Yesterday I finally retired Downy. I copied over all the files from the 2.25TB RAID5 array onto frisket's 6TB RAID5, and then shut the machine down. With the changes needed to the den, it was good timing. I was able to move frisket somewhere less conspicuous and downy will be put into "storage" ( probably into its box and then into a closet). I'm not getting rid of downy, just putting it away until my whole situation stabilizes.
Quite a few of the fans in the computers are starting to give out. First it was the exhaust fan in Squirrel. I'm not too surprised since Squirrel, Downy and Frisket are on constantly. Guess I'll have to buy new ones for them.
Showing posts with label Squirrel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squirrel. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Malware and Blue Screens
Currently the den has felt more like a triage center for computer than a place of gaming and merriment. A few days ago my desktop gets some spyware on it. By "my desktop gets" I mean that I was browsing on the seedier side of the internet, where I knew I really shouldn't be going, and ended up clicking on a dialog box. I'm pretty sure I said "no" to whatever it was that popped up, but I don't think that mattered. "System Tools 2001" stealth-installed and then proceeded to "Scan" my computer. Eventually the system is unusable. I'm able to get it removed by booting into safe mode and installing malwarebytes.
Still, I wasn't completely satisfied that Squirrel( yes all computers in the house have a name, as they should). So I set to work backing up and reformatting the system, just to be sure. As the reinstall is progressing, I work on Fiance's computer. I decide that its defenses need some bolstering so I proceed to grab a "few" anti-spyware/malware/firewall programs. Get those installed, a few quick scans. I fire up WoW and merrily quest. Everything is fine for a few hours until I switch to my lowbie mage. I start to quest and BAM Blue Screen of Death. I find that odd, but I chalk it up to doing too many things at once ( I was still scanning as I was playing). I fire it up again and start to quest, 10 minutes later another blue screen. I disable the newly installed programs, but same result.
At this point Squirrel is back up and running, I copy over the WoW folder from the backup and try playing there. Almost instantly I get a blue-screen. Wow... that was bad. As I'm googling to find a way to remidy this, it blue-screens even while NOT in WoW.
I think I'm going to reformat Squirrel yet again, and this time not install anything but the bare essentials. I'm pretty sure its just software. If it was just one computer failing then I could see that it might possibly be hardware, but both at once?
Still, I wasn't completely satisfied that Squirrel( yes all computers in the house have a name, as they should). So I set to work backing up and reformatting the system, just to be sure. As the reinstall is progressing, I work on Fiance's computer. I decide that its defenses need some bolstering so I proceed to grab a "few" anti-spyware/malware/firewall programs. Get those installed, a few quick scans. I fire up WoW and merrily quest. Everything is fine for a few hours until I switch to my lowbie mage. I start to quest and BAM Blue Screen of Death. I find that odd, but I chalk it up to doing too many things at once ( I was still scanning as I was playing). I fire it up again and start to quest, 10 minutes later another blue screen. I disable the newly installed programs, but same result.
At this point Squirrel is back up and running, I copy over the WoW folder from the backup and try playing there. Almost instantly I get a blue-screen. Wow... that was bad. As I'm googling to find a way to remidy this, it blue-screens even while NOT in WoW.
I think I'm going to reformat Squirrel yet again, and this time not install anything but the bare essentials. I'm pretty sure its just software. If it was just one computer failing then I could see that it might possibly be hardware, but both at once?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
After straightening out the issues I was having with booting from the last entry, I was able to get everything configured just how I liked it. The next day a new version of Ubuntu comes out, and I'm tempted to start over again.
The new version is an LTS, which means something like Long Term Service. I've had good experience with LTS editions before, downy, the previous server, still runs on the last LTS release ( 8.04 Hardy Heron ). This release, 10.04 Lucid Lynx, will hopefully be just as good.
My impressions so far, the new eye candy is nice. Previously I installed the server version of Ubuntu, which starts with a very bare system and lets you install only the packages you want to install. I liked this for the server, mainly because of the limited horsepower and memory I was working with. Eventually I did install a desktop interface on it, just to make early administration easier.
This time I decided to start with the desktop release. One of the factors was location, this server ( at least for now ), will live in the bedroom, next to Squirrel. This effectively makes it a desktop. I even have my older Dell 1701 17" LCD hooked up to it. I figured it would be nice to have access to a linux desktop, if nothing more than to have a secure workstation to do our banking on.
The new theme is more purple than orange. The change that seems to have polarized the community is the moving of the windows controls from the right ( default in windows) to the left ( default in OSX). This has been called everything from a revolutionary leap forward in HID ( Human Interface Design) to an affront to all things good about Ubuntu and Linux in general. Personally? I haven't decided if I like it on that side or not. A good thing about Ubuntu, it can be moved back if you don't like it.
The new version is an LTS, which means something like Long Term Service. I've had good experience with LTS editions before, downy, the previous server, still runs on the last LTS release ( 8.04 Hardy Heron ). This release, 10.04 Lucid Lynx, will hopefully be just as good.
My impressions so far, the new eye candy is nice. Previously I installed the server version of Ubuntu, which starts with a very bare system and lets you install only the packages you want to install. I liked this for the server, mainly because of the limited horsepower and memory I was working with. Eventually I did install a desktop interface on it, just to make early administration easier.
This time I decided to start with the desktop release. One of the factors was location, this server ( at least for now ), will live in the bedroom, next to Squirrel. This effectively makes it a desktop. I even have my older Dell 1701 17" LCD hooked up to it. I figured it would be nice to have access to a linux desktop, if nothing more than to have a secure workstation to do our banking on.
The new theme is more purple than orange. The change that seems to have polarized the community is the moving of the windows controls from the right ( default in windows) to the left ( default in OSX). This has been called everything from a revolutionary leap forward in HID ( Human Interface Design) to an affront to all things good about Ubuntu and Linux in general. Personally? I haven't decided if I like it on that side or not. A good thing about Ubuntu, it can be moved back if you don't like it.
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