Open source Private Cloud SaaS: VDI made simple

I just acquired some ‘new’ computers with 2 Dual Xeons, 32GB and 16GB RAM, and assorted disks.

My first thought was to use the 32GB one as my openstack testbed, and the other as a desktop, but soon after setting them both up with debian testing, I changed my mind.

Dell 690’s are much too noisy to be anywhere near me.

So I tossed my original desktop’s disk into the second one, and then put both of them downstairs, into the ‘server room’, and then set up xpra for rootless persistent X11 sessions. One session per app (browser, irc, email) and one session per project I work on.

Now, I have quiet up here…

Combining this with the rex Box work I was doing last month, and I’m going to have a really nice Software-as-a-Service setup,

for example:

  • rex SaaS:connect –name=”firefox”

would either connect to an existing xpra session by that name, or create a new vm, provision it, and connect to that.

but that code will have to wait, I’m working on the Foswiki 1.2.0 Wiki Applications wizard right now 🙂

first steps into andriod tablets

I finally bought an Android tablet. Given my twenty year history of liking thinkpads, I snapped up a reasonably priced one on eBay….. Lenovo’s tech support is so bad that I don’t buy new, full price anymore.

As a wiki developer I’m fascinated by the incredibly strong pull of computing device makers towards content consumption oriented devices.

this tablet is no different.. it has the potential to be a pen and paper replacement – sporting a pen, but the hardware fails in some subtle ways, and the software reinforces the read only aspect thouroughly.

hardware wise, the pen is stored on the left side, presumably to give the primary top corner to the webcam. thus making the right handed user reluctant to get it out (I hope this is and advantage for left handers)
I’ve also found myself using the tablet only in landscape mode, as the thinkpads weight and bezel size make portrait mode uncomfortable.

software wise, Android appears to have no competent handwriting, making it a realm of single apps only.

personally, I seem to be able to type reasonably quickly using the on screen keyboard, but I really really want handwriting recognition built into the entire device – its 2012, and my old original apple newton managed to do it seamlessly.

I could not use the TinyMCE editor on WordPress, and selecting and correcting spelling mistakes in the text area is almost impossible. ouch.

This might be time to look at writing some Android Java. Oh well