Holizz versus the Web

Finally, I got Ubuntu installed.

I have no idea what the problem was, but I tried it again tonight, and now it’s installed. I’m going to have to install Edgy Eft though, because I’m intrigued about upstart.

And now I’m going to bed. Good night, Internet.

I installed OpenBSD last night. Not a first, but it’s the first time I actually spent effort trying to learn how to get things working.

It seems OpenBSD is quite lacking in the UTF-8 department, and also in the translations department. It’s list of locales (/etc/locales/ or something like that) didn’t have most locales in UTF-8 (i.e. there was an en_US.UTF-8 but no en_GB.UTF-8 or ja_JP.UTF-8). And when I mounted my media drive it didn’t display the names (yes, many of my files and directories contain non-US-ASCII characters) correctly in most places (although some GUI tools got it right, mlterm looked like it was using some other encoding).

I did, however, like it very much. I like the way everything is switched off until you switch it on (unlike Debian, which adds things to /etc/rc?.d willy-nilly).

It also comes with things a lot of base distributions are missing, like ssh (which Debian doesn’t come with for some reason) and lynx. If I’ve just installed a distribution for the first time and I don’t have a Web browser how am I expected to find the documentation which tells me how to install a package for a Web browser? I also like the way it comes with Apache in the base install (and how it can be turned on by editing one line). It’s not a lot of binary, and it means if the machine’s to be a Web server (a very common use case for an OS like OpenBSD) it doesn’t require much setting-up.

As a desktop (what I want, at least on this machine at the moment), it didn’t fare too well, as I like a system which can be up fairly functional in an hour or so with the latest version of certain applications (since things like Gajim, ROX-Filer, and Xfce weren’t too good not so long ago - and I don’t like compiling my own stuff - although Gentoo is fine, because it grabs dependancies).

As a server I think it would be fairly good to work with, although I expect the UTF-8 problem might be problematic (at least to me - I use no other encoding and tend to ditch software that can’t be set to use UTF-8 by default). I’m sure to any experienced user there’s a simple solution, but I couldn’t find anything with a quick Google search.

OpenBSD = +++. If I’d managed to get UTF-8 to work, it might have been rated as +++++++ or even FTW. I’ll research it though.

Desktop Linux survey launches.

1. Which Linux distros do you use on your home or office desktop system(s)?

Debian - at home

Red Hat - at uni. (ick)

2. Which windowing environments do you frequently use on your Linux desktop(s)?

XFce - it is XFTW

3. Which web browsers do you frequently use on your Linux desktop(s)?

Firefox - teh super-suck

4. Which email clients do you frequently use on your Linux desktop(s)?

Does not apply - GMail

5. Which of these methods do you use to run Windows apps on your Linux desktop(s)?

None — I don’t run Windows apps on Linux - well yeah…

Of the many Ubuntu releases I have tried, none have been any good.

It doesn’t look at your harddrives and run swapon for swap partitions. In fact, I tried running swapon /dev/hda2 and it gave me some error message in Japanese (because I was using the Japanese localisation). But I’m sure it said something along the lines of Ubuntu is only for popular bloggers with machines purchased in the past two years, how dare you attempt to allow your old machine to run it at a sensible speed?!.

On top of that, its GTK2 buttons always look like they’re being broadcast on Channel 5 until you mouseover them. It’s the only distribution that I’ve ever witnessed doing that.

I may have installed Ubuntu once with one of the old installer-seperate-from-the-live-CD, but I haven’t managed to install Ubuntu (or Xubuntu) from one of the live-and-installer CDs. It always fails with some cryptic error message (or in the latest case, it crashes - presumably from lack of RAM which would be fixed with swapon - before I can finish installing).

I’ve decided that Ubuntu must only like really recent PCs and the bloggers that write their blogs on them (which is why all the bloggers love Ubuntu).

Having said all that, I keep downloading and burning Ubuntu hoping that I’ll be able to install it and actually try it.

It seems that IDNA is only enabled for some TLDs in Firefox by default. For the other ones you don’t just have to toggle some values, you actually have to create new options.

I had to create network.IDN.whitelist.com and network.IDN.whitelist.net and set them to true before I could view any .com or .net IDNA sites without the bloody punycode being displayed. It’s rather stupid.

I’m not saying IDNA should be enabled for all domains by default in Firefox until all the problems are resolved (i.e. dumb registrars who don’t check for phishing domains), I’m just saying that there should be an option to enable IDNA for all domains rather than having to add an option for every TLD.

Firefox is somehow the best free (FOSS) browser still.

lockstep

Two or more machines running the same programme, for the purposes of discovering discrepancies. When more than two machines are used, the one machine that disagrees is usally defined as incorrect. This appears to be the system in use between NERV’s three magi.

And no, this will not become a daily feature. But just think how great it would be if it did…

The reason the ROX desktop wasn’t showing up was because xfce4-session was running xfdesktop4 every time it was started such that ROX’s pinboard was hidden behind xfdesktop. Now the obvious idea would be to go to the デスクトップ (Desktop - yes, my locale is ja_JP.utf8) settings and tell xfdesktop not to manage my desktop as the English localisation said.

There was no documentation on the xfdesktop’s or xfce4-session’s RC files or on disabling xfdesktop, so I Googled disable xfdesktop. The first result neither works nor is in Google’s cache, but the summary said:

I am using idesk to show icons on my desktop, so I had to disable xfdesktop. I disabled it by renaming its binary so Xfce does not find it anymore and is unable to load it. I would like to know if there is another way to do it, …

So I conceded defeat and ran sudo apt-get remove xfdesktop4. Unfortunately the menu on my panel was somehow connected to xfdesktop and so that’s gone. But ah well; at least ROX’s pinboard shows up.

Apart from that one problem, Xfce is very good. It even does fancy compositing if you add some things to your xorg.conf. Not useful, but pretty. It took me a while to work out what all the options did, being that I don’t know the Japanese for opacity of the window when it’s being moved/resized, etc..

Well my coursework is going very well. The application is complete. The specification said I should add an appropriate feature. So I internationalised it. It comes with British English (en_GB.utf8) and Japanese Japanese (ja_JP.utf8) locales.

It was fun learning new things about Java (which I am really starting to like… it’ll be Open Source soon, then I can install it). I learnt about Locale, ResourceBundle, Class.getResourceAsStream(…).

While writing the documentation I discovered that neither AbiWord nor OpenOffice.org Writer (I haven’t tried kword because SCIM and Qt don’t get on and I’ll be damned if I’m going to use a word processor that doesn’t let me type in my language of chioce) will consult another font if a glyph isn’t found (which appears to be what pretty much every other piece of GUI software does by default). Say the default font is Kochi Gothic (東風ゴシック), ASCII, Hiragana, Katakana, Han, and Ideographic Punctuation will be available. Say you then wanted to insert a â„– (U+2116 NUMERO SIGN) - you could in any half-decent modern piece of software, but oh no, not in AbiWord. It just appears as what appears to be a ° (U+00B0 DEGREE SIGN). In OpenOffice.org Writer it appears as what looks like a (U+0020 SPACE). GTK+, Qt, Gecko, X (or whatever renders xterm and such) can all handle it. Why are these word processors stuck in the olden days of … I don’t know, I’m too young to remember those days.

Speaking of pathetic software, I’m currently on a quest to find a social networking site that doesn’t reject Japanese text. Myspace, Xuqa, and Vampirefreaks apparently suck, and a Japanese site I found was invite-only.

P.S. You know when you’ve been watching too much anime studying too much Japanese when you have to log into a system where you haven’t set your locale to ja_JP.utf8 to find out the English for ８月.

From Amy’s Myspace: joy.

QUESTIONS. ANSWER TRUTHFULLY.

N0W.

is your hair up:

Yes.

is your cell phone right beside you:

Yep.

do you have a bf/ gf:

Nope.

do you miss someone:

Yeah, a bit.

are you wearing makeup:

No.

are you wearing chapstick:

It’s all been absorbed I think.

are you cold:

No.

are you tired:

Yes.

are you excited:

No.

are you watching t.v:

No.

are you wearing pajamas:

No.

PAST

recently done anything you regret:

No.

ever lied:

I always lie. Once you recover from the resulting paradox, I’ll tell you the answer.

ever stuck gum under a desk:

I don’t think so.

ever kicked someone:

Yes.

ever trip over your own feet:

Not over my feet.

ever thrown up because you cried so hard:

No.

TODAY

have you cursed:

Probably. But only mildly, and in Japanese.

have you yelled at someone:

No.

have you gotten mad at someone:

No.

have you cried:

No.

have you called more than 3 people:

Nobody.

have you IMed more than 3 people:

Probably one person.

Q&As

is there a person who is on your mind right now?

Not particularly.

where is the last place you went?

The Blue Boar.

who is the last person you called?

Davina.

do you look like your mum or dad?

Maybe.

do you have any siblings?

No.

do you smile often?

Yes.

do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?

It’s possible, but not something I would think about.

do you wish on stars?

Those two words are pretty similar in Japanese. Only one mora difference. That’s the only interesting thing I have to say in response to that question.

do you untie your shoes every time you take them off?

The last time I wore tieable shoes was when I tried fencing. That was a long time ago.

when did you last cry?

Oh ages ago.

do you like your handwriting?

It’s not neat, but that doesn’t particularly matter as I’m the only one who has to read it.

are you a friendly person?

I’m super-friendly.

whose bed did you sleep in last night?

My own.

what shirt are you wearing?

My blue Old Navy one.

do you have any pets?

No.

what is the color of your bedsheets?

Currently, my thingy sheet is sky blue, and my douvet cover and pillow case are white with coloured ovals.

what were you doing at 9 last night?

Watching Thank You for Smoking with Davina. The one flaw was a comment implying that a space ship would be an all-oxygen environment. Everybody would die of hyperoxia, damn it!

i can’t wait til..

This weekend will be fun. Also I’m looking forward until my coursework is done. There are a few personal projects I’d like to work on.

is tom on your friends list?

(On Myspace). No.

look to your right. what’s there?

My cupboard, with my food chart.

do you own a camera phone?

No.

ever cried yourself to sleep?

No.

ever cried on your friends shoulder?

I don’t think so.

song that makes you cry?

I haven’t yet associated a song with such a strong negative stimulus.

are you normally a happy person?

Yes.

has anyone besides your friends and family ever said ‘i love you’ to you?

Yes.

is your self-esteem extremely low?

No.

From Amy’s Myspace: For the sake of it

Three Names You Go By:

• Tom
• トムくん
• holizz

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:

• My favourite shorts
• Blue pants
• Blue T-shirt

Three Things You Would Want in a Relationship:

• Shared interests
• Fun
• Unshared interests

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies:

• Learning Japanese
• Watching anime
• General computer wizardry

Three Things You Want Really Badly At The Moment:

• I’d quite like to purchase a laptop before I leave Bradford. It would be convenient (I just thought of the Japanese word (べんり) and translated it instead of thinking of the English word; FTW).
• I wouldn’t mind purchasing Star Munchkin at some point in the near future. I’ll probably buy it once I’ve finished my coursework, or if I happen across it in a shop in the meantime.
• I could do with a replacement for my broken English to Japanese transformer. I’m in no hurry.

Three pets you had/have:

• No. 6
• Jim
• Henry

Three people who will fill this out:

• Most
• Annoying
• Question

Two things you did last night:

• Watched a film.
• Ate tea.

Three Favorite Places to eat:

• Tokyo Diner!!! I only went there once, but it was the best. Okay, so it was the first Japanese restaurant I’ve been to, but I reserve the right to think it’s the best ever.
• South Square Café
• The Karachi

Three People that live in your house:

• Me
• Three other people
• Another three people

Three things you ate today:

• Rice
• A sandwich
• Pasta with a side dish, let’s say, of yummy stuff

Three people you last talked To:

• Niall
• Davina
• Amy

Three Things You’re doing tomorrow:

• Coursework
• Packing
• Watching anime

From Amy’s Myspace: Oh my god, this was such a waste of time

Time Started: 0047

When showering, do you start the water and then get in or get in and start the water?

The latter.

Do you read the labels on the shampoo bottle?

Yes. I know they contain a lot of chemicals, none of which I know to be animal-derived.

Do you moan in the shower like the people on the herbal essence commercial?

No.

Have you ever showered with someone of the opposite sex?

There have been young girls in the shower at the swimming pool while I’ve been in the shower. But I don’t think that’s what the question is getting at.

Have you ever been forced to shower with one of your siblings?

I have none.

Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower?

No.

Have you ever dropped your soap on your foot?

I sometimes drop my soap/shampoo/conditioner bottles onto my feet strategicaly when bending down would be inconvenient.

How old do you look?

With my eyes.

How old do you act?

If somebody of my age would act like me (and I do), then I act like somebody of my age.

What’s the last song you sang?

I think I sang a line of Making Love by Utada Hikaru, but the last song I sang all the way through would be Cardcaptor Sakura’s opening theme Catch You Catch Me by Gumi.

Have you recently become a member of anything?

Not lately, but I intend to find a new sport or society to join come September.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Visiting my uncle, aunt, and a cousin.

Do you kiss with your eyes opened or closed?

I’m afraid I don’t recall.

Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?

No.

Do you ever intentionally vomit after eating?

No.

If you were working on a pirate ship, what would you most likely be?

Why just the other day I was the second-in-command aboard a fine sea vessel.

Have you ever called anyone a slut?

Yes.

Have you ever been called a slut?

Probably not.

Have you ever smuggled something into America?

No. Nor any other country.

Does playing a guitar make someone more attractive?

Having interests and being dedicated makes people more attractive.

Do you live in a city with a good sports team?

Have you ever finished off the popcorn?

Yes.

How many people do you think would come to your funeral?

That is not something I could know, nor is it something I would like to know.

How many of them would come just to make sure you’re really dead?

Anyway.

Do you have more enemies or more friends?

Friends.

Have you ever sent an anonymous letter?

No.

Can you fix your own car?

I don’t have one. If I did I wouldn’t be able to fix it.

Have you ever turned someone down for a date?

No.

Are you smarter than your friends?

My friends are exactly as intelligent as they are, and I don’t care to know how intelligent that is.

Have you ever stolen anything from your friends?

No.

Have you ever been to jail?

No.

Do you like the smell of beer?

No.

Have you ever died or killed someone in a dream?

I’ve never died, but I killed somebody. I broke his neck.

Have you ever given to charity?

Yes. I gave something around 15GBP to the GNOME Foundation. Most of it was money I’d raised in the name of Comic Reief two years ago yet never got around to giving to them.

Would you kill a dog for 1000?

The currency character was mojibake (monster character), but I would never kill an animal on purpose.

Do you sometimes get depressed?

I don’t let myself become depressed. But very occasionally.

Do you live with your parents?

No.

Do you have plans for the future?

Yes.

X MARKS THE SPOT

You are
[し] short, under 5'4
[ら] 5'4 -5'6
[な] 5'7 - 6'0
[い] tall 6'1 and up

NATURALLY
[ ] blonde
[ ] redhead
[ ] brunette
[ ] brownish
[x] brown
[ ] black

[ ] blue-eyed
[x] brown-eyed
[ ] green-eyed
[ ] hazel/light brown-eyed
[ ] gold/gray-eyed
[ ] silver/gray- eyed
[ ] blue/green-eyed
[ ] blue/gray-eyed
[ ] they change colors(apparently)

[x]glasses
[ ]contact
[ ]neither

[ ] shortish hair
[x] medium hair
[ ] long hair

Your favorite color(s) are?
[ ] red
[ ] khaki
[ ] aqua
[ ] pink
[ ] yellow
[ ] black
[ ] green
[ ] lime green
[ ] blue
[ ] white
[ ] turquoise
[ ] silver
[ ] purple
[ ] brown
[ ] orange
[ ] grey
[ ] maroon
[ ] gold
[ ] teal
[ ] clear
[ ] bronze
[ ] don't really care
[x] I don't have a favorite color

Some things you've done?
[x] ice skating
[ ] hiking
[x] kayaking
[ ] rafting
[ ] water skiing
[x] camping
[ ] horseback riding
[ ] bodysurfing and skin boarding
[ ] snowboarding
[ ] skiing
[x] dancing
[ ] skateboarding
[ ] cheerleading
[x] lacrosse
[ ] street hockey
[x] gymnastics
[x] martial arts
[ ] baton twirling
[x] swimming
[ ] wakeboarding
[ ] tubing

Your personality is sometimes...

[ ] talkative
[x] shy
[ ] funny
[x] serious
[ ] laid back
[ ] strict
[x] hyper
[x] weird
[x] ditzy
[ ] sarcastic
[ ] slow

you like listening listening to?
[x] pop
[ ] country
[ ] Christian
[x] classical
[x] techno
[x] oldies
[ ] opera
[x] 80's
[x] disco
[ ] rap
[x] classic rock
[x] punk
[x] metal
[ ] screamo
[ ] reggae

The pets you have HAD?
[x] cat(s)
[ ] dog(s)
[ ] lizard(s)
[ ] rat(s)
[ ] ferret(s)
[x] bunny(ies)
[x] fish
[ ] duck(s)
[ ] horse(s)
[ ] bird(s)
[ ] frog (s)
[ ] hermit crab
[ ] turtle
[x] hamster
[ ] snake
[ ] gerbil
[x] guinea pig
[ ] pig
[ ] goat
[ ] chinchilla
[ ] tarantula
[ ] spider
[ ] geese
[ ] baby chicks
[ ] none
[ ] hedgehog
[ ] snail
[ ] perana
[ ] seagull
[ ] newt
[ ] mouse

Clothing Brands you like?
[ ] Delia's
[ ] American Eagle
[ ] Hollister
[ ] The Buckle
[ ] Abercrombie & Fitch
[ ] Target
[ ] Wal-mart
[ ] Wet Seal
[ ] Forever 21-
[ ] O'neil
[ ] Pac Sun
[ ] Gap
[ ] Banana Republic
[ ] Aeropostale
[ ] Dickies
[ ] Quicksilver
[ ] Anchor Blue
[ ] Guess
[ ] Lucky Brand
[ ] Champs
[ ] Salvation army/goodwill/value village
[ ] old navy
[ ] name brands
[ ] Victorias secret
[ ] whatever is at the thrift store
[ ] Eddie Bauer
[ ] Hot Topic
[ ] Anything that's goood
[ ] Whatever I like

Shoe Brands?
[ ] Flip-Flops
[ ] Rainbows (shoes)
[ ] Nike
[ ] Adidas
[ ] reebok
[ ] Billabong
[ ] Roxy
[ ] Puma
[ ] Jack purcells
[ ] Uggs
[ ] Etnies
[ ] Reefs
[ ] Converse
[ ] K Swiss
[ ] Adio
[ ] DC
[ ] Steve Madden
[ ] Vans
[ ] if I like something a lot I'll buy it
[ ] New Balance
[ ] LEI
[ ] Payless
[ ] DVS
[ ] Es
[ ] Macbeth
[ ] docs
[ ] Whatever I like
[x] 赤い花緒のじょじょ (Akai Hanao no Jojo)

your confessions:
[ ] I'm afraid of the quiet
[ ] I'm really ticklish
[ ] I'm afraid of the dark sometimes
[ ] I've collected comic books
[ ] I shut out others
[ ] I open up to others easily
[ ] I read the newspaper
[ ] I love Disney movies
[ ] I am a sucker for eyes
[x] I don't kill bugs
[ ] I have "x"s in my screen name
[ ] I bake well
[ ] I have worn pajamas to class
[ ] I love Martha Stewart
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS
[ ] I am self-conscious
[x] I love to laugh
[ ] i smoke cigarettess
[ ] I can't swallow pills
[ ] I bite my nails
[ ] I play computer games when I'm bored
[x] Gotten lost in the city
[ ] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[ ] Made out in an elevator
[ ] Been skydiving
[ ] Been bungee jumping
[ ] Bitten someone
[x] Dressed up like the opposite sex
[ ] egged a house/car
[ ] Smashed into a car
[ ] Been skinny dipping

Have you ever...
[ ] made out in the rain
[ ] danced in the rain
[ ] seen a shooting star
[ ] proposed to anyone
[x] Gotten stitches
[x] Eaten Sushi
[ ] Hated eating suhi
[x] Gotten the chicken pox
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[ ] Been on a cruise ship
[ ] Driven over 400 miles in one day
[ ] Been on a Plane by yourself
[x] had surgery
[ ] seen a movie more than 3 times in the theater
[x] been on stage
[x] peed somewhere other than a toilet
[x] gotten a black eye
[x] memorized all the dialogue in a movie
[ ] watched an entire baseball game

Do you like...
[x] old movies
[x] musicals
[ ] blasting music in your car
[x] foreign foods
[x] Pokemon
[ ] Christmas time
[ ] donuts
[x] animals
[ ] coffee
[ ] tea

TWO’S OF EVERY KIND

Two of Your Everyday Essentials:

• Exercise
• Shower

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now

• T-shirt
• Shorts

Two of Your Favorite Hobbies:

• Learning Japanese
• Computer fiddling

Two Things You Want?

• Laptop (べんりだから)
• Star Munchkin

Two Places You Want to go on Vacation:

• Japan
• Japan

Two Things You Want to Do Before You Die:

• Live in Japan
• Explode (just before I die). Maybe

Two Things You Are Thinking About now:

• How I shall go to sleep right after this
• How good fun Internet memes are

Two Stores You Shop At:

• Tesco
• Amazon.co.{uk,jp}

Two favourite animals:

• Cats
• Dogs, I guess

Two Reasons you’re doing this survey:

• Because I like Internet memes
• I started so I shall finish

Spell your name without vowels:

• Tm. But without the vowel it’s not my name.

What colour do you wear most often?

• Purple.

Least favorite color?

• I don’t pick favourites in general.

Last song heard on the radio?:

• Edge from Outlaw Star

whats for dinner tonight ?

• Some sort of yummy thing

Are you happy with your life right now?

• Yes.

Tell me a secret about one of your siblings:

• I have none.

Who did you last call on your phone?

• Davina.

[Do you own a…]

PS2?

Yes.

XBOX?

Yes.

PSP?

No.

Gamecube?

Yes.

SIDEKICK?

No.

DIGITAL CAMERA?

Yes.

In what state or country do you want to go to college after high school?

• I deserve a question like this for doing Myspace memes.

Do you shop at stores like Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch:

• Never been to them.

Last thing you bought over 50 dollars/pounds?

• There’s quite a difference there, but alright. Insurance.

How’s the weather?

• Dark.

When do you start summer break?:

• もう始めるぞ。

Are you missing someone right now?:

• べつに。

One word to describe you:

• Mindful.

Favorite pair of shoes:

• 下駄…かなー

Do you own big sunglasses?:

• いいえ。

Why is the first person in your Top 8 in the spot?

• えーと、何の話？

What would you rather be doing right now?:

• Sleeping.

What should you be doing right now?

• Sleeping.

Last text message you recieved?

• Niallから.

Who did you hug today?:

• Nobody.

How many beds did you lay in yesterday?

• 一。

What color shirt are you wearing?

• あお

Name one thing that you do everyday?

• たいそう

How much cash do you have on you right now?

• Not a lot.

What’s your favorite sport?

• Archery.

I cant wait till:

• I can sleep.

When was the last time you saw your dad?

• Years ago.

Who got you to join myspace?

• I joined it of my own volition for some reason.

What did you have for dinner last night?

• Something yummy probably.

Is Tom on your friends list?

• No.

Look to your left. Whats there?

• My bed.

Whats the last piece of clothing you borrowed from someone?

• 分からない。

Does anything hurt on your body right now?

• いたくない。

What city was your last taxicab ride in?

• Bradford.

Do you own a picture phone?

• No.

Recent time you were really upset?

• No idea.

Last person you..

Saw:

Niall.

Hugged:

知らない

Shopped with:

Davina

talked to on MSN:

Niall

Song you listened to:

Currently Thanatos from an Evangelion OST

What are you doing now:

This, あほ

What are you doing tonight:

Sleeping

What are you going to eat for lunch:

Not much, probably.

Last person you messaged:

さーな

Finish time: 0139