Teen Tech

OK,

So, most people that know me, know that I am a linux advocate. I finally did yesterday what I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Wipe Windows from my computer and Install Linux. I’ve been away the past week in South Carolina visiting family, and when I was away, two discs came in the mail from Ubuntu (a popular distribution of linux). Ubuntu is free and will always be free, all you have to do is go to their website, request discs, and they’ll ship them to you free of charge no matter how many you want. I first tried the Live CD where it runs everything off of the CD which doesn’t harm what you have installed, so I could see if it detected all of my hardware. It did. It found my wireless network, sound, and graphics drivers which are the main components people have problems with when it comes to a full linux integration. I then proceeded to back up all of my files, and installed Ubuntu. The whole install took MAYBE 20 minutes. I was highly impressed. A Windows XP install takes about an hour if you do a quick format and Vista takes about 2-3 years. This installed my new Operating System, formatted my Harddrive, and set up my user account in 20 minutes. When I started up, I was greeted by the Ubuntu login screen and was able to log in, which I might add is very fast.

There was a singular glitch in the system, and that was with the sound. Whenever a sound was playing, whether it’s music or video, a static was emitted that drowned out the sound. The solution was quick and easy once I figured out what it was. The computer was trying to output digital sound through an analog sound card. It’s like water and oil, it just doesn’t mix. The fix was to uncheck a single box in the sound’s control panel. Problem solved. I can now watch Rubik’s cube videos without annoying static. I was able to install my Steam (www.steampowered.com) games using WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator) which is a Windows program emulator, so I’m still able to game with my new system.

Most people are familiar or have heard about the system called Beryl (a.k.a. Compiz), where the desktops can be turned into a cube (if you haven’t heard of it, you have now :D). I installed this subsystem without a glitch, and was up and running without even restarting the computer.

Here’s some screenshots for you all to be jealous at because Windows simply isn’t cool enough:

(Beryl Cube System)

(Rain Desktop Effect)

‘Teen Tech’ scarfs down a piece of cherry pie at today’s Easter Dinner.
Photo by Dad, aka ’Luna Pier Cook’.

Well,

I got a new job.  A tech-related job which is exactly what I was after.  It’s for http://www.supportspace.com doing on the fly online tech-support for random people.  My favorite part of the job is that there is such a variety of tech issues that people get online with.  One moment I could be fixing someone’s email and the next, a printer problem.  It’s great.  I like variety.

1)  I get completely and utterly annoyed.  I may start to yell and scream.  Virus = Bad, and I got one.

2)  I go all bounty hunter on the little pest.  I start going through system logs, look at running processes, go through the startup objects on the computer looking for anything out of the ordinary and DELETE it.  This phase may require going into Safe Mode (F8 at startup).

3)  If all else fails, I go to my tools that I keep locked in a vault for safekeeping, because nowadays, the only way to keep any software, data, and random bits of information safe is to keep it as far away from a computer as possible.  At this point, I’m ready to throw the PC out the window and run over it with a car, and I do have experience in running things over.

Well, I’ve got a virus right now.  I not nice one that pops up a balloon notification in the lower right of the screen saying “Your computer is infected!” (you can’t forget the exclamation point.  It makes it all better!) and it wants me to download some more software, which is probably a virus itself to “get rid” of it, when actually it lies dormant in the far depths of my hard drive.

Well, Off I go to fix this blasted thing.

Yesterday evening at Tecumseh Middle School, part of Teen Tech’s Eagle Scout project was used as a prop during a presentation. Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch brought in one of the massive planters Aaron had designed and put together for use by the city in various parks throughout the downtown area. Mr. Welch used the planter as an example of a community service project in a presentation to Cub Scout Pack 673 (and their friends and families) at the pack’s annual Blue & Gold banquet. Teen Tech’s youngest brother Ryan received his Arrow Of Light award at the banquet and was also advanced from a Webelos 2 Cub Scout to the rank of Scout, being welcomed into Boy Scout Troop 632 later in the ceremonies. Unaware Mr. Welch was going to use this planter as a prop, Teen Tech was not in attendance at the banquet.