Let us pray…

Our system, who art on raised tile,
Hallowed be thy OS.
Thy portage come, thy emerge be done,
On servers, as it is on workstations.
Give us this day, our daily sync,
And forgive us our broken ebuilds,
As we forgive those who break ebuilds against us.
Lead us not into dependency frustration,
But deliver us from rpm evil.
For thine is the make.conf, the USE flags,
And the profile forever…
Gentoo.

AMEN!

Initially the system will be implemented between the Al Garhoud bridge till the Dubai Police Academy interchange on Sheikh Zayed road. The thing that bothers most people is that the entry and exit points to those roads do not have any toll gates. Hence it is possible for someone to say use Al Khail road to get around the toll bridge and join up at Sheikh Zayed road at another point. While this does look like a sure shot method of circumventing the Salik system it would still be able to achieve its task. The problem is not with the implementation of Salik, the problem lies with the interpretation of what Salik is supposed to do.

(more…)

Currently the problem seems to lie with Sun’s implementation of Swing and often the problem can be circumvented by utilizing another JDK such blackdown. This can be done in gentoo by doing,

# emerge -va dev-java/blackdown-jdk

# eselect java-vm list

Available Java Virtual Machines:
[1] blackdown-jdk-1.4.2
[2] sun-jdk-1.5
$ eselect java-vm set user 1

Note # represents the root prompt and $ the user prompt. If you wish to set system java-vm you must execute as root (#). The numbers shown above might vary and should be adjusted accordingly.

This solution has a problem… the blackdown JDK is only a 1.4.2 implementation (as of the time of this post) and Java 1.5.0 based applications will not execute. This can potentially be solved by utilizing another open source Java 5 implementation such as dev-java/ibm-jdk-bin (not tested yet).

Another sure shot way of solving this is to utilize a nested X server. The manner in which this works is to launch another X server inside our current one, except this time the nested X server does not have Beryl running inside it and hence does not face the problem we are currently encountering.

Initially a nested X server must be created. This can be done by,

$ screen Xnest :[display number] -ac -geometry

[display number] represents the number we assign to the X server instance and represents the resolution. Eg. to created a nested X server with a display number of 1 and of resolution 1440×900 we would use,

$ screen Xnest :1 -ac -geometry 1440×900

Now that the X server is created in a screen session we detatch from it by pressing the key combination control+alt+a. If you do not have screen you can merely launch it in a console window using the same command without adding the screen prefix.

Every application that is to be launched within the X server must now be told of the display number assigned to it. An application can be started in the nested X server by,

$ DISPLAY=:[display number] [path to app]

The [display number] is the display number we assigned to the nested X server previously and [path to app] is the path to the application we wish to execute in the nested X server. Eg. To execute the application frostwire (located at /usr/bin/frostwire) on a nested X server running on DISPLAY 1 we use the command,

$ DISPLAY=:1 /usr/bin/frostwire

This application can be executed in the background by using a screen command as shown previously.

Good luck and hope the Beryl team works on compatibility so this hassle has to no longer be encountered.

However there seemed to be no text being displayed which I infered was a result of it not find the much needed Microsoft fonts.

A quick check using “emerge -s corefonts” revelead that the fonts were installed. However upon performing “slocate -u” and “slocate tahoma.ttf” I found that the Tahoma font for some reason was not installed.

Now I had two options,

1. Install the damn Tahoma font somehow
2. Emulate the font and let another font replace it

Now when you are as lazy as me you resort to step 2. The wine registry for your user is usually located in your home folder. It can be confirmed by doing “slocate system.reg | grep wine“.

Open this file (make sure it belongs to your user id) and locate the registry key

[Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\FontSubstitutes]

If you are using nano you can do it by (replace USERID with your user id),

nano /home/USERID/.wine/system.reg

Pressing the key combination control+w (activates search mode) and using FontSubstitutes as a search parameter.

Now add the sub key below the registry key,

“Tahoma”=”Times New Roman”

This will use Times New Roman for whenever the Tahoma font is required.

Thats all that is required and now you should be able to see all the text and play Counter Strike and all the other games under Linux !

DRI or Direct Rendering Infrastructure is a framework that allows direct access to the hardware (of the graphics card) in the X window system. For the ‘children of Microsoft’, X window system is the GUI system the all too often heard but seldom used *nix (Linux/Unix) operating system.

Now ordinarilly this would not be too much of a problem as that is what the drivers of the graphics card is made for right ? To allow access to the hardware components of the graphics card …. including DRI ?? But unfortunately we never live in a perfect world and nothing comes easy.

For the Linux operating system ATi releases its own proprietary drivers in a pre-compiled binary format. These are closed source and updates are usually hardmasked (might be stable but not fully tested). These drivers also taint the kernel which prevents developers from being able to perform debugging operations normally.

The main problem with making use of the Linux ATi proprietary drivers - fglrx is that if composite is enabled then the drivers will not be loaded properly with the OpenGL implementation Mesa. In order to have the drivers working properly with DRI the Composite option in /etc/xorg.conf must not be enabled. This is not what you want to do if you want to make use of the absolutely amazing Beryl.

Alternatively the Open Source Xorg xf86 ATi video drivers can be made use of. These drivers allow you to have DRI enabled and make use of Composite at the same time (by using the preffered method AIGLX, at the time of writing this).

Prior to doing this the Kernel will require recompilation.

Compile AGP Driver

Device Drivers  --->

Character devices  --->

< M > /dev/agpgart (AGP Support)

< M > ATI chipset support

<   > Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support)

Add the kernel modules you just compiled into your modules.autoload.d file using nano or whatever you prefer.

agpgart

ati-agp

drm

radeon

Now save the kernel configuration file and recompile the kernel. Make sure you save it and boot from it using your boot loader GRUB or LILO.

Compiling the kernel modules from DRM source

Since libdrm is a Mesa dependancy it is a good idea to update it to the unstable branch (atleast I had to). The latest version in portage can be obtained by adding the library to the package.keywords file and re-emerging it.

The use flag for the DRM package will also need to be modified (Optional),

Make sure you emerge x11-base/x11-drm now.

The aiglx USE flag above can be ignored if you do not use AIGLX. Reinstall Xorg to be on the safe side. Please note a xorg.conf file can be found at the end of this post. Alternatively when Xorg has finished compilation xorgcfg can be executed to generate a simple configuration. Then the key components can be added to it. To enable 3D acceleration,

Section "dri"

Mode    0666

EndSection

Make sure that the following lines are present in the config file under the section Modules,

Section "Module"

Load "dri"

Load "drm"

Load "glx"

...

EndSection

The video driver radeon is specified next,

Section "Device"

Identifier  "ATI Radeon"

VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"

Driver      "radeon"

Option      "DRI"     "true"

...

EndSection

Now all that needs to be done is set the OpenGL implementation to the correct one.

Once X is all set (feel free to use the configuration files found below), open an Xterm or Konsole (oh yea KDE) and run glxinfo. DRI should be enabled and can be confirmed by,

Good luck !!

My configuration files for reference,

/etc/portage/package.keywords/xorg-x11

/etc/portage/package.keywords/core

/etc/X11/xorg.conf

Has this colony evolved into pornography addicted, Isr@ël loving maniacs ? NO, then why would the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) want to annoy the happy user base of their Internet service. Perhaps they want to protect the youth of tomorrow from reading up on breast cancer and corrupt their young minds.

Irrespective of whatever their reasons might be, the TRA has decided to re-implement the proxy based censorship in all these areas.

According to them,

“Unlike etisalat, [Tecom] does not use a proxy server that can prohibit access to undesirable sites such as those featuring pornography.“However, as part of the process to allow du to provide internet services beyond these zones, the TRA will introduce a uniform proxy server across the UAE.”

Apparently now we all will stop looking at haraam and become good devout citizens (denizens). Somehow I really doubt it when all someone has to do to bypass the proxy is google for SSH port redirection; and that my dear telecommunications industry is a method that you can never ever restrict.

Good luck in regulating the industry TRA.

After considerable thought I decided to enter the selection process for the MBA program in the Dubai campus of SP Jain. At first I thought it would be absolute hell considering they choose only 200 students a year out of the 2000 students that apply for the course. And upon reading blog posts of other candidates who underwent a similar selection process it sounded tiring. However I decided to go for it.

The selection was a three tiered one, similar in structure to the graduate recruitment process I underwent at Citigroup. There was to be a written examination, followed by a Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

Once I confirmed from students that the written examination was just like the one in the GMAT examinations the task was simplified greatly. Now all I had to do was familiarize myself with he format of the examination. There could be no better book to do this with than the great Princeton Review study books. Upon going through them with sufficient detail I came to know what was expected of me. This greatly helped in the examination as I could circumvent the common mistakes people often make in such examinations, I also saved a lot of precious time by not needing to read the explanation on how to answer each section.

Apparently dress code plays a major factor and required me to wear a pretty formal suit along with a tie. Usually I would think this to be silly as the majority of the crowd attending the institution are very informally dressed and anything but posh in appearance. But considering the only guys who were selected in my batch wore suits (me and another dude).

Now the written test seemed pretty easy, with me completing my strong points first. The General Knowledge (last section in the question paper) and the English grammar correction sections seemed to be the easiest and were tackled first. After that came the data sufficiency which included some mathematical questions. At first I seemed concerned that I seemed to have completed the written test way before everyone but after throughly checking all sides of the question paper I was satisfied. We were allocated 90 minutes to complete this stage.
Upon completion of the written test I handed in both the question and answer sheets only to receive another question paper in return for it !!! This consisted of two essay questions, something that was familiar to me again.

The second part of the written examination required me to answer why I wanted to undertake his course and the other asked me to describe a problem I faced at some point in my life and how I overcame it, now I think they would prefer if a work related situation was described here. We were given 20 minutes to answer each essay question.
After the second part of the written examination we were given a 30 minute break. I met the other guys who were in the selection process with me outside the campus during this time. Most of the guys were all undergraduates from India and there were two others who were pretty qualified. One was a guy who had worked for the past year half at Infosys and seemed a pretty smart dude. The other was someone who had completed his Msc and MBA in IT management after his degree course and now was here to do his MBA in something I dont remember; this guy seemed pretty full of himself though he seemed to know his stuff.

After our lunch break came the personal interview. This time there were only five of us guys and two mallu chicks (looks like the hot arab chick and the other mallu boy got sent back till her test results came in). This was a fairly quick process with the dean Mr. Jain verifying our credentials (by merely scanning the application form) and repeating the essay question asking us why we wished to undergo the MBA course.

The group discussion session started after a long wait. The wait was primarily due to the slow and delayed arrival of some huge mallu chick in a saree. We were then told that the topic for group discussion was “Is India an emerging country?“, that we could speak for and against the topic. Everyone being Indian’s obviously went for the topic and spoke positive points on the topic. According to me I absolutely excelled in this stage. I put forward several positive points and topics for discussion. In fact every time the group fumbled for points I took the initiative and gave someone or the other something to analyze. The best thing I possibly did was keep track of time and when I sensed that our time was approaching an end, I addressed the entire group and asked them to summarize our topic of discussion and the content we described. We then concluded to reflect our point of view. This stage probably took 20 minutes or so.

Needless to say I was accepted to undertake this course. Starting this January 2007 I will be joining the Singapore campus of SP Jain to start my course. After six months I will then transfer to the Dubai campus of SP Jain to complete this course.

I guess I am looking forward to going to Singapore though I doubt I will have any real time to have any fun. Yay to going to another exotic city I guess ?

It is always an experience when you go someplace new and the transition period from which you pick and apprecaite both cultures and learn a moderate lifestyle. Yes it is a life altering experience and you face reality as it, raw and bitter. Meeting people from all walks of life and backgrounds is what University life is all about and that is what makes the difference when you study away from home, far from any shelter you had previously been offered.

Good bye’s have always been hard and that is exactly what I encountered when I met my friends from Middlesex this Saturday (7th October 2006). There happened to be quite a few people I knew, which was quite unexpected. I was originally going for JO’s farewell party with her girlfriend M to Spain forever but there happened to be AM, RN, AB, LY, E which was quite a surprise. They all got to meet D too and very much liked her.

The only thing stopping me from going back home is the Viva for my Msc final project. Once that is over tommorow (11th October 2006) I will be off. My flight leaves tommorow and by tommorow this time I would be in the air.

It ended up being dad who sorted out D’s accomodation in Dubai, how sweet is that. She is visiting me in Dubai one day after I reach there and is spending ten days with me which should be fun. Though she wants to goto Hatta and Al Ain and see all the remote spots which for some reason she likes. I blame the Lonely Planet - Dubai book for that !
No one can predict the future and nothing can be said what no one has seen. But one thing I am sure about, whatever it is I am looking forward to it. After all it cannot be too bad to be back and live in Dubai. Home Sweet Home ? As I said before it is Dubai and the question mark with its degree of uncertainity is very important.

I never have quite figured out why the se*ual urges of men and women differ so much. And I never have figured out the whole Venus and Mars thing. And I never figured out why men think with their head and women think with their heart. And I never yet have figured out how the se*ual desire gene gets thrown into a state of turmoil when it hears the words “I do.”

One evening last week, my wife and I were getting into bed. Well, the passion starts to heat up, and she eventually says, “I don’t feel like it. I just want you to hold me.” I said, “WHAT???”

So she says the words that I and every husband on the planet dread. She explains that I must not be in tune with her emotional needs as a woman. I’m thinking, “What was her first clue?” I finally realize that nothing was going to happen that night, so I went to sleep.

The very next day, we went shopping at a big, unnamed department store. I walked around with her while she tried on three different, very expensive outfits. She could not decide which one to take, so I told her to take all three of them. She then tells me that she wants matching shoes worth $200.00 a pair to which I say OK. And then we go to the jewellery department where she gets a pair of diamond earrings.

Let me tell you. She was so excited. She must have thought that I was one wave short of a shipwreck, but I don’t think she cared. I think she was testing me when she asked for a tennis bracelet because she does not even play tennis. I think I threw her for a loop when I told her that it was OK. She was almost se*ually excited from all of this, and you should have seen her face when she said, “I’m ready to go to the cash register.”

I could hardly contain myself when I blurted out, “No, honey, I don’t feel like buying all this stuff now.” You should have seen her face. It went completely blank. I then said, “Really, honey, I just want you to HOLD this stuff for a while.”

And just when she had this look like she was going to kill me, I added, “You must not be in tune with my financial needs as a man.”

I figure that I won’t be having s*x again until some time after the Spring of 2008 but godammit it was worth it.

Borrowed from Antti Brax.