in course of investigation, I check /var/log/messages and see something like:

Jan 6 01:23:27 localhost kernel: audit(1105003407.183:0): avc: denied { append } for pid=12380 exe=/usr/sbin/mysqld path=/var/lib/mysql/localhost.localdomain.err dev=sda1 ino=3450322 scontext=root:system_r:mysqld_t tcontext=root:object_r:var_lib_t tclass=file

this error message will lead you down a trail of dispair. If you’re having the same problem I did, ignore this error message.

The reason the startup scripts are failing is that something is hardcoded to look for the mysql files in /var/lib/mysql. A symlink to /apps/mysql:

ln -s /apps/mysql/ /var/lib/

and mysql starts up without problem.

Now, if someone could explain why mysql client or startup scripts fails to read /etc/my.cnf correctly, I’d love to hear it.

First, Meg’s system came with a widescreen monitor. X windows was only configured with one 16:9 resolution choice, so if Meg want’s to reduce the resolution, everything is stretched out. I know if this is a fairly simple xorg.conf fix, and Meg’s gotten used to the 1680×1050 resolution, so it hasn’t been a big deal.

Secondly, in an effort to conserve power, I enabled power management so the system would suspend after after an hour of activity. Most of the time, this works. Every few times, it doesn’t recover correctly and needs to be shutdown before coming back up. Other times, the network connection is unable to get a DHCP lease. I’ve turned this off to stop irritating Meg until I can get it to work more consistently.

Meg is busy taking grad classes and her only complaint about OpenOffice.org is the lack “WordArt” as seen in Microsoft Word. I’ll have to see if the Format > FontWork option does the trick for her.

Overall, I’m still very impressed. The screen resolution is a minor nit-pick, and I’m not even sure if that level of polish exists on the windows side of the world. Suspend or hibernate don’t work correctly on my own (older) system, so that fact that it works most of the time is still a good sign.

Extra work with the printer was to be expected and I was able to easily get it running with the lexmark driver and the directions from ubuntu forums. Dell did a good job on their blog explaining that they are only going to recommend certain printers. One odd thing was that the sales page for the linux systems didn’t let me select a printer at all. I guess they are still ramping up the system and determining which printers would be best to offer.

It was pretty neat to unpack a new Dell PC and only have this one CD in the box:

I’m going to let Meg play with Ubuntu a bit, but I think we may end up switching back to Kubuntu, as that’s what she’s more familiar with. I do have an XP CD sitting here as a backup in case she decides Open Office can’t handle her powerpoint needs or something else. I might try the Qemu > rdesktop trick if she decides this is needed.

• Spent Valentine’s weekend in Philly with Meg. We went to Dave & Buster’s (which was totally Meg’s idea, not that I protested) on Saturday and to The Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday after staying at the Wyndham Hotel nearby. On Valentine’s Day I sent Meg a dozen roses at work. She received a few death threats from jealous old ladies at work, so I got that going for me.
• I’ve been sick since Wednesday night. What started as a tickle in my throat progressed to a nasty sore throat by Thursday morning. This rapidly changed into a runny nose that wouldn’t quit. Today, my nose is still a snot faucet, and I think it may be turning into a sinus infection. If I’m not better after some serious “stay in bed and drink lots of juice” this weekend, I’ll be hitting up a doc for some antibiotics, I guess. Anyone know if this Airborne stuff Stern has been shilling actually works?
• On a related note, I’ve been really bad about going to the Y and working out, but this head cold sure isn’t going to allow that. I don’t have as much of an excuse for the slacking before this past weekend though. If you don’t see an update Monday or Tuesday of next week about me going to the gym, yell at me, ok?
• I want to find a good Wifi card for my laptop that will work in linux. Looks like support for 802.11b is pretty stabilized, but things are more up in the air for 802.11g. Any one have a recommendation of a card they’ve found that works well? Maybe a combo card? 802.11a would be nice too, but entirely unnecessary. I’d really like one that works with Kismet too, so I can get my wardrivin’ on.
• My palm is still broken, but Meg took it by Circuit City today, where it was purchased from, and they said I still have a warranty, but I need to do some digging to find all the paperwork. That is going to prove to be quite the exercise, I’m sure. Paperwork is so overrated. I think I’d give up my left testicle (always been a favorite of mine) if I could never have to deal with marking dead tree with dark pigment in the vague shape of the iconographs that map out the sounds of my name, and have to file away, and remember the location of, said marked dead tree fragments to presentation at a later date. Why can’t I just get by with fingerprints, DNA swabs, retina scans and the ever present pan-opticon records of transnational corporations/governments to keep track of this crap?

  **Deep Breath** Ok, maybe not my left testicle. Maybe Wyatt’s left testicle. He’s not using ‘em. (oooh! Burn! Made sweeter by sheer randomness! (I was gonna say Ben, but he’s started to use his, or something.( more parentheticals! (wee!))))

• My Dad and I have been trying to fix* the leak in our upstairs bathroom, but it still leaks a little, so there is still a hole in the downstairs ceiling, and a new, nicely cut hole with a door in the bedroom wall opposite the bathroom. I don’t think Meg’s very happy with the “improvements.”
  
  *That means I’ve been doing a lot of flashlight holding. Except I can’t find my rechargeable flashlight. Who took it?
• staying at work to finish blog entries is crazy talk. I’m outta here.

So I said, narrow the focus. Your “use case” should be, there’s a 22 year old college student living in the dorms. How will this software get him laid?

That got me a look like I had just sprouted a third head, but bear with me, because I think that it’s not only crude but insightful. “How will this software get my users laid” should be on the minds of anyone writing social software (and these days, almost all software is social software).

“Social software” is about making it easy for people to do other things that make them happy: meeting, communicating, and hooking up.

Go give it a read.