Day: 23 May 2004

LInux force upgrade

Miles ask me why am I reinstalling WIndows? Is there anything I couldnt do in Linux which I can in Windows? I mentioned a few things like Outlook to talk to my pocketpc and smartphone using Activesync. Lack of ATI all in wonder multimedia drivers as I use my workstation as a PVR. Miles did a Google search string: ati+all+in+wonder+linux+driver and found Gatos. So I really didnt have a leg to stand on.

So Saturday daytime I installed Knoppix on a spare partition using the knx2hd method. But quickly realised that I needed to change the boot process otherwise I wont beable to load linux. Kind of like how I had BeOS a while ago, sitting on a hard drive with no way to boot into it. I browsed around and saw people suggesting a boot floppy but that wasnt good enough. I dont have a floppy drive no longer! So I finally reinstalled knoppix again and this time over writ the master boot record with lilo rather than using windows own booter. And once I uncommented a few lines had a boot option for Windows XP. So these complex guides are overkill.

I'm quite happy with my dual booting GNU/Linux and Windows XP system. Specially when I fixed (with miles help) the network connectivity myself. Just need to install all the usb devices like the pocketpc and card reader then sort out the drivers for the ATI card. And i'm away and laughing… Less Windows usage just around the corner hopefully.

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Opera, blogs and fravia

Opera - simply the best internet experience

I was talking to Fravia about browsers and blogging over dinner with Richard Stallman yesterday, we went to the Star of India in Old brompton Street, near Earls Court, West London. Good food but I unfortually didnt feel too well the day after.

Fravia made an interesting statement on Thursday. Opera know what he does but they dont really care because the publicity of using opera is more than enough for them. And on that point I have to say Opera 7.5 is the best browser for advanced web searchers and developers… Some of the noteable features of 7.5, RSS newsfeeds directly in the browser, IRC chat client like Mozilia, better opera mail with spam filtering, New skin and Kiosk mode. Now if only there was a upgrade option I would be very happy.

Screen shot of Opera 7.5

Fravia mentioned Amazon's A9 search engine in the event. And how it displays the 5 or 10 texts lines before and after your search. Now with automation it is possible to grab the whole book. I never really thought about it but it makes total sense and means yes you can grab almost any book in Amazons store…

I questioned Fravia about blogging and syndication. He felt, he couldnt quite make up his mind on blogging. He felt it might isolate pages off, and so many blogs are written using blogger, typepad or moveable type that they were too simular. I see what he's saying but the instant semantic nature of blogs allow for advance searching beyond the logic of most search engines at the moment. Saying that I did notice Yahoo now searches and knows what RSS is. I've promised to write a piece about the advantages of searching in a blogging landscape very soon. The thing I love is when you add up other technologies like XFN and FOAF with semantic blogging, you got somekind of landscape to search in. Wont even get started on xlink, xpointer and xpath search engines.

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