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Serialize Mixin for Django Models

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:31:11 +0200

This is by no means finished and tested but I have been trying to find a simple way of serializing model instances data so I can just go ahead and json.dumps that data. I find the built in serializers in Django don’t quite fit what I want.

Here is what I got so far:

Django Tip: CSS classes on your form fields

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:29:57 +0200

I wanted to apply some Javascript to certain date fields (but not all) in an application I am working on. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible on the frontend. It is difficult to do this in a generic way when you are working with Django forms since a DateField is rendered as a plan old text input by default. At least that is what I thought…

After a very short time digging (surprised I missed it before) I found that you can pass an attrs argument to a widget that basically sets attributes on the rendered HTML element. So now my field looks like this:

date_from = forms.DateField(
    widget=forms.DateInput(attrs={'class': 'datepicker-pls'})
)

…and class="datepicker-pls" is on the rendered widget.

Django snippet: as_json decorator for simple views to return JSON

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:41:00 +0200

I find myself returning simple dict objects as JSON for the browser to use a lot so I find this little decorator handy in my views:

Geez! "error: no such option: --with-xunit" when running tests with django-nose

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:34:00 +0200

So I came across a problem where I was running tests with django-nose using the --with-xunit option and I was meeting the error:

error: no such option: --with-xunit

After much hair loss and confusion I found the following solution to work. The problem appears to be caused by south (although I do not know why) so moving ‘django_nose’ after ‘south’ in the INSTALLED_APPS setting made the option available again.

"What you don’t know can hurt you, only you won’t know it."

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:59:23 +0100

“What you don’t know can hurt you, only you won’t know it.”

- found in fortunes-mod

Fix: Browser links not working in MonoDevelop

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:04:00 +0100

I came across this minor, but annoying problem after installing MonoDevelop where the clicking the browser links just caused an error.

Since I use a very simple lightweight setup of Xmonad it was sufficient to add the following to my ~/.xinitrc file:

export BROWSER=chromium

Or firefox, or opera or whatever you want I guess.

Fix: Xmobar hidden by windows in Xmonad

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:00 +0100

I had this problem when I started up X this morning that Xmobar in my configuration was being hidden by windows, like they were displayed over it. My configuration had not changed in this regard for about 2 years and I had never come across this problem before, so I went to have a look on the Arch Forums. I came across this thread and whilst there is a number of solutions here what worked for me was the following:

$ vim ~/.xmonad/xmonad.hs  # Check config
$ xmonad --recompile

Then hit mod-q and it was back to normal.

Update

A day later, the same problem came up again when starting my work PC. I took another look at that same thread where the posters had suggested that it is a bug in Xmobar causing the problem. So I downgraded to 0.15-1 using the downgrade utility from AUR and this time my problem is resolved.

Update 2

This is seemingly fixed in 0.17-1.

Arch Linux: Clementine does not play some audio source after installing...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:53:00 +0100

You need to install the following package:

$ sudo pacman -S gstreamer0.10-plugins

Now when you start Clementine, the audio source you are trying to play should play.

My son made a picture of me today, it’s interesting. The...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:09:00 +0200

My son made a picture of me today, it’s interesting. The leaves are my facial hair.

Pricing - Net and Gross? Which is Which? (I didn't have a clue)

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Just a quickie. It sounds ridiculous thinking about it now that I did not know this nor was I able to figure it out, but it’s showing more and more over time that I don’t have the aptitude for finance related concepts.

After searching on Google for an answer to “what number is net and what number is gross?” I found myself more confused by the answers I came across. Eventually I got a moderately straight answer so here it is described as I would have understood it.

Net - The price before tax (ie the amount your client is probably putting in to their online store admin)
Tax - A percentage of the net price (20% for example)
Gross - Net + Tax (the price the customer pays)

So if the most expensive can of Heinz Baked Beans is €120. That means it’s Net price will be €100 as there is €20 tax.

That’s all I needed to know. I hope there isn’t anyone else as bad at this stuff as me, but if there is, I hope they find this and it helps them.

Encoder for ids in the url for Django apps

Sat, 19 May 2012 14:50:00 +0200

Simple, fuzzy, timesince function for use in Javascript

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:23:00 +0100

Using The Old .deb Installer (gdebi) Instead of Software Centre in Ubuntu

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 06:55:00 +0200

The new Ubuntu Software Centre is really great, and I often explore it to find the awesome packages that are available to install. One thing that bugs the hell out of me, however, is that in recent versions of Ubuntu .deb files (ie when you download a deb package and manually install it) open in the Ubuntu Software Centre and the process is incredibly SLOW.

I have dealt with this and just accepted it, instead using the command line (dpkg) instead to avoid using the Ubuntu Software Centre, but I occasionaly forget and just double click the deb file to launch it. Today I decided to solve this problem for myself, so here is how I did it.

Tip: How to give the old deb installer it’s place back in newer versions of Ubuntu (instructions are assuming use of pcmanfm, if you are using nautilus, you should start using pcmanfm, it’s better - otherwise the process is much the same in nautilus)

First

sudo apt-get install gedbi

This will get gdebi installed. Next find a .deb file you wish to install with your file manager, right click it then select “Open with…”

In the “Custom Command Line” tab enter the following

gdebi-gtk %f

Click the checkbox next to “Set selected application as default…blah” and finally click “Ok”.

The deb should load up with gdebi and double-clicking .deb files in the future should fire up gdebi instead of Ubuntu Software Centre.

Again, Ubuntu Software Centre is great for discovering and installing software that is available in the Ubuntu repos but I just think it should be keep out of the loop if I found the software else where.

Stuff I learnt whilst not watching TV

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0200

So I noticed my partner’s younger brother (13) gets asked questions like, “Are you on the computer again?” and other naggy-like comments as he will spend a lot of time at the computer playing video games. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this, he is engaging his brain, socialising and having some fun at the same time.

This got me thinking as I experienced the same sort of nagging when I was a child at home living with my parents. They would complain about the amount of time I spent at the computer and the amount of time I invested in video games - in fact they still do this. This is totally understandable, as hacking around on a PC and playing video games isn’t for everybody so I wouldn’t expect anything else. I feel the same way about TV; I do not understand the draw it has and wonder how people can sit and watch so much television.

So from whatever age I was when my parents first brought home a games console, and brought home a PC I was hooked on hacking, learning and gaming. As I grew older, I spent a larger portion of time at my PC learning new skills and leveling up - and this has continued right up until now. I don’t regret any of it, not one bit.

So here is a list of some of the stuff I learnt and did whilst not watching TV (in no particular order)

Learnt GFA Basic
Played Final Fantasy VII three times (possibly one of the best gaming experiences ever)
Learnt how to make visualisations for Winamp
Learnt Python (£££ this now pays my bills)
Learnt PHP (this does not pay my bills)
Learnt to write Javascript and later use awesome libraries like jQuery
Learnt about servers, how to build websites and services (£££)
Discovered loads of awesome music using last.fm
Played with and discovered many distributions of Linux including Fedora, SuSe, Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo
Maintained and improved a private Bit-Torrent tracker website
Learnt to use CVS
Learnt to use Git :)
Learnt how to configure, maintain and modify various game server software
Played Chess with Chinese people
Learnt how to build a computer from a set of components
Learnt about disk partitioning - sounds boring but incredibly useful
Learnt to administer Linux and Windows systems
Leartn to compile from source (used to be very important a few years ago, almost never do it now)
Played Phantasy Star Online (maybe the first MMO on a console?)
Played Crazy Taxi (a lot)
Learnt how to sample, create waveforms, tempo match, and use a tracker to create music
Improved my questionable guitar skills by downloading tabs
…

There is loads more, but this is the stuff at the top of my head. Of course I have learnt a lot and done a lot of other stuff whilst away from the computer in this time but I am just writing to say I am sooo glad I didn’t watch TV and beer is good.

Things to do after downgrading to Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick)

Tue, 03 May 2011 06:01:00 +0200

So after using Natty for a short while, I discovered that it isn’t quite ready for me to depend on full time. After a number of freezes and Wifi issues, I decided to return to Maverick Meerkat (10.10) by downgrading. Here is the script I ran after that. I commented out the lines that write to the home folder since this time I maintained the same home folder on a separate partition.

Things to do after installing Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal)

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:19:00 +0200

Mouse vs Keyboard - What is happening with the modern desktop environment

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:41:00 +0100

I love and use Gnome but have been thinking a lot about how we use computers recently; with Unity coming to the desktop and other similar desktops already in use like iOS on ipad and Windows 7, this has raised thoughts about what desktops environments are.

Reducing it down to a very abstract idea, Gnome for me is a series of text boxes I write in. I’ll be writing here in my web browser to Posterous, then I’ll hit <Alt><Tab> and write to my friend in Empathy then I’ll hit F12 to open a terminal with Guake and manage code with Git then hit F12 to go back to my friend on Empathy then <Alt><Tab> twice and I’ll be editing code in gedit, then I’ll hit <Alt><Tab> twice again and I’ll return to writing to Posterous. I am more than aware that there is plenty to click about with in Gnome but ultimately, most the time I use it I am writing and Alt-Tabbing.

These newer ideas about what a desktop should be require a lot of clicking. Whilst I am very anxious to see Unity at it’s completion and running perfectly on the desktop, this new way of getting stuff done is making me feel old an scared. I know that Unity will still have such keyboard shortcuts but will people like me be able to make the most of these new desktops?

I know that it is going to be great for my girlfriend, but what about us folk who hate reaching for the mouse?

Fixing no sound on Debian Squeeze with Intel HD Audio

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:58:00 +0100

I had been running Ubuntu on my laptop for a while (with sound), but I really wanted to try out Debian. So I set about installing and configuring it. Eventually, I noticed that I had no sound at all.

After a little diagnosis, obvious stuff like checking the mixer and maxing the volume, I discovered that I could heard a very quiet (almost inaudible) sound with my headphones plugged in whilst playing some very loud music.

I have a Sony Vaio laptop with an Intel HD Audio device; after speaking to the guys in #debian on freenode, I understood that Intel HD audio devices we’re a little iffy and that I would have to make sure the right modules are being loaded.

I considered that Ubuntu 10.10 had been installed on my laptop before and the audio worked without any additional configuration. So I compares the versions of alsa in Ubuntu and Debian. They both suggested that they we’re version 1.0.23.

However this was not the case. Upon checking the version on the system with “cat /proc/asound/version”. It showed the version on Debian Sqeeze as 1.0.21 and on Ubuntu 1.0.23; this was the only apparent difference.

To solve the issue, I figured I would upgrade to the latest alsa version from source. I grabbed the source for alsa-driver, alsa-lib and alsa-utils 1.0.24 from alsa-project.org. I built and installed them; after a reboot, I had sound.

I did come across a small issue while configuring alsa-utils. I received an error along the lines of “panelw not found”. The solution here solved this and alowed the configuration to continue.

I wondered if any other Debian users were affected by this issue.

Why I use (and love) Ubuntu

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:48:00 +0100

Since my inspiration to write has been rather dry the past couple of months, mostly due to work and work, I thought it would be cool to re-ignite my writing by sharing some reasons why I use (and love) Ubuntu. So here goes. There are many reasons why my partner, my son and I use Ubuntu but here is just a few.

Ubuntu and Gnome get out of your way

This is a big deal for me as I have a demanding job that means I need my system to just work and not bother me with configuration and complaints. Ubuntu and the Gnome desktop together work really well, the defaults are great and I know everything will just work so that I also may just work.

Compatibility with hardware

I am yet to come across any compatibility issues with hardware whilst using Ubuntu. This is great when I see colleagues and friends using Windows constantly hunting for compatible drivers for the right architecture and version of Windows whilst I know I can install Ubuntu on (almost) any machine and it will just work.

Discovering free software and choice

Free software is always good to have but the Ubuntu Software Centre just keeps getting better and better making it easier to discover new applications and utilities to make your Ubuntu experience better. This has become my primary platform for finding new software during the last two iterations of Ubuntu that have included many an update to the software centre. Although Ubuntu is shipped with a default set of software the choice is always there to use another media player, such as Banshee or another photo manager. The ability to remove components (even big ones like the desktop) is just as valuable as the ability to add them, choice is an advantage to any Linux desktop.

Media playback I don’t have to worry about file formats, codecs, containers. Ubuntu will manage all this for me, it doesn’t matter what sort of video or audio I am trying to play, it just works.

Design Ubuntu was very…brown when I started using it and it was not the prettiest looking desktop (by default) for a long time, but in the last two releases the design has come a long way with a new default theme that is almost a crime to change and a new font that looks amazing. It is only going to get better with the new Unity desktop that will be the default shell in Ubuntu 11.04.

Security Ubuntu and Linux is not targeted like Windows for malware and various other bad stuff. You will not have to constantly scan update and clean your system, you get security just by using it.

It’s fresh With a new release every six months Ubuntu is always fresh and new and never goes stale. Updates are regular meaning your system is always secure and you are getting the new good stuff from the packages on your system. — There are a ton of other reasons, such as the great dev tools, the ease with which you can set up a server, the super useful live USB and the massive community and plethora of ways you can get support.

The above are reasons why I love Ubuntu, based on my well established opinions. They may well be the reason why you don’t.

A Thought About Salesmen

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:58:00 +0200

I know this could potentially piss off my colleagues as well as other peers but do we need them? This is coming from my area of work only, I know only about web services, websites, software, technology, I have no intention of bullshitting my way to make you beleive I really know anything about business. Putting myself in the shoes of a client (or potential client) I would much rather speak with a person with the functional ability and knowledge to get the job done rather than someone who’s skills and abilities revolve around getting me to buy something that perhaps I don’t even need. Sure they are young, smart, well presented and possibly intelligent, but do they really know what they are talking about? Sending out salesmen for your service, as far as I see it, is working in completely the wrong direction that this should work. If your product is good and has value then people are going to come to you. The only scenario where I see you needing a salesman is when your product or service is of no use to anybody, in which case, what the fuck are you doing?