May 21, 2007

• Linux, Love and Life

  Ubuntu needs to change their slogan to “Ubuntu: Linux for the dumbest among us.” It makes idiots like me look like seasoned pros. Linux should never be this easy. In the past week, I have installed ubuntu (Dapper Drake), installed and deployed SSH and Samba, installed an internal IDE hardrive and DVD burner. The next step is to actually sift through the data and burn it off which is going to be a slightly unpleasant task given that when I completed my data transfer it was over 100 GB equally divided by programs/utilities I’ve collect over the years, documents/saved files and music. The rest was Clone CD images that I can delete if I so choose. That would be the preferred course of action, but still…

  The funny thing is that all of this data came from my 300 GB SATA drive and I had no clue that I had so much junk. It wouldn’t hurt to sift through all the video files that Jesse and Stephen have given me over the years. For those of you who don’t know, these are my A/V buddies and most of the video is raw footage; the rest is the 30 second edits. I also need to sift through all the tarballs that has sent me. Most of them are music that I’ve already uncompressed and added to my collection. Currenlty, I am allowing access to my box via SSH only.

  My next Linuxy task is to deploy VPN so that I can log into the box remotely and be able to pull the files to any machine I’m on via drag and drop. I might also set up VNC, but at this point I don’t see the need; that task is simply for the experience. Any suggestions on how to go about any of this or some next steps are welcome.

  After I get all of my access set up the way I want it and back up my data, the next step will be to take advantage of the Linux box by learning Perl. I might even finally calm down and learn Bash scripting or something; perhaps I’ll finally conquer Java (particularly the GUI aspects) or finally learn how gcc works and create makefiles with understanding. The irony is that I’m finally adding value to myself when I’m living paycheck to paycheck and am one $500 emergency away from bankruptcy.

  Honor where honor is due
  The other night I dreamed I was at a film festival (presumably Sidewalk). It was like I was at the producer’s talk from last year: it was in a small room, few people were there, but we all loved film and hung on the presenter’s ever word. That was the best part–I dreamed that Sir Ridley Scott was the presenter. He was seated behind one of those six foot brown folding tables that had a white tablecloth hung over it. I don’t remember what the topic was nor do I recall him having a cigar. I just remembered being thrilled to be there in the same room as him listening to his insightful rhetoric and thinking that even I could one day learn from the Greats if I’ll hurry up and make something of myself. A very pleasant dream indeed!

  Speaking of giving honor where honor is due, there is an upcoming protected post honoring someone special to me. I feel like I need to go on record and tell the world how wonderful this person is but am limited in what I am able to say, hence the need for the privacy. One day (soon, I hope) maybe I will be able to post this tribute publicly. I have thought about just posting a private post, but I want to document (even if only semi-publicly) my thoughts and feelings about this special person. So to those of you who have the luxury of being on my friends/protected list, you will be treated to a more introspective post of me. I gander that it will hearken back to the so-called “dark days”, but I assure you there will be no Primus playing in the background.

  Also coming up in future ithues of this blog is the exclusive interview of me by Paige. I have so enjoyed coming up with my answers to her questions. Plus (and this is in part due to an overwhelming desire to do so since the movie came out, partly because I feel that I am finally able to describe my experience in words and partly because I am feeling inspired to write and Kate’s link to the Jung test proved to me that I am a born writer, even if I do shirk away because it feels like work) in a (not necessarily continuous) series of posts, I will review The Fountain (Amazon, IMDB) with the same precision I employed with King Kong (Amazon, IMDB).

  Stay tuned.

  • 9:44 pm
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