Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:08:52 GMT | 1 comment
Still today, Microsoft Windows is showing us the most annoying freeze ever. Recently I have been forced to switch to Windows from Linux.
I usually put it on sleep by doing Start => Turn Off => Stand by. Which requires multiple clicks and seconds for the menu to popup. One of my friend which happen to be an expert in Microsoft technologies suggested me to do Win+L for Lock(AFAIK). It worked....
but when I came back later that night, the computer would not wake up as it normally would from a regular Stand by.
I tried everything and I had a lot of time to wait between trials since I was reconfiguring my living room for my new purchase I had just bought at Futureshop.
thank you Microsoft for crashing our computers for now more than 12 years. (3.1 was not crashing that much as far as I can remember).
For those looking for solution, you can try to install either Kubuntu, Ubuntu, OpenSuse or Mandriva on your PC for more stability. Or simply buying a Mac.
Posted in Tech / Computers / Programming, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:18:51 GMT | 1 comment
I just made a small discovery last night. I already knew about ext2fs but it was not really stable, rather incompatible and as far as I remember, read-only. So, rather useless.
Now there is something I would call "new". ext2IFS. IFS for Installable FileSystem. it is simply wonderful. and for anyone using windows who needs access to their ext2/3 partitions, try this one out.
As you already know. your data is the most important part of computing. and with all open source software, I recommend reading all the documentation. in this case, it is all shown during the install process. please read it or don't cry when something happen.
Posted in Linux, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Fri, 13 Oct 2006 02:22:00 GMT | no comments
As many of you already know, Google recently released their Code search. After reading about Code search ideas and found Expression of which programming language sucks more. For instance, Python sucks. (thx, paolo). I thought, actually its not about which language suck the most. but what language are the programmer the less Happy with. So I checked a few of them. I'm sure the huge number next to C is related to the fact tons of C code is open sourced and C is also the oldest. but there is a huge difference there.
But finding "qt sucks" in kdelibs source is a bit of a shame. at least for me who literaly love Qt and KDE. Qt (total 11), KDE (total 2)
I am a bit disapointed to find almost none MFC Sucks. It's probably just because there is not much open MFC code. Well, I hope so.
But what I found very interesting and why I am actually posting this. Is because ..... (roulement de tambour)..... No one, programming in Ruby thinks that ruby sucks. For few very simple and straight reasons.... ruby rocks, i love ruby and ruby is fantastic
so go ahead and learn Ruby
and don't forget that people DO love their job and more
Posted in Tech / Computers / Programming, Ruby, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Sat, 23 Sep 2006 08:41:00 GMT | no comments
I got it. I finally understood this quickly aging 2001 Microsoft Windows XP system. No more regular 6 months reinstallation. I am currently using my windows system and the famous firefox webbrowser to write this blog post. Although I installed it more than a year ago, its still amazingly stable. The solution ? Everyone is listening ?
Simple, If a Windows system usually last about 6 months or close to 180 days of uses. I just use my windows system only one day every 1 or 2 months. This way, my windows can potentially last 180 to 360 MONTHS !!!! Is this not very super crazy amazing!?!?!. Its more than enough long to survive before Apple Leopard comes out (Spring 2007).
In the mean time, If you wonder what to use the other 27-30 days of the months. Get yourself a copy GNU Kubuntu Linux. It's very inexpensive and definitely worth every penny you'll invest in this operating system.
comments very welcome.
Posted in Tech / Computers / Programming, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Tue, 19 Sep 2006 03:23:00 GMT | no comments
I was using skype quite often before and quite like it too. they've done a pretty amazing job. Yet, there was many little things I was not happy with and I keep this old habbit to try out what's available see If I could not find any better. The main reasons I wanted something else is because release for Windows, MacOSX and Linux are not in sync and features sets are so different, it's quickly becoming different software. While they first advertise their software to be using Qt and full cross plateform. I remember The KDE News Site advertising Skype as this freshly created startup that commercially use Qt and we were all so excited about getting a decent VoIP cross-plateform. The other reason is, I never got it to work under Linux. If you have a desktop, with one simple sound card and a stupid basic microphone plug onto it, it should work. but if you have a laptop, with some weird sound card, a USB mic, or worse a USB webcam with internal microphone. just forget about it. There is tons of hacks around the internet. but seriously. none works. and think about it, when you want to call your mother and you are paying for a software, hacking around is not really what you want to spend time on.
So times has changes now, and there is various alternative. Gizmo and WengoPhone to name the two most serious ones. Both free, opensource and available on all commun plateform. There is others choices under linux, but I would want to make them appear worth than they are so I'm just not gonna name them.
So, few months ago, I decided to give a serious try to WengoPhone and bought 10Euro worth of credit. cost me roughly 14.50$can. They had a god promotion such as If you were buying credits, you would not used them. That's it fee calls. Sounded weird, but I tried it. So it last about a month, I could call my family for free, seeing my credits jammed at 10.22Euro.
To that point, things were great. I was using my girlfriends windows computer and I could do my calls for free. I was also looking for a cheaper altertive over to skype and Wengo is definitely cheaper.
but then a few flaws started to appear. You contact list is local to your wengo install. so if you switch computer, user, or reinstall wengo, you'll loose your contact list. I learned quickly how to not use their contact list and just use my address book for the number I have not memorize. Something a user should never have to do. Also, if there is two user logon on your windows machine at the same time, only one instance of Wengo can run at the same time, the second one simply won't launch.
As wengo is a french company, and all calls are virtually routed from France, every occupied-messages, dialing-error-messages or any type of message you usually hear from your phone company is in French. bonus points for people who doesn't understand french.
but the windows client works, well, the old version. the latest beta crash on started up. I submitted a bug report more than a month ago and nothing has changed, so I have to use the version 0.99
At work, I am using Mac, the beta version of Mac works. well, I have to launch it 3 times as it crashes on startup as well. but after 3-5 crash it seems to figure out his way through and then I can makes calls. weird? funny? I don't know but it's certainny nor fun nor quick to use.
So today I went on their website again to see if they had release a new beta. unfortunately not, but what I noticed though is the fact they are stating their BETA for PPC is "For advanced users only" while the BETA for Intel isn't. Well, it could be true, but let me doubt here. the look of this strangly look like a copy paste of the Win32 version, which states the BETA is "For advanced users only" but the 0.99 version not. which makes sense. so they copy/pasted this block, replace the version for the proper Mac version, but forgot they were both beta and they did not duplicated the warning for advanced users. A minor error you will tell me. but I seen so many mistakes of that kind on their websites, thinking about the actual code of the application scares the hell out of me. Such People lacking attention to details such as this can only provide crashing applications.
I'm gonna slowly use my wengo credit and then might switch back to Skype. well, I'll see at that point. but changing evil for worse was not for all the best. except that I could try out this app. I guess its something more under my belt but how usefull is it?
ah,... those guys over at WengoPhone.
I should mention a bit about Gizmo Phone project. I have not seriously try it, just installed it and did couple of tests, but nothing serious. but they also have an interresting promotion. They allow free calls between gizmo users. Skype also advertise something like that but there is a big different. Of course, all software as such allow you to do audio conferencing over the internet. but What Gizmo allow is different. You can call your friends real phone number for free if your friend as an account on gizmo and he had this phone number to his user profile. I don't know how secure it is to put your phone number in there. but I would expect that only my trusted contacts can have access to this information. but the point is. you sign up, enter your phones into your profile, your friend does the same and when he is not online, you can call him for free using gizmo. They are sure losing money on this. but they wants users so. way to go.
maybe gizmo is next finally, I don't know.
I hoped you enjoyed readings and won't post your useless thoughts on the comment box below.
Posted in Tech / Computers / Programming, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Sat, 02 Sep 2006 23:34:00 GMT | 1 comment
So I want to fool around with my girlfriends computer a bit. she bought a NEC and I feel she got way more horsepower than what the current operating system is giving us. Just like Compaq in America, NEC ships windows with TONS of addons, multimedia and security crap. but she likes it. its her computer and she does not understand why things should be different.
So I want to backup the whole thing, create partitions so I can install multiple operating systems and if she wants to get it back, I'm just gonna untar the whole thing. but who thought backing up this computer would involved multiple system partitions.
Command (m for help): p
Disk /dev/sda: 300.0 GB, 300090728448 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 36483 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 34042 273442333+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 34043 34286 1959930 12 Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda3 34287 35137 6835657+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 35138 36483 10811745 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Command (m for help):
what the fuck are those extra partitions. what software do need them and why. Only the NTFS are visable under Windows, for some reasons the FAT32 is hidden and the magic type 12 partition can be mounted as NTFS under Linux. You don't want to see the crap that is inside.....
what a pain in the butt
Posted in Tech / Computers / Programming, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Fri, 16 Jun 2006 00:59:00 GMT | no comments
Would everyone please shut their Windows start up sound. PLEASE !!!!
Posted in Random Thoughts, Tech / Computers / Programming, English
Posted by Mathieu Jobin
Tue, 09 May 2006 13:25:00 GMT | no comments
Do Microsoft still owns important part of Apple? Do Mr Bill Gates received huge money from ipod sales and Mac switcher as well? I'd like to know if it is still the case. Because if so, things could become very scary.
Read more...
Posted in Random Thoughts, Tech / Computers / Programming, English
