Using Debian Squeeze

Last Friday I downloaded a daily build of Debian Squeeze and I have been using it since that time. I was not very happy with the default graphical installer; it got into a loop when I attempted to start it in the default settings. I did not attempt to figure out what was happening; I used the text based installation instead. I was not very happy with it either. When I tried to reuse an existing partition to load Squeeze, the partition handling routine failed. I had to remove the data on that partition, delete the partition, then create a new partition in the same spot, then it worked.

That had other undesirable side effects, because it renumbered the partitions after the partition that was recreated. This caused me other problems and even temporarily caused one of my existing systems to have a kernel failure, probably due to its initrd file no longer reflecting the correct disk identification, so more work is needed to get things back in order. I have copied the contents of that system that I want to retain to an external USB disk, so that when I reinstall that system or reconfigure it, I will not lose all of the information that I had saved.

Once past these annoying issues, Debian Squeeze has proven to be a solid system, and I have not encountered a single problem with the installed system, and in fact, I have been using it ever since.

There have been a modest number of changes since Friday to Debian Squeeze, so it has not been quite as volatile as the Debian Sid based systems that I usually use.

I'm not happy with the state of the Debian Squeeze installer, but to be fair to the Debian project, it is not final, and in fact, this was only a daily build that I installed, so I expect the final version not to have the issues that I experienced. I will check it out again later, and also see if others have encountered the issues I faced, and if not, report them as installation related defects.

Keeping technically astute

I am working hard at reading and studying about technology, while at the same time, spending time each day researching companies and looking for a job.

I most recently worked in project management, so that is my first preference, but in most of the project management work, there were still close ties with quality assurance, and I rolled up my sleeves a number of times to help testing efforts, so both my QA and Project Management skills are fresh, and I am working VERY HARD at keeping it that way.

I have had two other times during the course of my career where I went through long lapses between assignments in the software industry. Both times I worked very hard to remain as current as possible on the technology.

The most recent time I was extremely successful at it, and even was able to demonstrate capabilities beyond what I had originally been hired to do, leading quickly to a move to a position with additional responsibilities. I want to make certain that I can do the same thing as I continue to look for work.

Karsten and I are doing our Blogs again today

Karsten has a few entries on his blog at http://karsten-masinick.blogspot.com/

I am helping him to get a few pictures there, which I took for him on my LG enV "SmartPhone".

Karsten and I are doing our Blogs

My son Karsten loves computers and he is an avid SimplyMEPIS Linux fan. He is using it right now on a Dell Latitude D600 laptop while I use sidux on a Gateway PA6A 17" portable.

Karsten desperately wants to get his blog working. I will be helping him out so he learns how to do it appropriately.