IT Thread

[stonehenge]

I think someone on the lab team here is using the microsoft stuffs. He got the image ready for everyone but then we found out that PCs that were built with that image wouldn't join our linux domain but they'd join any of our Windows domains. Even with a vanilla W7 image. So its doing something weird and he's trying to figure it out.

[theholycow]

Did you try comparing wireshark captures to see what's different?

[stonehenge]

I'm pretty sure he did. I don't remember what he found out from that but he's pretty sure it has to be something in the registry because all settings for the network connection, domain, IP, etc, etc are correct. We even have an LMHosts in place that tells it where the domain is. Not sure wtf is going on.

A vanilla install from a disc on the same computers works fine. But a vanilla created with their imaging thing won't.



---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

Oh and this is unrelated but Windows 8 looks ratard. The new flat look that replaces Aero is nice but the Metro UI crap is stupid for a laptop or desktop. Who wants to slide the whole screen up to "unlock" their desktop/laptop and use gestures and shit? Oh and lets get rid of the Start Menu and replace it with fgt tiles and apps on a side scrolling pane.

Looks great for a touch screen device but as soon as I get my hands on the ISO through work, I'll be looking into a way to get rid of that shit.

[theholycow]

I know a surefire way to avoid that bullshit. Don't use Windows 8. Microsoft keeps pushing awful changes on us because we all remain good sheep and bend over to let them ram it up our poop chutes. Office 2007's ribbon would be ok if the menu bar could still be enabled. Vista/7/2008/2008R2's Explorer sucks, it's slow and they removed the Up button. 7/2008R2's gratuitous changes to stuff like the printer control panel just plain suck. Metro's gonna suck. Metrosexual OS

Instead, use an older version or use Linux. My home computer runs XP, and the only reason I'm considering Vista/7 is because of the ability to set I/O priority...in XP if a program thrashes the hard disk then all other programs suffer and there's no way to reign it in.

Google provides this, if you must use Windows 8:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/win...tart-menu/6232

I guess if I end up on 8, I might do something like that or I might install a 3rd party launcher...there will certainly be many attempting to fill that niche.

[stonehenge]

I actually like W7 quite a bit but it took me a while to abandon XP. If I can find a way to disable the metro crap right away then I'll give W8 a try. Although I may W8 (get it "wait" badum-tss) to actually use it on my desktop at home.

I found a registry hack somewhere that should work. You change a key from 0 to 1 and the metro crap disappears. But I think that was on the dev preview, not sure if it will still work on the final release. We'll see.

[theholycow]

I'm probably actually going to end up putting Linux on my home computer like I should have been doing for a while now...might dual boot or just remote to work for necessary Windows apps that won't run in wine. My computer isn't powerful enough for useful virtualization.

[chevyrado14]

i have a quick question. i have adobe acrobat x on my work pc. they gave me an activation code to use but every time i open anything it asks me for the code again. any ideas why it wont stick? i have admin access if i need to re install or something.

[stonehenge]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I'm probably actually going to end up putting Linux on my home computer like I should have been doing for a while now...might dual boot or just remote to work for necessary Windows apps that won't run in wine. My computer isn't powerful enough for useful virtualization.

If you do run Linux, I recommend Linux Mint. Or if you try something like Ubuntu or Fedora then make sure you install Gnome 2 or some other traditional GUI because the new version of Gnome and Ubuntu's Unity are both.. meh.. they seem touchscreen focused like Metro.

I can't run Linux on my home computer because I use it for gaming. Not much gaming can be done on Linux. Our laptop goes back and forth from Linux to Windows regularly when I'm bored haha and I have a Mac at work.

Originally Posted by chevyrado14

i have a quick question. i have adobe acrobat x on my work pc. they gave me an activation code to use but every time i open anything it asks me for the code again. any ideas why it wont stick? i have admin access if i need to re install or something.

Hmm do you login with the admin account or do you just have credentials to use when needed? Either way you could try running Acrobat as an admin (right click > run as admin) and enter the code and see if it sticks. Not sure though, I've never had to use Acrobat.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Juan!

If you do run Linux, I recommend Linux Mint. Or if you try something like Ubuntu or Fedora then make sure you install Gnome 2 or some other traditional GUI because the new version of Gnome and Ubuntu's Unity are both.. meh.. they seem touchscreen focused like Metro.

That sounds like teh gayzorz. If I go Ubuntu I'll probably use Kubuntu, back when I used to use Linux a lot more I preferred KDE over Gnome...Gnome was too eyecandyey, KDE was all business (like Aero vs. "disable visual effects"). For me, KDE always worked intuitively and did everything I needed.

You've mentioned Mint before. Another friend is a big fan of Arch.

I see there's a KDE edition of Mint.

Not sure which direction I would want to go...Descriptions of Arch and Mint are polar opposites, with Arch appealing to the old-school Slackware user in me and Mint appealing to the lazy user who doesn't want to be arsed with making stuff work that could be done automatically.

Most likely I'll just be lazy and stick with XP.

---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------

Now that we're talking aboot it, it's making me think I ought to play with a livecd...

[stonehenge]

KDE is pretty nice too, I just like Gnome. Luckily I don't think the newest version of KDE has done anything stupid like Gnome/Unity/Metro.

I've heard good things about Arch, but like you said it can take some work to get it setup how you want. Mint just works. Comes with codecs, drivers, even flash/firefox/java installed from the get go. So mash easy.

[theholycow]

Torrenting Mint 13 KDE livecd nao. Prolly won't try it, but if I do get the itch, I'll have the ISO ready.

[stonehenge]

I downloaded the Cinnamon version a couple weeks ago, just installed it to a VM this morning to play with a little. Cinnamon is a GUI that the Mint guys made because they didn't like where Gnome was going. It's eyecandyish like Gnome and has a ton of themes you can download but they also want to keep it fairly minimal and easy to navigate. I'm gonna play with the VM for a while and probably throw it on the craptop at some point.

[theholycow]

Any suggestion for remote access? I'm spoiled by how smooth and clean RDP is with Windows, DNW to use VNC. I do all my shit like AOT and such from my home computer even when I'm at work.

[stonehenge]

Not really :/ all the remote stuff we do with our linux boxes here is done via ssh which obviously won't work to browse lol

I've never really looked into it but I think VNC is your only choice.

[chevyrado14]

Originally Posted by Juan!

Hmm do you login with the admin account or do you just have credentials to use when needed? Either way you could try running Acrobat as an admin (right click > run as admin) and enter the code and see if it sticks. Not sure though, I've never had to use Acrobat.

i have access to the admin account and i have logged in as admin and did the code but it still didnt stick. maybe i need to try a fresh install.

[MikeH]

How can I extended my wireless range, signal is shit on the far side of the house. I have an extra router already if that helps.

[stonehenge]

I haven't had to mess with it but you may be able to setup the extra router as a repeater or access point. That or buy an extender/repeater

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[MikeH]

It has dd-wrt, or at least one of them does.

[stonehenge]

then you SHOULD be able to make it into a repeater/accesspoint/extender somehow but I haven't done it

[MikeH]

How? Maybe cao has teh answer

[stonehenge]

this looks like what you need

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Bridged

[MikeH]

will watch video when I get home and hope it makes sense

[stonehenge]

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[theholycow]

Only bridging I know besides purpose made wifi extenders is Repeater or bridging mode in some routers. Looks like ddwrt can handle it.

[JayBo]

What I'm really looking for is something like a user profile. I can make desktop look like I want, etc. When computer boots, it loads that image, or profile. whatever it's called.

So when I have to say for instance, add a printer. I don't have to do it 30/60/90 times. I can just do it once.