Well, I have been silent for nearly a week. It has been one of those busy Linux geeky weeks. Yeah, this is going to be another geeky posting in Saigon 🙂
It started off with an interview at VietnamWorks.com for the CTO position (which has changed to a different position focusing on business processes). I will need to write out a project proposal for this position. IT guys tend to be good at business processes since a business, believe it or not, sort of runs like a computer or information system 🙂
A couple days later I had an informal meeting with the newly formed Vietnam Professional Linux Users Group (ViPLUG). ViPLUG will be supported and sponsored by the Saigon Linux Group, GHP Far East Co., and SaigonICT. Our first meeting will be on August 18, 2007, in Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting went well.
Before I came to the meeting, I designed (on paper) a prototype Web 2.0/3.0 human resource information system. Now just need to find some funding to actually design the product 🙂
Tony and I installed SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) on my notebook. I had installed Fedora Core 7 the night before but I had many problems with it on my Lenovo/IBM Thinkpad T60. KDENetworkManager would not work in both the LiveCD and DVD install. I will re-install it later when Red Hat releases their Global Desktop later this year.
Since SLED does not come with the codecs and libraries to play mp3s or DVDs, I had to download them from other repositories. It took forever due to the slow bandwidth this week. As of one hour ago, I can play mp3s, wavs, and DVD file formats now with SLED. Other than that, I am quite happy with SLED. The volume buttons work correctly for once. No more increase/decrease 7% as with the other Linux operating systems.
Right now, I am downloading the VMware Player. After I install it in SLED, I will install Zenwalk Linux and Sabayon Linux (based on Gentoo) with VMware Player.
Well, got to get ready for some soft crabs tonight…
Geeky postings are the best postings. I am very busy this week setting up a RHEL kickstart and PXE boot system for our new datacenter. Hopefully this weekend I will perfect the kickstart, get all of the machines installed, then I can start setting up the load balancer and migrating websites and databases into the new datacenter. Can’t wait to finish this project as my employer is really looking forward to it.
It is funny, I keep hearing that there are datacenters in Vietnam. With bandwidth and routing problems, I doubt anyone will want to use them in Vietnam. VinaGames has a datacenter but getting information seems limited (my friend argues that they are probably leasing a datacenter in Singapore but telling everyone it is in Vietnam).
Are you still interested in VoIP?
kickstart, reminds me of my Amiga days 🙂
Yes, I am definitely interested in VOIP. I have an asterisk server running and Trang and her mom both use it with their VOIP phones. I am considering going into the hosting business myself with my new highly reliable Xen-AoE server architecture which allows for some really cool possibilities.
Tony set up an asterisk server with his company, they use openPBX as well.
In Vietnam you have to have to be a ISP and OSP before you can get a telecom license. The process takes 5 years before you are allowed the license. Also, the server must be located inside of Vietnam or it will be considered illegal (though PC to PC is legal).
I have a friend from VPT Telecom who exlained the whole process to me. If someone wants to establish a telecom, they will need to partner with another company, such as VPT Telecom, until they meet the 5 year requirement. Then they can go out on their own.
It would be nice to get something going between Vietnam and the US that works for once, eh?
Yeah, it would be nice. But if they are going to make it that difficult it hardly seems worth the effort.
Patience is the key to succeeding in Vietnam. 🙂