So I finally decided to bite the bullet and convert my work machine from Windows XP to FreeBSD.  XP is getting a bit dated, so I wanted to upgrade, but I couldn't stomach installing yet another Microsoft operating system.  So, I found an old surplussed Dell machine, installed XP there (I need to have some Windows box to test web sites on all the Windows web browsers) and then reformatted my main machine with FreeBSD 8.0 amd64.

I have to say, getting it all set up and running took a few days, but it was well worth it.

So I started working on my web-based MMORPG.  It's not at all ready for prime time, but if you're interested to see how it's coming along, you can try it out.  It's entirely written in PHP, JavaScript, AJAX, CSS and HTML - no plug-ins required.  It does not currently work in Opera however because Opera lacks a native JSON parser.

Subject: IDENTIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT SOLD TO LA COUNTY
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 14:21:16 -0800
From: "Los Angeles County"

I've been toying around with the idea of creating a web-based MMORPG for quite a while now, and started breaking ground on it recently. To give you an idea of what I've got up my sleeve, here are some of the design criteria that I'm working with:

• The game will be entirely web-based, using only JavaScript and CSS
• Players will be able to interact in real-time
• The game will work in all browsers (well, as many as I can get it to work in)

The game will pull some elements from several other games. Specifically:

I've always known that Microsoft was very anti-Linux, and very anti-anything-not-Microsoft, but this is out of control: there is actually a provision in the MSDNAA license that states that you can't use your copy of Microsoft Windows that you got through MSDNAA to telnet to a Linux server.

I guess it's a good thing we use SSH.  :)

My boss and I had a conversation today about disk encryption and protecting your home directory.  I am a big proponent of tools like TrueCrypt and also a big proponent of computer security in general.  I'm also a big proponent of protecting files even if they don't have sensitive data in them (you never know when they might have sensitive data, after all).  And of course if you only protect your sensitive files then an attacker will know which of your files to not bother with, but if all your disks and files are encrypted then they have

I've known about the dynamic configuration features of OpenLDAP for a while now, but haven't taken the time to look in to them.  I started reading the documentation today, and I have to say: OpenLDAP's dynamic configuration stuff seems very cool indeed.

I spent a little time today working with BIND's dynamic DNS feature that allows you to add or remove host names from an existing zone file on the fly - very cool stuff.  I had known this was possible for a while now, and had even dabbled in it before, but now I have an actual need for it.