Solaris10 on Old Pentium II 333mhz

Ironically almost exactly a year ago I posted a blog entry on how I was repurposing my old Pentium II computer from 1998. It’s currently running Ubuntu and serves as my local apache webserver, web proxy, and web content filter. It also hosts my external USB drive with documents, music, photos, etc.

Here I am one day past a year from that project and its time to switch things up a bit. That system has been very stable even on such old hardware. So I was thinking about converting my Pentium II PC from Ubuntu LINUX to Solaris 10.  Crazy..huh? I believe it should run just as well..the beauty of *NIX systems is that they are as lightweight as you want them to be or as scalable.  The Solaris 10 system will still serve as my apache web server, web proxy and web content filer server.  If I decide to make that switch then I will also change the backup software I am currently using from backintime to Amanda (Community Edition of Zmanda). Amanda runs also on LINUX and Solaris which is great since my environment will be mixed with both.

AZ ITSM Summit 2010

At the AZ ITSM Summit you will learn about IT Service Management Best Practices from leaders in the industry. I plan on attending and also look forward to raffle prizes and networking with peers within the industry. Visit http://azitsmsummit.org for details.

Registration is FREE!!

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Bluetooth OBDII for Android!

It feels like I’ve been working on the same CarPC project for years now…I keep having new ideas so it keeps evolving. I am now considering using a tablet PC as my car pc. Tablet PC’s are low footprint and less hardware and get the job done if you’re not planning on hardcore computing in your car. The ipad is nice and all but is too proprietary for me and too pricey. There are tons of other tablet PC’s out there and this includes those running Android OS.

I came across a website that sells a reasonably priced bluetooth OBDII (On Board Diagnostics) device that can be used with android OS. It even lists a few of the compatible apps available on the market. The reviews are great and this is making me lean towards getting an Android-based tablet PC. I have been extremely happy with my Android Eris phone.

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Very Useful Online Sitemap Builder

One of the good tips for website SEO includes creating a sitemap for your website. This is basically an xml file that contains a list of the URLs within your website. By having a sitemap file can assist search engines like google with knowing what urls exist for your website that they may not otherwise pickup.

If you have a relatively small website with a handful of pages then you can probably create your sitemap manually. However if you have a medium to large website then building a sitemap by hand is not practical. I use different CMS’s for my websites and many popular CMS’s (wordpress, Joomla, etc) have plugins or extensions that can create a sitemap for you. However, I wanted a sitemap builder that was not limited to the content management software that I am using.

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Videos of Phoenix July 4th Fireworks Show

I finally uploaded my videos for the fireworks show at Indian Steele park in Phoenix. Check’em out!

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CarPC Project: Possible Remix…

So…I came across the Arcos 9 PC tablet and by looking at the specs it has everything I basically have or plan to have for my CarPC. It runs windows 7 and has USB ports …blah blah.. LED backlit 8″ screen..

Hmmm…I see a remix to my CarPC project. This would make my CarPC ultra mobile like when I had my EEEPC as my CarPC.

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Turn Old VCR into Media PC

I was at it again with my gadget and mods. I felt like building something one day using some computer parts I had sitting around.? I went to a thrift store and purchased $10 dual VHS player/recorder. I went with that because it had the perfect size for my motherboard and PSU.

I gutted the VCR and only had to few minor modifications to the box.The motherboard was a perfect fit. Learn more »

CarPC Project: Future Enhancement Idea for Side View Video Input

My project basically has about 5 phases which is listed below.

1. Design
2. Build
3. Test
4. Install
5. Video Input Enhancement

My future plan after my CarPC build and installation is complete will be to add another monitor in the dash dedicated to a constant video feed from the side view mirrors. I’m still working out the details on the design but this will be cool once completed. I also want my rear view camera to be a constant feed as well rather than switching only when I reverse.

I don’t want to use a video “switch” design because that would cause for manual intervention at some point. I want one display with two (split) views, the right side view and the left side view (similar to what is used in video surveillance).

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CarPC Project: Back on Track

View my latest CarPC project updates at the MP3Car forum.? I’m happy with how things are going. The PSU and PC are mounted to the console walls.

The next step is to purchase my monitor. I also need to perform some cosmetic mods to the console…but that’s minor and doesn’t impact the functionality of the PC.

CarPC Project: Preparing PC Case and PSU Case

I started my CarPC project back up. I decided to redesign where I’m going to mount the PC. I am going to mount it under the passenger seat along with the automotive PSU. Due to the size of the M4 ATX PSU I will not be able to mount it in the case with the motherboard. Instead I am mounting the PSU externally in it’s own factory designed case. For now I mounted the motherboard in the mini atx case and mounted the PSU in it’s case.

My next task will be cable management which involves wrapping and organizing the cabling (i.e. atx, LED, USB ). This will prevent all of the cables from “knotting” up all over the place and also protect them from damage and heat.

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