http://jsco.org/dectop/ > > > > I wonder if this machine would make a good LTSP thin client...hummmmm. > > Perhaps a topic for a future WLUG meeting? > > > > See ya later, > > > > Andy > > I remember reading about this when it came out a few years ago. It was > intended for the same market that OLPC is now aiming for. Hence the > rugged "big mac" case. :) Of course it lacks a monitor. > > A few others to consider, > > Nicer form factor, but slower CPU (166MHz), no HD: > http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS6828123924.html > http://www.norhtec.com/products/mcjr/index.html > > USB 2.0, but pricier (price listed in Euros): > http://www.linutop.com/ > > Consumer variant of OLPC XO1, whenever it comes out. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC > > Not to discourage you - the PIC looks like a fun little box! > > -Jamie Here's a couple more that looked like fun toys: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5551137361.html http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2862783342.html (fee-based) The first one's a little pricey, but would make a great router/firewall with two onboard ethernet ports. Brian J. Conway

Aug. 6, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Jamie Guinan

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007, Andy Stewart wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > > HI everybody, > > Check this link: > http://www.dataevolution.com/dectop%20info%202.htm > > This company bought the assets to the AMD PIC (personal internet > computer). They're selling it for $99, or three for $299. > > Yes, it runs Linux. Here is one person's experience: > http://jsco.org/dectop/ > > I wonder if this machine would make a good LTSP thin client...hummmmm. > Perhaps a topic for a future WLUG meeting? > > See ya later, > > Andy I remember reading about this when it came out a few years ago. It was intended for the same market that OLPC is now aiming for. Hence the rugged "big mac" case. :) Of course it lacks a monitor. A few others to consider, Nicer form factor, but slower CPU (166MHz), no HD: http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS6828123924.html http://www.norhtec.com/products/mcjr/index.html USB 2.0, but pricier (price listed in Euros): http://www.linutop.com/ Consumer variant of OLPC XO1, whenever it comes out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC Not to discourage you - the PIC looks like a fun little box! -Jamie

Aug. 5, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by kstratton＠fastmail.us

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:50:11 -0400, "Andy Stewart" <andystewart(a)comcast.net> said: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > > My understanding is that playing flash movies is still at the alpha > > stage (gnash project http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash) For that > > reason alone, I would not give something like that to my mother. Is > > there a movie playing technology that is stable enough for general > > purpose consumption? > > > > One negative of the decTOP that is not obvious is that the decTop does > > not have an integrated network adaptor (based on a web page), instead it > > comes with a USB to network adaptor. If anyone has any suggestions, > > please let me know. I am willing to consider ARM or MIPS boards. > > decTOP likes: > > 1) low power usage (if I believe web pages, 8W) > > 2) standard memory and hard drive interface > > 3) video interface provided as well as mouse and keyboard > > 4) low price > > I still have to do some reading up on the TCP/IP protocol before > > actually deciding to buy something. > > Another thing that I like about the decTOP is that it takes a 12Vdc > input. That lends itself very well to ham radio related operations, > where most equipment takes 12Vdc (think: car battery). Also, a good > percentage of the 8W is to run the hard drive. I can imagine swapping > that out for a flash card and saving lots of power, which would be > important in some applications. > > If it weren't for the $40 shipping, I'd probably have bought one of > these by now. Shipping for four of these was $45 (I think), so if three > other people are interested, I'll split shipping with you. Just let me > know. > > Later, > > Andy > > - -- > Andy Stewart, Founder > Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) > Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) > Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) > Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org > > iD8DBQFGtdWTHl0iXDssISsRAlWYAJ0WhxA3RLXdi93qeepwscSzgVh2gwCfeiiG > mx807TDl2mRou4IUN8okVW4= > =djEY > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug Even though nobody said to do this, I personally would be careful using the decTOP directly wired to the car battery. I have seen car batteries under charge with 15 volts or more at the terminals. This is outside the range of the ATX power suply standard for the 12V output (+-5%) acording to: http://www.formfactors.org/developer\specs\ATX12V PSDG2.01.pdf. My greatest concern is for the 3.5" hard drive and possibly the DC to DC converter that converts the 12V to a logic level voltages. I was considering managing the power with some kind of script using hdparm to bring the hard drive in and out of sleep, but there are more than a few technical details to be worked out. -- kstratton(a)fastmail.us

Aug. 5, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > My understanding is that playing flash movies is still at the alpha > stage (gnash project http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash) For that > reason alone, I would not give something like that to my mother. Is > there a movie playing technology that is stable enough for general > purpose consumption? > > One negative of the decTOP that is not obvious is that the decTop does > not have an integrated network adaptor (based on a web page), instead it > comes with a USB to network adaptor. If anyone has any suggestions, > please let me know. I am willing to consider ARM or MIPS boards. > decTOP likes: > 1) low power usage (if I believe web pages, 8W) > 2) standard memory and hard drive interface > 3) video interface provided as well as mouse and keyboard > 4) low price > I still have to do some reading up on the TCP/IP protocol before > actually deciding to buy something. Another thing that I like about the decTOP is that it takes a 12Vdc input. That lends itself very well to ham radio related operations, where most equipment takes 12Vdc (think: car battery). Also, a good percentage of the 8W is to run the hard drive. I can imagine swapping that out for a flash card and saving lots of power, which would be important in some applications. If it weren't for the $40 shipping, I'd probably have bought one of these by now. Shipping for four of these was $45 (I think), so if three other people are interested, I'll split shipping with you. Just let me know. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGtdWTHl0iXDssISsRAlWYAJ0WhxA3RLXdi93qeepwscSzgVh2gwCfeiiG mx807TDl2mRou4IUN8okVW4= =djEY -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 5, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by kstratton＠fastmail.us

My understanding is that playing flash movies is still at the alpha stage (gnash project http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash) For that reason alone, I would not give something like that to my mother. Is there a movie playing technology that is stable enough for general purpose consumption? One negative of the decTOP that is not obvious is that the decTop does not have an integrated network adaptor (based on a web page), instead it comes with a USB to network adaptor. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I am willing to consider ARM or MIPS boards. decTOP likes: 1) low power usage (if I believe web pages, 8W) 2) standard memory and hard drive interface 3) video interface provided as well as mouse and keyboard 4) low price I still have to do some reading up on the TCP/IP protocol before actually deciding to buy something. On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 08:36:11 -0400, "Klein, Richard" <Richard.Klein(a)cytyc.com> said: > > kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > > > The decPIC does look interesting at the advertised price > > point, but I > > > think the price is high when shipping is added. > > The kicker for me is video. I thought this would be just the thing to > send to my sister in Georgia, because all she really needs is email and > web access (and maybe basic word processing). You wouldn't initially > think video performance would really matter there, but then I think of > all the times people email links to videos and whatnot, and it would be > really irritating to not be able to see what the person's linking to. > > One of the end-user reviews I found on the web said that the PIC is > really too slow for video, managing only single-digit frames per second. > > The USB 1.1 is also a bit of a downer, but not as much of a deal-breaker > for me. > > -- > Rich > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug -- kstratton(a)fastmail.us

Aug. 5, 2007

Re: [Wlug] core 2 duo extremely slow (solved, i think)

by brad

Hi all, It seems that a BIOS downgrade solved the problem. I tried a few different BIOS revisions, the newer the revision the worse the machine functioned, strange. thanks, - brad On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 07:22:54 -0400, Aaron Haviland <orion(a)parsed.net> wrote: > brad wrote, on Aug 02, 2007 at 21:54 EDT: >> >> Hi All, >> I recently got in a nice new 2.4GHz core 2 duo with a bunch of memory, > 8GB. >> I installed kubuntu i386 on it. To get use of the 8GB of memory i >> recompiled the kernel to enable high memory support, a.k.a PAE. When i >> booted the new kernel it saw all my memory, but it took 10-15 minutes to >> boot. i checked dmesg and it didn't seem to report anything out of the >> ordinary. >> >> Then, I thought that perhaps the 64bit version of kubuntu might be a > better >> option. I installed kubuntu 64bit. The install took two days because > every >> step was extremely slow. Once the install finished, i rebooted and it > took >> 10-15 to boot. I was seeing the same symptoms of the 64bit install as i > was >> with the 32bit install with PAE. >> >> I tried downloading the current kubuntu 64bit release as well as the > beta >> of the next release. I'm also trying Fedora Core 7 64bit as i type, but >> that install is going just as slow. I hunted through the BIOS for any >> suspicious settings. I removed all the hardware except for the CD-ROM > (to >> boot a live CD). I did searching through the interweb. All with no luck > to >> solving this problem. >> >> If anyone has any suggestions, they will be much appreciated. >> >> keep cool, >> - brad > > A couple (possibly) good leads in this thread: > http://groups.google.com/group/linux.gentoo.user/browse_frm/thread/830f835c… > > -- > Aaron Haviland > 34 Wayne Ave, Dudley, MA home: [508] 943 - 7974

Aug. 3, 2007

Re: [Wlug] core 2 duo extremely slow

by Aaron Haviland

brad wrote, on Aug 02, 2007 at 21:54 EDT: > > Hi All, > I recently got in a nice new 2.4GHz core 2 duo with a bunch of memory, 8GB. > I installed kubuntu i386 on it. To get use of the 8GB of memory i > recompiled the kernel to enable high memory support, a.k.a PAE. When i > booted the new kernel it saw all my memory, but it took 10-15 minutes to > boot. i checked dmesg and it didn't seem to report anything out of the > ordinary. > > Then, I thought that perhaps the 64bit version of kubuntu might be a better > option. I installed kubuntu 64bit. The install took two days because every > step was extremely slow. Once the install finished, i rebooted and it took > 10-15 to boot. I was seeing the same symptoms of the 64bit install as i was > with the 32bit install with PAE. > > I tried downloading the current kubuntu 64bit release as well as the beta > of the next release. I'm also trying Fedora Core 7 64bit as i type, but > that install is going just as slow. I hunted through the BIOS for any > suspicious settings. I removed all the hardware except for the CD-ROM (to > boot a live CD). I did searching through the interweb. All with no luck to > solving this problem. > > If anyone has any suggestions, they will be much appreciated. > > keep cool, > - brad A couple (possibly) good leads in this thread: http://groups.google.com/group/linux.gentoo.user/browse_frm/thread/830f835c… -- Aaron Haviland 34 Wayne Ave, Dudley, MA home: [508] 943 - 7974

Aug. 3, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Detecting power failure

by John Stoffel

Tal> I have a question about detecting power failures in Linux. I have Tal> an Intel server sitting in a datacenter. It is running Crux 2.1 Tal> (a 2.6 kernel). It is a 2U server with 2 power supplies. Does Tal> anyone know if I can detect when 1 of the power supplies fails? Depending on your server hardware and what the BIOS has configured, take a look at acpid(8) daemon man page. Or the apmd(8) man page. One of them should work for you. As a simple test, pull one power plug and watch the output of /var/log/messages and/or /var/log/dmesg to see what shows up. I'm on a debian setup, but I found some more docs in /usr/share/doc/acpid/README and I'm sure there are a bunch of docs if you google for them. Good luck! John

Aug. 3, 2007

core 2 duo extremely slow

by brad

Hi All, I recently got in a nice new 2.4GHz core 2 duo with a bunch of memory, 8GB. I installed kubuntu i386 on it. To get use of the 8GB of memory i recompiled the kernel to enable high memory support, a.k.a PAE. When i booted the new kernel it saw all my memory, but it took 10-15 minutes to boot. i checked dmesg and it didn't seem to report anything out of the ordinary. Then, I thought that perhaps the 64bit version of kubuntu might be a better option. I installed kubuntu 64bit. The install took two days because every step was extremely slow. Once the install finished, i rebooted and it took 10-15 to boot. I was seeing the same symptoms of the 64bit install as i was with the 32bit install with PAE. I tried downloading the current kubuntu 64bit release as well as the beta of the next release. I'm also trying Fedora Core 7 64bit as i type, but that install is going just as slow. I hunted through the BIOS for any suspicious settings. I removed all the hardware except for the CD-ROM (to boot a live CD). I did searching through the interweb. All with no luck to solving this problem. If anyone has any suggestions, they will be much appreciated. keep cool, - brad

Aug. 3, 2007

Detecting power failure

by Tal Cohen

Hi Guys, I have a question about detecting power failures in Linux. I have an Intel server sitting in a datacenter. It is running Crux 2.1 (a 2.6 kernel). It is a 2U server with 2 power supplies. Does anyone know if I can detect when 1 of the power supplies fails? Thanks, Tal

Aug. 2, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Klein, Richard

> kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > > The decPIC does look interesting at the advertised price > point, but I > > think the price is high when shipping is added. The kicker for me is video. I thought this would be just the thing to send to my sister in Georgia, because all she really needs is email and web access (and maybe basic word processing). You wouldn't initially think video performance would really matter there, but then I think of all the times people email links to videos and whatnot, and it would be really irritating to not be able to see what the person's linking to. One of the end-user reviews I found on the web said that the PIC is really too slow for video, managing only single-digit frames per second. The USB 1.1 is also a bit of a downer, but not as much of a deal-breaker for me. -- Rich

Aug. 1, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 kstratton(a)fastmail.us wrote: > The decPIC does look interesting at the advertised price point, but I > think the price is high when shipping is added. Approximately $37 for > shipping + $99 adds up to about $136. With the four for the price of 3 > special, the cost was was about $56 for shipping + $297. > > I suspect that this high shipping cost also would apply to warranty > returns as well, significantly decreasing the value of the implied 30 > day warranty. > > I know this topic is a littel old, but I wanted to add my 2 cents. I just sent email to the company complaining about the shipping cost. They claim the package is 8 lbs but there still no way (IMHO) that it should cost around $40 to ship it. It is a little better when one buys four at a time (assuming you divide the shipping by your other three friends). I checked eBay, there aren't any out there (yet). There will be someday. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGsFKYHl0iXDssISsRAhXoAJ9/Ls3c7BeWyMOrosgDPK7phlX9xQCfeGWv CLPI9T8ScX1vUL04+eAyO0M= =NDL6 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 1, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by kstratton＠fastmail.us

The decPIC does look interesting at the advertised price point, but I think the price is high when shipping is added. Approximately $37 for shipping + $99 adds up to about $136. With the four for the price of 3 special, the cost was was about $56 for shipping + $297. I suspect that this high shipping cost also would apply to warranty returns as well, significantly decreasing the value of the implied 30 day warranty. I know this topic is a littel old, but I wanted to add my 2 cents. -- kstratton(a)fastmail.us

Aug. 1, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS

by Andre Lehovich

> I'm paranoid, and a lot of spam comes from co.uk....I'm not saying it's not > authentic, it just strikes me as odd. Hanna hacks on Debian and also does AI research. I'd guess the post is authentic. The LUG is always scrambling for presenters. Hanna, if you're now local, maybe you could dust off your Debconf talk on how one joins the Debian project? --Andre ____________________________________________________________________________________ Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=graduation+gifts&cs=bz

July 30, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS

by Eric Martin

I'm paranoid, and a lot of spam comes from co.uk....I'm not saying it's not authentic, it just strikes me as odd. On 7/29/07, Ritacco, Alan <Alan.Ritacco(a)umassmed.edu> wrote: > > If I was a betting man, which I am not, I would guess this is a > student/researcher/post doc who is using an personal address b/c of the > summer. I could be incorrect though. > > Al > > ------------------------------ > *From:* wlug-bounces(a)mail.wlug.org on behalf of Eric Martin > *Sent:* Sun 7/29/2007 4:53 PM > *To:* Worcester Linux Users Group > *Subject:* Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS > > Why is this coming from somebody with a .uk domain? > > On 7/27/07, Hanna M. Wallach <hmw26(a)cam.ac.uk> wrote: > > > > ========================================== > > Software Engineer in Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory > > at UMass. > > > > Work with computer science researchers and other software engineers to > > revolutionize search over research literature and patents. See our > > preliminary web portal for computer science researchers at > > http://rexa.info/faq, and read relevant publications at > > http://www.cs.umass.edu/~mccallum/papers<http://www.cs.umass.edu/%7Emccallum/papers> > > . > > > > Open source tools: Linux, Java, MySQL, Apache, ... > > > > Modern methods: Test-driven development using the Java/Spring > > framework. Feature-rich, Ajax-based web interfaces. > > > > Intellectually stimulating: Learn about cutting edge methods in > > machine learning, information extraction, web search, data mining, > > social network analysis. > > > > Serious hardware platforms: 100-CPU cluster, 10Tb disk, fast servers > > and desktops. > > > > Challenging work: Not cookie-cutter programming. Integrate with > > machine learning methods; program for high parallelism; devise > > algorithms for massive scalability. High creativity, intelligence, > > experience, and independent drive required. > > > > Experienced colleagues: Former VP R&D 170-person startup, extensive > > professional software engineering experience on the team. > > > > Tuition Benefits: Take UMass Amherst courses while working. > > Opportunities to publish research papers, if desired. > > > > True search: No internal candidate. > > > > Excellent follow-on prospects: Several others from the lab later got > > job offers from Google, Yahoo, IBM, Microsoft. (We want someone > > interested in staying multiple years, though.) > > > > Time off: Five weeks vacation and personal time, plus 13 holidays each > > year. > > > > Gorgeous location: Amherst, MA: bucolic surroundings plus active > > culture. Smith, Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst Colleges all in the > > neighborhood. Office with window. > > > > > > ================================================ > > Rexa: http://rexa.info (create free login) > > > > Rexa is a digital library covering the computer science research > > literature and the people who create it. Rexa is a sibling to Google > > Scholar, CiteSeer and the ACM Portal. It's chief enhancement is that > > Rexa knows about more first-class, de-duplicated, cross-referenced > > object types: not only papers and their citation links, but also > > people, grants, topics---and in the near future universities, > > conferences, journals, research communities, and more. > > > > Rexa currently provides: > > * Keyword search on over 7 million papers (mostly in computer science) > > * Cross-linked pages for papers, authors, topics and NSF grants > > * Browsing by citations, authors, co-authors, cited authors, citing > > authors; (find who cites you most by clicking "Citing authors" on > > your home page) > > * Web-2.0-style "tagging" to bookmark papers > > * Automatically-gathered contact info and photos of author's faces > > * Analysis of research topics, their impact, and how they relate. > > > > Coming soon: > > * Much improved coverage of recent CS papers (it's somewhat weak now) > > * Ability to make corrections to extracted data > > > > Coming later: > > * Improved ranking, extraction and co-reference accuracy > > * Much more data mining > > * Broader coverage of more research fields > > > > Rather than seeing our siblings as competitors, we believe that such > > services are like "newspapers for the research community", and, just > > as it is tremendously important that there is not solely one national > > newspaper, we think there should be many such services. This is > > especially true since increasingly they will do more than simply > > supply raw information, but also provide subjective analysis, pattern > > discovery, and predictions. > > > > Rexa acts as driving application and showcase for our research in > > machine learning, natural language processing, information extraction, > > entity resolution, trend analysis and social network analysis. We aim > > to revolutionize the progress of science by providing new tools to > > help scientists do their job more effectively. > > > > > > ============================================ > > Official Job Posting: > > > > The Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory within the Center > > for Intelligent Information Retrieval (CIIR) at the University of > > Massachusetts Amherst is seeking computer professionals to support its > > expanding research. > > > > The Software Engineers will design, implement, and maintain software > > systems. Both positions require experience with programming in Java or > > C++ and with building software systems, web-based systems experience > > is a plus. Experience preferred in Unix, Network, shell script > > programming and one or more of the following: information retrieval, > > natural language processing, text and information extraction > > processing, and database systems. > > > > Software Engineer 1: B.S. in computer science or related field, or > > equivalent combination of education, training and experience, plus 2-4 > > years experience or equivalent. M.S. preferred. Hiring Range: $39,200 > > - $55,400. Respond to Search #R25014. > > > > Senior Software Engineer: M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent and > > 2-4 years of related work experience. Demonstrated leadership ability > > required; project management experience preferred. Hiring Range: > > $47,600 - $65,000. Respond to Search #R26907. > > > > To apply, send a letter with your resume and three letters of > > recommendation to: Search {# from above}, Computer Science Department, > > University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9264. These positions > > are grant-funded; renewal beyond one year contingent upon continued > > funding. Review of applications will continue until the available > > positions are filled. > > > > The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal > > Opportunity Employer. Women and members of minority groups are > > encouraged to apply. > > _______________________________________________ > > Wlug mailing list > > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > >

July 30, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS

by Ritacco, Alan

If I was a betting man, which I am not, I would guess this is a student/researcher/post doc who is using an personal address b/c of the summer. I could be incorrect though. Al ________________________________ From: wlug-bounces(a)mail.wlug.org on behalf of Eric Martin Sent: Sun 7/29/2007 4:53 PM To: Worcester Linux Users Group Subject: Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS Why is this coming from somebody with a .uk domain? On 7/27/07, Hanna M. Wallach <hmw26(a)cam.ac.uk> wrote: ========================================== Software Engineer in Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory at UMass. Work with computer science researchers and other software engineers to revolutionize search over research literature and patents. See our preliminary web portal for computer science researchers at http://rexa.info/faq, and read relevant publications at http://www.cs.umass.edu/~mccallum/papers. Open source tools: Linux, Java, MySQL, Apache, ... Modern methods: Test-driven development using the Java/Spring framework. Feature-rich, Ajax-based web interfaces. Intellectually stimulating: Learn about cutting edge methods in machine learning, information extraction, web search, data mining, social network analysis. Serious hardware platforms: 100-CPU cluster, 10Tb disk, fast servers and desktops. Challenging work: Not cookie-cutter programming. Integrate with machine learning methods; program for high parallelism; devise algorithms for massive scalability. High creativity, intelligence, experience, and independent drive required. Experienced colleagues: Former VP R&D 170-person startup, extensive professional software engineering experience on the team. Tuition Benefits: Take UMass Amherst courses while working. Opportunities to publish research papers, if desired. True search: No internal candidate. Excellent follow-on prospects: Several others from the lab later got job offers from Google, Yahoo, IBM, Microsoft. (We want someone interested in staying multiple years, though.) Time off: Five weeks vacation and personal time, plus 13 holidays each year. Gorgeous location: Amherst, MA: bucolic surroundings plus active culture. Smith, Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst Colleges all in the neighborhood. Office with window. ================================================ Rexa: http://rexa.info <http://rexa.info/> (create free login) Rexa is a digital library covering the computer science research literature and the people who create it. Rexa is a sibling to Google Scholar, CiteSeer and the ACM Portal. It's chief enhancement is that Rexa knows about more first-class, de-duplicated, cross-referenced object types: not only papers and their citation links, but also people, grants, topics---and in the near future universities, conferences, journals, research communities, and more. Rexa currently provides: * Keyword search on over 7 million papers (mostly in computer science) * Cross-linked pages for papers, authors, topics and NSF grants * Browsing by citations, authors, co-authors, cited authors, citing authors; (find who cites you most by clicking "Citing authors" on your home page) * Web-2.0-style "tagging" to bookmark papers * Automatically-gathered contact info and photos of author's faces * Analysis of research topics, their impact, and how they relate. Coming soon: * Much improved coverage of recent CS papers (it's somewhat weak now) * Ability to make corrections to extracted data Coming later: * Improved ranking, extraction and co-reference accuracy * Much more data mining * Broader coverage of more research fields Rather than seeing our siblings as competitors, we believe that such services are like "newspapers for the research community", and, just as it is tremendously important that there is not solely one national newspaper, we think there should be many such services. This is especially true since increasingly they will do more than simply supply raw information, but also provide subjective analysis, pattern discovery, and predictions. Rexa acts as driving application and showcase for our research in machine learning, natural language processing, information extraction, entity resolution, trend analysis and social network analysis. We aim to revolutionize the progress of science by providing new tools to help scientists do their job more effectively. ============================================ Official Job Posting: The Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory within the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval (CIIR) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking computer professionals to support its expanding research. The Software Engineers will design, implement, and maintain software systems. Both positions require experience with programming in Java or C++ and with building software systems, web-based systems experience is a plus. Experience preferred in Unix, Network, shell script programming and one or more of the following: information retrieval, natural language processing, text and information extraction processing, and database systems. Software Engineer 1: B.S. in computer science or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training and experience, plus 2-4 years experience or equivalent. M.S. preferred. Hiring Range: $39,200 - $55,400. Respond to Search #R25014. Senior Software Engineer: M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent and 2-4 years of related work experience. Demonstrated leadership ability required; project management experience preferred. Hiring Range: $47,600 - $65,000. Respond to Search #R26907. To apply, send a letter with your resume and three letters of recommendation to: Search {# from above}, Computer Science Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9264. These positions are grant-funded; renewal beyond one year contingent upon continued funding. Review of applications will continue until the available positions are filled. The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply. _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

July 29, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Programming position at UMass CS

by Eric Martin

Why is this coming from somebody with a .uk domain? On 7/27/07, Hanna M. Wallach <hmw26(a)cam.ac.uk> wrote: > > ========================================== > Software Engineer in Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory > at UMass. > > Work with computer science researchers and other software engineers to > revolutionize search over research literature and patents. See our > preliminary web portal for computer science researchers at > http://rexa.info/faq, and read relevant publications at > http://www.cs.umass.edu/~mccallum/papers. > > Open source tools: Linux, Java, MySQL, Apache, ... > > Modern methods: Test-driven development using the Java/Spring > framework. Feature-rich, Ajax-based web interfaces. > > Intellectually stimulating: Learn about cutting edge methods in > machine learning, information extraction, web search, data mining, > social network analysis. > > Serious hardware platforms: 100-CPU cluster, 10Tb disk, fast servers > and desktops. > > Challenging work: Not cookie-cutter programming. Integrate with > machine learning methods; program for high parallelism; devise > algorithms for massive scalability. High creativity, intelligence, > experience, and independent drive required. > > Experienced colleagues: Former VP R&D 170-person startup, extensive > professional software engineering experience on the team. > > Tuition Benefits: Take UMass Amherst courses while working. > Opportunities to publish research papers, if desired. > > True search: No internal candidate. > > Excellent follow-on prospects: Several others from the lab later got > job offers from Google, Yahoo, IBM, Microsoft. (We want someone > interested in staying multiple years, though.) > > Time off: Five weeks vacation and personal time, plus 13 holidays each > year. > > Gorgeous location: Amherst, MA: bucolic surroundings plus active > culture. Smith, Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst Colleges all in the > neighborhood. Office with window. > > > ================================================ > Rexa: http://rexa.info (create free login) > > Rexa is a digital library covering the computer science research > literature and the people who create it. Rexa is a sibling to Google > Scholar, CiteSeer and the ACM Portal. It's chief enhancement is that > Rexa knows about more first-class, de-duplicated, cross-referenced > object types: not only papers and their citation links, but also > people, grants, topics---and in the near future universities, > conferences, journals, research communities, and more. > > Rexa currently provides: > * Keyword search on over 7 million papers (mostly in computer science) > * Cross-linked pages for papers, authors, topics and NSF grants > * Browsing by citations, authors, co-authors, cited authors, citing > authors; (find who cites you most by clicking "Citing authors" on > your home page) > * Web-2.0-style "tagging" to bookmark papers > * Automatically-gathered contact info and photos of author's faces > * Analysis of research topics, their impact, and how they relate. > > Coming soon: > * Much improved coverage of recent CS papers (it's somewhat weak now) > * Ability to make corrections to extracted data > > Coming later: > * Improved ranking, extraction and co-reference accuracy > * Much more data mining > * Broader coverage of more research fields > > Rather than seeing our siblings as competitors, we believe that such > services are like "newspapers for the research community", and, just > as it is tremendously important that there is not solely one national > newspaper, we think there should be many such services. This is > especially true since increasingly they will do more than simply > supply raw information, but also provide subjective analysis, pattern > discovery, and predictions. > > Rexa acts as driving application and showcase for our research in > machine learning, natural language processing, information extraction, > entity resolution, trend analysis and social network analysis. We aim > to revolutionize the progress of science by providing new tools to > help scientists do their job more effectively. > > > ============================================ > Official Job Posting: > > The Information Extraction and Synthesis Laboratory within the Center > for Intelligent Information Retrieval (CIIR) at the University of > Massachusetts Amherst is seeking computer professionals to support its > expanding research. > > The Software Engineers will design, implement, and maintain software > systems. Both positions require experience with programming in Java or > C++ and with building software systems, web-based systems experience > is a plus. Experience preferred in Unix, Network, shell script > programming and one or more of the following: information retrieval, > natural language processing, text and information extraction > processing, and database systems. > > Software Engineer 1: B.S. in computer science or related field, or > equivalent combination of education, training and experience, plus 2-4 > years experience or equivalent. M.S. preferred. Hiring Range: $39,200 > - $55,400. Respond to Search #R25014. > > Senior Software Engineer: M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent and > 2-4 years of related work experience. Demonstrated leadership ability > required; project management experience preferred. Hiring Range: > $47,600 - $65,000. Respond to Search #R26907. > > To apply, send a letter with your resume and three letters of > recommendation to: Search {# from above}, Computer Science Department, > University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9264. These positions > are grant-funded; renewal beyond one year contingent upon continued > funding. Review of applications will continue until the available > positions are filled. > > The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal > Opportunity Employer. Women and members of minority groups are > encouraged to apply. > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

July 29, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Chuck Anderson wrote: > On Fri, Jul 27, 2007 at 08:36:37PM -0400, Andy Stewart wrote: >> This company bought the assets to the AMD PIC (personal internet >> computer). They're selling it for $99, or three for $299. > > Wait, so I have to pay a $2 premium for buying three of them? > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > Sorry, its actually $297: https://store.dataevolution.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DT%2D7002 That info will cost you $2... ;-) - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group (http://www.wlug.org) Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group (http://linux.meetup.com/393) Amateur Radio: KB1OIQ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGq2D3Hl0iXDssISsRAkAbAJwKHiIr8h6W+leMc+2LgsqG4PQhZwCgiVe5 3XBnz2Qz00OsIZAo//Fe8rI= =30Vg -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

July 28, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Anybody want a really cheap computer?

by Chuck Anderson

On Fri, Jul 27, 2007 at 08:36:37PM -0400, Andy Stewart wrote: > This company bought the assets to the AMD PIC (personal internet > computer). They're selling it for $99, or three for $299. Wait, so I have to pay a $2 premium for buying three of them?

July 28, 2007