Connecting Practice

In developing a software organization’s policy and strategy, one can manage their hardware development tools to support and improve their operation and total life cycle performance. And in the light of the impact on business, society, customer and people, the following are free hardware development tools for best, good, or emerging hardare development tool identification and evaluation.

GNU/Linux

System-Installation Tool:
1. FAI - FAI is an automated installation tool to install or deploy Debian GNU/Linux and other distributions on a bunch of different hosts or a Cluster. It’s more flexible than other tools… read more
2. Install Kernel (ik) - Install Kernel (ik) is a script that installs the Linux kernel and automatically sets up LILO or GRUB. It also saves your kernel configuration each time you do an install, so you can restore the newest configuration file when you make a new kernel… read more
3. Kernin - Kernin is a menu-driven script to help the user install a Linux kernel. It does everything from extracting the kernel from its tarball through automatically changing the LILO configuration… read more

System-Partitioning Tool:
1. GNU fdisk - GNU fdisk provides libparted-based alternatives to classic partitioning tools like util-linux, fdisk and cfdisk… read more

System-Operating System:
1. BLAG - BLAG Linux and GNU, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Fedora… read more
2. Dynebolic - A GNU/Linux distribution that places special emphasis on audio and video editing… read more
3. GNUstep Live - A GNU/Linux distribution with a user interface based on GNUstep, a free implementation of the Cocoa/OpenStep framework… read more
4. Ututo - A GNU/Linux distribution based on Gentoo. It was the first fully free GNU/Linux system recognized by the GNU Project… read more
5. gNewSense - A GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian and Ubuntu, with sponsorship from the FSF… read more

System-Maintenance Tool:
1. rh-errata - rh-errata is a tool for maintaining the integrity of a Red Hat Linux system. It builds a respository of RPM files from a designated mirror of the Red Hat updates site. It only downloads RPM files that have not already been downloaded… read more

System-Configuration Management:
1. SCPM - SCPM is a tool to manage different configuration profiles of a Linux system. It has support for switching profiles at runtime as well as booting into a profile… read more

Enabler-Boot Manager:
1. GNU GRUB - Multiboot boot loader derived from GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader). The first software program that runs when the computer starts, it’s responsible for loading and transferring control to the operating system kernel software… read more
2. Gujin - Gujin is a PC boot loader which can analyze your partitions and filesystems. It finds the Linux kernel images available, as well as other bootable partitions (for *BSD, MS-DOS, Windows, etc.), files (*.kgz) and bootable disk images (*.bdi)… read more
3. grubconfig - grubconfig is a script that helps you install the GRUB bootloader on your system. It requires bash and dialog. It supports GNU/Linux IDE and SCSI devices; it does not support RAID devices… read more

Enabler-Version Manager:
1. Ketchup - Ketchup is a tool for updating or switching between versions of the Linux kernel source. Some features are: It can find the latest versions of numerous kernel trees, and calculate which patches are needed to move to that version… read more

Enabler-Grab and Display Information:
1. LCD4Linux - LCD4Linux is a small program that grabs information from the kernel and some subsystems and displays it on an external liquid crystal display… read more
2. rpmstatus - rpmstatus is a Perl script that generates web-pages which shows which RPM packages are installed on client machines. It uses inetd/xinetd and rpm (Red Hat Package Manager) to generate the list… read more

Utility-Kernel:
1. modutils - The modutils package contains utilities that are intended to make a Linux modular kernel manageable for all users, administrators and distribution maintainers… read more
2. rpmrebuild - rpmrebuild is a tool to build an RPM file from a package that has already been installed in a basic use, rpmrebuild use do not require any rpm building knowledge (On debian, the equivalent product is dpkg-repack)… read more

Utility-RPM Files:
1. modutils - The modutils package contains utilities that are intended to make a Linux modular kernel manageable for all users, administrators and distribution maintainers… read more
2. rpmrebuild - rpmrebuild is a tool to build an RPM file from a package that has already been installed in a basic use, rpmrebuild use do not require any rpm building knowledge (On debian, the equivalent product is dpkg-repack)… read more

Package Management:
1. pkgutils - pkgutils is a set of utilities, which are used for managing software packages in Linux. It is developed for and used by the CRUX distribution. This set of programs is licensed through the GNU General Public License… read more
2. swpkg - swpkg is a collection of tools based on a fairly simple philosophy and designed to simplify the management of third party software packages including their inter-dependencies… read more

Windows

Enabler-Boot Manager:
1. GAG - GAG is a Graphical Boot Manager with a lot of features. Some features are: It doesn’t need a partition; works with primary and extended partitions in every hard disk; has a lot of icons; and allows you to put passwords for each operating system… read more

Enabler-Execute Application:
1. Launch.app - Launch.app is a small programm for executing applications, based on WINGs library… read more

Diagnostic

Diagnostic:
1. Memtest86 - Memtest86 is thorough, stand alone memory test for x86 architecture computers. BIOS based memory tests are only a quick check and often miss many of the failures that are detected by Memtest86… read more
2. TestDisk - TestDisk is a powerful free data recovery software! It was primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again when these symptoms are caused by faulty software, certain types of viruses or human error… read more

The owner of Connecting Practice is positive that most people have a natural desire to learn, to share what they know, and to make things better. Yet, this natural desire is thwarted by disorder (hurdles and deterrents - a problem of cultural domination in learning, sharing, and improving our HD practice) that we erect in our organization.

The disorder includes:

1. A culture that values personal technical expertise and knowledge creation over knowledge sharing. This is rampant in engineering and knowledge-based organizations, such as consulting and research firms.

2. An organization who disintegrates into a group of isolated camps With little incentive or lack of need or responsibility to share HD knowledge and/or practice with others. They promote “silo” thinking and hoard HD knowledge and/or practice, in which locations, divisions, and functions focus on maximizing their own accomplishments and rewards. Their question, “why should I share my HD knowledge and/or practice?”

3. An organization who allows or rewards not the people for taking the time to learn and share and help each other to improve knowledge and skills.

4. A leader who demonstrates the “not-invented-here” syndrome - it is the lack of experience learning from outside one’s on group - or refuses to bring in new ideas committed to an obsolete HD practice which once made the group successful, but which now threatens to sink it. S/he is unable to innovate or even reinvent the HD practice.

5. People who lack of contact, relationships, and common perspectives among others who don’t work side-by-side. It creates interaction patterns with little incentive to cooperate, collaborate, share information, or team up to pursue mission-critical outcomes. In most organizations, the left hand not only doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, but it also may not even know there is a right hand.

If you have one or more of this disorder, the owner of Connecting Practice invites you to join the HD Practitioner Group and participate in discussing and sharing your free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics. By registering, it will involve and give you an opportunity to:

• provide, solicit, model, recommend new, or question free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics;
• feel, reflect, think, and take on the best of “what is” and/or “what could be” of free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics;
• understand the unique conditions, interpretations, assumptions, and/or concerns of free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics;
• express openly free HD practice material, procedure, tool, training, and/or metric information, experiences, ideas, beliefs, and/or emotions with others;
• Point out certain free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics that have proven unworkable or that is unnecessary;
• cope with free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics and/or in one progress initiative;
• find our where present free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics are working or not;
• provide general comments on free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics;
• learn more about free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics they seek;
• improve the usability of a free HD practice materials, procedures, tools, trainings, and/or metrics;
• learn and understand what is going on in the forum;
• build networks and solutions together;
• provide solution to problems;
• open problems and/or issues;
• suggest for improvements;
• tell positive stories;
• learn collaboratively;
• keep up with friends;
• point out errors; and/or
• so on.

To join, please click the Practitioner Group link in the main menu and register.

Register now and invite your friends too to help Connecting Practice to progress in the hope of arriving at a solution to disorder!

Thanks to Michael Horowitz - this is a great find!

“I’m not a Mac user, but from reading the article, it seems that the initial learning curve for switching from Windows XP to Linux, is less than that for switching to Macs. Both Macs and Linux are immune to the vast majority of malicious software, so from a Defensive Computing standpoint, each is good choice.“

‘m a Windows XP user, but ‘m positive that the article is a heads-up to me. It touches me about what needs to happen if I think of switching.

Now, if you’re also thinking of switching, you may read more.

Yes. I agree that the way we interact with the system will change dramatically. But, ‘m not positive about this thought of “end of the computer mouse.” Maybe because it could produce dissatisfaction to our work condition like difficulty to lift our arm every time and its practicality since a mouse-less computer would depend on the purpose and its use to some organization.

“Microsoft is developing a new touch screen operating system that could mean the end of the computer mouse, Bill Gates has announced. Windows 7 aims to build on the success of the touch screen systems developed by Microsoft’s rival Apple’s iPhone.“

Thinking about the future, maybe Mr. Gates is right on this since we’re not really sure of what needs to happen with regards to technology in the future. If Mr Gates has a vision, he will know what to change.

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