A tip of the hat to sysadmins everywhere. We keep the bits flowing no matter what!
Archive for the ‘tech’ Category
Sysadmins
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Autopatcher and how it saves me work…
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010I am currently on the second windows xp box that I have reinstalled for the week and just wanted to write a quick note in support of a great little tool that has saved me a fair amount of time. Even after you have installed the latest service pack for windows software, Microsoft releases a ton of patches, security updates and other junk that can take several reboots worth of windows update to be fully secure and up to date.
This is where autopatcher comes in, it will download all of the updates that have happened since Microsoft wrote it’s last service pack. From there you can either dump them onto a thumb drive or other storage and just run the autopatcher application every time you need to reinstall a computer. It also is easy to keep up to date with a nice little update script.
Autopatcher is also handy if you have a computer that is on a slow or no internet connection and you want to keep it up to date.
Microsoft Onecare Scanner
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
At work I have noticed that many of the computers I support have had issues with hard drive fragmentation. Of course these are windows xp machines that have seen heavy use. It is a pain to have to go around to each user and explain how to use Disk Defragmenter MMC to clean up the mess. Thankfully Microsoft has created the Onecare Scanner that preforms a brief anti virus scan, spy ware scan, temp file cleanup, and disk defrag.
The one thing I have noticed is that it works best using internet explorer.
Live Onecare Scanner can be found at http://safety.live.com
Balsamiq Mockups
Thursday, March 4th, 2010When I worked for the USDA as a student programmer, Steven introduced me to a rapid prototyping tool for software development. Now that I am out in the “real world” I occasionally need to mock up websites that I am developing.
In the little time I have used Balsamiq I found it easy to use and quick to get a rough sketch of what you were looking for to show the client. My only complaint is that it defaults to the crime against humanity that is MS Comic Sans. This is modifiable (kind of) to use your standard system font.
As you can see from the above video from the Balsamiq people, it is easy and quick. I could talk about it all day, however words can only do so much… they have a web launchable demo that is very usable at http://www.balsamiq.com/ .
Future plans for the product include a web app version that would enable users to not have to even install any software. Which should be fairly low hanging fruit as it is already an adobe air application (and one of the only ones that I have seen that are useful). The fact it is an air app also is a benefit as the developers are actively adding features all the time.
Another Free AV option…
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Quite a while back, I wrote about free anti virus options. Well since then there has been a major entry into the market by the folks responsible for all the security holes in the first place, Microsoft. With a security suite named “Microsoft Security Essentials” they provide free anti virus and malware protection for windows xp and higher. I have used it on several machines and it preforms as advertised, however I still wonder if Microsoft is trustworthy enough not to screw up anti virus as much as they have screwed up their OS. If you want to give it a try it is available at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx
Windows XP SP3 setup flags
Thursday, October 1st, 2009After making several reinstalls on various laptops for work all needing SP3 installed I remembered the /nobackup flag for starting the install. so in in the command line you drag and drop the sp3 installer and then type /passive /nobackup /forcerestart and then walk away for a bit (but less time then if you had to backup the data) Yes it may be more risky, but since it is a clean install why bother with worrying about that!
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Service Pack 3 Setup
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AVAILABLE SWITCHES:
[/help] [/quiet] [/passive] [/norestart] [/forcerestart] [/warnrestart] [/promptrestart] [/overwriteoem] [/nobackup] [/forceappsclose] [/integrate:] [/d:] [/log:]
/help Displays this message
SETUP MODES
/quiet Quiet mode (no user interaction or display)
/passive Unattended mode (progress bar only)
RESTART OPTIONS
/norestart Do not restart when installation is complete
/forcerestart Restart after installation
/warnrestart[:] Warn and restart automatically if required (default timeout 30 seconds)
/promptrestart Prompt if restart is required
SPECIAL OPTIONS
/overwriteoem Overwrite OEM files without prompting
/nobackup Do not backup files needed for uninstall
/forceappsclose Force other programs to close when the computer shuts down
/integrate: Integrate this software update into
/d: Back up files into
/log: Create log file at
****
Carl Sagan - ‘A Glorious Dawn’ ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed) AKA geeks and autotuners
Thursday, October 1st, 2009What happens when you let a music geek loose with an autotuner and too much time on his hands? A great tribute to the late Carl Sagan, of course!
This is not the first tribute piece that John Boswell has made, his other work includes a tribute to Billy Mays. For more of his great work see Melody Sheep on youtube.
Free Antivirus
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009If you are running a windows computer today with out antivirus, you are running with a set of scissors. Yes, I know that with a little bit of care you can keep yourself from being infected. For example using webmail with antivirus (i.e. gmail) and not downloading stray programs off of bit-torrent (especially the “hacked” versions of stuff).
However, accidents do happen. Are you sure that that flash drive that your friend just handed you is clean? Are you sure that that site you are visiting just didn’t get hacked and have a browser hack that will get you?
The best answer is to use great alternative software out there like Linux (my favorite is Ubuntu), however for those who refuse of can’t run linux (there are still some programs out there that are irreplaceable and wine just won’t do everything). It is only responsible to have some protection. This does not mean that you have to go out and spend $100 on the latest copy of Norton however, there are plenty of free solutions (some as in speech and others just as in beer only) out there. They work just as well or even better then the pay software.
The first and my personal favorite is AVG. It just plain works and gets the job done. Next is Avast I have also installed it on some computers that I have repaired for friends. Finally in the “free” corner (free as in speach and beer) is Clamwin. It is NOT a on access scanner so it does not provide the same level of protection as the other options, however for a slower computer nightly scans can at least keep your computer cleaner.
Linux
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
In a round up of news I have two Linux related articles both pointed out by the fine people of CIALUG… apparently Dvorak is at it again, this time proclaiming his love of Ubuntu. While I have many issues with him, I think he has it right this time. In the past few years Linux has come a long way, especially Ubuntu. I currently use it as my main OS on my Laptop, as well as several servers I have running out of my Apartment.
In the other piece of Linux is about a Linux repair guru who comes to blows when one of the “squad” like companies find out that he puts Linux on computers… appearently he was hurting their repair gig as the linux machines weren’t needing fixing. Apparently this firm would schedule repair sessions 6 months in advance because they knew that the ID10T’s would have their computer borked again. This is yet another benefit to Linux in this rescission times.
Beware the blinkenlichten
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS! Das computermachine ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das rubbernecken sichtseeren keepen das cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das blinkenlichten.
I figured that I would share this fake warning that has been floating around the tech world at least since 1959 where it was spotted at Stanford University… of course the Germans didn’t want to be left out and have created their own version of an English warning sign that gets out the same idea:
ATTENTION This room is fullfilled mit special electronische equippment. Fingergrabbing and pressing the cnoeppkes from the computers is allowed for die experts only! So all the “lefthanders” stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming von here working intelligencies. Otherwise you will be out thrown and kicked anderswhere! Also: please keep still and only watchen astaunished the blinkenlights.
No server room is complete with out this dual posting to keep the “lefthanders” away. (But Andy, aren’t you left handed? Ssh I know…)