Not that I think I'm breaking any news here, but SQL Server 2008 has been officially RTM (released to manufacturing).  So far I've been very pleased working with SQL Server 2008 and am excited to get my RC0 version updated to an official release.

One thing I stumbled across was a warning users to wait for Visual Studio.NET 2008 SP1 to be released BEFORE upgrading to the RTM version of SQL Server 2008.  This blog post cites compatibility problems if you don't have SP1 installed before working with the RTM version of SQL. What I'm not sure about is if this applies to people using beta versions of SQL Server 2008 (RC0), Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and .NET Framework v3.5 SP1 like I am.  This uncertainty made me think that it may be best to wait for the final release of SP1 for VS.NET and the 3.5 Framework.

I then came across a nugget here that said:

well....there's a...ahem...NDA about this topic...but SQL Server 2008 RTM ships with a RTM version of the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 bits...i'll let you connect the dots.

I guess it's time to dig around in the RTM version of SQL 2008 to see if it's there.  I also wonder if it's safe to install over top of my RC0 version of if I should remove RC0 before installing the RTM version.  I guess I'll have to Google more to see what's required.  I'll provide updates as I find answers and get upgraded.

**** Update:

According to the release notes the beta SP1 isn't an acceptable solution.  And since they're saying SP1 will be officially released next week anyways, it makes sense just to wait for that I think.

While bragging to my buddy Bill about how cool this new open source remote desktop app Terminals was, he showed me an even better tool, visionApp Remote Desktop (vRD), that he uses for the same thing. After a quick 5 minute install and configuration I clearly liked vRD over Terminals and any other RDP tool I had used.

Here's a blurb from the vendor's website about the program:

vRD is a tool which allows the management of RDP connections to servers. vRD is ideal for administrators who need to maintain simultaneous connections to multiple servers. Connection-specific settings and login credentials can be organized in folders and subfolders for quick access.

The new version 1.5 further extends the ease of use. Coming, amongst others, with support for Microsoft Vista, support for multi-monitor environments, support for setting the color depth and support for setting various performance options, vRD 1.5 offers many new features for hassle-free handling of multiple RDP connections.

I definitely suggest checking out this freeware app if you're a frequent user of numerous RDP connections.

I recently reformatted my Dell Laptop and put Windows XP back on it.  My wife had been using it for the past year or so and I found that I was wiping it every few months.  So at one point I put Ubuntu Linx on it to help prevent the "wipe cycle".  It worked out well but she really was't using it much anymore and I found I wanted to get it setup to work with the VPN we're setting up at my office.

 So, I got Windows XP back on it and got all my development tools setup on it.  I've been running it at the office next to my desktop and remembered seeing an article on Lifehacker a few months ago about some software that let you basically have a software based KVM switch.  So, I went back on their site and found this article.  And, after about 10 minutes of setup time, I'm happy to report that Synergy, the application they used, works like a champ!

Even though I'm not taking advantage of it at the moment, the best feature about this app is that it's cross platform.   Oh, and did I mention that it is free?  Gotta love the opensource!

Here's a snippet from the article I linked to above...

You don't need a hardware switch to share one keyboard and mouse amongst several different computers. All you need is the free, cross-platform application, Synergy.

Synergy connects one keyboard and mouse to any computer on your network, making a dual- or triple-computer setup work more like a dual- or triple-monitor setup. Synergy even allows you to share clipboard data across your computers and operating systems.

Today I'll detail how to set up Synergy on your home network to control all of your desktops with one mouse and keyboard.

How it works

Synergy uses one computer as a server - that's the computer that will be sharing its keyboard and mouse. The rest of your computers - the ones you want to control - will need to be set up as Synergy clients.

The great part about Synergy is that you can customize the program to work with the layout of your computers. For example, if you've got your MacBook running to the left of your Windows PC, you can set up Synergy so that moving your mouse to the left of your Windows monitor will seamlessly jump your mouse across virtual space where it lands safely on your Mac. Whichever desktop currently holds your mouse is also the desktop to which your keyboard's keystrokes will be sent. Make sense? Add to that Synergy's clipboard sharing and you've got one helluva convergence app.