Into.the.Void.

Question #1: My windows XP system suddenly throws a “When trying to update a password the return status indicates that the value provided as the current password is not correct” error message…what do I do ?
Answer: Did you not format your windows installation this week ? Well, now you certainly have to.

Question #2: What is the safest way to change the boot partition from a windows xp installation cd ?
Answer: You just boot with a linux live cd and change it using fdisk/cfdisk. It can probably be done with DOS fdisk ..using the recovery console. But…do you trust it ?

Question #3: I can’t get bwbar to compile, I keep getting errors about png functions like
undefined reference to `png_create_info_struct' , undefined reference to `png_init_io', etc
Answer: Make sure you have installed libpng. Then open the Makefile with a text editor and change the line LIBS = -lz with this: LIBS = -lz -lpng -lm. Don’t ask my why -lpng never gets inside the Makefile using the configure script. It just doesn’t.

Filed by kargig at 07:16 under General
No Comments | 3,735 views

Well it looks like google is going to offer massive storage for e-mail accounts on any domain… just check this page: https://www.google.com/hosted/Home

Very interesting, and simple…you probably just need to change the MX record of your domain to a server IP that they will send you.

If only the interface was a bit better…if it had encryption support…if … if…if they could be trusted not to make your e-mails searchable in public one day in the future…

Filed by kargig at 03:36 under General,Internet,Privacy
1 Comment | 3,331 views

That’s what the Greek Minister of Economics said. If don’t believe me…well you can read what was said in the Greek Parliament discussing the deal between the Greek Government and Microsoft.

Quote from: http://www.parliament.gr/ergasies/showfile.asp?file=syne060209.txt

ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΑΛΟΓΟΣΚΟΥΦΗΣ (Υπουργός Οικονομίας και Οικονομικών):
…
Επίσης, νομίζω ότι πίσω από αυτές τις απόψεις σας κρύβεται και μια αντίληψη η οποία αν υιοθετηθεί, θα καταδικάσει τη χώρα στην ψηφιακή υπανάπτυξη για πάρα πολλά χρόνια, διότι όλοι ξέρουμε ότι το ελεύθερο λογισμικό έχει πολύ περιορισμένες εφαρμογές και δεν μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί τόσο ευρέως όσο άλλο λογισμικό.
…

Translation by me:

GEORGIOS ALOGOSKOUFIS (Minister of Economy and Economics):
…
I also think that behind these views of yours (he’s talking about someone who asked him a question about open source) hides a perception that if inherited, will deem the country to digital “underdevelopement” for many years, because we all know that the open source has limited applications and cannot be used as widely as other software can.
…

Go Go Greece!! Long live the stupidity! Sometimes it’s better to shut up than speak in public and say bullshit. Shame on them for undermining the potentials of this country.

Filed by kargig at 19:34 under General
1 Comment | 3,299 views

Today the Government announced that for many many months members of the Greek Government, the main opposing party and some other businessmen wire wiretapped through their cell phones.

We are living in a country that even the Government cannot secure itself from others. The Prime Minister had his cell phone wiretapped. How long can these people govern our lives ? How can they protect us when they can’t protect themselves? They can’t protect their country they are supposedly serving…After about a year of pre-investigations what do they know about the people who had done the wiretapping ? Nothing! Just …nothing! Null!

This is so ridiculous…

more news on the wiretapping case: http://news.ert.gr/en/newsDetails.asp?ID=14811

*Update
BBC reports on the wiretapping
*Update #2
Bruce Schneier blogs about the wiretapping
*Update #3
Slashdot article on the subject
*Update #4
Vodafone SpyLine, humourous Vodafone advertisment in Greek…enjoy it 🙂

Filed by kargig at 20:48 under General,Privacy
No Comments | 3,002 views

While most other countries in the world turn to Open Source software to secure their investments and to gain more from the tax payers’ money, the greek government makes a leap backwards and makes an agreement with Microsoft. Microsoft will sell software to the greek government and to all public services for a cheaper price than normal.

In order for you to understand the stupidity of this decision just take a look at what the minister of economics said after the agreement.
Original text:

“Προσωπικά, έχω ωφεληθεί πολύ από τη χρήση των τεχνολογιών της Microsoft ήδη από τη δεκαετία του ’80, όταν ως νέος καθηγητής οικονομικών χρησιμοποιούσα προσωπικούς υπολογιστές για τις ανάγκες της δουλειάς μου”

My translation of what he said in English:

“Personally, I have been benefitted a lot from the use of Microsoft’s technologies since the 80’s, when as a young teacher of economics I used personal computers to do my work”

The original version should be here: http://www.mnec.gr/MS_GA_Dilossi.aspx … but cleverly enough someone has deleted the file from the website of the Greek Ministry of Economics, and you are now presented with a 404 error. Someone “thankfully” realised how embarrasing that was.

Shame on the Greek Government. The previous government had done quite the same thing and had then agreed with Microsoft (I have blogged about that in the past). Looks like these “new” guys are not any better than the previous ones…maybe they are even worse. Now you know where the Greek government spends your taxes, on Bill Gates 200-meter long yacht(link2).
These government people just remind me day after day how pathetic are we as a nation. Go on! Vote for them in the next elections too…make sure Gates gets an even bigger yacht for next year!

Can we change that ? Maybe not…but we can try…
http://manifesto.digitalrights.gr/

Filed by kargig at 21:21 under General,Greek,Linux
1 Comment | 3,068 views