ajaypal.com blogs

USB WiFI for GNU/ Linux - Prism 54

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:42:49 -0700

A few hours ago received my cheap USB Wifi adapter purchased from shopping.rediff.com, never knew what type of hardware I have paid for, except for that it is a USB WiFi adapter. But thanks to the community efforts I was very much sure I would be able to use it in GNU/Linux (Fedora Core 10) one way or other.

The hardware was as per USB Vendor ID (0CDE:0008) a Z-Com Sitecom Wireless Network Adapter 100G+ WL-125 USB WiFi 802.11B/G Adapter. GNU/Linux /var/log/messages identified it to be a GlobespanVirata. Marketed under the brand name EDUP. A ISL3887 2nd Generation Prism54 chipset based device.

99.9% Uptime for the Box

Sat, 30 May 2009 08:58:42 -0700

So this is how they keep the uptime of Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 99.9%, a quick restore from a Notron Ghost image of a Windows XP install. Takes around 10-15 minutes if the technician is around. For 99.9% uptime you can afford approximately 8.8 Hours of downtime an year, i.e 35 reinstalls per year for a reinstall process of 15 minutes or one reinstall of Windows XP every 10 days, good enough, Windows XP can survive for atleast 10 days :-).

Another Server Switch this time to godaddy Shared Hosting

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:13:33 -0700

Finally another server for my old website, thanks to someone dear to me in UK. This time the hosting company is godaddy.com. And as I am using drupal as the CMS for my website, had a little nasty surprise on godaddy hosting. Clean URLs stopped working and server displayed a friendly 500 Internal Server Error with the following in the error log

mod_rewrite: maximum number of internal redirects reached. Assuming configuration error. Use 'RewriteOptions MaxRedirects' to increase the limit if neccessary.

The monster in the mirror

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:27:56 -0700

This is what Arundhati Roy has to say about terrorism and Mumbai Attacks: The monster in the mirror.

I am a casual and lazy blogger and could never have written anything more beautiful than what she has said. So just a link back.

Update: 15/12/08
If we can somehow can get out of the Deviancy amplification spiral, that is as of now in full swing in India, maybe we can heed some advice from Mr. Tony Benn, "If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people".

It is Easier to Tell the Truth

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:19:11 -0700

The subject cited quote is easier said than done for various reasons. Maybe we believe others may not want to hear it, maybe we want to play it safe, maybe we fear rejection, maybe it is fear of being persecuted. We are afraid. We may not even fully understand the reason for our fear but we may think that it is easier to play it safe.

There is another way around "half-truth", we can dilute our words and not risk as much. But would that be truth? As Gandhi Ji once said, "What is Truth? A difficult question; but I have solved it for myself by saying that it is what the voice within tells you. How then, you ask, [do] different people think of different and contrary truths? Well, seeing that the human mind works through innumerable media and that the evolution of the human mind is not the same for all, it follows that what may be truth for one may be untruth for another…"

So You Deleted /boot Partition from within Windows :-)

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:24:12 -0700

Ahh so the Windows user did it finally, even after my warnings to the contrary.

Say, "Did what?"

Well the story goes like this. After getting impressed by all gloss and glitter of Gnome and KDE Desktop GNU/ Linux and the beautiful looking windows, themes, 3D effects thanks to compiz, fancy gadgets & better than Apple Mac like looks via cairo-dock and the best thing localisation in Punjabi. And seeing what he (the nube) never though was possible on a PC/ Laptop with Windogs. Finally I was asked to install GNU/ Linux on his laptop. Got most of issues of an unsupported H/W worked out and finally GNU/Linux with X started (but no 3D, no compiz).

Tryst with Demo-cracy

Tue, 20 May 2008 08:01:58 -0700

In a recent local election in Punjab I was deputed as a presiding officer along with four polling officers for conducting elections in a village. The experience has been sort of interesting and mixed.

Being a Govt Servant I cannot say much, but shall let these low resolution pictures speak for me.

Get Set...

Truck Load of Ballot Boxes and whatever (sometimes called polling party)

The Inside Story of New Dilbert.com or How Richard M Stallmann & Linus Torwalds Bribed Scott into Promoting GNU/ Linux

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:24:37 -0700

1st April 2008, Our Correspondent
Finally we have the inside story on why the dilbert.com has been given an all new Flashy look. We have learnt from reliable sources that Richard Stallman of Free Software Foundation fame and Linus Torwalds of GNU/ Linux fame have sent kickbacks to Scott Adamas and have also sponsored some heavy weight flash widgets for the new dilbert.com site to make the main website unpopular.

Who Says Using GNU/ Linux is difficult?

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:24:22 -0700

This is amazing, atleast for me, my three and a half years old (now almost four in about four months), can use GNU/ Linux fairly well (for a kid of his age and fairly well than many older windoz guyz I have seen around). This is what he can do after about ten minutes of coaching.

Powers on the monitor, powers on the Desktop.
Waits for GNU/ Linux to load.
On GDM Login screen enters his username, sometimes selects his username from the user list displayed by GDM (I have set his password to blank for his convenience).

GNU/ Linux on a Compaq Presario C700 C738TU

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:31:24 -0700

Finally I have a new laptop an HP Compaq Presario C700 (Model C738TU). A good machine with very good performance, for a fairly reasonable price.

The default factory installation on it was Free/DOS. I have installed GNU/ Linux Fedora Core 8 on it. Most of the things have worked out of the box. Here is some basic informations which can help other owners of this notebook using GNU/ Linux.

Goodbye BBSBEC

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:49:35 -0700

This friday 15th June 2007, was my last day at BBSBEC, farewell dear college. I have been at BBSBEC for more than 10 years, first as a student then as a faculty. But again it is not over I will always consider myself to be part of BBSBEC.

Now the new job from Monday 18th June 2007, hope it would be as much fun.

Cheap Webcam for GNU/ Linux

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:06:25 -0700

After a long wait finally I dared to install a (comparatively) cheap USB webcam, I bought from a local friendly neighbourhood computer goods vendor, on my GNU/ Linux machine. The make was Intex Night Vision Camera IT-305WC (as per the box) and the cost was INR 700/- (approximately USD 16).

I was hoping for a long night ahead but hey thanks to these guys, it was a breeze. Fortunately my webcam (USB vendor ID 0x0AC8 and Product ID 0x303B) was listed on this page with another brand name Vimicro (USB vendor ID 0x0AC8 and Product ID 0x303B). Then the usual download from the driver download page.

Gandhi Ji, Violence, Independence

Wed, 30 May 2007 11:11:04 -0700

IMHO There are basically three ways to fight an adversary (though adversary may not be correct word here)

Sail with the wind. Submit to the adversary even if you may be right. Means one does not have the moral courage required to be considered a human being. Easiest way to survive.
Fight back/ hit back (use Guns or other violent means including words) kill or be killed. But this is a never ending cycle, one feels itself to be victim in (so called) self defense, for own rights, for country, for people kills another then the other feeling victimised will repeat the same cycle. And eye for an eye. Some what easy, you don't need to think beyond your immediate goals, can behave in a beastly manner.

Play Nintendo Entertainment System Games Online

Sun, 20 May 2007 11:19:05 -0700

So here you can pretend that you are researching online for your next big project but actually can be playing games online in your web browser http://nintendo8.com/toplist/more/.

Nice collection of old retro games from the 80's. Have been made available online using the very nice Java Applet from vNES.

BTW I can also put on some of my old favourites online but not sure regarding the legal status of uploading the ROM.

See Me Live

Wed, 02 May 2007 22:40:09 -0700

UPDATE: 18 May 2007, the camera is off-line now. See the last image from the camera below, before it was dismantled.

This is inside our RnD lab, you can see me and a number of other fellows here usually from 0830 to around 1800 Hrs IST Mon to Fri and sometimes on Saturday and Sunday also. This cam is available I don't know till when, so enjoy the show.