If you’ve just updated your MySQL installation and have found this happening: 060511 22:38:11 [Warning] ‘./mysql/host’ had no or invalid character set, and default character set is multi-byte, so character column sizes may have changed 060511 22:38:11 [Warning] ‘./mysql/user’ had no or invalid character set, and default character set is multi-byte, so character column sizes may have changed 060511 22:38:11 [Warning] ‘./mysql/db’ had no or invalid character set, and default character set is multi-byte, so character column sizes may have changed 060511 22:38:11 [ERROR] Fatal error: mysql.

If like me, you performed a yum update this morning and your gnome-terminal has stopped working and instead is doing a lot of this: (gnome-terminal:2274): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_screen_get_number: assertion `GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)’ failed gnome-terminal: symbol lookup error: gnome-terminal: undefined symbol: vte_terminal_set_opacity This is probably because you were trying out aiglx and you’ve removed the aiglx repo. Try this: rpm -e gnome-terminal vte –nodeps ; yum install gnome-terminal The tricky part was figuring out why it’d happened.

XGL, an X server from Novell has been creating quite a stir this year. I thought I’d give it a try, so after faffing around for a while trying to get it working in Fedora, I had a go with Ubuntu Breezy… unfortunatelly it didn’t run well enough on my laptop (i810 gfx) for it to be any good so I went back to my lovely FC5 install. I’ve recently tried AIGLX which is an extension to the xorg X server, which also didn’t run great.

About a week ago, I went to the Hampshire Linux User Group (LUG) meetup at the University. Quite an interesting experience. If you’re interested about linux, even if you don’t know what it is, you could go to one of these meetings and find out! Having said that, my friends recently confirmed my nerd status. Oh well!

Just caught this video on google from CeBIT, $146 small form factor linux computer, 40gb hard disk, does loads of cool stuff, check it out here. Quite impressive (even if you’re not a linux nerd like me).

Dead on Schedule is the next version of Gnome, the open source desktop environment. If you’re wanting to find out more about using Linux as a desktop operating system, I highly recommend you look into gnome. Personally, I think it’s great. Find out about Gnome 2.14

I have just installed a cool web logging tool called Drivel. It allows you to update your web log from a gnome app rather than via the site. This is handy as I’m too lazy to wait for a page to load.

I’ve recently ditched debian as my distro choice for my media centre and gone with gentoo (less hastle for new dvb card). I’m also updating the gentoo wiki with details on how to set up your own freevo box incase you’re interested. It’s quite amazing what you can do with a spare computer and a bit of free time.

I don’t know what kind of storage capabilities it has, but Microsoft are doing free USB keys, click the usb key image: from here and follow the instructions. You’ll have to use your ms passport login to do it. Answers are 4, false, true, true (or 2,true,true,true? I dunno, probably makes no difference) (so I’ve been told anyway). You might want to format it as soon as you get it!

I recently discovered ajchat, it’s a chatroom thing for your website, although it uses the infamous ‘ajax’ method of doing things. This means that it’s smooth. I tried it out and it IS smooth, as smooth as IRC which is very nice indeed and makes it a real option for websites, or just a web IM client thing. ajchat ajax chat thing