Tyler's Blog

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day Six

2009-12-02T16:40:00.010-05:00

I had to do a big presentation for school today. I exported my OpenOffice Impress file to a PDF(for safety) and presented it. I think I did well.

I came home today and received a box from Best Buy. In it was my new Microsoft 5000 Mouse(I know I know Microsoft...). Let me just say, this thing works great in Linux. All I did was plug in the wireless bluetooth device and it worked. No questions asked.

I will probably spend a majority of my time today studying Psychology and Calculus for my finals on Thursday and Friday. I can't wait to be finished with school for the year.

Fedora just alerted me that I had new updates. 57 to be exact. Even with the update, my bug is still around.

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day Five

2009-12-01T17:31:00.010-05:00

I spent a lot of time on Fedora 12 today. Thankfully, a majority of the time was spent productively.

I used OpenOffice Writer and OpenOffice Impress a lot to work on my final project for my Computer Science final. I am familiar with both these programs, from using Ubuntu, so I didn't really have a hard time using them.

One thing that bothered me(it does in every Linux distribution) is the poor flash that Adobe has given us. For the love of god PLEASE give us something better than this trash software. Flash literally makes my internet experience crappy.

As of right now I am about to use gtk-recordmydesktop to record the output of top to show the class how scheduling works. I'll post that video on here when it is finished.

All-in-all it's been another good day with Fedora 12.

I ended up trying recordmydesktop, and it did not work well in Fedora. The frame rate was slow, even when I told it to increase.

I then tried byzanz. I thought the idea was really neat. It is a screen recording program that outputs a gif file. You can see what it can do here.

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day Four

2009-11-30T13:23:00.006-05:00

Today I spent a while trying to see my shared folders on my Windows Vista desktop. After some time I ran into this guide. Which told me to install smb4k.

su -c 'yum install smb4k'

After that I did as the guide told me and enabled Samba Client in the firewall. After that, I could see my Windows Vista share.

Later today I started to mess with some games. I remembered Phun. I downloaded the source, resolved the two missing dependencies, and can now play with gravity!

Another thing that I noticed after installing openoffice is that my spell check is now working in Firefox. On top of that, I have almost every language/dialect to choose from. I chose en_CA. Where's Pirate?

I installed more gnome-games, since I wanted to play Mines with my girlfriend.

The rest of the day was spent studying for tests and working on a presentation for school.

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day Three

2009-11-29T16:09:00.005-05:00

So day three is here. I haven't had too much time to mess with Fedora today. I did, however, start messing with Samba. I was surprised it wasn't installed by default, but I am installing it now.

Since I have Fedora running on my laptop I want to make a connection to my desktop, this way I can access files on my external hard drive.

I will work on this more later... Gotta go meet the girlfriend

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day Two

2009-11-28T12:22:00.007-05:00

This blog is going to be short since I have to go to work soon.

I realized after the update, which updated the kernel, my wireless still drops, but not nearly as much as Ubuntu 9.10. They both use the same kernel version as far as I know, so Fedora does have an advantage here.

I added the RPM Fusion repos and did:

su -c 'yum -y install gstreamer-plugins-ugly'

I can now play MP3s.

I am now installing openoffice.org.

su -c 'yum -y install openoffice*'

It's taking a while but yum is giving me thorough reports telling me that it is working.

My spellcheck is not working in Firefox right now, so please excuse any typos. I am going to look into this tonight.

I also noticed the Notification Area behaving strangly. I submitted a bug here.

Even with some of these bumps, Fedora 12 is working good and is very snappy. More later.

Fedora 12 For One Month: Day One

2009-11-27T23:02:00.014-05:00

I am tired of distro-hopping and decided that I am going to try to stick to one distro, learn more about it, possibly participate in the project, and make myself more well rounded. I already know a lot about Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint, since they are essentially the same. Now I am going to move to what feels like a different camp, Fedora. I also chose Fedora because Ubuntu 9.10 keeps dropping my wireless connection. Hopefully I can stick with Fedora for longer than a month. At the end of the month, I am going to write a review of Fedora 12 after reviewing my month of blogs.

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

So day 1. I spent about 2 hours tonight trying to get it loaded onto a bootable USB drive since I didn't have any blank cd-r(typical for a distro-hopper). After struggling with the boot partitions, file system types, and usb-creator not working, UNetbootin finally "worked". After restarting and telling my BIOS what to boot, Fedora started but I received the error during startupL

[drm:drm_mode_rmfb] *ERROR* tried to remove a fb that we didn't own

Well damn Fedora. Man up and remove it. (Okay I actually have no clue what this error means besides the fact that the startup was not successful.)

After trying numerous attempts to get it started I finally gave up on the USB drive way. I then tried to burn to a DVD-R which, surprise, didn't work... DBus errors...

As I was about to try a new DVD-R I found a stack of CD-Rs. ALAS! SOMETHING I KNOW HOW TO WORK!

I just burned this .iso and I am going to boot and install it... now.

*~15 minutes and a shower later*

Okay, I am now running Fedora 12!

Neat. I changed my fonts to the Liberation fonts, size 8. I am now running an update:

yum -y update

As of now my Dynex Wireless Optical Mouse is not working, and it did in Ubuntu and in Debian Lenny. I am hoping after the update it will work or I will have to do some Fedora spanking.

Other than that it's all butter.

UPDATE: After the update my mouse works great! Shibby.

This is an AIR VENT not a TRASH can...

2009-11-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

I found this at my university. Apparently there has been a problem...

TEST

2009-05-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

this is just a test

this is more

Charlie The Unicorn 3 Wallpapers and Funny Picture

2009-05-04T23:01:00.009-04:00

I made a few Wallpapers and a motivational poster for my lady. I think I should share them here. Click the pictures to download.

The Solution To My g++ Problem

2009-04-03T08:50:00.005-04:00

In my previous post I was complaing about how g++ compiled something that Microsoft Visual Studio didn't.

As suggested on UbuntuForums, I should be using the -pedantic argument when compiling. Geany does not do this by default, so I had to add it under Build > Set Includes and Arguments. I put it with my Build command, since it compiles and links, thus saving me a step when preprocessing, compiling, and linking.

Now my build command appears like so:

g++ -Wall -pedantic -o "%e" "%f"

Hooray errors!

Darnit g++!

2009-04-02T23:14:00.004-04:00

I had to do an assignment in my Computer Science class. Everyone in there uses Microsoft Visual Studio except me. I wrote my program which had

class BankAccount
{
private:
int accountNumber;
double accountBalance;
public:
void enterAccountData(int);
void computeInterest(int, int);
void displayAccount(int);
double const static annualInterestRate = .03;
};

It compiled and ran great with g++, but failed to compile in Microsoft Visual Studio on this line
Code:

double const static annualInterestRate = .03;

I explained to my professor how I use Linux and g++. He told me I should compile at the lab and send it in. He never said that Microsoft Visual Studio was "required", but it is obvious that's what he wants us to use. After I fixed the code I recieved a 75% for turning in a second attempt. I suppose I should be grateful, but I wish he was more understanding.

FML

EDIT: After asking some experienced users, I found my solution.

How OpenOffice.org Word Processor's Find And Replace Saved Me Time And Labor

2009-03-30T14:57:00.010-04:00

I am not posting this to flaunt open source upon others or try to say that OpenOffice.org is better than any other word processor. I am merely posting a situation that I was in. It seemed the only way out of my situation was through writing a program or manual labor.

Problem:
Basically, my History professor assigns us terms that we have to know the who, what, when, where, and "so what?" of. The problem with this is she posts a .doc file that looks similar to this(note the three spaces between each term).

Christopher Columbus Richard Stallman First Computer Pentium I processor etc

Solution A:
My first thought was to just go through with copy and paste and insert this between each term.

Who:
What:
When:
Where:
Why:
So:

This seemed tedious and time consuming, so I moved on to my programming idea...

Solution B:
My second thought was to write a program that involved a for loop that went around and added this to each term. Although it would take me a few minutes to write the program, the process would be much easier than the manual labor involved in Solution A.

Who:
What:
When:
Where:
Why:
So:

Although possible it seemed as if it would still be more time consuming than necessary.

Solution C:
Finally I remembered the phrase that has been floating around for years... KISS, or Keep It Simple Stupid. What could possibly be faster than copying and pasting or writing a program?

Find And Replace!

I had never used this feature in my life. I knew it would come in handy but never knew how. Well, today was Find And Replace's day.

I opened the file with OpenOffice.org Word Processor and pressed Ctrl+F. I entered " " in the find field, but it wouldn't allow me to add a new line for the Who, What, etc. I clicked "More Options" and checked "Regular Expressions." By checking this, I could use escape sequences such as these.

\n New Line
\t Tab

I won't go into any further detail on those since that is all I needed.

I used a combination of \n and \t to make my study guide suitable for my needs. I told OpenOffice.org Word Processor to replace all " " with this:

\n\tWho:\n\tWhat:\n\tWhen:\n\tWhere:\n\tWhy:\n\tSo:\n\n

Bingo, I was in the clear. The very last word did not work because it did not have " " after it, so I used some manual labor, copied, and pasted the Who, What, Where, etc below it.

Dropbox With rsync: My Simple Script To Backup Data With Linux

2009-03-29T16:01:00.009-04:00

I am running Ubuntu 8.10, but these scripts should work with any distribution. Commands should be similar for Mac.

I disliked the idea of Dropbox only being used for some files and enjoyed the idea of backing up everything necessary.

Dependencies:
Dropbox: Get the necessary package from Dropbox's downloads.
rsync: Most distributions have rsync included in their repository. In Ubuntu and Debian the package is called rsync.

Installing Dropbox:
The dropbox installation is pretty straight forward. Put the Dropbox directory in your home directory.
Create a folder called "Upload" for the files that you are uploading from another source. Don't add files to this folder unless it is from an alternative source, like when you add a new file from dropbox.com. After files are added to this folder from the internet, rsync will sync the files from the internet to an upload folder on the computer.

Understanding rsync:
rsync is a very powerful program that allows the user to keep the files in sync. It has a few necessary arguments for Dropbox usage.

-a archive
-u update
-v verbose
--exclude exclude a directory or file
--delete when syncing from directory a to directory b, delete all files that are not on a from b.

Commands
I use this command to sync all my files from my home folder to Dropbox. Of course, I want to exclude the Dropbox folder from the sync so I don't waste space in my Dropbox directory. I want to exclude all hidden files. I also want to exclude uploading to the Upload folder. I do not intend on putting files from my computer and understand it's purpose.

rsync -auv --exclude='.*' --delete --exclude="Dropbox" --exclude="Upload" /home/USERNAME/ /home/USERNAME/Dropbox/

I also need to get the files from my upload directory on dropbox.com to my computer's upload folder. Not many arguments are needed except archive, update, and verbose.

rsync -au -v /home/USERNAME/Dropbox/Upload/ /home/USERNAME/Upload/

The Script
I like to write scripts so I don't have to remember commands. Copy this into a text file, adjust USERNAME for your username of course. Of course, edit this to suit your needs. I assume you have an idea of what you are doing by now...

#!/bin/sh
rsync -auv --exclude='.*' --delete --exclude="Dropbox" --exclude="Upload" /home/USERNAME/ /home/USERNAME/Dropbox/
rsync -au -v /home/USERNAME/Dropbox/Upload/ /home/USERNAME/Upload/

I saved the file as "Backup."

The file needs to be made executable. Open a terminal and run

chmod 755 Backup

Now just click that script and your data will be backed up.

Am I Wrong? (US&UK vs Japan Prosperity)

2009-02-23T16:08:00.002-05:00

I have a college World Civ class and we have online discussions about topics in our books. We are studying the modern period, The British Isles and Japan specifically. I agree that at that point in time Japan was not as prosperous as The British Isles and acted more conservative than probably necessary but...

Every damned person in my class ends their discussion with something like

Without Britain's prosperity in this period it wouldn't have been the great country it is today. If Japan would have tried to increase trade and behave more like The British Isles they would be a better country today.

umm... hello... have you watched the news at all...

This Video Just Made My Day

2008-12-27T11:17:00.001-05:00

My Bands Logo Was Ripped Off. :(

2008-12-25T23:56:00.004-05:00

I made this logo a long time ago for my band aEGIS.

Amazingly another Aegis made a logo. More amazing than that was their choice of fonts and color.

This makes me so mad beyond belief. I worked VERY hard on that logo to be ripped off by someone else. I reported the copyright infringement on Myspace. The band doesn't look like they even exist anymore. They haven't logged in for 2 months. I guess I have done all I can do.

Evolution

2008-12-24T23:54:00.003-05:00

I realized how lucky I am recently. My appearance has improved tenfold.

I had terrible allergies at the beginning of the semester. It made my eyelids swell. It also made them pink. Thanks to the dermatologist and Allegra I am healed.

I also realized I looked better with short hair after I cut it. Good thing. Chicks keep buggin' me now. :P

Recording

2008-12-24T18:34:00.004-05:00

My band, aEGIS, has been recording for the past few days. It's not actual recording, just recording the scratch tracks for the drummer to drum to. It has been extremely enjoyable. I have recorded in the past, but I only enjoy the first few hours of it and always end up miserable at the end. We decided to hire a friend of ours to do it, which has done some good work at a low price.

The process wasn't that tedious since we were allowed to make minor mistakes. As long as everything was in time it worked out.

The biggest problem we had was figuring out the time changes in a song called Winters Rain. Once we got that down we were in business.

We are going to be selling the demo at a cheap price to get ourselves out there. If anyone wants one please contact us and we will send you one.

Happy Festivus!

2008-12-23T10:17:00.004-05:00

The Scenario
1/3 people in my house kind of care about Christmas. The other 2/3 couldn't care less. Yay, big messy tree, wrapping paper, cats eating linoleum, watering the tree, etc. It's all a hassle. I agree that it's great if you have kids, but it sucks for adults, or at least us.

My mom tried to be festive and put up a "tree", which is actually a Rosemary bush in the shape of a Christmas tree(picture above). What a joke.

I showed her what the holidays are all about.

The Outcome
I found an old flag pole and a roll of wire laying around. BAM, my Festivus pole. My mom hates it, I love it, and my dad loves it. I believe we have a new ritual.

Television, Society, and Separation

2008-11-23T11:53:00.004-05:00

I wrote this today for Literature. Hopefully I will do good on it.

Television, Society, and Separation
By Tyler Rusk

They sat in a circle, entranced by the humor and drama in front of them. The unparalleled mirror reflected an image of what they had become. At first they feared it, then they were enticed by it, then they loved it. They had become it, and they loved themselves for it. Their future appearances depended on the current trends of their addiction's members. The way they talked, smiled, and laughed was all staged in front of them. Their emotions toward their significant others were affected by the confused logic and reason of other , fake, tormented souls. Yet they continued in our ways. Day after day, they completed their life's tasks so they could rush home and encapsulate themselves in another's life.

I saw this omen of social hebetudinous and approached it with caution. It was everywhere. I couldn't help but wonder which object of humanity was real, fake, or just as confused as I was. Ergo, I confined myself from humanity. It became evident that I was the only one I could place confidence in. I was a free goat in a sheep slaughterhouse. I accepted and moved on.

I advanced toward my life's goals considerably faster than the sheep. In seclusion, obstacles are minute. Those that exist are either terminated or forces to be reckoned with. Accomplishing more than the sheep, I found solace in my detachment. The grass was insignificant, for this reason it was greener on my side. In fact, it was dead. Green grass was not essential for my life and I did not need it. I did not seek perfection, I was perfection.

My lifestyle is the outcome of this realization. At times I cogitate my decision, but I never regret it. I suppose I could be like them. I could be a reflection of a mirrored reflection, but why? What's the point in having a life if it isn't yours?

How To Get Audio From Hydrogen Drum Kits

2008-11-20T08:31:00.005-05:00

When I was in Linux I enjoyed messing with Hydrogen, a drum sequencing program. When I returned to Windows XP I really wanted to use the kits in Beatcraft. This is legal because the Hydrogen drumkits are in the Universe repository of Ubuntu, which is described as,

"The universe component is a snapshot of the free, open source, and Linux world."

Awesome, so we are in the clear!

First, download and install 7zip.
Download the Hydrogen-Drumkit package.
Right click it and extract the files to a folder of your choice.
Extract data.tar.gz.
Extract data.tar.
Venture to usr>share>hydrogen>data>drumkits.
There you have it, 21 new open-source drum kits for free!

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

2008-11-04T19:44:00.006-05:00

I did not vote for Obama, but knowing that my grandfather is a strict Republican caused me to do this.
First of all, I told him I voted for Obama. It's so funny watching him argue with me, especially when I reply with something a Democrat would say.Then, I went out to the Democratic party's office. I brought this home and left it in his yard. He'll find out tomorrow after the election's outcome.

New Song: Secret Spy Mission

2008-10-27T19:46:00.003-04:00

Showing off my SX SST57, all stock.

Some say it sounds spyish.

Woman Calls Cops Because Her Sister Uses Witchcraft...

2008-10-25T12:11:00.006-04:00

to control her mind?
Other major emergencies?

I Made Guitar Hangers For My Wall With $10

2008-10-23T16:41:00.008-04:00

I was sick of my guitars leaning against my couch, so I did something about it. I went out to Walmart and bought four shovel hangers. They were about $2 a piece.
I took an piece of wood thick enough for the screw part and measured out where the holes had to be. I made each slot for the guitars 15". You may need to make more room for an acoustic like the one on the far right.

After pre-drilling all the holes, including the ones for the screws I sanded it and sprayed it with some lacquer. I was going to stain it but the lacquer dried in two minutes and I did not really care.

Then I hung it, making sure it was level.

Agile AL2500, SX SST57, Ibanez Bass, Yamaha G-50A, and Fender DG-100 NAT
For the record, I did not make the hanger on the far right.

Vox Meteor
I did, however, make this hanger.

All in all the project cost me $10 because I have a crafty grandfather who has everything.