<link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/</link>
<atom:link href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/index.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
+ <item>
+ <title>Isenkram updated with a lot more hardware-package mappings</title>
+ <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Isenkram_updated_with_a_lot_more_hardware_package_mappings.html</link>
+ <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Isenkram_updated_with_a_lot_more_hardware_package_mappings.html</guid>
+ <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:55:00 +0100</pubDate>
+ <description><p><a href="http://packages.qa.debian.org/isenkram">The Isenkram
+system</a> I wrote two years ago to make it easier in Debian to find
+and install packages to get your hardware dongles to work, is still
+going strong. It is a system to look up the hardware present on or
+connected to the current system, and map the hardware to Debian
+packages. It can either be done using the tools in isenkram-cli or
+using the user space daemon in the isenkram package. The latter will
+notify you, when inserting new hardware, about what packages to
+install to get the dongle working. It will even provide a button to
+click on to ask packagekit to install the packages.</p>
+
+<p>Here is an command line example from my Thinkpad laptop:</p>
+
+<p><pre>
+% isenkram-lookup
+bluez
+cheese
+ethtool
+fprintd
+fprintd-demo
+gkrellm-thinkbat
+hdapsd
+libpam-fprintd
+pidgin-blinklight
+thinkfan
+tlp
+tp-smapi-dkms
+tp-smapi-source
+tpb
+%
+</pre></p>
+
+<p>It can also list the firware package providing firmware requested
+by the load kernel modules, which in my case is an empty list because
+I have all the firmware my machine need:
+
+<p><pre>
+% /usr/sbin/isenkram-autoinstall-firmware -l
+info: did not find any firmware files requested by loaded kernel modules. exiting
+%
+</pre></p>
+
+<p>The last few days I had a look at several of the around 250
+packages in Debian with udev rules. These seem like good candidates
+to install when a given hardware dongle is inserted, and I found
+several that should be proposed by isenkram. I have not had time to
+check all of them, but am happy to report that now there are 97
+packages packages mapped to hardware by Isenkram. 11 of these
+packages provide hardware mapping using AppStream, while the rest are
+listed in the modaliases file provided in isenkram.</p>
+
+<p>These are the packages with hardware mappings at the moment. The
+<strong>marked packages</strong> are also announcing their hardware
+support using AppStream, for everyone to use:</p>
+
+<p>air-quality-sensor, alsa-firmware-loaders, argyll,
+<strong>array-info</strong>, avarice, avrdude, b43-fwcutter,
+bit-babbler, bluez, bluez-firmware, <strong>brltty</strong>,
+<strong>broadcom-sta-dkms</strong>, calibre, cgminer, cheese, colord,
+<strong>colorhug-client</strong>, dahdi-firmware-nonfree, dahdi-linux,
+dfu-util, dolphin-emu, ekeyd, ethtool, firmware-ipw2x00, fprintd,
+fprintd-demo, <strong>galileo</strong>, gkrellm-thinkbat, gphoto2,
+gpsbabel, gpsbabel-gui, gpsman, gpstrans, gqrx-sdr, gr-fcdproplus,
+gr-osmosdr, gtkpod, hackrf, hdapsd, hdmi2usb-udev, hpijs-ppds, hplip,
+ipw3945-source, ipw3945d, kde-config-tablet, kinect-audio-setup,
+<strong>libnxt</strong>, libpam-fprintd, <strong>lomoco</strong>,
+madwimax, minidisc-utils, mkgmap, msi-keyboard, mtkbabel,
+<strong>nbc</strong>, <strong>nqc</strong>, nut-hal-drivers, ola,
+open-vm-toolbox, open-vm-tools, openambit, pcgminer, pcmciautils,
+pcscd, pidgin-blinklight, printer-driver-splix,
+<strong>pymissile</strong>, python-nxt, qlandkartegt,
+qlandkartegt-garmin, rosegarden, rt2x00-source, sispmctl,
+soapysdr-module-hackrf, solaar, squeak-plugins-scratch, sunxi-tools,
+<strong>t2n</strong>, thinkfan, thinkfinger-tools, tlp, tp-smapi-dkms,
+tp-smapi-source, tpb, tucnak, uhd-host, usbmuxd, viking,
+virtualbox-ose-guest-x11, w1retap, xawtv, xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse,
+xserver-xorg-input-wacom, xserver-xorg-video-qxl,
+xserver-xorg-video-vmware, yubikey-personalization and
+zd1211-firmware</p>
+
+<p>If you know of other packages, please let me know with a wishlist
+bug report against the isenkram-cli package, and ask the package
+maintainer to
+<a href="https://wiki.debian.org/AppStream/Guidelines">add AppStream
+metadata according to the guidelines</a> to provide the information
+for everyone. In time, I hope to get rid of the isenkram specific
+hardware mapping and depend exclusively on AppStream.</p>
+
+<p>Note, the AppStream metadata for broadcom-sta-dkms is matching too
+much hardware, and suggest that the package with with any ethernet
+card. See <a href="http://bugs.debian.org/838735">bug #838735</a> for
+the details. I hope the maintainer find time to address it soon. In
+the mean time I provide an override in isenkram.</p>
+</description>
+ </item>
+
+ <item>
+ <title>Oolite, a life in space as vagabond and mercenary - nice free software</title>
+ <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Oolite__a_life_in_space_as_vagabond_and_mercenary___nice_free_software.html</link>
+ <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Oolite__a_life_in_space_as_vagabond_and_mercenary___nice_free_software.html</guid>
+ <pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2016 11:40:00 +0100</pubDate>
+ <description><p align="center"><img width="70%" src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2016-12-11-nice-oolite.png"/></p>
+
+<p>In my early years, I played
+<a href="http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Classic_Elite">the epic game
+Elite</a> on my PC. I spent many months trading and fighting in
+space, and reached the 'elite' fighting status before I moved on. The
+original Elite game was available on Commodore 64 and the IBM PC
+edition I played had a 64 KB executable. I am still impressed today
+that the authors managed to squeeze both a 3D engine and details about
+more than 2000 planet systems across 7 galaxies into a binary so
+small.</p>
+
+<p>I have known about <a href="http://www.oolite.org/">the free
+software game Oolite inspired by Elite</a> for a while, but did not
+really have time to test it properly until a few days ago. It was
+great to discover that my old knowledge about trading routes were
+still valid. But my fighting and flying abilities were gone, so I had
+to retrain to be able to dock on a space station. And I am still not
+able to make much resistance when I am attacked by pirates, so I
+bougth and mounted the most powerful laser in the rear to be able to
+put up at least some resistance while fleeing for my life. :)</p>
+
+<p>When playing Elite in the late eighties, I had to discover
+everything on my own, and I had long lists of prices seen on different
+planets to be able to decide where to trade what. This time I had the
+advantages of the
+<a href="http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Main_Page">Elite wiki</a>,
+where information about each planet is easily available with common
+price ranges and suggested trading routes. This improved my ability
+to earn money and I have been able to earn enough to buy a lot of
+useful equipent in a few days. I believe I originally played for
+months before I could get a docking computer, while now I could get it
+after less then a week.</p>
+
+<p>If you like science fiction and dreamed of a life as a vagabond in
+space, you should try out Oolite. It is available for Linux, MacOSX
+and Windows, and is included in Debian and derivatives since 2011.</p>
+
+<p>As usual, if you use Bitcoin and want to show your support of my
+activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address
+<b><a href="bitcoin:15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b&label=PetterReinholdtsenBlog">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p>
+</description>
+ </item>
+
<item>
<title>Er lover brutt når personvernpolicy ikke stemmer med praksis?</title>
<link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Er_lover_brutt_n_r_personvernpolicy_ikke_stemmer_med_praksis_.html</link>
som er normalt for norske kommersielle nettsteder.</p>
<p>Angående spørsmålet ditt:
-<br>Du vil fortsatt vise i våre interne systemer om du blir Ekstra-bruker,
+<br>Du vil fortsatt vises i våre interne systemer om du blir Ekstra-bruker,
vi skrur bare av tredjeparts tracking.»</p>
</blockquote>
løsning, men det er bedre enn å håpe at f.eks. Google og alle som
lytter på veien skal prioritere norsk lov over sin lokale
lovgivning.</p>
+
+<p>Oppdatering 2016-12-09: Fikk svar fra direktøren Høie på mitt
+spørsmål litt etter at jeg hadde publisert denne artikkelen:</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+
+<p>Vi kommer til å annonsere en oppdatert policy, og skal undersøke om
+vi er pliktig å varsle Datatilsynet.</p>
+
+<p>Det vi uansett ønsker å gjøre først, er å gå gjennom hele policy
+sammen med utviklerne og advokat, så vi er sikre på at vi går frem
+riktig og at det ikke er flere tvetydigheter som skjuler seg i
+teksten.</p>
+
+<p>Har du andre idéer eller konkrete innspill til hva som kan gjøre
+policy tydeligere, tar vi gjerne imot det. Dette er et felt vi ønsker
+å være ryddige på.</p>
+
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>Vi får se om de liker mine innspill, som i grunnen er å ikke pusse
+på personvernpolicyen men i stedet slutte å spre lesernes
+personopplysninger til eksterne aktører.</p>
</description>
</item>
</description>
</item>
- <item>
- <title>My own self balancing Lego Segway</title>
- <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/My_own_self_balancing_Lego_Segway.html</link>
- <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/My_own_self_balancing_Lego_Segway.html</guid>
- <pubDate>Fri, 4 Nov 2016 10:15:00 +0100</pubDate>
- <description><p>A while back I received a Gyro sensor for the NXT
-<a href="mindstorms.lego.com">Mindstorms</a> controller as a birthday
-present. It had been on my wishlist for a while, because I wanted to
-build a Segway like balancing lego robot. I had already built
-<a href="http://www.nxtprograms.com/NXT2/segway/">a simple balancing
-robot</a> with the kids, using the light/color sensor included in the
-NXT kit as the balance sensor, but it was not working very well. It
-could balance for a while, but was very sensitive to the light
-condition in the room and the reflective properties of the surface and
-would fall over after a short while. I wanted something more robust,
-and had
-<a href="https://www.hitechnic.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=NGY1044">the
-gyro sensor from HiTechnic</a> I believed would solve it on my
-wishlist for some years before it suddenly showed up as a gift from my
-loved ones. :)</p>
-
-<p>Unfortunately I have not had time to sit down and play with it
-since then. But that changed some days ago, when I was searching for
-lego segway information and came across a recipe from HiTechnic for
-building
-<a href="http://www.hitechnic.com/blog/gyro-sensor/htway/">the
-HTWay</a>, a segway like balancing robot. Build instructions and
-<a href="https://www.hitechnic.com/upload/786-HTWayC.nxc">source
-code</a> was included, so it was just a question of putting it all
-together. And thanks to the great work of many Debian developers, the
-compiler needed to build the source for the NXT is already included in
-Debian, so I was read to go in less than an hour. The resulting robot
-do not look very impressive in its simplicity:</p>
-
-<p align="center"><img width="70%" src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2016-11-04-lego-htway-robot.jpeg"></p>
-
-<p>Because I lack the infrared sensor used to control the robot in the
-design from HiTechnic, I had to comment out the last task
-(taskControl). I simply placed /* and */ around it get the program
-working without that sensor present. Now it balances just fine until
-the battery status run low:</p>
-
-<p align="center"><video width="70%" controls="true">
- <source src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2016-11-04-lego-htway-balancing.ogv" type="video/ogg">
-</video></p>
-
-<p>Now we would like to teach it how to follow a line and take remote
-control instructions using the included Bluetooth receiver in the NXT.</p>
-
-<p>If you, like me, love LEGO and want to make sure we find the tools
-they need to work with LEGO in Debian and all our derivative
-distributions like Ubuntu, check out
-<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/LegoDesigners">the LEGO designers
-project page</a> and join the Debian LEGO team. Personally I own a
-RCX and NXT controller (no EV3), and would like to make sure the
-Debian tools needed to program the systems I own work as they
-should.</p>
-</description>
- </item>
-
- <item>
- <title>Aktivitetsbånd som beskytter privatsfæren</title>
- <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Aktivitetsb_nd_som_beskytter_privatsf_ren.html</link>
- <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Aktivitetsb_nd_som_beskytter_privatsf_ren.html</guid>
- <pubDate>Thu, 3 Nov 2016 09:55:00 +0100</pubDate>
- <description><p>Jeg ble så imponert over
-<a href="https://www.nrk.no/norge/forbrukerradet-mener-aktivitetsarmband-strider-mot-norsk-lov-1.13209079">dagens
-gladnyhet på NRK</a>, om at Forbrukerrådet klager inn vilkårene for
-bruk av aktivitetsbånd fra Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone og Mio til
-Datatilsynet og forbrukerombudet, at jeg sendte følgende brev til
-forbrukerrådet for å uttrykke min støtte:
-
-<blockquote>
-
-<p>Jeg ble veldig glad over å lese at Forbrukerrådet
-<a href="http://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/klager-inn-aktivitetsarmband-for-brudd-pa-norsk-lov/">klager
-inn flere aktivitetsbånd til Datatilsynet for dårlige vilkår</a>. Jeg
-har ønsket meg et aktivitetsbånd som kan måle puls, bevegelse og
-gjerne også andre helserelaterte indikatorer en stund nå. De eneste
-jeg har funnet i salg gjør, som dere også har oppdaget, graverende
-inngrep i privatsfæren og sender informasjonen ut av huset til folk og
-organisasjoner jeg ikke ønsker å dele aktivitets- og helseinformasjon
-med. Jeg ønsker et alternativ som <em>ikke</em> sender informasjon til
-skyen, men derimot bruker
-<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fri_og__pen_standard__slik_Digistan_ser_det.html">en
-fritt og åpent standardisert</a> protokoll (eller i det minste en
-dokumentert protokoll uten patent- og opphavsrettslige
-bruksbegrensinger) til å kommunisere med datautstyr jeg kontrollerer.
-Er jo ikke interessert i å betale noen for å tilrøve seg
-personopplysninger fra meg. Desverre har jeg ikke funnet noe
-alternativ så langt.</p>
-
-<p>Det holder ikke å endre på bruksvilkårene for enhetene, slik
-Datatilsynet ofte legger opp til i sin behandling, når de gjør slik
-f.eks. Fitbit (den jeg har sett mest på). Fitbit krypterer
-informasjonen på enheten og sender den kryptert til leverandøren. Det
-gjør det i praksis umulig både å sjekke hva slags informasjon som
-sendes over, og umulig å ta imot informasjonen selv i stedet for
-Fitbit. Uansett hva slags historie som forteller i bruksvilkårene er
-en jo både prisgitt leverandørens godvilje og at de ikke tvinges av
-sitt lands myndigheter til å lyve til sine kunder om hvorvidt
-personopplysninger spres ut over det bruksvilkårene sier. Det er
-veldokumentert hvordan f.eks. USA tvinger selskaper vha. såkalte
-National security letters til å utlevere personopplysninger samtidig
-som de ikke får lov til å fortelle dette til kundene sine.</p>
-
-<p>Stå på, jeg er veldig glade for at dere har sett på saken. Vet
-dere om aktivitetsbånd i salg i dag som ikke tvinger en til å utlevere
-aktivitets- og helseopplysninger med leverandøren?</p>
-
-</blockquote>
-
-<p>Jeg håper en konkurrent som respekterer kundenes privatliv klarer å
-nå opp i markedet, slik at det finnes et reelt alternativ for oss som
-har full tillit til at skyleverandører vil prioritere egen inntjening
-og myndighetspålegg langt foran kundenes rett til privatliv. Jeg har
-ingen tiltro til at Datatilsynet vil kreve noe mer enn at vilkårene
-endres slik at de forklarer eksplisitt i hvor stor grad bruk av
-produktene utraderer privatsfæren til kundene. Det vil nok gjøre de
-innklagede armbåndene «lovlige», men fortsatt tvinge kundene til å
-dele sine personopplysninger med leverandøren.</p>
-</description>
- </item>
-
</channel>
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