I did it!

Tonight, system.genshiken-itb.org got a system upgrade!

[10:42] ~# dmesg | head
OpenBSD 4.3-current (GENERIC) #878: Tue May 27 09:18:05 MDT 2008
deraadt@i386.openbsd.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC

I upgraded it. Remotely.

Nothing is more thrilling than reboot with new kernel while praying nothing bad happens O_O (which means, if IT happens, the server won’t be accessible until I got time to go to the location of the server…)

Now I can finally install PostgreSQL from packages – not compiling from source anymore πŸ˜€

Too bad there’s still no cksfv πŸ™

My themes

Here’s a cell phone themes for you: lulz1 (ha creative name πŸ˜€ )

Designed specifically for Sony Ericsson W880 (yes, my phone). May or may not work for other SE phones version 4.5 with display resolution of 240×320 (which includes, but not limited to: K790, K800, K810, S500, T650, W580, W830, W850). And might work for other models with display resolution of 240×320.

Based on iPhony by adhamsomantrie.com (modified without permission πŸ˜€ )

Wallpaper uses art from xephonia (used without permission πŸ˜› )

Suggestions are welcome.

[ Download here ]

Got pawned… by gparted

(Gparted is an open source partition editor)

Here’s the chronology:

  1. SP3 got!
  2. Install!
  3. Decided to install on old system (20 gb partition)
  4. Finished install
  5. Installed lots of programs
  6. Wanted to install NWN2…
  7. …not enough space!
  8. No worry, there’s still 50 gb space I can use to enlarge the partition
  9. Ubuntu + Gparted come to rescue!
  10. Resized in blink of eye
  11. Open the partition with Ubuntu… looks fine
  12. Restart!
  13. Nothing happen orz
  14. Boot with Windows XP Installation disk (fixmbr/fixboot)
  15. Restart!
  16. Still nothing happens orz
  17. Try repair!
  18. Restart!
  19. Now there are fancy characters on screen…
  20. wtf
  21. Rinse and repeat from step #11
  22. Still error!
  23. WTF
  24. Reinstall come to rescue o_O
  25. That, and one day work gone *poof*. Redo from beginning πŸ‘Ώ

Lessons learned.

Multi-booting Windows, (x/k/ed)Ubuntu, OpenBSD

I actually liked Windows’ boot manager: it’s simple that it’s stupid (LOL)

But that’s it: I’m not going to use other boot manager if there’s any Windows installation in same drive (assuming all OSes are in same drive).

For OpenBSD, it’s really easy: just read the installation faqs. πŸ˜›

For (x/k/ed)Ubuntu, there’s no instruction available but it’s not much different with OpenBSD’s:

  • At installation, make SURE to install GRUB on the ROOT partition of the system (using advanced option on last step) – and take note the location (ex: /dev/sda2)
  • After installation you’ll get to Windows directly without given choice for OS: don’t worry, we’ll add it now
  • Go download dd for windows
  • Use dd --list to see which is the Ubuntu root partition. Easy way: Harddisk# is the same as system partition – usually C: drive. Then for Partition#, use this formula: /dev/[s/h]d[a-z]#. So /dev/sda2 would have partition number 2 (Partition2)
  • Then do this: dd if=?DeviceHarddisk#Partition# of=c:ubuntu.pbr bs=512 count=1
  • And edit boot.ini (System Properties β†’ Advanced β†’ Startup and Recovery Settings β†’ Manually edit startup file). Add line like this: C:ubuntu.pbr="Ubuntu"
  • Reboot, there’ll be Ubuntu in boot choice list.
  • There might be another countdown… to remove: go find it yourself πŸ˜›
  • Yay finished

AVG8 WTF

It uses 40MB of memory and eats all cpu resource when opening a folder with lots of application in it.

Will do a wait and see approach for a month before uninstalling it and replacing with something lighter like free antivirus from Avast! or Avira.

Ubuntu lol

Ha. So I installed Ubuntu 8.04 on my laptop.

  • Mplayer works (just search it on its package manager interface). Styled subtitle also works albeit with glitch on font rendering.
  • Using intel graphic chip helps greatly when using it as no need for additional driver.
  • In general, using not-so-new hardware means that there’s high chance nothing will be need to be done to use linux perfectly (?). Laptop’s volume control (via keyboard shorcut) also works. So does the touchpad and battery and wifi and… everything πŸ˜›
  • Uninstalled again though, as I need space for data XD

Migration to Vista, try 5

This is my fifth attempt migrating to Vista.

Pre-migration: Vista Beta 2 (or the first public preview, I don’t remember its exact number, so just call it “Beta 2” for now). As it’s a beta, I only install it just for the LULZ. Checking it out. Encountered some problems (the main problem is I can’t connect with my wireless connection without messing registry first). Find fix for the problems, solved some, back to XP

First: Vista RC1. Being an RC1, I expect it to be much more stable than Beta 2 – and yes it certainly is. Wireless conncetion problem still retains though. But I have easier time since I’ve already tried the beta. At the time, foobar2000 is still incompatible with Vista. And I only have x64 edition… compatibility in there isn’t funny. Back to XP before getting more headaches.

Second: Vista (released). Business edition (from Campus Agreement). Pretty good overall, except that I can’t activate with given key. Bummer. Used for several days and then back to XP.

Third: Got activation cr**k from intarwebs. Proven to be stupid. Back to XP… or not yet. Armed with /rearm (delaying activation deadline for 30 days), I installed it (without cr**k). Used for several weeks… till my internet connection becomes problematic. Got ISP’s technician to repair it, just to find they destroyed my Windows (HA). And it turns out that the problem is on SERVER SIDE. (HA). Back to XP to prevent FAIL and started using dualboot few weeks later (one for people in the house, the other one for myself).

Fourth: Got new key. Activated successfully. Runs fine… till I tried RF-Online and find that I can’t play properly with it disconnected for every other minute. Back to XP (LOL).

Fifth: Vista SP1!! LOLWUT. It actually works fine now and it’s good enough for me. The rest below.

Why Vista?

Some of you might wonder why I bothered trying Vista. Here’s the reasons:

  • It’s latest version of Windows. Newer doesn’t neccessarily better. Correct. But it’ll be better with time. I’ve experienced trying new version of Windows back to Windows 2000. Windows 98 -> Windows 2000 IS painful. None of my drivers works. Compatibility problems everywhere. Then there’s this “Windows ME” – another problematic OS. In fact, I’ve ever re-installing in sequence like 98 -> 2000 -> ME -> 98 -> etc, in one week. Or one month (countless re-installation of Windows). Then comes XP. Albeit less problem than 2000, it’s slower. Even worse: XP, 2000, ME, 98 installed-uninstalled in short cycles. Too bad Vista takes ages to install. And I have this thing called “internet connection” at home now, making me lazy in doing that.
  • 14 Updates (about 8 is important, the rest is either recommended or optional). Compare that to OVER9000 updates/patches for XP. XP SP3 will be released soon though, making this point moot. But whatever.
  • Integrated search. No more Google Desktop now. And I can search from Windows Explorer instantly. (and feels faster)
  • Aero. Huh? LOL. No, this isn’t my main reason.
  • It’s not really much different. Except some fundamental changes and supposedly more future proof.

What’s new in SP1?

SP1, the thing that enables me to use Vista (for one single reason, that is). Here’s the differences between pre-SP1 and SP1 (and the power of time)

  • No more messing with registry to connect to my wireless network
  • RF-Online now works fine
  • More Vista-compatible programs (it’s power of time, actually)

The bad?

There are some problems with it though…

  • SP1 installation took ages. SERIOUSLY. Why do I need to wait SP1 installation to finish if it can be slipstreamed with main installation?! Last time I installed Windows’ service pack is at XP, SP1. After that I just slipstream it and be happy.
  • My key is now invalid. Bummer. “Multiple Activation Key has exceeded its limit.” HA. I need to claim new key at Monday (or Tuesday). Or I’ll just resort to /rearm. Why Microsoft doesn’t have VLK anymore is beyond me. Even Server 2003 Enterprise has VLK (yea I have legit – in one way and another, at least WGA said so – XP, 2003, and Vista)

That’s it. LOL. Here’s the screenshot.

(It’s Vista. YARLY)

– I got bored and turned off Desktop Composition

It werks!

It’s simple: I tried to run (play) Extreme-G 2 on my pc. It’s not that easy though. πŸ™

After much trouble:

  • Β Find the cd (easy)
  • Install it!
  • It doesn’t work
  • Find the solution
  • Found the solution
  • Download 10 MB apps
  • Yes it works!
  • -with glitch (text not displayed correctly)
  • Find the solution!
  • Solution not found
  • Resorting to laptop
  • Install .NET Framework 3 (for the solution mentioned before) and the game
  • Yes it works!
  • -slowly
  • -crawling, I mean. Like watching slideshow
  • Resorting to old pc
  • Reinstall TNT2 M64 (HA!)
  • The vga doesn’t woooork! (it’s kinda problematic)
  • Finally it works!
  • Interlude: my old USB 2 PCI adapter confirmed doesn’t work anymore
  • Install everything AGAIN
  • YES IT WERKS!

So much trouble for an old game πŸ‘Ώ

Vista SP1!

Windows Vista SP1 has just released!

Get em now for x86 or for x64

…if you’re using Windows Vista, that is.

or planning to install it.

and there’s no support for slipstreaming it on vista installer. πŸ™

Update: apparently, Windows XP SP3 is around the corner, too.

Ran out of storage!

nospace.png

!#*@%@*#^$*#&^@

I got (borrowed) a 500 GB hard disk drive that’s filled with random stuffs…

Now I HAVE to sort out my files and make space for them (like, creating space from about 4 GB of space and 600+ GB of files and only 750 GB total storage I currently own)

Ruriko = that drive

Firefox + Java = Disaster

My firefox crashed twice today. That all was caused by this page‘s Java application (and I don’t know what it is for since I don’t see anything complex that needs Java).

Reasons I hate Java (in Firefox):

  • Sometimes crashes the browser (sometimes happens with Flash, too, but less often than Java)
  • Can’t be UNLOADED. I mean, the freakin Java icon stays on the systray even though the page that has Java has closed! The only way to remove that freakin icon is to exit Firefox (sometimes need to kill via Task Manager)
  • Eats my bandwidth (Flash is worse though, most times)
  • Ugly.Β  99% of times it uses totally-not-matching theme with the rest of system, and ugly to boot

And I also just noticed that I can’t find option to use “No Style” on Internet Explorer (7) and Apple Safari (3 Beta). Weak.

Any sites that use WHITE text on BLACK background MUST be stabbed. πŸ‘Ώ

Nero Lite!

Apparently, there are some software where I know the name (and what it do) but didn’t expect it really exist.

Nero Lite is one of them. I stumbled on it when pointlessly googling “nero lite”, expecting there’s a software like that… Just to find that it actually exist o.o

Haven’t checked it yet though but looking from the site it seems to be made by folks from MSFN, which means it’s quite reliable…

Yay for Nero 8 without the BLOAT. (like, >200 MB for a freakin burning software – well not anymore actually, it’s trying to be a media center software with burning as one of its features but not providing burning-only edition of it. WTFgreedy)