September 19, 2014

MacOSX on Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (1011)


It is the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (1011) which had the most compatibility with MacOSX. All its hardwares are supported in MacOSX.

I did it twice before getting it right. It's running MacOSX Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Yet updated to the latest update. Installation was made through a 8GB USB flash disk. Steps:


  1. Partition USB disk to GUID partition format and format it to HFS+ using Disk Utility
  2. Restore Snow Leopard CD to the USB flash disk using Disk Utility
  3. Download NetbookMaker 0.8.4 RC1 and install it to the USB disk
  4. Install Snow Leopard to your Dell Inspiron Mini 10v
  5. Once installed, the machine will automatically rebooted. Download NetbookInstaller 20100616212351, install and reboot
  6. Install MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8.dmg and legacy_kernel-10.6.8.pkg. Install Mac update but do not click restart when asked. Instead, install the legacy kernel package and restart.
  7. System will be rebooted, running for 10-15 minutes and restarted again
  8. Run the NetbookInstaller 20100616212351 again, and install SleepEnabler.kext to enable sleep.
  9. Done!
Everything should work. WiFi, Ethernet, TouchPad. The best is you can configure the touchpad to be used just like Apple's touch pad, with the use of 2 or 3 fingers touch. Kewl isn't it?

It's now officially a toy to my son to watch youtube. It's a lot more stable and better responding.

Thanks MacOSX.

August 18, 2014

How to install Windows 7 over existing Hackintosh build

I didn't intend to install Windows on my machine until the need to diagnose my Graphics Card arises. I was suspecting my Gigabyte GT640 card to be either having non updated bios or faulty after my Hackintosh build hung with the card but it worked breezing smooth after the card was replaced.

Furthermore, most of the diagnose, bios and what tools and utilities only available in Windows platform. Since I will need to test the graphics card in Windows, I will need to have Windows being installed on any of my machine of which I may slot in the graphics card.

Most of dual boot guide written on the net was made on freshly install Windows and Mac but not those completely install mac with all the apps inside.

I started with making space for the new Windows install on my GPT partition, resizing existing partition and created a new msdos partition and attempted to install Windows. It always says cannot install windows on GPT partition but I'm sure I've been reading about installing Windows on Mac so installing Windows on GPT shouldn't be a problem at all.

I was even cheated by a youtube video over the net which claimed windows 7 can be installed on GPT partition after performing 'clean' command in diskpart. Of course it can install but the partitioning had been converted to MBR. Luckily, I've been playing safe by making an image out of my Hackintosh install, of which later made me to write this article on how to install Windows on GPT partition over an existing Hackintosh build.

Thus why I decided to experiment till finally figured out how to do it, without jeopardizing your current install, or having to reinstall everything from scratch.

The only things you need:

  1. Mac OS X USB stick with Unibeast, Kakewalk or anything. I used Kakewalk for my build
  2. HFS+ formatted external hard disk

How to do it:

  1. Get into Mac installation boot - Creating a New Image over the partition of which Mac was installed not possible, that is why you would need to boot your PC using the Mac OS X USB stick and get into the installation boot option. Please also make sure your HFS+ formatted external hard disk is also plugged in to your UBS 3.0 port, so it's much faster, or else USB 2.0 if you don't have one.
  2. Backing up your Mac Build - Once you reached the install OS X page, open up Disk Utility. Click on your hard disk with Mac Install and click again on the partition of which you install your Mac OS X. Click new image and save it to your HFS+ formatted external hard disk as we're going to wipe your hard disk clean! Verify the size of the image and make sure if more or less like the size of the usage of the partition you install your Mac into
  3. Repartitioning - With disk utility, select what ever partitioning scheme you like but please make sure the first partition should be allocated to Windows with MSDOS format. You may allocate your mac install on any partition. I created 3 partitions of which the first one was for Windows, 2nd for Mac install and 3rd for data.
  4. Installing windows - Once the install windows page appeards, you will still encounter the unable to install Windows on GPT partition. You just need to click on advace, format the partition and that's it. Install Windows till complete.
  5. Restoring Mac - Boot using the Mac OS X USB stick and again using disk utility, restore the image from your external hard disk until complete.
  6. Restoring chameleon - Boot from USB stick and select your mac install. Once you're able to get into your Mac OS X install, re-install chameleon, and walla, your windows will automatically be listed in the boot option menu. You might wanna change the boot disk default in the chameleon plist file in folder Extra.



Then you're done! You may start dual booting your Hackintosh easily now!!

August 13, 2014

A tribute to Uncle Jam

Just heard from a colleague in the office, the Uncle Jam, who owned the only known to us jamming studio in Kuala Pilah...

Without him, I don't think I will be the so called musician cabuk I am now.

Without him, I don't think my brother will ever learn to play drum. He didn't teach but being able to play at his Jamming studio let us explore the possibilities.

Without him, I don't think we will ever have a band now.

During the national election of 2005, he asked me to join him in his shop to watch the result. He belanja me all sort of food and drinks.I can't forget that.

He used to opened up his Jamming studio, because we called him at 1 AM in the morning to jam. He says, 'You wall punya pasal saya ada bukak. Kalau lain worang, saya tara bukak!'

As we moved out of Kuala Pilah in 2000, we no longer played there for quite sometimes until the wedding of my sister of which the hotel they used to transit before the wedding place was just in front of his studio. We visited, he offered us to play as nobody was around, and when I was about to pay, he said, 'No needlah we all old old friends, like this lah'

That was my last encounter with him, till last night, a colleague informed me of his demise.

I was just planning to give him a visit this Raya. Regret that I should have visited him whenever I drive to Kuala Pilah.

May god bless him. He was a good friend despite so many people disliked him for being so 'garang', but he'll be nice to those nice to him. 

August 12, 2014

Mac Build on Gigabyte Z77 DS3H

As I had been using Kakewalk installation for my first build, I again decided to use Kakewalk for my new build thus why I bought the Gigabyte Z77 DS3H from the UK. It was brought back last year, 2013 but I was only able to have the time to buy other components like CPU, hard disk, graphics card, memory and power supply this year.

Initially I thought I was having issues with the Gainward GT640 graphics card as it keeps on causing my motherboard to be unable to boot, thus the decision I bought Gigabyte GT640, just to get to understand that PEG Gen3 might be problematic thus I need to set PEG to Gen2 in BIOS. I advertised my Gainward GT640 but no one was really serious in buying it.

I was unable to create Kakewalk USB stick from my older Snow Leopard build as it requires 64 bit system. I borrowed my sister's in law MacBook and managed to create Kakewalk USB stick, but failed to boot with boot0 error. No clue was found on the Internet. Most people reported the same issue.

I was then able to create Unibeast Mountain Lion USB stick and later managed to install Mountain Lion but there was an issue with the sound while playing videos on the browser, the sounds breaks and disappeared. As upgrading to Maverick was free, I created Unibeast Maverick USB stick and managed to get it installed and running.

After using the maverick build for sometimes, the machine keeps on hanging. All these while I thought it was due to maverick hanging issue thus I decided to either install Lion or Mountain Lion to avoid such issue. Until the last day before Hari Raya, my Maverick build keeps on hanging while I was trying to enable Radeon HD4350 on my older SnowLeopard build, it gets corrupted and I was unable to do any changes, until I found a Lion Bootable USB stick image that can be written to the USB stick using rawrite in Windows. My previous Mountain Lion USB stick had been erased to make way for Maverick USB stick.

Then I installed a Lion on the new build to develop the Snow Leopard on the older build, and luckily installation was breezing smooth. No issues and I was able to do my photography jobs.

Back to Malaysia after hari raya, i got hold of my sister in law's MacBook to try creating Unibeast USB stick but failed, and it actually asked me to get a new copy. Finally I decided to buy Mountain Lion for RM59. Just to spent the waiting time to get the code from Apple, before returning the MacBook, I tried to create Kakewalk USB stick for one more time.

Just before returning the MacBook, I was able to boot the Kakewalk USB stick on my new build. Walla. Installed completely but after update, the machine keep on hanging. Went back to Seremban for few days and I decided to test if it was the graphics card. I did the 3D test and the machine hung!

I did another clean install and clean update before installing essential drivers and performed the 3D test.

It hung!

I opened up the Gainward GT 640 box and replaced Gigabyte GT640 card and performed 3D test. It managed to complete!

Probably I will need update the Gigabyte GT640 bios and try again. Will update here. Will figure out how to install Windows 7 to play with Gigabyte GT640 graphics cards BIOS then.

Or probably I should consider higher graphics cards like GTX series.


As of now, I will stick to Mountain Lion 10.8.5 with SMBios settings to MacPro3,1to enableVGA output. Currently on Login to Lion Chameleon theme. Works perfectly!

July 26, 2014

An Epic Balik Kampung Story - Ever

This year, it is the turn to 'berhari-raya' di Tanjung Pinang. Luckily, i said LUCKILY, because you will know later, that I've sent my wife, daughter and son and the maid a week earlier so that my wife can help with the earlier preparation for the hari raya. Not much I guess but at least she's there because I'm so going to work till the last day of the week before the hari raya.

Thursday and Friday I've gotta be working on noon shift. Ironically my train ticket is at 11:50PM from Seremban. It mush have been much earlier from KL so I'm a lot lucky to be able to depart from Seremban. Thankfully the boss was so kind to let me work from home on Friday so I don't have to rush back or leave early to drive down to Seremban.

So my journey actually started on Friday morning. After the weekly review with the Americas over the conference call on that late Thursday night, I drove home, intending to be able to drive down to Seremban the same night but what happened was, I was busy tidying up the house, keeping things at their places while finishing up my Hackintosh build. It was never completed as I'm stuck at my most successful Maverick install but it keeps hanging at any time the OS is running, of which I found out it was due to Graphics card but never mind.

So, the drive down on Friday was breezing smooth. No traffic. I drive like crazy trying to get rid of my gas so that I can finish off my last ever gas allocation with Petron for August, and forever, as the company switched to Petronas instead. What happened was, I managed to get to Senawang in 28 minutes from home but the gas level didn't move a milimeter even!

Anyway, driving around in Senawang helped. Drove around to find things, envelope for duit raya and also in the quest to finish off another RM150 value of voucher for Bantuan Buku 1 Malaysia. Mother was also asked some favors of which finally I managed to make way for the balance of RM80 of gas for my car.

Managed to get the report done before time but after berbuka, I was having good time finishing off with daily routine of updating the files and so on. Managed to get things done at 10pm and left home at around 10.30pm worrying that the traffic is going to be bad in Seremban.

The fact is, the traffic was easy. We reached early and waited for long, but good thing was I was able to run around to buy some food for myself in the train, in case there's none on the train. The train departed ontime at 11:48. Izzat and Pye sent me off to the train station. A little bit of grief, for leaving all the loved people behind but I just can't wait to see both my children.

I think I did a mistake for saying hello to the passenger sitting next to me, as I was unable to secure myself a bed for the train ride. There he goes talking and talking and talking up to 3.30 am until I really have to excuse myself for not being able to hold myself from sleeping. He was a nice Chinese guy travelling with all his family members, going down to Singapore for holidays. Should be one of the longest night. Haha. 

It was 7 HOURS on the train.

The train managed to reached JB at around 6 something that I spent a few minutes for morning prayers before getting a cab to Stulang Laut. I was blessed with a nice taxi driver, who charged me accordingly to the meter. Then I walked slowly to the ticketing counter, took the lift up and walla!

It was like almost 60-70 meters from the counter back to the entrance and the double line queue had already reached the entrance steps. I rushed to the toilet before able to get back to the line to queue.

6.45 - joined the fun
7.15 - made friend with one older lady from Pahang and another indonesian lady married to a singaporean but staying in Johor. It's good that I finally able to talk with people.
7.45 - moved to almost half
8.45 - not moving at all. I and the older lady and the indonesian lady decided to stay together and whoever first reached the counter shall be purchasing the ticket for others too.

It was actually people beginning to cut the queues. We were fortunate there was one security officer who was kind enough to chase these people away. Quite funny that these people attempted to cut queues from left, right and even from between the lines. 

9.00 - People shouting announcing that the seat for the ferry going to Tanjung Pinang at 9.30 had been sold off. We've been thinking to get the ferry to Batam first and only going to Tanjung Pinang as the next ferry will be at 1.30 pm.

As these people were chased away, then we're able to move and finally at around 9.45, we reached the counter and finally decided to get the earliest ferry to Batam which is at 10.30. We checked in and cleared the immigration once tickets purchased. 

That was 3 HOURS of standing in the queue!

Exactly 10.25, the ferry departed and reached Batam at around 11.45 and to our surprise, there's another wave of people queuing up from the counter straight to the ferry dock!

And they segregated Indonesians with the foreigners. Of which, foreigners who needs to obtain Visa On Arrival gets the privilege to go straight to the front as they're paying. In USD!

It was actually speechless. I was cursing all the way. The authority seems to be unable to manage the peopel properly. They were very offensive and irritating. It was hot and salty, as we're queuing at the connecting bridge from the ferry docking to the immigration plaza. The same issue, people cut the queue in the middle, and pity some people who were wrongly queued at the Indonesian line chased away to be in the foreigner line. Anyhow, I and the older lady and the Indonesian lady promised to wait for each other once we've cleared the immigration.

That was another 3 HOURS of standing in the queue!

I finally cleared with the customs at around 2.45, being the last of the 3 people and to my surprise they're still waiting for me. We took a cab to Punggur and finally managed to get the 3.30pm ferry to Tanjung Pinang. Anyway, we're the last 3 to be on board that they put us in the captain cabin. It was again hot and there was one crazy lady smoking in that cabin. I managed to sleep and woke up just nice before the ferry approaching the Tanjung Pinang's port. 

At exactly 430pm, I reached Tanjung Pinang but all my frazzles were all worth it when my daughter greeted me by saying,

'Afya rindu abah!!' 

7 hours on train, 2.5 hours on the ferry, 6 hours of queuing and an hour on the cabs, all paid in cash!

July 19, 2014

My Ultimate Mac Build - July 19, 2014



Details

OS: Mac OS X Maverick 10.9.4 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770k 3.4 GHz Ivy Bridge
RAM: 8 GB Corsair RAM 1600 MHz x 4
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA Z77-DS3H Rev 1.0
Graphics Card: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 2GB DDR3 RAM Rev2.0
Optical: ASUS DRW-24D3ST
Storage: Western Digital WDC WD30EZRX-00D8PB0 3 TB
Power Supply: Corsair RM Series 850W

Notes
  1. Due to Motherboard unable to detect the Graphics Card in Gen3 mode, PEG settings set to Gen2 instead. No more boot issue
  2. Setting the machine to Mac Pro 3,1 enables the VGA port. Changing it Mac Pro 6,2 disabled the VGA port
  3. OSX86 took almost a month to be completed.


Issues & Workarounds
  1. Motherboard was unable to boot with Gainward GT640 with 1 long and 2 short beeps
  2. While motherboard randomly able to boot through the Gainward GT640, Kakewalk is unable to boot - Switched to Unibeast
  3. Found a workaround to reset the Gainward GT640 card after not able to be detected on this mobo. Put it on the older mobo GA EP43 UD3L, detected without issues. Then switch back to Z77 DS3L with all sort of CMOS reset before it is able to be detected
  4. While motherboard randomly able to boot through the Gainward GT640, windows were unable to load. Screen just disappeared. Used all VGA, DVI and HDMI port. No hopes
  5. Removed Gainward GT640 and installed Mountain Lion with the built-in Intel HD4000 graphics. Installation was breeze smooth without any issues
  6. Tested 3D acceleration. Super bad result
  7. Realized sound deterioration while watching youtube. No fix had been found
  8. Decided to install Maverick instead
  9. Corrupted the old SL 10.6.8 on GA EP43 UD3L. Planning to save data
  10. Able to install Maverick on GA EP43 UD3L with Gainward GT640 card like a breeze. The switch used: -v -GraphicsEnabler=No IGPEnabler=Yes
  11. Failures over failures installing with Gainward GT640. Experimented with the old MSI 9500GT to install maverick on Z77 DS3H. Installation was smooth. 3D test was disappointing.
  12. Decided to but Gigabyte GT 640 card. Still with Graphics Card detection issue by the mobo.
  13. While mobo able to randomly boot with Gigabyte GT 640, able to complete installation without the screen going blank. Switch used: -v GraphicsEnabler=No
  14. Read almost everywhere that most Gigabyte mobo had issues with PCIex16 cards. Some people set PEG to lower Gen2 or Gen1 to resolve BIOS boot issue.
  15. Set PEG to Gen2 and the card is detected without any issue
  16. Set machine to Mac Pro 6,2 disabled the VGA in Mac OSX. Switched back to Mac 3,1 to continue using VGA.

March 9, 2014

Quality Influences in Malaysian Construction Sector by P.E.S.T Factors

Political

As in the construction industry, political is the major influencing factor in defining the strategic management of quality of an organization. One of the factors is the governing policy. As in Malaysia, construction companies are required to register with Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). In order to be eligible to register, construction companies need to be legally registered and licensed with certain bodies. The CEO and the technical person shall also be registered to CIDB with a valid Construction Personnel Registration card. The technical person should also be accredited. This will ensure only knowledgeable people be allowed to operate the construction company to ensure quality service avoiding problems in the future. Malaysia has a strict labor force, thus companies take a great precaution in this area.

To be approved for registration, the company shall also be financially capable to continuously funding the project. This is important to ensure the project will be continuously worked on. Otherwise, problems in financial may cost delay in purchasing which later may increase the cost of materials + fines if applicable. This in return would cause quality to be dropped in balancing the cost with the initial announced payment from the buyer; unless the cost is voluntarily to be absorbed by the buyer. Failure to commit to all these requirements will result a revocation of the permit issued. In this case, the company will ensure all the requirements to be fulfilled through a systematic Quality control in the organization

Infrastructure provided by the government like the highways, railways will also impacting the construction industry. It is normal that housing or industry development to be built surrounding or near the infrastructure provided. Properties can be build but many it should be a practice that more than one developers to be allowed to build property in the new area. Developers would be able to strategise to meet the quality requirement of the other competitors in order not to left out while customers purchasing.

Economy

More and more countries were liberalizing the economy. Liberalization means reducing the governing regulations and restriction. In the recent changes effective from January 1st, 2012, foreign suppliers with 100% foreign equity in the company, is allowed to operate in Malaysian construction industry. This change the scenario of the local suppliers of which suppliers will need to raise the quality of the product supplied and the service provided in order to compete with the foreign suppliers. This change was believed to be done as to introduce more construction supply in the market in the move to control the sky-high price.

Given a competitive scenario in the supply industry, as when supply is higher, the price is expected to be lower. Construction companies will have a wider choice of materials to choose from. This is an opportunity for the organization to implement a quality standard towards materials to be chosen.

Based on the current slow growth economic outlook globally, it is important that construction companies to take steps to reduce waste as to improve on gaining in the profit. In uncertain economic condition, it’s very hard to predict the expenditure capabilities of the public. In the economy where quality is expected, people would consider to buy quality products. Quality product would result less after sales issues. Most construction organizations were focusing on completing the job quick without considering the impact to the quality. After sales issue can only be avoided if construction organization properly ensures quality in the material, work and the process since the beginning of construction. Buyers won’t simply return to the developers for issues unless they have real issues. By ensuring quality, it’s not only saving the construction company’s time and money but it would also save a lot of buyer’s time and money in return; a win-win situation.
As customers were looking out for affordable properties with a good built quality, it is good that even with a strict regulations and restrictions implemented by the authority; it is an equal opportunity to qualified parties to get registered and accredited with CIDB and later to form a construction company to build properties. This healthy competitive situation will help to promote each competing parties in the industry to strengthen the quality control and tighten the quality implementation in their built product; in order to gain buyer’s trust and favor. In construction industry, customer loyalty may not be gained but new buyers would be gained through a good reputation and good words of mouth from the past buyers.

Majority property buyers would not cash in their money for house. As for most Malaysians, house acquired through loans from the financial institution. Thus it is important for the Governing authority to ensure the interest rate is balanced with the construction demands as when the interest rate is too high, public will tend to save their money rather than to purchase. In the uncertain economics with averagely high interest rates, developers were having issue to produce affordable-to-buy houses to the mass but capturing high end buyers true a high quality built house is still possible.

Social

Construction companies, especially in Malaysia had been related in many social responsibility issues involving environmental pollution and demolition. For most construction companies, the demolition of the environment is part of the financing activities. Take for example a hilly area with half forest and half open areas. The forest will definitely be cleared and logs will be sold to saw mills. Cleared hill will then be chopped down to become flat land in order to enable construction to be started. The soil of the chopped land will be sold to other parties too.

By complying with the governing regulation of the authority, these activities cannot be simply performed. Selling off logs would require logging license while selling soil would also require sand digging permits. It is important that when these construction companies were registered to the authorized bodies, once they broke the rules their license and permits to be revoked.

As to avoid the revocation, it is important for the construction companies to set procedures to handle such situations. As for trees, the company might want to log necessarily, leaving some of the originals of which properties can be built in between just to ensure part of environment originality remains. As for areas of which trees needs to be totally chopped down, a replacement scheme would be necessary. This should be a quality control built in within all construction organization to ensure continuity of environment care be prolonged.

As in for development that was going on the in the community area, perhaps, the developer has a set of procedures and rules to govern their work. Protective walls and controlled pollution in order to protect surrounding community is important. Proper safety, precautions and security personnel shall be deployed as a social responsibility towards surrounding community; as part of the quality control measures. Deploying these items would in return results less issues that may be raised from the surrounding community, which in turn leads to less cost to entertain such unwanted incidents if occurs.

Technology

Safety is the most important element in the construction industry. Safety culture is a topic attracting considerable attention in the literature recently. As it was immeasurable and reliably changed, it was hard for the management to decide as of which is right and not right.

Recent technology in recording had helped safety experts around the world to observe the safety inspections made at the building. This would enable inspections made not only once but multiple times by observing the images or videos provided during the physical appearance of the inspector at the location. Safety experts may quickly determine patterns which can be extrapolated in predicting future injuries and incidents. Visually recorded data plus the hand recorded data based on the checklist can be managed and compared, with filters applied based on data, including location, contractor and the inspector himself. These data then kept in the database for trending data comparison in order to find abnormalities. This could be a good quality control measure in safety aspects.

Contractor current and past data can also be used to track contractor’s performance, and observing the safety measures being observed in a time period. At risk contractors can easily be identified for precautions. Ability to track and trend subcontractors would also be easier as the information can be used for continuous improvement through feedbacks. Historical data can be a big help for pre-bid selection, of which poor performers can be eliminated from the beginning. This would contribute a good control in measuring contractor’s quality in preserving safety while delivering good quality of work.

References 

Authors, CIDB. "REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE." CIDB Website. n.d. https://www.cidb.gov.my/cidbv3/images/pdf/RegistrationRequirementAndProcedure.pdf (accessed February 22, 2014).
Authors, Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "Construction Industry in Malaysia." Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry. n.d. http://www.malaysia.ahk.de/fileadmin/ahk_malaysia/Market_reports/The_Construction_Industry.pdf (accessed March 3, 2014).
Saleh, Mr. Shaifubahrim Mohd. "SEMINAR ON IBS AND MECHANISATION 2012:." Liberalisation and Transformation. September 19, 2012. http://www.mbam.org.my/mbam/doc/news/Paper%202.pdf (accessed March 2, 2014).
Usrey, Cary. Using Technology to Improve Safety on Construction Sites. February 1, 2011. http://ehstoday.com/training/using-technology-improve-3004 (accessed February 20, 2014).

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