Teach your Kids to Code

Now this is really cool and it works great on Ubuntu 9.04.

Scratch - http://scratch.mit.edu/ Teach your kids to program.

Check it out, my kids really like doing stuff in this program.

Run Java via Shell Using GWT Classes

When I want to cron a process in the background using my gwt application classes I do something like this:

#!/bin/sh

BASE="/home/design/workspace/GV/war/WEB-INF";

# classes
MYCP="$BASE/classes:"

# jars
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/commons-codec-1.3.jar:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/commons-lang-2.4.jar:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/gwt-servlet.jar:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/log4j-1.2.15.jar:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/mail.jar:"
MYCP="$MYCP$BASE/lib/mysql-connector-java-5.1.5-bin.jar"

# debug output
echo "debug classes: "
echo $MYCP
echo ""

# run the java
#java -cp $MYCP com.gonevertical.test.Run_Test_DB_Conn;
java -cp $MYCP com.gonevertical.test.Run_Test_Email;
exit;

Change Ubuntu TimeZone

I had a problem with Eclipse timezone looking for /usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun-1.6.0.13/jre/lib/zi/Canada/Pacific. I selected Vancouver instead of Las Angeles.

I changed the time zone for my system by doing this:

# change ubuntu timezone
dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

MySql 6.11 Compile on Ubuntu 9.04

MySql install notes on Ubuntu 9.04
If you use this, you may have to read in between the lines here and there. I wasn't able to get the icc already compiled version to work b/c of a syntax error with my_print_defaults. But I compiled it from source and its working perfect. The sub-query system is so much faster, its unbelievable. I recommend using the mysql6-falcon alpha linux source install.

Compile Mysql6-falcon for ubuntu 9.04.

# http://www.howtoforge.com/mysql5_debian_sarge
# http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2009/03/compiling-mysql6.html

# get mysql source

# copy source - compile from this - do this incase you mess up
cp -R mysql-6.0.10-alpha mysql6

cd ./mysql6

sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install lib64ncurses5 libncurses5 libncurses5-dbg libncurses-dev
sudo apt-get install autoconf libtool

# auto configure
autoreconf -vif

# configure options
#./configure --help

#it was weird it stuck some stuff in the data directory that probably shouldn't be there but is fixable afterwords. I moved it to basedir/share/mysql
./configure --prefix=/srv/mysql6 --datadir=/mnt/ssd/mysql
#./configure --prefix=/srv/mysql6_11 #upgrading to .11

make

sudo make install



# copied my.cnf to /etc/mysql/my.cnf and linked /etc/my.cnf
# set [mysqld] datadir=/srv/mysql6 basedir=/srv/ssd/mysql

# add user and group
# set perimissions where needed

# setup the default system
./bin/mysql_install_db --user=mysql --basedir=/srv/mysql6 --builddir=/home/branflake2267/downloads/mysql6b --datadir=/mnt/ssd/mysql
#./bin/mysql_install_db --user=mysql --basedir=/srv/mysql6_11 --builddir=/home/branflake2267/downloads/mysql-6.0.11-alpha

# add hash next to skip-federated - notate it

#add ./share/mysql/mysql.server to /etc/init.d/mysql.server

# change basedir and datadir in mysql.server

# link ./bin/mysql to /usr/bin/mysql

# start server
sudo /etc/init.d/mysql.server start

# mysql - no password exists for root localhost user yet
./bin/mysql -uroot -p


# add user
CREATE USER 'Branflake2267'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password*7';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'Branflake2267'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
flush privileges;



#mysqls help./b
shell> groupadd mysql
shell> useradd -g mysql mysql
shell> gunzip <> cd mysql-VERSION
shell> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/mysql
shell> make
shell> make install
shell> cp support-files/my-medium.cnf /etc/my.cnf
shell> cd /usr/local/mysql
shell> chown -R mysql .
shell> chgrp -R mysql .
shell> bin/mysql_install_db --user=mysql
shell> chown -R root .
shell> chown -R mysql var
shell> bin/mysqld_safe --user=mysql &

My data project wiki notes - http://code.google.com/p/parsecsv2sql/w/edit/mysql6_falcon_install

Ubuntu GDM Auto Login

Do you want to auto login a remote computer to Gnome using SSH? I will setup VNC but forget to setup auto login and realize this after I reboot the computer.

# edit gnome preferences
sudo pico /etc/gdm/gdm.conf

# edit gdm.conf and add the user you want to auto login
AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=branflake2267

# this will log you in
sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

My Gripe with Dell

I've been a dell buyer for some time but I have been disappointed with so many buys lately. I think I just about had it with ordering from Dell. I haven't had just one event, but several that have just changed my mind about shopping at Dell.

1. Why doesn't dell show pictures of the individual parts in the list of components that go along with the server. Like, what the heck is a Bezel.

2. Why doesn't dell show specs on the hard drives that come with the server. This is a top irritation of mine because I am looking for the best hard drives for my databases.

3. For that matter you can't find any specs on any peripheral, so what am I ordering, other than the knowledge of a chipset and memory type.

4. I just hate going to there web site and trying to find something because there site is so slow. I love the sites that use ajax and think ahead for you. They have one thing that does that on there site, and that's the cost calculator, but price isn't the only thing I am buying a server for.

5. Oh yea, I was ordering Intel x24-E 64GB hard drives, which dell was selling on there web site, for $899 and newegg.com was selling them for $749. They did offer me $799 for them, so I decided to get them from newegg. But, they don't sell the 2.5" drive inserts separately for the server's 2.5" bay slots. This just irkes me. I had to buy some 80GB 7200's to get the pieces I needed to work for the SSD hard drives I got else where.

6. One thing I did with a Intel x24-E 64GB hard drives, I just connected it to my MD1000 sata connector, it hangs there ok, but it would be nice to have a 3.5" to 2.5" connector or slot reducer, but why would they do that.

7. I got a dell Inspiron 1525 laptop a few months back. It had all extra I/Os on the side, like HDMI, firewire, vga, ethernet, usb. But it irkes me that the headphones jack is in front. When every time I sit in the recliner with head phones it pokes my belly, annoying!

8. After some use of my dell 1525, I found it bows in the middle, scratching the surface between the hindge and causing the keys to touch the screen as well as some of the speaker grill. This is starting to look tacky but I don't have time to figure out what to do b/c I need a portable computer for work. But another Irk. I am just about ready to take it back to best buy.

8. So I go back to Best buy to get another laptop for someone else, and look at the dell laptops but this time I paid attention to the small things. They had some other dells with less features and more money. This time I walked out of the door with a fabulous Toshiba, with more features for the same money.

9. The server just came and wala, no faceplate. What the snot! How did I miss that! I blame the web sites information is incomplete and doesn't give you enough about what your ordering. For instance, why not fill in the specifications and give pictures of the components that are included. Check Sun's site, which looks to me for the same price I may be getting more for my money. Check back for my future buys.

10. I just called dell to figure out where the faceplate is at. First the salesman told me to call the tech department, well no I get transferred and this call director guy asks me for the service tag. Well the service tag is on the server in the box, and I have to dig it out, so I ask the guy to look it up, which he cannot do. Poor service, can't help the customer the way the customer wants. You would figure information can be looked up so customer can be helped, guess not. Now I wait for another 10 minutes on the phone.

Dell has lost the site of the end user, me. The more time goes buy, the more I see Dell's competitors really producing some very nice hardware, and there on my radar now. Especially when quite a few dollars goes through my hands in directing other companies purchases, that money will no longer be going to dell, but to higher quality hardware for the same money.

Dell's gotten cheap 3rd rate when you compare them to the competitors gear.