the-shrike.net

This’s definitely F U N!!!
Not easy as it seems, but amazingly fun! Ok, now I know what to do until time to go out comes :p

(source: conundrum)

Just want to drop a quick note about Linux Kernel 2.6.x.
I’m still using on both my machines (this laptop and my gateway/firewall/printing server/etc… machine) 2.4.x series kernels (2.4.29 here, and 2.4.31 there) both because these are the kernels that came out by default with the two Slackware relases I’m using (respectivly 10.1 and 10.2), and also because my attempts to switch to a newer kernel relase have been very unsuccesful until now.
I not a linux-guru, and I compiled my first custom kernel just today, but every time I tried to install a precompiled 2.6.x kernel what I got was hardware to be configured in order to work, while with the 2.4.x serie worked out-of-the-box (speaking about my hardware only… not speaking about yours too, I’m sure for you could be very different).
This is not to say I’m not willing to configure things in order for them to work, it’s just that I don’t see the need for such fast and continuos relases of a new kernel series when the old one is still performing good (in most standard cases).

Of course my knowledge of these cases is in fact very limited, and I’m sure I’m probably totally wrong here, but this’s my personal feeling abou it: I don’t understand this race toward the new kernel relase I often see around among the Linux users. I know for sure there are specific configurations that could be supported only (or easier) by a 2.6.x kernel, but indeed I still consider the 2.4.x a valuable choice: it works amazingly on my notebook without any problems, and I’m sure will do the same on a lot of other systems.
This’s why while I don’t like Patrick Volkerding’s line about Gnome (even if I understand the reasons behind it…), I like his line about keeping a 2.4.x kernel in Slackware 10.1/10.2.

But I like to work on this… so, I’ll take a break from my-geek-self for tonight, and tomorrow I will come back working on 2.6.13.2, to find out who is more powerful: the kernel or the curson? ;)
I like to work on it, but just because I’ve a 2.4.31 fully functional ready for when I will be sick of trying!

Once I had mp3s…
Then I discovered what’s called streaming-online-radio. And the world changed.
Ok, nothing so “impressive” by the way, I just wanted to suggest one nice radio-station for you to listen to.
Of course you have to like hard and heavy metal a lot, like I do.

Here is the link: http://heavymetalradio.com/.
If you’re lazy like me, here is the link to follow if you’d like to listen directly to it: listen.
Enjoy and… good night!

The best friend of every man on Earth going on-line, and the always referred tool to always_asking_stupid_question users, is now 7 years old.
Really something to celebrate… …ouch, this means I’m getting older too :S

Anyway, happy 7th birthday google, and please keep helping us searching the net!

Here I come, with the report from yesterday live rpg game.
Was really fun to play Azrael, the Archangel of Death, and I had a great day playing the role of one of the powerful being during the job of creating a new universe/world.
The live rules weren’t perfect, and I have to admit wasn’t an easy live to play, but me and my 15 friends (+1 master) did a really good work on it, and everything ends in the better way possible: a lot of fun for everyone, a great day together, and a lot of wine and grilled meat to celebrate it!
What could be better than this? ;)

The more I play live-rpg, the more I like them and the more I appreciate how nice is (even for someone like me) to try acting. Free acting as it flows directly from your mind: it’s the contrary of perfection, but it’s amazing to create something with your everyday friends, to build up a different story each time.
It’s very stimulating to play things like this, cause you could try to put your imagination (and believe me, mine never stops to work…) into something a more real, into a little show you can play in.

Now it’s time to put the black cloak and black wings into the wardrobe, because I think I won’t need them the next time. Something suggest me we’re going back to 1920 the next time… ;)

Tomorrow I will be Arcangel of Death Azrael for almost all the day!
A good day of live-rpg is exactly what I need to relax and to have a lot of fun with my friends. Let’s just hope for a good weather!

Pictures and report will follow… maybe… I’m sooooo a lazy person.

The first good news, is that the new relase of my favourite browser is out, and can be easily downloaded from the Opera.com website. I’m using it since almost 48 hours by now, and I have to say it feels even more stable than Opera 8.02 (which I was using before) and even lighter speaking about system resources.
It is still not the less demanding resurces browser around, but It’s really nice to see it asking my Linux box for less RAM than 8.02 did :)
Even the upgrading process was (like usual) without any problem, and the only files I had to change after the installation to keep my configuration settings were the sesrch.ini and the standard_menu.ini, something that hasn’t changed from previous version, these have always been over-written when upgrading.

Last but not least, the best news: Opera 8.50 is now not only “free”, but also “Ad-Free“, which means that even without a valid registration key you’re going to have a 100% working (amazing) browser with no advertisment at all.
I’m in love with the Opera guys ^_^
I got my valid and gifted key on the 10th Opera Anniversary, so wasn’t a problem of mine to get rid of the advertisments, but I’m quite happy with this free choice from the Opera Team, and I really hope this will help this fantastic browser to earn more public and a lot of new users.

The WordWideWeb would be a better place, when all of its user will be using standard compliant browser.
[any reference in the above statment to any Microsoft browser, is completly not wanted... yes... of course :p]

Finally I’ve put my hands on the first Exalted Comics (number 0), and I’m really astonished.
Ok, it’s not something cheap, but a nice piece of work from UDON studio, and trust me, they’re great drawer!
I was expecting something more, speaking about the lenght of the story part, but I am quite happy to see a lot of sketches in the second part of this number. I really liked it, hope they won’t stop with it too soon (:p) and that next numbers will have more space for the “story” more then the extras.
Of course, even if I doubt he will ever read this, thanks to my friend Flavio for getting this first number for me ;)

God, I miss that city so much.
And the more I miss it, the more I realize that’s not just because I’m missing her! This city is really full of charm, even if it’s not perfect… or maybe exactly because of that.
It’s simply fantastic, and I think it really stole a piece of my heart.
And tonight, while looking around the net, I found this page, and I happly spent some of my time browsing throughout those pictures and I found myself really amazed about some of them.
A little of melancony… I admit it, but was nice, and so here I am to share this.
Enjoy them!

Impressive efforts to gain impressive results.
Japanese probe HAYABUSA has reached asteroid Itokawa and it’s now preparing for the last part of its mission, which is, as stated:

…to bring back samples from an asteroid and investigate the mysteries of the birth of the solar system.

I think JAXA has done a great work with this mission, and I really hope they will be able to carry these samples back to Earth safely… could be a nice shot for science to be able to put hands on them.

Finally the brand new relases of my favourite GNU/Linux distribution has been relased.

You can find everything about this new relase on the Slackware main home page.
Here is the official announcement, while here you can have a look to the relative changelog.

If you need the ISO now, better to use the torrent files than using the FTP, which are not yet up to date and could be very busy and slow.

Mumble… will I update from 10.1 to 10.2?
I will think about it, for now I’m happy enough to see Pat is feeling well enough for a new relase.

Am I the only italian thinking that this country is going in a very bad direction, politically speaking?
Or maybe it’s better to say that if this electoral law is going to be approved, we will suddenly find ourself in the same condition that was in 1923?

I don’t know exactly what I’m feeling, but I’m a kind of scared…