My Computers

JULIUS O. SMITH III

Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)
Department of Music, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 USA

Abstract:

This online article describes my personal computers and their associated peripherals and software. Consider it my ``home-office sysadmin BLOG'' or FAQ, if you will, which I post here for anyone who might have similar needs. (I often refer to it myself when I need to remember what happened with various machines.)

I have a desktop PC running Linux (Red Hat Fedora) and a Mac Pro running Mac OS X and Windows XP within VMware Fusion. I also have a notebook PC which will boot either Linux or Windows. While I do some engineering software development, most of my work can be classified as ``academic desktop publishing''.

Detailed Contents (and Navigation)

• Introduction and Overview
• Why Three Operating Systems?
  • Why Linux Alone is Not Enough
  • Why I need UNIX/Linux
  • Why I need Mac OS X
  • Why I need more than one OS (and machine) in general
  
  
• Software for Windows
• Getting Up and Running in Mac OS X
• Software for Linux
  • F8: Upgrade from Fedora 7 to 8 on an a home-built Linux Desktop
  • F8: Fresh Install of Fedora 8 on an HP Pavilion dv2125nr Notebook
    • Miscellaneous F8 Installs
  • F7: Things to do after Upgrading Red Hat Fedora 6 to Fedora 7
    • Miscellaneous Installs
  • FC6 and Windows XP on an HP Pavilion dv2125nr Notebook
    • FC6 Sound Support on the HP Pavilion Notebook
    • FC6 and Planet CCRMA on the HP Pavilion Notebook
    • Additional Installs
    • Summary of FC6 on my HP Pavilion Notebook
    • Stop the Presses!
  • FC6: Things to Do after an FC6 Upgrade from FC5
  • FC5: Things to Do after Installing Red Hat Fedora Core 5 (FC5)
  • FC4: Things to Do after Installing Red Hat Fedora Core 4 (FC4)
  • Desktop Publishing Software for Linux
  
  
• Backups
  • Automating Passwords in rsync over ssh
  
  
• Fighting SPAM
• Getting LaTeX2HTML Really Working
• Playing Sounds from PDF Presentations
• Printing
  • HP LaserJet 1220 Laser Printer/Copier/Scanner
  • Brother MFC7150C Inkjet Printer/FAX/Copier/Scanner
  
  
• Scanning Figures
• Hardware
  • Why Build Your Own Machine from Pieces?
  • Motherboard Upgrade, July 2008
    • Upgrade-2008 Parts List
    • Upgrade-2008 Headbutts
  • Mac Pro, May 2008
  • Monitor Upgrade, August 2007
  • Motherboard Upgrade, March 2005
  • Hardware Chosen in July 2003
  • Hardware Chosen in July 2000
  • Sources of Information
    • Hardware Info
    • Software Info
  
  
• Historical Appendices
  • Hardware Chosen in March 2000
  • Choice of Video Card
  • Red Hat 6.1 Misc
  • My Previous 300MHz Dell Machine
  • Why I had to upgrade from Windows NT to Windows 2000
  • Backups Using Arkeia
  • Problems Burning CD-ROMs in Windows 2000 Pro with Norton Antivirus Guard Installed
  • Printing over the Net to a NeXT Laser Printer
    • Printing from Linux
    • Printing from Windows
    • Printing to PostScript File under Windows
    • Printing on a NeXT Laser Printer from Windows or Linux
  
  
• About this document ...