Hmm. So much for "just put the modem back and it's done".

I put the modem back, but then the drivers weren't there.

I pulled it back out of the machine, tried to identify it, found a couple of different drivers.

I put the network card back in, (I'll be buggered if I'm mucking around with all these stuffed floppy disks again). I copied the drivers across, I swapped the nic for the modem.

Not the BIOS starts complaining about a conflict. uh oh, maybe it will go away when the drivers are installed, and it's setup correctly.

I booted windows, it found the modem, I pointed it at the drivers, didn't seem to do anything. The modem wasn't showing in the control panel.

I had a look at the drivers I tried to use, ran the setup program, it didn't look like it ran properly.

I rebooted, still no modem. I tried running the setup from the other drivers, this was more successful, the modem installed.

It appeared to work, I could query it, however the BIOS was still complaining about the conflict.

I googled the error, I tried resetting the BIOS umpteen times. After about an hour, I found the unofficial emachines support site, I'd already identified the board from the proper site, and I downloaded a newer BIOS.

Argh, I'll need a boot floppy. I thought about just making a boot floppy, so I could run the update from the hard drive, but then I would have to swap the modem for the nic and back again, too much pissing about.

I eventually managed to find a working floppy (I used one of the 2 I found that worked the other day, when I was trying to make my own rescue disk to install linux) I made it bootable, put the update on.

I booted up the machine, updated the BIOS, and it still complained about the conflict. ARGH!

I ripped the modem out, booted the machine, no error. I turned the machine off, put the modem back in, booted it up.. no error. ARGH! I just wasted like 2 hours trying to get rid of the error, looking for a software solution, when all I had to do was take the modem out for a boot.

While I was looking for support on thei "emachine" on the net, I found that a lot of people think they are a joke.

I put the machine all back together, and was finished about 12.30.

I went back to mucking around on my server, i configured the networking, updated apache, installed squid (but haven't got it properly configured yet, having issues with userids mounting ext3 partitions). At that point, about 2.45am, I gave up and went to bed.

I got back up a bit after 9am, the woman had turned up to collect her machine, I loaded it into her car for her, and she gave me a cheque to pay for the work.

I burned a CD with the virus scanner install files on it, so they can install it on their other machines. The woman left.

I spoke to Mum for a while, saying I wasn't going to bother with the meeting, not that anyone has rung me about it (or will, most likely). I think I'll just go to Industrial Relations.. I need to know if they paid me the last couple of hours I'm owed, or not.

I rang up the colo guy, to find out if he had the figures he was going to call me on Monday with, he was busy, he called me back about 15 minutes later. The figures all seemed fine, so I'll get the keys off him early next week.

I was hoping to have all these servers built by Friday, but there's no way in hell, the progress is far too slow.

I got off the phone with him, had some breakfast, and started working on the server again.

I decided to start working on RADIUS. there are a few different packages for Debian, I decided to go with freeradius. I installed it, it seemed to work, but I need to test it.

I install radiusclient, which you can use with getty to make your standard logins go through radius, that might be a good test..

I took me a long time, and a lot of frustration, to get it somewhat working.

I can login if I have valid details in the radius users list.. I want it to use the system password database, can't find how to configure that. I still can't login properly through radius, the default login script doesn't do anything, so you pass valid details, it accepts them, and then you're just back at the login prompt again.

My mate who was in the US recently called me, am I planning to go down to Sydney on Saturday night? yeah, whatever, put me down, if I don't go, I'll pay for the room anyway, I'll probably go, but I might change my mind. He was working, so I said I would speak to him later.

I tried kludging the login script, but now whoever logs in gets a root shell. oops.

I gave up, and decided to go out. I've got a couple of people who want Tivo serial cables, I should have gone out yesterday to get the parts to make one of them.

I went out, I went to the shop, bought the parts I needed. I went and got some lunch, and read the paper, I noticed in the paper and ad for cheap grog, including the Scotch I like, I'll get some on the way home.

I came back to Gosford, I went to the bank, I deposited the cheque I received this morning, ordered a new card ($10) and got a recent transaction list. They have to take me card, until my new one is ready, which they mail out. I had to withdraw a bunch of cash, otherwise I'll have no money.

I then decided to go to the club, and renew my membership, so they stop whinging when I go in there.

I then went to the bottle shop, and bought the Scotch, bargain, and it comes with a free glass too.

I came home.

I need to make and test these serial cables.

I've had a quick look at the recent transaction list, it looks like a few days before I got excommunicated they paid me some pitiful amount, like 2 hours worth, I'm about to check the dates, and work out what's going on.