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These past few weeks I had to reinstall my main server. I decided to use Fedora 8. My server is used mainly as a file server and a place where I can run virtual machines. Originally I had used Xen on Fedora 7. That was a nightmare. I got it working on an early kernel, then it broke for a number of kernel releases and finally it was working again. It just was not a good experience. I am used to VMware and there stuff just works — at least for me .

On to Fedora 8 … I thought I would use KVM. Again it did not work out the box. I ended up having to fix things, etc. Again, not the greatest experience. I am not a guy who likes messing around with his systems. I just want them to work. Not have to spend hours fixing them. So, I was just going to go get VMware Server. But, before that, I thought, let me go checkout VirtualBox. I had used it before and was impressed then. I run VirtualBox and it works. Nothing special, just worked. The other thing about VirtualBox is it is fast. While I was running KVM, I felt that the windows UI that I was running as my guest OS was just sluggish. But, VirtualBox is fast. I am very impressed and am going to use it for a while.

But, this brings us to the state of the open source virtualization tools that the distros are producing (maybe that is not fair, because I only tried FC8, so lets at least say what Fedora Team is producing/releasing) are just not up to snuff. Note I said tools and not the virtualization technology itself. I should try Ubuntu because of it’s superior user experience, maybe later…. But as of right now, the comercial products that I have worked with, VMware Client and VirtualBox, are just much better. In the end, I don’t care how the virtualization is being done, just that it works.

I got a new iPhone a few weeks ago. It has all lived up to the hype and all the good press that it has gotten. I do like this device. I was looking for a phone and ipod combination, and the iphone delivers on both. I use the ipod capability to listen to mostly podcasts. With all the problems that have been reported, I must say that I don’t notice most of them. But, there are two features that bug the hell out of me. The first is how much the wifi capability sucks the battery dry. I now, by default, turn off the Wifi capability and only turn it on if I need it. If I leave it on, the battery is usually close to empty by the end of the day. The second is where the external speaker is located. I hold the iPhone with the device resting on my little pinky finger so that it does not slide out of my hand. But, that is where the external speak is. So, what happens is that the sounds muffled when I hold it in my hand. Very annoying. Anyway, other than these two issue, I like the phone.

Well, I guess I am not blogging as much as I thought I might.

A few weeks ago I noticed I had a bunch of SPAM on the blog. I installed WordPress’s Akismet and that seems to have solved the problem.

As I mentioned in my last entry, I was planning on learning about Xen. The first thing that I learned about Xen was when I run Windows, I can’t access any of the hardware or I don’t have access to it. I wanted to be able to access my USB device so that I could update my iPod via iTunes, but I could not get it to work. As far as I can tell, right now, this capability is not possible with Xen.

I still don’t have a good way to update my iPod. I keep all my music on the big RAID drive and then let iTunes manage it. Still trying to figure that one out…

I am now starting to play with MythTV. Will probably run the backend as a guest OS under Xen. I am looking into using MythDora. Will have to see how that goes…

My friend Patrick Fitzgerald of BarelyFitz Designs has a great blog. He just posted an example of a presentation he gave at Podcamp Atlanta on Screencasting.

I am going to start trying to blog a little more. Just put down thought that are going through my head or things that I am working on at home or work. The first project that I am embarking on is to learn more about Xen. I have ordered a new AMD dual core motherboard/CPU with virtualization technology, to be able to run Linux and Windows one box. I want to remove all the machines in my house and just have one, but be able to run multiple OSes on it. I will write more as I make progress on this.

Part of the hardware upgrade will include tossing out my Buffalo TeraStation and attaching the IDE drives to the new motherboard. I bought a RAID controller that will do RAID 5 using IDE drives. The TeraStation was just a bad purchase. Currently, when I connect to it with my Windows laptop, it will work for a few minutes and then I lose the share. I suspect that Samba is dying on the TeraStation, because, if I go and do a disk check, it works again for a few minutes and then dies. I called Buffalo twice. In both cases I just did not feel like I got the support that I needed. I have the feeling that this is a closed box that they get from some OEM in Japan and they can’t access the machine’s internals either. And I felt that Buffalo just did not give a damn. Once the support person said, if you still have the receipt for the box and it has not been 12 month, then I could just send it in and get a replacement. But, what if I had it longer than 12 month? SOL? Like I said, I have just decided to dump the TeraStation and am now recommending to all my friends not to deal with Buffalo. Just not a good experience.

But, speaking of good experience, I have to say, I have only had good experiences with Dell. I needed to get a new Windows XP install disk for my Laptop that I had bought from them 3 years ago. I used the online chat/support feature that they have. Talked to a guy and 5 minutes later he was sending me the disks. Another time I had a problem with my motherboard’s power supply. After going through the usual tests they ask you to do, they send me a box and I was able to send them my machine. Within 10 days I had my laptop back. I was impressed. Now, I did buy the extended warranty and maybe that was why I was getting good support. What impressed me was not only how easy things went, but after they were done, they followed up to make sure everything is OK. From, “did you get the box”, to “is everything working now”.

BTW, I love Firefox 2.0’s spell checker. Comes in real handy here.

Congratulations italy for winning the 2006 World Cup.

I was wanting France to win, but after what Zidane did, I did not want him to win the World Cup.

Here is the song that everyone in Germany was singing as Germany was marching towards the the WC 2006 final (54 74 90 2006).

Now that they did not make it, they change the text and now we have this.(54 74 90 2010)

In the beginning of the France vs Portugal game, both teams seem to be even. But, as the game progressed, you could tell France was a notch above Portugal. Getting to watch Zidan play one more time has been a pleasure.

France vs Italy is now the final. A repeat of the 2000 European Championship, which France won. Italy’s defense looks strong. Only one goal against and that was an own goal, in the US game. I want to pick France because three of my favorite players play for France (Zidan, Viera, and Henry). But, I don’t like the French team. For Italy, I have become a big Bufon fan. But, I don’t know who I should support…

I am slowly getting over the fact that Germany did not make it to the finals. I was so sure they were going to make it. I watched a little after the game as the players where waving to the fans and then I went to bed.

I have now been able to process the game and have a few thoughts. What was the deciding event in the game that turned the game? Both Germany and Italy had many opportunities, but the thing that really changed the game was at the start of the 1st overtime. When Italy brought on the 2nd striker. You could tell the Germans had problems and that is also when the Italians hit the post twice. Then, bringing on Del Pero, for what was in effect a 3rd striker was the final blow. Germany did not know how to cope with that. In the end, I believe that Germany was out coached by Lippy. Not to say that Klinsman was a bad coach. But, I believe that Italy made some tactical changes that Germany never were able to counter.

Congratulations to Italy!!!

I am devastated

Can someone explain to me what the deal is with England. How can a team with such talented players have such a poor showing? Or maybe they are not as talented as I think they are? There are 50+ players in the World Cup that are playing in the Premiership. I believe that is the most players from one League. That means there a lot of players good players that the English players have to play against. But, what we saw this WC has pathetic.

Could it be a coaching problem? I do think that having only 4 strikers and 2 of them coming off major injuries and one being 17 years old without any experience is strange. I don’t have a problem with putting a future star on the roster and letting him experience the WC so that when the next WC comes along, he will have already experiences it and he can concentrate on his playing. The Brazilians often do this. But, only taking 4 strikers and one being Crouch (Please explain to me why people think he is so great), I don’t know. Also, I am a big Lampard and Gerrard fan, but I don’t think they work well together. They both have the same role on their club. Sometimes, you have to leave good players on the bench in order to put a better team on the field. If you look at Germany, Borowski does not get to play that much because of Ballack. He starts when Ballack can’t play and comes on as a sub in the latter part of the game to help out. This is something that England might look at. But, I believe a lot of England players where picked because of their name. Why is Sol Cambell on the team? He had so many problems before the WC which had started at the beginning of the game. And if you remember in the England vs Sweden game, he was fault of one of the goals when he allowed the ball to bounce in front of him in the box. Come on, that is a school boy error. You make sure that the ball gets out of the box at all cost and don’t let it bounce in the box.

Back to the bigger problem, what is England’s problem? If it was only a coaching problem, then they would have shown more in previous World Cups. Could it be something in the FA setup and how they approach WC? The season is way to long and the players don’t get a Christmas break like everyone else in Europe. At times, I felt that the players were just tired.

Maybe England need to find a manager who is English but is not currently involved in England. Just to get them to think out of the box. Look at what Klinsmann did in Germany. He brought in new ideas and modernised how the game was being approached. I don’t know. What do you think?