Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 September 16

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

September 16

Another LaTeX question

I want a page with a section heading then two pictures. Latex keeps putting the section heading on the page before, or on the next page. Any hints how I can fix this? Aaadddaaammm 00:01, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe the pics are too large, so it automatically places them on a new page. Try making the pics smaller. StuRat 17:45, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Directory vs. tagging

Hi. I would like to know whether there is any text available comparing advantages of organizing items using tags with those of doing it using directories. The Portuguese Wikipedia sistematically uses directories for organizing pages, and I think this is a bad system. I would like to write a wiki essay there to show why, but it would be nice if someone had written something like that already.

Examples:

• On the English Wikipedia, the page about minor edits is called Help:Minor edit. On the Portuguese Wikipedia, it's called Ajuda:Guia de edição/Menus e ferramentas/Edição menor, which means Help:Edition guide/Menus and tools/Minor edit.

• On the English Wikipedia, you can go to Wikipedia:WikiProject Theatre, but on the Portuguese Wikipedia you need to type Wikipedia:Projetos/Artes/Dramaturgia. A.Z. 00:45, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Firefox crashes on plugins since I installed Java

I use Kubuntu 7.04 and Firefox 2.0.0.6. Today I installed the latest JRE from java.com. Since the Firefox FAQ told me (adjusting for the difference in JRE versions) I'd have to

ln -s /usr/jre/plugin/i386/ns7-gcc29/libjavaplugin_oji.so

in "your Firefox plugins directory", I did this in /usr/lib/firefox/plugins (which also contained libunixprintplugin.so). Since then, Firefox crashes every time I try to open a page with Flash or Java, or about:plugins. (Flash previously worked fine. Firefox didn't have a Java plugin before.) If I launch Firefox from Konsole, I get:

INTERNAL ERROR on Browser End: Could not get the plugin manager
System error?:: Success

If I try using .../ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so instead, Java simply doesn't work, and blank space appears where the applet frames should be. Is it possible that "your Firefox plugins directory" means someplace other than /usr/lib/firefox/plugins, or is it a problem with this version of the JRE? NeonMerlin 01:46, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I tried this with Fedora 7 and Firefox 2.0.0.5, but using my own profile instead of the global Firefox directory. Sure enough, if I use the ns7-gcc29 version, every web page containing Java crashes Firefox. On the other hand, if I use the ns7 version, nothing happens (see below). There must be a bug in either Firefox or the Sun JRE. JIP | Talk 09:40, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It turns out the older version of JRE, 1.5.0, works. There must be some bug in the newest version of JRE. JIP | Talk 09:54, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I tried using version 6.0u1 of the JRE from the archives on the Java site, and the same problem occurs. NeonMerlin 01:18, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it happened to me too. Use an even older version, prior to 6.0 altogether. JIP | Talk 15:52, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Dual monitors.

How much would system performance be affected by using dual monitors? If I were to run a game on one and mIRC on the other, would my framerates drop drastically? Does the cursor move freely between screens? 202.10.86.63 01:57, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

What OS is this? Windows, Mac, and I believe most Linux distros support this. Your graphics card will ultimately decide the performance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.195.124.101 (talk) 04:33, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

In Windows or Linux the cursor can move freely between screens (I've never tried it on a Mac, but I assume it would work the same.) but keep in mind that most games will clamp the mouse to the play area. (In games based on Quake or Unreal engines, bringing up the console with '~' may or may not help this.)

For performance question, there is a theoretical performance drop if you're running two monitors off the same video card. (And even a small one if you're using seperate video cards.) I can't seem to find numbers for this, but, In my (admitedly unscientific) experience, I've never actualy noticed an FPS drop unless the second screen is drawing something in 3d.APL 17:37, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I just got a 2nd monitor a few days ago. It's 1680x1050, so lots of pixels. Basically the rule of thumb is that in any fullscreen application that uses windows's mouse API (basically everything that's not legacy), if you can see a mouse than you can move it to the other screen during gameplay. However, the instant you change window focus to a window in the other screen, or scroll a window in the other screen, the fullscreen application will minimize. All windows behavior of course. As for performance, I have a massive 8MB wallpaper (bmp is the only lossless format windows supports for wallpapers grr) and rendering it does cause some hiccups during intense gameplay.. mostly just games I have no business trying to play on laptop hardware anyway, but also a few fps in counter-strike. Overall the performance hit is surprisingly low for rendering a whole other screen. --froth^t 19:04, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

ECC registered memory

I purchased two ECC registered memory modules advertised and sold as PC3200. The information software I'm using, PC Wizard 2007, reports the working module to be PC2100 and not PC3200. The other module is defective and does not work in either standalone or combination. What other memory information software can I run to check the results of PC Wizard 2007? Clem 02:56, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

try memtest [1]--Colsmeghead 11:36, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks but I need the kind of detail that PC Wizard provides in order to convince both the seller and the police.

Could very well be a bug. Try Sisoft Sandra [2] Sandman30s 15:09, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Clem 06:34, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

AMD CPU compatibility

I am wondering if the AMD athlon 64 X2 5000+ brisbane CPU can run on the asus M2NC51-AR motherboard. it is a 2.6 MHZ clock speed CPU. i have looked on the asus website and can not find the product page for this motherboard. I want to make sure the 5000+ CPU can run on this motherboard.--logger 03:47, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It all depends on whether it's Socket 754 or Socket 939. I suspect it's the former (and therefore no), but I couldn't find a product page either, so I'm not sure. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 04:54, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

This is a Socket AM2 the latest socket.--logger 04:59, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Then it should. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 05:04, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the info i hope it works.--logger 05:06, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

MSN and Japanese characters

When I copy and paste Japanese characters from JWPce to MSN Messenger, I get a file transfer window that shows the characters in the file preview window, sent as a picture, I suppose. However, when I copy and paste them into OpenOffice, and then into MSN, they are displayed as characters in the text, the way they should be. Other people have no problem with this. I can't type directly into MSN messenger with the language bar, either, so this is my only way to type in Japanese characters. Any idea what's going on? -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 04:49, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I could type Japanese directly in MSN, so there's something wrong with your locale settings or something. --antilived^{T | C | G} 09:20, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I got it!! Just go to UTILITIES/OPTIONS and select for EXPORT: UNICODE, then check the NO BITMAP FORMAT BOK. Home freeeeeeeeee!

SkyIDE Article

HI i've created an article about SKYIDE but it was deleted and there are no reasons kept on the page for the deletion.What could be the reason actually i haven't started this for self promotion or any product promotion,basically it is free IDE so i thought it could be worth to post here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Maheshkale (talk • contribs) 06:43, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

This is the wrong page to ask. See Why was my article deleted?. According to the deletion log, SkyIDE was deleted by Richardshusr as blatant advertising. It doesn't matter if the product is free, we don't allow articles that simply promote the use of something. You should read our notability policy to see what we require before an article can be created about a subject. -- Kesh 20:18, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Java plugin for Mozilla Firefox installs, but doesn't work

I have a Fedora 7 operating system and am running Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.5 on it. I tried to install the Sun Java plugin but it doesn't work.

I downloaded the JRE 1.6.0_02 from the http://www.java.com website as an RPM self-extracting file and installed it. Then I made a symbolic link of /usr/java/jre1.6.0_02/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so to ~/.mozilla/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so.

When I use Mozilla Firefox, it does not load any Java applets. about:plugins tells me the Java plugin is installed but it doesn't actually do anything. What is wrong here? JIP | Talk 08:16, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It turns out the older version of JRE, 1.5.0, works. There must be some bug in the newest version of JRE. JIP | Talk 09:54, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

See-saw symbology

Here at work we have a UPS that has an icon, next to an indicator light, that is a diagram of a seesaw with a large circle on the low end of the seesaw and a smaller circle on the other end. With some help from Google, I was able to determine that this indicates an overload but I haven't been able to find out why this symbol is used to indicate that. Any help? Dismas|^(talk) 09:49, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It's a balance - the small circle represents the reference/allowed mass and the large circle is the mass being measured. The large circle is on the low end, so it's got a greater mass than is allowed. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 10:33, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

And it's less panic-inducing than a volcano or something else that might symbolize overload ;-) --24.147.86.187 13:07, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd probably be more inclined to take action if I saw a volcano light flashing than if I saw a see saw light flashing.. an overload seems like a pretty serious condition --froth^t 05:09, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

getting mail from yahoo to windows mail

how can i get my email to be downloaded from yahoo mail to my windows mail on vista pc?220.225.244.123 13:55, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Officially, to get POP3 support, you need to buy the Plus service. [3] However, you can use YPOPs! with the free service. --Spoon! 14:55, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

psp flashplayer

Im editing from a psp right now, @ am wondering if i could get flashplayer 9 on here w/o damaging it? thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.23.74.123 (talk) 14:37, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

With the latest firmware updates, you should be able to get Flash Player, however, you may want to check for the earliest version with Flash so that you still have homebrew capability. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 00:47, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Importing mail folders/messages

I have used outlook (not outlook express) for email and saved messages in folders on my local disk under "personal folders". Recently I switched from PC to Mac, and I wanted to import these messages into my new email. I exported these files from outlook as PersonalFolder.pst but can't open them in any other email software that I use on my Mac(I tried both my Mac Mail and Entourage). I also tried to import them into outlook express on my windows parallels -- unsuccessfully. It seems as if none of these software recognize the .pst folder. Any hep would be highly appreciated! 76.248.69.125 16:16, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

What version of Outlook are the .pst files from? This may be helpful if it's a version prior to Outlook 2003. (Note that I haven't tried it myself and am away from my Mac at the moment.) There's a commercial product called Outlook 2 Mac that appears to do it for all versions, but it requires you have a PC to use for the process. A Google search also shows that there may also be some ways to do it by going through yet a third mailer, such as Thunderbird, Eudora, or gMail. Pinball22 17:35, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Windows XP, Disabling USB 2.0 notices.

This should be an easy question, but I can't seem to find the answer. I've got a Windows XP Tablet Edition computer, and every time I plug in a USB device it sounds a tone and pops up a notice saying "This Device Can Perform Faster" and explains that I should plug it into a USB 2.0 port. It sees its docking station as a USB device, so I see this notice a lot, and it's begining to get on my nerves. Is there a way to turn these notices off? Thanks. APL 17:18, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Google + "This Device Can Perform Faster" = [4][5].--24.147.86.187 17:51, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Aha! Thank you. APL 19:31, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Software engineering

Provide at least five examples of how law of unintended conequence applied to computer softwre —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.135.11.93 (talk) 17:40, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Is this for your homework? JIP | Talk 17:50, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It sounds like an interesting question though. 203.135.11.93 should have fun coming up with the answers! Graeme Bartlett 21:39, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Bill Gates trying to make money on his very first real product resulting in mass hatred of microsoft? =D --froth^t 23:16, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

One positive unintentional consequence may be a reduction in TV infomercials, as many companies which formerly paid for those move on to computer SPAM. (But how will I ever jog in place without a giant rubber band tied to the door knob, as seen on TV, to keep me from running away ? :-) ) StuRat 17:40, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Monitors and Macs

Can Macs use the same monitors as PCs? I know Amigas can't, without an adapter, but I have no experience with any other non-PC systems. My sister has a Mac and I have a spare TFT monitor but I don't know if I can sell it to her. JIP | Talk 18:16, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Well if she lives close take it round and try otherwise this article...http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10166_7-6518541-1.html might have the answer. ny156uk 18:18, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

We live in the same city but a couple of kilometres apart. I live in the centre, she lives further away. But judging by the article, the answer seems to be yes. The monitor is fairly bog-standard 2000s TFT monitor issue, and she has one of those new-fangled iSomething Mac laptops. JIP | Talk 18:23, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

iBook? MacBook? --Spoon! 19:58, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, one of them MacBooks. JIP | Talk 04:13, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

She might need an adapter depending on the laptop model, and the monitor. What is the connector on the monitor? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.195.124.101 (talk) 19:10, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know the type, but it is the most common one used in today's monitors. It's got fifteen pins in three five-pin rows. It keeps reminding me of the good old Atari standard joystick interfaces. JIP | Talk 19:42, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

That is a VGA connector. --Spoon! 19:58, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

She will need a Mini-DVI -> VGA adapter. Be careful not to get the Mini-DVI -> DVI adapter, that's not the one you want. -- JSBillings 10:12, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Graphing A Production Possibility Curve/Frontier with Microsoft Excel

Hello everyone,

I would like to graph a Production Possibility Curve (http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Production_possibility_frontier) with Microsoft Excel. Could anyone please refer to a website or instruct me on how to do this?

Thanks in advance!

Two problems with Windows XP

I have a new Lenovo laptop with XP that has been performing beautifully with two slight problems that picked up about a week ago. They both have to do with startup. 1) Whenever I turn my computer on now, my desktop image shows for perhaps 2 or 3 seconds and then disappears, revealing the black background behind it. I did some googling, and it was suggested that this may be the fault of "active desktop", but I have had no luck locating this Windows feature in the Display Tab in which I was to look. And when I searched for it in the Windows Help and Support thing, the H&S page froze (sounds like a conspiracy to me.) Any suggestions? 2) Once every let's say three or four times that I turn the computer on, the mouse freezes as windows starts up. This can mean that before I see my desktop, the mouse is working, and then once the wallpaper (briefly) shows, it won't move. And once or twice the whole computer has frozen. If I just restart the computer (an annoying 2 or so minutes), it works fine. These problems are NOT caused by an over-burdened computer. This one's super fast, new, and with very little on it (13 out of 88 gigs used). Ideas? Thanks, 140.247.41.153 19:26, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Is there any relationship between your experiencing these problems and the laptop being on (or off) its docking adapter. I have an X60S (spectacular machine, incidentally), and when you put it on its docking station (or power it up when it's connected to the docking station) it flips the screen around for a bit (between the external monitor and its own one) - it's obviously probing, and things go mental for a few seconds during that transition. Perhaps you have a bad docking station (or the laptop thinks its connected to a docking station, perhaps due to a stuck switch in the connector) and its getting stuck in the probe/setup phase. 81.86.235.169 21:04, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Active desktop is only enabled by default in 98/ME iirc. Just upgrade to vista while your computer's new so you don't have to mourn the loss of customizations. Yes it's sort of goober on the front end (not goober in the sense of XP's playskool color scheme, goober in the sense of a child having an awkward temper tantrum in a public place if that makes any sense) but it's a much, much more mature OS than xp. Just my --froth^t 23:01, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Creepy spam timing

OK, this has weirded me out.

I followed a link in a blog I read, which took me to [6]. I browsed for a while, in particular noting the Google ads -- which include sites telling parents what their kids might get up to online -- but not following any.

Within a few minutes, my Hotmail address got an e-mail from [7] subjected "How to protect your teen online" with... well, enough of a link to make me suspicious. (Links to [8] to "no longer wish to receive communication from us" or "update your contact information" - I appear to have an ID number.)

At no point did I fill in ANY information on the first site. I've never had a similar e-mail before. Is there any way this can be anything other than freak chance?

Rawling4851 21:29, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It's certainly possible. A website that you do register for puts a non-expiring cookie on your computer identifying you by a unique ID. A different website paying the first (or owned by the same people) sees the cookie, looks up your email in their collaborative database, and sends you targeted spam. So yes it's certainly possible and I'd be surpised if it isn't widespread.. a network could potentially have hundreds or thousands of registration sites that all get money from giving cookies to browsers and dropping IDs and email addresses in the pool. --froth^t 22:40, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Hmm. That's certainly food for thought. Maybe I'll have a scan through my cookies... Rawling4851 22:44, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Ad-Aware is good at labelling tracking cookies UBAR PROIRIORITEY so just run an aaw scan --froth^t —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 22:54, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

One problem I ran into using an AOL chat room was that they display your AOL screen name. Upon entering such a room I immediately got a dozen spam e-mails, which just kept on coming. I changed my AOL screen name and vowed never to enter an AOL chat room again, and I never have. Perhaps there is a similar situation for you. StuRat 17:14, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

JavaScript

Can JavaScript be placed on a page or userpage on Wikipedia? I've tried to place a smidgen on my Userpage, but It comes out as plain text. Thank you.Yamakiri 22:15, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Not if you want the JavaScript to work for anyone but yourself, no. If you do only want it for yourself, see these instructions. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 22:46, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

That would sure be puzzling seeing as how you'd have direct access to peoples document.cookies... their login session... their user account... is any of this making any sense? Remember that you can use javascript on your own account's skin (Chances are yours is at Special:Mypage/monobook.js). This is how power-wikipedes install WP:POPUPS. --froth^t 22:50, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Good point, well, I'll have to give up on that then. Yamakiri 00:03, 17 September 2007 (UTC)