Computers

http://rfc-ref.org/RFC-TEXTS/Indexes/humor.html

That’s what I used to do, but I guess it’s time to update my knowledge.

HTML is dead. Still supported by all browsers, but dead nonetheless. So are GIF image files.

The modern way of doing Web sites today is having a server-side application (like PHP) fetch data from a database. Then generate, usually, an XML file which is then translated into XHTML by either the browser or the server-side application. The XHTML has DIV tags for the layout instead of table, and all the layout is scripted in a common CSS file. The page also has a common JavaScript file and many actions on the page sends another query to the server, and the whole process starts all over again but often not to load a whole page, but a fragment of data that will be used to update the page currently displayed.

As for the graphics, JPEG are still great for pictures. PNG are now the format of choice of GIF. Too bad Internet Explorer still doesn’t support its 8-bit alpha channel! And there’s a whole new type in town: SVG, Scalable Vector Graphics. Firefox 1.5 now supports SVG files. Internet Explorer did since years, but only supports their proprietary format, VML (Vector Markup Language), but can support SVG files with the help of some plug-ins. There’s a great free open-source software called Inkscape with which you can make your own great vector graphics.

That’s what they call Web 2.0. I call it “The Web that finally makes a bit more sense”.

Learn about all those new languages. See the links below!

Links

• ZVON: Good markup language reference site.
• W3C: They write those standards.
• Inkscape: Great SVG file editor.
• Adobe SVG Viewer: Plug-in to view SVG files in IE
• VML and SVG compared

I remember Internet Explorer 4, when Microsoft was trying to make that big hype about “Active Channels” that would deliver automatically-updated information straight to your desktop.

It didn’t fly. However, not all efforts are in vain, since today we got plenty of RSS feeds. Of course, Internet Explorer will only start supporting those in version 7, but in the meantime you can still bookmark RSS feeds in that browser.

Simply go to the page linked in this article below (click “Read more” to see), or implement the source code of the XSLT file somewhere, and you’ll be able to convert RSS feeds into CDF files, or Channel Definition Format, the feed format for Internet Explorer.
<!--break-->

Notes

Source of rss2cdf.xsl XSLT file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet
    version="1.0"
    xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
    xmlns:rss="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/"
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
    exclude-result-prefixes="rdf rss dc">
    <xsl:output
        method="xml"
        encoding="UTF-8"
        indent="yes" />
    <xsl:template match="/">
        <xsl:apply-templates select="/rdf:RDF/rss:channel" />
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template match="rss:channel">
        <CHANNEL HREF="{rss:link}">
            <xsl:apply-templates select="dc:date" />
            <TITLE><xsl:value-of select="rss:title" /></TITLE>

            <xsl:apply-templates select="rss:description" />
            <xsl:apply-templates select="//rss:item" />
        </CHANNEL >
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template match="rss:item">
        <ITEM HREF="{rss:link}">
            <xsl:apply-templates select="dc:date" />
            <TITLE><xsl:value-of select="rss:title" /></TITLE>
            <xsl:apply-templates select="rss:description" />

        </ITEM>
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template match="rss:description">
        <ABSTRACT><xsl:value-of select="." /></ABSTRACT>
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template match="dc:date">
        <xsl:attribute name="LASTMOD">
            <xsl:value-of select="." />
        </xsl:attribute>

    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Links

Online RSS2CDF converter, XSLT file

Beagle, that’s the name. I’ve never tried it before, but it looks promissing.

However, it doesn’t have something similar to the Sidebar feature of Google Desktop, which is something I’m looking forward to try. I read about a Linux equivalent in the works, Gnome Sidebar, but it’s still at its primary stages.

The CD/DVD Spindle Search plug-in for Google Desktop is also a good thing for me, considering the amount of CD’s and DVD’s I have. Too bad there’s no good CD/DVD database program for Linux. At least, I’ve never found one.

Links

• Google Desktop
• beaglewiki.org
• planetbeagle.org
• CD/DVD Spindle Search Plug-in
• Gnome Sidebar

Converting a PostScript (PS or EPS) file to a JPEG file in Linux is quite simple. Just typing the command below did it for me:


GS_OPTIONS=-dUseCIEColor convert -colorspace rgb -size widthxheight inputfile.ext outputfile.ext


Of course, it works the same for PDF files, and you can make the output being a GIF, or PNG file, for example.

Since most PS and PDF files have their colours coded in CMYK, rather than RBG like raster images, GS_OPTIONS=-dUseCIEColor needs to be defined before calling ImageMagick, so when convert calls GhostScript, it can use that variable to import the colours properly.

Also, -colorspace rgb needs to be specified, or the output file will still has its colours coded in CMYK, which doesn’t work with all applications (including Firefox, I’ve found).

Still facing the problem I have about my 160GB HDD not booting in my new computer, I’ve found many articles related to my problem, most about the same motherboard than mine. But apparently, it’s easily solved: usually just updating the BIOS or changing some CMOS settings should make it work again. Also, interesting pages about make my wireless card work in other Linux distros and making my own Fedora Core 3 bootable CD.

Links:

• Downloads for the K7S5A motherboard
• Coofer Cat: How to make custom Fedora bootable CD
• HowToFixComputers.com Forums: K7S5A Pro and New Hard Drive
• TechIMO: Hard drive issue, no boot record?
• Linux Forums: 160GB HDD no longer boots (Thread I’ve started.)
• Unofficial overclocking BIOS for K7S5A motherboard
• Using my D-Link DWL-G520 wireless card with NDISWrapper
• Slax Slackware-based Live CD 5.0.6 includes NDISWrapper
• Build the initrd image
• The Elite’s K7s5a mainboard HOWTO (for Linux)
• ECS K7S5A : Le guide (in French)

I practically lost my afternoon and evening putting my hardware from Katana to Odachi and settings everything up. In fact, I’m not done yet.

The main obstacles today is I didn’t have the driver for my D-Link DWL-G520 wireless card for Windows and most Linux distros I have do not support it without proper kernel drivers installed.

The only Linux distro that has that driver is the one I had installed on Katana, Fedora Core 3. But for some reason, Odachi would not boot on the 160GB HDD on which is my Linux installation.

So, no Internet and practically no OS I could use, except Windows. But then again, no drivers. So, useless. Plus, after getting the drivers using my USB drive on my roommate’s laptop, the wireless card would just not work unless it was in a specific PCI slot…

Katana’s out now and will be probably sold to my roommate. As for Odachi: still some work to do. I’m also considering switching from Fedora to Ubuntu, but I am no certain.

Also, having somewhat a lack of knowledge in hardware, I wonder how I could set up my computer so it can use all my 3 HDD, 2 DVD drives (including a burner), and 2 CD drives (including another banner)…

Last Sunday, I bought a new computer off my friend, an ex-colleague, who is flying to Thailand next month.

I call it Ōdachi. With its 1GHz Pentium 4 processor and a GB of RAM, it will replace my current main, but slower, Linux computer, Katana.

Since Sunday, I’ve been playing with it non-stop. Maybe it’s time that I actually do something with it, and sell Katana to my roommate, who’s in desperate need of a slightly better computer.

Link: “Ōdachi” on Wikipedia

With the help of Greasemonkey for Firefox, or Trixie for Internet Explorer, a recently new WGA workaround script helps you download updates from the Microsoft site, without having to validate your copy of Windows.

Links: WGA workaround script, Greasemonkey extension for Firefox, Trixie plug-in for Internet Explorer

I recently got e-mails from DreamHost and Servage about their new upgrades to their hosting packages.

Both of them increased their Web space and bandwidth monthly limit. Both now offer around 20GB of space. I think it’s more than what I’ll ever need.

I remember when I started with Angelfire for free, with just 500KB of space…