I Am No Longer F**kn' Up
@ 2010-06-26 18:09:49.637923
Filed under: Linux Tech
After waiting what seemed like forever I was able to finally get an HTC EVO. Unless you wear iBlinders (seen below) you have heard of the HTC Evo. It wasn't very long ago that I found out I was "f**ckn' up" but not having one (see this). I am proud to say that is no longer the case!
iBlinders(R)(TM)(Patent No 1234567)
So here is the deal. About a week and a half ago I finally put myself on the Evo waiting list at the local Sprint store. I was told there was about 50 people in front of me. I went online to look to see if I could order direct from Sprint but they stopped taking orders until they could fulfill the current back orders (or so the graphic seemed to indicate). The only place I could find selling Evo's were Amazon and brick-and-mortar Sprint stores. Just to be safe I put in an order on Amazon -- it would take about 2 weeks to fulfill and I figured if one came through I should be able to cancel the other one.
Fast forward to today. I decided (on a whim ... I think) to drop in to the Sprint store and find out where I was on the waiting list. The friendly fellow behind the podium stated there was no more waiting list. Hmmm ... I thought about that for about 5 seconds and then responded saying that I never received a call over the last week and a half. He then informed me that if I could just hang out for a bit they could hook me up with one as 5 showed up not much sooner before I dropped in.
I stood awkwardly at the back of the store hoping that this would not turn out to be a mistake. I then saw a manager like fellow walk out of the back with an Evo box and take it to the guy who was behind the podium (now at a register helping a lady). I watched as he started to ring her up for an Evo when he called the manager back over and pointed at me.
Podium Guy: That guy over there is waiting on one too. He said he was on the waiting list but didn't get a call.
Manager: He is wrong. Everyone was called.
Podium Guy: Well, he didn't get a call.
Manager: Then he wasn't on the list
I started to get a bit frustrated. I was on the list ... or at least I was told I was on the list when I stopped in during my lunch break a week and a half ago. I stood there thinking that maybe I would have to fall back on my Amazon order and wait another 5 days before I would get my hands on the device.
The manager came back out from the bowels of the store (or maybe the left arm, it's hard to tell) and called me over. He asked me if I was waiting for an Evo and I told him that I was and that I stopped by a week and a half ago and got on the list but didn't get a call. His response was a friendly "If you were on the list, you got a call already and if you don't pick up then we take you off the list." I thought about arguing that point. I have a phone. It keeps track of who called me. They are Sprint. They can see who called me. I didn't get a call. I decided instead of getting upset I would give him a nugget of information so he knows I'm not trying to MBA (like BSing but being an elitist too) him out of a phone. I told him that I had come in a week and a half ago and was told there was about 50 people ahead of me on the list and that it was first come first serve. I also told him that the guy who took my reservation wrote my information down on a yellow legal pad and I'm not sure if that was the official list or a temporary one. I'm assuming something I said in there clicked with him because he told me not to go anywhere and he would go pull one of the last two out of the back for me ... and within minutes I was in process of getting my plan moved over for the new phone.
I've only spent about 30 minutes with the phone so far, but I am impressed. While the UI is not as polished as the Palm Pre, it is a very fast phone with a ton of options and abilities. It's also got some impressive hardware!! So far the only semi-negative experience I've had would be in getting the phone ... but then again I can't complain, I didn't get iPhone'd (or -- waiting hours if not days in attempts to get the hardware you preordered a month ago to work and then hopefully just work after that).
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Python RPM Specs Needing a Loving Home @ 2010-06-22 16:37:30.688423
Filed under: Linux Code Tech Fedora Python
I found myself in need of some (currently) unpackaged python libraries and tools so I decided to do some quick packaging. If you are using these libraries (or want to) on a Fedora, RHEL or CentOS system and want to start packaging in Fedora then one of these could be an easy jumping in package. Note that they are not perfect so they still need a bit of love before getting them approved but it's (slightly) easier than starting from scratch!
django-picklefield.spec: provides an implementation of a pickled object field
python-amqplib.spec: Client library for AMQP
python-anyjson.spec: Wraps the best available JSON implementation available in a common interface
python-billiard.spec: Multiprocessing Pool Extensions
python-carrot.spec: AMQP Messaging Framework for Python
python-importlib.spec: Backport of importlib.import_module() from Python 2.7
python-celery.spec: task queue/job queue based on distributed message passing (requires all of the above)
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Hello Guruplug You Jerk @ 2010-05-17 23:16:53.858363
Filed under: Linux Tech Frustration
So you bought a Guruplug. You've waited and waited and now it's at your front door taunting you. You rip open the packaging and find a place in your networking closet to plug it in. Ethernet cord plugged in you plug the Guruplug in and watch your router logs. Nothing. Restart the plug and watch logs. Nothing. Change ethernet ports, reboot and watch logs. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. ARRGGGG!
Don't fear -- here is some help. Before I start please note most of this information came from the forums at plugcomputer.org. Also note I am tired and cranky.
First, unplug the Guruplug and unplug the ethernet cord from the device. Before an ethernet connection will work you will need to ensure that your router/switch is 10/100 and not a gigabit router/switch. This may seem odd but many people have found plugging into gigabit devices (even those which can sense and fail downwards) causes the Guruplug to plainly not work. Go find an old router/switch and patch it in to your modern gigabit switch and then plug the guru plug in through there. While it shouldn't matter (at least I don't *think* it should matter) which ethernet jack you use note I have only tested it with the top one (the one closest to the logo and lights).
Lookie there! You see the Guruplug in your router logs now with an IP address. Great! ssh on over with the root user and the default password of nosoup4u (yeah -- really, that is it). Before you do anything else, STOP! Do you need the wifi device running? Anyone is able to join the network and use your connection! Even if you are going to be using the wifi in the Guruplug in your project you probably do not need it running at this point, so let's turn it off temporarily by running "uaputl sys_cfg_radio_ctl off". Use your desktop/laptop and check to make sure that you can no longer see the GuruPlug SSID (it may take a minute or two you to see). If you know you are not going to be using the Wifi for a while you can turn it off by editing /root/init_setup.sh and comment out everything from "rm -f /etc/wlanclient.mode" up to and including "/usr/bin/uaputl bss_start". The file should now look like this:
As any good engineer you just tried to update the system (you are a good engineer aren't you?). The problem here is that, well, it didn't work.
OK, now we see all those stupid messages saying we are getting stuff from the future. That is cool and all but we don't need to hear about time traveling code over and over. Let's fix it using date. You will need to run date like so 'date -s "+Mon May 17 22:50:00 EST 2010"'. Now you will need to really set the timezone (assuming you are not in UTC). To do this replacing EST with your correct timzeone: "cd /etc/; mv localtime localtime.old; ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/EST localtime".
Now is the moment of truth. Reboot the plug by running "reboot". It will probably come back up with the same IP address (punch a tree in the face), but if you can't get to the plug check your routers logs to see if it got assigned another address. Everything should be great and you should be off to the races. YES DICE! Now I need sleep. I have no more caffeine powering my madness.
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python-dulwich spec file @ 2010-04-16 20:39:42
Filed under: Linux Tech Fedora Python
I was looking at Anyvc when I couldn't seem to find a dulwich package in Fedora. I threw together a spec file so I could test out anyvc (it's pretty cool by the way). I don't intend to maintain a dulwich package since I use Mecurial most of the time these days. Nothing against Git, I still like it!
If you are interested and taking the spec and running with it as a maintainer you can find it here.
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Mongoose Web Server Spec @ 2010-03-10 20:19:33
Filed under: Linux Code Tech Fedora Python
I happened to take a look at this and see there wasn't a package for it. It's one of those items that I don't have time to keep up with but I think would be a nice package to have in Fedora. If anyone wants to pick up with this and run with it be my guest!
The package includes a subpackage for devel (a single header file) and a subpackage for the Python bindings. There is also a patch to get the Python code to find the shared object.
Have fun!
Patch: mongoose-site-location.patch
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Filed under: Linux Tech
After waiting what seemed like forever I was able to finally get an HTC EVO. Unless you wear iBlinders (seen below) you have heard of the HTC Evo. It wasn't very long ago that I found out I was "f**ckn' up" but not having one (see this). I am proud to say that is no longer the case!
iBlinders(R)(TM)(Patent No 1234567)
So here is the deal. About a week and a half ago I finally put myself on the Evo waiting list at the local Sprint store. I was told there was about 50 people in front of me. I went online to look to see if I could order direct from Sprint but they stopped taking orders until they could fulfill the current back orders (or so the graphic seemed to indicate). The only place I could find selling Evo's were Amazon and brick-and-mortar Sprint stores. Just to be safe I put in an order on Amazon -- it would take about 2 weeks to fulfill and I figured if one came through I should be able to cancel the other one.
Fast forward to today. I decided (on a whim ... I think) to drop in to the Sprint store and find out where I was on the waiting list. The friendly fellow behind the podium stated there was no more waiting list. Hmmm ... I thought about that for about 5 seconds and then responded saying that I never received a call over the last week and a half. He then informed me that if I could just hang out for a bit they could hook me up with one as 5 showed up not much sooner before I dropped in.
I stood awkwardly at the back of the store hoping that this would not turn out to be a mistake. I then saw a manager like fellow walk out of the back with an Evo box and take it to the guy who was behind the podium (now at a register helping a lady). I watched as he started to ring her up for an Evo when he called the manager back over and pointed at me.
Podium Guy: That guy over there is waiting on one too. He said he was on the waiting list but didn't get a call.
Manager: He is wrong. Everyone was called.
Podium Guy: Well, he didn't get a call.
Manager: Then he wasn't on the list
I started to get a bit frustrated. I was on the list ... or at least I was told I was on the list when I stopped in during my lunch break a week and a half ago. I stood there thinking that maybe I would have to fall back on my Amazon order and wait another 5 days before I would get my hands on the device.
The manager came back out from the bowels of the store (or maybe the left arm, it's hard to tell) and called me over. He asked me if I was waiting for an Evo and I told him that I was and that I stopped by a week and a half ago and got on the list but didn't get a call. His response was a friendly "If you were on the list, you got a call already and if you don't pick up then we take you off the list." I thought about arguing that point. I have a phone. It keeps track of who called me. They are Sprint. They can see who called me. I didn't get a call. I decided instead of getting upset I would give him a nugget of information so he knows I'm not trying to MBA (like BSing but being an elitist too) him out of a phone. I told him that I had come in a week and a half ago and was told there was about 50 people ahead of me on the list and that it was first come first serve. I also told him that the guy who took my reservation wrote my information down on a yellow legal pad and I'm not sure if that was the official list or a temporary one. I'm assuming something I said in there clicked with him because he told me not to go anywhere and he would go pull one of the last two out of the back for me ... and within minutes I was in process of getting my plan moved over for the new phone.
I've only spent about 30 minutes with the phone so far, but I am impressed. While the UI is not as polished as the Palm Pre, it is a very fast phone with a ton of options and abilities. It's also got some impressive hardware!! So far the only semi-negative experience I've had would be in getting the phone ... but then again I can't complain, I didn't get iPhone'd (or -- waiting hours if not days in attempts to get the hardware you preordered a month ago to work and then hopefully just work after that).
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Python RPM Specs Needing a Loving Home @ 2010-06-22 16:37:30.688423
Filed under: Linux Code Tech Fedora Python
I found myself in need of some (currently) unpackaged python libraries and tools so I decided to do some quick packaging. If you are using these libraries (or want to) on a Fedora, RHEL or CentOS system and want to start packaging in Fedora then one of these could be an easy jumping in package. Note that they are not perfect so they still need a bit of love before getting them approved but it's (slightly) easier than starting from scratch!
django-picklefield.spec: provides an implementation of a pickled object field
python-amqplib.spec: Client library for AMQP
python-anyjson.spec: Wraps the best available JSON implementation available in a common interface
python-billiard.spec: Multiprocessing Pool Extensions
python-carrot.spec: AMQP Messaging Framework for Python
python-importlib.spec: Backport of importlib.import_module() from Python 2.7
python-celery.spec: task queue/job queue based on distributed message passing (requires all of the above)
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Hello Guruplug You Jerk @ 2010-05-17 23:16:53.858363
Filed under: Linux Tech Frustration
So you bought a Guruplug. You've waited and waited and now it's at your front door taunting you. You rip open the packaging and find a place in your networking closet to plug it in. Ethernet cord plugged in you plug the Guruplug in and watch your router logs. Nothing. Restart the plug and watch logs. Nothing. Change ethernet ports, reboot and watch logs. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. ARRGGGG!
Don't fear -- here is some help. Before I start please note most of this information came from the forums at plugcomputer.org. Also note I am tired and cranky.
First, unplug the Guruplug and unplug the ethernet cord from the device. Before an ethernet connection will work you will need to ensure that your router/switch is 10/100 and not a gigabit router/switch. This may seem odd but many people have found plugging into gigabit devices (even those which can sense and fail downwards) causes the Guruplug to plainly not work. Go find an old router/switch and patch it in to your modern gigabit switch and then plug the guru plug in through there. While it shouldn't matter (at least I don't *think* it should matter) which ethernet jack you use note I have only tested it with the top one (the one closest to the logo and lights).
Lookie there! You see the Guruplug in your router logs now with an IP address. Great! ssh on over with the root user and the default password of nosoup4u (yeah -- really, that is it). Before you do anything else, STOP! Do you need the wifi device running? Anyone is able to join the network and use your connection! Even if you are going to be using the wifi in the Guruplug in your project you probably do not need it running at this point, so let's turn it off temporarily by running "uaputl sys_cfg_radio_ctl off". Use your desktop/laptop and check to make sure that you can no longer see the GuruPlug SSID (it may take a minute or two you to see). If you know you are not going to be using the Wifi for a while you can turn it off by editing /root/init_setup.sh and comment out everything from "rm -f /etc/wlanclient.mode" up to and including "/usr/bin/uaputl bss_start". The file should now look like this:
# We always bootup in AP mode. Delete any stale files
#rm -f /etc/wlanclient.mode
#SSID=Plug2-uAP-`ifconfig eth0 | awk -F ":" '/HWaddr/ {print $6$7}'`
#
#insmod /root/uap8xxx.ko
#ifconfig uap0 192.168.1.1 up
#/usr/bin/uaputl sys_cfg_ssid $SSID
#/usr/bin/uaputl bss_start
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o ppp0 -j MASQUERADE
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
/etc/init.d/udhcpd start
/etc/init.d/dnsmasq start
iptables -A INPUT -i uap0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
# Re-enable bluetooth. In the earlier case, it didn't find the firmware.
#rmmod libertas_sdio libertas btmrvl_sdio btmrvl bluetooth 2>/dev/null
rmmod btmrvl_sdio btmrvl
/etc/init.d/bluetooth start
modprobe btmrvl_sdio
hciconfig hci0 up
hciconfig hci0 piscan
/usr/bin/mute-agent &
# Set leds
echo 1 > `eval ls /sys/class/leds/*plug*\:green\:health/brightness`
echo 1 > `eval ls /sys/class/leds/*plug*\:green\:wmode/brightness`
Now let's get that root password changed! We don't want someone iPhoning us! All you need to do is run "passwd". You will be prompted for your new password two times. Now the root password is no longer nosoup4u, it is what you just set it to. Don't forget it.
As any good engineer you just tried to update the system (you are a good engineer aren't you?). The problem here is that, well, it didn't work.
Err http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Release.gpg Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) Err http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Translation-en_US Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) Ign http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Release Ign http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Packages/DiffIndex Ign http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Packages Err http://10.82.108.51 binary/ Packages Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) W: Failed to fetch http://10.82.108.51/kedars/sheevaplug_wifi/builds/packages/binary/Release.gpg Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) W: Failed to fetch http://10.82.108.51/kedars/sheevaplug_wifi/builds/packages/binary/en_US.gz Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) W: Failed to fetch http://10.82.108.51/kedars/sheevaplug_wifi/builds/packages/binary/Packages Could not connect to 10.82.108.51:80 (10.82.108.51). - connect (110 Connection timed out) E: Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead. E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.As the error states, go ahead and run "dpkg --configure -a". Then edit /etc/apt/sources.list and comment out the silly internal to the manufacturers network IP address so the file looks like this:
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free deb http://security.debian.org lenny/updates main contrib non-free deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main contrib non-free #deb http://10.82.108.51/kedars/sheevaplug_wifi/builds/packages/ binary/Now run "apt-get update && apt-get upgrade" to get that system updated. This will take a bit of time. While that runs go learn about Mentally Ill Gangsters
OK, now we see all those stupid messages saying we are getting stuff from the future. That is cool and all but we don't need to hear about time traveling code over and over. Let's fix it using date. You will need to run date like so 'date -s "+Mon May 17 22:50:00 EST 2010"'. Now you will need to really set the timezone (assuming you are not in UTC). To do this replacing EST with your correct timzeone: "cd /etc/; mv localtime localtime.old; ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/EST localtime".
Now is the moment of truth. Reboot the plug by running "reboot". It will probably come back up with the same IP address (punch a tree in the face), but if you can't get to the plug check your routers logs to see if it got assigned another address. Everything should be great and you should be off to the races. YES DICE! Now I need sleep. I have no more caffeine powering my madness.
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Comments: 0
python-dulwich spec file @ 2010-04-16 20:39:42
Filed under: Linux Tech Fedora Python
I was looking at Anyvc when I couldn't seem to find a dulwich package in Fedora. I threw together a spec file so I could test out anyvc (it's pretty cool by the way). I don't intend to maintain a dulwich package since I use Mecurial most of the time these days. Nothing against Git, I still like it!
If you are interested and taking the spec and running with it as a maintainer you can find it here.
digg it
seed it
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ma.gnolia
Comments: 0
Mongoose Web Server Spec @ 2010-03-10 20:19:33
Filed under: Linux Code Tech Fedora Python
I happened to take a look at this and see there wasn't a package for it. It's one of those items that I don't have time to keep up with but I think would be a nice package to have in Fedora. If anyone wants to pick up with this and run with it be my guest!
The package includes a subpackage for devel (a single header file) and a subpackage for the Python bindings. There is also a patch to get the Python code to find the shared object.
Have fun!
Patch: mongoose-site-location.patch
--- bindings/python/mongoose.py 2010-03-10 20:07:53.735407453 -0500
+++ bindings/python/mongoose.py 2010-03-10 20:09:08.935760549 -0500
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@
def __init__(self, **kwargs):
dll_extension = os.name == 'nt' and 'dll' or 'so'
- self.dll = ctypes.CDLL('_mongoose.%s' % dll_extension)
+ from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib
+ self.dll = ctypes.CDLL(get_python_lib(1) + '/_mongoose.%s' % dll_extension)
start = self.dll.mg_start
self.ctx = ctypes.c_voidp(self.dll.mg_start()).value
self.version = ctypes.c_char_p(self.dll.mg_version()).value
# sitearch for others (remove the unneeded one)
%{!?python_sitearch: %global python_sitearch %(%{__python} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib; print(get_python_lib(1))")}
Name: mongoose
Version: 2.8
Release: 1%{?dist}
Summary: Simple and easy to use web server
Group: System Environment/Daemons
License: MIT
URL: http://code.google.com/p/mongoose/
Source0: http://mongoose.googlecode.com/files/%{name}-%{version}.tgz
Patch0: mongoose-site-location.patch
BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-root-%(%{__id_u} -n)
%description
Mongoose is an easy to use web server. It can be embedded into
existing application to provide a web interface to it.
%package python
Summary: Python bindings for the mongoose web server
Requires: mongoose
%description python
Mongoose is an easy to use web server. It can be embedded into
existing application to provide a web interface to it. This
package includes the bindings for the Python programming language.
%package devel
Summary: Development files for the mongoose web server
BuildArch: noarch
%description devel
Mongoose is an easy to use web server. It can be embedded into
existing application to provide a web interface to it. This
package includes the development files.
%prep
%setup -qn %{name}
%patch0
%build
make %{?_smp_mflags} linux
%install
rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
# Install the base
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_bindir}
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_mandir}/man1/
cp %{name} $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_bindir}
cp %{name}.1 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_mandir}/man1/
# Install the python bindings
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{python_sitearch}
cp bindings/python/mongoose.py _%{name}.so $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{python_sitearch}
# Install the development files
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_includedir}/%{name}/
cp %{name}.h $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_includedir}/%{name}/
%clean
rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
%files
%defattr(-,root,root,-)
%{_bindir}/%{name}
%{_mandir}/man1/%{name}.1.gz
%files python
%defattr(-,root,root,-)
%{python_sitearch}/_%{name}.so
%{python_sitearch}/%{name}.py*
%files devel
%defattr(-,root,root,-)
%{_includedir}/%{name}/
%changelog
* Wed Mar 10 2010 Steve 'Ashcrow' Milner <me@stevemilner.org> 2.8-1
- Initial spec
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