viernes, 27 de noviembre de 2009

Maemo, nokia, linux and more

I've a new tag for the blog "Maemo".
As a start point I'm creating a list of my prefer apps like I did in other platforms.


Nokia N800
Hardware:
400MHz TI OMAP 2420
800 × 480 resolution,
105 mm (4.13 in), 88 pixels/cm,
225 ppi, 65536 colors (16-bit)
Internal SD: 8GB (max 32 GB)
Removable SD: 8GB (max 32 GB)
MiniUSB
Battery: BP-5L Li-Po 1500 mAh
OS Maemo OS2008 aka Diablo (5.2008.43-7)


Nokia N810

Hardware:
400MHz TI OMAP 2420
800 × 480 resolution,
Integrated mem: 2GB (/dev/mmcblk0) (/dev/mmcblk0p1 1.84GB FAT32)
SD mem(MiniSDHC): -
Internal GPS
Keyboard
MicroUSB-B
Battery: BP-4L Li-Po 1500 mAh
OS Maemo OS2008 aka Diablo (5.2008.43-7)

flash memory schema

1st steps:
1 Upgrade firmware
2 Add repositories (application manager, catalogues)
2.1 Enable Extras
2.2 ?Add Maemo Hackers (osso-statusbar
3 Install utilities
rootsh
Usbcontrol 1.03




Improvements/hacks:

1 Partition internal SD (5GB FAT32 !*, 3GB EXT)
2 Add linux ext3 partitions
3 Clone OS to SD+ install bootloader
4 Install QT4
5 Install Easy debian


!* Windows have problems with big FAT32 partitions

(G) GPL
(F) Freeware
(C) Commercial



Garnet VM(Palm OS emulator)
PalmOS has some good apps, Maemo hasn't as good PIM apps as Palm:
-Agendus Pre
-Bonsai
-Project@Hand

MAEMO APPS




NETWORK/INTERNET

Mail: Email, Claws 3.7.1
Instant Messenger (msn, jabber,etc): Pidgin 0.6.6.6onix
Web browsers:
--Midori v0.1.4 [webkit flavor]
--Tear 0.3.5.1 [webkit flavor, light weight]
--Fennec 1.0b1 [firefox flavour, heavy weight, 25mb RAM]
--Opera Mobile 10.1beta1-6
1.0Alpha1.2

Voip/SIP Client:
--InternetCall (Generic providers)
--Skype 1.7.113
--Gizmo

Remote Admin:Rdesktop
PyRDesktop
IRC Client: Xchat
FTP Client:
Telnet:
SSH:



PRODUCTIVITY
Word: Abiword
Spreadsheet/excel: Gnumeric
PDF: ePDF viewer, evince
Dictionary/translator: StarDict+

TOOLS
Partitions: Partition Editor aka Gparted 0.3.8 (*)
*internal flash. doesn't work on Maemo installed in SD.
Console-tools.deb v1 (clone,backup,restore,bootmenu using pb or pbeasy command)
easy-chroot 0.2.3-1

System:
Advanced power 0.4.1-6
Advanced power-monitor 0.5.1-6
osso-statusbar-cpu
USB Host
EmelFM2 0.5.0 rev29
Kerez
mlocate 0.18-2(debfarm repository)

Applets:
Hometools

Development:
PyGTKEditor v2.4.4-1
Python develop env.
python2.5-runtime(apt-get)


MULTIMEDIA

MP3 Player:
MediaBox 2010.09.11(support lrc files, internet radio..)
Quasar Media Player
gPodder 2.13 (podcasts from gpodder.net)


Video:
mYTube 0.1.5-1(* need a patch)
mplayer 1.0rc1
kmplayer (frontend)

Image viewer:
Mirage
Quiver


LEARNING
mnemosyne 2.0.0beta11
-Import .xml, .mem (ver1), tab text(for Q/A)
-sounds (Espeak v1.43 installed)

GPS
Mapas: Maemo mapper 2.6.2 [openstreet maps,]
Route planning: navit

PIM
Passwords: KeepassX 02.2(needs QT4)

viernes, 18 de septiembre de 2009

The best of Software for MacOS Tiger(10.4 PPC Ibook

"...Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar..."





Why not a upgrade to Leopard, Snow Leopard or Linux?
Hardare with more than 5 years can't run the newer MacOS X, on other hand Linux can be a good movement to have a supported platform for more time (I will write about it in a future).

Why not to upgrade your hardware?
I think the power of PPC hardware is enough to do all the tasks me or you can need to do. On the other hand to change your hardware too often is not compatible with the sustainable development and the environment, you can choose if you are part of the problem or the solution..

Why to do a list the software and version?
In these moments too many programs are moving the requirements to Mac OS 10.5 or Intel platform therefore I think to know which is the last version you could be interesting.

What about G3 PPC CPU and MacOSX 10.3 aka Panther?
Some of the apps listed here are not compatible with Panther, few developers still supporting this OS, but I'm sure there are many people using them for all tasks like I'm still using my Tiger OS.
Maybe the best choice is to install a linux, and alternate the use of mac or linux depending of tasks.

How long could we resist using this hardware for all the tasks?
Depending of the type of the apps you are using you could be using for many years taking care in search the proper versions.


For personal preference i will list more free as freedom apps than free as beer or commercial ones.



Hardware:
G4 800 Mhz (ppc7450)
RAM 768MB

Operative system:
10.4.11


Software (PPC):

Internet:
-TenFourFox  31.2 (A light weight firefox port for ppc)
           http://sourceforge.net/projects/tenfourfox/files/
-TenFourFox 17.0.1 (A light weight firefox port for ppc)
-Opera 10.63 (eating less memory than Firefox/Safari/Webkit flavours)
-Shiira 2.3
-Shiira 1.2.2 (lightweight and based on WebKit code, still eating a lot of RAM)
-Firefox 3.6.12 (the big bother Mozilla still supporting our Tiger OS ;)
-Sunrise 1.8.5 (lightweight)
-Omniweb 5.10.1 (fat webclient)
-Icab 4.7.0 (Shareware)
-Safari 4.1.3 (be careful updating safari, you must have a clean and updated OS, and sometimes there are problems *)
-Camino 2.0

Alternatives to a updated Safari:
-WebKit Nightly Builds - trunk/81558
   WebKit-533.21.1-Tiger.dmg
-Safari 3.0.4 for Tiger (standalone version from Multi-Safari)


-Adium 1.3.10
-Amule 2.2.5
-Vuze 4.3 (Torrent client)
-Skype 2.8.0 (not working since Microsoft broke compatibility)
-Spotify 0.3.23


Multimedia:
-XBMC. Version working (ppc-9.04.1-repack.dmg) A heavy weight in media players, free and cross-platform ;) . Has a good support for karaoke and minilyrics
-QuickTime 7.6.4+Perian. With codecs can be even a faster alternative to VLC
-Perian 1.2.3(must have for quicktime, include codecs)
-niceplayer 0.96.2 (581)
-VLC 0.9.10. Latest version compiled for Tiger, what to say about one of the best video player, free and multi plataform...
-Cog 0.0.7 (lightweight media player)
-Vox 0.2.6 (lightweight media player)
-itunes 9.2.1
-SWF&FLV 3.8.20(Best way to watch or download flash videos like youtube, Commercial)
-Miro 2.5.4 (Other heavy weight Multimedia center, very complete even includes a torrent client)
-Songbird 0.7.0 PPC (with firefox code, hundreds of plugins, free and multi plataform, an itunes, ms media player killer, I read anyone compiled a v1 for PPC however it is not available for download)
--Add-ons:
--- lyrics plugin
--- lyric Master

Image viewer:
-Cocoview X v0.9.6
-Xee v2.0
-Gimp v2.6.6 (the powerful gimp)



Emulation/Virtualization:
-Virtual PC + Windows 2000
-Q kju 0.9.0 (098) Qemu for MacOX (Open images from Qemu and VPC7)
-Guest PC

kju screenshot mac

-X11 1.1.3 (Xfree86 4.4.0
-Fink 0.8.1 (execute Linux apps on MacOS)
-Fink Commander 0.5.5 (GUI for Fink)
---Siag 3.6.0
---Gnumeric 1.4.1

-Macports 1.9.1 (Last version for Tiger, requires Xcode 2.5)
-XCode 2.5 (from Apple developer center)
-Porticus (GUI for Macports)
--Pidgin 2.7.6

Office/Productivity:
-OmniGraffle 4.2.3 (Flowcharts - shareware)
-Conceptdraw 8.0.7.3 (Flowcharts, many templates and standard symbols - Commercial)
-Iwork09 (Apple Office suite)
-NeoOffice 3.0.2 (Nice port of OpenOffice)
-OpenOffice 3.2.1 (The big alternative to Ms Office)
-Sundbird 0.9 (Multiplatform Mozilla calendar)
-OpenProj 1.4 (Multiplatform Java Project Management app)
-Merlin 2.6.3 (nice Project Management app, commercial)
-Abiword 2.3.6 (Light and powerful wordprocesor)
-Dict OS X v1.0 (Free Dict compatible with freedict.org dictionaries)
dictionaries to /Library/Application support/Dict OS X


Remote control

-Ms. Remote Desktop v.201
-VNCThing v.2.2
-Chicken of the VNC v.20b2
-Real VNC Viewer E454
-JollyFastVNC 1.12
-NO-IP DUC 3.15 (Dynamic Ip)

Utilities/System:
-iPaste 1.1.3 (multiple clipboard manager)
-GrandPerspective 1.1.0 (Folder size by images
-KeePassX 0.4.1
-KisMac 0.2.99 (a swiss knife for wireless)
-Keka 0.1.2.1(compress files manager, BUT it  fails with .app files)
-Unrarx 2.2
-Vuescan 8.4.13(offer support for non supported scanners)
-iPartition 2.2.0 (Partition and repartition)

Others:



MacOS ToolBox


-Bootable Utilities Image 2.2.0 (Apps to fix your computer, current versions are only intel compatible)
-Burn 2.41 (A Free CD-DVD burner)

-SuperDuper! 2.6.2 (Harddrive util, clone)
-Clone X3 3.3.0 (Harddrive util)
-Carbon Copy Cloner 3.3(Harddrive util, clone)
-BootCD 0.6.4.1 (Harddrive util)
-SilverKeeper 2.0.2 (Harddrive util)
-CopyCatX (Harddrive util, clone..)

-KCNScrew (serials)
-Iserial Reader
-Pacifist 2.6.3
-Jdownloader

viernes, 15 de mayo de 2009

Basic but useful tips and tricks for software


Some tricks I want to store.

***Excel

Formulas:
SUBTOTAL(formulaID, range)
SUMIF(rangeIF,condition, rangeSUM)
CELL("row";A12)    [Locate ROW num]
ROW()   [Current row number]
INDIRECT() [Reference in text]

ADDRESS( row, column, [], [ref_style], [sheet_name] )
ref_type
3 Absolute column; relative row

ref_style
TRUE A1  Sheet1!$E$4
FALSE R1C1 style referencing R4C5



***Windows
-If you are using 2 displays as extended desktop,
how to manage, windows, placed in 2nd display if it were off, broken,...
Press Alt-Tab and select the window,  nothing will happen in 1st display
Press Win+Shift +Left or Right, depending on where we configured main display.

-Enable full Administrator account (from Windows 7)
Open a cmd as Administrator (UAC, User Account Control)
net user administrator /active:yes
net user administrador /active:yes (Windows in spanish)
logoff/change of user, logon with the new account



***Firefox
Specify an specific Java plugin version
By default Firefox detects last java version and uses it
about:config then "plugin.scan.SunJRE" change value from 1.3 (which means the minimun version to use) to 1.9 (not existing yet) (*), teh previous step forces to use plugin from firefox folder.

-Copy xxx\j2re1.x.x\bin files to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins

(*)Note: Java version is quite confusing, a version 6.xx means 1.6.xx





***Eclipse

Tricks
ctrl+shift-L. Show a keyb-shortcut list

alt+arrows. Move in the editor tabs

Addons/plugins
"EclipseColorer"
to edit old microsoft .ASP files:
Install from Software update manager:
[url update manager: http://colorer.sf.net/eclipsecolorer/ ]

"Virtual Word Wrap"
Install from Software update manager:
[url update manager: http://ahtik.com/eclipse-update/ ]
right click, select "Virtual Word Wrap"


***Notepad++
Indispensable plugins:    
Compare
TextFX
Function List
Multiclipboard
Javascript formater
JSMinNPP.1.13
JSONViewer
XML tools - Pretty print(XML only with line breaks)
Npp XML Tree view
Analyse plugin (find and mark several string at same time) 


Notepad++ Syntax for a file ext

*Autocompletation for programming languages (Ctrl+Space)

*select rectangle area= alt+select area
*See 2 texts a same time(2 windows or views)
-"View","Move/clone current document", "move to another view"
-"Plugins","Compare","Compare" (big files could hang notepad++)
* CharacterMap, Edit, Character Panel
* Zoom View, Document Map
*Add a new file extension to Syntax Style  for Languages (i.e .NSQL to apply SQL)  (Setting, Style, "Language", User ext:)


**** BMC Remedy tricks ****
Searching

Search
  Classification
     Product Categorization
       tier1 xxxxx
       tier2 yyyyy
       ......
Menu: Actions, Save Search
Menu: Actions, My searches

  Assigned in the log

Search, Advanced Functions, "Advanced Search", "Search Incidents by Assignment Logs"
Assignment type: Assigned
Fill fields in Assignment and Ownership section

Historic of ticket (Assignees and notifications sent)
Functions, View Audit Form




***Internet explorer
(It isn't a free as freedom app)

IE Developer Toolbar(by Microsoft, looks like the firefox webdeveloper toolbar)

jueves, 30 de abril de 2009

Firefox and Songbird/Nightingale config files

In the latest versions firefox has changed its configuration file format, now it is using database files.

SQLite Manager 0.4.8 (firefox AddOn to open files with SQLlite db)

firefox (when 3.08)
files_with_extension.sqlite
files_with_extension.json

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxx

Files description.



songbird (when v1.1.2) (replaced by Nightingale)
files_with_extension.db
files_with_extension.sqlite

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Songbird2\Profiles\xxx

Files description.
main@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music files(local stored)
web@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music references(web stored)
playbackhistory@songbirdnest.com.db

sábado, 3 de enero de 2009

Automate and improving the web






Actually we use some pages like a desktop programs, Webmail as mail clients, some flavour of offices, dictionaries, etc...

But this web software hasn't enough features, functions, menus, etc as the desktop option, in some cases because a free web apps has advertisements and you must see it.

But we can solve these problems and program repetitive task, modify the showed text, appearance...

I've used two tools Chickenfoot and GreaseMonkey accompanied by our dear Firefox and a bit of Javascript knowledge (useful in pages with Javascript).

Our code or actions are transparent to the web server, however our code can interact with the web app, sending forms with our values, going links, opening new windows,...
Our code need to locate the html or Javascript code to interact with it, for it we can use DOM(Document Object Model) or XPath.


Chikenfoot
Greasemonkey
Mozilla Developer Centre:Javascript

Example of Chickenfoot code and a useful real case :

CF find all the "expand" links and click'em all





Example of Javascript function used in Chickenfoot:
 

Chickenfoot have functions to locate elements in a web page, such as find() but many times we must use javascript to locate the elements, so we should the following functions:

array=ref_window.document.getElementsByClassName(buscarpor) array=ref_window.document.getElementsByName(buscarpor)

Other positive thing about Chickenfoot vs Greasemonkey is access to local files (maybe it is insecure but it is so easy and useful for me):

  include ("fileio.js") 
 if (exists(file_origen)) { 
      contenido=read(file_origen) 
 } 
else output("ERROR !!!! fichero no existe") 


How to use JQuery

include("D:\\temp\\jquery-1.7.2.js")
$ = window.$;
jQuery = window.jQuery;

 jQuery('.ppm_filter_expand').click()   
$('.ppm_filter_expand').click()    


jueves, 1 de enero de 2009

hacking the palm lifedrive



Procedure to replace MD(Hitachi Microdrive HD) for a CF II(compact flash memory) in a Palm LifeDrive.(aka LifeFlash mod)


The reasons for this modification are:

-Increase battery duration (more than double)
-Decrease weight of pda
-Increase resistance to blow (no mechanic parts)

Too many people lose their LD after a strong fall, this is because Palm Os is saved in Hard drive, and when it crash, LD don't work (using this mod the more weakly part in the pda will be the screen).



Note:

My method is based in Linux livecd(standalone linux), concretally Ubuntu/Kubuntu.
I read other docs about this modification and i decide to write a new one for help to newbies)

(All people in the world would have linux livecd, but if you haven't it you can free download or request from internet,
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu )


Steps:

1. Boot computer with linux livecd

2. Take a seeing of unit drive with qtparted (this app show us all computer drives, and my case LD has 3 partitions and the name /dev/sdc)

3. Open a terminal shell (like cmd, command mode in windows)

4. We need to have administrator rights (default: ubuntu give you less rights)
>sudo passwd
(we must put the password we want)
>su
(Now ubuntu request us a passw, and this one is the password what we defined in previous step, now we are root or administrator, we have all rights)

5. Now we will make an image of MicroDrive(ld hd) and we store it in our "windows" partition.
(You need replace with you name device and the label of your partition).
>dd if=/dev/sdc of=/mnt/my_windowsxp/imageLD.img
(if=input file of=output file)
(It takes a lot of time (30min or more), you must wait to card reader light go off)

6. Replace MD from cardreader for CF memory card)

7. Execute the next command
>dd if=/mnt/my_windowsxp/imageLD.img of=/dev/sdc
(Now the source is our stored image, and target is the CF Device)

*NOTES /Recommendations:

-dd command, don't show a progress bar, because of it, we must have patiente and don't think that process is hang up, if it doesn't show an error is because the process is OK.

-/mnt/my_windowsxp this a mounted partition, normal UBUNTU automount all your partitions, BUT other linux distributions for example KUBUNTU do not automount the partitions and if you have no experience with linux could require more time to learn to mount partitions in my case with the following commands:
"mkdir /mnt/my_windowsxp"
"mount -t vfat /dev/hda5 /mnt/my_windowsxp"


-I don't recommend to lose time with windows, I tried some apps to make the image, for example Acronis True Image 10 home (true image cdbootloader don't detect MD in the card reader). I can make an image of the first partition 65mb but after it, the acronis show an error.

- Probably there are card readers which support CF mems but not md hitachi. (f.ex. card reader of a epson printer).

- I've used a SANDISK Xtreme III (expensiver than others brands), but because i wanted no risks, but now i think that many 4GB CF should run correctly. (CF mems simulates physical harddrives, and i think what should be possible to change its main structure, cylinders, heads, etc to adjust to MD structure). ***What do experts say about it? ***

>fdisk -l /dev/sdc (a commando to see the device partitions

Good luck!