[sudo-discuss] [liberated_lens] mackhintosh at LLC

[Marc Juul]

On 6/9/19, Ed Biow <biow at riseup.net> wrote:
>
> On 6/8/19 5:53 PM, ...Anka wrote:
>> What's up with the computer at LLC? Someone installed two different
>> screens and the computer doesn't go on, it keeps rebooting itself. I
>> need to take off some stuff from it for the screening tomorrow...
>>
>>
>
> Anka, Thursday I replaced the Apple monitor with a slightly larger
> monitor, it has a higher screen resolution (1920x1080 vs. 1680x1050) and
> is a bit bigger and should have good color reproduction & better viewing
> angles, it is IPS. If not the old monitor is near the GCEA computers. I
> also replaced the M.2 SSD Linux install on the Hackintush with a regular
> 2.5" SSD drive with Linux, the previous M.2 install was flaky,
> frequently giving me cryptic messages and not booting.
>
> But I experienced some extreme weirdness when I was messing with the
> computer which I meant to report to the list, but my brain don't work so
> good any more, and it was never particularly great in the first place,
> so it slipped my mind when I got home.
>
> First, I wanted to use the desk lamp with the CFL bulb to see what I was
> doing under the table, but it wasn't working. The power strip was
> plugged in near the Cat 5 jack, so I tried plugging the power strip into
> the wall socket near the hackintush, no joy. I tried another power
> strip, no luck, then I realized that the lights on the power strips were
> not lit up, _*BOTH*_ of the wall sockets are dead. I astutely noticed
> all the extension cords bringing power from outside of the office, so I
> plugged in to an extension and finally was able to get a light on.
>
> So I got on my belly and grabbed the Hackintosh and got a pretty
> substantial jolt even though I had flipped the switch off on the power
> supply. So I pulled the Hack's power cable and continued to get little
> shocks most whenever I touched the computer's body. I have NEVER had
> anything like this happen in a close to 30 years of mucking with
> 'puters. I asked Dante if concrete conducted electricity, and he didn't
> think so, but then he looked it up and told me that concrete is an
> excellent conductor.
>
> My guess is that whoever installed the electrical outlets,
> cough...Gerald...cough.. mucked things up with the ground and basically
> the whole office is now acting like some sort of ground. I actually
> don't know shit about electricity, I discussed my experience with Yar,
> Jenny & Rob, and they all said this sort of thing shouldn't be
> happening, but they were a bit out of their depths fixing it, and I
> should talk to my friend...Gerald. With friends like me who needs
> enemas? Maybe Jake or Marc have a theory, I'll CC the sudoroom list and
> the building folks.

I'm heading to sudo room today and will poke around. I've had the same
thing happen when multiple computers are plugged in and not grounded
properly, e.g. in old buildings where the ground is just hooked to the
plumbing. Back in the day you would get punished by the network for
showing up late to the LAN party since it was physically painful to
plug in the coaxial ethernet plug if many other computers had already
been plugged in.

-- 
marc/juul



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