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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-05-20

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) Great Reader Feedback On Linux

The InformationWeek article "Follow-Up To Linux's Achilles' Heel Column" is generating some great reader letters. For example:

Hi Fred. You've been covering the woes of Linux distributions detecting PC hardware.  I've installed a number of distributions with minimal hassle, however it's installing additional software packages that becomes a chore.

Most Linux distros contain everything you need for a fully running system such as OpenOffice, Evolution, and Gimp.  However, what if there is another piece of software you want to install that isn't part of the distribution packages?  I've tried installing third-party software that was created as a Red Hat installation package and had little success.  It claimed to have installed properly but the executable wouldn't open and it never created a desktop icon.

Another option is compiling the source code of the software.  After unzipping and untarring the files I run "make install" or whatever the documentation describes.  Lots of compiler messages scroll across the screen, cryptic for all but... programmers.  Then, out of nowhere, the process stops with an error.  A missing dependency or component that was required, but not found.

Neither method is very friendly.  I'm a seasoned computer professional and earn a living by solving technical problems, however I don't feel that software installation is a task that should require [great] skill and expertise to accomplish - regardless of the operating system.

While I have my druthers about Windows, it's a piece of cake to install software in any version of Windows.  Copy the EXE to a folder and open it or run SETUP.  In rare cases an application won't install properly but 99.9% of them do - and they create a desktop icon for you.

Perhaps the Linux folks need to take a look at Mac OS X.  OS X is a variant of BSD UNIX with many of the same features of Linux.  Installing software is a snap - either run an install program or copy the executable file to a folder and open it.  This is easier than Windows and you get the power of UNIX.

Perhaps software installation is more a matter of familiarity than of ease. However, if user perception is that Linux software installation is difficult, it's an issue that needs to be addressed by the Linux community.  All of the good reasons to use Linux lose their potency if a user can't perform seemingly simple tasks like installing software. ---Eric Brodeur

There's more thoughtful, excellent commentary--- and some silly flames--- over in the discussion area at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=20300852 . Come check it out!

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2) Surprise Benefit In Zero-ing Out Unused Space

Highly security-conscious users have long recommended using a utility to write zeros in the unused areas of your hard drive, overwriting any scraps and fragments of old files there so that they can't be easily recovered by snoops. Sometimes, the tools for doing this write multiple patterns of numbers multiple times, making recovery of the overwritten old data extremely difficult--- in fact, all but impossible, except through truly extraordinary and expensive means.

This reader found another reason for doing this, too:

Fred,  Just thought I'd write to say thanks for Langalist (Plus!!)  and all that's in it, and hopefully to pass-on a good tip for your other readers...

Some time ago you wrote about imaging programs and pointed to several. (I already had Norton Ghost but didn't care much for the Dos user interface) . I followed the links to Acronis and for $10, a special for Langalist customers who already had Ghost, I got True Image (v6). I've been using it for some time but was looking for a  way to improve the compression. My images for my 10gb Harddrive were 4+GB even after using the highest form of built in compression. I came upon an idea!:  If I could zero out all the unused disc space it should enable the compression tools to make the compressed file even smaller! I tried it out and sure enough, my latest image (after cleanup of unneeded files, temp files, defrag and zeroing out unused data was down to around 1.3GB.

BTW,  I used a freeware  program called "Eraser " to zero out the data. It is fundamentally a security program meant to write multipass pseudorandom data over a file to  completely erase and make it unrecoverable. It is also flexible enough that it can be set to write one pass of zeros over only the unused space on the disc. It still takes some time, but it's worth it!--- Chuck Brotman

Thanks, Chuck, that's a great idea.

Some imaging tools simply skip unused data areas, but those that image the unused space could indeed benefit from this technique: The unused space will be filled with highly-compressible data (all zeros or all ones, for example), so the resulting compressed image file will squeeze down to the smallest possible space.

The major downside to this is that it can take a *very* long time to fill a large hard drive's unused file areas this way, especially if you choose a multipass method. But it still may be worthwhile, either for the extra security, or for the smaller images that may result. You may be able to automate the process to make it work itself at night when the machine is otherwise not in use, too. Keeping your partitions down to reasonable working sizes also will help.

Eraser, and similar tools (mostly free):
http://www.thefreecountry.com/security/securedelete.shtml
http://www.google.com/search?q=security+wipe+free

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3) Reader Explores Multiple VPC Uses

Other readers have found other uses, too, and that in turn may spark your imagination in ways this very useful tool could help you. For example:

Fred,  I just read your article on Virtual PC from Microsoft and thought I would give my experience on using it. I actually use the last version 5.1 from Connectix (the company Microsoft bought VPC from).
 
I have the following operating systems on my notebook. I'm running a 2.0 Ghz notebook with 1 GB of memory, an 80 GB hard drive and Windows 2000 Pro. I have a partition that stores all my Virtual PC hard drives and also a 10 GB partition that I used as a "shared" virtual hard drive to pass information back and forth between the Host system and any one of the guest operation systems.
 
I have three main areas that I have used the VPC product. 

1) I have the following operating system on my notebook: Dos 5.0, Dos 6.22, Windows 3.0, WFW 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98se, Windows 2000, Windows XP Pro, Windows 3.51 Server, Window 4.0 server, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Small Business System(SBS), Xandros, Mandrake (All valid licenses). What I really like about this setup is when you create a virtual PC (VPC) you also create a virtual hard drive (VHD). If I want to try a new piece of software I can copy the VHD to another file name and then create a VPC to point the copied hard drive. If the installation goes bad just delete the VHD and start over. You can have you VPC log into your domain if you want or keep them as local (within the host pc) clients. I can create a domain that resides only on my notebook and does not interfere with my company networks. This has been a great playground for me and I do not take the chance of messing up my notebook. There are too many options with this software to mention here, like accessing my wireless home network though a VPC, sharing printer, modems Etc. 

2) We have a copy of VPC on two systems with 1.2 Gigs of memory each that have 6-8 VPCs running and use PCAnywhere to allow our remote site connect to. The VPC systems then access a local database that would take up to 5 minutes to access directly from the remotes site. The product is very stable and we are pleased. A good success story for the IS department here.

3) The final example, I use a copy of Virtual PC for my local church. I moved them from an old Windows 98 system to a new XP Pro system. There was an application that they needed but did not have the original install diskettes. I created an image of the old system and recreated the 98 system within a VPC. They can continue to use the old system when they need to and still have the benefit of the new XP system and all the upgraded software. The "old" system can use the printer of the new system to print anything they need.

 I might not have explained all this as clear as I could have, but this is one of the best products I have ever used. Thanks for your time and your great newsletter, Chuck Mills

I agree, Chuck: A VPC tool (there are others besides Microsoft's too) can be a huge help for anything from just exploring another OS without having to diddle with the boot process of your main PC; through practical and extremely useful applications such as those Chuck describes; up to creating an entire virtual OS lab inside your main OS. And, like Chuck, I find being able to copy and move the virtual drive files--- which actually are a kind of drive image--- very, very handy.

If you haven't checked out VPC technology yet, give it a look!

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

"Fred, I relish finding useful tips in your LangaList even after
many months have passed, part of the reason I immediately renewed
my subscription (and thanks for the discount)." ---Brian

Thanks, Brian!

The LangaList Plus! Edition is ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading, and for just 14 cents an issue!

Once joined, you can renew your annual subscription for even less!

Get all the details:

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--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------

4) Shutdown Problems In All OSes

Dear Fred: I need your help as I am unable to resolve this problem.  The problem is every time when I shutdown my computer pentium III 733 mhz 512ram Windows ME, it does not shutdown properly and I have to press the shutdown button on the tower to shut it down.
 
So every time I switch on the computer the scan disk will scan for problems as I did not shut it down properly.
 
So hoping you maybe able to help me on this and shall be eternally grateful if you will be able to resolve this problem for me. Thanks ---Lee Hee Yiow

Shutdown problems can happen in any OS. They were (and sometimes still are) very common in Win9x: To try to keep everything orderly and intact, Windows wants to make sure that everything's properly closed and finished before shutting all the way down. But sometimes, a driver or piece of software won't "let go." In the case of drivers, the most common problem is when some system component is suspended to save power, but then can't wake up again to complete a normal shutdown. The shutdown process then stalls.

WinME started using new driver types, which reduced the problem, but didn't eliminate it completely. Win2K and XP encounter fewer still shutdown issues; but any OS--- including Linux--- can experience the problem.

There's lots of shutdown-problem help available:

Win98:
http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+98+shutdown

WinME:
http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+me+millennium+shutdown

Win2K:
http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+2000+2k+shutdown

XP:
http://www.google.com/search?q=windows+xp+shutdown

Linux:
http://www.google.com/search?q=linux+shutdown+problem+hang

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5) Consensus Emerging On CD/DVD Life

As more and more of us switch to CDR and DVD +/-R for long-term data storage, the question of how long the discs last, and how we can maximize their likely lifespan, becomes more and more important. We raised the issue of CDR longevity in "Is Your Data Disappearing?" ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010719S0003 ) and in more detail in "Time To Check Your CDRs" ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15800263 )

Since then, the problem of "disc rot" (e.g. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/05/06/disc.rot.ap/index.html ) and similar problems have begun to get more play. Fortunately some organizations--- some allied with the library sciences--- have been looking at the issue:

Fred, I uncovered what has to be the definitive guide for Disc Care: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub121/contents.html Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs: A Guide for Librarians and Archivists.  It reiterates your stance on labels and more. I never realized that flexing discs to remove them from a stubborn case could be harmful. I am still looking for a high quality CDR to replace the Kodak Golds that are no longer made. A weak CD reader reveals just how good these are compared to others. Keep up the great work. Greg Coutu

Hi Fred, Thanks for your list. It has saved my bacon more than once. This article appears to go one more step in the saga of how long a CD-r can be used for long term storage. Cd-r has been my storage of choice once they started to gain a reputation for usability, robustness and "long" life.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=513486 Over the last few years I have noticed, unscientifically, that some CD-rs are less than co-operative when re-installing operating systems for clients. One will part install and in order to get past a stop point I use a second copy CD. I have to say that I do not work in laboratory conditions, far from it, but I do take a lot of care about cleanliness with my "tools" and always store the CDs in paper covers, not touching the surface and review the surface of all discs periodically to check for dust, cat hair and blemishes of any sort. But still there are occasional blips in installing programs and systems that appear to be more frequent than random. I have recently started to transition to DVD-r but this route clearly inhibits auto start since there are quite a lot of programs/systems stored on any one DVD. In reviewing articles that you have printed and this later one it would appear that DVD is the route to go if long terms needs are to be met. With the prices of DVD writers continuing to fall and the disk cost also reducing this seems to be a slightly more unwieldy, but productive route to take. My use of DVD-r is only recent and have hit a few snags but I put these, largely, down to the 1DTenT effect than product quality. Best regards, curlew

Thanks to all who have been sending in new information, as it's discovered. When you think of how much we're already depending on CDs and DVDs, knowing what to expect, and how to get the most out of them, is vital!

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6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) BrowserTune/HotSpots Site Move

Long-time readers may recall that last October Hostway, a web host I was using, messed up in a major way. It derailed my work on BrowserTune and forced me into a huge and time-consuming series of site moves to a better host. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-11-06.htm#2 )

I first moved the main Langa.Com site to TRK Hosting (see http://langa.com/u/4o.htm or http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-01-12.htm#4 ) and that went well. Now, I'm about to move BrowserTune and the daily HotSpots site. I'll also be using TRK Hosting for this site.

The change will take place shortly after you get this issue: BT and the HotSpots page may be offline briefly during the transition; and/or until your ISP updates their DNS records to point to the new address. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

When the dust settles from this move, I should finally be able to pick up the BT pieces and get the new version (lying fallow this whole time) finished!

Stay tuned!

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8) Reader Sites!

Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site From Among All Listed
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

Nopuko's Micronesia
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/huntington/1134/

Computer Innovations
http://geocities.com/tcrowl72@sbcglobal.net/ci.htm

Birthday Web Pages
http://ismybirthday.com/default.asp

Malmesbury Internet (UK)
http://www.malmesburyinternet.co.uk/index.cfm?pageId=9644

Waikiki Condos
http://www.alohawaikikicondos.com/

Ray's Homepage
http://www.joink.com/homes/users/reverly/

American Legion Otterman Post 94
http://www.gwtc.net/~post94/

D&G Go Caribbean
http://members.lycos.co.uk/davidrmees/

FishBucket Blog
http://www.fishbucket.net/

IMHO (Blog)
http://ubergeek316.blogspot.com/

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9) Spybot 1.3 Finally Out

Hi Fred, I'm really enjoying the Plus edition and getting a wealth of great info.

Have you or your readers noticed that Ad-aware and Spybot seem to have switched roles as far as updating goes? Now it is Ad-aware that is constantly sending updates and it has been some time since I've gotten any updates from Spybot. I use both regularly here along with Bazooka and SpywareBlaster to keep my computer free from the 'phone-homers'.

On another topic, I can't remember now if I found out about Smart Popup Blocker from the Langa List or elsewhere. I was getting popups that AdShield and the Google Toolbar weren't blocking and went searching for a better alternative. Smart Popup Blocker is available from
http://download.com.com/3000-7786-10282837.html. So far it has blocked all ad type of popups while not interfering with normal desired new windows. It scored 100% at the Popup Test website - http://www.popupcheck.com/. If it ever does stop a popup that you want to see, you can quickly disable it temporarily or add that site to a 'whitelist'. If you wish it can also preserve your home page from change, block Windows Messenger popups, and selectively handle cookies. Oh, and it is currently freeware. ---John Shannon

Thanks, John. Version 1.2 of Spybot Search and Destroy will never be upgraded per se: It's been replaced by a brand-new version 1.3. You have to uninstall 1.2 first, then install the new version, which is available from many of the usual download sites, including http://majorgeeks.com/download2471.html . (And thanks to Freddy Cormier, who was first to alert me to the final release of the new version!)

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10) Just For Grins

Wow! This just may be the ultimate 404 message collection:

Fred, I thought you might get a charge out of this.  The link is deliberately broken, so you can see the error message.

http://www.ibiblio.org/blah.html

Thanks for all the helpful info in the newsletter. ---Gail Hunn

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• More On Hacker-Proof Data Storage
     (where NOT to store your data!)
• Even Faster/Simpler Flash Control
     (one click will do it!)
• Keep-Alives Between Different Accounts
     (don't lose that connection!)

The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes with a MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE from Fred. How can you lose? Check out the details:

http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue, 2004-05-20!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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