Older blog entries for zotz (starting at number 15)

Well,

just finished winning nanowrimo 2004.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php

http://www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=47354

While doing it, I had the idea of making a specila distro for writing with next year (live cd and hd install)

http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=18740&forum=157

The idea seemed to be well received. I have submitted a project request to sourceforge which is in processing now, initially rejected.

Initial boards here:

http://mathiasdm.proboards29.com/ http://www.linuxwriters.tk/

Hopefully to be replaced by boards at sorceforge if approved.

Why do I dream these dreams.

Playing with Asterisk lately. Good progress today. Hooked up to pstn, received calls.

Other * box doing lots more. Need to move configs over to new box.

Hardware research continues...

Not doing enough programming lately.

Just want to put this idea (wish list item) down in case someone with the ability to do something about it happens by.

I would like for my laptop to have inputs to allow it to function as display, mouse, and keyboard to a desktop pc. It could have a button which acts as a kvm switch and switches from the laptop to the external pc.

I want to be able to tote a small form factor server around without needing to carry display, keyboard, and mouse.

I know I could do some sort of remote display (X, vnc, etc.,) but that will not be the best in all situations.

Slightly less cool would be a laptop form factor display, keyboard and mouse to hook up to a desktop.

all the best,

drew

Been working on ways to tie UBS (Unattended Broadcast System) together with peercast via ices, darkice, MuSE, or the like.

Good progress. I want to run more than one radio station from a single box. Experiments continue.

Hope to release code soon. If anyone wants what I have before then, let me know.

Right now, the UBS play command is a custom script which copies existing ogg files over generic named files in a static playlist. This is working and the metadata is showing up when ices streams to peercast.

Other ideas like piping - eg:

ogg123 -d au -f - nevastop.ogg | sox -t au - -t raw - | ices2 ices-stdin.xml

For this to work how I want, I will have to figure some way to put metadata in a file and signal ices.

Links:

UBS http://aboleo.net/software/ubs/

Peercast: http://www.peercast.org/

Icecast/Ices: http://www.icecast.org/download.html

Darkice: http://darkice.sourceforge.net/

MuSE: http://muse.dyne.org/

For years I have thought of setting up an Idea Bank where people could post their ideas. (I have never gotten around to it.)

For a good while now, I have thought I should post my ideas for programs here in my diary. I am getting around to it. I hope that someone may take some and run with them. Feel free to use any of these ideas in Free Programs. Credit is up to you, but might be nice. I would like you not to use them in non-free programs, but, if you do, I would like more than credit.

I-Oct-28-2003-01

I like to sing, but I can't (carry a tune in a paper bag.) It would be great if I could enter a tune in a program (midi or abc format would do) and then sing into a mic connected to the sound card. The program would then adjust my pitch to match the entered tune. Bam! I would be smiling. Non-real time would be cool, real time would be fantastic.

I-Oct-28-2003-02

I had this idea years ago, but we may be getting to the point where it could work.

I had it originally in the context of architects, engineers, draftsmen, etc. Replace the traditional drafting board with a similar size and oriented computer display/input device. The worker could then use the traditional draftind tools (square, triangles, etc.) to work with their drawings.

Also, make the drawing area shareable over the network (lan, internet.) Have a camera and mic on the worker and have an area on the screen to display the images of the other networked workers (video with audio) so they can conference and discuss the work as they draw together.

Just reading this thread:

http://www.advogato.org/article/700.html

Following on from fejj's comments, if the messages were stored just once, it would be possible to have all marked as spam if one of the multiple deliverees marked it as spam. This could seriously cut down on work.

Busy with a lot of things lately.

Anyone interested in the creation of an Idea Bank where people could document their ideas (for inventions, programs, and other things) in order to make them available for development by others as well as document proof of ideas etc. as possible prior art?

If so, please contact me.

Sony vaio pcg-v505bx saga...

Well, lspci gave me a hint. Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil?) with an id of 3872, and with this info, google found some stuff.

One place is saying to patch the orinoco_pci driver and another, the prism2 driver (prism2sta.c)

I will give this a whirl as soon as I can get the time.

Meanwhile, on the first go round, Sony did not tell me what wireless chipset was in the machine, but I have asked again specifically in a relpy. We'll see where we get with that.

Back from a visit to the sunshine state. Picked up some goodies while I was there.

Does anyone have the built in wireless working under linux for a sony vaio pcg-v505bx ?

I can't seem to find any info on the net, other than that emperorlinux claims the machine is basically fully supported.

Perhaps I am being a bit thick, but I am finding no hints at all, either obn the net, or with a knoppix boot.

Work ahead.

Jul 05, 2003 AM

Made some good progress on Ben's Game this week. Went out with Jeremy last night on a quest to get animal pictures for the game. We did OK, but we started too late - the lizards had retired for the night. More this morning.

I hope to have the new pictures along with the improved game done and included on a remastered knoppix CD in time for the BsLUG meeting tonight.

Thanks Jeremy.

Well, that 2 am remaster caaused me to lose my memeory. Wrote up a wrong report later in the day.

The first effort to fix the problems failed, but a later effort yesterday evening succeeded.

I now have a knoppix with some programs removed to make space, with an infant's program that I wrote for my son (in python) installed, and a link to the same on the desktop. Also, a link on the startup webpage in konqueror that points to bslug.org which is our linux users group here in the Bahamas which we are finally getting well off of the ground.

Spent too many hours yesterday working on a winxp BSOD registry problem. Knoppix to the rescue allowing the backup of long un-backed up client files prior to the fix attempt. Decent success on the fix, ran out of time. Gotta go back this morning to finish up.

Will be very happy when the apps are there which will allow me to push harder for my clients to adopt linux wholesale. Now it is mostly for servers. I find replacing their accounting apps with free software to be one of hte biggest holdups.

I know I could go to non-free on linux and at least be a little better off, but it is hard to recommend doing all the work needed to move out of one lock in position only to move into another lock in position.

SQL-Ledger may get there with the release of the POS module. I need to get in motion and make some progress with my project on savannah as well.