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How Microsoft Can Lock Linux Off Windows 8 PCs
by Peter Reutemann 21 Sep '11

21 Sep '11

Just came across this gem here on slashdot: "Windows 8 PCs will use the next-generation booting specification known as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). In fact, Windows 8 logo devices will be required to use the secure boot portion of the new spec. Secure UEFI is intended to thwart rootkit infections by using PKI authentication before allowing executables or drivers to be loaded onto the device. Problem is, unless the device manufacturer gives a key to the device owner, it can also be used to keep the PC's owner from wiping out the current OS and installing another option, such as Linux." http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/09/21/062231/How-Microsoft-Can-Lock-Linu… Network world has an article, too: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/next-gen-boot-spec-could-forever… I wonder whether we'll have to start paying for "advanced features" like being able to put other OSes on a computer when purchasing one in the future... Does the EULA of Windows then still allow a refund if you don't want the software? Will you be able to install something else on the computer then? Or is this an opportunity to get lower prices on computers if they come with Linux pre-installed (no key necessary, no OEM fee)? Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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GNOME Workspace issue
by Sandy 18 Sep '11

18 Sep '11

I've suddenly noticed that I'm unable to switch between workspaces. Neither clicking on the workspace applet nor Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right arrow work any more, and I'm at a loss as to why this might be. I can still send windows to another workspace, but I can no longer get to them. Would anyone have any ideas about why this is happening? This is 11.04 x64.

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Door wedges
by Ronnie Collinson 16 Sep '11

16 Sep '11

Could someone please bring 4 door wedges perferably more for sfd Cheers

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DVD burning at SFD
by Ronnie Collinson 16 Sep '11

16 Sep '11

Would someone be able to bring a DVD burner and some blank dics (will try to get WLUG to reimburse*). *Found a free culture dvd (part of SFD care-package) image, that I will try to torrent tonight, want to try make the image and/or a DVD available to those who may want it. Appartley has guides, videos and the like on the disc. Ronnie

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Laptops/PC's for Demo/Testing of Instant Infrastructure
by Chris McClimans 16 Sep '11

16 Sep '11

As part of the :ii project, it would be interested to try installing on various laptops and desktops that I wouldn't normally have access to. At this point it will format whatever is on the hard drive and install Linux or Windows with a predetermined configuration and software set. So if you want, and don't mind the drive getting formatted, please bring systems that can run through a test install or two. Cheers, -chris http://instantinfrastructure.org

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SFD 2011: Gimp for photo restoration and touch-up
by Peter Reutemann 12 Sep '11

12 Sep '11

Hi everyone Just a quick announcement regarding the "Gimp for photo restoration and touch-up" presentation that Jody, my wife, will be giving at Software Freedom Day this Saturday. Feel free to bring photos that need restoring or touching up. If you don't have digital versions of the photos, that doesn't matter as we can scan them at the event. Of course, she'll only be able to work on a limited number of photos during the presentation and throughout the day, so please don't feel left out if your photo can't be looked at. However, looking over her shoulder and talking to her should give you a good idea on how to enhance the photos yourself. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Re: [wlug] ii (Instant Infrastructure)/SFD
by John Billings 11 Sep '11

11 Sep '11

Hi Chris, I've added you for the 2:30 time slot. You are also welcome to come and setup in the foyer area and demo/talk about your project. If other people are interested in setting up and showing of whatever cool interesting project or application they are currently working on/interested in etc... just let us know. For instance there was a great demo on FOSS musical applications last time we held SFD at the uni. If someone wants to do something like that again, we'd love to see it. I will have a small display w/ a midi-controller and LMMS ready, but I can't remember who it was who demonstrated Arduor and some other music apps last time. We'd also like to invite Windows/Mac users to show off any FOSS applications they may be running on their platform. If your interested in a presentation or setting up in the foyer area let us know so we can add you to the page here: http://elgg.wlug.org.nz/pg/pages/view/252/presenters Best, John Billings On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 4:28 AM, Chris McClimans <wlug(a)hippiehacker.org> wrote: > A couple of guys from Tauranga want to introduce the local community to a > project call instant infrastructure. We are presenting at SFD in Tauranga > Sunday! > We want to enable non-technical people to install operating systems and > applications (in possibly complex and interdependent configurations) to > computers that have blank or format-able hard drives. > The computers may be configured to be centrally managed over the network for > ongoing support and maintenance. This could happen from a smart phone or usb > stick... > On the technical side I've be trying to get Virtualbox booting the > infrastructure from Ubuntu and after that it won't be long until it's > selfhosted starting from Windows, OSX, or Linux. > This would allow people from many different experience levels and > backgrounds to participate in sharing solutions. > This process starts by using most computers ability to run programs from the > network, even if they don't have anything on the hard drive. > It's possible to target raw hardware in addition to cross > platform virtualization which we can script/automate via ruby. > We can automatically provision them via chef-solo with vagrant. > We want to test the hardware and virtually deployed systems using test > cookbooks. > This is the ticket I'm working on today, take a peek if your interested. > We'd love to present at Software Freedom Day in Hamilton and gain feedback > from the community on how to incorporate more people into the process and > make it a tool everyone can use. > I tried to add us to the presenters page, but I was only able to add a > comment. I see three time-slots remaining, could we have one? > Cheers, > -chris > +1 806 543-2100 (voip line at my office) > +64 (0)22 077 5899 (cell, that sometimes works at the office) > http://mcclimans.net > http://hippiehacker.org > > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > >

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ii (Instant Infrastructure)
by Chris McClimans 11 Sep '11

11 Sep '11

A couple of guys from Tauranga want to introduce the local community to a project call instant infrastructure <http://ii.code.org.nz>. We are presenting at SFD in Tauranga Sunday! We want to enable non-technical people to install operating systems and applications (in possibly complex and interdependent configurations) to computers that have blank or format-able hard drives. The computers may be configured to be centrally managed over the network for ongoing support and maintenance. This could happen from a smart phone or usb stick... On the technical side I've be trying to get Virtualbox booting the infrastructure from Ubuntu and after that it won't be long until it's selfhosted starting from Windows, OSX, or Linux. This would allow people from many different experience levels and backgrounds to participate in sharing solutions. This process starts by using most computers ability to run programs from the network <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment>, even if they don't have anything on the hard drive. It's possible to target raw hardware in addition to cross platform virtualization <http://www.virtualbox.org/> which we can script/automate via ruby <http://mitchellh.github.com/virtualbox/>. We can automatically provision<http://vagrantup.com/docs/provisioners/chef_solo.html> them via chef-solo <http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Chef+Solo> with vagrant<http://vagrantup.com/> . We want to test the hardware and virtually deployed systems using test cookbooks <http://junglist.gen.nz/blog/2011/08/13/minitest-0-0-5-released/>. This is the ticket <https://github.com/passionengine/ii/issues/2> I'm working on today, take a peek if your interested. We'd love to present at Software Freedom Day in Hamilton and gain feedback from the community on how to incorporate more people into the process and make it a tool everyone can use. I tried to add us to the presenters<http://elgg.wlug.org.nz/pg/pages/view/252/presenters>page, but I was only able to add a comment. I see three time-slots remaining, could we have one? Cheers, -chris +1 806 543-2100 (voip line at my office) +64 (0)22 077 5899 (cell, that sometimes works at the office) http://mcclimans.net http://hippiehacker.org

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Bitcoin open source s/ware project.
by GJB 11 Sep '11

11 Sep '11

Hi, I've been involved with an open source software project, http://www.bitcoin.org , for about the last 5-6 months. If anybody is interested, I can come along to one of the meet ups for a show and tell and get people up to speed with various aspects of it. Cheers, Greg B.

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wtb .. surplus thermal printer
by stephen pearce 11 Sep '11

11 Sep '11

Hi Does anyone have access to a surplus thermal printer (as per supermarket cash registers and eftpos pos terminals) that they would like to sell? (to interface to portable linux box) Thanks Stephen

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