Twokinds Rar/Zip Archive - Prologue to the 10th Anniversary Chapter

Posted: Sunday, 20 July 2014

Following on from MediainFire's archive, below are some download links to Tom Fischbach's classic about a guy and a female tiger.
Addressed are some issues that were found in MediainFire's archive of Twokinds, where the pages that were missing which may left those important minuscule details out have been found and automatically readded.
For closure, this archive contains the chapters from the Prologue, all the way to the 10th Anniversary Chapter (all 779 pages). Chapter 17 and beyond will not be included as it's a long waiting game from this point on (not knowing that the comic existed will put your mind at rest until some ideas are elaborated upon and concluded).
This is a direct archive of the images straight from Tom's keenspot site, so there's no need to worry about any differences between the copy that you are downloading, and the copy that's on his site. Though make sure that you do visit the Keenspot Twokinds site with adblocker turned off.
The archives are uploaded at mega.co.nz, since it's a relatively modern service with insanely fast speeds and no annoying pop-up ads. If the download does not work, try using a different web browser.
Download Links:

Download Zip: TwokindsComic_.zip (179.8 MB)
Download Rar: TwokindsComic_.rar (196.7 MB)
For processing, here's some raw JSON data!

Portable BitTorrent Client (Transmission QT Windows)

Posted: Saturday, 5 July 2014

As I was moving operating systems a while back, I needed a lightweight BitTorrent client on Windows that could be able to contact the protocol and download a single file - an operating system disc image.

Now this was once a part of an ongoing project that was to be published quite some time ago, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

The operating system in question is SteamOS, I wanted to install SteamOS on my computer. Well, it failed. The SteamOS distro that Valve themselves provide failed to work on my computer.

Luckily though, there is a version of Valve's SteamOS that is built with a custom partitioning feature, and other cool features.
However, it was only downloadable through BitTorrent. Imagine that! Here we have one of the many situations where Open source software is distributed through torrent networks!

Anyways, the bittorent clients that I found were all installers, and none really seemed to not shadow install some service that assisted with torrenting.

But, there's this nice open source software that doesn't shadow install anything: Transmission-Qt Win | Free Communications software downloads at SourceForge.net

Though the issue is, is that it still comes in an installer...
So to save you some time and space, here it is, Transmission QT in a universal .zip package (so that no prerequisites are needed to extract the portable folder):
Download 64Bit: Transmission_x64.zip (11.0 MB)
MD5: 0d336b521cace7063b6147360d6c03db
SHA256: 51c5576a5ac38632ca0c0c619c4a18cc4529ef47
VirusTotal: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/a8b945e5889bfd375618d55082b519d8a4a567978784426a1b77404d9b924bdb/analysis/1404553148/ (Clean Folder/File, but Google Chrome might return a false positive (contrary to the virustotal results), in any case, you can "Recover File" from the Downloads page in Google Chrome)
Download 32Bit: Transmission_x32.zip (11.1 MB)
MD5: b743ed3a0a835e3a04c2829b8d99f259
SHA256: 91415e9bd3966484d778cb50e957cbb9689f4b1f87723779027ebaa497b5c9a9
VirusTotal: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/91415e9bd3966484d778cb50e957cbb9689f4b1f87723779027ebaa497b5c9a9/analysis/1404553579/ (1 AV scanner returns a false positive, but of course, if you don't trust the file, don't download it, or use the 64Bit version)
If you dislike the closed-source nature of µTorrent, or dislike the tracking software that it installs on your computer, or dislike the fact that you have to go through an installation process, or even if you dislike µTorrent for installing junk onto your computer to make money (through EpicScale Riskware), then use Transmission if you're on Windows.

This portable version of Transmission guarantees that other junk/risky software does not got installed alongside the torrent client, as it only contains the executable of transmission, hence you can see that there is no other software that is bundled with it.

Transmission itself is an open source initiative, unlike uTorrent, so you know that the code within Transmission is safe, because you're able to read the source code yourself to check for any suspicious code.

This is why you pirate

Microsoft, yes, I'm looking at you Micro$oft. This article is all about you.
Now, there was once this Windows 8.1 PRO key. That worked.
And let's just say, that there was a person like me, who used this key.
And used it on a second-rate laptop.
Oh, and guess what. When Windows 8.1 was installed on said laptop, all sorts of funny business occured.
Like a reboot loop in "getting devices ready" after it was reinstalled a second time, but that will be a story for another day.
Getting a reboot each attempted boot into Windows 8.1 lead to an unstable and ultimately unusable operating system 
But, I don't want to bash Microsoft too hard, I mean, I had loved the Windows operating system all my life.
It's just that the Windows 8.1 installation simply did not work.
It froze after you used it for around 10 minutes (prompting the power button to be held down).
And I've waited and waited for hours to recover the laptop from Windows 8.1's freeze. Nope. Perma-freeze.
So I gave up on Windows 8.1, and like all sane people, booted into Ubuntu and deleted the partition.
Partitions were destroyed and new ones were rebuilt upon its foundations, the Windows 8.1 partition is shown to be missing from the partition table, only leaving behind the OEM Windows 7 install and ALOT of linux distros to fill its space
A few months passes. And we're right about here in this point in time.
New CPU, New Motherboard, New HardDrive, practically a new skin - a brand new day.
i7 4770k, SSD storage... Just the way I would like a computer....
Windows 8.1 installed? Check...
Ubuntu installed? check...
But wait, what is this?
Windows 8.1 failed to activate and is giving me this annoying pop-up every so-often?

Got the "Activate Windows" popup for some reason

Isn't this kind-of like the Windows XP genuine advantage thing?
Windows 8.1 PRO failed to activate. With a proper RETAIL key that has worked before.
What is this madness? Why won't it work now?
Guess what.... After diving down in the depths of computer activation command, and desperately trying to trace the issue. I figured it out.

The old laptop

Somehow, the Windows activation was still adamant that it was installed on that computer.
It wasn't.
And so, being me. A quick Windows 8.1 re-installation on the laptop occurred... Quick meaning around 40 minutes....
The boring setup stages were passed, and the madness continued.
slmgr -ato
Worked on the laptop, not on the computer.
Tried to deactivate Windows 8.1 on the laptop that Microsoft's servers still thinks that it's activated at...
slmgr -upk
Was used on both computers, more then 5 times... NOPE. Apparently, the laptop was permanently activated
GG...
slmgr -dli
Well, yer, the code is retail....
slmgr -ipk
Managed to activate on both computers, amazingly... Well, "activate" meaning the code was confirmed. (It didn't "activate" on the computer)
Attempting to confirm if the Windows 8.1 key that I've been using is valid
Well apparently it is... The key activates on the laptop, but not the computer...
And so.

MCIROCTSOFT$ $UPPORT!

This is where things get really fun. After trying out a non-obtrusive way to deactivate a windows installation to move to another computer, the second-last resort was really to call Microsoft Support.
Because, well, it's a legitimate RETAIL key that's paid for, and so "legitimate support" was to be offered.
And boy, was I wrong..
*Calls Microsoft Support through Skype*
Robot: Welcome to Microsoft Support, Please press 1 for windows activation on a new machine. Please press 2 for microsoft office activation. Please press 3 for visual studio....
Me: *Presses 1*
Robot: Please enter the installation ID
Me: *Mood: Angry, Thought: WTF*
*Enters in the long and tedious installation ID*
Robot: It appears that this activation code has been used in another computer.....
Me: *Mood: WANTING TO WRECK STUFF, Thought: WTTTFFF???*
Robot: Transferring you to customer support.. Please hold the line.
Me: *...*
Robot: ...
Customer Support (human being!): Are you trying to activate Windows, Word....?
Me: Windows
Customer Support: What is the installation ID
Me: *Mood: Silently pissed off*
*Verbally communicates installation ID for a very long time*
-> 6 minutes later
Customer Support: It appears that you have activated the code in another machine.
I cannot help you with this, I am transferring you to a technician. Please hold the line
Me: *Thought: So, I came all this way.... For.... This?*
Robot: Invalid phone code. Invalid phone code. Invalid phone code. *Disconnect*
Me: *Thought: Wow did Micro$oft fail badly.. Customer support was really the same as the machine activation and was just as reliable (not so much)..*
-> After another 9 minutes, and the entire installation process pops up, another customer support pops up. This customer support was just like the other, and was just as reliable.
-> He asks for the installation ID, and when he cannot give me a confirmation number, asks to transfer me. "Hold the line".
-> And the whole call disconnects. Again...
So as you can see, so far, piracy would of allowed me to skip through bad customer support. Because, when you pirate software like Windows 8.1, there would be no point in handling them.
If you have the legal ground to pirate software, then by all means, do so.
""Legitimate support"".. "Legit support guise...".. "You had one job..."..
I ended up printing out the installation ID, and recalling them.
Now instead of pressing "1" in the robotic voice prompt, I waited.
After 3 cycles, the message announces: "It appears that you have a problem. Please press 1 to contact customer support".
Basically, square one.
But this time around, the most jaded operator came on and asked for the installation ID.
> For some more context, it had already taken an hour of messing around with command prompt, uninstalling/reinstalling product keys, restarting computers both at the same time (when activated and not, and when both unactivated at the same time) to get to this stage.
> And to make things even worse, it was 4 IN THE MORNING! (5 AM by third customer support operator).
Now, he sacastically mocked a celebration: "Congratulations! You have a confirmation number".
"Do you see the boxes with the letters?"
Boxes with letters? More context: I had printed out the installation ID. I don't have any boxes..
And so, said yep, and basically, a funny reversal of roles played out. He was doing the talking, I was doing the copying...
I mocked typed characters into the box that I couldn't see..
More context: The computer doesn't have a microphone, so I had to plug it at the front, where I had to sit on the ground to speak into, and hence not see the screen clearly (why I printed out the installation ID in the first place...)
And after a few confused exchanges of words, we parted ways.
Aka, he asked for me to complete a satisfaction survey - not with that jaded attitude, I haven't even activated windows yet!
and... asked me to "concern", aka disconnect...
After calling Microsoft Support multiple times to claim a valid Windows 8.1 key on another computer (which I have rights to use), it finally ""paid"" off and Windows 8.1 successfully activated... Through I could've activated it faster by just pirating the operating system.
This is why you pirate. You don't have to handle bad customer service for a product that you have purchased...
If I was to have used an external activator, then my legitimate Windows 8.1 keys would be honoured and used without problem.
This is also a reason why customer support should be improved in a setting with money involved.
I installed Ubuntu because I like the concept of having a recovery operating system.
But now.. Now it seems like Ubuntu is about to be my best friend... And I will make the judgement to pirate the next time an event like this occurs again.

Gist/TL;DR

To move a Windows 8.1 / Windows 8 installation from one computer to another, call up Microsoft Support and wait until you get prompted by customer support.
He(/she) will most likely parrot the robot operator, but will give you a valid confirmation number/code.
If you liked his(/her) service, give him feedback, and complete his survey - I didn't like the service I got as a whole and hence refused to complete the survey.
Moving a Windows 8.1 installation from one computer to another will not be 100% anonymous or automated. Unless you get extremely lucky.
The slmgr.vbs commands do not affect Microsoft's servers.

Pirate Windows 8.1 if you're moving from one computer to another and own a valid Windows 8.1 key, you have a right to do so, and this right is actually explicitly stated in Windows 8.1's SLA as follows:

"Can I transfer the software to another computer or user?

You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you.

You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key, and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software.

Every time you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer.

You may not transfer the software to share licenses between computers. You may transfer Get Genuine Windows software, Pro Pack or Media Center Pack software only together with the licensed computer."
- The words from the little document you have to accept before installing Windows 8.1...
Microsoft needs a better support system. Else they, themselves pretty much promote the pirating of their software, since pirating software is more convenient then the recommended channels to "activate" software. The end product is realistically the same with the same legality (see: SLA).
These reasons also add to the list of reasons as to why you should pirate: To avoid dodgy customer support and to get the products that you have the rights to access.