Author: Dave Farquhar

Resume downloads with wget

Dave Farquhar security
Resume downloads with wget

I was downloading from a very intermittent webserver and the download kept quitting less than 80% in. And if my timing wasn’t perfect, the web browser wouldn’t resume it. Then I thought to try to resume my downloads with wget.

wget is a command line tool for Linux, other Unix-like operating systems, and Windows. It is good for resuming downloads and can even do it automatically.

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Mississippi Nights, St. Louis

Dave Farquhar St. Louis
Mississippi Nights, St. Louis

Mississippi Nights was a St. Louis nightclub that featured live music. It was open from 1979 to 2007.

Mississippi Nights stood at 914 1st Street, on Laclede’s Landing. Originally a country venue, it is primarily remembered as a rock club, particularly for hosting modern rock, both national and local acts.

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Will vintage American Flyer trains run on Lionel S gauge Fastrack?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Will vintage American Flyer trains run on Lionel S gauge Fastrack?

I heard a good question the other day. Will vintage American Flyer trains run on Lionel S gauge Fastrack? Given that the trains and track were made by different companies more than half a century apart, it’s fair.

Lionel S gauge Fastrack is designed for both modern production American Flyer trains and vintage Gilbert American Flyer trains from the 1946 to 1967 period.

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Connect a Tandy 1000 to a television

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Connect a Tandy 1000 to a television

The Tandy 1000 is easy to connect to a television. That was part of its original design. It worked better from a marketing perspective than a technical perspective, but that’s one reason it was successful. It can work better today than it did in the ’80s. Here’s how.

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Is open source software safe to use?

Dave Farquhar security
Is open source software safe to use?

The safety of open source software is a question that comes up periodically from time to time. Let’s talk about why the question keeps coming up, and what’s different about open source software versus closed source software.

The main thing that can get you when it comes to the safety of open source software is anything but obvious. Hint: it isn’t the development model.

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How common are Zero Day attacks?

Dave Farquhar security
How common are Zero Day attacks?

The recent Log4J vulnerability brought increased attention on 0 day attacks, but it’s a question that never really goes away. How common are zero day attacks?

Zero day attacks are less common than they seem because attackers don’t understand them as well as less new and novel attacks. Managing those less novel vulnerabilities is a real challenge for many organizations, but it’s something they must get a handle on to defend themselves effectively.

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Move your user profile to a new Windows 11 PC

Dave Farquhar Windows
Move your user profile to a new Windows 11 PC

If you built or rebuilt a Windows 11 PC, moving your user profile to the new PC can be a pain. Here’s how to make it easier.
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Lowe’s Flex power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY
Lowe’s Flex power tools

In April 2021, Lowe’s started selling a line of cordless power tools geared at professionals called Flex. But who makes Flex power tools for Lowe’s? Where are Flex power tools made?

Elsewhere in the world, Flex is not exclusive to Lowe’s. But in the United States, Flex is a high end line of cordless power tools that Lowe’s hopes to sell to trade professionals such as builders.

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Change your computer name in Windows 11

Dave Farquhar Windows
Change your computer name in Windows 11

If you thought changing your computer name in Windows 11 was just a matter of right clicking on an icon on the desktop, I have bad news for you. It’s not. That option hides from you now, though you can find it again behind a completely different right click. Here’s where Microsoft hid it.

The quickest way to rename a Windows 11 PC is to right-click the Start menu and click System. Right-clicking the start menu is a good trick to remember when you can’t find something in Windows.

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Why does my Roblox keep disconnecting?

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking
Why does my Roblox keep disconnecting?

My kids’ favorite video game is Roblox. And they used to have a fair bit of trouble with it disconnecting. Since I’m an IT professional, I tried to solve the problem for them. If your Roblox keeps disconnecting, or says lost connection, what I did for them will probably help you as well.

Roblox needs a solid network to stay connected. Switching to wired from wireless often helps, but in extreme cases, you may even want to consider trying another network card.

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