GRUB is all better

By the way, I finally got my grub file working, with some initial help from rancorbeast. I used a Ubuntu 10.04 Server disc that I picked up at GHC. My current grub (with most of the comments edited out for ease of reading):

default 0

timeout 20

# hiddenmenu

title Ubuntu 10.04

uuid 97da0f78-1a67-4dfa-9239-70cf44363b26

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic root=UUID=97da0f78-1a67-4dfa-9239-70cf44363b26 ro

initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-25-generic

quiet

title Recovery mode (Ubuntu 10.04)

uuid 97da0f78-1a67-4dfa-9239-70cf44363b26

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic root=UUID=97da0f78-1a67-4dfa-9239-70cf44363b26 ro single

initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-25-generic

title Windows 7

root (hd0,0)

savedefault

makeactive

chainloader +1

----

As you can see, I'm not using a splash page, and I have Ubuntu and Windows 7 dual-booting. My grub menu is not hidden but if it were I would have a nice long 20-second delay so it wouldn't catch me by surprise on its way by.

I have a somewhat haphazardly partitioned hard drive; originally the machine (Thinkpad T400 and I love it) came with Vista. I installed Ubuntu 10.04, then did a clean install of Windows 7 over Vista. Naturally this trashed my grub menu and I had to go get it back, etc., see above. Of course what update-grub created had duplicates of everything, a link to a nonfunctional grub2 loader and a memtest, and no Windows. So I fiddled, and now it's all better. -shrug- Not complicated, but a good thing to play with.

Bandcamp

Bandcamp has an awesome application puzzle. (Which was featured on boingboing recently.) I solved it, with a few hints "try irb" and "how about using cat?" from rancorbeast, who didn't bother solving it since he's happily employed.

I'm not actually applying to work for them. I would really like to work for the company that's interviewing me (again) later this week. But puzzles are there to be solved. If my current endeavor falls through, maybe I'll give them another look.

I won't post the solution, since that's bad form. But let's just say that it was pretty easy, but still worth bragging about. If you're interested, this is the starting page: http://bandcamp.com/jobs

axioms of skill

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/A9mNPk/dotmac.rationalmind.net/2010/08/some-lesser-known-truths-about-programming/

Oh, this is so very meta. But also I think it's true. So... yay?

Wikipedia donation receipt

Dear Linda,

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Many people love Wikipedia, but a surprising number don't know it's run by a non-profit. Please help us spread the word by telling a few of your friends.

And again, thank you for supporting free knowledge.

Sincerely Yours,


Sue Gardner
Executive Director

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Picking a Lisp

The advice of the famous J (who is currently looking for a job if someone in LA needs a guru): "I'd advise you to start with Scheme, if/when you do. Get PLT-Scheme (DrScheme) or Guile (the GNU option) and read Teach Yourself Scheme in Fixnum Days or, for the rigorous types, Structure and Interpetation of Computer Programs.

www.ccs.neu.edu/home/dorai/t-y-scheme/t-y-scheme.html || TYSiFD
mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/ || SICP, natch."

Sahana: Eden opensource

This is the project that the GHC10 hackathon was about, and it's still pretty cool. They even have a preconfigured VM for you to install if you want to not have to bother messing with your main machine/install.

http://eden.sahanafoundation.org/wiki/InstallationGuidelinesVirtualMachine

By the way, the required registration process for a VMWare download is a nuisance so I'm going with VirtualBox. Shiny. http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Btw until the GHC10 blog accumulator stops accumulating, I won't be using the ghc10 tag on this blog! Because I don't want my every meandering thought showing up on the blogstream, lol.

W7 running hot

For some reason W7 is running hot. Not hot enough to make me freak out and pull the cord and battery, like Ubuntu did that one time when I was fiddling. But hot enough that I've installed and am playing with SpeedFan. http://www.almico.com/sffaq.php

New W7 -> go reinstall grub

I'd forgotten how long it takes to install Windows, even W7. I read a freaking book in less than the time that it took to install, goddammit. (I Shall Wear Midnight by Pratchett) But it's done now. When I have time I'll re-dl all the programs that I like to have...

For now, though, my first task is to re-enable GRUB. Dammit, Windows. I forgot that it did that. At least it's easy to undo.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/reinstall-ubuntu-grub-bootloader-after-windows-wipes-it-out/

Also, playing with run>compmgmt.msc is fun.

CS GRE

I have a study prep book for the CS GRE. I think the book is a year or few out of date, but the problems in it are lots of fun- which is to say that some of them are goddamn complicated.

I'm still halfway through four CS books because life is all complicated and stuff. Hopefully I'll get to finish them soon. They rock.

List:

CS GRE (I'm not taking it, just reading the book)

Coders at Work (big book!)

Practice of Programming

Design Patterns

and I have a couple more sitting around for when I get done with those. Mostly Ruby stuff.

.iso (windows)

The unpaid version of MagicISO is basically useless. I use InfraRecorder, which is simple and fast and makes me happy. http://infrarecorder.org/ Opensource ftw.

I'm very happy to have a legal version of W7; they're so damn handy. Right now it's burning from my external to a DVD, and it's working just excellently.