woo hoo, I have been polled!!

Got a call from Alicia in Brisbane who asked me questions about politics and politicians, in particular Tony Abbott. She said she was working for Millward Brown, who have a post box address in Cremorne:

Millward Brown Australia

PO Box 424 Cremorne NSW 2900

p: 02 9927 0000 f: 02 9953 9035

http://www.millwardbrown.com

Email Millward Brown Australia

The questions were mostly about what I thought about Tony Abbott's work, who I was going to vote for, and who I thought would win the federal election. It sounded a little like push polling, and I can't imagine why they would bother polling in Tony Abbott's electorate.

change default boot in GRUB boot loader

On my AMD PC, libranet linux is the first option in the GRUB boot loader, and WindowsXP is the third option.
I edited /boot/grub/menu.lst
(grub.conf is an alternative, or maybe menu.lst points to grub.conf)

and changed default 0 to default 2

When I boot the PC now, the WindowsXP is the default choice for booting.

Run Windows XP on Ubuntu using VMware Server

I have Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy installed and would like to run Windows XP Professional as well.
Followed instructions in
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=183209&highlight=Windows+%28XP%29+on+Ubuntu+with+VMWare+Server
to install the free vmware server and vmware tools.

There was a problem with freezing of vmware every few minutes, which fixed itself after a couple of minutes. This only happened while I was using IE6 (SP2) and does not occur with Firefox 2.

The sound device does not appear in the VM preferences console so at the moment sound does not work.

After a while, I started to get the message
"can't open file /home/paul/.vmware/preferences" when I start the console. Of course it opens if I sudo vmware.
This error is reported in
http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=603229&tstart=0
and by changing preferences as discussed there, the problem is fixed.
Of course, this does not explain how it happened in the first place.

I set up networking and found that to share folders between computers on a router, the VM networking has to be set up as "bridging" rather than "NAT". I think in the latter case you can only share between virtual machines on the same host.

3D desktop effects using Beryl with Ubuntu

I installed Beryl with AIGLX as described in
http://wiki.beryl-project.org/index.php/Install/Ubuntu/Edgy/AiGLX

It didn't work, because I needed to install the nvidia drivers for my graphics card (nVidia GEforce 7600) by following the instructions for installing the nVIDIA driver - second method (installing official package) here:

http://wiki.beryl-project.org/wiki/Install_Beryl_on_Ubuntu_Edgy_with_nVidia#Installing_the_nVIDIA_Driver

Beryl started successfully when I typed beryl at a command line.

However, when I booted, X did not start, and an error message indicated an API mismatch error on restarting Ubuntu. As described at the link above, I added "nv" to the restricted modules in
/etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common.

Note that after installing the nvidia driver, there is useful information about the installation in:
/usr/bin/nvidia-installer/README.txt

The X log file is in /var/log/Xorg.0.log

and the config file is in /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Jeremiah "If you return then I will bring you"

Jeremiah 15:11-21

Tell me, LORD, have I not served you for their good? Have I not interceded with you in the time of misfortune and anguish?

You know I have. Remember me, LORD, visit me, and avenge me on my persecutors. Because of your long-suffering banish me not; know that for you I have borne insult.

When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, Because I bore your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; Under the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation.

Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide!

Thus the LORD answered me: If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them;

And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.

I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Some verses from Ecclesiasticus

These verses especially meant something to me:
" Neither to a son nor wife, brother nor friend,
give power over yourself during your own lifetime......." (Si 33:20-24)

".... Someone who has never had his trials knows little;
but the travelled man is master of every situation...." (Si 34:9-20)

"....Let grief end with the funeral;
a life of grief oppresses the mind...." (Si 38:16-24)
compare and contrast this with 1 Th 4:13

Comparison of trades, crafts and scholarship: Si 38:24- 39:15