sweemeng's tech adventure

foss.my 09 is AWESOME

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

foss.my is held on 24-25 october 2009, it have gathered geeks, and freedom lovers around the KL, probably malaysia.

The talk within the 2 days is good, the bad thing is, how to choose within 3 tracks. We have pretty good speaker, like Pia Waugh, Brian Aker, RMS, Dr Yusseri Yusoff, among others. The talk is filled with either 1) useful knowledge, 2) free software, 3) humor, 4) IDEAS or all above.

The committee is awesome for organizing such an event, but the audience on the other hand......
It is really sad to see that, some audience don't get free software or freedom for that matter, and some decided to go for open source without free software, WTF, how does that work without the other!!!
I still hope that some get enlighten by the 2 days, and hope that no one leave from foss too..

Either way, looking forward to next year. Some of Malaysian don't get it, fine with me. It is our job to keep it running, keep fighting for the freedom we deserve......

wonder about foss.my

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Is excited on the talk, excited on the topic, and the people

Can't wait for foss.my

Happy (Belated) Birthday Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:10:00 +0000

The story of Ubuntu started in 2005, I was just a Debian user, then my computer hard disk died.
So I just book a few cd while waiting for money to come in to buy my hard disk, I can't download an image anyway. I was using Knoppix around then. Before that, Debian, then Mandrake, then Debian for a year.

I booked 10 few cd, you'll be surprise how long it take for me to give it out. Lecturer is not interested(welcome to Malaysia), only few friends want it. Give a few to the computer club.

Within 4 years, it grows from a Debian derivative that automate a few installation task, and a few script. To a distro that make thing so easy. And after that, linux in general gone mature as a desktop. Hell I barely use command line, as the result.

So you can blame Ubuntu for making me lazy, making me a lazy software developer, hehe. But an powerful OS, with mature backend, and good frontend, is pretty appealing.

A short story of ubuntu, and a happy birthday...

One more week to foss.my

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:46:00 +0000

http://foss.my/

foss.my will be held next week, are we prepared!!!!

BTW, we now have 3 main tracks and 2 side sessions, and we have some great speaker.

Can't wait to be there

Learned new command in VIM

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:27:00 +0000

What I learn to use VIM today

Split A File
to split vim windows, in command mode:
:split filename
to navigate between windows
ctrl-w
or
ctrl-w

Copy A Block of Text
to copy a block of text:
go to the first line to copy, then type,
ma
BTW a in ma can be anything from b,c,d,e,....etc
then to the last line of the block to copy
y'a
Then go to the line to paste
p

To Replace Text
to replace text foo to bar in a line, go to the line type
:s/foo/bar

to replace all foo to bar text, in a file
:%s/foo/bar/g

the g is to replace all occurrence, of foo

This is courtesy of
http://www.oualline.com/vim-cook.html#copy_block
http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/windows.html#window-move-cursor

foss.my bof attack plan

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Remember guys we got only 1 1/2 hours

Topic Suggestion

- A taste of Karmic

Stuff to prepare(suggestion)

- CD,

- goodies as prize?(if don't have nevermind la)

An interesting network configuration

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:29:00 +0000

The story started when my router is acting up. And my new modem is actually a router(with one port), and comes with its own dhcp server. ..

Either way, i am just lazy, so i just keep the dhcp server running on it.
Bad idea......
turn out that my wrt54gl aka my router, use the same ip, which is normal, because a lot of them use 192.168.1.1 as the ip anyway. even though it is on the internet port, it still cause problem. I thought the internet port and the lan port is separate

the hack is, just just each of the a different subnet for router......
so if the modem is 192.168.1.x. then change the router to 192.168.n.x. just give it a different subnet.

And interestingly, i can access telnet to my router, from lan connection.....

MyGOSSCon: Malaysia Government Open Source Conference

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:27:00 +0000

MyGOSSCon is the Malaysian Government Open Source Conference. Which brings together industry players, community members and government agencies, in 3 days events, 4-6 November. Which is consist of talk, and Birds Of a Feather Session.

Call for paper is now extended, so anyone that interested can submit their CfP now. At http://mygosscon.oscc.org.my/2009/call-for-papers/

My google wave robot

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:39:00 +0000

Not too long ago I got myself a google wave account. Which I got myself into a wave hackathon in GTUG KL. Which happens last month.

The result of a hackathon is google wave robot, called eventdator(I'm lousy at making up names):
http://bitbucket.org/sweemeng/eventdator/overview/

What it does now is, it associate a event name with a date. Which stores in the appengine datastore. To use it:

1) Add the robot on the wave, address is eventdator@appspot.com
2) The command to use is:

get:event name

then done
3) To set an event

add:event name,eventdate,true

set true if it is a holiday. else false.

I still open to feature request. And I still figure out how to have a better interface, etc.

FOSS.MY registration, with EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!!!

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:46:00 +0000

The yearly open source event, FOSS.MY will be held in 24-25 oct 2009.

You can register now details at the links below
http://foss.my/2009/registration-overview/

What you get this year is

32 great talks and 26 speakers!
Double track side sessions running throughout the conference, with Bird-of-Feather side sessions
T-shirt
Lunch provided
Two tea breaks

So register now!!!!

A tribute to independence

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:52:00 +0000

http://www.slideshare.net/linuxmalaysia/cyber-merdeka-cyber-sovereignity

Cyber merdeka by
ejn3.blogspot.com

Software Freedom Day KL

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:00:00 +0000

http://softwarefreedomday.org/teams/asia/Malaysia/KualaLumpur

Software Freedom Day will be started in KL real soon. This year, we try to do something different. We will try to get unused but usable PC, then install Free Software on it. And give the pc to those in need.

The main event of SFD KL will be training, and install-a-thon.

I still can't decide the date yet. Because 19 September is the day before Hari Raya. Which will be a long holiday for a lot of people, so SFD will not be held like others. I hope to do it either by 5/6 Sept or 12/13 Sept.

So what do we need.
1) Old, Unused, but usable PC, or PC part. We promised a few, already.
2) Volunteer that is available.

The first meeting is Sunday 30 August 2009, at 6-7pm, in Burger King, Mid Valley KL.

"yield"ing some python

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:01:00 +0000

def even():
for i in range(10):
if i%2==0
yield i

Was playing around with python simply because i am bored. I discovered the keyword yield. Which is a Simple Generator in Python. Which is in PEP 255.

For information, generator is a type of routines that can be used to control a loop. Instead of having a function that return the whole list or array. You can yield it one by one, using the yield keyword. As the function above.

With the function above, you can.

for i in even():
print i

Or
i=even()
while i:
print i.next()

While the second one will ends with the error. I should find out what is the handler for the exception.

I think it is pretty cool. But really I still trying to figure out what i can use this for.

Automate interactive script with pyexpect

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Sometime it is actually nice that automate interactive script, aka the one that need user to input something to continue. Such as django manage.py script

So I found pexpect, it is a python version of expect, which does that.

For example to use with reset the database in django:

import sys 

import pexpect

#call the commands

result = pexpect.spawn("python manage.py reset_db")

#tell it to expect what should shows 

result.expect("Type 'yes' to continue, or 'no' to cancel")

#send the results 

result.sendline("yes")

Actually you can use it to run programs. Without the expect methods or sendline. The program will just runs

import sys

import pexpect

#just run the command

commands = pexpect.spawn("ls -a")
print commands

BTW, do check expect, it is the one that runs without python. Which is what pexpect based on. Either way, it should be available to any linux distro. On ubuntu find expect and pexpect on synation, it is there.

output json on django

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:19:00 +0000

I just finish a job in django, and I use it for some ajax part of the project. So I generate json for this. Below is a snippet sanitize from the code my job use...

try:

    import json

except:

    from simplejson as json 

from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
from django.shortcuts import render_to_response

def generate_json(request):

    #it can be a dictionary too, anything supported by simplejson

    somelist=[] 

    #do something here, to fill in somelist

    encoded=json.dumps(somelist)

    response['content-disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=properties.json'

    response=HttpResponse(encoded,mimetype="application/json")

    return response

So there it is...

p.s I need a way to display source code properly on my blog, idea?

The story of Bad Browser, Botched patch, and software Conflict also DRM!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:24:00 +0000

I have a confession to make.......
I am a gamer. I like games, and actually spent cash to get legal copy, to "support" the industry. And for certain game, it is worth it. Like most commercial games, it runs windows, and require proprietary software like IE and Windows, to work.

Of course, what happens in the last few days is this. I bought Spore Galactic Adventure, and it requires me in apply certain patch. Which breaks the game.

Actually that is just the beginning, turns out that the updater need to run with IE, which is a bad thing, IE 8 on my desktop, can run flash, but everytime I restarted, it requires me, to reinstall flash again. And the updater from EA, need IE to run!!!
Just embrace the defacto standard already!!!!

Along the way, I try to update the driver from ATI. First it turns out that, it conflicted with visual studio express I install long time back, from microsoft. I have to remove the visual studio express, old version to install driver. The solution is not even obvious!!! I think it is really crazy, that this happens.

Then finally, my brother want to borrow Red Alert 3 from me, to borrow his friend. Then I can't give it, because it is copy protected(OK, I want to play it). So now I still trying to explain copy protection......The fact you cannot share stuff is really counter intuitive..

Maybe it just me not getting used to windows, or this guys really sucks in term of quality. I mean, it is strange enough that driver don't update itself. Old installation of visual studio affect software installation? IE that don't play nice with anything........

GPL Code Statement on my router

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:47:00 +0000

My house modem got fried, so get a new one I have. While I don't expect it, it comes with a GPL Code Statement. Sure make me wonder whether it runs linux or what....

Btw the model is Dlink DSL-520B(Mounted on my WRT-54GL(another router running linux)..

What i am really curious is, how many hardware in malaysian market is running Open Source Software, as in using Open Source Software within their hardware(aka the firmware?) And how many comply with GPL....

Fun with Linux: Taque

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

So i got a remember the milk account. What's cool is, it is a nice web based, todo list. What really sucks is, there is no desktop client on linux. Until now.

Tasque is a todo list manager, it have a local file backend, and most importantly, it can use remember the milk, as backend.

It is pretty easy to use, just enter task, and it is done. One interesting thing is, you can enter "do something today" it will automatically, fill in the date for today.

What really sucks is, it don't have notification. But it is useful enough, to use.

To install on ubuntu,
sudo apt-get install tasque

But i can't seems to get it work, with fedora. Enlighten me please

Is loving screen

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:38:00 +0000

So I got a job, which allows me to develop on linux...(w00t!!!).
Along the way, I have found screen....

screen is a full screen windows manager that, multiplexes several process. Usually active shells. As quoted from the man page.

The thing is, it is useful that, I can run several shells. Without actually have to open several instance of gnome terminal. Which is useful, because I use a lot of vim nowadays. And really have to open several windows just to have several terminal tend to be distracting.

screen is not hard to use,
Ctrl-a + c        : to open new windows
Ctrl-a + n        : switch to next windows
Ctrl-a + p        : switch to prev windows
Ctrl-a + Ctrl-a: toggle between 2 windows
Ctrl-a + ?        : is the help(if you don't remember the rest, just remember this one)

BTW I found that this is useful for my eeepc as well. Consider that, I found that console apps tend to save a lot of screen space...And too much windows open, then to be hard to navigate.

Learned how to use rsync

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:34:00 +0000

So I need to sync a folder between 2 computer my laptop, and PC.
So one way is to use scp, but I don't quite want to replace the folder. Just files I created. I just want to make sure the folder is in sync.

So I play with rsync. Which track changes of the files, and transfer the changed file only. From what I understand from wikipedia anyway.

And what so cool.The command is similar to scp, or cp. So the command for rsync is:

rsync source dest #for files
rsync src@hostname:source-file dest #from remote host to local file
rsync src dest@hostname:dest-file #from local file to remote host
rsync -r src dest #this is to transfer folder

So just change source with files, hostname with hostname or ip.

So another tools I learned as a newbie......

Linux Emergency: entering Single User Mode in fedora

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0000

So I installed ati driver on Fedora, BAD IDEA. Because, once you finish booting, you cannot even call virtual console like alt-f2.

Solution is to access Single User Mode. Then run the uninstall script.

Actually single usermode is not limited to this, it is meant to be used for some of the worst case emergency.

To go to single user mode
Once rebooted,
1) Go to grub menu
2) Select the option to boot into linux
3) Press a
4) it should shows something like this

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.29.4-167 ro root=LABEL=/ acpi=on rhgb quiet

Just add "1" behind it

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.29.4-167 ro root=LABEL=/ acpi=on rhgb quiet 1

5) Press enter

You should be able to access the shell as root without login. Now you can do anything to fix your problem.

This is dangerous,because you can access everything, yes everything. Enjoy!!!

lesson of the day: proprietary driver cannot be trusted......

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:34:00 +0000

So I finally installed fedora 11, upgrade using preupgrade. (YAY!!!)

So first thing first, DESKTOP EFFECT, then I check whether it is supported,
For open source driver, it support 2d acceleration, which is sad
http://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/driver/xf86-video-radeonhd/plain/README

So I got grab driver from ATI......Bad idea.
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx?type=2.4.1&product=2.4.1.3.5&lang=English

Installing is easy, but once I finish install, reboot, it render the system unusable.

Thanks to ditesh, on twitter, Problem is solved. That would be another blog post.

I still hopeful that open source 3d driver will be here. For the graphic card that I own anyway.

Where to learn stuff: Google I/O

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:16:00 +0000

http://code.google.com/events/io/sessions.html

Was spending time learning stuff, some of the talk is pretty good......

As usually, it is really cool....

Upgrading fedora aka lesson of the day

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:23:00 +0000

Yesterday, I am downloading the whole image to upgrade my fedora installation.

I just learned that, I can just use Preupgrade

Just run preupgrade, as root

Job Hunt aka I'm Lost Edition

noreply@blogger.com (sweemeng) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:09:00 +0000

So I'm searching for a job, trying to find a job as a programmer. Preferably python, java(very rusty), probably php(not too fond of doing it, i can live with it) too

One interesting notes here is, there is quite a number of .net or vb job on job board that I found, with some java and php. Was hoping to find job on python. No luck there. Probably I should comes out with a statistic of this.

Comes a realization, I begin to wonder, should I just master a language because of a job, or I just master it for fun? Or rather, should I master a fun language, or master a language with more job opening?

In reality I'm pretty lost. And indirect pressure from family really sucks......

BTW, I'm ready to be hired. I know python, and django. I can do some java too, albeit very very rusty...