Wednesday 11 August 2021

Too Many Errors

Nothings seems to last these days.  The computer I had configured as a personal video recorder (PVR) running on a version of Linux using MythTV died.  Well the USB ports on the motherboard died which turned it into a brick.  It was only 16 years old and for six of them had been in storage.  Very disappointing!

It was only once the pc had failed that I realised I hadn’t made a backup copy of the software.  Actually I should have made a cloned copy rather than a backup.  That’s when I realised I didn’t have a cloned copy of the media server and the cloning of the Raspberry Pi occurred back in early 2019.

Previously I’ve cloned disks using the Linux dd command.  It does an excellent job but has one disadvantage.  It clones the entire disk… including the unused disk space.  Our Raspberry Pi has a 128GB drive but less than 8GB is actually occupied by the operating system.  The remaining 120GB can be temporarily occupied by downloaded media files.  If I use the Linux dd command then my cloned copy is 128GB in size rather than 8GB.  The latter would easily fit on a cheap spare usb thumbstick.  I have a similar issue with the media server operating system disk. The third pc uses Windows.  Three operating systems and I want a free single solution.  I think I’ve found it.

I’ve made a boot usb thumbstick using YUMI <link here>

Yumi will boot the computer from the usb stick and then allow you to load an ISO image file on the thumbstick.  I’ve already downloaded two ISO files to the thumbstick.  Clonezilla and the latest version of Ubuntu.  I could also place the ISO for Windows if there was sufficient room on the stick.

Yumi does not install onto the pc hard drive.  It runs in memory.  Clonezilla allows you to clone only the used portions for a drive.  This means the cloned copy of my 128GB Raspberry Pi is only 8GB.  The Ubuntu image file means I can start Ubuntu on any of the three pc’s without installing to the drives.  It runs from the usb thumbstick.

All this means I’ve been able to make cloned copies of the three computers that are relatively small.

OK…. the boring computer stuff has ended.

Yesterday Jan searched online and found the colour codes for the Isuzu.  Rather than paint the rear bumper silver I decided to take the paint code to the auto shop where they mixed the paint and added it to an aerosol can.  This can of “personalised” paint was twice the price of a retail can.  I masked up the back of the Isuzu and carefully repainted the repaired portion.

P1010546

WRONG COLOUR

Well it’s going to stay that way now!!!

On the news this morning there was an article about a social media influencer who had gathered quite following by proclaiming you could avoid COVID by being very fit and eating lots of rice. They also claimed vaccination wouldn’t protect you.  I think we would all acknowledge all of the COVID vaccines are not 100% effective.  However they reduce the chance of infection and if you do get infected, then they reduce the severity.  Someone should explain to this social media influencer the only guaranteed way to avoid COVID is to wear as a face mask, someone else's 14 days old jockstrap, along with a purple top hat and canary yellow gumboots.   

Wish the rain and wind would stop…. I’m a fair weather fisherman Smile

 

1 comment :

Dave said...

Are you sure there isn't two paint codes for your car. Looks to me that you have the correct paint code for the main silver colour but the bumpers are darker.

I would have thought the paint shop would be able to advise or maybe even have a device to take a photo of the bumper and spit out the correct mixing details.

As to anti-vaxxers. Been a couple of news stories in uk where sadly anti-vaxxers have now found out the hard way. One lost parents and brother all in space of a couple of weeks and has now changed his tune.