Where you been, Pink?

Maybe the more important question is, “Where are you, Wax Tablet?”

Either way, I (we?) have been working on a few things coming due this month and next. I haven’t been good about updating them on the various sites. Since the only system I work on is down indefinitely, here’s some detail and a lot of it. So here’s the deal:

The computer project for work is almost done. I have an old Pent II MMX 200mhz computer as a test box. I wanted to show that if this box can run pretty fast, imagine what it will do on a refurbished Pent III?

This crazy project has kept me awake at night trying like the test pilot guy in Apollo 13. Something like, “I have to get this thing booted and running office software on less resources than that TI-30 calculator over there.” It’s overstating it a bit, but it is how I feel, complete with sleepless night and backaches.

***TECHNICAL WARNING: GLAZE OVER IF YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT KERNEL MODULES AND ASSORTED THINGS***
The latest crazy effort involves backporting inotify into the 2.4 linux kernel. Yes, the 2.4 kernel. The really old computers will have a 2.4 kernel patched with inotify (for swapping thumbdrives, instant screen refreshes, etc.) the newer ones will have a 2.6 kernel. The 2.4 kernel is just so much faster on the older boxes and I’m only missing this one little thing.

I’m on day two of compiling this custom kernel. An old box can only crunch this stuff so fast…

I even thought of putting Metisse on this thing, but that’s a bit much. In the meantime, I’ve tried various Openbox setups, Enlightenment to look like a Mac, IceWM setups, Fluxbox, etc. Name it and I’ve tried it. (Including an exotic Metacity + LXPanel. The guys at Austrumi can do it, so can I.)

***OKAY YOU CAN COME BACK NOW. IT WASN’T THAT BAD***

All the major stuff has already been addressed. Office software, pretty backgrounds, custom utilities made by this guy, stability, low resource usage. The result can look pretty and I think it does.

I hope to present this stuff to the powers that be within two weeks. The presentation in very rough draft form is this:

The need: Families need their children to learn computer skills to keep up with present curriculum and to compete in the modern job market.

The opportunity: We store hundreds of functioning computers because the cost of disposing of them is prohibitive. We can use these computers, plus the thousands of soon-to-be decommissioned computers to meet this need.

The nuts and bolts: This can be done through the use of readily available software. The set-up required to do this well includes a straight-forward installation process, space for training, and well-defined procedures.

Life-Cycle of a Computer to Be Refurbished:

When the computer arrives, it will be paired with a serial number and information sheet.

It will then be connected with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and booted with DBAN. (Darik’s boot and nuke.) Note: DO NOT CONNECT TO THE NETWORK UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. If the computer successfully boots, DBAN will wipe the hard drive in preparation for the next steps. If it does not boot, it will move into a triage area to see if it can be repaired. Computers that cannot be repaired will be disassembled for spare parts. The hard drive will be wiped by alternate means before storage.

Once the hard drive is cleaned, the computer will be booted with a live CD. Note: DO NOT CONNECT TO THE NETWORK AT THIS POINT. The purpose of the live CD is to determine the system configuration. (I’m sure there’s a better way to do this besides guessing at what gets you into BIOS.) Information about the processor, processor speed, memory and hard drive size will be recorded on the information sheet.

Also check for the presence of a network card, a sound card, graphics card, and/or USB port. Note these on the information sheet as well.

Compare the information recorded with the minimum requirements on the information sheet. Note components that fall below minimum requirements. If the computer is missing required equipment as noted on the information sheet or falls below minimum standards, check inventory for the needed components and install as available. If the computer cannot be raised to minimum standards, place it into the StandBy area and give the information sheet to processing. Make sure that the computer in standby has a serial number on it before moving the information sheet that goes with it.

If the computer meets minimum standards, bring it to the install center and connect it to the network. When the computer is turned on, the server should begin the software install. (Detailed instruction will go here when they are finalized.) If the computer is not recognized by the server, contact the coordinator who will determine if there is a hardware or software issue. You will be instructed if an alternate install will be used.

Once installation is completed, boot up the computer and perform the final installation tasks as listed on the information sheet. Note: these tasks could be automated. This is done to ensure that the server properly installed the software. Any issues discovered at this point should be handled by a coordinator.

When the finalization tasks are completed, submit the information sheet for processing and place the entire unit in the Finished area.

There’s more stuff to it, but it’s a very rough draft. I need a better way to determine the specs, if possible, without BIOS.

Lenga

I’ve also been writing about Lenga quite a bit, but it’s more of the nuts-n-bolts of the world than anything creative. I’ve gotten to the point of working out the economy and how much things cost. This is being done for the game more than the story. It may seem a bit extreme, but I want Lenga to be internally consistent. It doesn’t have to be realistic, just consistent. How does the presence of magic affect the economy? Magic generally speeds up production, but the associated costs are higher or lower depending on the magic used. Magic swords are incredibly expensive. Magically produced foodstuffs can actually drive costs down. (Sure the farmer spent a lot of money on the magic in the fields, but his yield is 10 times higher with the same amount of seed.) Unscrupulous merchants can try to trick people into buying worthless junk. Etc.

Besides that, corn did not exist in medieval England, but the Ganarii have it as a staple in their diet in order to conform with their food purity laws. (There’s only two: no magic and no eating the skin and other organs of an animal.) Since they cannot know if magic was used in any step of the process for most grains, they grow their own. The Ilosians have a brewed drink like chocolate, which also did not exist. I want to know all this stuff so that I can write accurately about where these different species are coming from in their world view.

The other thing to go along with that are the languages used by the people of this world. So far, the Latin-like language is completed. As the Bedrian Empire once ruled the world, Bedrian names of objects abound. Armor is asipa (plural asipae), (though the Gruyet have an armor called boozhni). A sword is an abilus, a greatsword is a raunabilus. Something that is beautiful is varga and a butterfly is a coxplaris. Thus you could have a coxplaris vargox, a beautiful butterfly. A child is called a sortanus. The list goes on.

The language of magic is also underway, but progresses more slowly. Okmius gorperab tezechu ahen means (under the order of elemental fire) I throw (gorper+ab) fire (tezech+u) over there (ahen). I have the words, but making sentences is difficult. The language has no adjectives.

Ah well. Ambition, thy name is pinakidion.

Hebrews
I’m also teaching Hebrews this quarter. I have two classes, one of them on April Fool’s Day. The other is in May. For April 1, I am charged with Hebrews 4. In May, I get Hebrews 11. Gregg is generous in giving me the good chapters. With a Dr of ministry in the audience, the standards are higher and I enjoy it.

The Most Important
Yes, there’s the custom computer for my wife, but the most important is the coming of Dancing Bear, our second child. We don’t know if Dancing Bear will be a boy or a girl, thus the name. No information on the names we may use, my wife doesn’t want anyone to know.

Most evenings for us are going through the various Bradley exercises and relaxation techniques. I talk to Dancing Bear, as does our son. Dancing Bear is very responsive to any sound, especially my voice and music. April 11th is the big day. We are very excited.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the experience of taking my wife to the hospital. She went in for an appointment and they checked her in last time. This time, I’ll be timing contractions and all of that.

All the News Fit to Print

That’s about it. Hope you are well. I may not post much at all in April. See you soon.