So I've created a backup of my Parallels XP install, so I can roll back to a clean, stable version. (and for storage of it, what a difference compression makes - reducing it from 3.35Gb to 1.34Gb using the built in archive utility on the mac - when it eventually decided to do the compressing.)

What I'm wondering is, with a backup, would it be possible to use a patching application to work out the differences between the current disk image and a previous one, and thus create a patch that you can store. So I could create my clean stable version, then use the system for a bit, maybe install a few apps, then create a snapshot of the differences and save that as a patch; then if I wanted to go back a few snapshots, I start with the clean install and just apply the relevant patch.

Would it work??

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mac, osx, windows xp, parallels

Useful tips for working with Parallels from Dave Shea (Virtual Machine Tips):

Upon installing (and activating) a fresh copy of Windows and all your various applications, make a duplicate of this file. It‘ll be a gigabyte or two in size, depending on how much you’ve added, but you can easily store it on a backup drive or DVD.

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mac, osx, windows xp, parallels

As the proud owner of a MacBook Pro, I have finally had the opportunity to give Parallels Desktop a try. I have thus far installed Free BSD 6.1, Suse Linux 10.1, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. All have worked flawlessly and have run at totally acceptable speeds (I have used VirtualPC in the past and found it generally to be so slow as to be unusable).

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mac, osx, developing, linux, suse, windows xp, windows 2000, parallels

Of course I still had to run apply about 70 updates to each of the Windows installations, but that‘s not Parallels’ fault!

Installing the Parallels Tools (under the VM menu, Windows installations only) makes a big difference - Windows 2000 would only give me the option of 640 480 or 800 600 screen resolutions without the tools installed. It is also a real time saver being able to just move your mouse out of the VM window and have it swap back to operating the Mac.

Funniest thing is that rebooting the VM is sooo much faster than rebooting a real machine. Kind of obvious if you think about it, but still cool. Of course most of the time I‘ll be leaving the VMs in a ’paused' state.

Now to try getting 4 different versions of Internet Explorer running at the same time!

No point in saying anything but take a look at this :-

(Via Engadget.)

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art, design

Quick heads up for those mac based web developers out there who are using CocoaMySQL-SBG because the standard version wasn't working on the version of MySQL you are using, you might want to try the latest beta of CocoaMySQL (version 0.7b4) which fixes a load of the bugs. One thing that I love is that unlike SBG, the standard version remembers your passwords if you ask it to!!

SteamSHIFt out.

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mac, osx, developing, mysql, database

test post from within textmate

Come on … 2gb of virtual memory and 165Mb of real!? It brings my new MacBook Pro to it's knees; do I really need to upgrade to 2Gb of RAM just to run Safari, and leave room for other apps too?

Sort it out Apple. SteamSHIFT out.

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mac, osx

What can I say; Robots made of Styrofoam; where can I get one?!

Styrofoam robots by Michael Salter.

Via notcot and ghost school.

(Via we make money not art.)

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art, robot

I've been using PHP for years, but had never used the quick if construct:

`
$var = (conditional) ? 'true' : 'false';  

?>
`

Beautifully simple; but not in any of the books I used to learn PHP!

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server, developing, php

Seen On The Streets of Taipei, Taiwan

(Via Wooster Collective / A Celebration of Street Art.)

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art, design, street art, graffiti