KCLUG

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RE: Projects like the glider
by Brian Densmore 07 Feb '05

07 Feb '05

Actually the course also had some mountainous terrain, and yes at least one vehicle went over the edge. I was only partially kidding. On the sonar, I was actually recommending lasers for that task. I realize some use sonar, but I feel lasers are better suited, due to the resistance to added noise. MIT's car can successfully track the lines in the road. So that milestone would be easy to add on to. MIT's car had the bad habit of taking *every* off ramp. The problem isn't so much about being able to read the lane markings, but being able to realize that the lane markings are changing, such as an upcoming off-ramp, or have disappeared entirely. Hence it is better to have a system that can track the road edges, and/or traffic on either side and only use the painted stripes as a general guideline . I think that a system could be successfully built to handle the piano falling off the moving truck. The DOD doesn't care about that. They want to drive heavily armored <insert doomsday vehicle of choice here> over terrain of varying complexity to reach the objective target and take out the bad guys while ensuring it doesn't contribute to "friendly fire". You can add my thousands of hours of thinking about and designing autonomous vehicles to your thousands of hours and the millions of hours of other people. ;') It's a fun challenge. I think it's doable with the PC hardware and technology we currently have. I just haven't had the time to build a prototype to start training. I disagree that it would be easier at night. At night you have to add all the moving lights that may affect sensors in unpredictable ways. I think you'd just be trading on set of noise for a different set of noise, but it does bring up the point that the system needs to be able to transition from one to the other smoothly. > -----Original Message----- > From: David Nicol > > I realize you are kidding, but I spent thousands of hours in the early > nineties thinking > about automating driving in cities. My conclusions were: > > * it would easier to start with night driving since there are more > obvious indicators and > less visual noise, then generalize to daytime. > > * collision avoidance would be better done with sonar, as > there is meaningful > doppler information available in addition to distance. > > * Curb mapping would be handled with sonar too, but visuals are > needed for identifying the > lines in the road. > > a far cry from the intelligent skateboards in Snow Crash, but > essentially dealing > with the same problem domain. > > IIRC there were successful demonstrations of intelligent > cruise controls that > kept a distance from the car ahead rather than simply > tracking speed, and > very intelligent cruise controls that could entirely take over normal > highway driving. > > Exceptional situations, such as what to do when a piano falls off a > flatbed in front > of you, are of course unpredictable and will prevent commercialization > of the VICC: > The potential liabilities are infinite. > > I understood the DOD test to be across some rough desert > rather than on roads, > so the biggest problem is smart obstacle avoidance. Sort of like the > science fair > robot mazes, scaled up, and not on a smooth floor. Can't have your > robot falling > off a cliff, unless of course it's built to take falling off a cliff > -- like those huge > self-propelled beach balls they were talking about deploying on mars. > > On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 19:37:28 -0800 (PST), Jack > <quiet_celt(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > Of course you'd need > > to add mundane things like crash avoidance, lane > > changing, turning. All part of the knowledge base > > based on system inputs. Piece of cake. I could do this > > in six months with a team of 10 coders. Also, I'm > > using very cheap labor, probably Rusisans. > > > > Brian Densmore >

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RE: Old Hardware
by Brian Densmore 05 Feb '05

05 Feb '05

I'm running Mepis on all my boxes except my webserver and firewall. Which are running "stable" versions of debian. I've been very happy with it. Maybe the reason it is so popular is a sign of. Mepis is now the 4th most popular distro, running very close behind SuSE. Mandrake still holding the top tier, anyone know if they've ever fixed the broken updating feature in Mandrake? Anyone out there still using Mandrake or Fedora/RH? > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard A. Franklin > > Brian Kelsay wrote: > > > Glad you like it and maybe found a keeper. I just installed the > > newest stable version of Mepis (2004.06) on a desktop system so I > > could stop running from CD. I also plan to test the latest test > > release on the same PC and compare. It's worked well for me. Some > > things can be difficult installing due to the apt-pinning, > but you can > > get help from other Debian users and on the Mepis forums and IRC. > > > > When you used apt-get to install IceWM, did it get added as > an option > > to the login screen? There is some nice automation in > Debian systems > > like apps being auto added to the K menu in KDE after an > apt-get. I > > don't have to restart for a rescan of apps or anything, > they just appear. > > > > Save your LiveCD of Mepis in case you fubar your X config or GRUB. > > > > Brian Kelsay > > > IceWM was automatically added to the menu in the login screen ... I > think I got the older IceWM, and would like to try the > experimental over > the weekend ... it might be a bit less "gritty" ;-) > > I did add all suggested packages for IceWM from the pre-install list > while having my "apt-fest" last night. > > Mepis is a nicely polished distro, deserving of some kind of > contribution. It may very soon end up on my more serious home office > desktop, even though SuSE has been a good choice. > > For the road, do you have any experience with Mepis for > re-sizing NTFS > partitions for a dual-boot? Or maybe I should just leave my poor old > laptop alone ... it is working fine right now! > > Rick > _______________________________________________ > Kclug mailing list > Kclug(a)kclug.org > http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug >

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Re: Old Hardware
by Richard A. Franklin 05 Feb '05

05 Feb '05

Brian Kelsay wrote: > Glad you like it and maybe found a keeper. I just installed the > newest stable version of Mepis (2004.06) on a desktop system so I > could stop running from CD. I also plan to test the latest test > release on the same PC and compare. It's worked well for me. Some > things can be difficult installing due to the apt-pinning, but you can > get help from other Debian users and on the Mepis forums and IRC. > > When you used apt-get to install IceWM, did it get added as an option > to the login screen? There is some nice automation in Debian systems > like apps being auto added to the K menu in KDE after an apt-get. I > don't have to restart for a rescan of apps or anything, they just appear. > > Save your LiveCD of Mepis in case you fubar your X config or GRUB. > > Brian Kelsay > IceWM was automatically added to the menu in the login screen ... I think I got the older IceWM, and would like to try the experimental over the weekend ... it might be a bit less "gritty" ;-) I did add all suggested packages for IceWM from the pre-install list while having my "apt-fest" last night. Mepis is a nicely polished distro, deserving of some kind of contribution. It may very soon end up on my more serious home office desktop, even though SuSE has been a good choice. For the road, do you have any experience with Mepis for re-sizing NTFS partitions for a dual-boot? Or maybe I should just leave my poor old laptop alone ... it is working fine right now! Rick

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Re: Old Hardware
by Brian Kelsay 05 Feb '05

05 Feb '05

Glad you like it and maybe found a keeper. I just installed the newest stable version of Mepis (2004.06) on a desktop system so I could stop running from CD. I also plan to test the latest test release on the same PC and compare. It's worked well for me. Some things can be difficult installing due to the apt-pinning, but you can get help from other Debian users and on the Mepis forums and IRC. When you used apt-get to install IceWM, did it get added as an option to the login screen? There is some nice automation in Debian systems like apps being auto added to the K menu in KDE after an apt-get. I don't have to restart for a rescan of apps or anything, they just appear. Save your LiveCD of Mepis in case you fubar your X config or GRUB. Brian Kelsay >>> "Richard A. Franklin" <> 02/04/05 11:07AM >>> Brian Kelsay wrote: >As always, it depends on how fast you want it and what you want to do >w/ it. I continue to stand behind Mepis (SimplyMepis) for a general >desktop distro that you can try out as a LiveCD first. Under the hood it is >Debian, so adding software and updating will be fast and easy. It will >work fine in 128MB of Ram. If you want it to be a server too, you can >apt-get what you specifically need or go ProMepis when it comes out. I >use Libranet on my server which is also Debian based. > > Following your suggestion, I installed Mepis, followed by apt-get update and upgrade. I may now be a Mepis "convert". I have used IceWM with VectorLinux, so I used apt-get to install all related packages. Also, "apt-get install streamtuner" (!) Like you say, "fast and easy". IceWM is much faster than KDE, but clunkier ... certainly much less polished, but I suppose that's the trade-off if I don't want the bloat. Rick

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Open Source Values
by Jim Herrmann 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

I've been reading George Lakoff, and doing a lot of thinking about values, lately. My own values as well as those of others. I know what it is about open source software that appeals to my values. You can look at the list in my sig and get an idea of the values I'm talking about, and you can imagine how OSS fits into them, but I don't want to bias the discussion too much beforehand with my opinions. I will offer those up later. What I would like to know from some of you guys is, which of your values are best served by OSS? Please let me know either directly in confidence, or publicly to the list, where you consider yourself on the conservative/moderate/progressive political spectrum, and what it is about OSS that appeals to you. I'm especially anxious to hear from my LUG friends on the right of the spectrum, as that is more difficult for me to understand. Once I've heard several opinions, I plan to formulate some kind of summary explanation, or theory, that connects different values and the open source movement. Thanks for your input, Jim Herrmann -- Progressive Values ARE American Values Responsibility, Empathy, Freedom, Opportunity, Prosperity, Fairness, Trust, Honesty, Open Communication, Community, Cooperation

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Phpnuke question
by kurt＠verruckt.org 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

I am installing phpnuke on a site that I am working on, and having trouble configuring the config.php file. For the dbhost should I just be putting the IP address of the server itself? Or IP/~username ? I have tried both the dbname as "dbname_nuke", and just "dbname". And the same formats for the username. No matter how I try it, I continually get an error that it cannot connect to the MySQL server. I KNOW the database is there, because I created it. All the permissions on the directories and files are exactly as it calls for in the install docs. I am using nukesql.php to help with the install. Any db gurus know about phpnuke installs? Would appreciate it. Kurt ---------------------------------------------- Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.853 / Virus Database: 581 - Release Date: 2/1/2005

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RE: Old Hardware
by Brian Densmore 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

> -----Original Message----- > From: Justin Lamar > > I've gotten the generic VGA x-server driver to work > in 640x480, but with only 2 colors. I was looking for > 256 colors like I get with Windows 3.1. The card is a > Video7 1024i with 512 KB of memory. I think the > chipset is slightly too old to work with the Video7 driver > that is available. Chipsets supported by the Video7 driver (notice the first entry, so and Video7 card should work with this driver, but your card is also specifically mentioned, so it should work). /* Video7 */ { "Video7 (chipset unknown)", "Video7 FastWrite/VRAM (HT208)", "Video7 1024i (HT208A)", "Video7 VRAM II (HT208B)", "Video7 VRAM II (HT208C,D)", "Video7 HT216B,C", "Video7 HT216D", "Video7 HT216E", "Video7 HT216E", "Video7 VEGA" },

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RE: Old Hardware
by Brian Densmore 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

Which vga server was that? vga16 or svga? Try using the svga server. Who makes the Video7 card? Or, is that, the maker's name? Did you try the Video7 server that is available? The man page for the Video7 server should tell you if it supports your card or not. > -----Original Message----- > From: Justin Lamar > > I've gotten the generic VGA x-server driver to work > in 640x480, but with only 2 colors. I was looking for > 256 colors like I get with Windows 3.1. The card is a > Video7 1024i with 512 KB of memory. I think the > chipset is slightly too old to work with the Video7 driver > that is available. > > I like that computer because it is the last generation of > hardware that I can get a basic grasp of. > > >

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Re: Old Hardware
by Brian Kelsay 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

As always, it depends on how fast you want it and what you want to do w/ it. I continue to stand behind Mepis (SimplyMepis) for a general desktop distro that you can try out as a LiveCD first. Under the hood it is Debian, so adding software and updating will be fast and easy. It will work fine in 128MB of Ram. If you want it to be a server too, you can apt-get what you specifically need or go ProMepis when it comes out. I use Libranet on my server which is also Debian based. Are you really looking for something compiled -O3 for your CPU? If you really want Gentoo, use the installer that has some stuff pre-compiled for your arch. I think it is a stage 2 or 3 install. Good luck with that, not for me. I do wish that Debian had an i586 and/or i686 repository. I wish I knew how much improvement one could expect from this. You might want to try Arch Linux. http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=arch Arch Linux is an i686-optimized Linux distribution. It is lightweight and contains the latest stable versions of software. I haven't used it, but it seems to combine some pluses that Slackware and Gentoo users tout with an update system similar to Debian. YMMV Whatever desktop distro you choose, you will see a large speed improvement by using a less resource hungry window manager (i.e. not Gnome or KDE). Try IceWM, Fluxbox, etc. Brian Kelsay

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RE: Old Hardware
by Brian Densmore 04 Feb '05

04 Feb '05

Look for a vga_v7 or vga_v71024i driver. There should be one and it should support your card. > -----Original Message----- > From: Justin Lamar > > I've gotten the generic VGA x-server driver to work > in 640x480, but with only 2 colors. I was looking for > 256 colors like I get with Windows 3.1. The card is a > Video7 1024i with 512 KB of memory. I think the > chipset is slightly too old to work with the Video7 driver > that is available. > > I like that computer because it is the last generation of > hardware that I can get a basic grasp of. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Justin Lamar > > > > ... > > > > For kicks I installed Slackware 8.0 in my old 25 MHz 386 > with 8 MB of > > RAM. The Slackware is installed on a 6 GB drive. No X, the > > VGA video is > > vintage 1989 and I can't find an X-server that supports the > > chipset. > > Have you tried using the generic VGA driver? That should > always work on > any compliant VGA card. > _______________________________________________ > Kclug mailing list > Kclug(a)kclug.org > http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug > > _______________________________________________ > Kclug mailing list > Kclug(a)kclug.org > http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug >

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