Tuesday June 16: almost there!

Gentlemen,
What else is there to say? get everything emailed or uploaded. That way, we will have the final exam day to simply spend in one another's company as a last hurrah before the summer begins

You know what needs to be done. As the Nike commercials say: "JUST DO IT!"

Cheers,
Mr. L

PS If you've forgotten what you need to do, simply consult yesterday's post (and those in the past two weeks if necessary)

Monday June 15: today and tomorrow and the exam day

Greetings once again!

Today, we will be doing several things. Tonight, hopefully, you will be doing one. Here we go!

A) Today I will hand back your corrected "e pluribus unum" quiz collections, graded and recorded. THIS IS NOT THE SUM TOTAL OF YOUR EXAM GRADE!!! You've all done a lot of other stuff, and we have a few more things to get finished between today and tomorrow

B) Last week when we were up in room A323, I had you do this:
" you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.htmlYour "rough draft" must include at least the following:a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosingat least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU"

Tonight, you may want to work on that "rough draft" in preparation for tomorrow, when we will be upstairs one last time in A323. That's because tomorrow I will be having you completing the following:

C) submit your topic as a group discussion posting. The posting should be labeled with the specific name of your topic plus your full name. It should be composed of at least four distinct paragraphs. The first paragraph will be the paragraph you (theoretically) emailed to me last week, explaining why you chose the topic, etc etc (see above, in blue)

The other paragraphs will be a compilation of the complete sentences you composed to tell me about the facts you discovered for each website source you discovered for the purposes of this topic (see above in green)

You might also want to get that image I had mentioned (see above in red)

In other words, tomorrow you'll be putting it all together. Then we go home

D) Also, while we're up there, ANYONE who did NOT upload the files they created here in C206 OR did not send me a link to wher those files are stored, you have to get that done. I need these links in my email

E) Anything else you've got to get finished up down here in C206 today, get 'er done!

Cheers,
Mr. L

Wednesday June 10: end game part four

Greetings one and all!

Before we begin, I would like to remind you that the "e pluribus unum" giganto quiz will be on Thursday June 11. Remember, this will be a compilation of all the quizzes you have taken this semester. And all those practice quizzes are available here: http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

Now then, for today, we are upstairs in room A323. There are two things we will be doing up here:

1) you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.html

Your "rough draft" must include at least the following:
a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosing
at least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323
At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU

2) You will also be uploading at least three of the files you created downstairs in lab C206. The instructions were kept very broad so that you would be free to create something from any four of these applications: Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z MASH Goldwave Multiquence Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker
OR, a program of your choosing

ALL of your files can be found at one of the following locations:
http://freedrive.com/folder/222753
OR
http://www.box.net/shared/ql7a3nmehp
OR
http://www.divshare.com/folder/558998-ca0

Please note: if you cannot find your files in anyone of these folders, you need to let me know IMMEDIATELY. This process is part of your final, and it simply must get done one way or the other

All you have to do is download your files, re-upload them to the file hosting website where you have an account (as you did at least a week ago), then send me a link to where your files are stored.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Friday June 5: end game part three

Greetings one and all!

Before I begin, I would like to make a few brief announcements:

A) your quiz on hard drives is going to take place next Tuesday June 9

B) the "e pluribus unum" giganto quiz will be on Thursday June 11. Remember, this will be a compilation of all the quizzes you have taken this semester. And all those practice quizzes are available here:
http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

C) next Wednesday June 10, we will be upstairs in room A323. There are two things we will be doing up there:

1) you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting
http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.html

your "rough draft" must include at least the following:
a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosing
at least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from
EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323
At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU

2) You will also be uploading at least three of the files you created downstairs in lab C206. The instructions were kept very broad so that you would be free to create something from any four of these applications:
Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z
MASH Goldwave Multiquence
Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker

Naturally, I will need these three files from you by the end of class next Tuesday, if not before then. Fear not, and be creative!

Cheers,
Mr. L

June 3rd: End Game part two

Greetings, everyone!

Today we are in A323, for several good reasons, all of them having to do with the fact that we need an Internet connection today:

A) You will have your last quiz sometime before the end of this week. It will be on hard drives, and the practice quiz for it will be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

B) At some point next week, you will be taking the "e pluribus unum" part of your final. Remember, it is a combination of all the quizzes put together, so those practice quizzes should come in handy. Please make use of them!

C) On the first day of this process, you were asked to begin creating some "demonstration files" using any four of the many different applications we have explored this year. What you need to do now is to make a group discussion posting stating your progress, how many files you have created, how they were created, which programs you used, what you were trying to accomplish with them, what you want them to be able to do. Also, all ideas for the remaining items you are going to create should be listed here.

D) Another part of this process involves uploading at least three of the files you will have created to a "file sharing" website where you have an account. You should have already set up such an account, using the instructions found here All you need to do now is to upload some "practice files" to this account, and then send me by email a link to where you have stored these practice files

E) Finally, you need to pick a topic for some basic research, something that has to do with the development of computers. It could be a person who had a profound impact on computer development, it could be a "killer app", a program which totally changed how we use computers, it could be about the invention of some component or piece of hardware, or it could be some important event or milestone that has taken place during the (ongoing) history of computers. Please email me the following (remember to put your name and "my topic" in the subject line :

• a topic
• why you chose this one
• five things you'd like to be able to discuss or discover about it
• at least three websites that have something to say about it

OK, that should be enough to get you started!

Cheers,

Mr. L

June 1: End Game Part One

Greetings, fellow computer jocks!
As of this moment, we have two full weeks before the onset of the exam week, which is scheduled to begin June 18th. Because of the nature of our class, and due to the fact that I never like waiting to the last minute anyway,we are going to commence work on your final projects, beginning right now. Before I begin, let me give you a very simple outline of what we will be accomplishing over the next two weeks:

A) Quiz e pluribus unum: You will be given a compilation of all the quizzes we have had this year, including the one we haven't actually had yet on hard drives. Naturally, that means that this part of your final will have to wait.

B) "Naming of parts" a brief quiz designed to see how well you recognize various physical components inside the typical computer. Details to follow soon
C) Individual demonstration projects: each of you will be required to create a file of some kind using at least four of the following programs (precise details to follow soon):

Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z
MASH Goldwave Multiquence
Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker

any program found on the Dynebolic Linux Live CD (limit of two, and they must be able to produce some file that you can save and pass in

D) research topic: each of you will need to research a particular topic pertinent to the development of computer technology. Please understand that I'd rather have you demonstrate something rather than just write about it Details to follow soon
E) "year in review": details to follow soon

F) a "how to" video produced using CamStudio, demonstrating how to do something in one of the programs mentioned above. Must be a distinct and separate video from the one you created previously. It must be exported as an mpeg file, saved with your name plus the phrase "exam requirement". It must run for at least 3 minutes, and demonstrate how to do at least one thing in the program which you are recording.

G) Finally, you must be able to upload to a file sharing site at least three files which you have created and make them accessible to me

Cheers,
Mr. L

PS Please note that for this Wednesday we will be upstairs in A323

Tuesday May 26: first day working with Gamemaker

OK, to start this week right, we are going to begin using a program called GameMaker. It allows you to make some simple yet compelling side scrolling computer games without knowing any code. The first step is to install the program, which is included on the CD I have passed around. Also included are a sample game I have made, along with some picture files



OK, so here's what you do after you install the program



turn on the program

stay in simple NOT advanced mode

dont upgrade (obviously)




the first thing to do is add a room. Rooms are like levels,its where the action takes placeto do this click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Room" This will create a room called "Room0"
your room will have three tabs. Click on the "Backgrounds" tab to change the background color
run your program to see if your room works by hitting the little green arrow at the top of the program
The next thing to do is to add some "sprites" that you will use in creating objects. Sprites are picture files, while Objects are things that exist inside your program. Some objects use more than one sprite, but most use only one. You'll see why in a little bit! But first, lets add those sprites:
click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Sprite" the next step is to give your sprite a name. Name this first sprite "PacLeft"then clcik the LOAD SPRITE button, goto the folder I have given you and choose the "PacLeft" image file. Then, Click OK
Repeat this process three more times, adding Sprites that are named PacRight, PacUp, PacDown. Use the other Pacman Images that are available...its easy to figure it out! You can also add any other sprites you like, just make sure to name 'em so you remember what the heck they are!
The next step is to create an object. In most games, the first object you create is the main character, the one that you make run around and do stuff. So lets start with that:click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Object"
Name your Object "PACMAN" and then, assign it a sprite. To give your object a sprite, click the little blue button right next to the word "sprite1", then choose one of the Pacman sprites you've already loaded. I chose PacRight, but thats just me
Once you've done that, its time to add your object to your room. You do this by clicking the "objects" tab on your room, then go down to the bottom left where you see the word "undefined", clcik the little blue button right next to it, then choose PACMAN.
Then, click somewhere in your room to add your object. Run the program to make sure it works!
Crap, he doesn't move! Hmmm... we'll have to change that! Right click on your PACMAN object, then click Properties.
Next, we will add an event and an action that happens because of the event.The first action we want is to make our Pacman move, and the best event for that is a keyboard event.SO, click on the "ADD EVENT" button, then click KEYBOARD, then choose
Now let's make something happen when we hit that key: an action. At the top right right, you will see a button that looks like eight red arrows pointing in eight different directions. Drag that into the ACTION window
A little dialog pops up... click the word "object" then choose the Pacman object from the listClick the arrow thats pointing right, then set a speed of 3CHECK the "relative" check box, then click OK
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, we are going to add an action for what happens when you are not pushing a key...otherwise, your pacman will just fly off the edge of the screenclick on the "ADD EVENT" button, then click KEYBOARD, then choose For the action, choose that same eight headed red thingmabob and drag it into the Actions windowchoose the PacMan object, then click the dot in the center of all the arrows. Set the speed to "0", and check the "relative" box, then click OK
Now, run your program and see what you get
Your final challenge for today is to make your PacMan move in all four directions
Cheers,Mr. L

To Do in CET Wednesday May 20th

Greetings one and all!

Today we will use the time we have have for the following purposes:

A) you will post to our Google discussion group a description of the "video snapshot" you took of a program you have worked with. Make the description something along the line of a "step by step" explanation of what is happening during the video you have made. Label it with your name and the phrase "My Video" Please do this even if :

• you have not yet completed using "CamStudio" to film your program in action
• you were unable to get the video from your machine to me
• your machine ceased functioning, and you will have to finish this project on some other computer

B) Do a search online for "free online file storage", or a similar phrase. What we're trying to do is discover more useful applications of technology that are also without cost, and reasonably ethical. The websites you use MUST be able to store files AND be able to share these files with other people. Please set up accounts on at least two of them, and see if you can upload something to each one, even just a small file. Then, please post to our discussion group, label it with your name and the phrase "free online file storage". In the body of the message, please give the website addresses of the sites you used, followed by a brief description of the advantages of using those particular sites. Why should someone else take your advice?

C) Time permitting, please post a two paragraph description of what you believe is the single most useful program we've used so far has been, and why you think it is so. And NO, "counterstrike" does not count!

Cheers,

Mr. L

To Do In CET FRIDAY MAY 15

To Do In CET FRIDAY MAY 15
By now, most of you have a fairly decent familarity with most or all of the following programs:

• Reptile
• Goldwave
• Multiquence
• ChaosPro
• various ScreenSaver creators/editors
• SketchUp
• various diagnostic programs like CPU-z, Everest and Belarc
• and lots of other stuff that I cannot recall off the top of my head right now

You've also been recently introduced to a program called "CamStudio", which allows you to create a video of whatever happens on your desktop, and save it to a file.

Today, you are going to use CamStudio and do the following:

A) record how to do at least two or three related things in ONE program -- your choice of program

B) save the recording to an avi file; name it after yourself plus the name of the program you recorded

C) When you are done with that, I have a program to convert your avi to an Mpeg type file, which will be much smaller

D) I will then collect this mpeg file

That'll do for today. Lets get going!
Mr. L

TODO in CET Thursday May 14

Hello all, we've got two out of three things to do today:

A) you've got that quiz on Windows registry

and then either

B) Keep working on creating screen savers, which you started earluier this week

OR

C) You can start with a couple of new programs I've just got in today. Available on both thumb drive and CD

Your choice, but lets get something started. Between the seniors leaving soon and a second round of MCAS, there's not of lot of spare time

Cheers,

Mr. L

TODO in CET Monday May 11:

Unless you are otherwise engaged in some truly worthy project, here is what you need to do today:

A) You already should have some rough idea about how to use the REPTILE texturing program: please create at least five images using this program, and store them in a folder where you can find them
B) You already should have some rough idea about how to use the CHAOSPRO fractal generating program: please create at least four images using this program, and store them in the same folder as above
C) You have no doubt created some cool sound effects in GOLDWAVE already; please copy over at least three sound files you have created in this program into the same folder as above
Now, having gathered in the raw material you need, you need to do the following:

Install any two of the screen saver creating programs that you got from me last Friday, and use each one to create a different screensaver, using the images and sounds you have gathered. I will collect your work before the end of this block

Cheers,
Mr. L

PS Wednesday first block we are upstairs in A323. Part of the time will be spent taking a quiz on Windows Registry; I will have a practice quiz setup on our website for that

Wednesday May 6: Say What You DO

Greetings on this all too short day:

There is only one thing I need you to do,and it is this: think about all the things we have done in class in the past two weeks, the different programs you've tested out, different operating systems you've installed, whatever it is that you have taken upon yourself to do, and then

A) make a post on our Google discussion group detailing what it is that you have done.Make sure the subject line includes your name AND a short description of what it is the body of your post will be about. Do you want to discuss your work with MASH? SketchUp? GoldWave? Multiquence? ChaosPro? Windows 2003 Server installation? It's up to you which one you choose (Just make sure its something that you actually did)

B) The body of your discussion post be be at least three paragraphs of three complete sentences each.

C) Your paragraphs should deal with the following:

• Paragraph One -- why did you choose this particular technology? What drew you to it in the first place? Why do you want to discuss THIS particular thing?
• Paragraph Two -- List at least four things you managed to do with whatever you discussed in Paragraph One that you thought were informative, enlightening or just plain cool
• Paragraph Three -- Pretend that you had to demonstrate to someone else - a friend, a schoolmate, an adult,a family member-- HOW to do at least one of the cool things you did in Paragraph Two. Pretend (remember?) that this other person knows NOTHING about this topic before you explain it to them.

D) After you're done, then any remaining classtime is yours

Mr. L

Wednesday, April 29th: Windows Registry notes and other assorted surprises

Greetings, fellow computer jocks!!!

Today, we are going to do two things, both to do with a lil thing called the Windows Registry

A) Some simple note taking, with a twist

B) Some potential activities to do with Windows registries -- your choice, your post

OK, let's do first the one then the other. The notes are located at this address:
http://www.geocities.com/mrlarue2009/WinReg.html

I am running an experiment to see if this method of offering up note taking is more efficient than the one I have been using previously. in this new system, you can progress from one lside to the next without having to wait for your peers. Please remember to email me these notes when you are finished, at which point we can proceed to the next part of our class

Cheers,
Mr. L

Monday April 27th: a choice of technology

Greetings, fellow computer jocks,

Before we begin, I would like to inform you that the next time class is in session -- this Wed-- we will be upstairs in room A323. Please make a note of it.

For today -- and the rest of the week-- you will begin another round of program testing. You have a choice between sound editing and manipulation using a program called Goldwave or fractal design using a program called ChaosPro


Included with the Goldwave installation file is the following:
1) a collection of songs and sounds to manipulate


2) a dll file to copy to the Goldwave program folder (makes it work with mp3 files)


3) a set of basic instructions about cool stuff you can do with Goldwave


here are the instructions for Goldwave
OK, if your're reading this, I can assume three things:
1) You want to work with sound manipulation
2) you have already installed GoldWave and the "lame_enc.dll"
3) You have some sound files to work with
OK, let's get going!
A) start Goldwave, and get ready of all that "how you can pay" stuff. I've been using this program for years and I've yet to
pay anyone
B) Use the program to open either one of the sounds or one of the songs...right now, it doesn't matter which kind you choose
C) By default, the entire song or sound should be selected for use...if you're ever not sure of that you can right click
inside the sound, then click on "set start marker" then right click again and hit "Select All"
D) For today's first round of fun, we will work with the effects menu. Try applying each of these effects, one after the
other, to see what you get (these are pretty simple):
REVERSE -- useful for finding those hidden messages in Led Zeppelin songs
MECHANIZE -- cool way to make someone sound all droid like; even the presets are fun!
PITCH -- yup, you can make a song sound like its being sung by either Darth Vader or Alvin and the Chipmunks : your choice!
ECHO -- If you've ever wondered what your favorite band would sound like on location at the Grand Canyon, here's your
chance to find out!
REVERB -- similar to ECHO, but the idea is to amke the sound seem more "natural" -- you'll see !

OK, now some of the next effects are a little more complex, but still fun, and actually easy to use:
STEREO -- it has four choices, but the most fun is to use "reduce vocals" -- you can do a lot or a little, or even take
out the voices all together. Great for anyone planning an impromptu Karoake party
VOLUME -- you can use it to make simple volume changes, maximize the volume (in other words, make it real freakin' LOUD,
def. my favorite) or even do a "Fade In" or "Fade Out". These last two require that you be able to select part of a song or
sound....more on that later
DOPPLER -- that's the "train coming at you" sound effect list. there's a bunch in here that have to be heard to be
believed.
E) there are many other effects, and feel free to explore them to see what can be achieved. For today however, hee is what
you will need to do:
Apply at least one separate effect to at least eight different sounds.
Combine two or more effects on at least three or four ADDITIONAL sounds
Save all of these new sounds with their effects as mp3 files in a folder named after yourself, plus the phrase "April 27th
sound effects"
Also in that folder, type up a brief two paragraph description of what you did and why you chose those particular effects to
be used as you did
TIME PERMITTING, save one of the sounds as a "wav" file, and see if you can make a "MASH" character sing it for you




Included with ChaosPro is the following

1) instructions on how to create various different fractal designs

2) instructions on how to export them as picture files


Here are those instructions:
notes about using ChaosPro
ChaosPro is a cool free program that you can download at
It is used to make fractal patterns, which are pretty cool, really funky looking and yeah, psychedelic to look at. These patterns obey mathematical formulas, but you don't have to be a math genius to use this program: it makes the formulas for you. Here's what you want to do:
A) start the program. By default, a standard fractal pattern will appear.
B) You will see a bunch of detached open menus at the right. One of them should be for"fractal formulas". If you're not sure which one that is, you can go to the top of the program and click on the "WINDOWS" menu, then click on "Fractal Formulas"
C) In the Fractal Formulas box, there are several tabs at the top, including one called "Transformation". Underneath that, you will see two folders, each with a "+" sign next to it. Click on the "+" next to "Ultra Fractal"
D) In the big list that shows up, hit the plus sign next to any of the open books. A sub-list opens up, and you can double click on any of those to change what your fractal looks like, just by changing the formula. After all, these are NOT images, they are formulas.
E) Let's say you click the "+" sign next to "Jos.ctr" and then doubleclick on Ford Circles. This will cause a pretty neat design to show up. There are lots and lots of these designs right when the program starts. I haven't counted 'em all yet, but there's gotta be hundreds. But we're not done yet!
F) You can change color settings on any fractal design by clicking on the FRACTAL WINDOWS menu at the top of the program, then clicking on "pallette editor". The easiest way to use this part of the program is to click on the little color box next to the pointing hand: it brings up bunches of pre-sets which can be used to change the color scheme of your fractal. Try some, they're pretty cool!
G) another way of using this "palette editor" is by dragging the slider bar underneath the three color bands back and forth
H) You can also "fine tune" things by dragging the little teeny boxes around that are inside any of those three color bands. You can also create these little boxes by doubleclicking to set them
I) Yet another cool way to change the color scheme is to use another menu that should already be open at the right hand side of the screen; it's called "Color Cycling". If you don't see it there, it's undr the "WINDOWS" menu at the top of the screen. When you do see it, put a checkmark in the box next to the word "Color Cycling" and see what happens
J) OK, now that's cool and all, but what happens to your fractal if you close the program? Simple: it vanishes! It's only a formula after all, not an image.
BUT, since you may want one, here is how you save the fractal:
1) get your fractal the way you want it
2) click on the FILE menu at top left, then goto "EXPORT" then "AS Image"
3) Go to the folder where you want to save this thing
4) name it after the formula where you found this thing; for example, the one I just made is called JosCtrFordCircles
HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO: please create at least seven different fractal designs using the steps I have outlined, and save them all as picture files in a folder named after yourself plus the word "fractals April 27" on your desktop. Use at least one of them to set your desktop background

Mr. L

Wednesday, April 8: a TODO list for CET

Greetings, one and all!



If you are reading this, it means that you have completed your latest quiz on Operating Systems. There are several things I would like to see us get done today:



A) I have set up a shared folder for you on my account at Box.net. You will have also received an email in your Gmail account inviting you to "collaborate" in this shared folder, meaning you will be able to upload and download files from it. What I need you to do right now is to follow the instructions on the invite I sent you, and then to prove that you can access this folder, please upload a small file with your name in the file name.



I will provide assistance as needed for this step



B) Once you know how to upload stuff, the next step is to find something to upload. This will no doubt vary from person to person, depending upon what you have been working on. For example, some of you have been working with a program called MASH; the website where you can download additional characters here:

http://www.bellcraft.com/mash/chars.aspx

and here

http://www.msagentring.org/chars.aspx

and here

http://www.planetoftheheads.com/potheads/default.asp 50 more

and here:

http://www.ponx.org/msagent/Acs/ hundreds!

and

http://dogagent.com/nindex.html "Grandpa Jim" is out of his mind! but he has tons of great agents





Please not that you need to download these characters first before uploading them to our account at Box.net!



Others of you have been working with Sketchup, which is a Google product. Not only does Sketchup give you a free way of doing 3D modeling, there is also a warehouse of different models that people have completed which can be downloaded here:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/



Additionally, there some videos online which demonstrate how to do some really neat stuff in Sketchup, and they can be downloaded and played inside of your Sketchup program -- at least, that's the theory! You can peruse them by clicking HERE

There's also some very useful forums located here:

http://groups.google.com/group/SketchUp



Some of you have been continuing to work with DyneBolic Linux. There are some great modules which you can download and add to your Dyne folder on your hard drive, they are found here:

http://dynebolic.org/index.php?show=modules

as well as user manuals, reviews, "HOWTOs" and some entries on both WikiPedia and other wiki type sources



ANYTHING you will need for when we get back downstairs, GO AND GET IT! and make sure to upload it tour folder at Box.net



C) As you upload stuff, I will download it again, prior to burning it all onto some CDs. When we go back downstairs -- and yes, I am hoping we have time for that-- I will be able to load all the stuff you found onto the shared folder on our server, at which point you can get anything you need



While I am burning those discs, you will need to make a discussion post on our Google group. Label it with your name, plus the phrase "what I found, what I plan on doing with it"

In the message body, please write a three complete sentence description telling me what you grabbed and what you're going to do with it.



Cheers,

Mr. L

Monday March 30: CET todo list

Greetings CET students! and welcome to Spring

Today, we are going to try and accomplish several different goals:

A) Some of you have issues with activating Windows XP -- lets deal with that!

B) All of you need to get connected to our server, first by mapping a network drive and additionally by joining a domain. You will have help immediately on that first action, and for the second we will have to

C) use a program I've found which swears that you can join WinXP Home to a domain, even though you're not supposed to be able to

D) Everyone will need to be able to "Hand in" a report which you will all be doing today -- details are in the handout

E) Finally, we will be having a Linux quiz this Thursday, and part of Wednesday we will be upstairs in A323


Cheers,
Mr. L

Tuesday March 24: how are you doing with DyneBolic Linux? and what else can you do with this O.S.?

It's a pretty straightforward assignment: please post to our Google group how you are doing with this version of Linux Live. Please list all aspects of your experience thus far, both good and bad. One or two paragraphs, using at least three complete sentences each ought to do it! just be sure to title it after your name plus the phrase "Dynebolic live"

Once you are done with that, I want you to go to the main Dynebolic website here:
http://dynebolic.org/

and explore around to get some ideas about other things you can do with Dynebolic. Particularly useful links are at the left side of the main page, including "manuals" and "extras" I give you permission to pick out one thing you want to explore BESIDES all the games. (You can also list some games you want to explore as well, I won't take that fun away from you!) Please make a second post, label it with your name and the phrase "Dynebolic exploration" Two or three complete sentences ought to take care of that post

Cheers,
Mr. L

Tuesday March 24th: a little Linux history, a little more discovery with Dyne, and a reminder

Greetings computer jockeys!

Today we will be trying to accomplish three separate tasks:

A) I gotta get you some notes about Linux, prepatory to having a quiz on it sometime next week (date to be determined)

B) speaking of quizzes, the practice quiz for RAM is up on our website at
http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009 on the CET page. Please avail yourself of this, as the RAM quiz will be this Friday, March 27

C) Once we're done with A) and B) above there is one more item I would like to get to before we break for lunch; that'll be in the next blog posting. Note: we'll be back downstairs in C206 after lunch to finish up the festivities from yesterday. Be there or be square!

Mr. L

File fun with DyneBolic

That's right, mon! Jah peepl gotta EXPLORE this new Linux, and find out what it can do!


OK, I know: terrible Jamaican accent, and in print at that. Anyway, now that you have "docked" Dynebolic and are running it from your machine (or even if that didn't work, we'll find a way), here are some things you need to do:


A) You've already seen that you can get around inside Dynebolic by using a program called xFE. Not only can you can click on folders with the mouse, you can also type in an address in the address bar. Another way of getting into this program is by right clicking the desktop, going to "Files", then choosing xFE. Using this program, I want you to answer the following:


1) when you run this program, what folder does it start in?
what is that folder's address in the addressbar?

2) do you think there is a button on the desktop that also opens this folder?
Please tell me what you think it is

3) Please give the exact address for each of the following:
your hard drive --------------------------->
your floppy drive (assuming it works) ------> your usb drive (if you have one on you) ----> the folder where you stored the stuff I gave you today------------------->

4) In that last folder, you were given some images. Please double click on each type of image, and tell me what program starts up when you do so:
images ending with "gif" ---->
images ending with "jpg" ---->
images ending with "bmp" ---->

5) What program starts if you right click any of those image types and then click "Edit"?

6) What program starts when you click on a Word document?

7) How about a notepad file ( extension .txt)?

8) What program starts when you click on a wav or mp3 file?

9) How about if you right click on one of those sounds?

10) Please give the exact address of at least one
of the folders where the games are stored ---------->


11) Last but not least, let's try our hand at creating a folder or two. Anywhere inside xFE, please right click on a blank spot, then click "new folder" Name your folder, then get inside it. Please list its address here------>
Cheers, Mr. L

Monday March 23: A review of Dynebolic Linux, part one

Greetings fellow gearheads! In our ongoing exploration of Linux Live CDs, we have stumbled across a very interesting one called “DYNEBOLIC”. Many of you have already had some fun working with it last week, so I decided to give it a try. I found out that this CD is unique: you can “install” it without having to change anything on your hard drive. You just copy a folder! But before you do that, I am going to have each of you copy the contents of some supplemetal CDs I have brought in: they contain a folder that is packed with audio video and image files. Please copy this folder to somewhere inside your computer's hard drive.



Once you have done that, here is what I want you to do:



A) make sure you have Dynebolic started up on your computer

B) You will need to open the folder that displays your hard drive by clicking on the button in the top right corner. It’s the third one down

C) Next, click on the home button just above that. When that folder opens up, there is a place at the top to type in an address. Please type in /mnt/dynebolic

D) This will show you a folder that has inside it a folder called “DYNE”; drag this folder into the folder for your hard drive, then click accept

E) It will now copy this folder to your hard drive. When it is done, close all windows then restart your system by right clicking the desktop then going to EXIT then QUIT, then click the choice to reboot, then click the DO IT button

F) When your computer restarts, make sure the CD is still in the tray, and the tray is still back in the machine. You will go through the same process as before, only you will be asked if you want to boot from the hard drive. Say yes please!

G) The CD will op out, and you are now running Dynebolic from the hard drive. This means you can put in other CDs, including CDs that have music and sound files on them!

H) Please note: there may be a problem accessing the CD drive once you have reached this stage. AND, some of you have USB ports and floppy drives that are not currently working This is why I have had you copy to your hard drive some other material from some supplemental CDs I have brought in.



OK, that's the first step. There's more excitement to come!



Cheers,
Mr. L

Tuesday March 17: some Linux Live research

Greetings fellow gearheads!



Continuing on with our ongoing investigation of alternative Operating Systems, I am going to have each of you do a little digging, and find some more possibilities in terms of Linuix Live CDS. They CAN be useful, provided that we get some that work, or at least work better than the bulk of the ones we tried last week. In keeping with the idea that twelve sets of eyes are better than one -- especially if that one belongs to your instructor, who is blinder than a victim of a zombie eyeball attack-- I am going to have you look up some possible Linux Live CDs that we can try out the next time we're back in C206. Here is what you need to do:



A) go to this website to start:

http://www.livecdlist.com/



it has a great big list of many different versions of Linux



B) at the top of the page where it says "all functions" replace it with "desktop" and hit the UPDATE button



C) This should shorten the list ONLY to those CDs where you can pretty much run the computer from the CD, but not actually install anything to the hard drive. from this shorter list, I want you to pick out at least four possible Live CDs, and NONE of them can be those that we've already used in the lab downstairs



D) under the "name" column, pick out a link to one of those versions that you've chosen to get to the website where you can download it



E) Once at their website, find out the following:

• where you can download the actual file


• what features this particular CD has

when you're done with that first one, repeat this process for the other three you've chosen



F) create a discussion post listing all the information you've gathered, with your name and "possible Linux" in the topic header



Th-th-thats all folks!



Mr. L

Wednesday March 11: it ain't all about Windows ya know! part one

Wednesday March 11: it ain't all about Windows ya know! part one
Greetings, fellow gearheads!

Almost all of you have working computers running some kind of Windows O.S., either XP or at least Win2K. You've loaded some essential programs on such as pdf readers, system utilities, an Office suite, some version of the Firefox browser and assorted game and fun stuff. Now its time to branch out into some alternative Operating Systems, stuff that is NOT WINDOWS (icy chills up and down the spine!!!)

The best known is an O.S. called Linux. There are many different kinds, and I've got a bunch of them for you to test out. They come in what are known as "live CDs" meaning you can run the compute from the stuff thats on the CD. Here's what you will do:

A) You are going to test out at least five of them between today and tomorrow, so pick out at least two CDs for right now.

B) pick any one of them, pop it into your CD drive, and restart your computer. It should "see" the CD first, before the hard drive; fetch me if it doesn't

C) when it does start, this is the stuff I want you to look for, and write down

0) what is this version of linux called?
1) how long does it take to boot up ?
2) when you get there, how easy is it to find programs?
3) please list the programs you do find there --
ie what does it come with already installed?
4) please list five programs that are similar to
those you've already worked with
5) please describe the ones you liked best: what do they do?
6) does the setup look similar to what you see in a Windows machines?
7) describe how you get to different folders, including the hard drive,
floppy, CD drive, flash drive
8) can you save files to the hard drive from within some program
found on this CD?
9) what does it have for help files?
10) Besides being free to use and own, what might be
some other advantages to using this version of linux?

D) Please understand that this is a serious matter and I expect time
and attention to be paid to each version of Linux you examine. All this material
will need to end up in some kind of text file that is passed in to me

Cheers,
Mr. L

Mon March 9: more fun with CPU-Z and Everest, drive fitness programs, and some A+ certification materials to install

Greetings on a cold and dreary day; thank GOD we have computers to brighten things up a bit!

OK, here's where we stand, and here's what we gotta do:
A) With two exceptions, each of you has a machine running some version of Windows thats at least Windows 2000 (Evan and Mike, we will have to try and figure something out for you guys)
B) Each one of you should have some experience using the system information programs CPU-Z, Everest Ultimate and Belarc Advisor
C) Each of you should have at least the following programs installed on your machines:

• all three of the program mentioned in B) above
• some version of Firefox
• OpenOffice
• a pdf file reader (very important, you will need this today)
• some version of winrar, for extracting useful stuff from all sorts of zip files, rar files, isos, cabs, etc etc (you wont need it today, but you will pretty soon)
• additionally, I have also offered up some cool games, graphics creators and screen savers. Not truly necessary for this class, but I would hate for anyone to feel left out. Besides, when did I ever say this class has to be all work and no play?
  

If you are missing any of these files, please get up to me and let me know. Future lessons are going to require them!

OK, now for what you have to do today:
1) I didn't tell you before now, but CPU-Z has a very simple way of exporting the information it gathers, none of which involves you writing anything down yourself.
In CPU-Z, if you run the program and then go to the "About" tab, you can go to the bottom of the program and hit the "Register Dump" button which will create a little text file with all the information found. Do this, and then copy the results into an Open Office file which you will name after yourself, plus the phrase CPU-Z March 9. PLEASE HIGHLIGHT ALL PARTS OF THIS REPORT WHICH PRESENT THE SAME INFORMATION WE FOUND LAST WEEK

2) I also have two folders for each of you, mounted on a CD. The first folder has a choice of free antivirus programs; please just install any ONE of them. The other folder has both a pdf file that has to do with some "A+" certification material I have gathered, as well as an executable "test engine". PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN OPEN AND READ THE PDF FILE! PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN START THE TEST ENGINE.

Th-th-that's all, folks!

Mr. L

Friday, March 6: online research: where can I get my stuff?

OK, so it's no secret that I try to make this and every class I teach have some practical value beyond this room. Heck, you all have computers at home, or you will; so its good to be able to get a little practical info about them.



Now, you used two programs yesterday to find out some information about your machines. I have sent each of you your reports by email. Those of you who either couldn't get a report done because you were working to get an O.S. loaded or because your USB ports weren't working, I have provided some reports you can use.

Now its time to put this information to good use. One good use for this information is finding CHEAP ways of replacing equipment. Here's what I want you to do:


A) Do a search online for the kind of RAM you currently have in your computer. You may have to do several different kinds of searches to find your RAM online. Here's some different ways to "Google" this:


1) BY MANUFACTURER


2) BY PART NAME


3) A COMBINATION OF 1 AND 2 ABOVE


4) ANY COMBINATION OF EITHER 1 AND 2, plus any of the following:

"module size"in megabytes
OR
"clock speed" in megahertz MHz



B) Once you've got a lock on this, you will need to find at least three places online where you can purchase the specific RAM you are looking for, or some generic replacement.

MAKE SURE TO GET THE SPECIFIC WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR EACH ONE.
google.com, tigerdirect.com, pricewatch.com etc WILL NOT DO IT!!!



C) for each website where you locate your RAM, also list the price and
the name of the company selling it



D) Additionally, see if there are any UPGRADES for your computer's RAM. Maybe we can do better. If you find this to be the case, go with the better stuff when you are writing up your info for B and C above



E) If you find better stuff when you post your information, please list it as an "UPGRADE"



F) When you have all your info together, please post it to our discussion group. Make the subject reading "going on a RAM hunt" plus your name.



Please be specific in your posting

"the tyrant who smiles is still a tyrant"



Mr. L

Friday March 6: doing some research, finishing up the RAM notes

Greetings, fellow gearheads!

Today we will be doing the following

1) Finishing up the RAM notes, and having you send me the complete set by email with your name and the phrase "RAM notes' in the subject line

2) Doing some online research based on the information you gathered yesterday about your computers downstairs in C206. I will have a set of instructions for you in this regard. They will both be posted at this blog and handed out to you in treeware format.

3) After that, we will probably have some time left over, but I cannot guarantee it.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Thurs March 5: today and tomorrow

OK, let's start with tomorrow:WE WILL BE UPSTAIRS IN A323. Doing some research. Finishing up notes. Having a good time OK, let's get to today: Everyone except for Evan and Jesse have got WinXP on their machines. (Yes Mike, I know there's a burning smell. We will deal with it) With any luck, you all have the programs CPU-Z, Everest and Belarc Advisor loaded onto these machines; if you don't, come get the CD off of me, tutto pronto. Here's what all the rest of you will be doing then: using both CPU-Z and Everest Ultimate, I want you to discover the following:
the name & code name of your machine's CPU
the package or socket type of your machine's CPU
specification or clockspeed of your machine's CPU

the model# and manufacturer of your computer's motherboard

the total amount -- in megabytes-- of system memory (RAM)
the total number of memory slots and how much RAM is in each one -- a.k.a. module size

if a slot is empty just say so.(yeah I KNOW you can just look inside the freaking case...just use the programs anyway!)

the manufacturer of your computer's RAM
the maximum bandwidth a.k.a. RAM clockspeed in MHz or GHz
your RAM's specific part number
the given name of your computer
the temperature of your CPU
the temperature of your motherboard Use the Open Office "Write" program to compile this info, save it to a file that has a "doc" extension, and save it with a filename that includes your name plus the phrase "machine info March 5" When you're done, I need to collect all those files Jesse, you will be installing Windows XP. Evan, I think we can get Win98 on yours Lets do it, people! Mr. L

Tues March 3: a great big TO DO list

Greetings, snow-bound computer jocks! Today we have several great and meaningful taks in front of us:

A) Well, yeah, you DO have a quiz today about CPUs. I sent you an email yesterday. I told you last Friday. There's been a practice quiz up online since last Thursday. This should be a walk in the park.

B) that happy group of merry adventurers who installed the first CD with utilities and such, AND did a "utilities report" AND got some speakers and sound cards up and running: I have a second install CD for you. It includes a version of Open Office -- which I will ask you to test, to make sure you can create all files of which I believe it to be capable, including its own format and all those of the MS Office type.
this group includes John, Kerry, Hal, Josh

C) Everyone who just finished installing XP: I have a lovely installation CD for you, the first of many. You will need to install all the programs on this CD, and then come to me for further instructions. And of course, if there's enough speakers left over, get them set up as well :-)
this group includes Joe K, Nick V, Mike S, Mike R & Tyler. (Yes, I know two of you could only install Windows 2000; you still get to take this step. I never said life was perfect, and if it was, wouldn't I still have bangs?)

D) Right now, there's only two of you who still haven't quite got your machine setup with at least Win98. But fear not, I may have found some other equipment we can use, so we should have this taken care of before the end of this class. The you can just start referring to the B and C above
this group includes Evan and Jesse

OK, let's do it, let's get it done!
Mr. L

Thursday Feb 26: fun with binary, and some notes about RAM

Greetings, fellow computer jocks!

Today we are going to look at two different items. Here is the location of the first one:

http://www.theskull.com/javascript/ascii-binary.html

This website has a useful text to binary and binary to text conversion program. As we learned a few days back when we got some notes about CPUs, computers run on binary code, which is a series of ones and zeroes ( "1" and "0")

I told you that every character on your keyboard is represented by a bytecode, which is a string of EIGHT 1s or 0s. Here's what I want you to do:

A) Find the binary codes for at least eight different characters. These characters can be letters, numbers, punctuation, whatever

B) Find out what you get for five different sets of binary codes you enter in

C) Make a post on our Google group about what you found. Label it with your name, plus the phrase "fun with binary"

Cheers,
Mr. L

Wed Feb 25: the TO DO list for CET

TOMORROW (THURSDAY) WE WILL BE UPSTAIRS IN A323!!!!

OK folks, here is where we stand:

A) Joshua, Hal, Kerry: you will be using all three of the utility programs you installed on your computers yesterday, starting with CPU-Z (either version), then Belarc Advisor, then Everest Ultimate. I want you guys to each compile a report using WordPad or NotePad. This report will have a section for each program used. Each section should have at least the following elements:
1) how is the information presented? Is it in webpage format? Is it a single screen? Is it multiple screens?
2) What information can you get for each of the following:
motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, CD or DVD drive, BIOS, Operating System, installed programs
3) how easy is this program to use?
4) how would you rate it versus the other programs (compare/contrast)
Save the report in a file named after yourself plus the phrase "three utilities". I will collect them on one of my thumb drives, then email them to you.
B) John --> I have these programs on my thumb drive, so lets copy them to your computer from there, then you can install them, then you can do A) above

C) Nick --> please install speakers/sound card, test 'em to make sure they're working, then copy and install the system utilities mentioned above (I have some CDs of that stuff when you're ready) Start the same report when you are ready

D) Mike R., & Joe --> start installing Windows XP. Btw Mike, your video card was not properly seated in the AGP slot, which is why you couldn't see anything on your monitor

E) Evan--> you may need to swap out hard drives for the machine you're working on, but before you do that, let's see if you can run that computer from a CD. I have several "live CDs" for that very purpose, so let's try that first. If any CD runs the machine, then we know its a hard drive problem; if not, the problem may be the CD drive needs replacing.

F) Tyler--> please swap out the video cards; there's a bunch of them by Jesse's machine. You may also need to swap motherboards as well

G) Mike S --> please remove everything from your machine except the power, motherboard, and CD and floppy drive; plus the video card (naturally). See if you can run a "live CD". Let me know what you find. btw, let's try to keep this as simple as possible to start with: if you change too many components at once, you will have no idea where the problem lies.

H) Jesse --> You mentioned hearing some strange beeps at startup, so I have taken the liberty of printing out some standard "beep code" lists. You get to be the first in your class to use them, so come get them from me. Please refer to them while the machine starts, and try to figure out exactly which beep you are hearing. Then we can try to figure out where to go from there

Cheers,
Mr. L

Tues Feb 24: getting loud and digging in!

Greetings, felllow gearheads!



Today we will be working towards several different goals:



A) three of you - Evan, Joe and Jesse -- had serious equipment difficulties, which we are trying to resolve by having you work on equipment I have brought from my house. Please proceed, and get those machines at least up to the point where they have Windows 98 on them



B) Some of you --Tyler, Mike R., Mike S., Hal -- were working on installing Windows XP, having already installed Win98. Please do so, and let me know when you are finished



C) Those of you who have already successfully installed WinXP -- John, Kerry, Josh and Nick-- are free to begin either one of the following (you'll be doing both eventually, as will everyone else)



1) installing a sound card and speakers -- we have many of them in the back room, although as you are aware, the equipment around here is touch and go. Let's see what we can get to work, and when you do, by all means feel free to adequately test the equipment.



2) I have several installation CDs which come equipped with the first round of programs we will be installing on these computers. The programs included are as follows:

• some basic software toolset programs, the kind that let you find out some basic information about your system once you have it up and running. I have included CPU-z, which you can just store in a folder on your desktop, and both Belarc and Everest, both of which have to be installed before you can get 'em to work. All three can provide information about your system, and present it in a clear and easy to read fashion


• several free pdf readers, as many of the manuals we will no doubt be downloading for use in this class will come in this format


• winrar, which can handle any type of zip file we will likely come across


• a free game called "Zeek the geek", which will be much more fun if you have working speakers

Ok, that should about do it for today. Tomorrow we will be upstairs first to get a fresh set of notes, take a practice quiz, and do an activity or two!

Cheers,
Uncle Paulie

Friday the 13th: time to rev up the chainsaws

OK, getting serious now, we are going to do three things today:

A) take the motherboard quiz

B) finish up whatever work you were engaged in so as to see how far we can get before the vacation

C) after lunch, we will be up in A323 so that you can make a discussion post to our Google group. Please make an honest assessment of the class thus far, including any and all pressing needs that you have, any drawbacks in the program, any and all supplies we need, as well as any future projects you would like us to engage in. Take your time, and tell me exactly what you need and want. I will do my best to get both of those categories filled.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Tuesday Feb 3: we are starting our class in the room upstairs!

that's room A323..I need to show you some stuff, and the projector down in the main CET room is still non-functional. I will try to leave a note on the door.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Friday January 30th: power supplies, quizzes and notes O my!

Greetings, fellow geek squadders!

If you are reading this, you have no doubt already been downstairs attaching a motherboard to the inside of your computer case, AND you've plugged in your power supply to the proper port on that motherboard. You're either about to take notes about motherboards, or you already have. Here are some important things to remember while we do all this:

A) You MUST take the notes, and you MUST email them to me -- its part of your grade

B) there will be quizzes based on these notes, and nothing else -- I don't try to fool you by throwing in extra stuff that you didn't get notes for

C) I will always try to help you by having practice quizzes which you can take online. Here is where you go to find them:

http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009

when you get there, you click on the link for "CET" (that's the name of this class), then on the CET page, there's a link for "sample quiz". If you click on that, it will pop up a new window, and there are a series of multiple choice questions. You answer them, and after each answer is given, you get to see if you got it right or not.

The sample quiz is NOT the stuff you will be quizzed on next week; it's just to show you how it works. Sometime this weekend, I will post the practice quiz for power supplies; I will let you know when this happens.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Greetings and welcome to the SkunkWerx! (Monday January 26th)

If you are reading this, it can only be because you are enrolled in my Spring 2009 CET class. Either that, or you're some sad sack thirty year old man child still living in his momma's basement, and you just got beat at WoW by Stan and Cartman. Go cry somewhere else, we have no time for you.

In this class, we will explore the inner workings of what makes a computer function. There are several main features to this class:

A) Lots of it will be about hardware: what all the pieces are, how they go together, what each one does. You will be required to put together a working computer, install an O.S., programs, ect etc. If you like working with your hands, this is a good class for you.

B) A lot of it will be about software, which is the stuff that makes the hardware actually DO anything. We will learn about Operating Systems -- mostly Windows, but we'll look at Linux too -- applications, drivers and a whole lot more. Even if you're not so great with your hands, the software part plays to some other strengths you might have, like the ability to read (RTM) and follow directions (RTfM)

C) A lot of it will be about looking at stuff, and running some experiments to see what happens. You have to test the equipment; how else will you really know what it can do?

D) A lot of it will be about me running experiments on you, meaning hell yeah, there are tests in this class, and you'd best be ready for them. (Don't worry, I provide lots of help with that.)

E) Finally, we will look at how people make money with skills like that. There is a certification for being "A+ qualified". It means people will give you money to fix their computers. A lot of the testing that we do will be made to help you get that certification, if you so choose.

OK, so that sounds like a lot of work. Well, I won't lie to you: IT IS. But there's a lot of fun to be had to. It's not just knowing stuff that 95% of the people in the building don't know, although it is fun to be smarter than the n00bz. It's also about taking control of a machine that is more important to your life than any other. Computers control EVERYTHING you do, from the car you drive to the mp3 player you listen to the microwave that cooks your Hot Pockets.

And oh yeah, there's lots of games to be played. The better your computer works, the better the games.

Cheers,
Uncle Paulie

PS Please acknowledge that you have read this blog post by sending me an email at my address of mrlarue2009@gmail.com Make sure that your name plus the word "CET" is in the subject line. Make sure that you copy in the following words into the body of your email:


and all shall cry beware! beware!
his flashing eyes his floating hair
weave a circle 'round him thrice
and close your eyes with holy dread
for he on honeydew hath fed
and drunk the milk of Paradise