Jan 30
In the most recent vmware release, we have the ability to break individual windows out of the VM and integrate them into the host’s desktop. I recently erased my windows Vista and replaced it with Ubuntu. I’ve been happy as hell with that switch, but still need to test web pages on IE. So, I have a windows VMware image and because of Unity, I can just tell it to give me an IE window on my Linux desktop. I understand that VMWare Fusion on Macs has had this feature for a while now.
Jan 26
Today I uploaded Ubuntu source and binary (Gutsy and Hardy) packages for Zorba, the new C++ streaming XQuery processor. The Ubuntu PPA system (Personal Package Archives) is a great service; without it, you’d need to host an APT repository in order to conveniently distribute packages that are not (yet) part of Debian or Ubuntu (especially since a Debian source package is actually three files).
In fact, my source package works in Debian unstable too; as there is no custom Debian Sid APT repository (Ubuntu PPA only serves Ubuntu distros), here’s what you need to do to build and install it:
- dget the .dsc file (which pulls the original tarball and a .diff.gz as well)
- run pbuilder zorbaxquery_0.9.1-3.dsc (apt-get install and set up pbuilder if you don’t have it)
- retrieve the .deb’s from /var/cache/pbuilder/results/
It would be really nice if someone set up a PPA-like service for Debian, at least for repositories of source packages. I realize that setting up a cluster of build boxes is possible only with someone like Canonical behind. But the required storage for source packages could be quite small: if the *.orig.tar.gz “link” would dynamically retrieve an archive hosted elsewhere (a webapp could do this, trading space for bandwidth), such repositories could be quite compact (the .dsc and .diff.gz files are usually tiny). Alternatively, this scheme might work with a modified apt that could recognize HTTP redirects.
Jan 15
I’ve been excitedly anticipating the release of the new Chrome browser from Google, but now that it’s out in beta for Windows, I don’t think I’ll be using it very much.
It’s too bad, because I was just thinking what a good thing Apple’s Safari and Mozilla Firefox have been, pushing innovative features and forcing the more dominant player, Microsoft, to more aggressively advance its own Internet Explorer browser.
So Chrome only shines for Windows, at least for now. Odd, I think, coming from a company that is heavily reliant on Linux and full or at least well-stocked with its own Linux users and developers. It also adds to Google’s somewhat peculiar series of statements and moves on open source licenses.
It’s even more frustrating to see Google release Chrome - which itself is open source and, like Safari, based on the Webkit open source framework - but not support Linux. For all of its talk about choice of browser, Google’s rollout of Chrome only highlights the lack of choice on OS.
However, it is not these issues or reservations that will keep me from using Chrome. I’ll shut down my primary computer and boot it up in Windows to give Chrome a try after things have calmed a bit, but I really don’t enjoy using my Windows very much (not as much as Linux), and use is limited mainly to Webinars and rare instances when a vendor or project provides support only for Windows. Luckily for me, those instances are occurring less and less. And when Google gets around to putting Chrome on Linux, I’ll be ready to really take it for a drive.
Jan 09
Last Friday Cisco announced that it has acquired Jabber for an undisclosed sum. The Jabber development team created an open-source IM and presence protocol called XMPP used by Google Talk and Gizmo. The XMPP Protocol is not for sale but Cisco for sure bought some influence here.
Jan 05
Hi all,
The schedule for PyWorks has been posted! I’m really excited about three things:
1) there are some really cool talks that I’m looking forward to attending. There are a couple of sysadmin-related talks, AppEngine, TurboGears, Django, and an area I’ve been especially slow to move into: testing (I know, shame on me). There’s lots more so be sure to check it out.
2) the conference scheduling process is over 
3) I get to meet a lot of people face-to-face that I’ve worked with in the past on Python Magazine developing articles, or interacted with on IRC, etc. One thing I like about conferences surrounding open source technologies is you get to thank people face-to-face for the sweat they poured into some of the tools I use regularly. Mark Ramm, Kevin Dangoor, Michael Foord, Brandon Rhodes, and a collection of Python Magazine authors will be speaking there, and other Python Magazine folks and generally familiar faces will be in attendance.
Enjoy!
For those still unaware, PyWorks will be held in Atlanta, Nov. 12-14, 2008. It’s sponsored by MTA, the publisher of Python Magazine, as well as php|architect. In fact, the php|works conference will be held simultaneously with PyWorks, and attendees of one are free to access talks in the other at will. There will also be a “center track” that will cover some more generic topics of interest to developers without regard to the language in use. Check it out!
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