klkl

Ever needed to get rid of GRUB from a partition but didn’t know how? I managed to install GRUB onto my swap partition whilst setting up dual booting with Gentoo on a Mac Mini and faced this same problem. Using rEFIt it automatically detected GRUB on the partition and it showed up as a bootable option. I couldn’t be doing with that so I started looking for the solution. Loads of forum posts suggested fixmbr or fdisk but I didn’t want to replace GRUB I wanted shot of it. Anyway turns out the solution was to use dd.

# dd if=/dev/0 of=/dev/sdX bs=446 count=1

Where sdX is the partition to clean.

Following on from my previous post here is the solution to the cliffs of logic puzzle in the game.

Puzzle One:
Click on the letters R, I, S, E sequentially.

Puzzle Two:
You’re meant to use the manual to spell out soar but the characters required are…

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Ok,

I’ve been getting back into some old dos games lately but I was stumped when I got to the cliffs of logic on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain. I’ve long since lost my manual, which is required to complete that section of the game, but fortunately Abandonia has a copy of some of the pages required so I’ve decided to host the information here too.

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I’ve been looking for a way to start specific applications on specific desktops so things are more organized. For example I like to have my mail client (KMail) on the second desktop out of the way but there when I need it and I don’t like having to either start it in that desktop or move it to desktop two if I’ve had the application start automatically.

The utility to achieve this is kstart which is used to launch applications with special window properties such as to be full screen, below other windows or to not have an entry on the taskbar. The syntax is as follows;

user@host ~$ kstart [options] command

the specific argument (option) for my example is –desktop 2 and the whole command ‘kstart –desktop 2 kmail’ I’ve got mine set up as a .desktop shortcut in ~/kde/Autostart but you don’t have to have it there or use it in shortcuts it could be used in scripts or anywhere. I think this utility is great hence the post and hopefully it’ll take people less time than it did me to find the answer in future.

This is a good one,

For some reason loads of people are having trouble installing Office 2007 SP1 an update windows considers not optional, nor recommended, but important. Until now I was one of those people. There are loads of forum posts knocking about that recommend reinstalling, repairing the installation and most agree that you need to do these things with the office cd in the drive else you’re screwed. They’d be wrong.

Apparently, you do need a disc in the drive but it doesn’t matter what it is! I actually had ‘Gattaca’ in the drive (a damn good movie).

After a couple of failed attempts I couldn’t believe how simple and bizzare the solution turned out to be. I found the solution here and now I find the fact that it installed without a hitch because I had a DVD in my drive hilarious. There were some forum posts where people claimed to have attempted to install the service pack up to nine times. I think they need to learn how to use search engines better.

I’ve done quite a bit of work on the project (see the progress page) but I wasn’t sure what to document first because the application is going to store all the information in a MySQL database I thought I’d talk about the structure of the base (or most important) tables.

Questions

The application is going to revolve around questions so there obviously needs to be a table to store some of the details of each question. Each question will need an ID it will have some question text, it will also have a correct answer.

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A good friend of mine (theboywho) is running in the Hearts First Santa Jog in Birmingham on December 9th they have to dress up in Santa costumes and run a mile. The cause is the British Heart Foundation. Please consider making a donation at https://www.bhf.org.uk/sponsor/parmid

Thank you

This is the XML document type definition I’ve come up with for the KQuestion project. The latest version will also be available at (klkl.co.uk/Kquestion/kquestion.dtd). Note: Although its not clear on this page (because of word wrapping) normally everything between each pair of < & > is on one line but it is clear in the above link.

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Ok,

I live in a shared student flat that came with a Thomson TV and a Gemini remote control. Last week the remote stopped working pointing no fingers So I turned to Google expecting some simple search that would turn up a three or four digit code I’d type in and bingo the remote would work again. After a couple of searches I turned up the same set of results that talked about holding the RCL and ENT keys simultaneously until the red indicator turns on. These instructions are no good in this case because there there is no RCL key (see picture) the only distinguishing mark I can find asides from the brand is a sticker inside the battery compartment with the code CL033. I’ve seen questions on Yahoo answers and other such community ‘answer my question and I give you good doggy points’ sites where the wrong instructions have been repeated over and over again. Arrrgghh!

The Solution:

1. Turn on the TV which you wish to set the Gemini remote to control.
2. Press and hold the ‘code search’ button situated in the top left of the remote until the red LED stays on.
3. Press the power button once and keep the remote pointed at the TV.
4. The LED will flash each time it tries a new set of RF codes.
5. When your TV goes into stand by then press the enter key on your remote.
6. You’re set you should now be able to control your TV with the remote.

I tested this on the Thomson TV set in our lounge and my Samsung Monitor / TV and they both worked but that’s it. If you have a Gemini remote let me know if this worked for you.

Update 2008-06-15: Ed (Comment 41) found a link to a PDF file that appears to have codes for Gemini remote controls, although it doesn’t say anywhere in it that it is for Gemini remote controls it does mention the code search button and talks about controling VCRs, DVDs, Satelites and Cable so it might help those of you who get here looking for the information about the 4-in-1 Gemini remote controls.

I’ve copied the file to my domain and you can download it European Remote Control Codes

Oxford English Dictionary:

The action, fact, or process of vituperating; blame, censure, reproof, or (esp. in later use) the expression of this, in abusive or violent language; abuse, railing, rating. Also, vituperative or abusive language.

The OED have record of this word dating back to 1481. I first heard this word spoken in the film ‘The General’s Daughter‘ in a passionate speech by a colonel and I loved it. Although the subject matter is unpleasant the word itself is fantastic.