Solutions!

Using, or playing with, googletalk, I made contact with Sean Palmer again. We met in Brighton some 3 or 4 years ago. Sean has moved on, I'm less sure I have. We share an interest in Python and text processing, to which the subject turned after a while. I complained I was having trouble keeping track of a number of notes on 3 different machines. One Linux, two Windows based. Seans idea was to use subversion, though I guess CVS would have done. So obvious once introduced, my remaining issue was integration of notes to a common base. I eventually resolved this using Python, basing each notes collection around a hundred multiplier. This bias gives me three sets based on zero, one and three hundred. That left a server exposed to the web, setting up Apache, my tiny home network and subversion.

The hardest part of Linux! I had Suse and the Sun Java desktop installed, on which I was quite lost. I tried a Fedora Core 4 installation, which failed, possibly due to either disk read speed, or my selection of the multi-processor option, unsuited to a 400Mhz Pentium. I'm unsure which. I eventually succeeded with Fedora Core 3, and a full evening with Yum updating to a more recent suite. Having done that, Apache setup was a piece of cake, as was setting up subversion... or at least the second attempt was. I gave in the first time and tried the subversion server. For other reasons this was invisible locally. Re-reading the subversion book (far better than a how-to!) I followed the instructions, saw the apache home page and the made a connection from my Linux box, followed by my windows box. Svn installed on both Windows and Linux without a hitch, I uploaded the base set of notes and thought I was in business. Nope.

Richard, my son in law, lives eats and breathes networks (for a living). He helped me with the router and firewall setup, the modem and its NATP setup, and left me to it. Later, after I'd set up the server, I again checked with him, and found his random number brain was random! Pick an IP address? I'd have picked the same one. He picked a random one! How inconsiderate! When I made the two IP addressed match, my server became visible where it should be, and Houston, we have lift off. Using svn client I found less clear. The book I found difficult. Joining the mailing list I quickly caught up. Minor clarification needed. I'm beginning to think it's me and my inability to RTFM.

I now have a couple of hundred text notes on a server. I can synch any other http connection up with that, hence my other machines can work off the same notes base; all in all a most satisfactory setup.