Friday, August 31, 2007

Gaim!!! ufffff.

Today I tried to install Gaim (nekoware, of course!), the most common multiprotocol chat program in the unix world. Installing a new soft bah! easy... except out of Windows. Here is not a Next, Yes, Next, Next, Finish installation process.

First you have to download the tarball of the desired software. Then look at its dependencies that this program needs, these are more software or software libraries. And then you have to download the dependencies of the dependencies (yes it is!).

Started the Software Manager I opened the Gaim tarball, then clicking in the "Conflicts" button a new window appears with the dependencies that are missing. Choose install the dependencies and browse for the correct file. Sometimes I forgot to download, I open Firefox and download, but one time I downloaded a incorrect file (I confused between the two gtk libraries). The mistake created more dependencies to be needed. Then when I tried to open some file (neko_tiff I think) I found the library is missing again. I downloaded again some times and the same error. Tired I closed Software Manager and go dinner.

After dinner (Carppaccio!!!), second attempt: With all the dependencies in a temporary folder I started to open the Gaim tarball and then the dependencies that Software Manager ask for. When I opened neko_glut the same error than before (glut is missing). I remembered that glut was Okay the first attempt and I was thinking Maybe the Software Manager can't open a lot of tarballs at time. rare but... perhaps.

Third attempt: I started to install neko_tiff and it dependencies.... OK. After this I tried GTK.... Okay again. WOW, Glut and tiff are installed, nothing wrong can come now... I was thinking..... Yeah Gaim installed!!!

Buff, when I saw Gaim running with my friends online in MSN I was very happy for two reasons: First this was the longest installation of a program in my live (and Gaim is a very small software!!!) and second, last week my old server died as my workstation did one month a go and if I keep the laptop in the office I can't chat with friends.

Now I only have to think what OS I'm going to install in my new Core2Quad, I think Dell is going to send the PC next week. Solaris? Fedora? Ubuntu? That's the question!!!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

A lot of new things!!!


A lot of new things and a lot of time without writing anything in this blog. First of all I have to say that my Octane was down because monitor problems (monitor switch problems) but at the end of july a new KVMA switch arrived. It is a Gembird CAS-441. I was surprised by the good quality and its function.

A lot of people says that the Octane's dont work whit KVM's but it does. Just two things:
1.- Only standard keyboards are supported. My newer keyboard with fast access keys -sound, mail, etc.- hangs the KVM.
2.- Sometimes the special keys (ctrl, alt, BloqNum, et.) does not work properly, usually when I change the working computer. A reboot of the computer repairs the problem but I need to do more test (plug-unplug keyboard, cables, etc.)

With the new switch I remade my old adapter 13W3-HD15, doing it short and with HD15 (VGA) female at the end. Special lead with video, keyboard and mouse in one cable do the rest.

After some weeks of work I'm happy this this KVM, the quality of video is excellent comparing with other models, no blur at the monitor and digital control inside works okay. (And is a very cheap model!!!!)