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28 Mar 2024 13:23:45 EDT (-0400)
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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 28 Jun 2021 09:25:02
Message: <60d9cdae$1@news.povray.org>
Don't let the identity of my colonizer fool you.  In the U.S. Virgin
Islands in the 21st century, we still haven't quite figured out this
electricity thing.  Think Texas during an ice storm (including the
outrageous rates), except without the ice storm.

My operating system is past overdue for an upgrade, to the point where
my Web clients refuse to upgrade themselves.  This has caused more than
one website to complain, including GitHub.  But I have all the necessary
OS upgrades downloaded and ready to go.

Problem is the blackouts.  Lately we're getting multiple blackouts per
week, including 3 in a 24 hour period over the weekend.  These are not
planned rolling blackouts, and it has nothing to do with weather; the
utility just can't seem to keep the generators going.

This shit has been happening all my life.  Promises are made, and the
power just keeps failing.

So how do I begin to upgrade an operating system when the electricity
might cut out at any moment?  I don't trust the battery backup to last
long enough to complete the process.


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From: ingo
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 28 Jun 2021 10:21:28
Message: <XnsAD57A665E595Eseed7@news.povray.org>
in news:60d9cdae$1@news.povray.org Cousin Ricky wrote:

> So how do I begin to upgrade an operating system when the electricity
> might cut out at any moment? 

Rent a small generator?

-- 
https://ingoogni.nl


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From: Mike Horvath
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 29 Jun 2021 15:23:40
Message: <60db733c@news.povray.org>
They make external batteries to charge smartphones and other small 
devices. Maybe even a laptop. Dunno about a desktop.

Gas generator I guess.


Mike


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 29 Jun 2021 15:50:00
Message: <web.60db7842ab26c6ad1f9dae3025979125@news.povray.org>
Looks like this guy covered this issue as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q4dUt1yK0g


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 13 Aug 2021 12:56:16
Message: <6116a430$1@news.povray.org>
On 2021-06-29 3:45 PM (-4), Bald Eagle wrote:
> 
> Looks like this guy covered this issue as well:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q4dUt1yK0g

I would definitely consider that, if I weren't convinced that I would
electrocute myself.


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 13 Aug 2021 13:12:13
Message: <6116a7ed$1@news.povray.org>
On 2021-06-28 9:25 AM (-4), Cousin Ricky wrote:
> 
> My operating system is past overdue for an upgrade, to the point where
> my Web clients refuse to upgrade themselves.  This has caused more than
> one website to complain, including GitHub.  But I have all the necessary
> OS upgrades downloaded and ready to go.
> 
> Problem is the blackouts.

It turns out the bigger problem is my computer itself.  It refuses to
burn DVDs, it refuses to boot from bootable USB sticks, and it refuses
to even acknowledge bootable DVDs.  Instructions and advice from
openSUSE, from the GRUB documentation, and from Linux sites and forums
all over the Web do not work as advertised.  The computer blocks my
every attempt to upgrade anything.

I've managed to jury-rig a makeshift upgrade to Firefox so that I can
join GitHub, although the new setup did not import my old Firefox
environment.  This will at least allow me to proceed with Object
Collection module updates that didn't make it to Le Forgeron's mirror
prior to the POV server crash.  In the meantime, a new computer is on my
shopping list--one with a power supply that actually charges the battery.


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 13 Aug 2021 13:16:57
Message: <6116a909$1@news.povray.org>
On 2021-06-28 10:21 AM (-4), ingo wrote:
> in news:60d9cdae$1@news.povray.org Cousin Ricky wrote:
> 
>> So how do I begin to upgrade an operating system when the electricity
>> might cut out at any moment? 
> 
> Rent a small generator?

I have a generator.  It goes with the territory in the USVI.  But it
doesn't cut in automatically, and I rely on someone switch the circuits.


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From: jr
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 13 Aug 2021 13:25:00
Message: <web.6116aa2eab26c6ad5e0fed26cde94f1@news.povray.org>
hi,

Cousin Ricky <ric### [at] yahoocom> wrote:
> On 2021-06-28 9:25 AM (-4), Cousin Ricky wrote:
> >
> > My operating system is past overdue for an upgrade, to the point where
> > my Web clients refuse to upgrade themselves.  This has caused more than
> > one website to complain, including GitHub.  But I have all the necessary
> > OS upgrades downloaded and ready to go.
> >
> > Problem is the blackouts.
>
> It turns out the bigger problem is my computer itself.  It refuses to
> burn DVDs, it refuses to boot from bootable USB sticks, and it refuses
> to even acknowledge bootable DVDs.

that is just v unusual. you have checked your BIOS settings?  if the h/disk is
listed first in boot order, for eaxample, USB + DVD will not get a look in.


regards, jr.


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From: clipka
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 13 Aug 2021 20:19:02
Message: <61170bf6$1@news.povray.org>
Am 13.08.2021 um 19:16 schrieb Cousin Ricky:

>>> So how do I begin to upgrade an operating system when the electricity
>>> might cut out at any moment?
>>
>> Rent a small generator?
> 
> I have a generator.  It goes with the territory in the USVI.  But it
> doesn't cut in automatically, and I rely on someone switch the circuits.

Sounds to me like it might actually be smartest to run the upgrade 
generator-powered throughout, period.


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From: Jim Henderson
Subject: Re: Upgrading in the Third World
Date: 14 Aug 2021 14:39:50
Message: <61180df6$1@news.povray.org>
On Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:25:00 -0400, Cousin Ricky wrote:

> So how do I begin to upgrade an operating system when the electricity
> might cut out at any moment?  I don't trust the battery backup to last
> long enough to complete the process.

How long is the battery backup likely to run for?

Given that you have a generator with a manual cutover, all you need the 
battery to provide power for is long enough to get the generator started 
up.  Power the battery backup with the generator if/when the power cuts 
out, and let the battery backup keep things running until the generator 
is running.

You can significantly reduce the load on the battery backup by turning 
off any monitor (and other peripherals) if/when the power cuts out.

I have a couple of UPSes in my setup here (I usually don't need them, but 
they're nice to have on the rare occasions the power goes out here), and 
when the power does go out, I come into my office and shut down all non-
essential systems and turn off the monitors.  I have a couple of portable 
battery-powered chargers for phones/tablets and such, so I don't plug 
those devices into the UPS at all when the power's out.

Also, what operating system is in use?  Some do a better job of providing 
recoverability than others if the process is interrupted.



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw


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