IRC log for #gllug on 20100602

05:00.34morsingLeeds!
05:00.58Leedsafternoon...
06:28.21*** join/#gllug Leeds (~richardc@www.scorefive.com)
07:39.00*** join/#gllug morsing (morsing@emil.morsing.cc)
08:18.58*** join/#gllug laptop_hd (~laptop_hd@205.Red-88-26-179.staticIP.rima-tde.net)
08:19.10laptop_hdI have four laptop ide hard drives and using a usb-ide  adapter i want to attach them to my netbook running gnu/linux and try and find out whether they are OK or not. since i am new to gnu/linux what tools shall i use?
08:19.19laptop_hdthe file manager may show the contents of the hard drive but i am not concerned about the data they currently hold. i just want to find out whether there is current  or impending hardware failure i should know about
08:19.46laptop_hdsince i can not use smart over USB, is it executing mkfs.ext3 -c  /dev/sdc1 the best thing i can do?
08:19.49laptop_hdi do not want to benchmark anything.  i just want to find out whether there is current  or impending hardware failure i should know about *without* using smart because it does not work over usb
08:20.06laptop_hdi do not have windows nor access to any windows box at the moment
08:21.03Leedsbadblocks?
08:23.47ChoHag$wife repetedly puts the remote on the other chair and the disappears into the house somewhere.
08:24.13ChoHagMost frustrating. I'm currently stuck with watching kids cook and eat bugs
08:24.20laptop_hd<PROTECTED>
08:26.26Leedsdunno, smart is probably better
08:30.39laptop_hdthe problem is that smart does not work over usb
08:40.22*** join/#gllug shai (~Shai@l192-117-110-233.cable.actcom.net.il)
09:04.02Mohannormal webpage.
09:04.23Mohanmorning
09:06.19morsing...?
10:46.01*** join/#gllug shai (~Shai@l192-117-110-233.cable.actcom.net.il)
11:06.20haliany good remote monitoring providers around? i need a semi world wide web site response time monitoring, thinking of DIY-ing it with a bunch of coloboxes in 3-4 locations but may be better to use an service for it
11:06.58ChoHagX lets you specfiy two (or more) keyboard layouts which are cycled through by pressing a key, but lots of X apps have the gay mode enabled whereby only the first listed layout is used.
11:07.51ChoHagApps written by people for whom specs and APIs are probably just confusing jumbles of symbols and nonsense and just poke it until it works.
11:07.55ChoHagFor them.
11:08.12ChoHagThe code equivalent of a web monkey.
11:39.41*** join/#gllug dick_turpin (~dick_turp@host217-34-163-30.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
11:58.57j0nrhello all
11:58.58j0nrhello all
11:59.01j0nroops!
12:43.35dick_turpinAny idea why a USB keyboard would start flashing and then the USB mouse as well as the KB is locked up after a minute or so (After boot) on a Linux system?
12:44.47dick_turpinI know you'll sya look in the error log but a colleague has just rang me about it and he knows nothing about Linux
12:44.52dick_turpinsay
12:49.02morsingWho hates Virgin Media?
12:51.29dick_turpinhttp://www.b3ta.com/links/Lego_printer
12:54.23*** join/#gllug celesteh (~celesteh@sblug/member/celesteh)
12:54.47morsingcelesteh!
12:58.56*** join/#gllug DiscordianUK (~ch@78.145.122.33)
12:58.58*** join/#gllug DiscordianUK (~ch@fedora/DiscordianUK)
13:14.36*** join/#gllug Armand (~me@cpc1-haye14-0-0-cust778.haye.cable.virginmedia.com)
13:21.36*** join/#gllug DiscordianUK (~ch@fedora/DiscordianUK)
13:29.17morsingArmand!
13:29.25Armandmorsing!
13:30.58*** join/#gllug jason_ukfsn (~jason@87-194-208-127.dsl.cnl.uk.net)
13:39.04morsingjason_ukfsn!
13:39.21morsingjason_ukfsn: Is there any worse customer service than Virgin Media's?
13:39.41ArmandYes.. Sky.
13:39.48ArmandOh, and Play.com..
13:39.51ArmandAnd BT..
13:42.56jason_ukfsnmorsing, hi. I really could not say. I don't use Virgin.
13:43.25Armandcan't wait to start pestering Virgin for a 50mb/s connection. :D
13:44.19morsingjason_ukfsn: We've moved house, after being customers for five years, then after two months decided we wanted to leave them but no, moving means new contract (that we haven't seen or signed) and that means being tied in for another 18 months... Reason for wanting to leave was already the worst imaginable customer service
13:44.39morsingArmand: DO NOT GO THERE! You WILL regret being with VM! Just trust me
13:44.44ArmandBS..
13:44.58ArmandNot as much as I regret being forced to use a shitty BT line.
13:45.07morsingArmand: Google "I hate Virgin MEdie " and "Virgin media sucks" if you don't believe me
13:45.22morsingBelieve me, you don't want to go there
13:45.30ArmandYes.. I'll listen to hate-filled propaganda instead.
13:45.39Armand-_-
13:46.07jason_ukfsnmorsing, it's reasonable for them to say that moving means a new contract but 18 months is not reasonable in my view unless you knew you were signing up to an 18 month contract.
13:46.22morsingWell, we now have two phone lines and two Internet lines at home...
13:46.29ArmandAsides from the fact that both my brother and father have VM cable connections, without issues or complaint..
13:46.33morsingjason_ukfsn: We didn't, they never told us
13:46.39jason_ukfsnDo remember however that the contract that is binding upon you is also binding upon them. As you have not seen said contract you can only go upon what is covered by statute and that includes fitness for purpose
13:47.48ArmandThe contract should be transferable.. as it's bound to YOU, not the property.
13:47.54morsingArmand: Before doing it, please just look into it a bit first. Consumers today are much more powerful because of the Internet and search engines, at least look at what others have to say
13:48.04morsingArmand: It's not
13:48.23ArmandAnd, UK contract law states you are entitled to offer 1 months (4 weeks) written notice to terminate a contract.
13:48.23morsingArmand: VM is evil, it's obviously your choice to sign up
13:48.27jason_ukfsnArmand, that's not a reliable assumption. The contract very likely states that it is for supply to $customer at $premises
13:48.28ArmandYes, it is.
13:48.59jason_ukfsnArmand, contract law is not nearly so simple. If it were armies of lawyers would be unemployed.
13:49.09Armandlol.. true.
13:49.29ArmandBesides, there is always "I moved.. *MIDDLE FINGER!*"
13:49.48Armand:P
13:50.04jason_ukfsnmorsing, in what way are VM failing?
13:50.35jason_ukfsnArmand, to which VM can simply reply, "Yes, and we have your new address. Here is a court summons."
13:52.24ArmandHow would they obtain it, without anyone breaking privacy laws ?
13:52.38antiphaseHa ha
13:52.57Armandcourt order, sure.. but that's a tad aggressive.
13:53.02morsingjason_ukfsn: Many things... 80% of the time when you call them, they'll go "Yes, we'll do that" but then ignore them. Called them to arrange moving with more than two months notice, called again a month before to ask to upgrade the Internet line when we were moving. Was told that we'd never told them we were moving so that won't happen for a couple of months. This meant that we were without a connection for five weeks
13:53.06antiphaseThey sell the debt to somewhat less scrupulous people who have many ways to find out anything they want
13:53.40morsingJust before moving we were rung up saying we couldn't have both a moving request and an upgrade request in the system at the same time, which one did we want... wtf?
13:54.02Armandthe last bailiffs that turned up at my dad's house were going the right way to end up in hospital.
13:54.15morsingEnded up eventually having the line installed, having to ring up again for the upgrade and they had to send the engineer out again, after a four week wait
13:55.06morsingDuring all this, my partnher over three months, rang them five times to ask to have me put on the account, yet every time I rang I got "You're not on the list sir". Everytime she rang they said "That's fine, we'll put him on the list
13:56.05morsingThen, one night, phone stopped working, no warning. Oh, by the way, ringing them means waiting ages, someone picking up and speaking to you, then geting cut off.
13:56.13morsingALways...
13:56.32ArmandNever had that..
13:56.46morsingIt turns out a slightly higher bill means cutting phone off no warning, requiring immediate payment but not re-enabling phone for another 24h
13:57.01ArmandO_O
13:57.05morsingSorry, haven't been able to read your comments typing all this...
13:57.29ArmandThey DID cut-off our line ONCE... when my brother rang up £80 in phone calls to ALABAMA!
13:57.34jason_ukfsnNo enabling the phone again for 24 hours sounds like breach of contract to me. Cutting you off without warning is also unreasonable given a phone line is subject to USO.
13:58.30Armandthier contract does state that they will disable a connection if they deem it's activities as "unusual"
13:58.44ArmandSo, £80 to the US.. I can agree with.
13:59.13jason_ukfsnthat's not a reasonable term in the contract. Deeming activity as "unusual" is too vague to be a reasonable term in a consumer contract.
13:59.40ArmandYes, it is vague.. :P
13:59.56jason_ukfsnFrankly anyone who is racking up £80 of international calls on a normal phone line needs to be disconnected so that they learn to use VoIP or an alternative dialing service for decent rates.
13:59.58Armand£80 to 1 number, in another country.. I can accept.
14:00.24Armandthat's why he got his arse kicked.. and I taught him all about Skype and Messenger.
14:00.30cpufreakjason_ukfsn: not really.
14:00.39cpufreaknot possible to use skype when I'm about and about.
14:00.39antiphaseArmand: You got the family brain cell then
14:01.01Armandantiphase: Considered the 2 apps I mentioned.. that's debateable. :P
14:01.21jason_ukfsncpufreak, it's not possible to use your home land line when you are out and about either. It is, however, possible to use an alternative dial service to get decent international rates.
14:01.46cpufreaknot without faffing about.
14:01.58cpufreakeasier to just dial the number
14:02.01morsingcpufreak: No faffing about required
14:02.10ArmandI'm pretty sure the missus can use Skype on her iPhone.. ?_!
14:02.28cpufreakArmand: skype costs more than normal calls when you're aborad
14:02.29ArmandShe's got free internet with her package..
14:02.30cpufreakas its on data.
14:02.37cpufreakand roaming data is insanely expensive.
14:02.42jason_ukfsnI can use skype out and about but I'd rather use VoIP.
14:02.53ArmandOh, for sure.. but we don't go over-seas anyway. :P
14:02.55cpufreakit's more expensive than just dialing the number.
14:02.57cpufreakI do, all the time
14:03.00ArmandAnd, I'd just take the laptop. :)
14:03.23cpufreakI was just pointing out that jason_ukfsn's sweeping statement was silly
14:03.55morsingcpufreak: I think he was talking about being at your home address ringing abroad
14:04.12jason_ukfsnmorsing, you are right.
14:04.38*** part/#gllug dick_turpin (~dick_turp@host217-34-163-30.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
14:04.43jason_ukfsnI would however add that in most cases using the standard tariff of a mobile provider is even worse.
14:05.16jason_ukfsnNote that I am referring to the standard tariff. If you have an international dialling plan it may be a good enough bargain to just dial direct.
14:06.12jason_ukfsnanyway, I'm often silly. It's my one redeeming feature
14:06.14Armandthankfully.. it's not an issue I've ever had to worry about.
14:15.01jason_ukfsnYou've not had to worry about my silliness? You've really missed out then ;)
14:15.08ArmandIndeedy..
14:15.18Armand:P
14:15.37ArmandI gotta go.. the missus wants to buy me some shorts for swimming this weekend. :(
14:17.08cpufreakmorsing: well then he should have said it.
14:17.09jason_ukfsnI was going to tell him he should want his wife wearing something better than shorts
15:21.31*** join/#gllug dick_turpin (~dick_turp@host217-34-163-30.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
15:58.14*** part/#gllug dick_turpin (~dick_turp@host217-34-163-30.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
16:23.56*** join/#gllug ChoHag (~mking@109-170-148-201.xdsl.murphx.net)
17:44.15morsingcpufreak: Idiot
18:46.38ChoHag[freecycle-kingston] OFFER: Huge selection of children ( Thames Ditton )
18:58.47*** join/#gllug flips_and_rails (~stu@cv-kraken.cv.ic.ac.uk)
19:11.49morsingflips_and_rails!
19:45.32*** join/#gllug ChoHag_ (~mking@109-170-148-201.xdsl.murphx.net)

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