Fun with Linux

Spent some time in work today building a new Linux server for imaging PCs and things as the old one has hard drives on the way out. The original machine was an ancient scrap Compaq fitted with a 120gb hard drive and unexpectedly became a very useful machine. The replacement is a decommissioned IBM Xseries server with actual SCSI hard drives, although the built-in SCSI controller only supports RAID 1 in hardware, which is a bit shit really.

Unfortunately this required setting up Samba, which I detest with a passion. It seems to have the most illogical configuration file ever and it never, ever works the way I think it does. Eventually I got it working and reverse engineering the DHCP and PXE boot system that one of my colleagues set up three years ago was trivial by comparison.

Fired up the Wii this evening for the first time in quite a while. Had a go on Wario Ware but that got boring quickly. I need something new to play as I'm bored of everything I've got on the Wii and 360. Lego Batman is getting OK reviews and I really had fun with Lego Star Wars so that might be worth a look. Also loaded up GTA IV but all the reasons why I hate it came flooding back pretty much immediately. I don't think I've ever been let down by a game so much.

AC/DC is one of those bands that somehow manage to get away without changing much about their music even over 15 albums, but somehow it works. Back in Black was the first album I properly listened to that wasn't Michael Jackson and though my innocent 9 year old self completely missed the less salubrious aspects of some tracks, the music completely blew my mind. The track that plays on their website from the new album sounds basically the same, but it's really good. Might treat myself to it when it comes out, conveniently near payday.

The Monstrosity 2 definitely has a use - to learn to play an unlined fretless. It's all well and good having lines but it would be nice to be able to play a completely blank fingerboard.