====""AlienJeff""==== website: [[alienjeff.net]] email: alienjeff AT charter DOT net ===digital computing history=== Though having taken mandatory computer courses in college (circa early 1970s), I never used the cursed devices until a new job demanded so in 1984. That pretty much sealed my fate to being an enthusiast. Here's the rundown in chronological order of the systems I've mucked with: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_1401 IBM-1400 series]], Heath H-89, Xerox 820S, Commodore C-64, and miscellaneous PCs starting with the 8086. My first introductions to diverting from the Redmond mindset were DoubleDOS and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DESQview DESQview]], which both planted the seeds of dissent ... ===linux experience=== Having plagued my nephew-in-law, a ubergeek who works for a large, multi-national software company (no, NOT Microsoft), with altogther too may questions on how to tweak and fix an ailing Windows 98SE OS, he challenged me to try out a Knoppix Live CD. Several months later, he set me up with Gentoo, which I still use but find far too elaborate for my everyday needs. Test driving numerous other distros ultimately led me to Puppy, with which I maintain an antithetic love/hate relationship. The characteristic "light-slim-fast" counter-culture nature of the distro and the friendly (and often bizarre) community have hooked me. I spend far too many hours on IRC - #puppylinux, #puppylinux-foundation, ""##puppylinux"" and several other non-Puppy channels - and boast holding the record for number of times banned from ""##windows"". ===current armada=== Dell P-1, HP Pavilion Celeron-III and HP Kayak dual P-III desktop boxes; and a Gateway Solo 5150 P-II laptop. My trusty Tyan P-III mobo died peacefully of old age in September of 2007. R.I.P., faithful servant. ===other interests=== Reading, politics (surprise, surprise), writing, the great outdoors, motorcycles, mechanics, philosophy, music, ham radio and NY's Adirondack mountains. ------------------------------------------- last revision: October 14, 2007 jwb ---- ==Categories== CategoryUsers