shai

casek, do this through Mooload if you need a upload site- http://www.mooload.com 500 MB uploads with permanent storage... Meh...we could do it via Gmail, also. I'll try to get at you tonight. My comp is working but our ISP is bugging- for example, our UL speed is higher than the DL speed...WTF? This is compounded by the fact that my roommate's Torrent tracker is sucking up most of the bandwidth off the ASDL line. AND, I'm at the bottom of the totem pole on the router. Fuck modern life....I'm about to go back to smoke signals.

^^^Sorry, I have a lot going on lately....I'll think of something. casek, you got a, um, "fully operational demo" I can, uh, let my friend "try out" for Vegas or Avid? Email me...it might be better to discuss this in private.

Hold on a sec....I'm not claiming to be anything other than the resident Linux grouch. Mainter and Casek are the real deal, I'm just broke and had to figure out how to do it all by myself. Having said that, if I can help, I will. But, bear in mind that I'm only slightly less dumb about computers than most people here. That's not false modesty, either... Hey, I need some XP video editing apps and/or a editing suite for a certain charming young lady I know....not me. (I'm still on the UNIX team.) If anybody can help I would appreciate it a great deal....PM or email me with any details, and I'll make the arrangements.

Ha ha....it's about /dev/null, I think. /dev/null is a old-fashioned way to send email, duplicate files, or extraneous information to a null device, which was usually a terminated serial port. It makes sense, if you ever tried to retrieve a deleted ext2 file....you can do it, but the data gets scrambled. Good stuff.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Try Opera. http://www.opera.com It seems to be a lot more stable then Firefox. I prefer it over Firefox personally, so I admit there's a bias here. Just so you know, I agree with Mainter that Firefox is a excellent project/browser, but as of late it seems to be plagued with stability issues.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Hmmm...yeah, that's weird. You know, if it's IEEE 1394, that's a Firewire PCi bus number. Laptops are kind of tricky when it comes to Linux sometimes. The best thing to do is look on Sourceforge for a driver once you decide to install....ndiswrapper can be a real pain in the ass, even if you know what you're doing....and, it sounds like you're in the dark about this. Good luck, homie. About all I can tell you is maybe look on distrowatch.com for something that is use-specific.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> casek, don't sweat it...I'm actually in a position to help you out (for once), but I would go to http://www.brunolinux.com/ and brush up on what you need to know there. Linux is really easy...but, you're not gonna learn it overnight, either. Think of it as a series of small steps where every now and then, you'll be like, "AHA!!!" Remember, I was hoplessly lost trying to figure out XP. Linux is a much more intuitive and elegant system, and once you figure out a few things, it gets a lot easier. Here's a couple big hints- all of your apps go into the /usr/share folder. Anything ending in /bin is a binary directory, this is the stuff that makes the apps....apply? Personal files tend to end up in your /home folder. If you have a working ALSA config (sound driver), LEAVE IT ALONE....it's goddamn near impossible to fix ALSA, to the point where it's almost easier to reinstall if it fucks up. Forums will save your ass, but read through them and look for an answer to your question before you ask or make new threads.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Ooooooof....I went through hell doing this a couple months ago with a RTL 8180 driver. Errrrrrmmmm.....get ndiswrapper from here- <ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/> and this will allow you to use the Windoze wifi drivers in Linux. I'm not gonna go into how it works, because I barely understand it. Make sure that your executable path is something along the lines of /etc/sysconfig/network/wireless- every distro has its own particular place it likes to put these, usualy it goes into the .modconf folder when you are dealing with Debian systems (like Ubuntu). That's just what I know off the top of my head (not bad, huh?), but for the real deal go here- http://www.ubuntuforums.org/search.php?searchid=6772394 is the Ubuntu forum search for ndiswrapper issues. When are you going to start using MEPIS? I just have to throw that in there every now and then...supposedly it does all the dirty work as far as wifi configs...and tightens up your game, and makes a damn good martini, to boot. I'd wait for the final 6.0 relese, but my man...it's just a better way to go.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Comp works!!! (Fucking thing...freak me out like that. I'll show you....) sudo- switches you from a regular user to root (SU=superuser). Basically, admin status...you get more done in root, obviously. dhclient- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client. http://www.dhcp-handbook.com/dhcp_faq.html will fill you in...the fastest way for Linux to get you on the Web. wlan0- Wireless Local Area Network #0. That's what your wireless card is called....eth0 is your ethernet conection, etc. Read up on POSIX, casek. Really, now! Aree you messing around with Knoppix STD?

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Well, yeah...give me some time, looks like I need to get a job now (grumble, grumble)... But, if you want that board, let me know.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> The only thing I can think of is that I tried to install FreeBSD last night...but, I don't see how that could possibly screw up the mobo. If anything, it might hose the HD, but that wouldn't be a big deal. Mainter, if you want it (which I doubt, it's just a HP Pavilion Celeron 2.0GhZ- nothing great) I could ship you the mobo, and that could square up that wager between us, ha ha. There's a guy over the bridge in San Rafael with two P4 boxes...one's $150, the other is $125. I may call him and see if he can give me a break on the price if I tell him I don't need the HD...but, it would be nice to have a XP install again. $125 is an awesome deal, either way. casek, that's probably what I'm going to do...the Berkeley campus is around the corner form me, but if they did their housecleaning already (it is summer break, after all), I may have missed the boat. You never know, they may have a huge pile of servers just sitting there, so it's probably worth the trip just to take a look.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Hey, I think I killed my comp last night...First the ethernet went, then the USB went, and now the fucking thing just refuses to turn on at all. So, I'm back on the house Mac. Sweet. Anyway, what's the normal price range for a used P4 box? They seem to be going for around $250-400...I saw a VAIO at CompUSA for $500 a couple weeks ago....really nice, but way out of my price range at the moment. I'm just gonna pull my soundcard, wifi card, RAM and HD from the old box and possibly set it on fire.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> She's wearing clothes? No, the problem was that a lib file Opera needed somehow got left out of the apt-get pool. Everything is gangster now...simply gangster.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Somehow I got MEPIS, KDE, and Opera all to work on the same machine at the same time. Now, I'm just waiting for my house get hit by a meteorite, or something.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> I had to mess around with the CMOS on my comp to get my CDROM to work right last night. The piece of shit just did not want to read my install disk...but I bent it to my will.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Jeez...well, I'll defer to the Windoze guys on this one. Sorry, Tesseract. Just not my area of expertise.

Re: «<< 12Oz Computer Tech Support >>> Do you know how to look in the BIOS to see what its status is? If not, I'd probably wait for casek or Mainter to tell you what the deal is.

Well, I didn't have much luck. My guess is that it's older, since Vitus 181 was more commonly used in the mid 70's. My best guess is that it's a PY-10, or maybe a PKN-10. I used this site- http://home.wanadoo.nl/peugeotshow/ to compare it to some of the catalogs listed, but I got nowhere with the serial number...but, if you want to try to crack the code, here's what I found- "Peugeots are typically marked with a serial number on the underside of the bottom bracket. Bikes built in the 1960's have the numbers stamped directly in the BB shell, and often have Nervex trademark and bottom bracket tube angle markings as well.There are six digits used on bikes from the 50's and 60's and seven digits used on bikes from the 70's. Bicycles built during the 80's have eight digits and a letter prefix. Around 1970, Peugeot began stamping the numbers on an aluminum plate which was riveted to the underside of the bottom bracket shell. It is unclear whether this applied to all bicycles. Some examples have gaps in the serial numbers. The flaw to this arrangement is the ease with which serial number plates are removed. Numerous Peugeots originally numbered with riveted plates can now be identified only by their decal schemes.Some examples have lower numerical serial numbers while having later decal schemes. By the end of the 1970's, Peugeot serial numbers were once again stamped in a more permanent fashion. Peugeots built in France during the 1980's can be dated by year through use of their serial numbers. Following a letter prefix, typically Y or B, the first number of the numeral code indicates the bicycle's model year (ex. PKN-10 #B 0667631, built in 1980). Track bicycles, at least, appeared to have their numbers stamped on the left rear dropout." It's your best bet, but I'm doing some work on the comp tonight and will be offline pretty soon. Good luck, hope all that helps.

Type "bicycle frame identification serial number peugeot" into Google. There's a lot of sites that maintain databases for collectors...also cycleart.com, sheldonbrown.com, oldroads.com, and bikeforums.com are some more resources off the top of my head. I'd need the serial number to really be able to tell you definitively what you've got. All the details you listed pretty much sound like any typical Frenchie to me....it definitely sounds like a nice bike, though. When I used to work at a shop, we'd get at least one person a week who would bring in an old Motobecane or Gitane in perfect shape, and would either want it converted into a fixed wheel or have some serious upgrades done to it...and, we'd tell them the same thing- LEAVE IT ALONE. About all we could (and would) do would be tune it up, replace the rubber and cables, and maybe the seat if it needed it....but, once you get into messing with the components, it can get really ugly- NO ONE makes that stuff anymore, and if you ever tried to find a specific replacement part for a French threaded bike, you'll realize it's next to impossible. That's not to say you shouldn't try to make your Peugeot into what you want it to be, but definitely hold on to everything that the bike came with...you'll be saving yourself tons of headaches in the future.

I agree, Specialized still makes great bikes, but the biggest gripe I have with modern bikes is the components. I wouldn't invest in anything less than 105 or Veloce for a road bike, just because the cheaper stuff tends to not stay tuned as well as the midrange components do. Cross bikes tend to be built a lot "smarter", for lack of a better term. There's more attention to detail as far as the parts selection, and having cantilevers makes all the difference when you want to install fenders (and believe me, you will want to install fenders in the winter). The chainrings are another factor- most cross bikes go with 48/36 for a double, which is ideal for everyday use. Some have triples, and if you're a minimalist like me you can always go with a single.

Oh, yeah- Soup, you live in the Bay Area...there's a shop in San Rafael called Trips For Kids that always has nice bikes for sale...they usually sell for bout what they're worth, but I've seen Colnagos, Pinarellos, Bob Jacksons, and Somecs going for $450-750 in good condition. It's a good place to start if you want a high-end bike that doesn't cost a fortune.

If you're looking to buy a new bike from a shop, I'm sorry to say that a grand isn't going to get you a whole lot. Ebay and craigslist are good sources, plus if your friends are pros I'm sure one of them has a bike they can give you a good deal on. A lot of people with money to burn upgrade every year or two, and let go of perfectly good stuff for next to nothing. My advice to you is to consider getting a cross bike, because you can do almost anything with them- road, touring, offroad...modern road bikes are more or less one-trick ponies, in that they do one thing well but are seldom good for multi-purpose use. Sorry, I have no idea what model that Peugeot is...it looks a lot like a Carbolite, but I couldn't be certain unless I saw it in person.

That's only a last-resort tactic...it does put a lot of torsional stress on the seat tube and can break the clamp. Liquid Wrench down the flutes should free it up. If that's not working, the seatpost is probably too large...most old Frenchies take a 25.0, and occasionally you'll find a 25.4 or 26.2 (the latter seems to be common for Gitanes built with 531). But, the best thing to do once you get it out is to use a seat post gauge to find out what that frame wants. I mean, if you have your heart set on that particular frame, no amount of work is going to seem like it was wasted unless you break it. I guess I should have thrown that in there to make your decision easier.

I did this one once...it's hectic. Drill a hole all the way through the post, then put a long bolt through the hole. Then take the frame, and put it in a vise upside down and wrench it back and forth till the post freely turns in the frame. At that point, you should be able to remove it...but, you will need to get another post, obviously. Before you put the new post in, hone out the inside of the seat tube and USE GREASE on the new post. That is a decent frame, but I guess it mostly depends on what it's worth to you. I had a PX-10 that was beautiful, but it was a mechanical nightmare. Nothing would work right on that bike for long, and I eventually gave up on it. French bikes are tricky. That's the bottom line.