Java Loves MSVCR71.dll in 64-Bit

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As I installed DevMail on fresh 64-bit Windows system, I was greeted with “The program can’t start because MSVCR71.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.” Although program started normally when I dismissed error message I found it annoying.

After some troubleshooting I narrowed issue on Java. And I found pretty good explanation of this problem. After knowing this, solution was simple.

I went into “C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin” folder and copied “msvcr71.dll” from there to DavMail’s application folder (“C:\Program Files (x86)\DavMail”). This way DavMail found his dll and everybody was happy.

P.S. It was interesting to see that DavMail developers had more than one ticket open on this subject. They closed them with solution “reinstall Java”. That solution is invalid. Real solution would be to include this dll with installation.

P.P.S. I found it annoying and idiotic of Sun Oracle to remove this bug from their bug database. That bug used to exist (and thus we know that it’s ID is 6509291) but they removed it. Only reason that might fit Sun’s Oracle’s FAQ is “security reasons”. How this applies to this situation is anybody’s guess.

Fujitsu and Search

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I needed some Windows 7 drivers for Fujitsu LifeBook S710. At first glance support page looked promising.

It asked for serial number and I gave it one but this hasn’t worked for some reason. However, I did got link to Fujitsu tool that reads your system and it promised that it will take me to correct page. I executed it and it got me back where I started. Tool just read serial number and it redirected me to the same page that failed me first time.

I would have gone through model selection but that part of page was also broken. It just kept showing single item: “Please select the product line”. I spent quite some time having fun making circles around Fujitsu web pages. I found driver’s bits here and there but some of them haven’t worked at all and some of them were meant for other notebook models. It took some googling to find useful product search page that gave proper list of drivers.

When manufacturer shows that level of laziness and lack of quality control, it really inspires confidence in it’s computers.

Mercurial Summary

I noticed that I wrote quite a few posts regarding Mercurial and they are spread all around blog. This post will give just a quick summary.

Server:

Converting:

Tricks:

Clients:

5Nine

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I was happy like a little puppy when I read that there is graphical manager for Hyper-V Server running on server itself. For me that was single missing link in my Hyper-V adventures.

First step was to download their free version. As it became usual, I had to create yet another another account and leave my password at yet another site. Well, at least I will get download link after installation and that will be that.

And that was that. Sometime I overreact. :)

Well, it turns out that this is not all. All that you get in mail is link to god-knows-what executable file. I guess after running that download manager you will be presented with additional application that would let you download what you want in just three-four simple steps. And let’s hope that this company is legit and that you don’t download some “toolbar helper” application alongside.

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I don’t know about you but I am pretty allergic to this way of treating your potential customers. While I do understand their “need” to collect e-mail addresses of their potential customers so they can (annoy them) better help them in future, I do not understand why they don’t let you download their FREE application without any additional garbage. Which idiot of a manager thought that this was good idea?

I shall just wait for some normal company to come with same solution.

It's Not Natty, It Is Nutty

On my “standard” work day I interact with Unix a lot so it seemed like a logical solution to have Linux on my machine. I used Ubuntu 10.10 and world was beautiful. Yes, some things did bother me but it worked. And after work I could always enjoy Windows 7.

Two days ago I upgraded to newest Ubuntu (11.04, nicknamed Natty). After upgrade boot seemed a little slow so I decided to do what I should have done first time - clean install. I spent one full day on fresh installation of Nutty and here are some problems I had in span of eight hours:

  • If your secondary monitor is on left, it is almost impossible to pinpoint single dot at which Unity launcher will appear.
  • Turning off auto-hide for Unity launcher causes it to be over all maximized windows and to hide their left side.
  • Applications closed without warning and without any form of crash dialog. Since this includes even calculator, I would dare to suggest that new Unity interface is to blame.
  • Once system started swapping it took Ctrl+Alt+F1 and top command to find that compiz took whooping 4.5 GB of RAM (out of 6 GB).
  • LibreCalc died every five minutes while editing relatively simple document. Recovery worked in almost 50% of cases.
  • Laptop could not wake from sleep.
  • Network connection was breaking every half an hour or so.
  • Booting took ages - easily double the time that 10.10 needed.
  • … do notice that there was a lot of smaller problems still …

I started using Linux it in nineteens with Slackware and went through my share of different distributions. I was never completely satisfied and people working with me know that I curse Linux a lot because of small bugs. But this is first time ever that I was actually unable to do my work. At the end I just rebooted into Windows XP (company issued) and did my work there.

My next step will be to take out this Natty piece of shit from laptop and to go back to Ubuntu 10.10.

P.S. I actually liked search interface in Unity. Unfortunately everything else sucks.