I haven't updated my blog in forever and I'm probably going to abandon my homebrew static client generated site for something like Mephisto at some point but I haven't had time to make the transition.

In the meantime, I'd like to save people some pain and document the steps I have go through to upgrade my Highpoint RocketRaid 2220 on Linux.  I installed the driver a while ago and don't remember the exact steps for that, so this is just what I do to upgrade.  I wrote a little shell script:

#! /bin/sh -v

# Update this version every time you upgrade.
VER=2.6.15-29-686

# To update the highpoint driver:
# 1) Download latest highpoint driver from: 
#
# http://www.highpoint-tech.com/BIOS_Driver/rr222x/Linux/
#
# 2) Patch driver by changing wrong kernel #ifdefs in osm/linux/os_linux.c  
#   KERNEL_VERSION(2,6,15) -> KERNEL_VERSION(2,6,16)

# Disable sata_mv.ko by moving it to a new directory.  This driver
# conflicts with highpoint driver.  I don't know if this is the
# "right" way to do this, but it works.
sudo mkdir -p /lib/modules/${VER}.disabled
sudo mv /lib/modules/${VER}/kernel/drivers/scsi/sata_mv.ko /lib/modules/${VER}.disabled/

# Make sure kernel headers are installed
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-${VER}

# Make new hpt driver:
cd ~jbeda/sources/rr222x-linux-src-1.07/product/rr2220/linux/
make KERNELDIR=/lib/modules/${VER}/build
sudo make install KERNELDIR=/lib/modules/${VER}/build

# make a new ramfs
# mkinitramfs -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-27-686 /lib/modules/2.6.15-27-686
sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-${VER}

Good luck. I hope this helps people out there that are stuck with this thing. I'm still looking for a good cheap solution to host lots of SATA drives on Linux.  Port multipliers are there and aren't as cheap as they should be.  The driver situation is pretty dire and there aren't that many non RAID (fake or not) >4 ports out there.  I haven't tried any SAS cards though -- perhaps the situation there is better.  I'm also running an LSI MegaRAID SATA 300-8XLP with the megaraid driver.  It wasn't as cheap but at least it works with a true open driver. 

Miguel de Icaza says "Avalon marks the end of the American Dream."  He also compares it to J2EE -- apparently implying that it is overly complex and overarchitected.

Ouch.

While I wouldn't put it that way, I can't disagree.  I left Microsoft almost two years ago and Avalon still hasn't shipped.  A 5+ year ship cycle for a project can't be seen as anything but a sign that something is horribly wrong.  When I was on Avalon we kept talking about building an API for the next 10 years.  Apparently, when Avalon ships there will be 5 years left on that clock.

I take partial responsibility for this.  When we were first starting Avalon, I was all about "Go big or go home" and "We should build something only Microsoft can build."  In retrospect, the project and the company might have been better served by starting with a much smaller team, aiming lower to start and shipping 5 times over those 5 years.  Version 1 might not have been that impressive, but relentless improvement would have built something better factored, simpler, and more in tune with what users actually need.

I named this blog "eightypercent" in honor of the 80% rule.  It just so happens there there are lots of 80% rules to apply.  In this case, a simpler system that only solved 80% of the problem would have been good enough and would have shipped multiple times already.

It looks like the WPF/E project is an effort to strip Avalon down to something much more approachable.  Cross platform, no full CLR, lower memory footprint -- sounds a lot like Flash/Flex.  I know some of the guys working on the project and I have high hopes that it will be something interesting.  The only question, when will it ship?

Coming in this morning, I heard a segment on NPR covering a unique program that King Country is running to provide rooms for homeless alcoholics in Seattle.  The unique and controversial part of this program is that the residents can continue to drink.

My wife, Rachel, has first hand experience with this problem from her work at the Harborview ER.  Some of these "frequent fliers" are indeed part of the community at the ER. In fact, one of the patients that Rachel had lots of interactions with (ever since she was a med student!) recently died and it really shook her up.  Anecdotally, Rachel has seen this program provide a positive impact.

In any case, this novel program seems to me to be a unique way to approach a very difficult problem.  It reduces the cost to the taxpayers and provides a safe place for these individuals.  Obviously we would all like to see these problems solved, but, failing that, at least the county is trying to manage it.

Check this out.  Get to 30.  Your day is now shot :)

(I just finished.)

Happy fourth!

I just wanted to post a note bragging about my sister, Jill.  The Chicago Tribune just ran an article about her and her daughter Ellie.  Ellie has what they are calling "Sensory Integration Disorder."  She is basically really hyper and needs to jump, spin, rock, swing, etc.  I think I probably had a touch of something similar when I was small.  One of the things that helps Ellie has been a weighted vest.  Jill couldn't find any she and Ellie liked and so made one herself.  It turned out so well, she decided to start making them for others. 

I've helped her get a web site up and running to show off what she has done.  Check it out at www.customweightedvests.com. You can also check out some other custom sewing she does at www.stitchessosweet.com.