NetBSD/cute: kitten(4) (by alaric)

Well, the latest snapshot of NetBSD/cute now supports the kitten(4) driver.

I tried to get a screenshot of kitten running with my two black and white devices, but while I was preparing it, I ran into a resource conflict with the existing baby(4) driver:

I managed to jury-rig a bus isolation mechanism, however:

Motorway Cow Bridge (by alaric)

Well, I've just ported my nice image upload to blog script to run from a Web form (rather than a script on my machine that uploads via SCP), so that Sarah can use it too (and I can use it from random locations).

As a test of it, here's some pictures of a strange phenomenon we often see when going to pick Jean up from nursery - at about 5:30pm each day, Junction 11 of the M5 is visited by a parade of cows (you have to look closely to see them - I didn't want to crop the images, so you get the full context):

Hobby OS projects (by alaric)

There are a lot of hobby OS projects out there. The Wikipedia article barely scratches the surface; I've come across projects to build Lisp-based OSes, 32-bit multitasking extensions to DOS, you name it.

Lots of people decide they want to write an OS. They look at a world dominated by Windows, with open source UNIX clones and MacOS bringing up the rear, and think: "I can do better". And they usual don't get too far. Even if you do write a full operating system, able to utilise a wide range of hardware and with all the applications home and business users need, you'll still have a hard time getting people to use it - because it's unfamiliar.

I'm proud to say that I, too, am writing my own OS. Read more »

Of Cats and Kittens (by sarah)

We have been carrying one kitten with us when we go and feed Babaras cats to try and get everybody used to the new situation. However last night Tim followed me into the Bakery, so I went and got a kitten to see how he would react to them - it was H the less agressive of the two. To mine and Als suprise TIm stood there looking a bit worried and as soon as I put H on the ground, the kitten started hissing and yoewling, back arched, fur raised.

We thought that it would be predent if H won the face off as it is the kittens territory, but we didnt have to intervine - Tim was petrafied of the kitten and as soon as we opened the door he was off like a shot.

Then Betsy, the black shy cat kept coming over and sticking her paw through our letter box - rattling it toget our attention. She kept doing this until we let her into the Mill via the door - she has arthritise and we think she was having problems climbing in the window to get her food.

Tim and Batsy also appeared to be missing Barabara - who they seemed to think we were hiding in the Bakery - this myth was dispelled earlier with heer return from holiday - the endless watering is now at an end 🙂

The kittens house training has dramatically improoved with a) a box over the litter tray to make it resemble the covered one they were used to. b) treats and rewards, plus being taken to the litter tray. c) Cleaning the litter tray out three times a day and d) feeding them specific cat milk so they dont have the squitz anymore!

Water and Electricity Stupidity! (by sarah)

Grrrr!!!!

Well today I opened a letter from our electricity supplier - I wasnt expecting a bill as we have recently payed one. Unfortunatly two weeks ago we'd had our first meter reading since we had moved in - add this to the fact they hadnt changed us off of economy seven and I cant remember if I posted the letter asking them 🙁 We have a bill for £1000!!!!

This is a magnitude different to previous bills - it incorporates all the extra we havent been paying over the last yr that they didnt know about cos they hadnt read our meter 🙁

The economy seven is a right pain! Al works with computers - we prepear most meals at home - during the day! For those that don't know about economy seven it is a tarfir that changes less at night that standard but almost double! during the day.

This bill would have included all the excess from heating over the winter too. This was exceptionly high becuase a) we have no gas or oil heating and the fire only heats a small patch of down stairs. We only managed to put the thermal curtians, mum made, up towards the end of the winter - plus I didnt unpack synthia the carpet snake draft excluder until spring. Ontop of that we have no double glazing and we have found a couple of 1/2 inch gaps in some of the windows!

We are peed off with the gas people as we have been waiting for the quotes and stuff for over six months now - they came and did the free servey! We still want gas for cooking but we now thinking that oil central heating might well be the way to go!

I am slightly worried over the ecological-ness of our house at the moment 🙁

Still we phoned them up and have arranged to pay this nasty bill a bit every month though the household budget is now completely up the creek 🙁

The other stupidity is the water company - I could strangle them!

Now when the first water bill came it was obviously in Babaras name - I phoned them up and advised them of the change and who we were etc...

Bow I got one more bill and that was it - this was becuase for some reason they started sending our Bills to Babara - wrong address, wrong name. She kept phoning saying she had payed her bills - they look it up on the pooters and yes she has etc... but then another letter arrives and nother - she phones up each time - then one threaterning solicitors - then she noticeses that it our account.

I phone them up and they apologise and say they have taken our account off the 'bad' list and a new bill will be sent.

Then over a month later I'm thinking I've still not got a bill and lo! We go to feed the cats and sitting on top of the post at the Mill is a letter from the water company saying - with the wrong name but our adress - this again was threatening balifs and stuff - I have sne t the cheque off along with a peeved letter. But am still expecting the balifs to flipping kinock! Incompetance!!!!

What is wrong with the srtructures of these companies that this can happen?

ok thats all folks!