Jim's blog

Bill Bosen has written a paper documenting his tests of firewall throughput. He tested Checkpoint's NGX against Secure Computings Sidewinder and found that the Sidewinder, an application proxy type of firewall, outperformed CHeckpoint, a market leader, in most of his tests.



The real world is different of course to static tests. I'd really like to see performance per $ results and some tests with multiple protocol loads with full inspection.

I have for a long time preferred to use open source software where possible. In my work with clients I need to work with whatever systems they use. However my own PCs all run Linux of one form or another (there are about 5 of them currently).

I have recently installed Ubuntu 7.04 on my Dell D620 laptop to replace XP that was on it when I left my last employer. I have found that pretty much everything worked out of the box except the 1200x900 screen that I needed to install 915resolution to make work. A bit of research pointed me at how to do the settings to get power management working usefully. That was easy. I have also had to install some packages to enable VMWare to build its modules.
The main thing I want now is to get my external monitor working at the same time as the LCD panel when on the docking station. I have a couple of xorg.conf files that work for the LCD panel and the external monitor separately but I get mixed results - none of which are usable when I try to get the dual-head configuration working. This just works with XP so can't be that hard to do.

Any advice from someone who has a Dell D620 (with Intel graphics - not nVidia) working with a dual head configuration would be gratefully received.

Got a call from my son David this evening to say that he and Anna have been offered work with a mountain bike touring company in Bolivia. Fantastic. They are going there next February after a trip to the US, Europe and a friends wedding in UK and expect to stay at least a year.

Seems like I feel a trip to South America coming on in the next year or so. Coincidentally a friends son and his girlfriend are heading off for two months in the Americas next week.

I am currently contracted to a government department advising on security in general but primarily focussing on implementing an awareness program and improving operational procedures. Currently they have good people who do well on a best efforts basis but without much structure around their work. Consistent processes are a major step in the process of improving the security of any operation.

I was in Hamilton this weekend just gone and dropped in on John Welsford and Charlie Whipple. Charlie is building 'Resolution' a 6.8 metre long round-the-world cruiser that John designed (or is designing - I understand drawings come off the board shortly before Charlie needs them). Charlie was getting into glassing the cabin top as I left. Resolution looks to be a really solidly built boat with a huge amount of space both in the 'hold' under the cockpit and in the cabin. While she looks huge in the workshop I'm sure she will not look as big as Charlie heads out of Tauranga for a shakedown cruise in a few months.

I'm looking forward to being there when Resolution is launched and hopefully getting at least a short sail on her before Charlie heads off for his first stop in the Falkland Islands.

Booby trapped web sites are becoming a serious threat - http://www.usenix.org/events/hotbots07/tech/full_papers/provos/provos.pdf

Protection against these is difficult at network borders since connections can be SSL secured and if the mailicious code is not detected locally by an up to date anti-malware software suite then you are wide open.

Jo is entering some of her specialty chocs into the competition at the chocolate festival in Bendigo, Victoria in early August. I get to go along as chief bag carrier - more later.

Was formed as a company on 13th June 2007. Right now it's just me and Jo as administrator. Over time I expect to form working relationship with other consultants and make the 'associates' part more real.

I have already had some discussions with a couple of local companies keen to work with me. Right now I am pretty fully committed to my initial client.

In the meantime I find Bruce Schneier's blog has a lot of interesting and useful insights.

I have recently (with my partner Jo - chocolatier extraordinaire) done a weekend cheese making workshop with Katherine Mowbray of Auckland.

During the weekend we were shewn how to make mozzarella, cheddar, marscapone, ricotta and chevrotin cheeses. We came home with 'howto' books & notes, culture and a cheese press (containing the cheddar made in the class). 6 weeks later we enjoyed the cheddar which had been made with raw milk and tasted extremely good.

I have now got together the other bits and pieces I needed and a couple of weeks ago made my first 3 cheeses. A cheddar, a ricotta and a marscapone. The marscapone was flavoured with garlic and herbs and went down very well with friends over for dinner that night. The ricotta was OK and the cheddar is still ripening on our kitchen table. In a couple of months we'll see how it turns out. Looks fine but I used homogenised milk which isn't recommended. Still need to organise a supply of raw (unpasteurised) cows milk, and some goats milk (looking forward to home made feta...)

I've got a pile of Olympus OM camera gear that I have accumulated over the last 20 or so years. Starting with my first OM-1 in about 1976 I have now got several OM-2SP, an OM-10 and 2 OM1s. I have some favourite lenses including a 21mm that I love, and the 50mm macro lens. There are several longer lenses out to the 300mm including a 75-150mm zoom. None of my OM lenses are the very fast ones. A couple of T-20s and a T-32 flash fill in when necessary.

I first saw a photographer using an Olympus Pen-FT at Scott Base, Antarctica in 1969 and finally bought one for myself about 4 years ago. Since then I have found another one and have several bodies for spares. I have also managed to get a few lenses including the fast 60mm f1.5 portrait lens and the 40mm f1.2 standard lens.

I have a couple of Olympus mU point & shoots and a couple of years ago I bought an Olympus mU410 digital which I have used quite a but but it doesn't have the same feel as the film cameras.

There is a (kitset) Bender 4x5 camera on the shelf that I bought a Linhof 90mm lens for that I hope to get mounted onto a tripod in the future to play with some landscape work.

Here is my 'Hookey' setting off on the water for the first time at Evans Bay, Wellington, New Zealand.

Hookey is a John Welford Truant. See John's web site for a look at his range of small wooden boat designs.

This is a test of Serendipity after playing around with Wordpress.

Hopefully it will be easier to integrate photos into the blog