Coffee in my laptop again...
This time it just messed up the few keys around (and including) the Enter key. Thankfully there was no data loss.
God in His grace allowed me to switch to Linux after the last coffee deluge, so I've had several options at my disposal for a temporary work around while I wait for my new keyboard to come in the mail--special thanks to Spare Parts Warehouse.
I was able to log into my laptop being careful to watch how my keyboards new "features" work (ex: hitting 'h' moves to the left before entering the character 'h' others move left, hit enter, or type other characters in addition to themselves). Once logged in, I typed the characters I'd need in a text editor, then copy and pasted them into the correct order using my mouse. With those characters, I logged in as root, started the SSH (secure shell) service so I could connect from my Linux desktop, emerged VNC (Virtual Network Computer) on the desktop, started Gnome Remote Desktop services, and logged into my laptop from my desktop.
Currently, I'm typing this blog entry with my desktop's keyboard sitting on top of my laptop's keyboard, using the mouse from my laptop, and being very thankful to Christ that Linux has so many options for coffee drinking entrepreneurs.
The sad part is I understood all that. Quite the fun read!! Sorry about your keyboard. I'm surprised mine hasn't given up the ghost after so much abuse.
Posted by: David Siglin at March 29, 2006 01:50 PMAs opposed to plugging the keyboard into the laptop?
Posted by: Linux zealot at March 29, 2006 07:23 PMI abused my computer once. Took a hammer and nail to that stupid green LED that wouldn't stop indicating that my overly slow comp-at-the-time was working way too hard to accomplish the simplest of tasks.
Posted by: Brade at March 29, 2006 08:40 PMI guess I forgot to mention that my keyboard(s) only had PS/2 or ye olde 3/4 inch desktop plugs. My laptop on the other hand only had USB. The other missing piece is that I didn't have an adaptor, or time/vehicle to run and get on at the time. I am now however, typing on a USB connected keyboard that I snagged last night from the cave of the orange and black clad geeks.
Brade, I understand your frustraition. I tend to be more upset with software than hardware generally, though, so I try and channel my angst through Eclipse. At times, though, I'm sure my coding ends in a simlar result as your hammer and nail approach. 8o)
Posted by: Benjamin at March 30, 2006 07:53 AMThe best solution, so long as your laptop is sitting next to your desktop: http://synergy2.sf.net.
If you're running Windows on everything, you can pay the $30 for MaxiVista so you don't have to monkey with configuration files, etc. In addition (or rather as its primary feature), the program allows the use of a second PC as though its monitor were a part of the first PC's multi-monitor desktop.
Posted by: Linux zealot at March 30, 2006 07:00 PMThanks for the suggestion, Linux zealot. They've got it in Portage, so I'm going to give it a try.
With as much coffee as I drink... ...it's just a matter of time. :)
I'll probably start by using it as a KVM switch at home (sorry Belkin).
Thanks again for the lead.
BTW, what Linux distro do you use?
Posted by: Benjamin at March 30, 2006 07:08 PMFor roughly a year I ran a Knoppix hd install that morphed into Debian rather quickly. However, now that I've killed that under-powered PC I will probably build one specifically designed for VMWare virtual machines to run just about every distro in the now free-as-in-$0 VMWare Server...
Posted by: Linux zealot at March 30, 2006 10:20 PMSounds like a good idea. You'll have to checkout Symphony OS once you get VMWare up and running. I suppose you could always give the LiveCD a try first, but if you've got VMWare why not! :)
Posted by: Benjamin at March 31, 2006 10:29 AM