ShadowLog

My Ideal Linux Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:30:00 +0000

Linux is my favorite OS. When compared to the only other OS I've ever used (Windows) Linux wins hands-down in most departments (not counting gaming support - though I hate saying this, I don't think Linux will ever get far in that regard).

One problem I have with Linux, though, is also one of it's strengths - choice.

I occasionally start distro-hopping (a term used by many Linux-knowledgeable people to describe moving between distros) after a few months of using various distributions, even when I feel fairly happy with them.

My most recent distro I called home was Arch Linux. I stayed with it for a while, and recently decided to try openSUSE again, after having annoyances with support for Adobe AIR (Adobe only provides the technology to distros such as Ubuntu and openSUSE).

As I write this, I'm currently using openSUSE. However, I'm not entirely happy with it. Though I've found I really like it, almost enough to use it as my main distro, I don't like that Novell modifies packages such as KTorrent, legal reasons or no (they removed DHT support). True, I could always build the package myself. But I don't like that I have to. Also, after using Arch, using a 'stable' distro such as SUSE is annoying, because I miss all the bleeding-edge software (such as KDE 4.1.3, and the applications that are a part of it, such as Amarok 2).

So, I decided to put together a list describing my ideal Linux distro - what would be, for me, the perfect Linux.

The latest bleeding edge software

I can't stand using out-of-date software - even if it's considered 'buggy'. I like to be on top of things. This is one of the reasons I liked Arch - as soon as a new version of KDE, or Amarok, or some other software I use, was released, it was available to be installed in Arch, easily. No messing around with repositories, either. One thing I don't like about openSUSE is that I often have to hunt down another repo just to install something not deemed supported yet, among other things. Despite what you may think, having to use the Packman repo is not comparable to installing packages via Yaourt. As far as I'm concerned, Yaourt is part of Arch, Packman is not part of SUSE.

No modified packages

One problem I had with openSUSE was that Novell removed DHT from KTorrent, due to legal reasons, I'm guessing. To me, this is absolutely unacceptable. KTorrent should be easily available from SUSE's repos, unmodified. I shouldn't have to build it myself or add a different repo (I'm looking at you, Packman) to install it.

Arch also modifies Firefox for some reason. I don't know what they did, but whatever it was certainly annoyed Mozilla, because any modifications done to Firefox result in the branding needing to be removed. I don't mind using 'Gran Paradiso' with the little globe option /too/ much, but come on, must I really have to compile it myself/install user-made unbranded package or modify Firefox's internal settings just to browse the way I should be able to? I think not.

I do, however, like the modified KDE environment that openSUSE ships out, and KDEmod available to Arch users (which I used myself). What I'm mainly talking about here is removing features.

I should also mention that, for whatever reason, Kubuntu does not include kwrite by default, and openSUSE does not include kate by default. I think both should be installed - this is what I'm accustomed to with Arch, at any rate.

Easily Installable Packages

Packages should always be easy to install. Never mind having to compile them yourself or hunt down repos (I've already mentioned these above, several times).

I like Arch's package system. Pacman makes package installation very easy, and usually, if I need something I can find it in the AUR and install it via Yaourt. Not once have I had to go dependency-hunting for something with Arch.

My one complaint with Arch's system is that when I wanted to install Adobe AIR (so I could use Tweetdeck), I found Adobe only provides packages for RPM- and Debian-based distros - Arch not being one of them. This is primarily why I started using openSUSE. Although I realize the fault lies primarily with Adobe, I could not install it from the AUR, either. If Arch supported popular package formats such as these, it would be even more awesome than it is already.

No 'restricted' packages

I always hate it when a distribution won't let me use certain things, such as DHT (in SUSE's case), or MP3 support (I think it was Mandriva that wanted me to purchase some sort of subscription for that). Let's get this straight, I don't /care/ if some countries have laws prohibiting things. It doesn't mean you have to make it hard for people who live in countries with less-strict laws (or people like me who simply don't care). Ubuntu is great in this regard. As soon as I open a restricted file format in Amarok, Ubuntu asks if I'd like to install the restricted format, though it does warn me about possible legal issues. Ubuntu isn't going to stop me. And no distro should.

Excellent out-of-the-box hardware support

This one's pretty obvious, and is one area where (most) distros are getting better in all the time. I have yet to find something Ubuntu doesn't work with, and so far, the same with openSUSE. But in Arch (and I think this is probably due to the large configurability of the distro), my touchpad doesn't work 'out-of-the-box'. While I don't use it often, it's great when I'm not situated at a desk (my laptop is my only computer, so it's almost always stationary, unless I take it somewhere, which is somewhat rare). This is the only thing I can think of, off the top of my head, that is supported by most distros I've tried, but not Arch.

Another thing is multi-monitor support. I have yet to find a distro that allows me to use it right from the start, without having to do a bunch of command-prompt-kung-fu. I don't mind using the console - in fact, I find Ubuntu's too user-friendly in that regard (more on that below) - but Linux should be mature in this regard. Not once have I managed to get multiple monitors working within Linux, not even in popular distros such as Ubuntu or openSUSE.

Also - hibernation and standby. This has never worked in any distro for me, until I tried openSUSE again. Could be a fixed kernel bug, as I have not tried using it until now, but for now I will assume openSUSE was superior in this regard.

Ability to turn off ipv6 (and other features) off before install

One thing I find incredibly annoying is ipv6. For some reason, it slows my network speed down considerably. When Vista first came out (and I don't know if this is still true) ipv6 was enabled by default, and users had to turn it off to restore normal speed. Ubuntu is currently plagued with this problem as well, and I have yet to find a way (that works) to turn it off.

OpenSUSE gives you the option to turn it off before/during install. This is something I think Ubuntu should allow, as well as other distros. I don't know if SUSE lets you turn it on/off from the desktop environment, though, but I'm sure Ubuntu does not - Ubuntu's community (which is excellent, more on that below) seems to recommend modifying a system file - I tried this, but did not notice any speed improvements.

Minimal installation

I like my Linux install to be on the small side. This means not taking up more than a couple gigabytes, at the most.

Many distributions allow you to choose what programs you want installed. I like this. My ideal installation would install all the environment's (KDE, GNOME) applications by default (such as kate, kwrite, kcalc, etc.), as well as install the necessary drivers for your system. The user is then free to customize this, by adding applications such as SMPlayer. This way the user gets only what he/she needs, nothing more, nothing less.

I recognize that Arch does this, to an extent. The problem with Arch's way is that the user must know the names of the packages he/she wants to install. The user is left to install drivers and such on his own. While most Arch users know what they're doing here, I usually have to install everything (with some exceptions, when I know what something is). Arch, however, is great in that the only applications installed are those that come default with your desktop environment. As I said above, the user then gets to install any other desired applications.

Greatly-polished desktop environments, not 'tacked on'

One thing I dislike about Kubuntu, and this is something I've talked about before, is that it feels almost as though Canonical just added it in as an afterthought. It doesn't feel quite as 'polished' as the flagship Ubuntu does. Even the website looks less-professional.

Although I never really used Fedora, unless you really did some digging, you'd probably never know that they offer a KDE desktop just by looking at their site. And, as far as I can tell, their KDE offering is plain vanilla - no customizations at all, compared to their fruit-and-nut GNOME environment, which is nicely decked out in the Fedora blue-and-white.

openSUSE, on the other hand, really pays attention to detail. Both their GNOME and KDE environments look great. They tweaked both to have their own unique look and feel. Neither feels more important than the other. They make no effort to hide that they have both available, and screenshots of both are available on their site (unlike Fedora). This is the kind of thing I want to see. Personally, I prefer KDE, but a distribution should either be fully for a specific environment, or put equal effort into both offerings. Otherwise, one of the desktop environments will feel 'tacked on', like a side-project that never really gets much attention.

Note that distros such as Arch don't really count here. Since Arch is so customizable, you basically get the vanilla environment of your choice, unless you go with KDEmod, which is a community effort anyway.

Something that is related to this, but not going with the above text, is that I've noticed that my most recent Arch install had horribly ugly fonts. I don't know why, as I did not change anything. I installed as usual. They were all blocky, or something.

When I installed openSUSE, the fonts were beautiful, soft. The way they should be. And, they were the exact same fonts as I had in Arch. I have no idea what was wrong, and I can't really complain - probably a misconfiguration somewhere on my part - but it was annoying, and hard on the eyes.

Firefox, by default, also looks horribly ugly in KDE. It does in Kubuntu. It did, and probably still does, in Fedora, and I think it did in Mandriva as well.

But by default, openSUSE includes support for GTK themes in KDE. I think all distros should do this. If Linux ever wants a reputation as a beautiful OS, right up there with Mac OS X, widely used applications such as Firefox should look good, integrated with the environment, by default, without tinkering. Without this, it alienates the user.

User-friendly, but not mind-numbingly simple

Recently, I've come to despise Ubuntu and its variants for one reason: it's too easy.

Computing should be user-friendly, yes, but not to the point where you don't even have to think to get stuff done. I used to love Ubuntu. But that was when I actually had to open the terminal to do some things (or at least had an incentive to). Ubuntu has become more like Windows. I love it when I can do everything via a GUI, but Ubuntu makes it all too simple. There's something about it that I just don't like. Something that reeks of Microsoft's 'user-friendly' OS.

So when I started using openSUSE again, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected to get the same feeling of mind-numbing easiness from Novell's distro. But I didn't. Even though I (almost) never once had to open a terminal, it didn't feel too 'hand-holding'. I don't know what's different, but I just know something definitely is.

Excellent Community Support

Let's face it. Ubuntu has /the/ best Linux community. Although I've found Arch's forums and wiki extremely helpful, I still think Ubuntu's forum community is the most friendly, helpful community I've gone to help for. It may just be nostalgia kicking in from all those times in my Linux newbie days running to them for help whenever X decided to shut down or Ubuntu wouldn't boot. But I don't care - in my mind, they are the best.

And I think that every Linux distro community should follow their example. While it's true that every forum will have some real idiots, I've found that the Ubuntu forum has the least of them. They're the only forum I've gone to where I almost always receive help. On others, my posts are usually ignored (and no, it's not because I might be coming off as a whiny arrogant jerk :P). I think it's because Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distro, so that's where most people go to get help, and thus, where most people are to give help.

Conclusion

And that's really about all I can think of, at the moment (in no particular order). In a nutshell, my ideal distribution has:

The latest 'bleeding-edge' software
No packages modified for 'legal' reasons, 'restricted' packages available and easily installable
Excellent out-of-the-box hardware support
Minimal install - only what's default and required
Equal effort put into all available distro flavours (specifically, KDE, GNOME)
Easy to use, but not 'brainless'
Helpful, friendly community

If anyone has any recommendations as to what distro fits my description, or wants to add any thoughts, please feel free to do so in the comments. I'm all up for arguing my points, as well; just no flame wars. ;)

Also, I'd like to apologize for the length - I didn't notice it until later. :P

Website grading tool

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:53:00 +0000

I recently found a neat little tool to determine your site's 'grade' based on a number of factors includng google page rank, traffic, etc.

The tool is called Website Grader (http://website.grader.com).

All you need to do is enter your site address, email address, and, optionally, the address(es) of your competitor(s).

The site takes between a couple seconds-minutes to calculate your rank, then sends the report to you in an email.

Above is a screenshot of a sample report (click here for the full sample).

The report consists of things such as:

The number of images on your site
Your site's 'readability level'
Domain age, expiration date
Google PageRank
Google Indexed Pages
Last Google Crawl Date
Inbound Links
Competitive Info

If you are webmaster, blogger, or site owner, I seriously suggest checking out this tool. Not only does it provide some interesting statistics, but it can prove extremely useful in many situations.

Fallout 3 Banned For 'Drug Use'

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:33:00 +0000

Bethesda's highly anticipated FPS/RPG hybrid Fallout 3 has apparently been banned. The reason?Drugs.In the game, the player can use drugs, and get high. Some of these drugs have beneficial properties, while others can harm you.Banning this game because of the drug content doesn't make sense, though. GTA had sex, and now drunk driving. Why ban? Just give it an M rating, and it would have got it anyway.If parents are really worried about their kids playing games like this, why don't they just not let them? Parents, these days, seem to be too busy working to pay attention to their offspring.Nevertheless, I'm sure this will be cleared up. It would suck if they had to completely remove the drugs from the game, though... the concept sounds kind of fun. :P

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Ubuntu Linux goes Retail

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:00:00 +0000

In a bold move by Canonical, the developers of Ubuntu, the ever-popular Linux distribution has been put in reach of average consumers, on the shelves of Best Buy.

Ubuntu has been available on Dell PCs for a while now, and users have had the option of downloading or ordering for free, but this is, in my opinion, a step in the right direction. Even though the idea of paying for Linux is, to me, absolutely insane, the price can't be ignored - for only $19.99, you can buy your very own copy of Ubuntu, complete with professional support, not something you get when you download Ubuntu. Heck, with a price like that, I might even go out and buy a copy.

Currently, I'm sure many people, especially the computer illiterate ones, will still buy Vista. The reason? People know Windows. They've used it all their lives. And people tend to associate price with quality - if something has a low price ($19.99 is nothing compared to Vista's price tag), they see it as low quality. But a few will be curious when they see the beige-and-orange box sitting next to those shiny cases. And those few will hopefully go home and install the better computing experience they've ever had.

While it's true that said computer illiterates probably have less problems than those who know their stuff, some people (like my mom, how about yours?) often inadvertently install malware on their computer, thinking it to be a harmless game, or a cute cursor.

It will be these people that will most likely have a better time with Ubuntu. With almost no viruses or malware (there are some viruses in existance for linux, but these are few and far between, and targeted toward servers), users won't even need to install and anti-virus, and with the professional support from Canconical, if something does go wrong, they're sure to have help.

Ubuntu is quickly becoming Windows Vista's superior in many ways. Dell is offering it on their PCs, it's available for free or in stores, professional support is available, and you can run virtually any Windows App.

Microsoft, look out. The African wildfire is spreading.

Which Distro to Choose, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:56:00 +0000

So after my little adventure with openSUSE, I decided to go back to good ol' Ubuntu.

Why? Because it's known territory; I've become as comfortable with Ubuntu as I am with Windows (that is, I know my way around very well). But after a while I felt the urge to go and explore new distros.

So off I went, back to my little thread I had started on the Ubuntu forums regarding recommended KDE distros.

Seeing some new replies, I read them. I was pointed to a survey which was supposed to recommend a good distro for me. I tried it. Of the choices I got, I thought Fedora 9 and Mandriva Spring 2008 looked interesting, so I downloaded both. I used KTorrent to do so, and I marvelled at how beautiful its KDE4 interface was, so I paused my Mandriva download, and finished my Fedora download (Fedora 9 supports KDE4 by default).

Fedora installation went smoothly, but I noticed with great annoyance that I was going to be dumped in Gnome. After looking around, however, I didn't really mind - Fedora's Gnome offering is very fast, and I rather liked it. I still wanted myKDE4, though, so I googled to see what I did wrong.

I discovered that I needed to specify advanced program setup during installation, and choose KDE from there. I think, in future, the Fedora devs should give the users a choice of desktop environment by default, instead of in advanced settings.

Once in KDE4, I felt like my computer was extremely bloated, and I was instantly reminded of Vista. I also found it to be very sluggish, a huge contrast compared to Fedora's Gnome. I still liked the Oxygen theme, though. I guess KDE4 still isn't really ready for everyone.

So I booted back into Ubuntu, and finished my Mandriva download. After burning and booting, I was presented with a surprisingly fast (for a live-cd) desktop. I checked it out for a couple minutes, and decided I definitely wanted to install.

So I launched the installation wizard, which was very nice; the installation only took about what seemed like a few minutes.

Partitioning was interesting; but very easy after I figured out how the partitioner worked. Once I had finished setting up my partitions, installation finished up, and I was told to reboot.

After doing so, I created a new user, configured my time zone, and then a new screen came up, asking me to register and complete an optional survey.

I did so, but after submitting the survey, I was presented with a bunch of russian text. Thinking I had somehow reset my language preferences back on the registration page, I went back a step. This presented me with the survey - in German.

Thoroughly baffled, I went back another page. Now I was at the registration step again, in English. So I tried registering, but was told my account already existed. So I tried logging in, and was told I provided an incorrect password.

I tried every password I could think of, even purposely putting in the wrong combinations, to no avail.

So I tried resetting my password. This seemed to work (I tried logging in from the Mandriva website), but entering my password in the install still didn't work. So I tried resetting one more time, this time using a different password - this worked, oddly enough.

So I finally got past the registration and survey, and the strange language mixup. I have no idea how that happened. O.o

Once in Mandriva's KDE desktop, I started playing around. And now, after a few hours of said playing, I must say I am very pleased. Mandriva is an excellent distro, with MP3 and flash support enabled by default. I have yet to try watching a DVD movie, though.

My quest for distributions hasn't ended here, though. I'll continue to try a few more, but I think I'm happy with Ubuntu and Mandriva. :)

Blizzard hiring; mentions Diablo series - possible Diablo 3?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Blizzard has posted a new job description, and it might be of interest to Diablo fans:

"Blizzard Entertainment, the developer of Diablo and Diablo II, is looking for a lead 3D environment artist skilled at creating models and texture maps for both architectural and natural environments. The ideal candidate has experience modeling and texturing assets for a diverse visual range of environments."

Notice that they only mention the Diablo series. Although this is only speculative guessing, it is possible that Diablo 3, or a similar game is in the works. Of course, that would mean a lot of work, since they're already working on Starcraft 2 (which looks to be about finished), and the new WoW expansion.

What are your thoughts?

(For the job posting, look here: http://www.blizzard.com/us/jobopp/art-lead-3d-environment.html - oddly, the link seems to be broken, however)

Which distro to choose?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:14:00 +0000

I am a Linux fan.

I actively use Linux all the time, except for gaming. I've been switching back and forth between Ubuntu and its KDE flavor, Kubuntu. I've decided I prefer KDE, but I've always found that Ubuntu (the gnome variant) seems more... supported, or something. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like Kubuntu is more of an afterthought than anything else. One thing that's always bothered me is how hard it is to apply themes - it's a snap with Ubuntu. I'm not sure if that's KDE's fault, or Kubuntu's, though.

But I don't want to give up my KDE. So after doing some research (more simply poking around than research), I decided to try openSUSE.

At first glance, I liked it. But once I started installing my enthusiasm dwindled a bit. The reason?

One word: license agreement.

Not once since I left the world of Windows have I seen a license agreement. But I guess openSUSE is more corporate than Ubuntu?

So I clicked Accept. I didn't really like the install process - somehow it made me feel... confused. I shrugged this off as it simply being a side-effect of changing distros.

After the installation, I explored, and set about customizing. Almost immediately I noticed that my Windows partition wasn't mounted, didn't even show. Running fdisk -l in the Konsole (after some struggle - I'm used to the Debian-based command system) revealed it was still alive and kicking, though.

I ran a Google search and eventually managed to get it mounted (albeit manually). So that's two points for Kubuntu, in that there's no license agreement at install and it automatically mounts my Windows partition. So far SUSE only earned a point for looking sexy and including the kickoff menu and kcontrol by default (Kubuntu doesn't).

After fussing with Yast (package manager), I was getting annoyed. To me, Kubuntu's Adept was so much faster. It would install a selected package right away (after I confirmed I wanted to). Yast, every time, insisted on installing a bunch of other stuff as well. I still haven't figured out what that stuff was, though.

So I had my desktop customized with a new wallpaper and screensaver. But the time had come to see if theming actually /worked/. I had been told it would, but...

I tried out deKorator, which is what I installed via Yast. Just like in Kubuntu, it didn't work.

By this time I was fed up. I immediately uninstalled SUSE, and reinstalled Kubuntu. I realize now I probably should have gave it more time, but the distro oddly reminded me of Vista - shiny on the outside, and clunky on the inside.

I think the reason for this is that Ubuntu is heavily community-driven. The forum's members are very helpful and friendly. In the distro, I sense a strong community presence, but in SUSE, it's mainly corporately developed.

I've decided to install it on my external drive and give it another try (possibly). But I'd also like to find a distro that I can really like. For me, the best I've ever used was Linux Mint. It's based on Ubuntu, has MP3 support and flash installed by default, and is overall easy to use. I almost never had to touch the command line. But I wanted KDE, so I switched back to Kubuntu.

Ultimately, what I want is a distro that is complete and works as well as Ubuntu, but has all the KDE features that SUSE actually utilizes (and good theming support). I'm not sure when I'll find that. But for now, I guess I'm still distro-hopping. :)

Diablo 3 in planning?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:32:00 +0000

I just listened to the new BlizzCast (http://us.blizzard.com/blizzcast), and at the very end, Karune (aka Kevin Yune, the community manager) said:

"I look forward to reading your responses and hope to have you guys join us in our next episode, in which I hope to steal some time from our Blizzard lore guy, Chris Metzen, and perhaps some of the original Diablo II devs for some quick questions."

Could this mean that we might get tipped off about a possible Diablo III? If so, I look forward to the next BlizzCast. Although, if the game is indeed in planning (or even development), they'll have to come up with some great new ideas, because people have been creating Diablo wannabes ever since the original came out, meaning new, revolutionary, innovative ideas will be a must. Knowing Blizzard, though, the game will probably be really good anyway, if they are making it. ;)

Leaked Media Defender email reveal secret government project

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:21:00 +0000

From arstechnica.com - "Internal MediaDefender e-mails leaked on BitTorrent reveal that the peer-to-peer poisoning company was providing information to the government as part of a secret project. The e-mails also provide new insight into the company's MiiVi scandal."This is interesting news, particularly to those of us who actively use P2P networks. I, for one, use them almost daily, mostly for downloading large files - Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, or releases of the open source MMO, Planeshift. I also use it for downloading music (which is legal in Canada). I don't appreciate the network being poisoned by the RIAA and their partners. Nor do I support such tricks to lure unsuspecting users into being 'caught'. Granted, P2P can be used for many illegal things, but as I have mentioned, it is also very useful for the downloading of large, LEGAL files. And since music downloading is legal here in Canada, we Canadians don't particularly want to be punished for a law we're not breaking on someone else's behalf.Thankfully, we have common sense and IP filters to keep us out of their reach.

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Change

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:38:00 +0000

This post is different from others in many ways. First, the title is only one word long. Second, it's more about me than anything else. Third, it isn't really a rant... not yet anyway. :P

The reason for the title is that I find I have changed. And not just in appearance, but in the way I am. Or rather, the way I think, the way I act (okay, maybe not so much the way I act, but still..!).

One thing that has apparently changed is that I am a very quiet person. I don't say much, save to certain people whom I know extremely well. It's very rare that I'll engage in conversation with someone, even online, where I spend a lot of my time, although I do chat quite a bit more there than IRL.

To me, it seems I'm a completely different person than I was 6+ years ago. Of course, that's a given, considering I AM 16 now and was 10 then. Still, am I so different that I could be an entirely new entity? I have changed identities online from time to time, changing my habits to suit - but to the point that I forget myself? I don't think this could be possible.

Regarding my quietness, I apparently used to talk quite a bit more, even to random strangers, when I was younger. Now, I don't talk to anyone much at all. Obviously when we're young like that we'll babble to anyone who will - or won't, even - listen. But still, you'd think I would retain /some/ social traits...

Since I rarely get out much, something that's starting to change, I haven't had much social contact with anyone other than a few select people. Being home schooled for most of my life is probably one of the reasons. As I gradually became more accustomed to being at home instead of a school, I took less interest in doing things outside of my home life. I secluded myself to my house, rarely going out anywhere. I became a hermit, so to speak.

So now, I think it's time to loosen up. I need to get out there, do things. I've already started to broaden my list of things to do. I'm a puppeteer. I've just came back from NYC. I try to talk more than I usually do.

Will this help? Only time will tell...

Starcraft no longer requires CD to play

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:30:00 +0000

After forever trying to play SC by downloading cracks when I don't have my CD, looks like I won't need to anymore. The latest patch allows you to play without the CD by copying Install.exe to your installation folder and naming it 'StarCraft.mpq' or 'BroodWar.mpq', respectively.

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl delayed again

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:03:00 +0000

According to Gamespot.com, SSBB will be delayed... again. It was originally planned for a December '07 release, but was delayed until February. And now, apparently, until March.Zelda: Twilight Princess was also delayed, for a year. Hopefully that won't happen with this one, although it's doubtful - TP was originally a Gamecube game, but was ported to Wii in mid-development.In any case, hopefully this will pay off. I'm looking forward to some serious smash. ^_^

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On fire sales and basic chivalry

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:57:00 +0000

The two topics I cover this time around are completely non-related.   They are fire sales (Fire sale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and chivalry (come on, if you don't know what this is... well... you're probably from this day and age :P).

As you can see from that Wikipedia topic, a fire sale is a three-tier hack attack against a country.   This was the plot of Life Free or Die Hard (Live Free or Die Hard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

If you are, to any extent, a computer nerd like me, and take an interest in computer hacking sims, then the idea of pulling off a fire sale might excite you.   You might think it as 'cool'.   Well, it's not - not when you realize the problem it could pose for all of us.   When you think about it, it's scary.   Really, truly, scary.

Here's the facts:

Currently, 99.7% of North America (give or take a few) use computers. They are everywhere - in your car, your kitchen, your cellphone, your game console, heck, some people even have then in their toothbrushes.
Home security systems are getting more advanced. Some feature the ability to remotely control and monitor your home via a 'secure' login. Sure, you think your home is safe - but what if someone hacks into that control system? You're exposed to the world, and your doors are unlocked and wide-open to burglars.
If you've seen I, Robot, you know the problem such technology could pose. Though most of us agree that robots aren't likely to take over the world anytime soon, your little brother's Robotron 3000 could be remotely hacked if it has wireless capability. Scary? Maybe. Imagine being trapped in your room because your robopet hamster's been infected with a virus.

This means that at any time, someone could lock you out of your home, hijack your cellphone, and take over your internet access. I know it seems absurd, but you'd be in jail, in your own home.

In the next few years, the chance of a fire sale occurring will increase. Although it's not likely (most hackers aren't /that/ pro), there's still a chance. In order to prevent being tech-locked:

Try not to use too much high-tech stuff. Sure, it can't be avoided, but do you really need that $2,000 automatic back door?
Use a router. Even though, for a fire sale to occur, a hacker has to get through much /much/ more than a simple router, this gives you peace of mind, and keeps your network safe.
If you simply can't stand not having your gadgets (I know how it feels ;)), get backup stuff. Sure, you have your wireless blackberry, but have a old-fashioned turntable phone on hand.
Keep paying for that dial-up. I use wireless high-speed most of the time, but when the storm clouds set in, performance is affected. If I need to be connected, I use my old dial-up connection. Slow, but hey, it works. So if your one connection gets hacked, you can use slow joe to stay in the know.

Granted, I sound like an idiot right now.   Fire sales aren't real.   Right?   Wrong.   They can happen, but right now, I doubt one will.   Still, stay true to the boyscout's motto: "Be Prepared".   Giving up your techie life can be a pain, but it's well worth it if you want to avoid being shut down.

--------------------------------

What is chivalry?   From dictionary.com:

"The qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women."

Gallantry toward women.   Yay, another big word.   Dictionary.com also says:

"courtesy towards women", and "polite attentiveness to women".

Meh, you say.   Girls are teh suckzors.

Well, okay, fine.   But you know, we need more chivalry in this world.

And not just to women/girls, but to people in general.

Today, I was on a float in a Christmas parade.   Being in Canada, there was lots of snow, but the weather's warming up a bit, so the parking lot where the parade ended was full of slush and water.

People are jumping off the floats, most of them getting wet when they land.   Now, I see people who would probably appreciate help off of the float, and I think, I should go help her off.   Do I?   No.   But then, that's because I was tired and cold, and by the time I had made my decision, it was too late.

Still, we have become so self-centered that we don't even go out of our way to help others.   We are 'programmed' to do what our friends do.   Back in medieval times, we would be looked down on (or worse yet, put to death).   Now, who cares?

True, a lot of people, especially Christians like myself do act chivalrous.   However, this is often done to simply impress someone, which is, really, kind of sad.

So I encourage you to try being a knight for a while.   It can feel really good, and if you're looking for approval, there's your chance.   People will look up to you, not down on you, and you'll be a nicer person in general.

Forget heart attacks, what about /cart/ attacks? O.o

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:17:00 +0000

Before I explain the title of this post, I have two, no three, facts for you:

1) My computer swears at me when I turn it on. It says 'fsck'.
2) My CD player explicitly states 'no' when I try to play a CD.
3) I'm not crazy.

Now that we have that settled, on to the horrific story. :P

Just last night, both my brother, mom, and myself were sitting in our van, in the Wal-Mart parking lot, eating ice cream. Pretty normal, no?

A shopping cart, sitting at the top of a slope, proceeds to roll down, accelerates, then smashes into someone's van, putting a dent in it. Not something you see every day, but still pretty normal.

This is where it gets weird. Said cart turns, and proceeds - with no slope - into the area where shopping carts are stored. O.o

Now if you think that's creepy, read on:

Another cart, at the top of the slope in front of us, comes speeding down. And it's headed directly for the front of our van. Yayz.

So my mom freaks out. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. But mind you, this was no laughing matter - we were being attacked by killer shopping carts! O_O

Thankfully my mom regained enough of her composure to back up, and dodge the thing. Just as she turned the van around, however, it turned, too. Hmm. Kinda freaky, don'cha think? O.o

Of course, like all things do when they go down a slope with something large at the end, it crashed at the edge of the lot.

*breaths a sigh of relief* Ahh, glad that's over. Now, how about shutting off this van and going in to sho -

Err, nvm, another cart just crashed into us. Or is it the same one. Hmm.

So yeah, we remove this one that just hit us head-on, and head into the store. When we come out, we overhear these two guys having a conversation regarding a dent in a car:

"Dude, what happened to ur car?"
"I got rear-ended!"

Okay, so that's not exactly how it went, but you get the general idea.

So heads up, folks: While you go about your Christmas shopping, be wary of evil shopping carts!

The future of online publishing?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:24:00 +0000

With many web applications, such as Google Docs, emerging to form what we may know as 'web 2.0', there's a lot of interesting apps to check out.

One such app is SynthaSite, a free site creation system. You've likely seen things like it - there are many companies offering 'WYSIWYG' editors that use templates. Serious web developers such as myself often look at such applications, and sneer in disapproval.

Not so with SynthaSite. Well, okay, I did at first, but after taking it for a test drive, it just might be the program I'm looking for.

One thing I like about it is that I can work on my sites anywhere that I have web access. Just launch your web browser, log in to your SynthaSite account, and work away.

Currently all sites created with the app are stored on the SynthaSite servers, but when the app goes public (it's currently in limited beta), you'll be able to download your content to your PC (or Mac, if you prefer), then upload via FTP to your favorite host.

Of course, not everything is free. SynthaSite will be launching what they call the 'DIY superstore', which sells templates, widgets, etc.

Again the sneers. Who needs templates, right? Well, you can also start with a blank page and create from scratch, which is what I did for most of my hands-on time.

Adding images and other content is a breeze. Simply select a component from your toolkit, and drag it onto your page. Images work like this: you drag an image onto your page, then give it a source via the component options - source being the url the image is being pulled from. Hopefully the ability to use images stored on your computer will be supported soon.

I know I said 'drag', but this isn't exactly what you might think. As far as I know, currently you can't just 'drag and drop' anything wherever you please, but I hope this will become supported, as it's just what I need to position my images with ease.

Another feature I'd like is the ability to edit HTML. Most users likely won't even know what the term means, but I for one would like to use SynthaSite to do mostly everything, then customize it all with HTML, or even code my site in HTML then use SynthaSite to make it exactly the way I want.

People curious in SynthaSite can view a video demonstration below (click here for a high resolution), or sign up for the beta at http://www.synthasite.com/

RIP Neko

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:37:00 +0000

Been a while since I've wrote in here.

Remember the kitten I mentioned? Well, I thought of a name for him.

Neko. Japanese for cat. Yeah, I know, you likely don't think it's nice to just call him 'cat', but...

Anyway, I have sad news regarding Neko.

September 28, 2007, he passed away. ;_;

At first I thought the fleas he had caused it. Then I noticed that his belly had swelled up. I think the problem was that he was too young to leave his mother, and thus couldn't yet digest solid food. Sad, but we must move on...

And so we are now on the day of thanksgiving, a day on which we are to celebrate the invention of food! ^_^

Okay, I know that's not what it's really for, but still...!

Anyway, why do I always have to be sick on holidays? I mean, it's nice and all that I'm not sick on days when I need to be somewhere, but c'mon, why do I have to either be throwing up on Christmas or coughing on my birthday? Humph, I say. -_-

Regarding the writing contest I'm entering, I now have 1186 words in my entry. I need to have at least 2000, with a max of 2500. Almost there! :)

Anyway, I'm gonna cut this short, as I don't really feel like writing this right now... the cough and all that, y'know... so, as I always say, ciao! ;)

¿Desear intentar tu mano que lucha Ganado?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:34:00 +0000

Translation: Want to try your hand fighting Ganado?

I did just that a couple days ago.

I rented Resident Evil 4 - Wii Edition.

Was it worth it? Well, I'll tell you now.

This won't be a full review of RE4 - rather, I'll focus on the changes and additions for the Wii edition.

First off, I'll start with the controls. They're /very/ smooth, but do take some getting used to - I was performing smooth headshots with ease less than 5 minutes into the game.

Of course, the fact that you aim by pointing the Wiimote at the screen makes things /much/ easier than the GCN or PS2 versions. So much so that I found I could defeat most reasonably tough enemies (like the chainsaw Ganado) faster and easier than with a standard controller.

Graphics are about the same as the GCN version - if there were any differences I didn't notice.

As I mentioned above, gameplay is smooth. Although I /do/ have a few nitpickings about the menu systems, like I again said above, you get used to it all after a few minutes.

One nice addition is the fact that the red targeting dot has been replaced with a round reticle. When not aiming, it is simply gray. When aiming, it's green unless you're aiming at a possible target.

Although the red laser sight was cool, it was kind of hard to aim, and you never knew what you could shoot at until you did, often resulting with wasted ammo.

That said, let's move on to the new bonus features.

I didn't try Mercenary mode much, since by that time my rental time was up, but it was interesting enough, suppose, if you like onslaughts of enemies coming at you all at once. It can get stale after a while, though.

Seperate Ways, exclusive to Wii, was probably my favorite unlockable, as it covers Ada Wong's actions in the background of the game. It explains why certain things happen when in the normal game mode, and is very entertaining (plus, who /doesn't/ want to play as Ada?).

For example, when Leon (the game's main protagonist) solves a puzzle in the church graveyard to obtain a 'green cats eye', the thing that struck me was that the location of said puzzle and reward was rather odd; why not put a key here instead? So when Ada happens across this same spot (before Leon), and removes the key to the church, she gets locked in the area. The only way to open the gate is to place the gem in the slot.

Unfortunately, I also didn't get to try Assignment Ada, or the new character costumes for your second play through. Hopefully next time, though!

My final score: 9/10 - the game pulls everything together tightly, but is missing some nice but not necessary features.

For those who have never played RE4, or any Resident Evil title in general, I highly recommend this edition of the game.

Until next time; Ciao! ;)

Spelunking, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:49:00 +0000

I'm back from a little 'mini-vacation'.

I went with my family to tour a cave nearby - about 2-3 hours away, possibly more.

The cave itself was interesting, but one thing I thought was neat was this bat:

Apparently it's the only bat in the cave at the moment. More move in during the colder seasons.

The guide told a lot of interesting stories, but I'm pressed for time so won't relate them now. :P

...and... there's one thing which I don't remember seeing:

I swear I didn't run this through Photoshop. It looks like some kind of ghostly light.

...

Creepy. O.o

I have /no/ idea what that is. Honestly.

Well, I'll contemplate it later.

'till next time - ciao! ;)

New blog layout

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:23:00 +0000

As you've no doubt noticed, I've changed the layout slightly.

I've made a new logo, and added the new 'wimzi' widget, which is supposed to allow you to chat with me. It doesn't appear to be working, however. O.o

I also added a poll, which I'll change occasionally. ;)

Comments welcome. ^_^

Wizards and Kittens, and contests, oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:38:00 +0000

So today I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

When I arrived in the theater, to my amazement, it was empty. Yes, empty. There was literally no one in the room.
Of course, I was naturally surprised - I mean, c'mon, this was /Harry Potter/..!

So I left the theater and asked the guy at the ticket booth which theater was playing HP. He had a quick argument with the girl working there with him, then settled on #4 - which was equally as empty, except for one other family...

That changed once it got closer to actual film presentation time.

Anyway, about the movie:

I think it was good, but wasn't as good as previous films. Also, a few things were left out (that I can recall, it's been a while since I've read the book), such as the portrait of Sirius's mother - although I understand this is not critical to the plot (Eragon left out so much critical stuff it's not even funny), but it would've been a humorous addition, humor being something the film seemed to lack (although this could be because of the darker tone of the book and books to follow).

I also noticed various little nuances that just didn't seem to make much sense.

For example, when going to the Ministry for Magic, after Harry sees the vision of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort, they fly on the thestrals (I had forgotten the name - thanks to Kirsty for reminding me!). How did the others besides Harry and Luna see them? Picture this:

Ron: Err... Harry... how do we ride something we can't see?

See what I mean? And why don't they just use brooms? I know this is how J.K wrote it, but...

Besides these things, I loved the movie. Imelda Staunton did an excellent job as Umbridge, as well, I think. She made me hate the movie character as much as the book character. :P

All in all, I rate it 9/10. ;)

--------------------

Kittens! Or rather, /kitten/.

I was talking to my mom about cats today, and asked if she had ever seen a completely white kitten. She said yes, and said that there was one that was almost completely white (save for a bit of black on its head) at a local farm. She had to go there anyway, so she asked if I'd like to come take a look.

I agreed, but thought she was just joking.

So I got the kitten - for free. I know the owner personally, and she didn't mind giving the kitten away at all. One might say she was even eager. :P

Anyway, I keep it in my room. It seems fairly happy there. I managed to get it to eat some catnip and drink some milk from a dish, too.
Quite a good accomplishment, considering its age - which I'm not certain of...

In other news, there's this writing contest, which a friend mentioned.

The prize? $6,000.

Yeah, my jaw dropped when I read that. Of course, I'm entering, but I need inspiration... ideas... I think I have something in mind, though.

You can read more about it here (Canadian residents only): http://www.radio-canada.ca/prixlitteraires/english/index.shtml

So..! This is all for tonight, and so I say: ciao! ;)

~Vert

Cheezburger, ne1?

noreply@blogger.com (Vertimyst™) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:49:00 +0000

*verts in*

(cue cool techno music)

Yo. I'm Vertimyst (but you can just call me Vert).

If you need more info, read my profile. Heh.

Anyway, I dunno what to do for this entry, so... Cheezburger, ne1? Or hey - we could watch a movie!

*starts teh movie*

...

I got that from I can has cheezburger, a site with TONS of catmacros, as I believe they're called. Check it out - you're guaranteed to ROTFLOL. ;)

And thus I am done.

Ciao; Vert out.