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Pine users can simulate the function of other mail clients’ ability to move messages to a trash location upon delete.  Set up a filter by going to (M)ain menu, (S)etup, (R)ules, and (F)ilter.  (A)dd a new filter with your choice of name or description.  Have it set so that the Current Folder Type is set to the INBOX and that the condition is set to “Message is Deleted”.  Set the action to move the file to the path of your trash folder.

Note that this rule is set up for the INBOX alone.  If you were to set it up for all folders then you would run into trouble should you try to delete files while in your trash location.

I was flipping out today because I rush ordered some PC5400 SDRAM. Instead of doing it before placing the order, I looked up the compatible RAM after the fact. The machine indicated that it would only take PC5300 SDRAM.

As I prepared to cancel my order I incidentally looked up how the whole PC categorization of RAM comes into being. It turns out that it is derived thusly:
ddr speed x 8 = PC value

This little piece of information was significant in my case because 667×8=5336. It turns out that some vendors simply round up and some round down. The voltage and speed are what really matter, and so PC5300 and PC5400 are essentially the same thing.

Since upgrading my departmental website to Mambo, I’ve seen significantly more hacking attempts.  This should have been expected as I have moved to a known software framework that’s executing a lot more than read calls to service Apache’s GET requests.

Earlier in the year I suffered a minor defacement to the site from a known security vulnerability.  At the time, it could have been much worse.  I quickly applied the appropriate patch and rolled back all of the changes to the system.  Unfortunately I hadn’t learned my lesson about the importance of patching (horrible) and had let two more security patches go by without a second glance.  That left me open to a similar hack but instead of pages defaced, scripts were uploaded.

2 hours of downtime had me with a snapshot of the drive for forensics and a skeleton page returned to service.  If there is one lesson for SCAD and tech support young and old its keep up on your patching.  It makes or breaks a secure system, and it deserves repeating ad naseaum.

Finding DOS drivers for Sony VAIO hardware can be a bit of a challenge.  All I needed was the driver for the network card of a VGN-BX540B.  The card was listed as a RealTek Marvell Yukon PCI-E card on Sony’s support site, however they do not post any DOS drivers.  A search for drivers for this card turned up nothing until I dropped the “RealTek” from the name and just searched for the drivers for a Marvell Yukon that could do Gig-E.  Only then did driverguide.com cough up a compatible set.