Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2011 September 18

= September 18 =

Google alerts and Google Books
Hi,

Does Google Alerts provide results from new content in Google Books?

Thanks. Apokrif (talk) 00:45, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * No. See Google Alerts for more information.--Shantavira|feed me 07:50, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

computer languages
Suppose I wanted to write my own computer programs, maybe starting with this idea I have for a simple drawing program, before moving on perhaps to games, even an entire operating system incorporating several new ideas I have been developing in that area, which I am not about to reveal all over the internet. Question is, though, what programming language would I be best off learning to do this, and also where would I go to study it and to download the software needed to run it? (And before anyone suggests it, I cannot simply start a university or college course in the subject.)

148.197.81.179 (talk) 08:47, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * If you want to write your own operating system, it doesn't really matter what language you learn, because you will have to write a compiler for that language for your operating system. If you didn't think that task through to its logical conclusion, I might suggest you should learn a bit more about computing before starting the daunting task of systems design.  It isn't impossible - it's just very difficult.  I also suggest that you research operating systems.  They have existed for decades, and it's very probable that somebody has already implemented your improvement ideas.
 * In the mean time, I recommend C and Java as the best languages to learn for novice programmers. Other regular contributors on this desk have their own opinions, and you can search through our archives for similar previous discussions.  Nimur (talk) 15:52, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * I always recommend Microsoft's XNA Game Studio, in which you can write programs (including games) in the C# programming language. The Visual Studio Express IDE/compiler/debugger download is free and awesome.  Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:55, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * C++ is widely used for games, but can also be used for operating systems. Generally operating systems are written in C, C++ and/or assembler, because you need the low-level facilities of those languages. If you only want to learn one language for all these purposes, C++ is the most suitable of commonly-used languages, although not the easiest to learn (C would also work but is more limited). C# or Java as already mentioned would be better for making drawing software or other simple graphical applications, but aren't used for operating systems because they require virtual machines to run. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:21, 19 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A drawing program is simple to get started with, and nowadays it's possible for one person to write a very successful game (like Minecraft). However, an operating system is a very different kettle of fish. Not even the wildly popular linux was written from scratch - the kernel was based on a lot of previous development in Unix/GNU/etc. and then they relied on a large community to write the rest of the software that sits above the kernel. I think it would be impossible for one person to develop a commercial OS - you would have to make it open-source and have the backing of a large community for starters, and it's always work-in-progress. I suggest you implement your ideas as third-party applications or plugins and hopefully one day sell them to the corporate that owns the OS. Sandman30s (talk) 13:42, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

Free Windows HTTP server for learning
I'm looking for a good, free HTTP server for Windows, for learning how to put together a website. I need something that's easy to get started with, meaning you don't need to read a lot of documentation before you can try simple things. It should support common open-source server-side scripting technologies. It's not for "production" and really advanced features are not needed. I've looked at Lighttpd but I couldn't find a good tutorial. The full set of documentation is a little intimidating. Any suggestions? --173.49.19.109 (talk) 11:27, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Usbwebserver AvrillirvA (talk) 11:51, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Apache web server is free, and is widely used. On Windows, Internet Information Services is the official server provided by Microsoft, though it is only free on certain distributions of Windows.  I would not waste time learning any other system: there are thousands of web server softwares, but very few are widely used.  Nimur (talk) 15:44, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I strongly suggest Apache. It's what you'll likely encounter if you ever try to use a production server remotely hosted, and it's also very easy to get the binaries going under Windows. Shadowjams (talk) 22:27, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I will third the recommendation of Apache. You can easily instal it, along with PHP and MySQL with WAMP server. TheGrimme (talk) 18:57, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

youtube and networks
Two questions that might be related. Firstly, having moved back to university, I have signed into their internet network, I have to put in a password at the start of the year and otherwise it seems to have no effect on my internet use, but I am wondering, can they see what I am doing here, find out what I am downloading or uploading, which sites I am going on and such like? Secondly, could this then interfere with attempts to upload something to youtube. it worked at home, but I tried something else here and rather than uploading and then processing the film, it uploads, claims to be processing but sits there doing nothing a long time, whilst at the same time, half the film has already been uploaded and people are watching it and wondering where the other half is, whilst I am still waiting for it to process. If it is not something university related trying to stop me uploading anything, what else could be wrong here?

148.197.81.179 (talk) 13:25, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

OK, never mind all that, a simple question, why can I not upload anything to youtube longer than 4:33? Both things I have tried to upload longer than that is has suddenly cut off there, whilst nothing shorter is affected at all.

148.197.81.179 (talk) 14:54, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Strange. Can you upload the video to a different site without the same problem? Or, to test if it is the Uni's network, try uploading it from somewhere else - e.g., a Starbucks or a public library?


 * Also, have you tried uploading to youtube in a different browser, just to see if that has any effect? Avic ennasis @ 16:13, 19 Elul 5771 / 16:13, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * To answer the other original question, yes, of course the school's upstream computers have logs of every Internet connection you make. The university will have policies about those logs: who gets to view them, how long they are kept, and so forth; you can ask them for their policies about logs of your Internet access, and they'll give you the policies.  Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:53, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

Problem getting PS3 to recognize external HD
I bought an external 2 terabyte drive to use with my PS3. I pretty much followed the directions here: I hooked it up to my PS3 but it does not recognize my external HD at all. I cannot access any of the files on my HD and I don't even see any icon for an external HD anywhere in the PS3's menus. I've tried hooking it up to two different PS3s and both have the same problem. Does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong? A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 15:38, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * 1) I reformatted it to FAT32
 * 2) I created my GAME, MUSIC, VIDEO and PICTURE directories and copied some music, video and pictures files to the appropriate directories. (My GAME directory is empty.)

Wireless Printer
I've just been out an bought a Kodak ESP C315 printer. When I got home, I realised that there was no USB cable in the box. It turns you have to pay extra for the cable to connect it to your computer! The only option is to use the wireless option. The manual says that I need a wireless router; which I don't have. I have an HTC Wildfire S, and I connect that to my laptop with USB tethering to share my phone's mobile network with my computer. When the printer searches for a wireless network, my phone doesn't show up. Does anyone have any idea how I can get my laptop to talk to my computer either directly or via my phone? — Fly by Night  ( talk )  16:50, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * I agree the recent trend to not include a USB cable (even in some low cost wired printers!) is annoying.  USB cables cost a fiver.  Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:57, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * I bet they don't cost Kodak a fiver. When I've just paid £100 for a printer, and they can't give me a free cable&hellip; Any way, I've got my phone acting as a wi-fi hotspot now, so all's well. — Fly by Night  ( talk )  16:59, 18 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Printers coming without cables, has been a common scam for years. Usually there's a ridiculously overpriced cable for sale right next to the printer on the shelf. Luckily, cables are cheap if you buy them online. APL (talk) 02:45, 20 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Actually, I think there is more to it than a simple scam. The last printer I bought (with ink cartridges) cost less than the ink cartridges alone. Though by shopping around you can buy cheaper replacement cartridges, I don't think the pricing makes any economic sense, unless you assume that the printer is being sold at a loss. But why would the manufacturer do that? I suspect it because most people don't actually buy their own replacement ink cartridges, but 'acquire' them from their workplace (possibly with no sense of guilt - they may very well use their home printer for work-related tasks). Essentially, when you buy a printer, you are giving the manufacturer an 'in' to a profitable ongoing ink-cartridge-supply business - and one where the customer is 'captive', in that changing printer types involves a great deal of hassle. The whole thing is somewhat reminiscent of the recreational drugs trade. (And of course, you can 'borrow' a printer cable from work) AndyTheGrump (talk) 03:12, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * The cartridges that come with the printer are much lower capacity than the ones you buy separately at the store. (They look "full" on the ink level monitor, of course, because that's done by percentage.) So if you're one of those folk who think they're beating the system by buying new printers every time they need more ink they're actually wasting a good deal of money.
 * Anyway, over-charging for printer cables is more of a retailer-level scam. (And, of course, a USB cable can be bought for about $3 if you shop around.) APL (talk) 05:50, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

Windows 7 explorers jumping back pages
This is a repeat of this. It is happening again. Has anyone else heard of this or had it happen to them? How can I fix it? Does the Windows installation CD come with a recovery facility to restore just the operating system? --Melab±1 &#9742; 19:40, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I saw this happen on a Windows XP machine. I fixed the issue by running msconfig (by going to the Start menu and typing msconfig, then ENTER) and unchecking a bunch of programs under "Startup" that were starting automatically. I also ran services.msc and set a bunch of unused services from starting automatically. Then, I restarted the computer. In other words, it was certainly a third-party program that was causing the issue. But I disabled so many programs that I was unsure which one was causing it.--Best Dog Ever (talk) 04:29, 19 September 2011 (UTC)