January 23, 2012

Benedict Stein (Mailman)

Wireless network

Today Nozuko learned about wireless networks for her first time. Wpa 802.11 ISR configuration that's all new to her, but essential before we proceed with internet sharing solutions which partly depend on wireless bridges and a 3g modem.



January 18, 2012

Sara Kazemi (PySoy)

Hooray!

I've been taking 20mg of Lexapro now for a few days and I feel so much better. This is despite being more stressed lately due to the anticipation of teaching for the first time (by the way, the first day went great). Hooray! I also got in for free counseling with one of the therapists at school. Things are looking up!

I was worried about the first day of teaching, especially since my mood had not been improving on 15mg of Lexapro so I got an emergency prescription of Ativan. I tested it out a week ago because I tend to have anxiety about taking new medications. I brought it with me to my first day of teaching but didn't take it and I felt fine. I was only nervous a bit before, but once I started teaching, it was pretty natural.

Benedict Stein (Mailman)

Hilltop Hardware Donations

For those of you who don't know who I'm working for, I've created a small presentation showing some parts around Hilltop Empowerment Center. If someone wants to use this presentation to present it, embed it somewhere else or share it, feel free to do so, but take care of the "© benste CC NC SA" which is explained in the footer of my Blog.


Creating and restoring partitons with partimage

Our idea
  • Use partimage to run a command which will create and or restore a image of a local partition on a different local partition
  •  Move this process to be stored on a local server and accessible for many PCs in one room

Benefits of using partimage

Can easily restore images on client computers locally or from a server, which could reverse damage caused by viruses if properly executed

Run Debian Rescue - a system which is preinstalled on our computers and has got partimage installed

Login into the Shell

Execute the following to create a new Image
partimage -dob -z1 save /dev/<partition> <imagename>
-z = compression from 0 to 2
-d = Don't ask for any description of the image file
-o = overwrite existing files without confirmation
-b = Batch Mode - GUI won't wait for user interaction

=(e.g. hda1) 
=(e.g. winxp_lynx)

Restoring an image of a local partition on a different local partition

Execute the following command
partimage -db restore /dev/ <imagename>

January 16, 2012

Benedict Stein (Mailman)

Another day in the workshop

'Working hard' that's what nozuko said after i unscrewed her 15 harddrives to be cloned. At least we're now working more efficient using a kvm which connects 4 pcs to one screen and mouse. Especially when starting a cloning process of the whole harddrive which takes up to an hour.

In addition one of the villagers came in today to register for a new class for becoming a technican. Looks like we might start another round after we're done with the current installation of schools









January 13, 2012

Benedict Stein (Mailman)

Kartoffel ... eine Variation

Vor ein paar Tagen bekam ich von meinen Großeltern eine Email mit einem Rezept für Kartoffelwurst nach einem Familienrezept.
Wie sich herrausgestellt hat konnten wir leider beim Nachahmen einige Zutaten nicht finden so, dass wir uns schließlich mit einer Variation sehr entzückt zufrieden gaben...

für mindestens 6 Personen + Schulversorgung am nächsten Tag :)
  • 3kg Kartoffeln = 1 Waschbecken voll
  • 550 g Mehl = 5 Becher (übersetzt mit flour und NICHT meal !)
  • 100g Haferflocken entspricht einem Becher "oats"
  • 500g Zwiebeln, die wir mit 4 großen Zwiebel abgeschätzt haben
  • 200g Blutwurst → ersetzt durch eine Packung "Boere Wors"
  • 240g Eier ~= 5 Eier
  • 50g Salz = eine Hand voll
  • 20g Muskat → ersetzt durch BBQ Spices, da kein "nutmeg" vorhanden war
Außerdem sollte man eine ordentliche Menge Spaß sowie mindestens bei der Menge einen halben Liter Öl einplanen.










Irgendwie erinnerte es mich an Reibekuchen...
Ach ja warum die Umrechnungen - ganz einfach hier gibts keine Wage - traditionell sind hier alle Rezepte wenn es überhaupt welche aufgeschrieben gibt - in Cups ¼Cups und ½Cups, also in Bechern angegebn.

Todays work

We got a whole lot of pcs and screens back from peddi today because unfortuneatly they need to use the computer room as a classroom since of today. Preparing different shipments for installation we're squeezing components and testing. Of course everything with only 43'C.





January 11, 2012

Sara Kazemi (PySoy)

vlog

That cold really lingered for awhile. I was sick for over a week. I think my mood may finally be improving now that I have more things to do and people to do it with. I've been planning my Ling 101 class with the other grad student who is teaching another section of it.

I've also started working in The Agoraphobia Workbook and have started a vlog to document my experiences with that: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpeakOutDontFreakOut

Benedict Stein (Mailman)

Back to work

After having awesome holidays we're back to work.
To be honest i started yesterday organizing screens for one of our new screens and supporting our proposal to install computers in another school who's new principal is desperate for getting 30 sets installed.

As we're running low on screens and powercords we had to buy new southafrican plugs for R8 each.
Now we're just done doing 50 plugs of which each connects to one pc and a screen.
I've checked all of them which was necessary because we got really tired doinmg them in that heat.
After the thunderstorm this morning we ended up having a very sunny day. ~35'C in the shade + appx. 70percent humidity.

I really can't wait to get to a cool Milan (Italy) for a conference end of February.