They’re doing a demo of one of our systems this week. That means that someone has to be here to support them with the server in case bad things happen.

That someone is me.

I don’t mind these kinds of things… this is what they pay me for. What I don’t like, though, is where the demo is taking place: the east coast.

This means that I need to be awake, at work, and ready to go at 8:00am Eastern.

Unfortunately… I live on the west coast.

So… the plan for the weekis: Sleep in the guest room so that when my alarm goes off at 3:00 am I don’t wake my wife. Brew half a pot of coffee. Get showered, shaved, and generally acceptable looking by 4:00am. Then scrap the ice off the windows of my car and get to work before 5.

wheeeee!

I’ve just spent the last 4 hours trying to install Windows 2000 Server on a Sony Vaio PCG-R505DCP laptop.

People… do yourself a favor… if you’re shopping for a laptop of any kind… skip on the Sony Vaio line.

Sure… they’re pretty, but if you’re looking to do anything other than keep it like it came out of the box, then this is probably not the machine for you. The Sony website is poor at best: No search function to find drivers or anything else for that matter, an unbelievably limited “common problems” section, and zero support for anything outside the worlds of Windows XP or 2000.

Their documentation and driver selection for the two OS’s they do support is horrible at best.

Ugh.

After several hours of pain, I’m down to three issues: one unknown device in the device mangler, no drivers for the memory stick slot (at least none that Windows 2000 Server can use), and an annoying error with the DMICALL not loading on boot (the .sys file that goes with the .inf and .vxd is missing and generating an error). Of course, it’s a Sony file… but where the hell do I find it on their website (and more specifically… get it installed)?

Unfortunately, this laptop is being shipped to a customer to use, and problems like that just can’t be.

I think I might “accidentally” drop it and convince my boss to ship them a ThinkPad instead.

Tonight, my bestest friend EVER, Jess, upgraded Woody (the little machine that you all have come to know and love as this server) with a new kernel.

Now… for the first time ever (and only a friggin’ year after she was put into production), both processors are running.

Yup… dual AMD MP 2800+ bizzaches…. hummin’ away in unison. All hot and sweaty and glistening and…. um… if you need me, I’ll be in the bathroom.

Damn… now I gotta… um… process somethin’ and stuffs.

Oh… and I fixed my Tivo (only took 6 hours yesterday and another 5 today).

Yup…. accomplishment feels spiffy.

Oh… and on one final note: I ordered Firefly – The complete Series from Amazon a couple weeks ago. When it came, I discovered, much to my dismay, that it was bundled as an “OMG SUPER DUPER LIMITED EDITION”, with two coppies of DVD #2 and no coppies of DVD #4. Amazon (God bless ’em), is sending a new box set out and it should be here on Wednesday.

Apparently, I shouldn’t be allowed to touch anything technical.

Over the weekend, I managed to muck my my server and my Tivo (which is now stuck in this damn loop durring the guided setup). Oh yeah… my wife is not happy.

Fortunately, I found other people on the Tivo forums who have had the same issue with their generation 1 Tivo’s who also found a fix for it. I’ll be trying that when I get home (and will hopefully fix the damn thing AND get the undying love of my wife back).

Crap.

Tonight is the Homecoming dance for my eldest son and his girl friend.

Have fun, kids! 🙂