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Tip: Can't Shutdown Linux? It may be the Intel HD Audio module

Apparently there is some problem with the Intel HD Audio kernel module in Linux (pretty much all versions) that prevents people from fully shutting down their PCs. See this bug report here:

http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7195

This may affect any system that uses the snd_hda_intel module (snd-hda-intel.ko), such as my Giga-Byte GA-8ANXP-D. You can shut down, but you can't power off. Presumably this module is not releasing its resources (interrupt?), or something along those lines.

Microsoft To Fine Retail Stores $250,000 For Offering XP

The Pk Blog:Microsoft To Fine Retail Stores $250,000 For Offering XP

July 26, 2007
By: nomad1984

Several retail stores are still offering at least a few desktop systems that come with XP instead of Vista. The reasons for this are plenty, as vista has a lot of shortcomings. Some business and consumer customer have an expressed need for continuing to run the "outdated" XP. However instead of addressing these valid complaints Microsoft has decided that during the month of August they will be sending out secret shoppers to several reatail locations.

I work at Microcenter where we have one specific model of desktop that we are told the secret shoppers will be asking for. This model comes with the choice of Vista Business of Xp Pro. Not only does the system come with xp, but the restore cd, the only way to recover from a system crash on this system is a copy of vista business. If we even mention the fact that we carry the model with XP preloaded to a Microsoft secret shopper the store will be fined by Microsoft for $250,000 dollars. So even though we offer a PC with XP Pro we are not allowed to tell you we do out of fear that Microsoft will fine us for 1/4 of a million dollars.

Mono Infestation in Fedora

Despite earlier reassurances that Mono would never taint Fedora, it would seem that Mono has now poisoned the Fedora tree to a surprising extent. I can't say I'm very happy about Microsoft's patented, sour-grapes, anti-Java technology infiltrating a supposedly Free Community GNU/Linux distro in this way.

I’ve just completed an audit of Fedora Core 6, and this is the full list of mono dependants and sub-dependants, excluding doc, devel, debug, multi-arch and third-party repo packages:

avahi-sharp, banshee, beagle, beagle-evolution, beagle-gui, boo, bytefx-data-mysql, cowbell, daap-sharp, db4o, dbus-sharp, drapes, evolution-sharp, f-spot, gecko-sharp2, gmime-sharp, gnome-sharp, gsf-sharp, gtk-sharp, gtk-sharp2, gtk-sharp-gapi, gtksourceview-sharp, ibm-data-db2, ikvm, kerry, lat, mod_mono, mono-data, mono-data-firebird, mono-data-oracle, mono-data-postgresql, mono-data-sqlite, mono-data-sybase, mono-debugger, monodevelop, monodoc, mono-extras, mono-jscript, mono-locale-extras, mono-nunit, mono-web, mono-winforms, muine, nant, njb-sharp, tomboy, xsp.

Including mono-core itself, that makes a total of 48 packages.

Presumably Fedora 7 has the same number, or greater. I’ll do a similar audit on F7 later.