Recently I completed my migration from Xen / Fedora Core to KVM / Ubuntu. I have been a long time Redhat user, but I felt that Fedora was no longer stable enough for me. I was tempted to move to CENTOS but it didn’t feel right, not quite an ‘official’ Redhat release. So I decided on Ubuntu with KVM virtualization.

The transition was reasonably painless, a few adjustments to make, like using init.d instead of service. I made some notes for myself that others might find helpful:

Ubuntu Notes

Ubuntu KVM Host notes

Ubuntu KVM Guest notes

Really simple tip, if you use Apple’s iCal (or Outlook, but I have not tested it see UPDATE) and want to import events from Facebook, simply click on the Export button above the RSVP box.

When asked to Open or Save, open it with iCal and it should prompt you which calendar to add the event too.

UPDATE: Outlook 2003 displays an error ‘Cannot import vCalendar file. Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter values are not valid.’ More current versions might work.

Also, you might consider adding alerts to these events once they have been exported to iCal.

Just a quick note (and Google bait) to help others looking for a solution to the ‘Expected specifier-qualifier-list’ error message.

For me this happened as I was adding CoreData to an existing iPhone project, the quick answer is that even after adding the Framework correctly you have to update your *_Prefix.pch file to include the Library.

Please see Here for details.

Ever since I moved in, my apartment door always slammed shut. Recently I had a neighbor ask me ‘Why I slammed my door?’ I shrugged and explained that it was the door closer, not me.

Well guess what, you can adjust the closer. Shocking, I know.

Most closers have two screws, one adjusting the ’sweep’ the other the ‘latch’ pressure. The sweep is the stage where the door is wide open and the latch is the last few inches, before hitting the latch.

I had to adjust my latch screw, which was the bottom one in the picture. Some closers are labeled, mine wasn’t, so I guessed.

Turning the screw in slowed the door’s speed, turning the screw out increased the speed.

Now no more slamming doors and upset neighbors.

Photographer Chase Jarvis published a book called The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You. All the pictures in the book were taken on his iPhone. The premise is that the ‘best’ camera is the one you always have.

With apologies to Mr. Jarvis, I would like to suggest that The Best Computer is The One That’s With You. For me that is my new Macbook Air.

I bought it as a refurb from Apple’s website, it is small and light enough that I can carry it around and don’t really notice it. The multi touch trackpad is so much better then my old Powerbook’s single touch trackpad.

In addition, using my tethered iPhone to get Internet access lets me be online anywhere. No more scamming WiFi signals.

There are some short comings; only one USB port and no built in Ethernet jack. But those are minor gripes.

Of course it is the best computer for me because I am always able to get online and do a quick bit of work and ‘good enough’ that I am actually productive.