Author Topic: Fettled any computer stuff today? (Read 216501 times)

David Martin · « **Reply #900 on:** 15 December, 2017, 11:55:15 pm »

Block the bandwidth and you block your own request. Of course it is completely insecure, relying on ignorance. For the target demographic, that is not a problem. (They are very nice colleagues and very smart people, just their area of expertise has a significantly large non-overlap in this area.)

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #901 on:** 18 December, 2017, 09:44:34 am »

Bringing my laptop up to date after three months of inactivity. Prepare for Bad Swears.

geraldc · « **Reply #902 on:** 19 December, 2017, 09:04:15 am »

My laptop hadn't been charging correctly for months. There were no cracks in the lead, and even when plugged in it would randomly say it was running on battery rather than mains. I'd already changed the power supply a year ago after the previous lead frayed, but I had no real idea what was causing this problem. I suspected it might be a safety cut in, preventing the battery from charging when the laptop got too hot. Today I finally cleaned the power jack and socket. It works fine now. Years ago the contacts would have been the first thing I'd have checked, but now with power management programs, lithium batteries randomly bulging and exploding, it had never occured to me. D'oh!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #903 on:** 19 December, 2017, 10:11:37 am »

24 hours and many Bad Swears later, laptop is trying to install Feature update to Windows 10 version 1709.

For the fourth time

T42 · « **Reply #904 on:** 19 December, 2017, 10:30:04 am »

Fettled in a manner of speaking: I tossed out the handbook for my 1994 Sound Blaster card.

Greenbank · « **Reply #905 on:** 19 December, 2017, 10:44:17 am »

Holding on to stuff "just in case" is the bane of my life. I just need to sell stuff when I stop using it, or give/throw it away if it's not worth selling.

I've got a PowerMac G5 Quad core machine here that hasn't been turned on for years. If I'd sold it when I stopped using it I'd have got £500+ for it. Now I'll be lucky to get half that. Bah.

ian · « **Reply #906 on:** 19 December, 2017, 11:47:20 am »

You can sell the fans in a G4 tower to Boeing as replacement engine parts for geriatric 747s.

Reminds that I still have two old MacMinis sitting in my office. The G4 got moved to the shed, last saw action several years ago when I needed to send a fax and warm my office. The heatsink alone weighs more than my Macbook.

Kim · « **Reply #907 on:** 19 December, 2017, 01:02:36 pm »

There's a PowerMac G4 sitting next to me, functioning as a shelf and tie-off point for a physioterrorism band. It's too shiny to get rid of, but too noisy and inefficient to be useful for anything.

Barakta and I have irregularly had culls of hoarded computer kit that's more than a couple of generations old (unless kept for archaeological interest). That seems to be a good balance between huge piles of tat and having a collection of random spare parts that's actually useful.

Similarly, we recently went through the box of random orphaned wall-warts and chucked anything that wasn't switched-mode or an exotic voltage, and I ditched my accumulation of analogue telephony junk. I expect a kettle lead cull will be needed at some point...

Jaded · « **Reply #908 on:** 19 December, 2017, 01:05:19 pm »

I've culled no longer used wallwart transformer things for which there was no appliance.

Then, at this time of one year, wondered why we couldn't light up some Christmas decorations...

Kim · « **Reply #909 on:** 19 December, 2017, 01:12:23 pm »

Yeah, wall-warts are one of those things that's worth maintaining a collection of, because it means when you need a power supply for something, you have a good chance of being able to dig one out, fit a suitable plug (possibly scavenged from *another* orphaned wall-wart) and away you go. But there's no point in hoarding half a dozen linear 12V supplies when there are several switching ones in the box.

It's the laptop ones that seem to be breeding most recently. I suppose because small devices are standardising on USB power, so you don't get the proliferation of 7.5V wall-warts.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #910 on:** 20 December, 2017, 02:32:59 am »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 19 December, 2017, 10:11:37 am

24 hours and many Bad Swears later, laptop is trying to install Feature update to Windows 10 version 1709.

For the fourth time

Make that seven before I got medieval on its donkey, blew away the Software Distribution folder and subjected it to a serious dose of sfc and dism. After which it decided that the box is, in fact, totes up-to-date.

Note to self: disable Windows Update service before next holibobs.

ian · « **Reply #911 on:** 20 December, 2017, 02:26:36 pm »

Switched my parents from McAfee to Windows Defender after brief (0.678 ms) consideration of renewing their subscription. As Apple Drone #4639295-897b I have no idea about antivirus. Microsoft don't make their security settings (a) easy to find or (b) intuitive. Waiting a long time for Windows to work through a year of parked up updates. Microsoft don't make their update settings (a) easy to find or (b) intuitive. Removed some Curry's installed crudware. Microsoft don't make their remove program settings (a) easy to use or (b) intuitive.

I'm still impressed that in Windows 10 you're still never more than three clicks away from Windows 95. A profound nostalgia for progress bars.

Also taught my mother, again, how to send emails. Her problem was typing the entire message in the 'To' field. And then simply switching the computer off.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #912 on:** 20 December, 2017, 06:59:10 pm »

If Microsith wanted you to go fiddling under the bonnet they wouldn't split Stuffs between Control Panel and Settings (no-one has yet explained what the difference is). They won't really be happy until they've got it as bolted-down as an old-skool Mac. Frankly I'm surprised they still give us a command line interface.

woollypigs · « **Reply #913 on:** 23 December, 2017, 10:12:12 pm »

Got a controller board from China. Took the screen and the "lid" of my old laptop. Mounted all that onto some left over wood. And now I got a third monitor attached to my pc

Morat · « **Reply #914 on:** 23 December, 2017, 10:53:04 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 20 December, 2017, 06:59:10 pm

If Microsith wanted you to go fiddling under the bonnet they wouldn't split Stuffs between Control Panel and Settings (no-one has yet explained what the difference is). They won't really be happy until they've got it as bolted-down as an old-skool Mac. Frankly I'm surprised they still give us a command line interface.

This! The split between noddy style "Settings" and the old-school "Control Panel" is most confusing in W10

David Martin · « **Reply #915 on:** 23 December, 2017, 11:21:25 pm »

I have fettled the room of requirements so I can use the desk again. Now to fettle a wee bench to take a second monitor over the soldering station for raspi goodness. Running a sound cable to the hifi would also be a good plan.

Afasoas · « **Reply #916 on:** 24 December, 2017, 10:26:15 pm »

Quite a few bits and pieces of the last few weeks.

More fettling with a linux PXE server.
It's now possible to network boot into DRBL and install either Debian or Ubuntu over the network.

At work we've got about 14 PCs which we are giving away to a local food bank to set-up a drop in ICT centre. Ideally I'd like to get to the point I have a zero touch network based Ubuntu install that results in a fully usable approach and use kiosk type PC. It needs to not retain any files saved locally by a user (they should be using Google Drive) nor retain any cookies/browing history for more than a single session. If this can be fully automated via preseed even better. Suggestions welcome.

Now the proud owner of 3 Unify UAP wireless access points. I was loathed to jump on that band wagon* but these were second hand and offered to me for £VeryCheap. The house now has full network coverage, but at some point I've really got to get some proper structured cabling in.

And I discovered PirateBox. I have one of these running on a spare original Pi Model B with a long range WiFi antennae. To date, no one has interacted with it, and although I love the idea, I don't think it's going to prove any use outside of a mesh network covering at least a few streets.

*Ubiquity gear is many a tech-head's go to recommendation for solving any network requirement even if totally and OTT

Pingu · « **Reply #917 on:** 03 January, 2018, 09:49:48 pm »

Increased the lapdancer's RAM. Should've done it ages ago.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #918 on:** 04 January, 2018, 07:52:38 pm »

Made this work in Euro Truck Simulator 2:

ETS2 Yorkshire Tea by Mr Larrington, on Flickr

Ph3@r m1 l337 h@X0r 5k1llz0rz!

Ham · « **Reply #919 on:** 04 January, 2018, 10:47:55 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 19 December, 2017, 10:44:17 am

Holding on to stuff "just in case" is the bane of my life. I just need to sell stuff when I stop using it, or give/throw it away if it's not worth selling.

I've got a PowerMac G5 Quad core machine here that hasn't been turned on for years. If I'd sold it when I stopped using it I'd have got £500+ for it. Now I'll be lucky to get half that. Bah.

I've still got one of these

in my loft which, coincidentally I used to fettle some quiz buttons for a broadcast programme some 30 years ago. Just sayin'.

Maverick · « **Reply #920 on:** 05 January, 2018, 08:19:31 am »

The new (replacement) server is now live

The ageing HP ML110 has been shut down after 9 years of faultless service, no complaints there. The new Gen10 microserver runs Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and is much speedier with its fast SSD and twice the RAM of the one it replaces. Now need to decide whether to progress to stage 2 and move the 24TB of discs from the FreeNAS box over and integrate everything into one box.

Kim · « **Reply #921 on:** 05 January, 2018, 12:52:14 pm »

Made a lot of things say:

Code: [Select]

[ 0.000000] Kernel/User page tables isolation: enabled

cpcnw · « **Reply #922 on:** 05 January, 2018, 01:05:33 pm »

Can I download the "YACF Grey" Theme for SMF anywhere? Please

David Martin · « **Reply #923 on:** 05 January, 2018, 08:09:36 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 04 January, 2018, 10:47:55 pm

Quote from: Greenbank on 19 December, 2017, 10:44:17 am
Holding on to stuff "just in case" is the bane of my life. I just need to sell stuff when I stop using it, or give/throw it away if it's not worth selling.

I've got a PowerMac G5 Quad core machine here that hasn't been turned on for years. If I'd sold it when I stopped using it I'd have got £500+ for it. Now I'll be lucky to get half that. Bah.

I've still got one of these

in my loft which, coincidentally I used to fettle some quiz buttons for a broadcast programme some 30 years ago. Just sayin'.

Coincidentally I am soldering up the boards to run my quiz buttons off a Pi Zero (now they have finally arrived).
4 down, 4 to go.

Afasoas · « **Reply #924 on:** 06 January, 2018, 01:04:57 am »

Quote from: Kim on 05 January, 2018, 12:52:14 pm

Made a lot of things say:

Code: [Select]
[ 0.000000] Kernel/User page tables isolation: enabled

Ditto. The first three of my 'problems' down tonight. And arguably they were the worst ones as I had to go full dist upgrade. ~17 to go.
I estimate ~300 'problems' to patch at work next week.

Code: [Select]

Jan  5 23:16:50 brox kernel: [    0.000000] Kernel/User page tables isolation: enabled

Author Topic: Fettled any computer stuff today? (Read 216501 times)

ian

ian

Afasoas

Afasoas