<h3>Entries from January 2013.</h3>
+ <div class="entry">
+ <div class="title">
+ <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Welcome_to_the_world__Isenkram_.html">Welcome to the world, Isenkram!</a>
+ </div>
+ <div class="date">
+ 22nd January 2013
+ </div>
+ <div class="body">
+ <p>Yesterday, I
+<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/First_prototype_ready_making_hardware_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">asked
+for testers</a> for my prototype for making Debian better at handling
+pluggable hardware devices, which I
+<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Lets_make_hardware_dongles_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">set
+out to create</a> earlier this month. Several valuable testers showed
+up, and caused me to really want to to open up the development to more
+people. But before I did this, I want to come up with a sensible name
+for this project. Today I finally decided on a new name, and I have
+renamed the project from hw-support-handler to this new name. In the
+process, I moved the source to git and made it available as a
+<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=collab-maint/isenkram.git">collab-maint</a>
+repository in Debian. The new name? It is <strong>Isenkram</strong>.
+To fetch and build the latest version of the source, use</p>
+
+<pre>
+git clone http://anonscm.debian.org/git/collab-maint/isenkram.git
+cd isenkram && git-buildpackage -us -uc
+</pre>
+
+<p>I have not yet adjusted all files to use the new name yet. If you
+want to hack on the source or improve the package, please go ahead.
+But please talk to me first on IRC or via email before you do major
+changes, to make sure we do not step on each others toes. :)</p>
+
+<p>If you wonder what 'isenkram' is, it is a Norwegian word for iron
+stuff, typically meaning tools, nails, screws, etc. Typical hardware
+stuff, in other words. I've been told it is the Norwegian variant of
+the German word eisenkram, for those that are familiar with that
+word.</p>
+
+<p><strong>Update 2013-01-26</strong>: Added -us -us to build
+instructions, to avoid confusing people with an error from the signing
+process.</p>
+
+<p><strong>Update 2013-01-27</strong>: Switch to HTTP URL for the git
+clone argument to avoid the need for authentication.</p>
+
+ </div>
+ <div class="tags">
+
+
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram</a>.
+
+
+ </div>
+ </div>
+ <div class="padding"></div>
+
+ <div class="entry">
+ <div class="title">
+ <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/First_prototype_ready_making_hardware_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">First prototype ready making hardware easier to use in Debian</a>
+ </div>
+ <div class="date">
+ 21st January 2013
+ </div>
+ <div class="body">
+ <p>Early this month I set out to try to
+<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Lets_make_hardware_dongles_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">improve
+the Debian support for pluggable hardware devices</a>. Now my
+prototype is working, and it is ready for a larger audience. To test
+it, fetch the
+<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/">source
+from the Debian Edu subversion repository</a>, build and install the
+package. You might have to log out and in again activate the
+autostart script.</p>
+
+<p>The design is simple:</p>
+
+<ul>
+
+<li>Add desktop entry in /usr/share/autostart/ causing a program
+hw-support-handlerd to start when the user log in.</li>
+
+<li>This program listen for kernel events about new hardware (directly
+from the kernel like udev does), not using HAL dbus events as I
+initially did.</li>
+
+<li>When new hardware is inserted, look up the hardware modalias in
+the APT database, a database
+<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/modaliases?view=markup">available
+via HTTP</a> and a database available as part of the package.</li>
+
+<li>If a package is mapped to the hardware in question, the package
+isn't installed yet and this is the first time the hardware was
+plugged in, show a desktop notification suggesting to install the
+package or packages.</li>
+
+<li>If the user click on the 'install package now' button, ask
+aptdaemon via the PackageKit API to install the requrired package.</li>
+
+<li>aptdaemon ask for root password or sudo password, and install the
+package while showing progress information in a window.</li>
+
+</ul>
+
+<p>I still need to come up with a better name for the system. Here
+are some screen shots showing the prototype in action. First the
+notification, then the password request, and finally the request to
+approve all the dependencies. Sorry for the Norwegian Bokmål GUI.</p>
+
+<p><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-1-notification.png">
+<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-2-password.png">
+<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-3-dependencies.png">
+<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-4-installing.png">
+<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-5-installing-details.png" width="70%"></p>
+
+<p>The prototype still need to be improved with longer timeouts, but
+is already useful. The database of hardware to package mappings also
+need more work. It is currently compatible with the Ubuntu way of
+storing such information in the package control file, but could be
+changed to use other formats instead or in addition to the current
+method. I've dropped the use of discover for this mapping, as the
+modalias approach is more flexible and easier to use on Linux as long
+as the Linux kernel expose its modalias strings directly.</p>
+
+<p><strong>Update 2013-01-21 16:50</strong>: Due to popular demand,
+here is the command required to check out and build the source: Use
+'<tt>svn checkout
+svn://svn.debian.org/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/; cd
+hw-support-handler; debuild</tt>'. If you lack debuild, install the
+devscripts package.</p>
+
+<p><strong>Update 2013-01-23 12:00</strong>: The project is now
+renamed to Isenkram and the source moved from the Debian Edu
+subversion repository to a Debian collab-maint git repository. See
+<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Welcome_to_the_world__Isenkram_.html">build
+instructions</a> for details.</p>
+
+ </div>
+ <div class="tags">
+
+
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram</a>.
+
+
+ </div>
+ </div>
+ <div class="padding"></div>
+
+ <div class="entry">
+ <div class="title">
+ <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Thank_you_Thinkpad_X41__for_your_long_and_trustworthy_service.html">Thank you Thinkpad X41, for your long and trustworthy service</a>
+ </div>
+ <div class="date">
+ 19th January 2013
+ </div>
+ <div class="body">
+ <p>This Christmas my trusty old laptop died. It died quietly and
+suddenly in bed. With a quiet whimper, it went completely quiet and
+black. The power button was no longer able to turn it on. It was a
+IBM Thinkpad X41, and the best laptop I ever had. Better than both
+Thinkpads X30, X31, X40, X60, X61 and X61S. Far better than the
+Compaq I had before that. Now I need to find a replacement. To keep
+going during Christmas, I moved the one year old SSD disk to my old
+X40 where it fitted (only one I had left that could use it), but it is
+not a durable solution.
+
+<p>My laptop needs are fairly modest. This is my wishlist from when I
+got a new one more than 10 years ago. It still holds true.:)</p>
+
+<ul>
+
+<li>Lightweight (around 1 kg) and small volume (preferably smaller
+ than A4).</li>
+<li>Robust, it will be in my backpack every day.</li>
+<li>Three button mouse and a mouse pin instead of touch pad.</li>
+<li>Long battery life time. Preferable a week.</li>
+<li>Internal WIFI network card.</li>
+<li>Internal Twisted Pair network card.</li>
+<li>Some USB slots (2-3 is plenty)</li>
+<li>Good keyboard - similar to the Thinkpad.</li>
+<li>Video resolution at least 1024x768, with size around 12" (A4 paper
+size).</li>
+<li>Hardware supported by Debian Stable, ie the default kernel and
+ X.org packages.</li>
+<li>Quiet, preferably fan free (or at least not using the fan most of
+ the time).
+
+</ul>
+
+<p>You will notice that there are no RAM and CPU requirements in the
+list. The reason is simply that the specifications on laptops the
+last 10-15 years have been sufficient for my needs, and I have to look
+at other features to choose my laptop. But are there still made as
+robust laptops as my X41? The Thinkpad X60/X61 proved to be less
+robust, and Thinkpads seem to be heading in the wrong direction since
+Lenovo took over. But I've been told that X220 and X1 Carbon might
+still be useful.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps I should rethink my needs, and look for a pad with an
+external keyboard? I'll have to check the
+<a href="http://www.linux-laptop.net/">Linux Laptops site</a> for
+well-supported laptops, or perhaps just buy one preinstalled from one
+of the vendors listed on the <a href="http://linuxpreloaded.com/">Linux
+Pre-loaded site</a>.</p>
+
+ </div>
+ <div class="tags">
+
+
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>.
+
+
+ </div>
+ </div>
+ <div class="padding"></div>
+
+ <div class="entry">
+ <div class="title">
+ <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/How_to_find_a_browser_plugin_supporting_a_given_MIME_type.html">How to find a browser plugin supporting a given MIME type</a>
+ </div>
+ <div class="date">
+ 18th January 2013
+ </div>
+ <div class="body">
+ <p>Some times I try to figure out which Iceweasel browser plugin to
+install to get support for a given MIME type. Thanks to
+<a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MozillaTeam/Plugins">specifications
+done by Ubuntu</a> and Mozilla, it is possible to do this in Debian.
+Unfortunately, not very many packages provide the needed meta
+information, Anyway, here is a small script to look up all browser
+plugin packages announcing ther MIME support using this specification:</p>
+
+<pre>
+#!/usr/bin/python
+import sys
+import apt
+def pkgs_handling_mimetype(mimetype):
+ cache = apt.Cache()
+ cache.open(None)
+ thepkgs = []
+ for pkg in cache:
+ version = pkg.candidate
+ if version is None:
+ version = pkg.installed
+ if version is None:
+ continue
+ record = version.record
+ if not record.has_key('Npp-MimeType'):
+ continue
+ mime_types = record['Npp-MimeType'].split(',')
+ for t in mime_types:
+ t = t.rstrip().strip()
+ if t == mimetype:
+ thepkgs.append(pkg.name)
+ return thepkgs
+mimetype = "audio/ogg"
+if 1 < len(sys.argv):
+ mimetype = sys.argv[1]
+print "Browser plugin packages supporting %s:" % mimetype
+for pkg in pkgs_handling_mimetype(mimetype):
+ print " %s" %pkg
+</pre>
+
+<p>It can be used like this to look up a given MIME type:</p>
+
+<pre>
+% ./apt-find-browserplug-for-mimetype
+Browser plugin packages supporting audio/ogg:
+ gecko-mediaplayer
+% ./apt-find-browserplug-for-mimetype application/x-shockwave-flash
+Browser plugin packages supporting application/x-shockwave-flash:
+ browser-plugin-gnash
+%
+</pre>
+
+<p>In Ubuntu this mechanism is combined with support in the browser
+itself to query for plugins and propose to install the needed
+packages. It would be great if Debian supported such feature too. Is
+anyone working on adding it?</p>
+
+<p><strong>Update 2013-01-18 14:20</strong>: The Debian BTS
+request for icweasel support for this feature is
+<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/484010">#484010</a> from 2008 (and
+<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/698426">#698426</a> from today). Lack
+of manpower and wish for a different design is the reason thus feature
+is not yet in iceweasel from Debian.</p>
+
+ </div>
+ <div class="tags">
+
+
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>.
+
+
+ </div>
+ </div>
+ <div class="padding"></div>
+
<div class="entry">
<div class="title">
<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/What_is_the_most_supported_MIME_type_in_Debian_.html">What is the most supported MIME type in Debian?</a>
<div class="tags">
- Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>.
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram</a>.
</div>
<div class="tags">
- Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>.
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram</a>.
</div>
<div class="tags">
- Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>.
+ Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram</a>.
</div>
<h2>Archive</h2>
<ul>
+<li>2014
+<ul>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2014/01/">January (2)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2014/02/">February (3)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2014/03/">March (3)</a></li>
+
+</ul></li>
+
<li>2013
<ul>
-<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/01/">January (7)</a></li>
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/01/">January (11)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/02/">February (9)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/03/">March (9)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/04/">April (6)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/05/">May (9)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/06/">June (10)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/07/">July (7)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/08/">August (3)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/09/">September (5)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/10/">October (7)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/11/">November (9)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/12/">December (3)</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bankid">bankid (4)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bitcoin">bitcoin (5)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bitcoin">bitcoin (8)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bootsystem">bootsystem (12)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bootsystem">bootsystem (14)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bsa">bsa (2)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian (65)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/chrpath">chrpath (2)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian edu">debian edu (118)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian (95)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/digistan">digistan (9)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian edu">debian edu (145)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/docbook">docbook (7)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/digistan">digistan (10)</a></li>
+
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/docbook">docbook (10)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/drivstoffpriser">drivstoffpriser (4)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english (171)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english (238)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fiksgatami">fiksgatami (21)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fildeling">fildeling (12)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/freeculture">freeculture (10)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/freeculture">freeculture (12)</a></li>
+
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/freedombox">freedombox (6)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/frikanalen">frikanalen (9)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/frikanalen">frikanalen (11)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/intervju">intervju (32)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/intervju">intervju (39)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/kart">kart (17)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/isenkram">isenkram (7)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ldap">ldap (8)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/kart">kart (18)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/lenker">lenker (6)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ldap">ldap (9)</a></li>
+
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/lenker">lenker (7)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ltsp">ltsp (1)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/mesh network">mesh network (7)</a></li>
+
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/multimedia">multimedia (25)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/norsk">norsk (219)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/norsk">norsk (241)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/nuug">nuug (148)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/nuug">nuug (161)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/offentlig innsyn">offentlig innsyn (6)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/offentlig innsyn">offentlig innsyn (10)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/open311">open311 (2)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/opphavsrett">opphavsrett (41)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/opphavsrett">opphavsrett (45)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/personvern">personvern (61)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/personvern">personvern (69)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/raid">raid (1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rfid">rfid (2)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/robot">robot (6)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/robot">robot (9)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rss">rss (1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/scraperwiki">scraperwiki (2)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sikkerhet">sikkerhet (28)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sikkerhet">sikkerhet (35)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sitesummary">sitesummary (4)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/skepsis">skepsis (4)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/standard">standard (39)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/standard">standard (44)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stavekontroll">stavekontroll (3)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stortinget">stortinget (5)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stortinget">stortinget (9)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/surveillance">surveillance (12)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/surveillance">surveillance (22)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sysadmin">sysadmin (1)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/valg">valg (7)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/valg">valg (8)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/video">video (35)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/video">video (39)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/vitenskap">vitenskap (4)</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/web">web (26)</a></li>
+ <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/web">web (29)</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p style="text-align: right">
- Created by <a href="http://steve.org.uk/Software/chronicle">Chronicle v4.4</a>
+ Created by <a href="http://steve.org.uk/Software/chronicle">Chronicle v4.6</a>
</p>
</body>
projects / homepage.git / blobdiff