December 2005 Archives

Well, tricked out with the new procexp.exe, I wondered how it did it's magic 'replace the task manager' option. It turns out that this magic is from the Image File Execution Options registry key entries. There's a blog entry which describes this feature. process explorer sets itself up as the debugger application for taskmgr.exe, when you try to launch taskmgr, it launches procexp first as it's debugger, which then doesn't launch taskmgr.

I keep forgetting this when I decide to accidentally create files with names that turn out to be undeletable under windows. What makes a valid Windows file name? is a blog entry on Brian Dewey's blog and it reminds me that using the \\?\ feature bypasses the MAX_PATH check for a file name's length when trying to manipulate it (or delete it). I've accidentally created files with long names a few times, and been unable to delete them. Thankfully I've created a little application that allows me to do this now.

Today was of course christmas dinner, but over the last few days (yesterday included) I've been struggling with an upgrade to SuSE linux 10. I stupidly installed the commercial version, instead of the open one. X doesn't work correctly (swapping VTs crashed the X server - this is apparently a bug with Xorg when compiled with gcc 4.0.2 [laptop dell inspiron 500m, 855 intel graphics). fixing the missing packages took a while. The only reason I noticed was that xgettext was missing. Turns out that there's a bunch of packages missing (ncft, gettext-devel). For someone who cares about having a decent ftp client and be able to use xgettext (I mean what the fuck are you people thinking - do you even care about the rest of the world. You pretty much can't compile a single open source project without xgettext).
Anyway, rant over for the time being, on to the fixes. I made use of a page on the jem report, which got me a convenient set of Yast sources to add the missing packages.
A partial fix for X was to download the fairlite x drivers, the problem is that I lose 3d acceleration. Lose one thing, gain another! Frustrating to say the least.

We'll just have to call it Tara's party was on last weekend. I got my head out of my ass long enough to post the pictures I took with my mobile phone - I forgot my proper camera so they're pretty crap. I had a hangover, but it was much alleviated by not drinking of the Sambuca and Mezcal that was on offer.

I wandered into the store yesterday and they have sold out of Xboxes. Now they have a sign up telling people that they can pay for the box now, and expect it in mid January. Well, I would just love to see the face of some snotty little kid on Christmas day, expecitng and Xbox and getting a card saying: 'iou in mid January'.
Liver liver on the wall, who's the swollenest of them all.

Considering al the insanity that followed the launch in the USA with people having to get the next generation console it is refreshing to note that there are Xbox consoles for sale in the Smyths toy shop in Manor West in Tralee. Of course, I'm not going to buy one. I did buy a television on Sunday - the smell of fried capacitors on the old one convinced me that it needed to be replaced.

I just love the retro look of Darwinia I've pre-ordered it on steam, but can't wait for it to come out, so I've been looking for illicit copies of it. I thought I had one, but it turns out to have been released as a 'Don't steal our game' exercise. Even then, it's just increased my desire to have the game. The interation model has been changed in the 1.3 version - you can use either gestures or an icon based environment. I use the gestures when I've got a mouse, the Icons when I'm on the touchpad of the laptop. It works quite well providing I tweak the configuration file, putting RenderLandscapeMode = 1 (corrected 2005-12-20) into the settings.txt file. Otherwise I get a crash in iglicd32.dll when you enter the game. I'll probably have to apply this to the game once it's released.
Correction 2005-12-20 - the entry should read RenderLandscapeMode = 1

The folks at Widow PC are building their dual core laptops already - the text on the Sting laptop page tells people that they're starting to ship before Christmas.
Alienware are listing a delivery date of 30 Jan 2006. Cough, no chance then.

I'm wondering if my friend 'Tipp got his Xbox 360 today. I certainly didn't get one. I'll just saunter down to the nearest toy shop and see if they have one. If they do, then maybe I'll get it, or maybe not. I don't really have the time to invest in games at the moment.