strange linux problem srst failed

Encountered a good one tonight. I attempted to add an IDE hard drive into my pc. This machine is running Ultimate Edition 2.3. There was no problem using this with my Sata hard drive and a DVD RW (IDE). However , the pc did not like it when I had a second CD RW (IDE) plugged in. I really did not need that second drive so I had removed it. So tonight I add an old IDE Hard Drive into the mix. The first thing that I notice is that the boot time in the Bios is taking longer. Then I get 2 error messages that contain the text “ata3 SRST failed errno16″ . So I google this error and WOWEE ZOWEE are there massive amounts of people having these issues. So crazy. I read through a couple forums with many people having this problem but no one offering solutions. It is really not that important to add this data drive it was more of a “nice add on” than something I really need at the moment. You would not think it would be this much of a problem to simply add an extra hard drive to a computer. I love linux and have been using it as my main os but issues like this are not good. So now I will take the pc apart again and remove the extra drive – not worth the hassle of combating this problem.

Ultimate Edition 2.3

Favorite new operating system. This is based on Ubuntu but for legal reasons the Ubuntu name has been dropped – it is like Ubuntu on steroids – fantastic – now my main pc.

My Desktop

Creating Music in Linux

One of the things holding me back from ditching windows completely and moving to Linux has always been creating music. I am used to programs like Magix Music Maker and Sony Acid (actually I was using it way back when it was Sonic Foundary). I was having problems finding a comparable program in Linux to record with (primarily Loop Based recordings. Lately I have been back in Linux – this time Ubuntu and Vector Linux – I am recording with Audacity and then using LMMS (Linux Multi Media Studio) for putting the loops together – now that I understand how LMMS works – it is a rather nice program. I just add a stack of sample tracks – then you just double click in the empty track area where you want your loops to go – of course you can drag them around also – hope this helps anyone that is looking to record this way. The documentation is kinda lacking for LMMS but I did find some and a couple of you tube videos.

Ubuntu and sound input

Lately I have been experimenting with sound settings in various Linux distros attempting to record sound from an external source into a pc. I first tried Puppy Linux (one of the the offshoots called puppitup supposedly for multimedia and the latest Mandriva One 2009. This testing was on 2 pc’s with combos of onboard sound and sound cards, a mix of via onboard, nforce audio, and sound blaster cards. I tried for FOUR hours to get either of these distros to record incoming sound using any of the sound hardware – attempting multiple configurations with the operating system and I could not make audacity capture the sound. I then pulled out my latest Ubuntu disk currently 9.04. Although I liked Mandriva (a lot) I have to be able to record incoming sound. I then overwrote the Mandriva distro with the latest Ubuntu and what do you know , I was able to record incoming sound within 5 minutes after the install. Ubuntu Rules – they are doing everything right. I just want my computer to work – and with Ubuntu it does. Also for any musicians out there coming from windows I can relate my latest experiences to you , I have found using Audacity and LMMS to record with on Linux work well for me personally.  I find Ardour to be confusing. Thank you.

Puppy not

I had settled on Puppy linux as my main OS of choice. However due to some strange font issues – they were golden and fading away – I have now switched to Mandriva One. This seems to do everything I need – install was very easy.

hotmail in linux

This is so insane. Is Microsoft trying to annoy all of it’s users so bad that they all leave? I have a Hotmail account that I have had for years (and I pay them for premium). While in Mandriva tonight I needed to check my mail and respond to one. Reply does not work – could not reply to an email in hotmail, tried Firefox and Konqueror. So then I checked some forum posts and many people have this problem after some update that Microsoft did to the Live Mail service – seeming to intentionally stop it from working in Linux. I have been irriated at Microsoft for several reasons and now this is a further reason to stop using all of their products. I am at the moment attempting to migrate fully away from Windows and into Linux. Now I am also going to migrate away from Hotmail. Thanks MS – way to go.

Sidenote on linux youtube

The other crazy thing is I can use Puppy Linux booted from a live cd on the same pc I am experimenting with the Ubuntu edition and the You Tube video playback works fine on Puppy. Guess if I want to use Linux I should just stick with Puppy – Props to the Puppy!!

Linux and YouTube

This is driving me nuts. I keep trying to give Linux a chance but it never works right for me. I have tried using Dynebolic – unable to get you tube videos playing and now I just installed the latest Ubuntu 9.04 desktop edition – guess what? they won’t play on this either. I installed all the plugins it kept prompting me for and still no luck. I get the preview image of a video but when I click to play it I either get locked up or sound with no picture, etc. but never do I get to actually watch a video – attempted you tube, google videos, and 2 other random video websites. XP still seems to be my main os that everything works right on. I am not sure if I want to be switching to Windows 7 when it comes out so I was attempting Linux again but this is terrible , also I thought maybe the pc had issues (hardware or something) so I rebooted into XP to check video playback. All the videos play just fine in Windows XP. Why is it so hard to have  working flash video playback?

Gos Space – Vista and XP

Windows XP has been my choice of OS lately (past few weeks) as everything works in it and all the software and games I need to use work flawlessly. I was attempting to like and use Vista but my pc kept locking up on me – it’s not the hardware because I have XP on the same pc and it is just fine.  I have also been kinda bored with Linux lately – keep downloading and trying but not finding anything real different, until now. This week I discovered GOS Space and Wanky!! this is HOT!! Finally something new and different and a lot of Flair! to boot.

Great job on this one – I am now using XP Pro on one pc and GOS SPACE on the other – nice mix. I don’t use my space as a social tool like the young folks do – but I have a music page on there and the GOS SPACE is setup for the MY SPACE generation – and it’s built on UBUNTU!! So you know it’s great.

Whoopee I am using linux again!

Puppy Linux 4.0

So I have been using Windows XP almost exclusively lately – past 2 weeks or so. I thought I would give Puppy Linux 4 a go on the lastest pc that I built. Video configured fine, internet configured fine, sound was not. I ran the sound configuration and got my woof – so good. But Wait, I installed flash really easily via the puppy package manager launched SeaMonkey and did my YouTube test – I had partitioned a 2GB Flash Drive with ext3 that I was going to use to save files while using the live cd – However – as usual when I go to play a YouTube video THERE IS NO SOUND!!! What is this crap? Test FAILED!!! Now I am about to repartition my Flash Drive so I can use it in XP and I am going back to my Windows XP system where everything works and where I will have sound in YouTube.