Friday 6 February 2009

PXE Server Still

Ok, I know I said I'd have more information up about this PXE server, but it's been incredibly awkward and difficult. I think I've found a solution though, instead of using Altiris' Deployment software, I've found some very useful software with the GNU GPL, which means I may be able to pull this off. It needs a little tweaking and it seems more complicated than it actually is.

So here it is, I've currently got my Windows XP system down in the lab. The reason I'm not running in Linux is that I need to have Windows running on this machine at the same time as it is running a licence server for a number of tools we use. Anyway, I downloaded VMplayer.exe, it's free Virtual Machine software which allows you to run an image on openSuse 10.2 (my choice) within a windows environment. Within openSuse, I've installed the PXE server, setup the DHCPd and ATFTP servers and setup the filenames and directories in the /srv/tftp/tftpboot folder. In this folder, I've copied initrd and linux files (32 bit and 64 bit, as an option to boot either) as well as the configured pxelinux.0 file. I'm not going to go into it all now, but so far so good. The board hasn't yet recognised the Linux PXE server. I'm hoping this is actually possible as I'm using the VMPlayer and not a proper installation of Suse. I think this is the last attempt at getting this to work that I'll try. After this, I'm just going to have to get a system all by itself and set it up that way. Sure here goes nothing, I'll keep it posted.

Monday 2 February 2009

Free Dental checkups??

So I've found out I may be eligible for 2 free dental check ups a year. Conditions are that I've been paying PRSI for the last five years (since I'm over 25, under 25's only need 2 years of PRSI).

Phoned up the Department of Social and Family Affairs on 1890400400, listened to their hold music for ages before I eventually got through to someone. I gave them my PPS number and lo and behold, I'm not eligible! I was told you need 260 weeks of paying PRSI to be eligible, I've only got 235, but they also said they need my P60 from 2008, which means I'm more than likely well over the limit as soon as that is sent in. I love finding out about tax benefits I didn't previously know about, especially since I know I need a filling, my tooth's been killing me for ages now and I just didn't have the funds for it.

I think I'm going to look into more ways of getting my tax money back to me. There's all these benefits that I never knew about, I think it's the tax office dirty little secret that they don't want to admit to. In times like these, every penny is a happy penny in my books :D