The bug is simple, according to the gnome clock applet our week starts on a Tuesday. Opps, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem to change. Digging around the net, I found some references to locale files in /usr/share/i18n/locales. Although they looked correct, I tried changing them anyway. To absolutly no effect. The answer? To recompile glibc-common! Oh for fucks sake, the bug for this has been opened since Novemeber, should I really have to recompile what is a massive RPM, just for this? Why aren’t these files read at login, or better still, why can’t I used system-config-date to change my preferences.

Anyway for those of you who are interested, you can track the bug on bugzilla or Sourceware.

I’m also rebuilding the glibc-common RPM now, if it works, then I’ll post an updated version when it’s finished

We’ve just got a shiny new Brother MFC-7820N printer/copier/fax/coffee maker in the office. Great, I thought, the printing will be fine as it’s postscript but I probably won’t be able to use the scanner or the fax part over the network. I’m OK with that and I don’t want to make a fuss else the M$ boys might get wind of our dirty little secret.

So when it arrived, it was with some trepidation I poking around the Brother website and found a Linux section. CUPS drivers, SANE drivers, LPR fax drivers. Wahoo! Even better when I went to install the printer in cups avahi had already spotted it and installed it. The SANE drivers are supplied as a couple of RPMs and a single line to activate then it works just like any other SANE driver. The fax part isn’t quite as polished, but still works. Absolutely amazing. I really am impressed with Brother. The whole ‘install’ took around 30 seconds.

The best thing about all of this was that when we tried to install everything on Windows, it too about 30 minutes to install and then uses a nasty GUI and tray service.

I got the following video from their site. I love to see Apple’s propaganda machine working against them

[See post to watch Flash video]
Download hi-res ogg version here

Opera 4 is out in beta now so go download a copy!

So Apple have finally revealed the iPhone, probably the worst kept secret in the world!

The specs seem fair enough, 3.5 inch screen, 4-8GB, Quad band, Wi-Fi. A couple of nice functions I like is the accelerometer so as you turn the phone from portrait to landscape the screen also flips and the proximity sensor which locks the phone when you hold it to your ear. So no more excuses that “…my cheek hung up on you!”

The reason it’s not rocking my world is that I’ve seen it all before. The Sony Ericsson Walkman already does a lot of this and more. And more importantly it’s doesn’t cost an absolute arm and leg, which no doubt the iPhone will.

Well done Apple, your shiny new product has already been copied, release and sold cheaper before you’d even announced it!

I received this e-mail from HSBC earlier today telling me that I’d given HSBC my e-mail address but not the permission to use it. Yes that’s right HSBC. I haven’t given you permission to use my e-mail address.. SO DON’T FUCKING USE IT!

As the xenophobic US Government doesn’t like anyone who isn’t a full paid-up, flag waving American they started to put pressure on the Russians to close the site, even though it was operating within Russian law.

What really annoys me is what gives the US the right to bully, invade and impose their laws on other countries. Just because the US doesn’t like something doesn’t mean it wrong, evil or funding terrorism!

Continuing my love/hate relationship with Tesco, I think they must have something against me! I’ve now found I can do the splits, providing I have a escalator and it’s been raining. I know it doesn’t look much, but it bloody hurt!

It did make me think; at what age do you get the pain threshold of a wet lettuce? I did this and much worse as a kid and I don’t remember it hurting.

Anyway, it would make me feel much better if everyone would suck air through their teeth and say “oooo”. Thank you and enjoy my pain.

Great! So now we have a system where criminal hackers will carry on producing and using ‘hacking’ software such as nmap, nessus or hping2 but it will be a criminal offense for security industry to use them to test for vulnerabilities.

Read more

So off we trot to Tesco. We get to the till with our 3 items, a bottle of Sprite, a bottle of coke and some alcohol and as the girl on the till is about 12 she needs to shout at the top of her lungs “ALLLCCAAAAHOOOLLLLL”. Supervisor walks over and asks us for ID. Now I’m nearly 30 and no-one’s asked me for ID in the last 10 year so I’m happy. However the friend I’m with (who’s 20) doesn’t have any ID.

“Sorry I can’t sell this to you?” says the Supervisor

“Why not?” I ask

“Cos you might be buying it for a minor” she indicates to my 20 year old friend stood next to me.

“So let me get this right, I’m not allowed to buy alcohol if I’m accompanied by someone who can’t prove they’re over 18 cos I might walk out the shop and give it to the next ASBO infested greasy teen I meet?”

“Yep”

“Right, I’m off to Morrisons!”

What makes this story more ridiculous is that we weren’t buying vodka or alchopops. No, we were buy a bottle of White Zinfandel! Yes the yobs round our way must get hammered each night on a couple bottle of rosé.

Detailed stats are at: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ZodStats and you can read the whole release on fedora-announce-list.