[Nem]

Today trying out a Xubuntu installation off of a live CD.

It's

....

Really nice. At least, once you get it set up to work with both monitors. The drivers for my graphics card are a bit ... well like all graphics cards are before you go and install the proprietary drivers really but ... wow, colour me impressed.

It's like a weird Windows Mac hybrid, set up more or less the way I've always thought Windows ought to be set up.

There are some niggles -

Tilling windows isn't as easy as it is under Windows which bugs me somewhat. [Ah, there we go - there's an option to snap windows to other windows in the settings manager... Still not quite as easy, but a heck of a lot easier.]

Clicking on a media file opens a new instance of VLC rather than adding it to the current instance's playlist. [... This can actually be done from within VLC's settings, I've discovered.]

But there's probably a way around those. After playing around on a Windows install that had been getting to an age - as all Windows installs eventually do - where you have to take it out back and talk to it about rabbits.... The difference really is something. I can open a folder now and my system doesn't lock up for a couple of seconds while it scans gigabytes worth of stuff.

Especially with Opera's cloud allowing me to transfer all my important stuff over so easily.... Been copying stuff over to the external HD for a while in preparation for the great purge.

I think ... I think this might be the end of my relationship with Windows for anything other than gaming. Stick it on a couple of hundred GB partition and forget about it... >_>
And with gaming increasingly moving into an online space, STEAM looking to move towards Linux to escape from Windows 8.... Hmm.

Interesting times.

Only been on this live CD for ... 40 minutes or so? And I've already got things set up pretty much how I like them.

Edit: Today is now Yesterday and today is today.

today the great reformat cometh. All is lost! All is lost!

Apart from the stuff in the external HD.... Which I should probably call the ark or something.



If we leave that one picture on the old HD are we doing post-modern meta-theology or just being kinda a dick? =p

Edit2: Weee, the witch is dead. =p

First major-ish problem - the Nvidia drivers apparently don't support esoteric monitor setups particularly well, (like one in portrait and one in landscape.) But that largely seems to be a function of Nvidia's drivers not talking to randr the way they should. May go and grab the open source ones once the file transfer is all up to date.

The only people I know who have that sort of setup are reasonably tech-savy anyway - and as long as you're not worried about a little tearing on the portrait screen you can just go into the xorg.conf file and force the rotation option yourself. It's not a particularly elegant solution, but it works.

Got networking set up between the old windows box and the desktop.... copying files across from the backup. It reckons 23 hours. Questionable whether it'll actually take that long.
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Asa]

Today I decide that enough is enough. For the past while the forum has been missing elements - the side borders, and the header graphics. Is this true for anyone else, or is there something wrong with my computer?

Also, I'm done with my first paper - have been for two days. Now I have to analyse raw data for my second paper, and write said paper, in less than a month. o_o Sort of panicky, here.
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Nem]

Looks fine from here. It used to pretend to log me on for some reason, requiring me to log on twice - really weird cookie handling error - but that's just something that came from installing Opera over the top of itself time and again I think - gone away since I reformatted anyway.

As above - every now and then you have to put a windows install down, they're known - due to assorted bad programming and design decisions - to rot over time. 330% slowdown over two years, (the last install was pushing that,) not counting the inconvenience of other errors that creep in, is the figure I recall. (Though how true that number actually works out as being is debatable, it's easy enough to notice it slowing down.)

Have you tried accessing the website from a different computer? Or using a different browser?
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Tinu.]

Today I learned that one of the classes that I need for my major was cancelled. Two days after I ordered the book for it. *sigh*

Class dropped, another class added, return requested, new book ordered. Why do I find that exhausting?
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Nem]

Because it's silly, and consequently it's totally reasonable to be tired of people messing you around? :/

-hugs-

#

Today I was writing something about guestimating how much memory you'd need for a task in a tutorial, and realised I write a book's worth of content every couple of weeks. O_O
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Tinu.]

Last night there were serious family issues.

Today everyone is pretending that it didn't happen.

ARG!!
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[TheBritishInvasion]

Sorry Nu, I have experience of that but no advice to offer only hugs.

Today I was supposed to be going scuba diving with my dad.

Supposed to.

There was an issue at about 5:30 this morning, half an hour before we were supposed to leave. It resulted in my dad taking me to hospital and being there for about two and a half hours.

I'm home now, an hour after our dive was meant to begin and it looks like we'll have to reschedule for who knows when.

I'm fine. Physically. But I'm also upset because we had to cancel the dive. The last time my dad and I went diving was about two years ago, we were both looking forward to this and the reason we had to cancel is embarrassing and completely stupid and all my fault.

My dad says he's okay with rescheduling the dive but I feel really bad about it. Not to mention embarrassed.
_________________
Britland as dubbed by AsA
Avatar courtesy of Footloose
Keeper of Tengu's electricity and Willow's 'what did you just say' eyes.

[Asa]

The more important thing is that whatever you THOUGHT was wrong, isn't. Your health is most important. I've always found that it helps to remember that when you can't do anything about whatever's going on, to try and think about anything that could be a positive about the situation.

You had to go to the emergency room? At least it didn't turn out to be a problem.

You had to cancel your dive with your dad? At least you were still spending time with him, and he was there to support you.


So yeah. I've still got this paper dead in the water, with two weeks to go. I'm even behind where I was on the other, since this has to be longer, and there is NO research done for it at all. AND my academic access has been revoked, so I can't do get into all the journals I know about anymore. My mother will freak when I have to tell her no progress has been made.
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Tinu.]

*hugs* I'm sorry to hear that happened, Britland. Is everything ok?
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Tenshi]

Britland, first of all I'm glad you're okay!

Second, I think Asa has it right. If you try to look on the bright side, you still got to spend a good bit of the day with your father. You still got to hang out with him, just... not how you'd intended. And, perhaps more importantly, nothing bad happened relating to your health! *hugs*

*promptly begins nagging Asa about her schoolwork*

Today I prepare a bit for Darrion's return tomorrow. Have to drive to a new city I've never really been to, and pick him up at an airport this time. While generally I think air travel is very safe (statistically), I also know just how much chaos it can be. Of course I'm worried. Still... it took some fighting to convince his mother (and thus him) to get a direct flight, but I succeeded. The alternative would have seen him with a layover in either Detroit or Atlanta, which... I'm not comfortable with, really. Minimize the chaos... minimize the chaos...

Today I worked on creating a legal framework for an online, text-based MMO for using part of the Open Gaming License (which is fairly robust). The game had developed on its own, but its material is close enough to the material covered by the OGL that it's just wiser to cede the point. WotC has more lawyers.

Some more stuff. Doctor's visits. Back is healing well, thankfully. Just a bit sore now, but I feel incredibly better. As I told the neurosurgeon, my worst days now are just infinitely better than my best days before. I haven't taken a single painkiller in over a month... I was popping them like candy before the surgery, and still in pain. >_>

Music:
http://youtu.be/HuC2MUmQaG4
_________________
. Dubbed "Usagi" by AsA .
Keeper of the Siderean Swords

"If by chance some day you're not feeling well, and you should remember some silly thing I've said or done, and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled."
Red Skelton

[Tinu.]

Atlanta airport is to be avoided at all costs.

I'm glad your back is healing nicely! Keep us updated! ^_^

Today, after two weeks of reduced hearing (probably by about 50%), I went to the doctor's and got it fixed. I feel like I can hear everything. O_O
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Nem]

Hope you and Darrion are having fun! ^_^

#

Today I do some more writing. You know, for the longest time I had such trouble with writing. The advice I got was all like, draw maps, come up with a list of characters - keep asking yourself what happens next in a plot.... And that's not bad advice for a particular way of looking at the world - it's not even all bad advice to be going on with.

But I've found I work best when writing histories. Fictional histories. I'd find myself writing an intro for something and then explaining the history of the place and that was the much more interesting part of the thing, you know? And the characters and the cultures and so on just sort of emerge out of that once you've got it.

And writing's fun again. ^_^
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Asa]

Yeah... I personally start with the what-ifs. At one point I sat down to write again because it's been years, and started writing my stream-of-consciousness (just to get words on the page). Explaining the premise, then going off on what-if scenarios, and what would people do if... what would happen if... why would things be a particular way if... and a story grows from there. I've always written from the middle of a story anyway.


Uh-oh, Nu - avoid Atlanta? I'll have to transfer through that airport on my way out of the country in a few weeks. Is there any particular feature of the airport I should avoid?
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Tenshi]

[TheBritishInvasion]