exFAT vs exFAT!

No exFATThe interoperable file system that is nearly impossible to interoperate.  Introduced in 2006 by Microsoft, it eventually gained compatibility from XP to Windows 10.  Apple introduced support in 10.6.5.  Even Linux got to play thanks to Fuse.  It turns out that any reasonable sized drive prepared in windows will not be compatible with Mac and unable to mount. This is because Apple’s implementation of exFAT requires less then 1048576 bytes per cluster, where as Windows varies it’s cluster size depending on the capacity of the volume.  Best advise for mac people is to format it on windows, but set the block size to 1024. Can we get a new file system now please?

Modernizing a lifebook from 2003 with Lubuntu

Lubuntu 11.04 My doc was a bit confused about the age of this computer when he gave it to me to setup.  We spoke about a 5 year old laptop. It turned out to be a beast from 2003: a Lifebook n series by Fujitsu.  I’ve always said that Fujitsu must be run by a supervillain or at the very least, a rebel billionaire.  They make industrial equipment and infrastructure, while at the same time making laptops and other select home electronics.  Like someone just wanted their ideal laptop and then as an afterthought sold it as a product.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to disparage Fujitsu in any way.  Quite the opposite in fact.  I have relied on their hard drives for my most precious data and their Lifebooks have always been some of the best out there.  The fact that this 13+ year old laptop is operating with all original parts and a working battery is testament to Fujitsu’s commitment to quality.

My first clue was the XP sticker.  I decided to go with Lubuntu, a minimized variant on the popular Ubuntu Linux.  Ubuntu is a wonderful distribution, especially for those new to Linux, but it’s built on top of Debian, so it’s not just for beginners.  For years, I’ve used some of the older (still supported) Ubuntu versions for old machines.   I hate to see workin computers fail because of a lack of software support.  Thanks to the good people at Lubuntu, Ubuntu, GNU/Linux, this is a thing of the past. This guy is running all the latest in security and cryptographic technology, a fully modern web browser and a full suite of productivity software fully compatible with the latest MS Office.

 

Retired my router after nearly a decade of service

My router/firewall for years, NitrogenFor nearly 10 years, all my home internet traffic has flowed through the capable interfaces of Nitrogen.  Through the years linux routing grew increasingly more powerful, but this little Dimension PC did not.  It’s 700Mhz Celeron CPU and PCI network interfaces (literally nothing onboard) had always met my needs.  However in these times of ever increasing speeds, i began to wonder.  After a few pesky error messages, “eth0: Too much work at interrupt” i knew it was time for an upgrade.  From ipfwadm through ipchains, and eventually to iptables, this unit continued to teach me the linux kernel firewall.   QOS, Network monitoring, intrusion detection, even Tor’s anonymous proxy relay, we’d been through it all together.  What am i going to do with him now? Replaced with a newer (but far from new) PC.  Rebuilt from the ground up to be tighter, faster, and i don’t even mind saying… prettier.  Now i have Phosphorus.  Nitrogen will receive the most honorable sendoff i can give it.  To be stripped of its few remaining useful parts and recycled.  No moment of silence for this one.  It was recognized with a 5 minute internet blackout.  While i reset my cable modem.

Android on iPhone!

I knew it would happen, but i didn’t expect it so soon.  great work by @planetbeing!

Oficial info:
http://linuxoniphone.blogspot.com/2010/04/ive-been-working-on-this-quietly-in.html

In this example, Android runs under linux, but android is already designed to run in a sort of virtual environment.  amazing. (This also proves what i’ve been saying all along. iPhones are simply more power then Android phones)