Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and linux

Auto backup of files

gilsonal — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:57:11 -0800

I have two computers, one Windows, one Linux. How can I make it so they synchronize automatically with each other, as in, I update the file on one computer, and the updated file gets put onto the other? Networking? Using an external hard drive? What software might be useful? Bonus points for free software

What's a good simple and cheap media or file server setup?

wastelands — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:15:38 -0800

Advice for a server newb who needs help getting started with a simple media/backup/torrent server? I've got a 438 GB movie collection an on external 500 GB USB hard drive right now, so I need to upgrade. I was thinking of buying two 1 TB external drives and using rsync for a poor man's RAID 1 setup. But for good drives plus shipping, that's nearly $250, and I thought, why not just setup a real file server? And maybe get a Bit Torrent thingy going too, so I could turn off my main computer at night and keep transfers going? Heck, I'd probably come up with other useful things for the server to do too.

But I don't know where to start. For hardware, looking at, say, a Dell Inspiron 530 ($379), it's too powerful and too expensive for what I'd use it for.

And for the OS... Windows Home Server? Ubuntu? I don't know what'd be easiest.

Ideas? Thanks!

Re-purposing laptops: I want more than a picture frame.

alexherder — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:30:15 -0800

When it comes to re-purposing old laptops, it seems like the only option people really talk about is to turn it into a picture frame. There's got to be more that an old iBook can do... right? My girlfriend has a 5-year old iBook G4 running OS 10.3 (Panther) which has simply outlived its usefulness as an every day, primary computer. It's got 256mb RAM and a small-ish hard drive but can't handle Office, iTunes, or Firefox (let alone any 2 of those at once) without breaking out the color-wheel-of-death.

I bought her a new MacBook last month which she loves but she is refusing to get rid of her old iBook. I have a slightly newer (about 4-years old) iBook of my own that I am selling on eBay but she is not interested in parting with her "old friend." I don't understand her need to hold onto this old laptop, nor do I seek to dissuade her of the notion. I asked her if we could possibly try to figure out some way to re-purpose it rather than let it sit on a shelf gathering dust and she agreed, now the question is, what to do with it?

I've seen threads about this in a number of places (including here and on lifehacker) but it always seems to come down to file server or picture frame. Our house has a server (Ubuntu 8.04, reasonably speedy) and we have no need for a digital picture frame. I was thinking about using it as a firewall (but it only has one NIC) or as a thin client but I'm not sure where to start. I used to run Ubuntu PPC on my old iBook but kept running into issues due to the x86 vs PPC architecture. The other idea I had was as a "kitchen" computer for recipes and watching TV/streaming radio while cooking, but we already use her new MacBook to do this and that seems to work fine.

In the end, I think we've got enough computers in our house, but she wants to keep this one. So... I turn to you, dear readers. What possible use can we squeeze out of my girlfriend's "old friend"??

Help me pick a Linux distro

philosophygeek — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:41:20 -0800

I'm about to move one of my computers to Linux, but I don't know much about the various distributions. Can you recommend resources that compare the strengths and weaknesses of the various distributions, so that I can assess any relevant tradeoffs? The only distribution I know about is Ubuntu, and my knowledge there is limited to "they try to make Linux accessible to non-techies." That could well be the ideal route for me, but I'd like to be able to make that decision on a better basis than their marketing pitch.

Specific details about my computing situation: My current setup is Mac-based. The Linux-to-be computer is a desktop. Daily usage will include OpenOffice, text editing, web browsing, listening to music, email, and IM; I also semi-regularly rip DVDs or convert video files for my iPod, get digital photos from my camera, and connect to my employer's VPN.

I'm comfortable using the command line to the extent that I can follow directions, but unguided tweaking is not my forte. I have no problem with downloading drivers from the web, but I don't want to spend lots of time looking up, e.g., what kind of video card I have.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Disk Power Management

tommasz — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:47:53 -0800

I'm having a problem with an Ubuntu 8.04 LTS server that seemed to have stumped the stars on the Ubuntu forums. It deals with disk drives and power management. I'm seeing a strange problem since I updated to 8.04 LTS that I never saw before. I have a Dell PowerEdge 1600SC server with a SCSI disk system. Although it's used primarily as an Apache and SAMBA server I do have X11/Gnome installed so I can use NX to administer from my desktop.

Every now and then it drops offline (pings still work, however) and when I go to the console I can't log in. At that point X usually crashes and I can see system messages indicating an I/O error with sd. I can never get a command prompt and have to hit the reset button. Once it comes back up there are no errors in any of the logs and it looks to me as if the disk is being spun down when there are long idle periods and not coming back up. Once rebooted it runs fine for weeks at a time.

Is there something I should be setting/unsetting or loading/unloading to deal with this? I realize having it configured more like a desktop is probably not ideal but it makes things a lot more handy for me. Still, I'm willing to do what it takes to prevent this issue from happening again.

help me chose a new computer

primer_dimer — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:18:33 -0800

Help me choose a Linux desktop computer (UK) My desktop finally died this weekend and I'm ordering a new one on Monday. It will be used for general web surfing, word processing etc. The only heavy-duty application is raw photo processing (using bibble and rawtherapee). No need for any graphics acceleration.

I plan to run Ubuntu 8.10 and my budget is very limited (close to £200). I've built all of my computers in the past, and would be happy to do so again, but I've read in various places that you can't really save money doing this any more, now that companies are turning out such huge volumes. Also, it's been so long that I really have no idea about the current generations of cpus. I have all peripherals, all I need is case+psu+motherboard+cpu+ram.

I'm looking at this ebuyer deal:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/155468/bundles

Is this a good bet? Are there any warning signs that any of the components won't get along with Linux? or can anyone suggest any alternatives?

Vista/Ubuntu wireless card?

comwiz — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:07:08 -0800

I need a wireless (at least 802.11g) card that will work with both Vista and Ubuntu. Help! My current card refuses to work in Vista due to some minor hardware incompatibilities, and its linux support isn't exactly stellar, but it works. I need a new card that will work great in both, and I would prefer to not have to use ndiswrapper. Also, I don't care if its PCI, PCI-E, or USB.

I do not want a Live CD, why can't you remember that?

tip120 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:01:55 -0800

I am having problems making a persistent installation of Ubuntu on a usb thumb drive. I am attempting to make a persistent install of ubuntu 8.0.4.1 on a usb thumb drive. I am not looking for a Live CD on a usb drive.

I have followed several different tutorials (most notably the ones here and here*). I can, seemingly, get through the whole process without a hitch. When I start the target machine (a mini-itx with no internal or external drives, only the usb key), it will boot as if it were a Live CD. It asks for Live CD boot parameters, and no changes I make (simple ones at that, themes, or desktop background) are saved. The BIOS is set to boot off the usb key.

I feel I am missing something incredibly obvious here, but have no clue what it might be. I'm comfortable, but by no means a pro, with "the Linux," and have zero idea where to start looking for a solution.

I sent an email to the pendrivelinux dudes, but doubt I will hear back anytime soon.

*I realize this second link is for xubuntu, but that doesn't matter so much to me as making the changes to stick.

Nit-picky TiddlyWiki alternative

i_am_a_Jedi — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:56:27 -0800

Yet another wiki question. I would like to migrate away from using TiddlyWiki as a personal wiki to one capable of handling a lot more data, but I need one specific function. Here is an example of what I need. What I like about this is that the answer is obscured until I click on the question. I also appreciate the ability to nest a question inside another answer in case the next question would contain information that would allow you to answer the first question (ie. no hint for answering the first question with the second question).

I take a lot of notes in the form of questions while I'm reading. When I review I go back through these notes and answer the questions in my head. If you look at the example above that's exactly how I do it on TiddlyWiki. But, of course, TiddlyWiki has a problem with large file sizes. I have multiple large (ie. slow performance) TiddlyWiki files that, unfortunately, can't interface with one another being in separate files.

My primary note-taking computer is my Asus EEE running Ubuntu. I am open to running it on LAMP or whatever. It does not need to multi-user (but that would be alright). I'm pretty familiar with the existence of most of the wiki software out there, but I haven't had any experience using most of it. I'm looking at Dokuwiki maybe, but i haven't found if I can replicate this behavior in it.
Bonus points for:
- ability to print entries
- ability to export to pdf
- tagging or some other metainformation sorting/hierarchy
- ability to password protect

Superbonus points for being able to import TiddlyWiki data/syntax.

If you have any other suggestions or alternate methods that would still allow me to review my notes in this manner I'd really appreciate hearing those also.

What Linux Distro Should i Use/Everything else you need to know about linux? Question from a Linux noob but a Pretty knowledgeable computer dood.

Javed_Ahamed — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:46:11 -0800

What Linux Should I Use?-Also need advice/help setting up drivers/random linux stuff? for my computerI'm a pretty knowledgeable guy about computers. I also want to be able to have vista on my computer, and hopefully keep my laptops extra functionalities such as fingerprint reader. Not that i had too much against windows vista but the latest service pack seemed to screw things up, so ive been thinking to moving to linux. That and being a freshman in computer engineering i think i should try more diverse operating systems anyway. I would like to use windows vista and linux at the same time, and am wondering what the best option for this would be. Should i make a dual boot windows vista and linux or should i just have ubuntu with a virtual windows running in it? Also what linux distro should i use? I dont want anything that is too simple or too hard... ubuntu seems to be the popular one for everything but honestly i dont know where to get started in linux. I have a sager2090 or a compalifl90 laptop and how would i install drivers for linux since it doesnt list them on the main page? Would i lose functionality for things such as my fingerprint reader?

Tasks i do on my computer:
1. Everything. Burning cds, movies, games, homework, programming (Computer Engineer, so i def need vista as well for windows only things)

Specs of my computer:
1. Pretty good. Should be able to run any Os. Especially after running vista with no slowdowns (Until sp1...).

Summmmmmmary:

The problem (or blessing) about linux is there are so many choices it seems when it comes to it. First there is the actual distro you use, and after that there are so many mods, even graphical interfaces you can use. I guess im just really confused about all this maybe my real question is what do you guys use/suggest i use. How can i get windows vista on my laptop as the same time as linux (emulation, or partiion and advantages/disadvantages of each method) and what beginner tips might you give.

If you all have your own linux box set up maybe you could tell me what you have/how you customized it/set it up :D thanks. Convoluted Question...

Build a Linux PC for a Dummy

DU — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:52:28 -0800

I'm building a PC for the first time and need someone to check my work. There was a recent question on this very topic and he even has basically the same requirements that I do: Linux¹, cheapish², would like 3D³. The problem is, I already have my parts all picked out and I'm way too ignorant to be able to compare the lists. He also already had a bunch of components so it isn't a complete list.

This question is really better suited for asking a knowledgeable friend of mine. And I did ask the one person I know about it, but he's so far above me I got no intelligible reply.

My hand-holding questions are these:

Will the below components all work together?
Have I made any shockingly dumb choices (i.e. twice the speed/capacity/sexiness/brandnamitude for the same price or not much more)?
Have I forgotten anything? (I have keyboard, mouse and speakers and I got a nice big digital LCD monitor for Xmas)
Since I'm obviously so frightened by (and uninterested in) this process, would I be better off just buying a Dell?

My choices. I based these picks on this list but the Newegg reviews indicated that the MB wouldn't work well, if at all, under Linux. After spending 2 days poring over incomprehensible numbers and acronyms, I swapped it for a working MB....I think.

¹I'm not at all new to Linux, but that said I don't want to have to do a bunch of crazy configuring and/or compiling to make my hardware work. Ubuntu is my most recent fave distro.

²I was originally thinking $500-$700, but my wife did our taxes last weekend and even the frugal she declared I could go higher. She didn't quite say "money is no object" but she seemed fairly upbeat...say to the tune of up to ~$300 more. This money might be best spent extending the lifetime of the performance, since I will probably have this computer for 4-5 years.

³I don't play games, but there are many non-game programs I'm barred from running because my CPU overheats trying to do the graphics, if it runs at all. Maybe I don't need hardware acceleration so much as a modern computer (my current one is from 2003)...?

NTLDR is missing! YIKES!

D Dear — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:52:59 -0800

NTLDR is missing! YIKES! Running XP2 on Toshiba Satellite A105. Can get to "C" prompt with XP disk. Can't get to safe mode via F8.

I have an external HD with USB cable so, by some miracle, I can copy from my laptop *.* to the external drive, but system won't read USB anything.

I've been searched Metafilter "safe mode" -mac and "ntldr" -mac.

Please help. Thank you so much!

I am a n00b

Caper's Ghost — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:01:34 -0800

I just got a new laptop with decent specs and I want to take this chance at starting fresh. I want a machine that runs smoothly and doesn't have a lot of extraneous crap installed on it. I need advice about getting this set up the way I want it. Right now the laptop is running Windows Vista and it came with a lot of extra (useless) applications that I will probably never use. What I'd really like to do is get rid of all that stuff and then get the computer set up to run as smoothly as possible with as little clutter as possible. Should I format the hard drive to get rid of everything non-essential, and then install a new OS?

I never used anything other than windows and I'm not a programmer. I'll be using the laptop for web browsing, writing, and playing media (mostly music). Basically I just want some advice on how to set this computer up to be best suited for those simple uses.

I'll likely use Firefox for web browsing and I think I'll try out OpenOffice for my writing/office stuff...but I don't really know which OS will be best for me. I've heard good things about some of the linux-based distributions like Ubuntu, but again I'm new to this stuff so I could use some general advice or pointers in this field.

Thanks.

Laptop motherboards that can boot from USB

DrSkrud — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:22:20 -0800

Can you name any laptop motherboards (brands, models, etc.) capable of booting from a USB flash drive? We're working on a robotics project at my university, and we're thinking that using a small linux kernel on a flash drive and a laptop motherboard would be much more sustainable (and easier) than dealing with microcontrollers.

What we need to find is a motherboard that can boot off of a USB flash drive. I know these exist, but I have no idea how to find them!

Sending E-mails with PHP

kaozity — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:57:35 -0800

How do I get PHP to send an e-mail. Is there a way to do it without recompiling PHP/Apache. If not, how do I recompile PHP/Apache on a linux system to do this? How do I get PHP to send an e-mail. Is there a way to do it without recompiling PHP/Apache. If not, how do I recompile PHP/Apache on a linux system to do this?

Ideally, I would like to find a way without recompiling my software, but if there is not other way, I can recompile the software.

Where can I buy an $800 Linux Server?

phrontist — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:25:46 -0800

I need to buy a server for around $800 ($1000 as an absolute maximum). It will be hosting a website with a (PostGres) database that will start at around 4GB and grow slowly (so would like at least 2GB of RAM). It must be able run Linux, preferably Ubuntu or Debian. I go to college in Kentucky, where I work for Radio Free Lexington. I am now home in the DC area for the next three months, during which I intend to develop a custom CMS/Radio Station Management/Playlist tracking system. The problem is, I have nothing to run or develop it on.

Before I left Kentucky, I had ordered a Dell Optiplex 320. It arrived two days before I had to leave, and what I thought would be a quick and straightforward install turned out to be extremely difficult (see this thread). Even if it is possible, I'm now out of town and can only ask the minimal effort of the person who has graciously volunteered to help me out of this mess and install the replacement machine in my absence.

So I'm looking for recommendations for a "server" (whether it is billed as such by the manufacturer is not important to me) that is comparable or better to the Optiplex machine, but is well documented as being trivially Linux compatible (no kernel patching) or ships with a Linux distribution installed. It must be something I can order in the next two weeks (I know Dell is promising Ubuntu systems... but I can't wait). Dell is not out of the running, but I'm highly suspicious now.

Here are the specs of the last machine:

P4 Processor 641 (3.20GHz, 2M, 800MHz FSB)
80GB SATA HDD (the SATA controller is actually what caused the problem, so I'm somewhat wary)
2GB SDRAM
$643 before shipping.

Why is my (debian/linux) computer so sluggish?

RustyBrooks — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:47:42 -0800

Why is my (debian/linux) computer so sluggish? The computer is not new, but it's about a 1.5ghz, running debian linux. It is not slow per se, but rather sluggish to respond.

If I try to fire up vi, for example, it might come right up or it might pause for 5 seconds, then bring it up. Some times it takes 10 seconds to log in.

The computer has plenty of ram and is not under heavy load. When it needs to do tasks that are CPU intensive, it does them fine, it just might take a bit to start up.

Also, it does not play DVDs steadily - there is an occaisonal, nearly undetectable (but existant) stutter. This is strange - my previous computer that I used for a media center was a celeron 500Mhz which could display full screen dvds with no problem.

I'm wondering if there is some common misconfiguration, or conflict, or *something* that might account for this. I'm a computer geek so if it was something really obvious I think I'd have figured it out.

I was suspicious of slow disks for a while (or, that my disks were going into standby and the pause was them spinning up) so I tried: disabling apmd, changing the file system type from ext3 to ext2 (ext3 can take some extra CPU for journalling) and back, making sure all the disks used DMA, etc.

Nothing has really helped. Any thoughts?

Yes, there is a hard drive there...

tdreyer1 — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 07:02:05 -0800

Debian won't find my hard drive! Please help! I have details so there's Ok. I'm trying to do a dual install with Debian ver 3.1 (for AMD64) on my PC ( also running XP Pro 64bit ). The installer initializes fine, but doesn't find my hard drive! I've looked online, but I can't find anything on my situation. Mostly, I can't find help with my specific hardware. I've used live cd's before, but this is my first install. Here's the specs on my computer:

Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 FX62 Processor
Biostar GeForce 7600GS Video Card (V7602GS51)
2x Kingston 1GB DDR2 800 RAM
Western Digital Caviar 16-WD3200KS 320GB SATA Hard Drive 7200RPM 16MB Cache (connected to M.B. directly)
Plextor PX-716AL/SW DVD/RW + CD/RW
OCX 700W Power Supply

ASUS BIOS Ver. 0504

Debian Ver. 3.1r2 for AMD64

Thanks in advance for all the help!!!

Linux for a Windows Power User

sprocket87 — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 20:35:23 -0800

What are some books and resources that can help a Windows expert make the transition to Linux for good? I've been a Windows power user and basic administrator for many years. I've used Linux on and off for 5 years, but I've never been able to go cold-turkey for personal use. I've had installs running for months, but I've always ended up getting frustrated and returning to Windows. I really want to make the jump, but I need some help.

Part of my problem is unfamiliarity with the command line and shell scripting. For one thing, I'm not a programmer by any means so I have no experience with even basic shell scripting. I know the real power of Linux comes alive from the CLI and manual config edits, etc, but I have relied on the GUI for many things that I should do the "real" way. I know all the CLI basics, from general file/folder navigation and manipulation to source installs, but I mean the REALLY juicy stuff...

I'm looking for one or two excellent books that are geared towards Windows power users that can help make a logical and permanent migration. I'm not a total Linux newbie, and I want something that really highlights using the CLI and system administration. However, I don't want a book that focuses on advanced network administration side of Linux, since that's beyond my current focus.

I'm also looking for any resources or tips on how to stick with Linux and not give up. I know it's partially an attitude and mindset thing, so some suggestions from people who have successfully converted would be great.

In summary: I want to be as comfortable configuring and controlling a Linux system as I am with a Windows system (which is pretty comfortable). Help me do this!

As a note: I've used many distributions, including Red Hat, Mandrake/Mandriva, SuSE/OpenSuSE, Ubuntu, Libranet, and more. I recently installed Ubuntu 6.06 and have been very pleased with my results so far - it's come a long way since 5.x, so I feel comfortable with sticking with this distro for awhile. I'm not particularly interested in a book that focuses on one specific distro though, since I don't think that's as important as understanding Linux functions and configuration as a whole.

Partitioning without formating

nosophoros — Tue, 09 May 2006 03:10:48 -0800

Is it possible to partition a hard drive without reinstalling windows or formatting the drive? I have a 60 gig HD and would like to partition part of it to install ubuntu linux on. Is special software required to do this? If so, is there any out there for free?

It's alive! (not)

bkudria — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:43:48 -0800

My computer occasionally locks up, and sometimes completely fails to boot when I press the power button. Linux's "sensors" reports out-of-range voltage values. My system with the below specs, sometimes locks up randomly. This requires a hard reset, and SysRq+R,K,S,U,B doesn't help. Sometimes, it does not turn on at all when I press the power button, and sometimes it turns on, and the fans start spinning, but I get no video. Here are my specs:

Motherboard: Soyo KT 880 Dragon2
They have a version 2.0 of mine, so maybe mine is really bad?
Video Card: NVidia GeForce 6600GT
CPU: AMD AthlonXP 2600+ 1.9 GHz
Power Supply: 400W (or 350W, I can't remember) Athena Power

'sensors' output:

it87-isa-0290
Adapter: ISA adapter
VCore 1: +1.63 V (min = +1.42 V, max = +1.57 V) ALARM
VCore 2: +3.39 V (min = +2.40 V, max = +2.61 V) ALARM
+3.3V: +5.92 V (min = +3.14 V, max = +3.46 V) ALARM
+5V: +4.97 V (min = +4.76 V, max = +5.24 V)
+12V: +10.05 V (min = +11.39 V, max = +12.61 V) ALARM
-12V: -16.32 V (min = -12.63 V, max = -11.41 V) ALARM
-5V: -5.60 V (min = -5.26 V, max = -4.77 V) ALARM
Stdby: +4.68 V (min = +4.76 V, max = +5.24 V) ALARM
VBat: +0.00 V
fan1: 0 RPM (min = 0 RPM, div = 8)
fan2: 4218 RPM (min = 664 RPM, div = 8)
fan3: 0 RPM (min = 664 RPM, div = 8)
M/B Temp: +34 C (low = +15 C, high = +40 C) sensor = thermistor
CPU Temp: +39 C (low = +15 C, high = +45 C) sensor = thermistor
Temp3: +51 C (low = +15 C, high = +45 C) sensor = thermistor ALARM

The voltages stay constant most of the time, and I've seen Temp3 go as low as -9, and as high as 62. It has ALARM next to it maybe 20% of the time...Wehn I boot up after a lock-up, the logs show nothing.

What should I do? Is "sensors" misreporting, or do I need to buy: a) a new power supply, b) a new motherboard, or c) both?

Looking for a new AMD motherboard with good Linux support.

odinsdream — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:23:15 -0800

Please recommend a motherboard for an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor that is completely supported by Linux. I recently purchased an MSI RS482M4/RX480M4 Series motherboard and a new AMD chip. Unfortunately, I didn't do my research well enough, and I'm having a difficult time getting Linux to recognize the onboard USB and Realtek NIC.

I could spend weeks working on fixing this problem by researching the intricacies of the board, but honestly, I'm not that attached - so what I'd like are some personal recommendations for boards that support this processor (and the RAM) that have excellent support from the Linux community for any onboard chipsets they include.

I'd like the board to have TV-Out with onboard video, and at least two free PCI slots. If there's an online resource for picking out such a board, that would be wonderful.

How to give Internet access to my grandparents but not the world

acoutu — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 23:05:30 -0800

How can I safeguard a Linux laptop with dial-up Internet access? I just gave my grandparents my old laptop, along with some pre-paid Internet access. Within moments of them attempting to send their first email, they got a virus. We got rid of the virus, installed a firewall, some anti-spyware stuff and several Windows patches...and promptly got several viruses.

After a few days of frustration, my husband converted the O/S to Linux running Firefox. He feels the chance of getting a virus is much lower. He set it so that the laptop loads Firefox on start-up and there isn't other software (e.g. wordprocessors) to give us tech support nightmares. We have set the email to go through Hotmail so that there is virus scanning and what-not. I imagine my husband has taken some other precautions, being a software engineer. But I worry.

Is there anything else we can do? My grandparents likely don't want to go with cable/DSL. They won't have the computer permanently plugged into the phone jack. But I worry about porn dialers and other 1-900 scams that will leave them with $1200 phone bills. (Happened to a friend.)

My grandparents are:
- in their 80s
- not tech savvy
- somewhat Luddite (they unplug the microwave between uses)
- not well-heeled
- not going to be using the Internet for purchases, banking or the like.
- just looking to send email and look at pics of the great-grandkids and maybe surf the web

Any other tips? I favour free/cheap ideas. :) Thanks.

A crackling sound comes out of my speakers whenever the network is used

CKZ — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:50:07 -0800

A crackling sound comes out of my speakers whenever the network is used I have a Terratec Aureon Fun 5.1 soundcard, that has a digital (SPDIF) connection to a Samsung home cinema set. This setup has worked flawlessly for years. I recently moved and now use ethernet instead of wireless. Now, whenever the network is used, a crackling sound comes out of the speakers, regardless whether there is music playing or not.

Does anyone know what is causing this, and how I can fix it? It's driving me insane!

Oh, BTW, I'm using Ubuntu Linux, kernel 2.6.12 and ALSA.

$250 + spare PCs = ???

bryanzera — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 15:04:44 -0800

I have $250, access to free computer hardware and a yearning to create something cool for my house. What should I do? I've thought about building a PVR, but I don't watch that much TV and we still have the 13 channel analog cable. I've thought about a media jukebox and that isn't totally off the table yet. I want a fun project that I can brag about to my geek friends. I have a budget of $250 for this project. What sort of cool applications have you seen for spare PCs?

Notes:
- We have wireless in the house, but I don't have a wireless NIC, so the cost of that would need to be taken out of the $250.
- Linux is cool. Whatever the solution, I'd like there to be linux involved.