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Mike
12-03-2006, 05:50 PM
Wonder of wonders. By what devious paths we manage to recover URLs

Explanation -- the evening of November 7th we had a house fire. We got out, the other animals got out, books and computers, alas, not so mobile. Only one room actually burned (one computer a melted pile, maybe 1000 books in the room) but the entire 2nd floor smoke and heat (the rest of the computers, another 1500 books) and water pouring down below taking out electronics there (but here the old fashioned sectional bookcases shed the water and protected the books). Backups were not in a fire safe, not on a shelf close to the floor, plastic melts. Having cut the power to the building, for a while the firemen (firepersons) were purplexed by hearing electronic beeping (the APC UPS was tougher than other electrical devices).

Yes we have insurance and our son is a building contractor who will not take the winter off as usual to hike the SW desert but will stay to handle the rebuild. And no, we don't yet know if any data can be recovered from the hard drives of the less affected computers (future backups WILL be kept in a fire safe -- locking the barn door).

So anyway, at the moment we have scant addresses because who remembers URLs except for the obvious. I managed to remember that I did know the URL for a forum where I once posted something recommending somebody seek help from this one so here I am. Out sitting in the "trailer" (the house kitchen and bathroom are operational but we sleep out here and have a "computer office".

New machine is an HP Pavilion with AMD dual Athalon 64 and a gig of RAM. I assume folks will tell me their opinions about suitable distros. But that's for the future as nowadays most of the time is spent trying to recover addresses and stuff like that.

bhobjj
12-03-2006, 07:01 PM
You'll get through this. My brother and family lost their entire house and contents 2 years ago. They started over. Now they are stronger than ever. The important thing is that you and your loved ones are safe.

fos
12-03-2006, 07:56 PM
Thank goodness you and your family are safe!!!!

It sounds like you have a strong foundation (family) to rebuild with.

We had the same situation back in 1990 - everyone safe - house a total loss. We had good insurance and a supportive family. Everything turned out well. It took 7 months to rebuild the house.

Hang in there.

fos

PS. We had a business at the time. I had a "fire proof" safe. It didn't help. All data was lost. The small amount of heat and smoke that permeated the safe was enough to wipe out the disks. The documents were ok but the magnetic media were toast. Moral: off site backup.

bluesdog
12-04-2006, 12:16 AM
Glad you and your family are ok.

And welcome back to your 'virtual' family :)

Will you be photo-documenting the re-build?

AndreL
12-04-2006, 02:12 AM
Man that's a drag...
Glad to hear that no one got hurt.
I hope I never experience a fire.
Books cannot be backed-up: I'd feel more sorry for losing those.

Your moral seems okay, tho.
Hang in there.

lurch
12-04-2006, 02:56 AM
Glad to hear that you and your family are safe. The material things, though missed, are never as important as the people.

So far I've been lucky. Each summer brings a bushfire threat out where I live. Burning off each winter never completely eliminates the summer threat. Last week, seventeen bushfires in the vicinity of my nearest town (in the Central West of NSW). All contained so far with some favourable wind shifts and very little rain. Summer has only just begun. May your rebuilding be swift.

Phillip.

RedAlpha3
12-04-2006, 03:17 AM
The trouble some people will go to for a new computer!!
Glad you are all safe. Good luck with the rebuilding!

Mike
12-04-2006, 07:04 AM
LOL Pete.

Penny and I had been saying to each other just days before the fire that we simply had no room for any more books. And then giggling in the aftermath that this was a heck of a way to make room for more books.

danieldk
12-04-2006, 02:56 PM
I am glad to hear that you and your family are safe! Good luck with rebuilding your house. Let us know if there is anything Linuxish we can do to help you ;).