Wireless trouble in Ubuntu

Posted on December 30, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Jensen Wireless USB Card

I’ve been doing something that I should have been doing a long time ago. As I haven’t been using my desktop much since my last hard disk crash, it has sported only a Windows XP install. Yesterday I set down to install Ubuntu on it; completing another backup, clearing space and getting the actual iso image written to a CD. Everything went a-OK up to and including the install.

Now, getting on teh intrawebz was a bit harder. After setting the wireless up nicely in the graphical network manager and then turning it on a few times, I suddenly noticed that there was no wireless card installed. Which kind of explained why I didn’t connect to my router. Selecting troubleshooting from the Help prompted me to install ndisgtk from the Synaptic Package Manager. Where I couldn’t find it. Which was fixed by inserting the Ubuntu CD again, and adding it to the package repositories from within the package manager.

Now the troubles began. I was prompted to install a Windows driver ( a *.inf file ) for the card. Checking up what was installed in Windows I found an oem driver – which didn’t work under Ubuntu, probably because it was filled with different values and references to packaged files residing elsewhere and on Windows CD’s. Next I went to the manufacturer’s webpage and downloaded what turned out to be the wrong driver. Which installed, but didn’t find the hardware. Now I dug into Howto documents and man pages. They pointed me in direction of the NDISwrapper compatibility list. Which doesn’t exist any more, and when I dug up a more or less recent version on archive.org it didn’t contain my card.

The fix was easy. I just had to get the correct driver from the manufacturer – or rather from the people who branded the hardware. My card is a Jensen Wireless High Speed USB dongle. Running lsusb yielded:

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1435:0210 Wistron NeWeb

for my card. This card can be used through ndiswrapper with the driver downloadable from Jensen Scandinavia.

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Starting anew

Posted on December 26, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Cover for C64 game Saboteur 2

It is soon 2009, and time keeps rushing by. I’ve already resolved to look forward in small steps, in order to keep from breaking down due to too many promises. To myself and others. In order to get set for this, I’ll try and blog a bit more regularly. Like multiple times a week. Perhaps even every weekday.

Now, forward isn’t the only direction to look in all the time, you should also keep in mind what has gone before. I’ve met up with friends and family this christmas. Not only those that I don’t see too often – but also those that I see all the time. In a shelving section in my parents’ house I found some tapes with games for my old Commodore 64. These gems kept me occupied for a while a long time ago, for example Spitfire and Saboteur II.

Saboteur II was kind of innovative; it contained platform game features – a 700 screen big level with multiple entrances. You played a female ninja – weak, and low on power. Ammo was found as wrenches, ninja stars and other miscellanea. Your best weapon was your brain, learning where to enter the level, noting where you could go safely, and where you needed weapons to enter. Failure meant just that. Try again, armed only with what you learned the last time around.

Now, to be honest, games like that exist today. They sometimes are high profile games too, though that seems to be more and more seldom. One game that reminded me of this style, somehow, was Portal. Not that it is alike, but the way you play a female protagonist. Unarmed and weak, with the power to move around – armed only with what is lying around. Not in boxes, but just the boxes. Learning all the way. Missteps means death – try again, armed with what knowledge you gained the last time around.

I’m not sure how much I like Christmas season. Other than a time of relaxation and reflection. For it works well like that. Sitting down and reflecting. For me this is a bit of how things should be, perhaps. Less stress, if you let it. More family, if you want it. I’ve kind of relaxed on my projects. I still sit here at the computer a bit. Thinking. But it doesn’t count. Does it?

I’m starting anew in a bit. I’m formatting a harddrive for backup purposes. I’ll clean out my computer. Reinstall, refresh, switch it out, perhaps? But formatting a 500 GB disk with NTFS is … slow. I should have thought about it before I stared. But it gives me time to reflect. And write this post.

I sure can use the practice…

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Agile spare time

Posted on December 25, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Floater from Game of Life in Shelving unit

This last six months I have focused a bit more on managing my spare time. It started out well, with me doing a bit more work on Wikka Wiki, maintaining a monthly (board) gaming evening and getting a bit more out of my evenings. Then it started to slip out again, as usual. Too many projects started, none ended – not even to a milestone or one measly todo-list item.

I suck at organizing myself outside of work, and I know it. What it usually boils down to, is my phasing creativity and motivation. It helps having people working on the same thing, or at least inquiring into my work. I guess this is one of the reasons I get things done at work. That and coffee, guilt and integrity. ;)

So, I’ve decided I need to get to burning bridges aga… things done again. I have Getting Things Done standing unfinished in my bookshelf, I know how to do agile methods in projects, reviews and stuff. I just don’t apply it outside of work. Something must change.

I’ve been reading David Seah’s blog for a while, and at least one of his good ideas have registered over time; his Groundhog Day resolutions. I first thought I’d try something like that, but as I am trying to fix up my spare time, I wanted a bit more time on my resolutions. Quarterly or something like it. That being an awful lot of time, I thought to have some sub-goals sprinkled in between – monthly or some such. Right. Back at the start.

Last week I read Corvus Elrod’s Hats in the New Year, and decided that; yes – it is time to get something done around here. After a brief chat about one of his projects I managed to derail the conversation in on keeping focus on one project at a time, and he suggested taking an agile approach. As that actually makes sense, I’ll try it out. Quarterly (fuzzy) goals filled with two week sprints. This, with accountability from blogging, should keep me focused on a (few) projects at a time. If not, the problem probably is the wetware aprox. ten inches from the screen…

As it is in the middle of the holidays right now, I won’t commit just yet. Though I’ll say this; there is an overwhelming chance that my first goals will be related to me getting into blogging regularly. I need that.

Have a nice time.

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What do you play now?

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

This was an interesting week. I’ve been home a couple of days, the ground is covered in what we call Steel Ice in Norway, and I’m breaking neurons on a work related task. Since I also want to get blogging some more, I kind of have to write something now. Or something like that.

Barring a few tiny ideas, I’m fresh out when it comes to blog post inspiration. Which makes Łukasz’ latest post coming like an inspiration. I’ll just say what he does so well: What games are you playing right now?

For me it is a a bit of this, and a bit of that. I’m mostly a PC person, but my computer isn’t built to handle anything that are sold out of bargain bins (err… or about that). I’ve logged quite a few hours the last month playing the Kakuro puzzles in Platinum Sudoku for the DS. I also plowed through Orcs and Elves by Id Software – a decent dungeon hack on the same platform, though it isn’t something I’d buy as a full-price item.

As I said in an earlier post; I’ve also played a bit of Spectromancer, but not more than a bit. I’m not sure I will play it more right now, but that is mostly because I play the actual Magic: the Gathering against living and breathing humans while drinking coffee these (Satur)days.

I also tried out the latest build of Cortex Command yesterday. I’m pleasantly surprised – both with its captivity and genius – and with its ability to run on my aging computer. I’m not sure why (oh, well – I am…), I’m longing for a good game of Worms with friends again.

What do you play?

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Wish-list for Christmas 2008

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Well, I might not be the most religious person in the world, but I still look upon Christmas with a (deeply buried?) glee, a promise that smells of cinnamon, ginger, blackcurrant and rice porridge. And cartoons, old films and choirs on the TV. And snow, pine trees and a fire in the fireplace. I’m not sure this fits with reality any more.

My wish-list is neat and small:

  • A woolen meatloaf cap. (I’ve wished this from my mom – she knits)
  • A simple usb keyboard. (To replace my PS/AT(?) one)
  • One or another nice t-shirt. And sis: I’m a XL – just FYI :)
  • Two front (white or yellow) lights that can be mounted on my bike.
  • Hoodwinked on DVD. We’ve lost our copy :(

There. That was it. I guess it will accrue with time, but this is the essential. I guess I’m old when I mainly wish for practical things. Well, I can be young at heart if I want to. I’m not all lost yet.

Are you so old that your wish-list is mostly practical things? Do you have one small, childlike wish? I’d like some Star Wars Lego. I don’t know what I’d do with it – build it and put it on a shelf. But there it is.

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The magic of old

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Now, it is quite a while since Magic: the Gathering 4th Edition were released. That was when I started playing, a long time ago. At the time of writing, 10th Edition is the current base edition, it seems. I am suddenly feeling old.

I rediscovered MtG while having lunch at my favorite coffee bar one weekend. The next weekend I was bold enough to approach them, and soon I was playing a bit again. At the start I was content with letting the local master (I guess), Rune, create my decks. Or rather; it was a necessity. My poor deck constructing skills were worse than before – a major feat in itself. He created a black and white deck out of some of my remaining cards of old, and tuned a 40 card deck out of what I made for a sealed tournament.

I’ve bought a few extra cards, and tried my hand at construction myself in the last month, and though no great result has come from this… I’m improving. Next weekend will show if I have improved enough.

A related discovery, coincidence I guess, is related to this latest craze of mine. It seems that Richard Garfield, creator of many games including MtG, has been working with Skaff Elias (as Three Donkeys LLC) and Apus Software to create an online card game called Spectromancer.

I’ve played the demo of Spectromancer a bit – it is intriguing, but currently undergoing my indie game test; I’ve uninstalled it. If I install it to play some more – I’ll buy it.

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Is coffee its own religion?

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Today the local newspaper wrote a piece about my favorite local coffee bar. It was really positive, as it well as it should be.

The coffee bar is run by the Pioneer church, a liberal Christian congregation. They have a passion for God, coffee and culture, and is something I as an agnostic really appreciate in a church. Not sure what you belive? Come to us, we won’t pressure you. is what they say, and even then the coffee bar is even more open. It’s just a regular place with jazz, pop, rock and classical music in the air, mingling with the sweet smell of coffees and food.

Not all who seek are comfortable with the brand of Christian, and that’s ok; it isn’t really the point. You choose your own way when seeking God. Call yourself whatever you want!

But then again; (almost) all who meet at Totalen, for that is the name of the building of old, love and enjoy coffee. Or the company. Isn’t then coffee almost it’s own religion? Or just a gateway leading to people that seek the same as you do?

If you drop by Haugesund and have time for a cup, why not drop by? Just ask anyone where Totalen lies. They’ll know.

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The hardware race in computers

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

I’ve had my computer crash a lot on me recently. More and more often, and I finally caved in, pulled it out on the floor and opened it. Two questions hit me:

  1. What is the cause of these crashes?
  2. Is that a used vacuum cleaner filter, or the fan of my graphics card?

…

Right. At least I hope that was the problem. I guess the next few days will show if it was that or still is a problem. My new card is a big, fanless monster I inherited. It’s better than the one I picked out of the computer. Really looking forward to see if it changes my experience in games.

Beaut of an ATI 9800 pro; it even required a separate power chord.

I really should think about adopting a new box.

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November

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

Then again; there probably should be a better title for this blog post. I was hooked into irc with some Norwegian bloggers today, and I realized that I didn’t have a blog post since early October, and that time was running out.

I promise to blog more this evening. Promise! :)

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What I learned from playing Fallout

Posted on October 7, 2008 by Tormod Haugen

I got through Fallout, ready to start on Fallout 2. During the game, which I played as a intelligent person with a knack for hitting where it hurts, I learned (or re-learned) some things:

  1. As in all RPG’s, carry a 10 foot pole and 50 feet worth of rope at all times.
    • Since Fallout hasn’t got a 10 foot pole, carry two pieces of rope.
  2. Don’t turn your back to anyone wielding a automatic weapon. Ever. Just run.
    • Unless your enemies are the ones wielding the hardware, and you are exceptionally well insulated against lead. Then go stand by those less likely to survive the hailstorm.
  3. Don’t play too much chess, it is bad for your health
  4. Don’t let out the prisoners under the Cathedral. Please. Please…

Anything worth adding?

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