Who the hell uses discs anymore?

My two year old laptop doesn't have one, and I haven't missed it one bit.

I have a couple of USB drives with SystemRescueCD on them. Plug it in, boot it up, and install whatever you need through there.

I know I wrote it in this post in the first person, and I shouldn't have. I own a web design/development, and hosting firm.
It's not just me, despite the impression my post may have given. We've been in business over 7 years now.

Here in Canada the Tobacco, Liquor, and Gaming (Gambling) pays for our Free, Universal Health Care. Please don't do this to Canada.

Won't somebody please think of the children!

The beauty of frameworks and content management systems, is there are so many of them to choose from. You really need to do your research, and find one with a very simple templating system.

I, personally, have built my own. I've built and rebuilt it a dozen times now, and it is teetering between framework and CMS. I can crank out a nice, fully responsive, easily managed (with point and click editing) website in an evening.

My pricing is considered high to other local "shops" (ie. basement dwelling teenagers, or those who outsource to india).

I compete in the following ways:
- built fast (depending on project scope)
- no templates, every project is custom designed and developed
- complete customizablilty, and purpose built functionality (restricted by budget, of course)
- actual support (email, or telephone)
- hosted on our infrastructure

I will manage every aspect of the site, including content updates, online marketing, and social media.

Although, I will admit, I make more money building (standards compliant) web based applications for medium sized businesses.

I understand the frustration, sort of. If you do it for a living, you are not exactly the kind of user I was speaking to when I mentioned mplayer/mencoder.

If the parent poster spent more than 20 minutes on one software package with a broken UI, he could have figured it out how to get the desired effect with mencoder in less time. That's all I was saying.

I understand the discussion is about poor UI, I do. I get it. But sometimes the cli is faster, and easier. If you're an experienced linux user, and are having troube figuring out a shitty UI, then you could have figured it out on the CLI.

I, personally, have come to the conclusion that writing my own software is sometimes the best option. That is my mind set. If I can't find something to fit my needs, I'll find a way around it if it is a onetime thing, or I'll write it myself if it is something i will need more than once. I suspect a lot of deep-rooted linux people are the same.

If he's just using Ubuntu because he's a hipster, then he deserves to fudge around in shitty UI's. I like my linux, and I like writing software. Fact is, linux is not mainstream, and I like it that way.

Damn kids get off my lawn!
(I am only 26 years old, *sigh*)

I just use mplayer/mencoder for simple stuff like that.

From what I understand, this is how Android works. Every app gets its own user and group.

It is also, sort of, how Docker works. Each app gets its own container, the app is completely bound to that container. Docker manages access to outside resources (like the network) for you, utilizing cgroups, and kernelspace drivers.

I actually wrote my own HTPC interface that runs on Linux. It's pretty hacky, but it's a relatively simple system written in PHP 5.6 and runs in Mozilla Firefox. I've gone through the trouble of integrating Netflix (via Pipelight), and Youtube leanback.
We use a Nintendo Wii Remote to interface with it. I've toyed with a web-based remote to control it via my android phone, but I prefer the Wii remote.

I've been highly interested in a Gigabyte Brix with the AMD A8-5545. unfortunately, even with a modest sized SSD, and 2GB od RAM, it still works out to $350+ in my local currency.

I'd like one for a new HTPC. Its not a need at this point, so I've been putting it off.

These new units sound like they could work for what I need. Going to keep my eyes open.

Just want to point out there is also the pthreads extension (through PECL). See http://pecl.php.net/package/pt... and http://php.net/manual/en/book....

I'm currently building a proof of concept instant messaging platform (server and client) with php, pthreads, and sockets.

I could write it in node.js, but I really like the C-likeness of PHP.

From what I've heard from peers, Jack Layton lost because of rumours floating about regarding his health. The fact he made it through the election was rather impressive, considering how far south his health had gone.
While I'm sure his right hand man would have done well, that unknown scared a lot of people and they decided to jump on the Harper train.

I personally am of the mind that no matter which way you vote, the government will appear incompetent no matter, because people are always out to blame someone. That, and, well, its politics.

The problem is that when the kernel panics, everything grinds to a stand still. More specifically: hard drive controller/driver. How are you going to write the data if you don't have access to the disks?

This is by design, as the disk controller could br the reason for the lockup, and you would potentially corrupt your entire disk by trying to write to it.

I'm sure its been thought of before, but my first thought is to include a very small chunk of memory on the motherboard, with a stupidly simple api that is designed for dumping kernel panic data into.. where it would stay until, say, 3 reboots or its written over again. I don't design motherboards, so I don't know how feasible this would be... but with Microsofts pull with the manufacturers I'm sure they could make it happen. The problem then, obviously, is it would be locked down to support only Windows, or it would be redesigned across each manufacturer, each one less compatable than the previous.

They updated the Mail app on KitKat a couple months ago, which prompted me to switch to K9 Mail. With a bit of time configuring it to my liking, its been great.

Push notifications are for posers anyway. I always hated the delay between the relay over to push. K9 uses long-lived IMAP connections when the IMAP server supports IMAP IDLE. My email is as fast as IM now.

This is so much more than that.

I own a web hosting business. My company id based in Canada (where I reside), and my servers are located in Canada.

If a European resident decided they wanted to do business with my company, all of a sudden I have to submit to their tax rules. I must collect and submit taxes to their countries government. Obviously I have the choice to decline, and tell the potential customer to go do business elsewhere... but that is bad for business.

I can register with MOSS in the UK, and it will allow me to accomplish this hassle much more easily, but it is still a complete pain in the ass.

This is what frameworks are for.

There are thousands of different frameworks for various languages to accomplish effectively the same thing with the benefit of using an already established web language (PHP, Node, Python, Java, etc. etc.)