So a few things have happened since my last posting. First, congratulations to Amy and Brian on their new baby girl Abby Marie. She’s a darling cutie. We’ve been with them since she went into labor so we’re very excited and it’s been awesome! She went home with the baby on, Tuesday and everything is fantastic! I’ll be putting up some pictures when I get some better ones and some more with Amy and the baby. =)

Second, I’ve finally got my server back up and running. I’m not using virtualmin or webmin like I was going to do previously. I like the command line. It makes me feel nerdy AND it really is the best way to administrate a system. Know your OS. Know your tools. So I’ve resorted to that, BUT I am using a frontend for managing websites so that I can add them easier and use email tools. So now all I have left to do is get my sites back onto the server and everything will be back to normal with some really cool features for myself (and some others) later. Anyone wanting a bit of space for a site can contact me and I’ll see what I can do. =) Oh! The guys over at virtualmin were helpful (mostly Ronald, so thank you), but their product wasn’t working the way I wanted it to so it is what it is. I am using ispconfig for my control panel and roundcube for my webmail. Roundcube is so friggin sweet. It’s an ajax interface. Ispconfig is nice too. It took a few minutes to get used to, but it really was simple and the support for it was FAN-TAS-TIC!

Ok. So I never thought it would be possible, but I’m slowly but surely migrating everyone over to Linux instead of Windows. I find this hilarious because there are people even within the Linux community that say it’s not ready for the average end user. I disagree. I installed it on my parents computer and even put compiz on it so that they have cool fire effects and 3d and all that and they haven’t had a single problem with it. No blue screens of death. Nothing. Both their inkjet and laserjet printer installed when I turned them on with only two clicks required of me (to dismiss the messages that they installed). Compiz took a bit of work, BUT that is an add-on that is not just a bit difficult to setup, but also very resource intensive. Regardless, my Father actually wants to switch completely over to Linux for everything except for a few video games and Quicken (although he wants to see what is available on Linux instead of Quicken). So to all of you who think that you’re stuck with Windows, you’re not. Linux is dead easy. Use Ubuntu. They even have starter guides on-line and everything. Try it and you’ll never go back to windows. I promise.

Lastly. My physical therapy from my operation has been to walk, and so I have been. Until recently I didn’t have a way to track my progress though and was unable to tell how far I had been walking. NO MORE! Someone did what I was going to do and they implemented a hack on-top-of Google Maps to make it so you can see how far you’ve walked, jogged or run. To make it even better, they allow you to sign up for an account in which you can save your routes! So head over to walkjogrun.net and give it a go! I’m going to be contacting the developers in the next few days to throw in my 2 cents for some new feature ideas. All-in-all, the site is amazing. There is a little bug, but it’s so minute that it doesn’t even matter. Oh, and since I started using this site I’ve been tracking my progress as well. Last Thursday I walked 6 miles, throughout the day; Sunday I walked 3 miles; Monday I walked 4 miles; Tuesday I walked 4 1/4 miles; Wednesday (Today) my morning walk was 4 miles by itself. I’m hoping to walk an extra mile and a quarter by this evening. =) So this tool rocks and I’d suggest anyone wanting to know how far a walk around their block is to try it out. Again, it’s walkjogrun.net. Go check it out!

I today got my re-acceptance letter into AI! This is amazing news. I now have to get my final paperwork together for the VA and it’ll be all good. I’ll start in October and it’ll be sweet. I’ve actually already started on my demo reel. While I’m putting that together it’ll actually be on my development (soon to be production ready) server, but I will post smaller updates here. Also, so everyone knows I still haven’t gotten my server issues resolved. I went over to virtualmin’s forums and got nothing accomplished there. Overall, their product looks solid, but sometimes dev’s or a community can become quite pompous. I’ll actually post what occurred, what was accomplished and where I went from there later.

Right now my biggest hurdle is to get everything back into school. Then after that I have to get Eel’s site up online. His site is actually already live, but we’ve gone through and redone some of the graphics, layout and I’ll be implementing a module based system into it (hopefully) so that its functionality can be extended (or shortened) as needed. Then after I’m done with that (which should be live with all the new changes within the next two weeks) I’ll be getting my server back to it’s original glory with some extra added tidbits that’ll be real nice. Anyhow. Have a good one everyone. Yay for me!

So, I tried. I did my best. I even asked for help. But what I received was nothing less than nothing. I got a few posts back about my issues, but all-in-all this endeavor has been a waste of time.

What am I talking about you ask? Well recently I trashed my server, started from scratch and put ubuntu back on from nothing. Then I attempted to load up virtualmin. Big mistake. At every twist, turn and corner I ran into problems. I felt like Indiana Jones running from the boulder, except I wasn’t getting away. So because I want to make sure that it’s not something I’ve done, I’m doing two things.

1. Re-installing Ubuntu from scratch
2. Not configuring anything until after webmin/virtualmin is installed

The thing that kind of irked me was that I had several people suggest that I use a different OS. Here’s my issue with that. I like what I run. I’ve been using Ubuntu server for a few years now and it works. I’m stubborn in my ways, what can I say. Here is what I AM going to do, though. I am going to try a different OS. CentOS was recommended, but I really like the way that Debian based OS’ work and I’ve tried Fedora and I just don’t like yum. It’s a personal preference. Instead, I’m actually going to steer entirely clear of Linux and Install FreeBSD. Why? Well, because I’ve always wanted to use it. I tried to when I first began exploring other OS’ such as Linux, but it was a bit over my head. Now that I’ve got MUCH more experience I can safely do what I want. I’m going to try to use Webmin/Virtualmin on a vanilla system there too. Then if that doesn’t work, I’m going to try CentOS (as much as I don’t want to).

See the thing with OS’ is it’s much like software. You get used to a certain way of things going and that’s how you like them to go. It’s just a thing. Anyhow.

I also got great news on Monday from the VA and American Legion. I’ll be returning to school to finish my degree in Animation (BFA) in October. I only have a few quarters left so it’s gonna be good. Plus, I’ve already begun work on my demo reel, which is going to break the standards, but is so going to rock. Have fun everyone.

Ok. You can call me a Linux fan-boy. You can call me an M$ hater (although, I’m not). You can say whatever you want about open source software, about how it’s hard to learn, or it’s buggy, or how do you know it’ll work. But at the end of the day you’ll still be wrong. You’ll still have to admit to yourself, that you’re a liar, because open source software is the best thing to happen to computers. Every program you use on a windows machine I can run an equivalent in Linux. And what can’t be run in Linux can be emulated. So why am I writing all of this? Because the same day I posted on here about having a hard time getting Virtualmin to work - see here - I was contacted by one of the project’s lead developers (there are two - Joe Cooper and Jamie Cameron) about the fact that I wrote about their software and that I should come by the forums to get some help directly from him. Where the hell in the world can you get support like that? When you call Microsoft for tech support, who do you talk to? Some outsourced guy who’s never worked with the code directly ever. You don’t talk to Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer. You’re left to the bottom of the food chain. Not with open source software. I have a problem and I talk straight with the leads. That’s the type of customer service that is lacking in the IT industry now. That’s what we all need to do when we put out a product or a project. That’s why I’m getting more involved in the development of open source software. That’s why you should use it.

I do have to put out there that I recently re-configured my parents computer. It’s a smoking machine that my sister and I got for him a few years ago and it runs Windows. Well… It won’t be for much longer. Actually, it will, but only because of gaming. Anyhow. After hearing me talk about Linux all the time and reading some of my writings on here he wants me to put Linux onto his machine. I’ll be putting Ubuntu on, mostly because it’s my distro of choice. SuSE is great and it’s what I started with, but their dealings with M$ are suspect. After SuSE I tried Debian, then Gentoo (best way to learn to compile a kernel) and then back to Debian via Ubuntu. Anywho. After I’m done getting him up and running I’ll post back any comments about the transition and whether it worked for him or not. Here’s to open source!

So if you attempt to peruse my sites right now, currently you wont be able to. Why? Well, recently I made the decision to redo my server from the ground up and install a web control panel to make it easier for others to have a bit of web-space if they wanted. Unfortunately it hasn’t gone as planned, as nothing normally does. I’ve run into issue after issue getting webmin and virtualmin to work nicely. My biggest issue right now seems to be the lack of documentation about how apache should be configured to work with it. I know how I have configured apache in the past and as such I made most of the security modifications and the such, but unfortunately it doesn’t give you a low-down on where to place your document root - which is my biggest issue right now. Currently, I’ve set my document root and a single domain up, yet when I attempt to gain access to the site it gives no output. I can gain access using the internal ip of the server, but no outside access. This is quite frustrating as I was able to do everything with ease when I did it all from the command line. Now in my attempt to make things simpler, I’ve made it harder. If anyone has had experience with this, then please email me.

Now onto Mr. T. Well, for those who don’t know WoW stands for World of Warcraft. It’s an MMORPG - which stands for Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game - that people with a great deal of time and 13 to 15 bucks a month play until their wives leave them. I have never played it, but have heard mixed reviews about it. Nevertheless, it’s a game and Mr. T recently did a commercial for it and we learn that Mr. T has some awesomely amazing computer skills. To check it out go to gamespots site to watch it. It’s hil-arious. Enjoy!

This site will remain active while my personal sites will be going down periodically over the next few days due to server upgrades. Mainly, I’m rebuilding the OS, not the actual hardware. I have gotten to the point with it that I need to redo it. I have 10 different scripts that basically run the entire thing for me, and it’s actually quite efficient, but I need a bit more control, so I’m going to be going overboard and setting up all types of new stuff. I’ll be implementing loads of security fixes (although at current it’s quite secure and stable) as well as lots of new functionality, and possibly… well I won’t spill the beans yet about it, but there may be a nice surprise for those who wear the skull and crossbones proudly. Anywho. After that’s done I’ll have my writeup about linux for everyone to enjoy. Cheers!

So I posted about the new version of Ubuntu Linux thinking everyone knew what I was talking about. Then my Father asked me, what exactly is Ubuntu. Well, that got me thinking that there are probably a great deal more users/readers that have the same question. As such, I will begin a 3 part series about: What is GNU/Linux, What it does for you the home user, How it’s beneficial to you the home user (complete with a full debunking about TCO [Total Cost of Ownership]), Why you should use it and why it may be difficult to use. For a few details about Linux in the corporate environment check out this article on TechRepublic describing the benefits of Linux.

Also, Jenn’s birthday is on Thursday, don’t forget! Her birthday list is outdated so email me for ideas. I’m sure a few things on her list would be alright, but I have no clue what.

Finally… My birthday is in a few months. I’m also going back to school in the fall to finish up my degree in animation. Unfortunately, my laptop broke recently - the hinge on the screen cracked so my monitor is going to blow soon (it’s already fading) - and it’s going to be difficult to get all of my work done while commuting every day so I need to get a new one. So for my birthday, disregard everything on my list. I need money. Deneiro. I doubt I’ll end up getting enough so that I can get a new laptop, but it’ll be a start. So please. Help me out here. I would appreciate it. Just so you’ve got an idea about what I’m looking at for a laptop, I’m looking at the 2.5GHz MacbookPro (NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT w/ 512MB) with the 4Gb of ram instead of 2. Why do I need that power? Well, Maya (which is the animation software we use at school) needs a bare minimum of 2Gb in it’s system requirements. Why not get a Macbook? Well it doesn’t have a video card with OpenGL capabilities, which is also a requirement for Maya. So while it’s expensive and it sucks, it’s unfortunately the version I need. I can get a discount on it from my school, which saves me about $400, but it’s still expensive. So, that’s what I want. =)

I’ll start work on the series later this week or next week, so look out for it!

That’s how many day’s I have left until the new Ubuntu releases! It’s gonna be sweet! Ahhhh! Hopefully it’ll be as great as their last release was. On the day of the release I believe that I’ll not only redo the server - with an older version, not the newest version - but I’ll slap that new Ubuntu on the lappie. I’ve got some prime space awaiting it’s arrival, which is the only reason why it’s not on there already. Anyhow. If you are tired of paying for software and want a legal alternative… Go grab Ubuntu. It’s a full featured OS that has all the security enhancements Windows doesn’t with all the eye candy that Mac’s have. You’ll get a word processor that’ll be compliant with Microsoft’s .doc extension and be able to save it that way as well. You’ll have one of the best web browsers out there. And you’ll have the freedom to choose what software you wish to have installed and what you don’t. No unnecessary services, no idiotic software. Just a pure OS that has you at the forefront of it’s thinking. So with no further ado, wait the couple of days and go grab a copy of Ubuntu.

Not many people are worried about filtering out websites or blocking things, but I ran across an open source program that does what the Barracuda network firewall does and sonicwall. It’s called untangle and it’s got everything that you get with one of those $600 boxes. Here’s the best part. If you have an old shitty computer around, it’s the perfect candidate for it. So why would you want to use any of this? Ok, so let’s say you’re getting a shitload of spam or you’re having a problem with intruders and people trying to get into your computer or you’re tired of your kids going on that god forsaken website myspace. Download the .iso image, burn it, and restart your old computer with it in the cd drive. Let it run through the install and bam. you’re done.  Now no one will ever be able to get on myspace or eharmony or whatever the hell else you don’t want them on again. You can filter out instant messaging and other protocols as well.

It’s not something I normally write about, but I thought this program was so damn good that I had to write about it. Because people come over and do nothing but spend time on the computer, I actually think I may put this in place here. Myspace. The worst thing to happen to the internet. Later.

Alright, so I was perusing for some backup software on cnet (because the windows backup utility keeps doubling the data every night, even though it’s set to incremental - only change files that have been changed) and on their front page an article grabbed me. Naturally, it was about Ubuntu Linux and how a regular windows user can install it without even repartitioning their hard drive.

Basically a program called wubi runs the installer, downloads the iso and rewrites the boot.ini to boot up ubuntu when you first power your pc on. You can check it out here. I would highly recommend anyone who is curious about Ubuntu or Linux to throw it on there. If anyone is interested I’d be more than happy to help troubleshoot and assist people with installing it on their machine.