[still compiling]

I just spent several hours trying to figure out why I kept getting this error while trying to install Windows Server 2008 R2:

"Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information."

This was on a system with a Broadcom HT1000 SATA controller so I was loading drivers for it via USB flash drive. Apparentally, you MUST remove the USB drive after setup loads the driver but before it starts to try to install or this happens. Doh!

For whatever reason, the Ubuntu 9.10 Server installer doesn't seem to detect the correct video mode when running over the HP LO100 virtual KVM. You can fix this by adding vga=771 to the installer kernel boot parameters.

1) Boot the Ubuntu install CD or image using physcial or virtual media
2) At the installer boot screen, select your language and press enter.
3) Press F6 to bring up the "Other Options" menu and then hit esc. This will expose the kernel boot parameters.
4) Append vga=771 and press enter

Your final boot parameters will look like:

I've had to look this one up more than I should have so I'll share it here.

Just type rake -T in your project directory and you'll get a complete list of default tasks and ones you've added.

For example:

(in /Users/mamcinty/Documents/Web Design/Projects/ls)
rake db:abort_if_pending_migrations # Raises an error if there are pending migrations
rake db:charset # Retrieves the charset for the current environment's database
rake db:collation # Retrieves the collation for the current environment's database

A friend recently asked me if I knew of a proxy server that would allow him to fake the User-Agent string of his PS3 so that he could watch Hulu. For some reason the good folks at Hulu block the PS3 browser. Our research indicated that the (well known in the Unix/Linux world) Squid proxy was the best choice for the job. One reason is because it's FREE! The thing is, Squid doesn't come with a GUI and requires some command line foo to get it going. So I put together a a few scripts to make it easier.

So I came across an article a few weeks ago that I really wanted to share. It's called Change for Good and it has a lot of neat insight into how to make changes in your life.

So as much as I love technology I'm not one to suggest technology for technology's sake. It's important to keep things in perspective about what's important in life and not overcomplicate things. I think it's hard to argue though that technology in general hasn't presented society in general with a net positive. I mean, without technology would we have the medical abilities that we have today? The same level of understanding of the world? With good comes the bad. It's inherent in life, or so it seems to this young chap.