Computers of Strange Days

This page is dedicated to the machine that makes things happen here at the house, "Freddie", a.k.a. 'freddie.jamstar.com'. 'jamstar.com' isn't a recognised FQDN ('fully-qualified domain name') yet, but will be. Freddie gets its name from Freddie Kruger(tm), so-named because every once in awhile, it reaches out and claws me when I least expect it.

Freddie's original configuration was a 386DX2-66 running with 8 megs of RAM and a cheap 1 meg Cirrus VGA card back in '91. It ran under DOS and was used to run my old BBS, the Braided Laser, in Cleveland. I pulled the 386 out in '92 and upgraded the processor to a 486SX, then pulled out the motherboard in '94 for a 486SLC2-66 with 16 megs of RAM in '94, and still in use until March of '99. Hey, it still *worked*, y'know... Freddie's undergone several upgrades since, moving from a single 280 meg HD to its current 20 gig drive, and operating systems ranging from DOS 3.0 through DOS 6.22/Windows 3.11 to Slackware Linux to Red Hat Linux.

Its current configuration is an AMD K6/2-400 Pentium-class processor on a Socket 7 motherboard, with 256 megs of RAM, the onboard video card (old tech, but works great at 1280x1024 resolution) a Kingston 'Tulip' clone network card, a 20 gig hard drive dualbooting RedHat & Windows 98SE (which I use pretty much for gamer applications), a 52x CDROM drive, 24x/10x/40x LG CD burner (*LOVE* it!!!) and a KDS Xtreme Flat 17" SVGA monitor, feeding into my homemade router and into a wireless modem. Since relocating back to Arizona, the cable modem in Colorado went back to AT&T, and I hooked up with a wireless provider here in Dolan Springs for a high speed connect. The local dialups just weren't getting it done. Current plans include upgrading both motherboard and processor to something a bit more modern, say, an AMD Athlon running at, say 2.5 GHz. It would really speed up my Seti@Home setup...

I've been using Red Hat Linux for several years now, since version 3.0.3, then 4.1 with upgrades from the 4.2 release and various tarballs aquired from all over the place as needed, 6.0, and 7.0 Currently, I'm running a highly modified version of the 9.0 RedHat release, with lots of updates from the Rawhide (a.k.a. '3 feet in front of the bleeding edge') releases, and of course, some loose tarballs I've made RPMS of using checkinstall. I'm using the 2.4.21 kernel, patched for theLinux Progress Patch, using this theme, the modified RedHat theme. I wasn't happy with 8.0's slow response to my useage, until I figured out what the problem was. I was using 24 bit 'true color' at 1280x1024 resolution on a 400 Mhz machine. And I wondered why it took *forever* for anything to happen... I don't make that mistake now. I only have one minor gripe about my current system, and that's due to a software package I use called mtu. It just doesn't compile right with gcc 3.x, mostly due to problems with one of the libraries it uses. This won't be a problem for you if you're not into Traveller like I am. Dunno if Mark is going to be able to fix this soon.

I've tried out a couple flavors of Mandrake, which shows some serious promise for newcomers to Linux. It's got *great* capabilities as far as picking up hardware that you have on your machine, lots of apps availiable for it, and a great installer. What it *seriously* lacks, in my not so f*****g bloody humble opinion, is the ability to do fast upgrades. No clue why, but every time I tried upgrading Mandrake with the next release, it took me upwards of 6 to 8 *hours* to upgrade my system, as opposed to 30 minutes or less for RedHat. Until Mandrake fixes this, I'm sticking with RedHat. A further thing, though, is the 'Gamer Edition' of Mandrake. If you *NEED* to run various Windoze applications under Linux, get this edition. It's about $70 US, but you'll love yourself for it.

Recent things here have included making Freddie part of a LAN (local area network) I copped an old Dell P2-166, gutted it out, added 2 network cards onto it, and hooked one card to the wireless modem and one to a 5 port hub. This box is named Carleton, as in 'Carleton The Doorman' from the old Rhoda sitcom. Carleton runs a copy of Coyote Linux. I used to use floppyfw, a small lightweight Linux distribution specifically set up for router/firewall useage, but I found Coyote on a CD from Linux Format magazine. (If you're into Linux at *ALL*, get this at your local bookstore, and if they don't carry it, *DEMAND* it!!) The LAN here is just 2 machines, Freddie & Carleton, but I still have 3 more ports to plug into. And as I get the money up, I'll be putting all those MP3s that suck up about 12 gigs of space onto a dedicated MP3 player for my car, with the ability to telnet directly to it from the house to update my playlists and such.

SCREENSHOTS

Here are a few screenshots of my Blackbox setups. I use Blackbox as my 'window manager' because it's lightweight, easy to configure, and is stable as a rock. Click on the ugly squished picture to see them in their full sized 16 bit color glory! Versions for Blackbox 0.53.x and 0.6x.x are here, just click on the version of Blackbox you have.

NOTE!!!

Digital Blasphemy no longer allows redistribution of background images. Any new style created with DB backgrounds will *NOT* have the background graphics installed in it, just the style file. You'll need to go to Digital Blasphemy's website and download the images yourself for personal use *ONLY*. Aren't l*wy*rs wonderful?

Most of the images I use are scammed from Windowmaker themepacks, except as noted. One of these millenia, I'm gonna learn enough about The Gimp to make my own backgrounds. Providing of course that I can scam up some *talent*...

Conjunction, developed from a background from Digital Blasphemy. Style file only. You'll have to go to Digital Blasphemy's website for the background. Nice bg, btw. Kind of 22nd Century Egyptian/UFO-nut look. [0.62.x] Dawn Of Linux. BG from a Windowmaker theme of the same name. Cute & golden. Love this stuff... [0.62.x]

Enjoy The Silence, my current favorite theme. This one is nice & easy on my eyes, a must when putting in those long hours at the keyboard. Background scammed off a Windowmaker theme (big surprise, eh?), redone here for Blackbox. [0.62.x]. Cipher, another easy on the eyes theme shamelessly created from a Windowmaker-stolen background, original graphics designer unknown. If you know who made this pic, *PLEASE* email me & tell me so I can give him/her/them/whatever credit. [0.65.0 format only.

Copper, another Digital Blasphemy background. I wish I had 1/10th the talent this guy has in his little finger. *sigh* [0.62.0] Brendan Shanahan, one of my favorite players from my favorite NHL hockey team. I cheered the 'Red Menace' to victory in the 2002 Stanley Cup finals. Image courtesy of detroitredwings.com. [0.62.0]

Catherine Zeta-Jones is the background for my homage to RedHat Linux. Background scammed off a Windowmaker theme, redone here for Blackbox. [0.62.x]. Chessboard theme for Blackbox. Background scammed off of Alan Hagarty, without his knowledge or consent. [0.53.x] [0.62.x].

The Day After. Painting by somebody, picked up off the web I can't remember where. Created using the old version of Toolbox. Took me mebbe 20 minutes...[0.53.x] [0.62.x] Fiery, a screenshot of the 'Fiery' Class Close Escort from the Traveller © Science Fiction Roleplaying Game, artwork by my buddy Jesse deGraff. [0.53.x] [0.62.x]

Stairway to Heaven. Wallpaper looted from The Hammer at Lythic.com..[0.53.x] [0.62.x] Star Trek Theme 1, a Klingon D7 cruiser making an attack run. Wallpaper from Cap'n Jim's website.. For [0.53.x]. Recut for [0.62.x].

The Wizard of South Park, background looted from the WindowMaker theme 'Wizard of South Park', originally fromSweeet.com, truetype font liberated off the net from 2 Rebels, whose URL escapes me at the moment. But it looked cool here... This one was made as a tribute to one of my favorite TV shows. We're off to see the Wizard. Be afraid. Get your Salisbury steak. And remember, BLAME CANADA!!![0.53.x] [0.62.x] Zoe, a semiadult theme based on a wallpaper from Page3.Com, home of the infamous Page 3 Girls. [0.523.x] . [0.62.0

iMac, The Final Chapter. Background looted and modified from a theme from another window manager for Linux. i[0.53.x] [0.62.x] Smoke, a grey gradient theme. Background looted from an Afterstep theme of the same name by Tomas Duewiger. [0.53.x] [0.62.x]

'I Want To Believe', a theme based on two of my fave tv shows, The X-Files and Babylon 5. The background was swiped out of a WindowMaker themepack called Believe, the style itself is mine, created with BBConf. I'm still getting used to it. Only [0.62.x] version availiable. I had a catastrophic disc drive erasure courtesy of my roomie, and lost my capability to support 0.53.x Blackbox... 'Cancerman', a dark and dreary theme honoring The X-Files' number one archvillian, CGB Spindler, AKA 'Cancer Man' AKA 'The Cigarette Smoking Man'. The background was cunningly lifted out of a WindowMaker themepack called Cancerman, the style itself is mine, created with BBConf. I'm still getting used to it. Only [0.62.x] availiable.

'Fatrix', Yet Another South Park theme. Background swiped boldly from www.sweeet.com, the theme itself is something I hacked up. Only [0.62.x] availiable. 'Starport Days' features yet another Jesse deGraff image, this one of a Marava-class Freighter, one of the workhorses of the shared universe of Traveller©. I recycled the style file from my RedHat theme, something I never do, but when I was starting in on it after making RedHat, I saw how good the color scheme I'd used looked with Jesse's background, and let it slide. Jesse's stuff makes even *my* styles look good![0.62.x]

Another Babylon 5 themepack. Background scammed from a Windowmaker themepack, and 15 minutes with bbconf finished this one off. [0.62.x] 7 Of 9, the Borg crewperson on USS Voyager, the focus of Star Trek: Voyager, a ground breaking tv show featuring a woman starship captain. Background from a WM theme. Assimilate me, 7 of 9!!! [0.62.x]

Angel, a cute background that *demanded* I style it for Blackbox. Style file is a modification of my Babylon 5 scheme that looked good to me. Mutant's gotta do what a mutant's gotta do... [0.62.x] 'Kokopeli', a rather cute background scammed from Windowmaker. Makes a nice Blackbox theme, I think. [0.62.0]

Blackbox 0.51.3.1 a.k.a. 'Classic' Blackbox. RPM package format
Blackbox 0.65.0, the 'new' version. RPM package format. I built this one myself. This is the so-called 'Final' cut of Blackbox.
wmCalClock, the clock-calendar app I use. RPM package
wmIFS, a nifty ethernet monitor. RPM package
bbpager, the virtual desktop manager. RPM package
BBConf, the Blackbox configuration/menu generating tool. RPM format

More to come, including full tables on all current software, with links where you can cop 'em, as I get time to chase them down, as well as info on the workstations as they come online!

Main Page

Last update 13 April 2003

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

	Conjunction, developed from a background from Digital Blasphemy. Style file only. You'll have to go to Digital Blasphemy's website for the background. Nice bg, btw. Kind of 22nd Century Egyptian/UFO-nut look. [0.62.x]		Dawn Of Linux. BG from a Windowmaker theme of the same name. Cute & golden. Love this stuff... [0.62.x]
	Enjoy The Silence, my current favorite theme. This one is nice & easy on my eyes, a must when putting in those long hours at the keyboard. Background scammed off a Windowmaker theme (big surprise, eh?), redone here for Blackbox. [0.62.x].		Cipher, another easy on the eyes theme shamelessly created from a Windowmaker-stolen background, original graphics designer unknown. If you know who made this pic, PLEASE email me & tell me so I can give him/her/them/whatever credit. [0.65.0 format only.
	Copper, another Digital Blasphemy background. I wish I had 1/10th the talent this guy has in his little finger. sigh [0.62.0]		Brendan Shanahan, one of my favorite players from my favorite NHL hockey team. I cheered the 'Red Menace' to victory in the 2002 Stanley Cup finals. Image courtesy of detroitredwings.com. [0.62.0]
	Catherine Zeta-Jones is the background for my homage to RedHat Linux. Background scammed off a Windowmaker theme, redone here for Blackbox. [0.62.x].		Chessboard theme for Blackbox. Background scammed off of Alan Hagarty, without his knowledge or consent. [0.53.x] [0.62.x].
	The Day After. Painting by somebody, picked up off the web I can't remember where. Created using the old version of Toolbox. Took me mebbe 20 minutes...[0.53.x] [0.62.x]		Fiery, a screenshot of the 'Fiery' Class Close Escort from the Traveller © Science Fiction Roleplaying Game, artwork by my buddy Jesse deGraff. [0.53.x] [0.62.x]
	Stairway to Heaven. Wallpaper looted from The Hammer at Lythic.com..[0.53.x] [0.62.x]		Star Trek Theme 1, a Klingon D7 cruiser making an attack run. Wallpaper from Cap'n Jim's website.. For [0.53.x]. Recut for [0.62.x].
	The Wizard of South Park, background looted from the WindowMaker theme 'Wizard of South Park', originally fromSweeet.com, truetype font liberated off the net from 2 Rebels, whose URL escapes me at the moment. But it looked cool here... This one was made as a tribute to one of my favorite TV shows. We're off to see the Wizard. Be afraid. Get your Salisbury steak. And remember, BLAME CANADA!!![0.53.x] [0.62.x]		Zoe, a semiadult theme based on a wallpaper from Page3.Com, home of the infamous Page 3 Girls. [0.523.x] . [0.62.0
	iMac, The Final Chapter. Background looted and modified from a theme from another window manager for Linux. i[0.53.x] [0.62.x]		Smoke, a grey gradient theme. Background looted from an Afterstep theme of the same name by Tomas Duewiger. [0.53.x] [0.62.x]
	'I Want To Believe', a theme based on two of my fave tv shows, The X-Files and Babylon 5. The background was swiped out of a WindowMaker themepack called Believe, the style itself is mine, created with BBConf. I'm still getting used to it. Only [0.62.x] version availiable. I had a catastrophic disc drive erasure courtesy of my roomie, and lost my capability to support 0.53.x Blackbox...		'Cancerman', a dark and dreary theme honoring The X-Files' number one archvillian, CGB Spindler, AKA 'Cancer Man' AKA 'The Cigarette Smoking Man'. The background was cunningly lifted out of a WindowMaker themepack called Cancerman, the style itself is mine, created with BBConf. I'm still getting used to it. Only [0.62.x] availiable.
	'Fatrix', Yet Another South Park theme. Background swiped boldly from www.sweeet.com, the theme itself is something I hacked up. Only [0.62.x] availiable.		'Starport Days' features yet another Jesse deGraff image, this one of a Marava-class Freighter, one of the workhorses of the shared universe of Traveller©. I recycled the style file from my RedHat theme, something I never do, but when I was starting in on it after making RedHat, I saw how good the color scheme I'd used looked with Jesse's background, and let it slide. Jesse's stuff makes even my styles look good![0.62.x]
	Another Babylon 5 themepack. Background scammed from a Windowmaker themepack, and 15 minutes with bbconf finished this one off. [0.62.x]		7 Of 9, the Borg crewperson on USS Voyager, the focus of Star Trek: Voyager, a ground breaking tv show featuring a woman starship captain. Background from a WM theme. Assimilate me, 7 of 9!!! [0.62.x]
	Angel, a cute background that demanded I style it for Blackbox. Style file is a modification of my Babylon 5 scheme that looked good to me. Mutant's gotta do what a mutant's gotta do... [0.62.x]		'Kokopeli', a rather cute background scammed from Windowmaker. Makes a nice Blackbox theme, I think. [0.62.0]