Happiness CCCXLV

Jun 16, 2010 | happiness

Installing the latest version of linux with (almost) all of the drivers working.

Cross-platform ramblings

Apr 14, 2008 | blog

AIR apps: Twhirl & AlertThingy I was just thinking about the promise of Java some 15 years ago or so (I forget exactly) about being the answer to cross-platform programming. For sure it’s done quite a bit of that, and also been a pain in the but at the same time.

Now fast-forward to 2007 and the development of Adobe AIR. All the AIR apps that are popping up for different web services. That you can run AIR on Mac, Windows, and Linux – and all those AIR based apps is a huge shift in not only how we use apps, but what systems we decide to run them on. Sure, Microsoft has a (very good) also-ran platform in Silverlight, but do you think that’ll end up on the Mac, let alone Linux?

It allows us to forget about what our favorite operating system is and focus on running the system that is relevant to what we’re trying to accomplish. What’s your thoughts on this? Have you tried any AIR apps? What ones are your favorites?

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Riding the Vista Wave – Windows Deployment

Nov 14, 2007 | blog

Windows Vista Start Button That’s what my technical focus is for the next several months. I’ve been working on a Windows automated deployment environment for a client and will also be planning the next steps for them.

With that in mind, and the upcoming release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 along with Windows Server 2008, managed deployment systems are crucial to their success. Since I’ve gone out on my own as a consultant, I now find the need to build a full “lab” environment at home to be able to explore the latest release of Microsoft’s deployment solutions.

The stage is being set, with Server 2008, Vista, virtualization of servers/workstations/applications, the needs of successfully deploying any and all of these software packages is becoming more important than ever. The next couple of years looks to be a lot of work for organizations as they investigate, plan, and implement the next generation (the Vista wave) of system software and platforms.

So I’ve got to do something that I’ve not done for a number of years. Build a full testing environment of my own for development, prototyping and testing ideas and solutions. Being a part of a larger organization, in previous years, has allowed me to rely on other resources. Most companies have rooms filled with equipment, just for R&D purposes. Because of this I got rid of my home server “farm” that supplied all those testing requirements, web, email, file server, management server, etc…

This time, however, my plan is to go fully virtual, of course. This requires a *lot* of RAM, HD space and use of virtual environments – including virtual networks. It’ll be fun, it’ll be a lot of work – and I think I need one more machine, but we’ll see how it goes.

At any rate, I’ll be posting a bit on deployment technologies over the next few months, but don’t worry. I’ll not be forgetting any personal branding or social media items either – I’m actually interested in leveraging both of these as I work through some of the technology.

Anyone else out there a Windows Deployment architect?

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Microsoft & Novell – A Linux Partnership

Nov 2, 2006 | blog

So, I’m betting many, many people are flipin’ out tonight with the recent news of the Novell & Microsoft Linux partnership.  Though I may be surprised by the timing, I’m not surprised at the news.

Microsoft has been heading this way for some time, and the only thing I didn’t see was Novell as a partner.  Though I guess it makes sense in a way, as they have historically targeted the same markets, and have the same customers in many cases.

The interesting thing is that Microsoft is accepting Linux in their plans.  Of particular interest is the OpenOffice and eDirectory compatibility.  It’ll probably be Novell moving closer to Microsoft than the other way around, but having Microsoft involved in the process will improve the end results.

Via: BetaNews – Novell, Microsoft Ink Linux Partnership

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