World: r3wp

just tried it again (Mepis6.5) and there is something strange

Yeah, the user mode tests were coming back EPERM...   I'll try some 
more tests with different  seconds.

you don't have to, that is not the problem I see

I posted a private question, did you notice?

Ok...  I'm still learning.  So I might just play with it anyway  
:)

Just now.

Can we file share here...never tried it.

it looks like not being available here

Ok, I'm btiffin canada com

Ladislav, Mepis looks nice. Do you use it ?

Oh, you do :)

A comment by a reader: "...I've grown accustomed to SimplyMEPIS for 
every day, basic desktop needs. I run plain Debian when I want to 
test out tons of software, but I've been sticking with SimplyMEPIS 
when all I'm doing is reading Email, browsing the Web, and listening 
to streaming audio. .."

So it looks like you get good ease of use, but there is some restriction 
when it comes to trying out heaps of software. It could save me time 
when making machines for other people.

Gabriele, I just noticed Sabayon, based on Gentoo, but initial install 
is pre-compiled, and they provide a pool of pre-compiled packages.

you can install gentoo precompiled too, but that defeats the purpose 
of gentoo. :)

ie. if i were to use a precompiled gentoo then i'd rather go with 
debian.

mepis: never tried it; isn't it debian based? i think, that it's 
better to go with the most popular one in this case (ie. ubuntu/kubuntu/xubuntu). 
you find ready packages for stuff (eg skype). :)

Mepis is fine, it is Ubuntu-based currently. I tried Kubuntu too, 
but stayed with Mepis

Mepis was Debian-based, but is now indeed Ubuntu-based

Anton, all the distros based on Debian package pools have a big problem 
in that, when you start adding the Debian repositories and installing 
software from them, you run a high risk of pulling in dependencies 
that will destroy system packages that were modified from Debian

Ubuntu doesn't have this problem because they build everything themselves, 
not using Debian binary packages. For the distros that are now based 
on Ubuntu repositories the problem has been lightened, because they 
don't have to modify as much in Ubuntu as they had to in Debian, 
but the fundamental problem is still there

Building on a major distro seems nice, but this issue means that 
it's really only the major distro itself that is more or less guaranteed 
to work, as far as that's possible with Linux. So that's usually 
Debian and Ubuntu

Interesting Linux-based idea for the always-on generation....Its 
the return of the thin client!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/17/babellinux/

Gabriele, good point.

Kaj, that's very good info, thanks !

I could still use Mepis as a simple "don't change much" install for 
friends who just want a basic computer.

I found that giving large amounts of text to a CALL, causes a permissions 
requester so big that the buttons to allow the action are put outside 
the window and by resizing it, 1-2 pixels of the buttons can be seen, 
but are unreadable. Anyone spotted this?

For the curious.


http://kde-files.org/content/show.php/Linux+Distro+Timeline?content=44218


The artist has created a pretty nice graphical timeline of the Linix 
distributions.

4am
s/Linix/Linux/

just installed Knoppix 5.1.1  like beryl a lot

Alan goes 3D :)

yes !   now to see if I can get Rebol/Altme installed and set-broswer-path 
working with it

You'll get it working...by hook or by crook.  Make sure to drop a 
note once you attack the problem.

what is your graphic card, Alan?

i'm tempted to install xgl and compiz on kubuntu too... even if i 
know that i shouldn't :)

I start up this script which does a forever [ ] ... and start it 
in my rc3.d/S99local .. and curiously, I get a spinning x appear 
in my root console!

I do run the script as a separate process using the & too.

you need -qw in rebol (the spinning x is from a  network access i 
guess) and >/dev/null </dev/null when calling it. (otherwise it won't 
detach)

Ladislav it's on an Acer laptop so uses an on board ATI -it's off 
right now will give you more info when i turn it on  it's onmy 1 
year old so should be a newer ATI

hmm... I got "Killed" in a rebol console that was quit by the machine. 
I wonder if that is similar to a segfault?

e.g. normally you'd see "Segmentation fault", but here I saw "Killed"

I can get that with 

kill -9 (processid)

Did something like that happen?

only if someone has gained access to that box :-) it happened on 
its own

Yikes.

But there are problems with the current 2.7.5.4.2 beta, and after 
the stack space creeps into code space, Iit may cause any number 
of curious side effects.

s/lit/it/

Heehee.  I caved, installed Wine to test the site with IE last Thursday. 
 I was moving

some windows around and just noticed the Icon that got installed 
on the KDE desktop.

Heeheehee. The big blue E upside down, spinning down the drain...had 
to chuckle.

This may have been covered before, what is the status of font management 
on Linux?  Particularly used with Wine?

Wine with the ies4Linux package (don't know which one did this)

installs the msttcorefont package.  Arial, Courier, I'll forget some, 
Verdana, Times, 

Times New,  Comic Sans, Trebuchet, Impact, Georgia, Webdings, I cheated 
and

looked, Andale.  TT fonts are not redistributable but the package 
pulls them from...
somewhere, I wasn't really watching.

Management of fonts is still very distro specific.  Progress is being 
made, but, the 

situation is still kinda hairy.  I have to admit, compared to 4 years 
ago, fonts are now

beautiful on Debian, but limited.   And we have no TEXT in DRAW blocks...yet. 
 :(
A lot of the nicer fonts come with installing LaTeX.

I don't know if it's because X fonts have historically sucked...but 
I stick with

Serif, Sans, and Mono.  All very legible nowadays.  With LaTeX, I 
just let it do its
thing and it always looks book quality, so I don't fiddle.

Currently installing 64 bit version of Suse 10 .. hope Rebol runs!