Older blog entries for AArthur (starting at number 8)

New week, back to work.

I've written a little howto on some of the optimizations you can use when compiling a program on ppclinux (such as -02, etc.). Unforently, I can't find much info (or if there is) real PowerPC specfic optimizations. There probably isn't. If you know, send them to me -- and see the howto here.

As always, I am taking requests.

My extended Columbus day weekend was nice, except for being so freaking cold. I went for a drive this weekend through Thatcher Park and Knox, the colors on the trees where nice. Saw some snow falling on the Catskills on my so-called "dylan" ride today.

I guess KDE 2 is delayed another week -- that's good, more time for people to perfect stuff.

Listening to some Beatles right now. I should get back to doing real work, but blah.

Cool, It's a Friday -- and a long weekend. A rather boring week (news wise), I must say. Some new stuff for iMacLinux, but I have been rather busy.

I have finished up Emergency Preparness MB this week (and drove there). On Thursday, as always, went to scouts.

Hopefully I'll do something useful to post here.

2 Oct 2000 (updated 2 Oct 2000 at 02:57 UTC) »

Well I just couldn't stay off of the Long Path. So this weekend, I went along with a group of Tenderfoot scouts (the Troop 89 "NeoPatrol") to ToePath Mountain State Campground (outside of Middleberg). We decided to do a five mile hike, up Vroman's Nose, and along the Long Path into Middleberg. It was a great day, the views were awsome. The Schoarie valley is quite cool to look at from that perspective (and even driving in it). From there, we followed the Long Path to Middleberg to get ice cream. Of course, as we all know ;), the Long Path likes to follow hedgerows (along the edges of fields. This wouldn't be to bad in the summer, but in the fall, well to make a long story short, the fields were freshly manured a few weeks ago, so it was easy to get cow shit on your shoes. Oh well.

iMacLinux wise, stuff keeps being posted, and some new G&Hs are up. Have fun.

Anything else exciting? Well, I went on a rafting trip last week, and oh, I ripped some more Mp3s. Got to use the CD-RW drive someday.

Here is a mini script for getting Sourceforge CVS stuff (it's fast and easy, kind of a hack for myself):

#!/bin/sh
# A very simple program to check out
# stuff from annonymous sourceforge CVS.
#
# (c)2000, Andrew B. Arthur, BSD License.

if [ $1 = "-help" ] then echo "CVSourceforge Update Options:" echo " -help: Print Help" echo " -d: Different Server and Package" echo " -n: Not A Sourceforge Server" exit 1 fi

clear echo " CVSourceforge Update" echo " ... a simple shell script to retrive CVS programs from Sourceforge" printf " (c) 2000, Andrew B. Arthur, BSD License\n\n"

# Package Name Input. printf "Please Enter Package of Choice: " read CVSPROGNAME # Input Required Prog Name

if [ $# -eq 0 ] then printf "\nDifferent Server Flag (-d) Not Enabled, will use same server and package name." CVSASERVER=$CVSPROGNAME read fi

if [ $# -eq 1 ] then printf "Please Enter Server Name: " read CVSASERVER #Read Server Name fi # Introduce User clear printf "Note: I will prompt you for a CVS password. You should just hit return when you get this prompt.\n\n" # Login in Annonymously cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.$CVSASERVER.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/$CVSASERVER login # Introduce to Update clear printf "\n\nUpdating or Creating CVS Now...\n\n" # Do The Actual Checkout. cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.$CVSASERVER.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/$CVSASERVER co $CVSPROGNAME printf "\nDone. \n"

I am also working on some majorly lame-o qbasic stuff (right now a stupid quik.conf file generator), I'll post it in the near future.

Okay, I'm out for bed. Thanks again.

Finally got around to getting a learners permit, after my parents bitched about it for way to long. Driving at first was very hard, but after a while it got alot easier. Especially on nice wide roads. I'm still abit nervous on some of the backroads around, that have little or no sholder, and narrow lanes. Still have to try driving in a civilized areas sometime. And, my dad is always telling me drive slower on these roads, as you never know whats going to be ahead over the next hill (like a cow or a deer or something ;).

On the iMacLinux front, some new news articles were posted, and I think I did a guide or someything over the past week. Dunno, it's been pretty crazy lately.

I did my senior picture today. Slept a bunch. Watched some shows on discovery. Kind of a slow day. Mom and Katie are out on vacation.

Still messing with knapster to get the program to compile. It seems to always die of some error or another (it's apparent that it's KDE 2 support is bad). Got to try the cvs version (I assume it's on sourceforge, I'll take a look). KDE 2 still rocks I must say. I did setup cvs kweather over the weekend, it is nice.

Scout wise, I am getting back into the swing. Wensday I worked on Emergency Prep (I finally found a counsler), with Mr. Jukes. I also have scheduled to finish up Hiking next week (and get the card signed off) next week.

Need to meet with my Eagle Advisor (Edge Bagg) and Dick Rapp (Town Supvisor, Representive for my project) over getting my project signed off. Maybe tommorow.

Okay, I know you are now bored out of your mind.

Crazy past few weeks.

Lets see... where to start. Installed KDE 2 beta 3 debs last week. I haven't been keeping up with the CVS stuff lately, because I have been to busy, and it takes forever to compile on my slow machine.

KDE 2 is very nice, although it's a tad bit slower then KDE 1 (but it gets faster over time, I find). Konqueror's khtml seems to be a bit buggy (when it comes to textarea and some tags), but it hopefully will be fixed. krdb supporting GTK+ is very cool.

Last Monday, I went on my final 20 Mile Hike, from Rotterdam Junction to the Stockade district, nearby the GE plant.

Also worked on finishing up my Eagle Project paperwork. Need to set a meeting. On the same note, need to schedule a meeting with my Hiking and Emergency Prep MB Councilers. Yesterday, I did some work setting up the Tenderfoot camping trip.

As always, the news has been updated on iMacLinux, as has some of the other pages. Suggestions are always welcome. Shawn and JohnB, are working turning iMacLinux (and the related sites) into a non-profit org, registered under the name of Opaque Networks. I guess it's for legal purposes or something like that ;\.

I guess that's about it.

Fixed some links on imaclinux. The main problem was hard abosulte links that will break when things move. Unforently, because plain_page.php3 is only avalible on the www.ibooklinux.net/upgrade, I am currently forced to use absolute links

I really should be proof reading stuff before I post it. ;) At least, I think that's what John Buswell why implying when he wrote to me: TEST BEFORE POSTING IT LIVE OR YOU WILL DIE.

Yesterday I went on my 5th 10 mile hike for the Hiking Merit Badge. This was the last section across Berne. Basically I was doing 5 mile streches out then hiking back. Yes, this isn't the fastest way to do it, but if you have only one car, you have to do it.

Cool stuff I discovered. Apple's Mac.com iDisk and iEmail services are avalible under Linux, if you register for them under Mac OS (running in Mac-on-Linux or on another Macintosh computer) This is because, to install iDisk, you need a special Netscape plugin only avalible for Mac OS 9. Actually, you can run the intaller on other versions of Mac OS 7/8, if you hack the System file's version using Resedit.

After you are registered, you can do virtually everything in Linux. iEmail is just simple STMP mail, you enter in mail.mac.com for the STMP server in your Linux mail client, and you login and pass. Then you can recieve mail from your mac.com account, in my case it's andrewarthur@mac.com. I don't check that mail often, so don't bother emailing me there.

iDisk provides 20 megs of Webspace or storage, including a Photo Album. It's a simple old Appleshare over IP volume. To mount it in Linux you need to get asfsp, the Linux Appleshare mounting software. Then mount it using afpmount. The server is at idisk.mac.com. Your login and pass are the ones you registered in Mac.com.

More details, will be posted on imaclinux.net.

Which reminds me, I am out of black ink for my Epson Stylus 600. :(

So what's new...

Over at imaclinux, I've kept the news fairly up to date (its' been a slow week, like most ;). I guess I have added a few g_h's since last week. Beeler's send in his first version of the ibook howto for ibooklinux. Cool.

On the more exciting front, John Buswell, the main project manager, is working a totally new version, on a dedcated new server in his house, that will go online in the middle of October (hopefully). Hopefully, it will be easier to figure out then some of the Sourceforge stuff. While I don't know all of the details, and I probably can talk about them.

Around the same time, we will be releasing powermaclinux.net to our series of sites. This site being worked on mainly by maurice, will be geared to PowerMacs. It will be even more specialized then the pervious sites. Hopefully, it will eventually cover all PowerPC machines

Oh, before you ask, it's not my idea to buy so many domains and set up so many silly frontends. That's Buswell's idea. I think he has big plans, and totally unique frontends for each in the future.

He has some other cool sites he is working on, that I'll probably help contrib to, but I can't really talk about them (wait 'til October or Novemember for this). Sorry.

Started getting caught up on secure shell and secure copy today, as it appears I need to learn them. :) I've been using telnet and ftp for two long. However, they don't seem much more complex. I do use PGP from time to time, so, I am not a total newbie to encryption.

Finished up my eagle project today in BSA Troop 89. I am happy to have it done, now just lots paperwork and some merit badges left.

I guess that's about it. Bye.

Okay, I just wanted to let you know that I put up an early beta of PowerPC Linux Software Page and Newworld PowerMac Page.

It's important to note that these pages are subject to change, and I (and the rest of the imaclinux staff) want suggestions. Hopefully, soon I will figure out a good place to put this in the main iMacLinux database. I have sent a message off to the iMacLinux staff for them to decide.

I hope you enjoy.

Also, I have decided that this diary is as good of place as anywheres to let people know what's up.

Still no news on when my CD-burner is coming :(.

Next guide to work on? Either I will finish the RealPlayer guide or the XMMS one.

Oh, if you have saved somewhere's some of the old iMacLinux (pre-April new version) stuff, please send it to us. We lost all of our good documents last spring when the server crapped out on us.

Currently I am working on adding some new Guides to iMacLinux, and maybe on Friday I will start updating and moving some of the old ones.

Current Stuff that I am working on (for iMacLinux):

  • Newworld PowerPC Hardware Support Page
  • Software for the PowerPC
  • XMMS Guide
  • Updating other stuff.

    I really need to finish this stuff up. :) As always, we can use your help.

    If you want to get an early look at any of these pages, email me.

    I am quite busy right now, I am running low on summer to finish up stuff, especially some of the merit badges I am working on for Eagle rank in BSA. My grandmother is up, I am going for a drive to Middleburg (and the related areas) on Thursday. So, it's crazy.

    That's about it for now.

  • New Advogato Features

    New HTML Parser: The long-awaited libxml2 based HTML parser code is live. It needs further work but already handles most markup better than the original parser.

    Keep up with the latest Advogato features by reading the Advogato status blog.

    If you're a C programmer with some spare time, take a look at the mod_virgule project page and help us with one of the tasks on the ToDo list!