Contrast and compare:

Programmatically adding an email alias on Linux:
echo newalias: mylinuxaccount>> /etc/aliases

Programmatically adding an email alias to Exchange on Windows:

1. Realise there's no simple file to edit. Figure out how to do it using Windows Powershell.
2. Put the commands in a file. For some reason it's refusing to run. Oh, scripts have to be signed now. Look through that faff. Realise that you can just tell Windows that it doesn't need scripts to be signed. Do that. It now runs.
3. However, when you put the commands in a file, it doesn't work. Realise that you were using the Exchange powershell, but that's not available as a command. Finally manage to google that you need to load the Exchange add-in using a command in the script; now it works!
4. Proceed to research a way to get the command to be run from Linux. Try various methods, but all seem to result in various dead-ends due to Windows new 'security' contexts, which despite the fact I've logged in fine, Exchange doesn't like the credentials I was using. Foiled.
5. Through googling I realise I can run the task as a scheduled task, if I request it on demand! Win! I suppose I can output the results to a file (as scheduled tasks aren't interactive) and just pick them up afterwards. Ah, foiled, I can't pass arbitrary parameters to a scheduled task. Oh, win again - I can just run a batch file which runs another batch file I've created that contains the actual commands I want running (with parameters) and then collect the output from a file afterwards.

So, in pseudocode:

1. Log in remotely and write commands to batch file.
2. Run scheduled task on demand, which manages to run in the correct security context for the commands I want to perform, by running a batch file which calls my batch file I've just written with the commands in.
3. This in turn runs a powershell script, which I've disabled the check for signed scripts on, which actually performs the addition of the alias within Exchange.
4. The output of this all gets dumped into a file (because I'm running a scheduled task non-interactively), which my script reads and passes back to the calling Linux program.

Now all I've got to do is wrap that all in a web interface to allow easy changing of email aliases...

Windows - despite improvements to allow scripting and the like, you still truly suck in terms of being easy and logical to understand and automate.

Current Mood: aggravated

What a ridiculous day at work. Anyway. I installed my bluetooth module that finally arrived today in my new laptop and it works fine. I then installed the drivers and tethered to my N900 with no problems.. my first tethering experience. I could get used to that. :)

Now, time for some games and relaxing.

Current Mood: relaxed

It is possibly a timely reminder that there is no big secret to existence. Anyone telling you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something.

There is no 'secret' to personal confidence. The trouble comes as a product of society, when one compares oneself to others. It's a result of the unspoken social pecking order.

Poker is a game that takes the essense of this and turns it into a game. The winner isn't the person with the strongest hand, it's the person with the most confidence.

The bugger is that it's rather difficult to break out of the self-evaluation though, because in order to be a part of society you have to play by the rules, or get branded an outcast.

Current Mood: good

So far this month (or thereabouts), ten people I know or am friends with have ended their relationships, all with their fair share of drama. Could people stop being uncool to each other please?

Current Mood: distressed

Pre-ordered n900 with play.com on 22nd December for £470, stock due 8th Jan, delivery to home address for security reasons (which of course is useless for me). Stock then due 15th Jan. Stock then due 5th Feb. Duly cancelled order with play.com, placed with the nokia shop uk at £500, who have it in stock. At checkout, notice a voucher code option. One quick google later and a 10% off code that works - a cool £50 off and delivery in 3-5 business days to my work address - phone's now shipped, too. Win!

Also, upgraded my netbook recently, going from an Advent 4211 (identical to MSI Wind U100) to an Acer 1810TZ.. :)

Oh, and Dell finally fixed my XPS laptop - sessifet25 will be pleased :)

Current Mood: pleased

Ah, here's the snow!

Also, I convinced everyone to go to the pub for lunch today, and we got given a free pint as well. This day, despite starting groggily, is definitely FTW. :D

UPDATE: And now we're working from home - even better! :D :D

Current Mood: good

Over the past week or so, I seem to have got myself into a reading mood. This will surprise a lot of you, but I think it was simply the product of finally having time and space to do my own thing. (I usually find this difficult at home due to everyday concerns.) I think the problem has always been - where to start? Well, inspired by finally watching BBC's Space Odyssey and remembering a strong influence from my childhood: Ulysses 31, last week it was with black holes, and all sorts of other astrophysical related ideas and concepts.

( Some psychobabble )

And this is an example the sort of thing that I don't find I have the headspace to think about when I'm working. It's one of the things I truly resent about having a full-time job. I'm pensive about my return to work on Monday; I think it's going to be a shock to the system.

Current Mood: curious

SurfaceScapes is awesome. Unfortunately it's only a tech demo, but the possibilities.. currently the Microsoft Surface thingy is purportedly ~$10,000, but free open-source multi-touch screen input software exists and the input part of it can be created with just a webcam...

However, this internet multi-user map tool created for roleplaying is possible today (http://rptools.net/), and looks pretty awesome!

Current Mood: excited

So I decide to call up Dell, to see if I can purchase a graphics card from them. Turns out that even though it's out of warranty, because I haven't called them before they'll offer to either have the laptop picked up tomorrow by courier for repair, which will take 10 days or so, or send an engineer out tomorrow with a replacement motherboard and graphics card.. but that would require me to buy an extended warranty, minimum cost £110 for 1 year.

I did enquire into upgrades, but there's a 2-3 month waiting list for the upgraded part - nVidia 8200GTX instead of 7900GTX, and it would cost £325, so I decided against that.

I've opted to have it picked up at no cost tomorrow for repair back at the factory.

So I'm slightly flabbergasted, in a good way. I think it's because it's an XPS model - a top of the range one that they made a lot of fuss about being reliable and having good support etc. There was even a premium support line number to call on Dell's site.

So now I feel a little stupid for my wasted trip to Oxford today, but happy that it's going to get fixed :)

Current Mood: flabbergasted

Today I took my broken Dell XPS M1710 laptop to UK Laptops on the other side of Oxford to get it fixed. I drove there in the wintery conditions but I had no problems. Unfortunately though, I was one of the 5% whose laptop they can't fix. I suspect because it's not a dry joints problem, it's actually a memory chip which is on the way out.

So that was a waste of a day and a tank of fuel.

So I'm going to try and underclock the graphics card, see if that makes any difference. Perhaps there are some diagnostic tools for nVidia graphics cards that check memory and even allow the driver to mark some as 'bad'.. fingers crossed!

If not, I'll reuse my fast 320GB HDD from that laptop, and perhaps the 2x1GB sticks will be wanted by kissycat1000 and ev1ldonut for their Advent 4211s?

Current Mood: disappointed

I doubt many of you know, but recently I discovered my Dell XPS M1710 that I bought a little over 3 years ago developed a fault with the graphics card which is causing graphical glitches and worst, crashes when you try to do anything sufficiently demanding. It's interesting that it's a little over 3 years, as this was the length of the 'standard' warranty Dell wanted me to fork out for, which I decided against. I'm quite pleased I didn't now..

However, I discovered a place in Oxfordshire that say they can fix the laptop for me, which is good. I don't fancy all the hassle with posting, waiting, etc. Today they're a bit short-staffed due to snow, so tomorrow (weather permitting) will be a road trip to them to get it fixed. I think I shall do my "Christmas shopping" while I wait.

With any luck, £99 later plus fuel costs I will have a fixed laptop again :) This will make me and sessifet25 happy :)

Other road trips in the near future are to my Mum's for Christmas day and Boxing day (2.5 hours), then up to see sessifet25 which turns out to be close to a 4 hour drive from my Mum's :S

Yesterday - awesome midwinter's feast with kissycat1000 and family, but felt grim in the evening.
Today - films and bumming around with jinx_lbc :)

Current Mood: good

I've just been to see Avatar in 3D. This won't be a spoiler, don't worry. It's just - they've nailed 3D. And Avatar was a particularly epic story with state of the art CGI. It's getting close to the sort of things you might see in your dreams. Well, that's just my opinion.

Recent 3D films like Beowulf or Toy Story 3D made your eyes ache a bit - the 3D in Avatar was more subtle for the most part. The CGI was top-notch. Things moved as you'd expect, including all materials.

Cinema is safe. Home reproduction was getting to the point that it wasn't necessarily worth going to the cinema much any more; you could just wait for the DVD or Blu-Ray. With 3D, there's a good reason to see films in the cinema again - at least, in my opinion.

And Avatar - what an epic film. A good story, well told. Go and see it.

Current Mood: enthralled

..I notice this news article. I think it's bloody dangerous to pursue a defense on the basis of "Asperger's disorder":

On Tuesday, attorneys for Albert Gonzalez filed a report from a forensic psychologist that questioned the criminal hacker's "capacity to knowingly evaluate the wrongfulness of his actions and consciously behave lawfully and avoid crime," according to federal prosecutors. The report went on to state that his "behavior was consistent with description of the Asperger's disorder."

Given today's society (okay, this may be slightly different in the states, but still), this could very likely lead to government seeing people with autism/aspergers as being a threat to law and order if their "capacity to knowingly evaluate the wrongfulness of [their] actions and consciously behave lawfully and avoid crime" is impaired.

And what do you think will happen then? Aspie/autists being sectioned or imprisoned 'for the greater good'?

This is dangerous ground.

Current Mood: aggravated

I aten't dead yet.

I was without internet for the 4 days I was with sessifet25 helping her move into her new place. It was tiring but really good fun, and I also enjoyed being without the internet or a computer until towards the end, when we needed to get stuff done.

I set up my old hifi at sessifet25's new place for her to use (Marantz PM-80, Mission 732s with a bit of cosmetic damage and a cheapie Tevion DVD/CD player) and it sounded alright, but not great. I then went and bought some speaker stands and some proper QED speaker cable and it now sounds pretty good :)

Work is being.. weird. And tiring.

Jazz is being pretty lovely. Roleplaying's being fun :)

Current Mood: tired

I am back at home now. I was visiting sessifet25. I will miss her, but we both have exciting things to be getting on with in the mean time.

Such as - poker tonight? It's still on guys, although ev1ldonut and kissycat1000 won't be around. jinx_lbc may be around with J.

Jazz seemed happy to see me, which was nice. I missed the little guy too. Thanks granny_amber for taking care of him while I was away!

In the mean time, games, relaxing, and beer I think :) This is my Sunday, after all ;)

Current Mood: relaxed