Archive for the 'Windows' Category

The GIMP

I really like GIMP, and use it quite frequently, even with Creative Suite 4 Design Premium (licensed legally I might add) installed on my Mac, and with other applications like Paint.NET easily available for Windows. With that said, I thought I would post a few links about it, since I have been using it for… oh I don’t know, since 2002 or 2003 I’m guessing.

Read about it:

Download it:

Posted by Karl Herrick on October 13th, 2009 in Photography, Apple, Windows, Linux | 1 Comment »

The network config

My network setup is going through a transitory phase as I swap parts and move things around. Here’s what I have to work with:

I also have some other miscellaneous parts/systems that can be used as needed. My thought was to have one MythTV backend, that will also serve as a file share, and backups. This may present some problems with the bandwidth and disk speeds on the Pentium IV box, but that remains to be seen. I am hoping the newest desktop will continue to run some form of Linux, and XP Home virtualized to provide the cordless telephone service. And then finally the two laptops, for all their mobility as well as using XBMC for additional MythTV frontends.

Posted by Karl Herrick on August 20th, 2009 in Microsoft, Windows, Linux | 2 Comments »

Windows 7 - XP Mode

So I downloaded the Windows 7 beta, but never installed it (had to keep Ubuntu and MythTV going strong). To be honest, I have heard it is fantastic… what Vista should have been, yada, yada, etc. Anyhow, I just read that some of the editions of 7 will have “XP Mode”, sort of like Apple had “Classic Environment” when they moved to OS X from OS 9. XP Mode will in fact be XP running in a virtual environment. How cool is that? Maybe business IT will be more easily persuaded to move on.

Windows 7 gets virtual ‘XP mode’

Windows 7 Release Candidate 1’s Best Surprise New Features

Google News

Posted by Karl Herrick on April 25th, 2009 in Microsoft, Windows | No Comments »

XP License Availability Roadmap

Here’s what Microsoft has to say about when they will stop selling various Window XP flavors: (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx)

Under the Support Lifecycle policy, Windows desktop licenses are available for four years after general availability in all standard product distribution channels (e.g. direct OEM, System Builders, retail, and Volume Licensing programs via licenses or via downgrade rights). Licenses will continue to be available through downgrade rights available in Volume Licensing programs after end of general availability.

Windows XP Professional
Date of General Availability
December 31, 2001

Direct OEM and Retail License Availability (end date)
June 30, 2008

System Builder License Availability (end date)
January 31, 2009

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Date of General Availability
February 11, 2003

Direct OEM and Retail License Availability (end date)
June 30, 2008

System Builder License Availability (end date)
January 31, 2009

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Date of General Availability
April 25, 2005

Direct OEM and Retail License Availability (end date)
June 30, 2008

System Builder License Availability (end date)
January 31, 2009

Windows XP Home Edition
Date of General Availability
December 31, 2001

Direct OEM and Retail License Availability (end date)
June 30, 20083

System Builder License Availability (end date)
January 31, 2009

Windows XP Media Center Edition2
Date of General Availability
October 28, 2002

Direct OEM and Retail License Availability (end date)
June 30, 2008

System Builder License Availability (end date)
January 31, 2009

2 Includes the 2002, 2004, and 2005 editions of Windows Media Center.
3 As of April 2008, Microsoft is extending availability of Windows XP Home Edition for OEMs to install on Ultra Low-Cost PCs. The new OEM end date will be the later of either June 30, 2010, or one year after the general availability of the next version of Windows.

A few more thoughts on this (and loop holes):
How-to get Windows XP past the June 30th cutoff (or not)
How to Get Windows XP After June 30

Posted by Karl Herrick on April 14th, 2008 in Microsoft, Windows | No Comments »

Client to Server Backups

I have intentions to look into Bacula as a disk-to-disk backup solution, however until then I am using the following script for Kubuntu Dapper -> Debian Etch backups, and a modified one for Windows XP Home -> Debian Etch.

It all uses rsync, and requires password-less key based ssh connections. I am using rsync, OpenSSH, and for Windows XP a little Cygwin magic (including modifying this script to make it Windows friendly).

client-to-server-rsync-backup.sh

#!/bin/bash
#ver 1.0.3

BACKUPSERVERUSER=limitedUserOnServer
BACKUPSERVER=serverHostName
BACKUPCLIENT=`echo $(hostname -s) | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'`
BACKUPS=(
  #localFolder,backupDestinationParentFolder
  #/home,/media/md2/backups/clientname
  #/var/www,/media/md2/backups/clientname/var
)

if [ "$1" != "--incremental" ] && [ "$1" != "--sync" ] && [ "$1" != "--help" ]; then
  echo $0: missing operand
  echo Try `$0 --help' for more information.
elif [ "$1" = "--help" ]; then
  echo " Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [PASSTHROUGH OPTIONS]";
  echo "";
  echo "   Mandatory arguments:";
  echo "     [OPTION]";
  echo "       --incremental   add to the existing backups";
  echo "       --sync    sync the live data with the existing backup";
  echo "";
  echo "   Optional arguments:";
  echo "     [PASSTHROUGH OPTIONS]";
  echo "       Passthrough options are sent to rsync in this form from this script:";
  echo "";
  echo "       for incremental:";
  echo "         sudo rsync -avz [PASSTHROUGH OPTIONS] $SOURCE $BKUPSRVUSER@ \";
  echo "         $BKUPSRV:$DEST";
  echo "";
  echo "       and for sync:";
  echo "         sudo rsync -avz [PASSTHROUGH OPTIONS] --delete $SOURCE \";
  echo "         $BKUPSRVUSER@$BKUPSRV:$DEST";
  echo "";
  echo "       * This makes it easy to do something like this:";
  echo "       *   $0 --incremental \"--partial --progress\"";
  echo "       *";
  echo "       * Thus sending \"--partial --progress\" to rsync,";
  echo "       * making this script a little more interactive...";
  echo "       * read more via `man rsync'.";
else
  if [ "$1" = "--incremental" ]; then
    incremental_or_sync="";
  elif [ "$1" = "--sync" ]; then
    incremental_or_sync="--delete";
  fi

  for BACKUPS in ${BACKUPS[@]}; do
    SOURCE=`echo $BACKUPS | cut -d',' -f1`
    DESTINATION=`echo $BACKUPS | cut -d',' -f2`
    echo
    echo "# starting backup"
    echo "# from: $BACKUPCLIENT:$SOURCE"
    echo "# to: $BKUPSRV:$DEST"
    echo
    echo sudo rsync -avz $2 $inc_or_sync $SOURCE $BKUPSRVUSER@$BKUPSRV:$DEST
    sudo rsync -avz $2 $inc_or_sync $SOURCE $BKUPSRVUSER@$BKUPSRV:$DEST
    echo
  done
fi

Posted by Karl Herrick on March 15th, 2008 in Backups, Windows, Linux, Bash | No Comments »