Vista SP1 and VMware Server 1.0.5…

Anyone following my tweets last night would know I installed Vista SP1 and VMware Server 1.0.5 last night.

While I was doing the Oracle workshops I didn’t really want to mess with my laptop much, but now I’m having a right good rummage.

The Windows Vista SP1 installation took about 45 minutes and didn’t report any problems. Since the install I’ve seen no problems. My AntiVirus software (AVG) works without complaint. My VPN software (Checkpoint) is happy as Larry. The box still talks to my Linux boxes and my NAS, which is a Linux appliance using Samba. So all in all it worked out OK, considering the various worry mongering going on in the press.

Remember, this is one laptop being used by a computer gumby. I’m not suggesting it’s safe for your whole organization to go Vista ans SP1. I just thought it was worth a mention.

While I was waiting for the SP1 installation I thought I’d give VMware Server 1.0.5 a go on my Linux (CentOS 5) server. It installed fine, and apart from having to update my VMware tools on each VM, everything ran as before. There doesn’t seem to be anything new compared to 1.0.4, probably just bug fixes, but I guess the big change will be when version 2.0 comes out of beta.

Once the SP1 installation was complete I put the new version of VMware Server on my laptop and it worked fine there also.

So it was a pretty successful evening, considering the devastation that could have resulted. 🙂

Cheers

Tim…

Vista is dead. Long live CentOS…

I’ve been using Vista on my Laptop for a few months, and I’ve tried hard to like it, but the truth is it annoys the hell out of me. This weekend I wiped off all traces of Vista and installed CentOS 5 (x86_64). At last some calm has returned to my world. There will be a couple of applications I will miss, but for the most part it feels like I’ve returned home.

Just for the hell of it, I’ve installed a Vista virtual machine, but I doubt I’ll use it much. If I’m ever forced to use a Windows application I think I’ll run it on an XP virtual machine and avoid the constant barrage of, “Are you sure?” questions.

Cheers

Tim…

Oracle Database 10g for Windows Vista…

I’ve been on holiday for a few days, so this latest release passed me by.

Oracle Database 10g Downloads

Cheers

Tim…

PS. Please don’t ask me for help installing Oracle on Vista. I’ve never done it and I don’t plan on trying. Instead I would advise you use VMware Server or Virtual Box to run Oracle on Oracle Enterprise Linux. A much neater solution in my opinion.

WordPress, Karate and other stuff…

WordPress 2.1.2 is out. It fixes a big security flaw. Upgrade now!

On Saturday I went on my first Karate course since the knee operation. It consisted of a 1.5 hour session, an hour break, then a 2 hour session. I wasn’t exactly a superstar, but I survived and the knee is still intact. Onwards and upwards.

Kevin Closson’s blog post on Quad-Cores and Oracle licensing is thought provoking, especially the line, “could it be that SE will start to be the preferred multi-core edition?” I’m sure there are plenty of people out there using Enterprise Edition when they could get by with Standard Edition. Perhaps this will swing the decision in the short term. Only time will tell.

Windows Vista is still making people say WOW for the wrong reasons (Falling into the Vista trap). Of course, Slashdot readers have the sort of unbiased reaction you would expect to this article. 🙂

Cheers

Tim…

Fame, Fortune and Random Things…

Fame and Fortune

Someone just mailed me to say I’m in the Peer-to-Peer section of the latest Oracle Magazine, with two guys nobody has ever heard of… 🙂

I’ll use this as a stepping stone to get my first movie role, then branch out into a music career, quickly followed by a clothing line and a his/hers aftershave/perfume line. Then, after becoming a billionare I’ll start to doubt my own ability and turn to drugs as a way of hiding my insecurities. During this time, I’ll probably do a little shoplifting, just as a cry for help. Finally, after making a number of failed attempts at rehab, I’ll clean up my act, do a comeback tour and win an Oscar for playing a has-been star who’s trying to kick a drug habit. And to think, it all started with one mention in the Peer-to-Peer section of Oracle Magazine…

Random Things (Like it could get any more random than the last paragraph…)

I nearly got wasted by a big white van this morning. On my way to work I have to drive through Spaghetti Junction and at one point, a sliproad merges into the main carraigeway on a curve. The white van driver obviously wasn’t looking, because he pulled right across and nearly smashed me into a concrete wall. Fortunately, I slammed on my anchors, and just before we were going to hit he noticed me and jerked back onto the sliproad. I felt like I needed a defibrilator for the next few minutes. They say you should do something that scares you every day. That’s today sorted! 🙂

I got the Checkpoint Secure Remote beta software installed on my Vista laptop. It seems to work fine, so that’s a relief.

I’ve bought Parallels as a replacement VMware Server, which currently doesn’t work with Vista. There are a couple of cosmetic things I don’t like about Parallels, but it works and it’s cheap. I don’t know if I’ll stick with it, or switch back when VMware get their act together.

I’m having a love-hate relationship with Vista so far. I’ve not spent that much time using it yet, but I can tell you a couple of things:

  • The searchable menu is great. It doesn’t just search the menu, it displays executables and sub-options of groups like Control Panel or Computer Management. Once you start using it there’s no turning back.
  • The amount of confirmation dialogs required for simple tasks is nuts. I use a login with an account type of Administrator, yet when I want to delete a folder I get the regular confirmation message, followed by one telling me I need Administrator privileges to perform this action, and asking me if I want to proceed. Finally, I get the User Access Control (UAC) confirmation, which blanks the screen when it pops up the dialog. This last one looks a bit like the machine has crashed at first. I tried turning off the UAC, but this makes the red shield appears in the task bar and bubbles constantly pop up saying “Danger Will Robinson”, so I turned it back on. It seems a little over the top. Perhaps I will figure all of this out once I use it a bit more. 🙂
  • The networking on Vista seems a little funky. Connections to Samba shares and other windows machines seem eratic, or impossible. I’ve seen some posts on the net about it, so I’ll have to spend some time reading and playing. So far, I’ve not got a connection to my NAS, which is a pain.

Cheers

Tim…