From Speno's Pythonic Avocado.

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More
Topics: programming, python

OK, so several have figured out that UseCalc is in large part a spoof on usability research.

Too bad it didn't cause the response I wished for, which was some reasoned usability explanation for why calculators are done that way.

On the other hand, it turns out several people like Usecalc and have proceeded to reimplement it in other languages, and with different interfaces.

Which is quite good, too, even if it surprised me a little. Now I have to think about it, too. I mean, maybe there is real potential for the thing.

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More

You know, some things are usable. Some things aren't. Read on, to see one that isn't and one that (I think) is.

A semi-tongue-in-cheek usability article.

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More

Does such a thing exist? There are dozens, but none seems very good.

By good I mean:

• Has been maintained more recently than 4 years ago.
• Works via PAM (and just plain works)
• Is not awful to install
• Doesn't make you do weird stuff like running a SUID httpd (yes, I actually saw that once)
• secure (audited?)
• readable sources
• runs as a non-privileged user.

Usually this would be a SUID root cgi-bin, which is somewhat scary, and it would seem to me unnecessary.

Since the user will provide the current password, it should be possible for a non-privileged process to first switch to the desired user and then change the password, right?

Maybe someone can tell me. Or do I have to write it? I mean, it's going to be a python CGI if I do, and noone's gonna like it ;-)

# •   •  Listen to this post
Topics: programming, python

A tutorial explaining how to setup your own APT-RPM repository, so you can install your custom (or custom-packaged) programs easily.

Now, this is too lame a piece to announce on the usual sites, so I will just post it here, and as a trackback for the other APT article.

It really feels like half-an-article without the pin and policy stuff, so it will surely get updated eventually.

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More

Rob: you can remove it.

I removed it because I don't use it:

Configure Toolbars-> Location Toolbar (searchbar) and then move the only action to the left.

Apply (Or OK) and it's gone.

Now, for some reason, planet won't get my second post of the day until the next day. Maybe it's a bug on planet, maybe it's on PyCS, maybe it's on PyDS. Beats me.

# •   •  Listen to this post

No, I haven't won the lottery or anything. And no, it's not becuse I'm in love (but I am). It's just that I look at the 33 years I have spent around and notice that:

I have never had anything really terrible happen to me. Sure, small problems, even large problems, but no stuff like loss of a limb.

I have never been really poor. Mind you, many reading this live in places where being poor means you have to ask for welfare (which I haven't), but here, being really poor means you die sleeping in the street. Or you go to prison and rot. Or you watch your own children starve.

Sure, I've had days when I didn't have enough to buy the newspaper. But I still had food in the fridge (and a fridge), and a roof to put the fridge under.

I have never been unemployed. Sure, I don't have a job that pays every month, but I earn my own money, and haven't had to ask anyone for anything in a very long while, except as a very short term loan.

I like what I do. It's easy (at least for me), leaves me enough days off to be with Rosario, is not phisically exhausting. Usually it's done in air-conditioned offices. It lets me rationalize my craving for gadgets as job-related.

I managed to ride some of the worse times in this country's history and come out on my feet.

I am not dead inside.

I don't give a damn about stuff that's undeserving.

I still feel a need to help people when I can, but I can live with not helping those I can't. I have accepted I can't save everyone, so I try to save the ones I can, yet I don't forget the rest.

I haven't fallen into religion, nationalism, politics, greed, or any of the multiple traps that grab you and don't let you be a real human.

My family is well, with the usual allowances for human trouble, and I actually like each one of them.

All in all, I'm a fucking lucky son of a bitch.

# •   •  Listen to this post

If you map a domain (x.com) to a single account (xuser) and then send a message to a@x.com, BCC to b@x.com, only one copy is delivered to xuser's mailbox.

Therefore, it's impossible to implement a correct multidrop account in sendmail that you can later pickup using fetchmail or similar software.

# •   •  Listen to this post

For Rob: (No, I won't bother registering in a site to be able to post a comment, so this is easier).

Without even considering the political stuff, which I don't give a damn about, here's what I find nice about having Skype in Linux:

• You can use skypeout and call long distance or international very cheaply
• You can replace your company-wide phone system with it (or never bother to install phones), although I prefer to use {gnome,net}meeting or ophone for this sort of thing.
• It does work from behind a firewall, which is what hasn't let me use MSN or similar AV systems.
• Since it works on Linux, I can use it.

Of course all this assumes Skype works as advertised. But if you know of an alternative that can do all that, that would be even better!

I agree that for local calls, if you have little need for a phone, it may make no sense. Sometimes. In some places, local calls are free. Here, I pay by the minute.

Skype would save money in some cases, when I need to have a two-hour-long talk with a client.

In short: would I prefer to have a free, open source program that does all the above? Sure! (although I can't imagine how Skypeout could be free).

Would I prefer not to have Skype? Hell no!

So, while not ideal, it's good. And if it's good... well, that's good, isn't it? Then why gripe?

# •   •  Listen to this post

Just that.

# •   •  Listen to this post

I have been a big fan of apt4rpm ever since I worked at Conectiva (the guys who created the thing).

Managing Red Hat and Fedora servers without it would be a PITA.

Sadly, I see lots of people who don't know about it, or know, but don't use it to its fullest. So, here's a few tips...

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More

Ok, I want to retire my notebook. It's about to turn 10 years old, which is about 270 in notebook years, so it's time.

I've been researching a bit, and here's my requirements:

• Cheap. About USD 950 would be fine
• Small.
• Light.
• Enough power to run KDE decently.
• Should work with linux. Nothing very fancy, but it being able to suspend would be nice ;-)
• DVD reader, CD writer. DVD writer would be nicer but consider cost.

I've been looking tenderly at a Averatec 3220. It seems to fulfill all the requirements except it seems not to work so well with Linux.

Before anyone say it's not powerful enough: My desktop has a slower CPU (A Duron) and I like it just fine.

The screen is rather smallish, but that's part of being small and light, I consider the 12" screen a plus.

If anyone knows of a better system in this price range (the Averatec can be found for about USD 890 or so), or of a cheaper way to get one, please comment here!

# •   •  Listen to this post
Topics: kde

Are you using a RPM or DEB based system? Are you using a program and can't find it in packaged form?

Are you tired of wondering what program you don't use anymore installed all that crap in /usr/local?

Then this article is for you. Learn how to create your own RPMs, that you can later uninstall, upgrade, and share with other computers and users, without much of a headache, thanks to checkinstall.

# •   •  Listen to this post  • Read More

Should start posting stuff again now. Wait, this is a post! Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Lots of things happened in this very long break, so I won't bother even mentioning any of them, except one, which I promised to.

I am in love. And I will, as promised (to her), post a little love letter in my blog, and invite comments.

Since the long postless period probably means nobody reads my page anymore except when finding it via google, I invite anyone reading it in planetkde or wherever, to go to my page using the handy link that should be somewhere around this text, and post a comment if you want.

Be nice, please, because deleting comments from pycs is somewhat of a chore.

And here it goes:

Rosario, I love you. Sometimes you think I don't, but that's just because my skills of facial and verbal expression are awful. I love you when you act silly, or pout, or say wild stuff.

I don't love you because you pout or act silly, but pouting and sillyness is simply the accent, loveliness is the language that you speak, and I can't do anyhting but listen to it.

These last two months have been mostly happy for me, and when they weren't, they were happier than they would have been without you, and I hope you felt the same thing.

Now you blush, girl.

Comming soon, the usual technical drivel.

# •   •  Listen to this post
Topics: kde