Windows to Linux

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

Recently i decided to make the jump from Windows to linux for all my kit rather than just a few select bits, this was strangely driven by Apple, i altered the volume setting on my apple so that i could make my ear drums bleed (I worship at the altar of happy hardcore), this went fine, until i plugged it back into itunes, and it stated quite flatly that i had altered my ipod and that it would wipe it, no cancel button no “are you sure” , nothing, nada, big brother knows best, right then Jobs you git!!! (sound of IPOD being punted across a room), im off to get a new media player (but that’s a subject for another blog),

This led to a complete hissy fit against all the big players. (damn them all to hell, if i wanted my computer to do that i would tell it to!!)

So new laptop in hand, i download the latest ubuntu and began, the following is the things i have learned from the experience, with the windows to linux software alternatives.

1) BUY VMware, yes i know its $200 per Host version, but if your doing it on a professional basis it is so worth it.

2) Download the VMware converter (its free), then using it take a vmware image of you existing installation, this means that you have all you old stuff with you and can be using all your old software, no licence keys lost, no discovery that there is no equivalent software on linux, its totally the soft option. and the more you use it the more you love it (yes i know virtual box is supposed to be faster, but quite frankly I’m looking for reliability here)

3) On you vmware box enable shared folders then basically have a drive mapped to your “home” folder, this means that you can use this as your common store (it should be known that you WILL get some file location problems when you do this for things like the lotus data directory, as linux is case sensitive on file names and there seems no consistency even in big programs like on whether they are looking for “data” , “DATA” or “Data”)

Software Alternatives:

Windows: My Eclipse
Linux: My Eclipse
Comment: Duh!!!, but i have noticed that if you’re sharing your workplace on a share folder between my old VMware windows version and the new linux version, there is some case issues on the directory names

Windows: Lotus notes
Linux: Lotus Notes
Comment: well not quite, it’s supposed to be here in 8.5, so not quite there, but have sacrificed a goat to the great yellow god

Windows: Mame32 (its an arcade emulator for the heathens out their)
Linux: Loemu on top of SDLMame
Comment: exactly the same even my logistic usb controllers work

Windows: Total Recorder (a stream ripper for radio)
Linux: streamripper (i kid you not its actually called that)
Comment: command line instead of gui, but so easy to use its embarrassing

Windows: FLashFXP (simply the best FTP client)
Linux: FileZilla
Comment: Q handling not quite as good but the best linux one that i have found so far

Windows: Outlook
Linux: Google Mail for domains
Comment: yes i know i should be using domino, but quite frankly i just want it to work, on my own mail i just want to be a user, so sue me,

Windows: Office
Linux: Open Office
Comment: yeah yeah symphony, again this is a core app and i just want to be a user

Windows: msn/sametime
Linux: pidgin
Comment: it works and its already on there, I’m happy

Windows: Better File Rename
Linux: Bulk Update
Comment: a fab improvement enabling me to use regular expressions to strip out stuff i don’t want

Windows: The Rest of the Stuff
Linux: VMWARE
Comment: i just works, even audio ripping tools like “sound taxi”

on the whole I’m very pleased, and have no wish to go back.

Right of Substitution

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

Just a little thought, as contractors we all know we have the right of substitution in all of our dealings with our clients, and we all know its is one of those things that the merry people at Her Mage’s Inspectors of Taxes look at when deciding if we are disguised employees, now there is a problem with that as for the most part it is a little tricky to implement, as often we are the most skilled member of our little companies and it can be difficult to find a suitable substitute that the client will accept, and even if you have skilled people, if they are any good they will already be at a clients site in there own major client contract,

But I would urge people to have a check with people they know in the lotus community who are managing the work from home thing, people like Matt White, Jake Howlett and Mark Haller, now these people are both obviously good (or they would not be able to survive out in the hard world), and possibly available to short work periods, (it should be noted at this point that i have not even mentioned this to Mr Haller or Mr Howlett so I am not suggesting that they would want to even consider such a idea, I only give them as examples to show that these people are out there, so no going to them if you don’t know them really well and saying “X says you can sub for me when I’m on holiday”), its just an idea, but it does help all parties (extra work is always welcome when you are constantly looking for clients).

ILUG 2008

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

Well after an amazing time at Ilug 2008 I have decided to return to bloggin, so if you wish to blame anyone blame Matt White , Paul Mooney and co., this time instead of just fencing im going to try to give a bit back with some tech stuff and general useful bits rather than the insane ramblings that were “stickfight”, i have never the less bunged the old stuff in as old entries. so read them at your peril.

Anyway back to Ilug, it was my first serious conference (rather than a feeble excuse to bunk off for a while), and i have to say it was well worth it, meeting good people (blogs made flesh), and learning a hell of a lot, doing the session with Ben Poole was a bit nerve wracking, but i now have the bug and am on the look out for more stuff to try and do sessions on (I have to put the muppets guide for my part of the session up here, just have to neaten it up)

never realised how much effort went into such a set up, and as we were all attending for free you felt a bit guilty, so hats of to the whole crew

Things I learnt over xmas

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1) If you mix vanilla custard with Mascarpone it tastes like Walls Mr whippy icescream
2) The Popcorn Hour 110 is bloody marvellous!
3) A week is about my limit to be without my girlfriend before i start to pine (hoooowwwwl).
4) Thoughtful presents beat expensive ones every time
5) Once a tech always a tech: My father is able to take on ipods, podcasts, media tanks, nas, dvd ripping and VHS conversion in one day…Go dad!
6) Read the Bloody Manual!!!
7) i can survive about half a day with out the internet
8) God i needed a few days off!!!
9) Christmas is the worst time to not be seeing your children (worse that the rest of the year put together).
10) Family is best

Monday’s Admin….

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Monday’s Admin is fresh of face,
Tuesday’s Admin can keep the pace,
Wednesday’s Admin is distrustful, rude and grim,
Thursday’s Admin has hair starting to thin,
Friday’s Admin is hiding in the pub,
Saturday’s Admin has joined fight club,
But the Admin who is born on the Sabbath Day, is a developer at heart and therefore fair prey.

Literature reuse at its worst, after a day performing my role as a ‘fill in’ administrator at my main client, when our main administrator is off for the day.