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July 7, 2006
This week in IT
A while back I installed Linux on a PC to test a report-generating package.
The install went well enough even though I had somehow managed to download two corrupt images of the first CD before finally getting a good one; part of the Linux install asks if you want to verify that the install CDs are good -- mine had failed the integrity test.
So, I completed the operating system install. I installed some other packages, I removed some of those that didn't work, I added newer versions of some of the old stuff, yada yada yada etc.
In the end, everything was working and ready for the next step but, with all the additions, deletions and tweakings I wasn't happy with the state of the PC. I decided to do a fresh install of everything on the PC, using my notes as a guide.
As it happens, my install CD came up corrupt. Which ... shouldn't ... happen. It had been sitting unused and untouched. It's a CD.
I burned a new one from the image I had. It failed the integrity check. I downloaded a new image. I downloaded an image from another mirror ... then another. I replaced the CD drive in the PC I was using as a test box. I burned images from different burners. I created coaster after coaster.
Finally, I did the integrity check in a different PC. And it passed.
So -- I am unable to install this version of Linux on the box I had already installed this version of Linux on.
While this was happening I received some software from one of the big software outfits -- not Microsoft, if you're curious. The new client agent -- the one that was supposed to replace the one that didn't work very well all of the time -- doesn't work at all. At least it fails 100% of the time so I never have to wonder if it's doing what it's supposed to be doing.
I guess things could be worse. On Wednesday our Accounts Payable person came in to run checks to pay our vendors. She had taken the week off to extend the 4th of July holiday and the trip in, I felt, was above and beyond the call of duty. Running checks should take a couple of hours.
As you know, no good deed goes unpunished.
Something went wrong. Something that caused the software to yak out an unneeded sheet of paper while allowing it to keep the stream of numbers (and some letters) that should have appeared on that sheet -- and many more sheets -- way deep down in its digital bowels. It was as if our ERP package had attended an all-night fondue party and was bound up in the worst way.
Calls were made to tech support.
Some more yada.
Thursday afternoon our AP person had checks.
It took two days.
Our AP person is off today.
Posted by delmer at July 7, 2006 7:10 AM
Comments
If it's gonna fail, it should fail 100% of the time. At least it's consistent and there's no guessing games.
Posted by: The Phoenix at July 7, 2006 10:43 AM
As you probably already know:
"To err is human. To really mess up you need a computer."
Posted by: Missy at July 7, 2006 11:06 AM
And today things got even more bad.
I spent an hour piddling with a printer that should have needed only printer cartridges. After replacing all four cartriges (three color, one black) it still failed to print.
After an hour the ink meter -- available via software -- showed the black was about 1/4 used while the colors were all about 1/8 used.
Where? There was no ink coming out on the paper! There were no puddles pooling beneath the printer!
It's been a short week ... but an unusually troublesome one.
Posted by: delmer at July 7, 2006 2:57 PM