Yeah, I’m That Nerdy

Make no mistake, nerdiness this deep doesn’t happen overnight. I was nerdy from the cradle. This will never change.

If you’re part of the late night crew on Facebook you might already know this story. I have an old laptop. It is for playing… for hacking. It is where code is written and experiments are performed. Instead of Windows this computer runs Linux.

Linux is an operating system, Think language, like English or Italian. Ideas are expressed in similar fashion in all languages though the words are pronounced differently. Same with operating systems.

I’ve loaded different flavors of Linux dozens of times on old hardware. Because the underlying code used in Linux is Open Source people can freely modify it and redistribute it at will. Anyone is allowed to make a Linux distribution!

The install never goes 100%. Last night was no exception.

I was attempting to install Mint which is based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian. Don’t ask me to explain the last sentence.

The Mint install was flawed. It couldn’t activate the wireless (802.11g) function on this laptop. Royal pain.

Meanwhile, while trying to get everything straightened out I realized how little I liked Mint’s look.

Ciao Mint.

I downloaded a Xubuntu distribution, burned a CD and installed it.

Perfect!

Xubuntu is “Ubuntu light.” It uses a different graphical system meant for less powerful machines. It loaded the first time. I’m using it to compose this entry.

On my right is a new wireless router. It is 802.11n capable. Newer pieces of hardware also use that protocol.

I found it at Newegg for $19.99 including shipping. Tough to resist.

Before I install it I will “flash” it with new firmware, Open Source router code called DD-WRT. DD-WRT is often discussed and referenced on the Geek boards.

What does it do better than the stock firmware? No clue. Will learn.

Make no mistake, nerdiness this deep doesn’t happen overnight. I was nerdy from the cradle. This will never change.

Google Chrome

With Chrome your javascript execution is going from a Model-T to a F/A-18. Like I said, it’s really noticeable.

I’ve been playing around with Google’s Chrome browser. I’ve used it at home where it sometimes replaces Firefox which always replaces Internet Explorer. In and of itself this isn’t a big deal. I’m a geeky, nerdy-boy. You would expect me to dabble in new tech that’s still in beta.

The reason I’m telling you (hopefully for your own sake you’re less geeky than me) is there is a difference in browsers–a difference you can notice. Chrome is crazy fast.

From what I hear the real slowdown in most web surfing is javascript. That’s a computer language sent from a website but executed on your machine. It is the real bottleneck on the web. With Chrome your javascript execution is going from a Model-T to a F/A-18. Like I said, it’s really noticeable.

At work where my desktop machine is old, slow and runs Xubuntu Linux, Chrome has added new life. That’s especially true with Gmail, a site heavy on javascript and a site I’m constantly checking.

Chrome isn’t without its problems. There are few plugins currently available for it. I use plugins with Firefox to extend my browser’s capabilities and miss them. On the Linux machine I haven’t yet figured out how to load Java (completely different from javascript) or Flash. It’s possible it’s not yet capable of running Java and Flash.

Chrome is not quite ready for prime time, but there is a great deal of promise.

You would assume by now browsers would be mature technology with little low hanging fruit. As it turns out–no.