fedora core 3

i keep updating fedora with yum. it updated my kernel but there were no updates for nvidia or ntfs kernel modules. so i stayed with the kernel-smp-2.6.11-1.27_FC3 release instead of moving onto the kernel-smp-2.6.11-1.35_FC3. Then they delivered an "upgrade" for the 27 version security module selinux. This prevented my system from booting as security was too tight. So I had to boot into the newer kernel which luckily worked but had to use the VESA drivers. Had to wait ages for the nvidia drivers. But anyway the volume control applet has just stopped working (in the 27 and 35 releases).

Surely someone at fedora must test the most basic functions of the OS (like the volume control) before upgrading the whole kernel? I would like to get more into reporting these bugs myself but with something this basic it seems staggering!

kernel-module-nvidia-2.6.11-1.35_FC3

aaaaaaaaarrrgggghhhhhh

weather

i am loving this hot weather. lounging around by the pool, going to the gym, having barbecues. i don't hate living in this country so much at the moment.

fedora core 4 released

whoopee!

fedora core 3 yum upgrade broke ndiswrapper

the strangest thing happened over the weekend. i did a yum update and when i rebooted the wireless card wouldn't load. the only major packages that were replaced were the livna nvidia rpms as far as i can tell. oh yeah, and selinux. i had to readd the modprobe ndiswrapper kernel module onto the modprobe.conf file. i wonder what package this is a part of?

anyway, got it working but it is interesting that i was reading an article about how the linux development cycle is too fast and blaming the distributions for releasing the experimental code before it has been tested.

now i take objection to this. the community is all the developers in the world and we are supposed to be using linux as our OS and also helping to develop it. now if i didn't experience this problem and report it how would it be discovered (i.e. how many people are going to have my config?). the development team can't be arsed to check every little thing before they release much needed updates to the community. they are always quick to release new patches if they accidentally break something else.

i think the only motivation behind attacking linux is jealousy of the vast and experienced user base and speedy, no-nonsense development cycle.

weather

i am getting a little tired of this shitty weather!

station mac filter

i didn't want to enable wep on my wireless router as it slows the connection down due to the overhead of encryption. also, i could not be bothered to find out how to configure wep with ndiswrapper. i also thought that i find it exciting when i manage to connect to the net with my laptop in unexpected places and thought i would leave it open for other people.

i had a change of heart however when my neighbour came up and asked if i had a wireless network. i said yes and he started blathering on about wep etc. i tried to explain that i knew all about it but these tech savvy people these days *yawn*. last thing he said was if i didn't mind it not being secure he would start using it.

so i added the station mac filter so only the pcs on my network can use it. so there!

i have realised maybe we don't really want to share our stuff with everyone. what an ideal world it would be if we did!

poland

just got back from poland. it is a really cool place - cheap beer and really nice home cooked food. you get around 6 szlotty to the pound and a beer will cost about 5 of those as will a meal!

you can still see the socialist influance but they have already come a long way to eradicating any sign of it. they are very romantic people - they tend to go out in couples and be very quiet and touchy feely. the people are amazingly good looking - you could spend a day in a bar just watching the women walk past and never have to look away!

on the down side they do not seem to sell macdonalds breakfasts - it is only big macs for breakfast when you are desperate enough to need a macdonalds i am afraid!