tumbleweed

Just a thought, but with 'date-named' files, I always tend to use the ISO recommendations, most significant part first. So, today could be something like 2010-11-15--Monday.bkf Makes it easier to scan directories, script housekeeping, etc.

[Kahvi Collective Audio Sculptors - 0b11111011010 V3]

on thinstation.org, look for the ts-o-matic link, and use the UK one - I seem to remember this is how we started - you get the options to include drivers for any specific hardware. Then in the build files, you can specify the server to connect to, etc. The only lines we bothered with were, I believe, SESSION_0_TITLE= SESSION_0_RDESKTOP_SERVER= SCREEN_RESOLUTION="1280x1024" - OK for 19", or use "1024x768" for most 15" screens. NET_HOSTNAME=nnnTHIN-* - 1st three characters to reflect room, so we can identify them on server. NET_DNS1= NET_DNS2=< ditto > build, then download from the 'syslinux' tab. On an existing linux box of some sort, attach a harddrive and follow the instructions to transfer a bootable system onto it. Transfer disk to target system and boot - once OK, we used clonezilla to capture that state, and make further machines simple to create. Hope this helps, I'm certainly not an expert, but it got us going ... I think you can setup samba access to allow remote editting of config files, but we just used a linux usb stick (puppy or ubuntu) and editted them locally whenever necessary.

How to change the Volume Licensing product key on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 1 and later versions of Windows XP shows a simple VBScript to update it, which should work OK as a machine startup script.

Don't stick together for the kids - my parents did, it wasn't a happy place - to say the least. She's dead now, he's alone & unwell and we struggle to have much sympathy for him. I've been left struggling with relationships, currently on anti-depressants, and now my partner, step-daughter & son are moving out. But, I've just done an excellent short course on depression, and can see a brighter future - surely part-time access to a happy child isn't that bad an outcome ! Don't EVER top yourself - any child would prefer 2 parents who happen to live apart, than a dead dad and a miserable mum. BUT, if you ever got to that stage - don't involve innocent strangers, that just spreads the trauma - I know people who pick up the bits off the M6 & railway! Woo, that was a bit heavy - but shows we all have stuff to deal with. Hometime. Go see if you can spot Mars & Saturn in the sky tonight ...

Builders merchant - plastic guttering brackets !

try disconnecting the optical drive, had one recently which just sulked ...

Google USBDLM

I've had something very similar due to proxy problems ...

I've got a SATA/IDE to usb kit, which includes a power adapter that takes standard kettle lead, and has both sata and molex power outputs - attach a splitter onto the molex, and hey presto you can power a couple of case fans. The PSU is a 'flypower SPP34', no doubt there are other similar ones out there.

R2 is 64-bit only - so you could upgrade if you're on a 64-bit OS to start with, otherwise it's start from scratch.

tiddlywiki in a dropbox folder. Put in the 'public' area for instant www availability - depending on content, etc.

It's not quite what you were talking about, but here's a few lines I used last week to get a backup job tidying up after itself ... net use Z: \DELETE net use Z: \\server\share forfiles /P Z: /M "*.BKF" /D -21 /C "CMD /C DEL @FILE"

Hi, we've used thinstation a bit, I recently had it on some old laptops which worked fine in our office, but wouldn't pickup DHCP addresses when out in their classroom. Eventually found it was a spanning tree issue, in that the DHCP client that's part of thinstation was timing out much faster than it does on a windows PC. Went into the relevant switches and dropped most of the spanning tree timer settings down to their minimum values, and we were back in business. We wouldn't want automatic re-connect, as it can get in a connect/disconnect loop that can end up using significant resources on the server end, especially if somebody has got the ESC key pressed down on the thinstation, for example - it often happens with books, bags, etc. just dumped against the machines. Hope this is of use.

A simple one, from the command line :- dsquery user -limit 0 | dsget user -display -upn these two command in combination are a great tool for batch files, etc.

Puppy is another option ..

Like it says - I've used it to identify & disable redundant machine a/c's - also works on users.

Had similar a month ago, on closer inspection the PCI modem card (out in the sticks, can't get broadband) had a neat little hole blown in it. Removed the card and then machine fired up fine !

Free & Simple, worth looking at . Create Recovery Clonezilla

1 Gallon of Beer !

... If memory serves me sufficiently (for once). thats the prog name, not sure of the site ..

Gets my vote - used it a few months ago !

hamachi - software VPN, related to logmein. has win & linux clients. Then you should be able to VNC with ease.

audioworks.co.uk - Northwest based.

Gmail has a 'Get mail from other accounts' option which will use pop3 access to read mail from elsewhere - might be an option ?