lapwing-web.download; mockups

Published on 22/08/2010

I've been working on some mockups for lapwing-web download application.
These are some SVG mockups made using Inkscape and JessyInk. JessyInk turns SVG files into mini presentations, in this case I've used the effects to fade in the comments about some design decisions.
These aren't particularly high quality and may change before they get into the application.

Index:

Details:

Add new download:

Edit download:

You can click the images to get to the associated SVG file, where clicking the image opens the comments or moves to the next slide.
You can also use the left and right arrow keys to navigate backward/forward as needed.
Hopefully the mockups will become reality in the near future ;)

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peewit, Lapwing-Linux and annoying kernels

Published on 05/08/2010

I've been working on peewit recently. I've finally got it talking to telepathy-mission-control, logging in, retrieving a contacts list, displaying it in the GUI and updating when contacts leave/change status.
The current code is the master branch, but extra work may go on in the "tmc" branch.

This has distracted me slightly from Lapwing-Linux, but not by much. Updates are still occurring, although the 2009 core is starting to creak a bit. I've decided therefore to limit updates to aaa_base/aax_base to security and major bug fixing only; there is a lot of exciting things coming in the next 6 months or so (gobject-introspection, GVariants, GTK3, GSettings) that would be more suited to a clean base, rather than getting tacked onto or hacked into 2009.

Where does this leave 2009? I am going to get a release out, with a LiveCD and GUI installer. First however I have to get the web2py site working as I'm fed up with TikiWiki being so clunky (yes, I do remember singing it's praises before. Blogged too soon ...).
Writing a custom site will be better in the long run, but is still a long run ;) The current hurdle is porting my bastardised version of pyForum to work on GAE, or writing it from scratch to work without SQL based queries.
Whilst it would be nice to get the bugtracker and package lister working, I'd be happy to settle for the wiki, forum and user apps working to start with.

LiveCD/installer wise, I'm probably not going to use anaconda, it seems to be getting weirder with each release. vanellus will be the installer for the forseeable future, basically copying the SquashFS image to the HDD. Currently it requires code to do the actual installation, the GUI is good to go AFAIR.

Kernels. Damn. 2009 will ship with a 2.6.30 kernel. Mainly because I've been using it constantly since August last year without hiccup; also because the last few kernels (2.6.33, 2.6.34, 2.6.35) have an annoying bug/feature/omission/regression with "snd_hda_intel spurious response" in dmesg. It seems lots of people are having this problem, especially with VIA chipsets.
It doesn't cause no sound or clicks, but under heavy load the sound will skip, and having dmesg full of noise prevents real errors from appearing, like why nouveau doesn't like resume from hibernation, resuming to a garbled screen and then a hard lock up.
I'll take solace in that the mainline distros with kernels > 2.6.30 also have this sound problem, so it's not just me being stupid.

Until next time :)

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OpenID now works here

Published on 29/07/2010

I mentioned a while ago that I had problems getting OpenID support on this blog.
I've now resolved them (as you can probably tell from the title) and heres a quick howto.

0: Remove the nifty way to do OpenID
You need to remove it, else Bad Things® will happen.

1: Install OpenID, XRDS-Simple and Comments with OpenID
This is the easy bit. Admin > Plugins > Add New and search for "openid" and "xrds". Select, install, activate.

2: Set the Blog Owner
Set which user is the blog owner. Admin > Settings > OpenID. If you have 2 separate accounts, one admin and one editor (and if not, why not?) you will have to enable "Editor" in "Enable OpenID", save the changes, then set the blog owner. Now you can use a simplified URL (eg http://samwwwblack.lapwing.org rather than http://samwwwblack.lapwing.org/author/samwwwblack)

3: Turn off OpenID for comments
I know this seems counter intuitive, but the OpenID plugin includes a technically cool but UIally (cough) crap way to do OpenID comments. The OpenID for Comments plugin (keep up) will handle this a lot better.
Goto Admin > Settings > Discussion and uncheck "Enable OpenID for comments"

4: Add OpenID to your template
Goto Admin > Appearance > Editor, then select "comments.php" (the default theme should already be selected; if not, select it from "Select theme to edit:" in the top right corner).
About 3/4s the way down, add the code in red between the URL block and the endif statement, as suggested below;

<label for="url"><?php _e('URL','precious'); ?> <small>(<?php _e('optional','precious');?>)</small></label>
<input type="text" name="url" id="url" value="<?php echo $comment_author_url; ?>" size="30" tabindex="3" />

<label>Or enter your OpenId URL:</label>
<?php comments_with_openid(); ?>
<input type='text' name='openid_identifier' id='openid_identifier' class=textfield' tabindex='4' style='width:300px' />

<?php endif; ?>

<label for="comment"><?php _e('Your comment','precious'); ?></label>
<textarea name="comment" id="comment" cols="40" rows="10" tabindex="4"></textarea>
<!--<small><strong>XHTML:</strong>  <?php echo allowed_tags(); ?></small>-->

This will add a selector for the OpenID provider which will populate the OpenID URL with the correct URI, and the appropriate text highlighted if you need to input a username (eg for LiveJournal the URL is http://USERNAME.livejournal.com; USERNAME will be highlighted for you to edit)

5: Add OpenID to the badbehaviour whitelist
This is one major thing that stopped me from using OpenID in the first place.
Goto Admin > Plugins > Editor and select the badbehaviour plugin. Select "bad-behavior/bad-behavior/whitelist.inc.php", scroll down to "$bb2_whitelist_urls" and add the following in red;

// Includes two examples of whitelisting by URL.
$bb2_whitelist_urls = array(
//    "/example.php",
"/openid/server",
"/index.php/openid/server",
"/openid/consumer",
"/index.php/openid/consumer",
);

This will allow OpenID to work correctly.

6: Test your new OpenID system
What it says in the title.
When you use http://your.blog.com as the OpenID URL, it should direct you to your WordPress login, and/or to allow the site access to your OpenID.
You can check the trusted sites, and add other OpenIDs on your profile page under Profile > Your OpenIDs or Profile > Your Trusted Sites.
Nb; I've only briefly tried setting OpenID Delegation (in Profile > Your Profile) and it didn't work properly. May have just been the URL I used. YMMV.

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Why we still have the point and click GUI

Published on 11/07/2010

TechRadar have an article about "Point and click GUIs: why are we still stuck with them?", bemoaning the lack of innovation in the software interfaces we all use daily. Since the 80's computer GUIs have been based on files, taskbars, menus and windows, manipulated by a mouse and keyboard.
My defence of point and click GUIs? They are an adequate fit for the majority of computer based tasks.
You'll note the caveats adequate fit and majority in that sentence. It isn't best fit to train surgeons in keyhole surgery, or for running automated tasks or better immersion in driving or flying simulation games. It also wouldn't be practical for use with a mobile devices or single purpose machines (ATMs, information points, ticket machines etc.).

The point and click GUI with a mouse and keyboard is the best fit for what most people use their computers for; manipulating files whilst sat at a desk.

For example, imagine organising your physical photo collection. You'd collect the photos together based on a criteria like location, time, people in the photo etc. You'd then place this collection in a pile or folder, suitably labelled, adding or removing from piles as you went along, until you were happy about the collections.
This is the same as you'd do on your computer with a digital collection; select the photos you want, make a folder or open a new window, move/copy them across, label the folder and repeat until finished. Instead of physical piles of photos, you have windows with them in; instead of physically picking up the photos and moving them, you click and select with the mouse.
It's the same thought process in both instances, just executed differently.

The article mentions touch screens and the iPad specifically as better for read only use of files, and in these circumstances, I agree. However, as also mentioned in the article, touchscreens aren't good for "data input or content creation ... [or] heavy-duty desktop computing". They aren't an adequate fit for the majority of tasks. They are a specialised interface for a limited set of (mostly) well defined tasks. The point and click GUI is at least adequate for browsing the web; typing on an iPad is so bad you can get a keyboard for it.

Just as a humorous illustration, suppose the author had been talking about doors. We haven't changed the basic premise of the door in hundreds of years; they mostly require us to exert a force on one edge either via a handle or push plate, to rotate along the opposite edge on a set of pin hinges in order to move a lump of material from a hole in a wall. I mean, sure we've got alternate door types for specialised situations (sliding doors, airlocks, revolving doors) but I'm bored of pushing material out of the way.

The reason we aren't clamouring for a revolution in door design? The current design works fine, thanks.
The reason there hasn't been a revolution in UI design away from point and click GUIs? The current design works fine, thanks.

Filed in FOSS,software | 2 replies

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Too much newness

Published on 13/05/2010

Two bits of newness.

I've taken the plunge and moved to hosting my own WordPress blog. The LiveJournal import script crapped itself a few times (it reached 13,000 comment imports; I only have 212 comments), but I think I've gotten them all across.
Also, I apologise for the lack of OpenID support, I can't seem to get any of the plugins to work without either errors or interfering with a nifty way to set my blog as an OpenID provider without any provider software. I hope to fix this in the near future, or just hack away at it until it works.

The other is the Lib/Con government. I've had a read through of the agreement, and whilst I'm not thrilled about nuclear power, replacing Trident or the marriage tax rebates, I'm heartened that the LibDems can abstain from the votes and speak against them without jeopardising the coalition.
I'm more heartened by the wholesale adoption of LibDem policies, such as the £10,000 tax free allowance and political reform. Along with the common viewpoint on education and civil liberties, these are good things, whatever the nay-sayers say (Try saying that quickly repeatedly)
With respect to them, the LibDems have not abandoned their soul, lost the plot or sold out. Whilst a number of supporters would like to have seen a Lib/Lab pact (and had Labour got more seats it probably would have happened), it would have been more unstable than the current arrangement, and I have a gut feeling that the public would vilify the LibDems more for propping up Labour. I also suspect that once Labour were "safely" back in, the promises would get dropped as "too expensive", "unworkable", "not a priority", or New Labour's current authoritarian streak would assert itself.
I'm not fan of the Tories; I would not vote for them even if every other candidate were more unpalatable. The element that gets me enthused about the government are the LibDem ministers, providing liberal viewpoints to counter the conservative ones, to propose liberal solutions to problems. This strong counterpoint will be enough to hold back the Tories' natural instincts whilst providing decent government.

I think I've finished drinking the KoolAid now. Cynical service should be resumed shortly. ;)

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Its been a while

Published on 10/05/2010

Its been a while. In more ways than one.

Firstly, its been a while since I posted here. Whilst I've sort of randomly updated my identi.ca account, I've been irregularly working on lapwing-web, RPMification of Lapwing-Linux and various other bits n pieces. I'm hoping to rectify that a bit (not the first and definitely not the last time I'll say that) by using this blog to demonstrate/showcase FOSS I've written. Or I could move everything to http://samwwwblack.lapwing.org. I dunno.
Otherwise, its business as usual; looking for a developer/computer support related job in the Midlands in a job market fixated on the south east whilst working in the Argos stockroom offloading lorries. Great return for 5 years of uni ;)

Secondly, its been a while since we had Liberals in power, and hopefully by the end of today tomorrow we will again. I have to admit to being really disappointed at the outcome of the election, with the LibDems loosing seats even when getting more votes than last time. I spent most of the following day pissed off (5 hour shift at work didn't help) that the LibDems had done as badly as they did, especially after the hype and hope in the run up (teach me to invest emotionally in hype).
However, I kept coming back to how Dib Lemming put it; the Lib Dems won. Not in terms of seats, votes or forming a LibDem government, but in terms demonstrating the fatal flaw in first past the post voting; how can a party get more votes than last time, but lose seats? Is that a fair representation of the people's will? Is giving 9% of the seats to a party with 23% of the vote fair?
Viewed in those terms, the case for voting reform is made readily apparent.
I hope the current Tory/LibDem talks end well, although I don't like the secrecy surrounding them. I can understand the case for keeping the discussions under wraps as both sides could be tearing chunks out of each other whilst publicly proclaiming to be getting along, so as not to worry the people or fuel the anti-coalition sceptics. It just seems, as a FOSS developer (and I use developer in the loosest terms), that this antithesis to public conflict is counter productive. Raging arguments of opposing views happen on a regular basis in the FOSS world, yet those projects around the arguments still exist and release code. It seems that some very good work has come out of these major arguments and disagreements, the GNU Project being the most prominent example.
Open arguments engage more people, allowing them to contribute their view point, their experience and their information. It also allows a greater number of people to fact check "truths" used in an argument, and to provide counter arguments backed with "truths", and so on. This perpetual proposition and rebuttal process tests an idea to destruction, where it either evolves to fix the flaws or dies. Having this argument in public, recorded for the public, adds the sense of ownership to the idea.
In a time where people are disillusioned in politics and the LibDems especially standing for a "new era" of politics, airing everything in public and inviting public input is the best way to push this change.

Thirdly, its been a while since I started to write this post. I tend to take the best part of a day getting things just so. Thus, everythings probably changed when this post appears ;)

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Extended job titles

Published on 27/02/2010

The BBC wrote up an article on extended job descriptions.
From the comments;
"My boss in the bank was always going on about targets and "vision" and as I didn't have a job title he was thrilled when I came up with my own - Sales, Lending and Vision Executive. Of course when I put it in as the reference in a letter I got into trouble for using the acronym SLAVE. - Isla Biggs, Durham"
and
"I once had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Mellett, Nasa's man in charge of refitting space shuttles between flights. Pompous job title? Not a bit of it. On his business card he simply describes himself as "Rocket Scientist". -
Ewen McLaughlin, Swansea"
That made me chuckle.

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Illegal anti-terror law threatened, terror alert goes up

Published on 23/01/2010

I'm naturally sceptical. Especially when it comes to governments "protecting" us from an unseen threat "out there".
Just today, the Government, acting in response to absolutely no specific intelligence (kinda like the last time then), raised the terrorist threat level.

This happened just over a week after the ECHR ruled that Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 was unlawful. This is the bit of legislation that allows the police to stop and search anyone in a designated area for any reason "in the prevention of terrorism". London has been under a section 44 since the assent of the legislation, and you'll only find out a section 44 is in use when you are stopped and searched.

Whilst the Government are appealing the decision, its business as normal for using section 44 (if I were convicted of a crime, and I continued doing it whilst I awaited the appeal, I'd be charged again. Not so for UK.gov it seems).

Anyway, I mention the raising of the terror level "[with] no intelligence to suggest a terrorist attack was imminent" and the attached "advice" of the Home Secretary "to support the police and security services in their continuing efforts to discover, track and disrupt terrorist activity." as a likely reinforcement of the absolute need for section 44; I fully expect whilst the threat level is raised that the number of section 44 stop and searches will dramatically increase, and when the threat level lowers for the Government to crow "See! See! Section 44 is really needed in the fight against terrorism! Without it, who knows what might have happened!".

It might be that I'm being hyperbolic. I really hope so, and that there is genuine chatter relating, however imperceptibly, to an attack in Britain in the near future and this is an appropriate response.
However, I simply don't trust this Government, who seem more determined than ever to micromanage everyone's lives, not to use the Bush Fear Manipulation Handbook for their own political benefit.

Filed in politics | 2 replies

Still not dead

Published on 18/01/2010

+++ BEGIN TRANSMISSION +++
I've been working at Argos since November as a stock assistant, still plugging away at Lapwing-Linux (still no release though) and various other bits n pieces. Nothing really to report.
+++ END TRANSMISSION +++

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Back in Lichfield

Published on 01/07/2009

Back in Lichfield, joining the "Real World" after 5 years in uni. Trust me to pick the worst economic crisis in modern times to rejoin it.
2:2 in Computer Interactive Systems MEng. No idea how I managed to achieve that, and even less of an idea where I'm going to use my degree with jobs being so competitive.
So yes, back in Lichfield, which seems stupidly quiet compared to Brum; just as people move out it seems :)

Filed in Life | 2 replies