In generating Shodonix images, I did a lot of package alterations, and it turns out that Ghemical 2.01 had been updated to 2.10 - but in updating the package, a couple libraries updated that broke Intel i810 graphics chip support - which might not be too horrible, but many many educational institutions go for the educational specials when buying workstations, and they tend to have integrated graphics chips, and those are often the Intel i810 line. So, I had to back up to 1.03, then reupdate the CD, which this time included yanking Ghemical. It’s not a vital package, and frees-up space for other applications in the future.

So, in case you ever decide to customize a Knoppix CD, and you have a ‘normal’ PC with integrated Intel graphics, be sure you don’t break the support for the chip.

Posted by wmyers as news, work, projects at 3:31 PM EDT

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I’ve begun work on a new OSS project. I know projects like PEAR DB and DBI exist as application development tools to hide the underlying database from the application developer - but it seems like not many people use them, and I don’t like their overhead. So, I started working on a PHP Database Abstraction Layer which is viewable in its current incarnation here: datente.com/dal.phps.

Any database-driven PHP projects I do in the future I plan to build on top of this DAL.

Posted by wmyers as Uncategorized at 4:04 PM EDT

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Yep, another series of software updates have been called for, and Shodonix 1.04 is already out. We’re working on a new initial boot splash image, but otherwise, the CD is ready for workshop use.

My supervisor pointed out last week that “I bet you didn’t think you’d be maintaining a Linux distro when you started”, and he was right. Far from the initial idea I had to just stick all the requested tools on a CD (in Mac and Windows formats), and then bring the CD but run stuff from it using existing machines, the project morphed into “let’s customize a Knoppix iso”, and then into “let’s make this really cool, with custom graphics, lots of extra tools, and… oh yeah: document it so that we can continue to maintain it in the future”.

Nope, I hadn’t planned on maintaining a Linux distro when I started here, nor even when I started back this summer. Strange how things go sometimes. Admittedly, the distro is just to be used in-house, but it’s still pretty cool, and I can now do it for anyone that needs/wants a customized CD.

Posted by wmyers as projects, personal at 2:05 PM EDT

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