I’ve taken on a Fujitsu LifeBook B3010D as a side-project, since I want an ultraportable computer to take around instead of my trusty MacBook. One troublesome aspect is that there is no built-in CD-ROM or floppy drive, and the BIOS doesn’t support booting from a USB stick either.
Going from Windows XP to Ubuntu 10.04 the first time was pretty easy; I just used UNetbootin and followed the instructions with little fuss.
But after adding some applications that locked up the computer shortly before displaying the login screen — effectively locking me out of the system — I didn’t know how to roll back and reinstall Ubuntu. Most instructions relied on being able to boot from a Live CD to fix things, and obviously I didn’t have that option.
“Netboot Install From Internet” HOWTO wiki page had my answer. I was able to (1) use a different computer to download some key files to a USB stick, (2) transfer the files from the USB stick to the /boot directory using the rudimentary command line available from initrd, (3) reboot and use the grub command line to initiate the netboot installation.
Earlier in the evening, I also tried a more extreme solution with a friend — we pulled the hard drive from the Fujitsu, put it into a Dell machine that could boot from a USB stick, and installed the basic, command-line only Ubuntu system that way.
There are options if you don’t have a system with bootable media. Good luck!
If you’re in San Francisco for Macworld or otherwise hanging out in the area, EFF is throwing a party at DNA Lounge [map] from 8pm to late on Wednesday, January 6, 2009. We’re asking for a $25 donation at the door; it gets you a kick-ass party and more freedom. Also, you’ll be hearing world-class DJs all night — the venerable DJ Spooky is headlining, the Bootie DJs are spinning that night, Kid Kameleon will be hot behind the decks… You might also catch me and my fellow EFF staffer Tones playing some tunes.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is one of the best organizations focused on defending people’s digital rights — and we know how to throw a great party! Join us!
I finally caved and got an Xbox 360 over the winter holiday, allowing me to delve into some of the great gaming I’ve been missing out on lately. Hearing about Left 4 Dead from a friend at work was one factor in the decision to get the console — it’s excellent, non-stop, zombie killing fun, though it essentially requires a pay-for-play XBox Live account to be worthwhile.
Anyway, Left 4 Dead feels dark, scary and authentic, yet it remains eminently playable. Though the polish seems effortless, these features were calculatingly considered and brought to the surface with some very artful techniques. Check out the following blog posts, in which Valve designer Randy Ludeen discusses the “filmic effects” and lighting design that contribute to Left 4 Dead’s quality and success as a game.
Please enjoy the “12 Days of EFF” animation below — ’tis a merry, animated jaunt through some of this years’ milestones in the fight for your digital rights.
This dialog box popped up when I tried to watch an IT Crowd DVD from the UK. (By the by, IT Crowd is hilarious and awesome; if you’re even the least bit geek-inclined, you will probably be rewarded should you make the bit of effort required to watch it if you’re not in the UK.)
I didn’t quite expect that I would be allowed to watch the DVD, but I also wasn’t counting on being given the option to change my computer’s region code. Not that this makes me happy — region codes are just another bullshit way that Hollywood tries to control culture in the name of profit.
tech activist, information addict, game dork