VAIO doings...

Back in September of last year, while I was at Baikonur, I used the Trinity Rescue Kit (link to ver. 3.1) to get some files off a computer that wouldn't boot, as a favor to the person whose computer it was (one of the folks I worked for). In doing so, I noticed the distribution let me see a directory listing of the VAIO's hidden "recovery" partition, a 5-GB chunk of my 55-GB drive that's basically not been used since I bought the unit a couple of years ago.

Hmmm. Revise that... Actually, I did make use of the partition. Twice. I tried to make a set of recovery disks, but failed both times after dutifully creating 8 of the 9 required CDs (the program to create the CDs couldn't or wouldn't make the one critical disk, the one used to boot the computer!).

Anyway, yesterday or so I made a third use of the partition when I copied all of the contents to my desktop using the old Trinity distro (ver. 1.1).

Why did I copy the contents?

Well, I intend to take my VAIO down the Ubuntu path, just as soon as I can download the "Dapper Drake" install CD.

In preparation, I took another look at my system hard drives and noticed that some time ago, I had carved a 5-GB piece out of the partition occupied by the D drive, likely in preparation for installing a version of Linux, but never went through with the operation because it wasn't the right approach. This is a pleasant surprise, since I can now hand most, if not all, of that real estate back to the D drive (which has been acting scrawny lately).

But of course, all of that will have to wait, as I have a robotics text to translate.

Cheers...

Ubuntu...

or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Install Linux.

I did experience a moment or two of anxiety as I deleted that first partition (it was the first partition, right???), but after that, the installer just took over and the next thing I know, I'm staring at a screen that's telling me to make sure the CD is not in place, because the machine is about to reboot!

So far, everything is working right off the bat: the display, the sound card, the Firewire port, the PCMCIA card, the port in which the Sony proprietary memory card sits, the network adapter. Heck, there's even an icon showing me the status of my battery!

I haven't used the auxiliary video port, the modem, or the wireless card, but I have confidence that they will come through swimmingly when called upon to perform.

* * *Today seems to be turning into a fasting day. I haven't had anything to eat today except for a cup of coffee with whitener this morning, and I've been making a point of swigging a glass water every time my mind turns to thoughts of eating food.

In other news, we woke up to snow falling outside this morning (which must explain why it was uncomfortably cold during the night). There was some accumulation, and the snow has given way to some kind of wind-whipped precipitation.

* * *The robotics job is driving me nuts, but I need to get cracking on it because a client emailed, wanting to know if I could handle a piece of a humongous job that must be done next week. I replied in the affirmative, and hope it comes through in better shape than the somewhat optimistic predictions of a recent new client.

Cheers...