Homepage Passion
Every time I reinstall Linux I get through the whole setup thing because I’m too lazy to import my home folder and because getting a fresh install is nice too. One thing I always end up looking as a madman on the net is this nice font smoothing post : http://rewind.themasterplan.in/2007/07/15/sexy-smooth-fonts-on-kubuntu/
It enable a Mac OS X like font rendering that is very pleasant to read.
novembre 8th, 2009
It seems that most of the current N router aren’t up to my expectation and I decided not to spend money on them for now. So I’m building a Linux based router and using my Linksys RaLink RT2500 based card, I’ll be serving wireless for the home. However I’ve hit a bug using Ubuntu. It seems that the hostapd or the stock kernel don’t enable the RT2×00 driver to run into master mode. I’ll be looking into recompiling both to make sure everything is fine. At the same time, I’d may like to try other distributions, like Debian, Slackware or ArchLinux.
I also have some plans for this glorified router. It will be running a Windows and a Linux VM using either KVM, Xen or VirtualBox, didn’t decided yet. Others needs include a SVN server, a bugzilla tracker, and I’d like to run Zimbra on it too. So much stuff for an old dual P3, I already feel the lag! Hope I’ll be able to switch my current PC for this task soon and build something better 
août 31st, 2009
It’s been a while my WRT54G v5.1 has been sufering instabilities. I installed a year and a half ago DD-WRT, which help a bit, but it still freeze randomly and this happens more and more often, especially when it gets under load. I’ve been looking for a replacement for a while, but I just can seem to find a router that fits my need in the budget I’d like. Going for a N based router is more than obvious and being able to use both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz is a no brainer too. Most of the routers seems not to be able to do both G and N with the N using 5Ghz and overlaying the 2.4Ghz frequency (I guest this require 3 antena to do so).
After look rapidly to local electronic stores and a bit online, the two tranditional contender have come out: the Linksys WRT610N and the D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N router. Both are dual band routers and sports wired gigabit ethernet. The cheapest I’ve found for both is around 130$ for the Dlink and 180$ for the linksys. Laying this much money for a router is kinda hitching me. Not that the hardware may not worth it. It’s firmwares and features that bother me. Most review I’ve read about those two came out with unpleasant restrictions and annoying bugs. Now neither seems to run DD-WRT for now too, which would be delightful.
What’ options are left now? Well, I’m continuing to dig throug the net in the hope to find the perfect router. And I’ve also done some a proof of concept into turning Ubuntu into a router. What’s left to do on this POC is to do it on real hardware and using my Linksys RaLink-based 54G wireless card into master mode while using WPA2. But this worry me: http://www.spikelab.org/blog/wpa2AesRt2×00 If I can go past this and make it work, everything will be cool in the brave new world
Update:
I’ve just found out that the master mode with WPA2 is possible on RaLink based wireless adapter. See: http://rt2×00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/index.php/AP-mode_Howto
août 14th, 2009