tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-265234242024-02-20T13:54:00.612-08:00Single Synapse ResponseSingleSynapsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516580247344603749noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26523424.post-28435023044538976332009-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:002009-10-31T11:34:02.406-07:00<strong>Installing Ubuntu from USB:</strong><br /><br />Use unetbootin to write the ISO to the usb stick<br /><br />When it boots, select "Default", then hit tab for more options. Add "cdrom-detect/try-usb=true" to the kernel parameters.<br /><br />Install as normal.SingleSynapsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516580247344603749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26523424.post-79106847815145514612009-10-29T00:21:00.000-07:002009-10-29T00:42:57.676-07:00More random Linux goodies needed:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prevent asking for password on resume from standby:</span><br /><br />Open gconf-editor<br />Go to apps / gnome-power-manager<br />Switch off "lock_on_suspend"<br />Reboot or log off to activate the new settings.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enabling Wake On Lan:</span><br /><br />sudo ethtool -s eth0 wol g<br /><br />Also - remove -i from halt in /etc/init.d/halt, or set netdown=no in same<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Disable Firefox autohide toolbars on full screen:</span><br /><br />about:config<br />Filter for autohide<br />Set browser.fullscreen.autohide to falseSingleSynapsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516580247344603749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26523424.post-71066423515524824382009-10-28T16:26:00.000-07:002009-10-28T16:38:50.043-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Optimizing the OS</span><br /><br />Before I get down to explaining myself better, I have to make note of some OS optimizations that I'll need to go forward with the project. I took the trouble to track them down, but if I don't write them down I'll forget them. Then I'll be annoyed, and you wouldn't like me when I'm annoyed. Or something.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Windows - automatic login for WinXP:</span><br /><br />start->run->"control userpasswords2"<br />Select user you want to automatically log in as, then remove the checkmark from "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer"<br />( source: http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/XP_Skip_Login.html )<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) - disable screen blanking:</span><br /><br />System->Preferences->Power Management<br />Set preferred screen blanking/power saving/hibernation behavior.<br />Then go turn off the screen saver! (System->Preferences->Screensaver).<br />Don't I just feel like an idiot :P<br /><br /><br />There. Now I can format that machine.SingleSynapsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516580247344603749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26523424.post-76356515545933526762009-10-28T12:21:00.000-07:002009-10-28T13:17:34.731-07:00Welcome to Single Synapse Response, home of Single Synapse Systems.<br /><br />I'm your host, SingleSynapse, and I'm here to guide you around this little nook of the internet. Currently, I'm 33 years old, with a background as a hobbyist in computer programming, electronics, and as a computer technician.<br /><br />Also - writing, drawing, and digital art. Slightly out of the norm for a computer nerd, but I'm sure it'll be important at some point. You probably couldn't tell that I also grew up on a farm, but that's likely to be totally useless information.<br /><br />Seriously, though. This blog is here to detail a project. It's an ambitious project, and one that will probably never see completion in its currently imagined state. At its heart, it's a Home Automation project, but it's probably more accurate to call it Home Media Integration with elements of Home Automation.<br /><br />I imagine that most of you who'll bother seeing this have watched Star Trek at some point in your life, but any big space sci-fi more technically adept than Star Wars will suffice. Now, imagine those big starships they're always flying around in. What a lot of those big ships have in common is a completely integrated computer system. It runs the ship, manages their communications, turns the lights on for them, and even plays music for them.<br /><br />Now, imagine installing one of those computer systems into a home.<br /><br />No. Really.<br /><br />What would you even do with something like that? My home is pretty simple - there isn't much to control here beyond the lights and the furnace. I've got loads of digital pictures to look at, so I could just use a digital picture frame or two, and if I want to listen to music in the kitchen I could just hook up an iPod.<br /><br />Well, I want to do it because I love technology :) Interesting data can be found by keeping records of temperature changes and the duty cycle of the furnace. Digital picture frames suck because they're non-interactive, have poor interfaces, are either on all the time or have an awkward to change schedule, and all they show are pictures! For music, I don't like managing files on 10 separate devices, and when I'm listening to a podcast on my computer, I'd prefer not to have to remember where I was so I can pick it up again on my iPod.<br /><br />And seriously, who doesn't want to say "Computer, Lights"?<br /><br />But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll be detailing my project from soup to nuts, and, unfortunately for you - all I've done so far is think about it. I've been imagining how to do this or that for almost three years now, without having done more than tried a few digital picture frames, which I hated, and sticking a laptop in the kitchen.<br /><br />Well, my house probably has more pre-existing electronics than most, but we'll get to that too.<br /><br />Now, however, I've finished my last big project (A desktop cluster, but that's a story for another blog), and find myself looking around and going "Wouldn't it be nice if some of that worked..."<br /><br />So, a few ebay purchases later, I've got a hardware framework that I can start laying software on. After the hardware gets installed, I suppose.<br /><br />I suppose I should mention that I don't like spending a huge amount of money on this sort of thing? Affordable will go along with the Automation, and Media Integration, to the best of my abilities.<br /><br />Therefore, I will present to you: Single Synapse Systems! I'm abbreviating it S.III to keep out of the hair of the video card company :) Stay tuned for the Mission Statement, and the detailing of the current state of affairs.SingleSynapsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516580247344603749noreply@blogger.com0