Installing & Configuring CentOS 5.4 (Day 2)

Oké. Day 2. After the successful installation and configuration of CentOS with Adobe Coldfusion, I needed to install MySQL as a database. So, I started the virtual machine, and found out why Linux will (probably) never cut it as a common desktop environment.

X11 - No DesktopYesterday I (properly) shutdown the system (which had the GNOME Desktop), and today it started with some back to the 60's desktop. Every icon gone. All that I'm left with was a terminal window, clock, and a FireFox window. This environment is the basic X11 desktop.

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Adobe Coldfusion 9 on CentOS 5.4 (x64)

Updated on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 18:53 by Willem

A while back I figured out how to install Adobe (could have been Macromedia back then) Coldfusion MX on an Ubuntu linux server. This config still runs as it should, but in the mean time several things have changed in the world of software. I've been leaning towards Centos 5.4, and Adobe released Coldfusion 9 somewhere in 2009. These two 'events' made me decide to combine the two.

Before I continue, I must warn you that the Coldfusion installer is still broken..... So there's some manipulation of code involved.

Since the new 'server' is going to run in a virtual environment I started in a VMWare Workstation. This way I could make snapshots of my progress. This made it easier to start from scratch. The problem with Linux and me is that I tend to reinstall the OS when things go haywire. So VMWare is a safe way out in this case.

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Apple Released OS X Update 10.6.3

Apple released the .3 update to Snow Leopard (10.6) today. You can find this update under the Software Update menu, or on the Apple website as a single (combo) download [.dmg].

The update was ~450MB, and took about ten minutes to install. After the reboot everything seemed to work fine. Some applications (I guess the ones that got updated) reverted back to their default settings. E.g. Firefox wasn't my default browser anymore, but NetNewsWire was still my default RSS reader.

I also thought that QuickTime X (how I dislike that app....) reverted back to its default settings, since my pr0n..... euh movies started opening in different windows. Since I can't find a Terminal command for this on the Internet, I guess that I'm mistaken on that. I might be confusing the excellent QuickTime Pro v7.x with this piece of whatever.
There are no visible enhancements on QuickTime X

An annoyance that got fixed is the deletion on SMB shares (Windows 2003 Server). Without the update, the files got deleted, but the directory they were in stayed behind. When you tried to remove this directory, you got this fancy error code.

The important pieces of software that functioned properly after the update uncluded:

• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Lightroom v2.6
• BBEdit v9.2.1

Anyway, (more) updates will follow when I run into unexpected behavior.

Update on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 8:42 by Willem

Apple also released a security update for OSX 10.5.8 (Security Update 2010-002). The update (in my case) was 210MB and installed without (a noticable) flaw on my iMac.

Nikon Learn & Explore iPhone App (part deux)

It took them long enough, but they finally released the Nikon Learn & Explore app for the iPhone in the Dutch iTunes store. I'm still wondering why it took them a couple of months to do so.

Enough negativity for now. Initial impression is that it gives you something nice to read with excellent (example) photos. No matter if you're just starting or a more advanced photographer, there's always something to learn (and explore).

Books on the White Screen

Inspiration for creating (blockbuster) movies can be found in books. There are hundreds of books which have been turned into movies. Some successful, others not so successful. There's no real formula to determine if a movie is gonna be successful or not. Having the right producer(s), director, a large budget, and a star cast doesn't guarantee a good movie (with lots of money)..... but it might help.

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Voigtlander Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SLII Review

Updated on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 12:41 by Willem

For the last year I've been searching for a <24mm prime. I did have some requirements for this new lens;

1. It should be flare resistant.
   I hate flares on my wide-angle lenses (my Nikon 17-55mm, and Sigma 10-20mm)
2. It should be small (as small as possible).
   Not a 'look-at-my-camera-with-this-huge-lens' lens.

After much deliberation I bought the Voigtlander Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II @ Robert White (direct link) in the UK.

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Point & Shoot Off-Camera Flashing

The general consensus on flashing is that you should take the flash of the camera (take the flash off the damn camera). It just results in better (more flattering) photos In some cases this is impossible. Especially when the flash is integrated. But there's hope. There are several point & shoot camera's (P&S) that feature a hot-shoe. The Panasonic Lumix LX3 [1] is one of those camera's.

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Really Right Stuff D300 L-Plate

RRS D300 L-PlateAfter getting the Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1, the next logical step was getting an L-plate for my camera. An L-plate is a camera plate that allows you to position the camera in landscape- AND portrait-mode on the ballhead. Normally you would use the drop-notch on the ballhead to position the camera in portrait mode. This drop-notch is available on most ballheads, but seriously limits the movement of the ballhead, and it puts the camera in a lower (and on most times in an awkward) position.

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Windows Phone 7 Series

Windows Phone 7 SeriesMicrosoft will be shipping a new phone operating system this year. After the Windows Mobile brand, they're switching to an alternate name; Windows Phone 7 Series. And obviously, with a new name comes a new website; http://www.windowsphone7series.com.

I can't really see why they keep bothering trying to access the phone market. Every single Windows Mobile (or Windows CE as it was called in the old days) device I've owned crashed more frequently than the 'good old' Windows Millennium Edition on an average Sunday. I can't count the number of times that I received a phonecall while doing something else (e.g. playing solitaire, or reading e-mail) and that the call finally went to voicemail. Why? because the phone froze, crashed, or answer button was unresponsive.

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Lens and Focal Length Statistics

Have you ever wondered which lens you used the most? Or what focal length is your favorite? The results of these queries can be used to decide what new lens to get; a (ultra)wide-angle, normal, or telephoto lens.
Well, there is an answer for both questions. The first (which lens) is relatively easy when you're using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Just select the metadata filter in the library view and examine the results.

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