/dev/chat

mattdm

15:50

Whooo! fedoramagazine.org/announcing-fedora-21

^ blatant promotion!

meh apparently openshift can't handle it. :)

getfedora.org

muru

Does anybody know how prevalent the perl-rename command is on Linux distros? Its available on Ubuntu by default and is called rename, but on Arch I need to install it and is called prename or something similar.

slm

16:28

it's all over the place @muru

meaning it varies

there are different versions as well

we have a lot of Q's here about it

derobert

unix.stackexchange.com/questions/172330/… ... are questions like this on topic, or do they belong on Super User?

Better yet, let me onebox it:

1

Q: Upgrading RAM in my laptop: dmidecode implications

I was thinking about upgrading my laptop's RAM. It currently has a 4096 MB module and a 2048 MB module, which I thought I could replace by an 8 GB module: [root@...] # dmidecode -t 17 # dmidecode 2.12 SMBIOS 2.6 present. Handle 0x001E, DMI type 17, 28 bytes Memory Device Array Handle: 0x001...

Braiam

@derobert nah, is fine here

you writing an answer?

slm

fine to me too

Braiam

16:50

ok, now that I read the question he's asking if manufacturers can fake the DMI table

I'm not sure how is that relevant to us

derobert

@Braiam Nope, I'm not

AFAICT, it's just asking if sometimes the manufacturer's max RAM spec on PC hardware is wrong.

... which doesn't seem to have much to do with Unix/Linux. It's a hardware question.

Braiam

I reread your question, now I believe your title reflect what you want to know. — Braiam 2 mins ago

@Braiam: thanks. :-) — Peque 45 secs ago

> Titile: Is possible for a manufacturer to fake the RAM limit in the DMI table?

derobert

Well, I'm going to suggest Super User to the OP. I'll tell him to flag it for mod attention if he wants it moved.

Your question appears to be more about PC hardware than Linux (the dmidecode command is just displaying data from the BIOS/firmware). You might find the broader community on Super User more knowledgeable about PC hardware questions; if you'd like your question moved there, please use the "flag" link below the tags to flag it for moderator attention, reason other, and ask for a move. [You may also want to search Super User first to see if your question is already answered there.] — derobert 1 min ago

@slm I may have just made more work for you :-P

Braiam

people should put the important part of the question (summary or otherwise) at the start

derobert

17:10

@Braiam what, people shouldn't bury the lede?

Tim

lifehacks.stackexchange.com/users/5/tim :)

I am no. 5!

derobert

17:30

@Tim Don't believe you, it won't let me in :-P

Tim

You can try to create an account via its meta site

Or give me your email address, I can inviete

derobert

@Tim meta doesn't let me in either.

Though I'm guessing that isn't really a SE site I'll use much, so no need for an invite

I can wait for the private beta to end :-P

Tim

i created an acccount on a private beta site, which I wasn't comminited to, at its meta site.

Braiam

@derobert area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/64409/lifehacks/visit

derobert

@Braiam LOL, very secure private beta!

I was going to meta.lifehacks.stackexchange.com and got a cert error... "This server could not prove that it is meta.lifehacks.stackexchange.com; its security certificate is from *.stackexchange.com. This may be caused by a misconfiguration or an attacker intercepting your connection." .... Ummm. WTF, Chromium?

Faheem Mitha

17:38

Hi guys.

It might be time for that vi vs emacs discussion.

derobert

@Tim Mwahaha, now I've posted the first comment on the site! Seriously, the scope of that site must be ridiculously huge

Tim

:)

derobert

Wow, I just looked at area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/64409?phase=definition ... and I have to say, it looks like Lifehacks is best described as a SE site for... questions.

No particular topic, as long as its a question.

Seriously, they let that go to beta, but refuse to allow vim.se?

Tim

you can ask vim on lifehack.se

Braiam

@derobert HTTPS is not supported on any child meta

there's no way you would buy one certificate for each meta.*.stackexchange.com

derobert

17:52

@Braiam I'm just surprised that *.stackexchange.com seems to not match... But I guess its possible SSL works like that. Would mean more money for CAs, I suppose.

Which is, I think, the primary design goal of SSL.

Braiam

@derobert nah, some idiot got a certificated for .com and *..com and crapped everyone else

derobert

@Braiam I'm unsure how that'd matter---*.stackexchange.com works for foo.stackexchange.com, but apparently not meta.foo.stackexchange.com. *.com would presumably still work for microsoft.com or apple.com, etc. Unless you just follow the normal rules that browsers already use for that, which disallow *.com for, e.g., cookies.

Braiam

check this for the entire history nickcraver.com/blog/2013/04/23/…

Faheem Mitha

@derobert A grand total of 4 questions. Did it just open?

And no answers yet.

derobert

@FaheemMitha Yes, I believe so.

Faheem Mitha

17:59

Ah. Present at the Creation. That is an exceptionally poorly defined site.

derobert

@Braiam Ah, that explains it. Well, obviously, they're supposed to buy a sub-CA certificate and run their own CA. That'll be $50k (at least), please.

And remember, all this security is as secure as the least secure CA your browser trusts, and there are quite a few of them!

Faheem Mitha

They have this, but no legal.sx, sex.sx, medical.sx? Exactly what is so alluring about life's simple tricks? Honestly, sometimes people just baffle me.

I see there are current live area 51 proposals for two of those. surprisingly, the medical one has been deleted. i would have expected a medical sx to be a runaway hit.

Braiam

@derobert well, why don't you post that somewhere ;)

derobert

@Braiam Oh, I'm sure you can find much better rants than mine about that...

@FaheemMitha Sounds like you have some area51 proposals to create

Oh! Someone has made a new vi proposal!

26

Vi and vim

Proposed Q&A site for people using vi and vim

Currently in definition.

Wonder if they'll refuse to create it again.

The previous one has been deleted... including the infamous we're emacs people message

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Nope. They've already been made.

@derobert Never say die. Though the SE motto seems to be - never say vi.

derobert

18:14

Anyway, BBL, it's lunch time.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Where would we be without the Wayback Machine?

derobert

@FaheemMitha Down the memory hole, I presume.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Yes, they should have had a Wayback Machine on Airstrip 1. Would have come in handy.

@derobert Italian is good.

derobert

@FaheemMitha I'm sure they did. And it showed that the vi proposal was always deleted, no matter how far back in history you go. Anyway, lunch.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Good point.

The Emacs beta seems to be doing pretty well.

76

Emacs – emacs.stackexchange.com

Beta Q&A site for those using, extending or developing emacs.

Currently in public beta.

In the "Things You Didn't Know" category, Emacs was invented before sliced bread

Strange things glimpsed on a Bombay street: A t-shirt emblazoned with the strange device: I AM SHERLOCKED

Braiam

18:32

X.Org Security Advisory: Dec. 9, 2014 includes several DoS, out of bounds, integer overflow, etc. vulnerabilities. Patches available in git repo and versions 1.17.0 and 1.16.3 when released.

Faheem Mitha

Apparently there is a yum-builddep

Braiam

19:47

chat.MSE is down :(

Faheem Mitha

@Braiam What is that?

derobert

20:17

@FaheemMitha Yeah for knockoff merchandise?

@FaheemMitha chat.meta.stackexchange.com

Faheem Mitha

20:37

@derobert Not sure what you mean. I was just a bit taken aback seeing it out of context.

derobert

@FaheemMitha I haven't seen the show, so I just presumed it was an error... Google tells me otherwise.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Oh, you presumed that was a misspelling?

derobert

Yep

Or someone misunderstanding English grammar, and trying to treat it as a verb

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Understandable assumption, I suppose.

derobert

Well, I mean, "I am Sherlock" would make sense. Or "I am Sherlocking", maybe. If that were a word.

Faheem Mitha

20:44

@derobert Right.

But no, the phrase is correctly transcribed from its origins, which are very remote from a Bombay street. Which is why I was a little taken aback.

derobert

So, in short: someone please tell the English to learn English. kthxbye.

@FaheemMitha Well, they apparently have TV in Bombay. BBC shows, even.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert True.

derobert

@FaheemMitha Good news then, if they have refrigerators as well, that means poverty in India has been solved! At least, according to the Heritage Foundation.

Faheem Mitha

Having said that, I've got a feeling Indians prefer stuff with things exploding. Also, possibly, porn.

derobert

@FaheemMitha I think those preferences are universal...

Gilles

20:49

@FaheemMitha so Indians are like everyone else?

Faheem Mitha

And apparently, or so I was told, the rich in India like cocaine. With people starving around them. Which, knowing some rich Indians, I find quite believable.

@Gilles Not, really, no. Have you spent any time in India?

Gilles

@FaheemMitha no

Faheem Mitha

@Gilles Count your blessings.

Has anyone checked out the new Sustainable Living site?

derobert

@FaheemMitha Neither have I.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Right. Well, you're further away.

derobert

20:51

@FaheemMitha Well, if either of us visited, it'd be as tourists... so we'd probably avoid the terrible parts. That's what tourists typically do...

Gilles

@FaheemMitha you mean the two-year-old Sustainable Living?

Faheem Mitha

@derobert It is not about the terrible parts. It is about the horrifying experience of dealing with the insanity over prolonged period of time.

derobert

Well, tourists don't do that, either. Only for a week or two.

Faheem Mitha

The problems with India aren't so much poverty (which is what people focus more on). it is the craziness. Or, you prefer, the culture. India has something of the atmosphere of a really large lunatic asylum.

Though, not having had any personal experience with loony bins, this is largely conjectural on my part.

@derobert True.

I'm trying to think of a suitable question to ask on Sustainable Living.

I'd like to know the status of alternative/renewable energy worldwide, but that doesn't really fit into a SE question.

Braiam

@FaheemMitha that's not bad, we had a president that in a (informal) poll lost to the Devil 11:2 for the elections

Faheem Mitha

20:57

@Braiam What's not bad? And, link?

@Braiam do you really want to have a My Country is Crazier competition? Because, I should warn you in advance, I will win.

Trying watching traffic in a major Indian metropolis on Youtube. It's a major educational experience.

Braiam

@FaheemMitha India, and state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27895.htm (search for devil)

Faheem Mitha

Random Bombay traffic sample

This is actually quite mild. It gets a lot worse.

derobert

@Braiam I'm not sure how Obama would fare in that contest. Would be interesting, a good quarter of the country probably would be confused, asking "why is the Devil on the ballot twice?"

@FaheemMitha That isn't so bad. Looks like they're going fairly slow.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Bombay traffic is generally slow.

This clip has the characteristic features of a Bombay road.

derobert

That's hard to be that crazy, the cars are going walking speeds...

Faheem Mitha

21:06

1) Pavements are frequently ignored or non-existent. People prefer to walk on the road alongside moving traffic. This can be more problematic when the traffic is moving fast. (That clip has relatively slow moving traffic).

2) People walking in-between moving traffic. Unheard of in a western country. (With the possible exception of New York City, which, I understand, is special).

derobert

Yes, but you claim your country is crazy and as evidence... present people walking with cars going about the same speed. You need to find a video with the people doing that with 50mph traffic

Faheem Mitha

3) The constant use of horns. This is apparently something that is relatively characteristic of India. I looked at South American traffic, and it is relatively quiet.

derobert

I should have taken video of people playing frogger across US 1 at Katsucon when it was in Crystal City.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert it happens with 30 mph traffic. I'm not sure there is a lot of 50 mph traffic in Bombay. The roads aren't that good.

@derobert Not sure what you mean.

derobert

Frogger

Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for North American distribution by Sega-Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of hazards. Skillful players may obtain some bonuses along the way. The game is regarded as a classic from the golden age of video arcade games and was noted for its novel gameplay and theme. It was also an early example of a game using more than one CPU, as it used two Z80 processors. Frogger is still popular...

Faheem Mitha

21:09

@derobert Not specially compelling evidence for craziness. I could come up with lots of better example. It just seems characteristic, somehow.

derobert

US 1 is a fairly large highway that goes through Crystal City... I think its ~6 lanes, speeds of at least 45mph

Faheem Mitha

Katsucon?

Some anime thingy?

derobert

@FaheemMitha anime convention

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Drunk con attendees?

derobert

So there was a McDonalds across the street. To get food, people didn't want to walk the quarter mile to go over the pedestrian overpass... So they hopped the barriers and ran across the highway

No, they were sober.

Faheem Mitha

21:11

@derobert At US highway speeds, sounds like a bad move. Was this at night? I'm assuming you saw this happen. Also, that you did not participate?

derobert

@FaheemMitha I only did it once! (ok, maybe twice...) Then decided to walk the extra quarter mile...

Day, night, whenever.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Sensible decision. Plus, McDonalds sucks. But US motels and stuff rarely have cooking facilities.

What year did this take place?

derobert

@FaheemMitha Well, it was a hotel, and definitely had food... Just much more expensive.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Right, well, hotels don't have cooking facilities either.

derobert

Not sure what year it was, 2005, 2006 maybe? Would have to go look up which years Katsucon was there. Or AnimeUSA.

Faheem Mitha

21:14

Well, in the US, you need to rent an apartment to get cooking facilities, basically.

@derobert Ok

derobert

Oh! you mean in the rooms, yeah, it didn't.

There are some hotels that do, often have 'suites' in their name

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Oh.

Braiam

@derobert ha! good one

derobert

The one I stayed at for Anime Weekend Atlanta (Embassy Suites) had a stove.

Faheem Mitha

I like cooking facilities. Makes a place feel more homey. But I guess people use Airbnb and stuff if they want an apartment.

derobert

21:15

Didn't really use it. There was plenty of reasonably-priced food around AWA

Faheem Mitha

@derobert That's good.

Of course, you have to be able to cook.

derobert

Well, I can cook. Now, having time to cook... not really at a con. Too much to do.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Sure

True for any other event like that. E.g. dance conventions.

@derobert And by "you", I didn't mean you. It was a generic "you". Just to be clear.

derobert

@FaheemMitha Yeah. English really could use separate words for that.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert There is "one". Which I use fairly frequently, but is not in common usage.

derobert

21:27

Well, it has a weird feel to it when one uses one :-P

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Weird? More precise, I think.

derobert

@FaheemMitha I think it depends on if you're used to British or American English. Its only used in formal (very formal, even) contexts in American English.

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Well, my background is (or used to be) more British English. These days is is probably a melange.

derobert

... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_(pronoun)#Style_and_rhetoric

Faheem Mitha

@derobert Well, yes, the alternatives are not that great.

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