X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/25df59ef3a279f9eecfe2a7c8de2f36f74b4e647..a5b0a729d91a8bda65c433de13e96179cc11a69c:/blog/archive/2013/01/index.html diff --git a/blog/archive/2013/01/index.html b/blog/archive/2013/01/index.html index 5b969a1f26..a9792ccfac 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2013/01/index.html +++ b/blog/archive/2013/01/index.html @@ -21,6 +21,431 @@

Entries from January 2013.

+
+
+ Welcome to the world, Isenkram! +
+
+ 22nd January 2013 +
+
+

Yesterday, I +asked +for testers for my prototype for making Debian better at handling +pluggable hardware devices, which I +set +out to create 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 +collab-maint +repository in Debian. The new name? It is Isenkram. +To fetch and build the latest version of the source, use

+ +
+git clone http://anonscm.debian.org/git/collab-maint/isenkram.git
+cd isenkram && git-buildpackage -us -uc
+
+ +

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. :)

+ +

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.

+ +

Update 2013-01-26: Added -us -us to build +instructions, to avoid confusing people with an error from the signing +process.

+ +

Update 2013-01-27: Switch to HTTP URL for the git +clone argument to avoid the need for authentication.

+ +
+
+ + + Tags: debian, english, isenkram. + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ First prototype ready making hardware easier to use in Debian +
+
+ 21st January 2013 +
+
+

Early this month I set out to try to +improve +the Debian support for pluggable hardware devices. Now my +prototype is working, and it is ready for a larger audience. To test +it, fetch the +source +from the Debian Edu subversion repository, build and install the +package. You might have to log out and in again activate the +autostart script.

+ +

The design is simple:

+ + + +

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.

+ +

+
+
+
+

+ +

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.

+ +

Update 2013-01-21 16:50: Due to popular demand, +here is the command required to check out and build the source: Use +'svn checkout +svn://svn.debian.org/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/; cd +hw-support-handler; debuild'. If you lack debuild, install the +devscripts package.

+ +

Update 2013-01-23 12:00: 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 +build +instructions for details.

+ +
+
+ + + Tags: debian, english, isenkram. + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ Thank you Thinkpad X41, for your long and trustworthy service +
+
+ 19th January 2013 +
+
+

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. + +

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.:)

+ + + +

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.

+ +

Perhaps I should rethink my needs, and look for a pad with an +external keyboard? I'll have to check the +Linux Laptops site for +well-supported laptops, or perhaps just buy one preinstalled from one +of the vendors listed on the Linux +Pre-loaded site.

+ +
+
+ + + Tags: debian, english. + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ How to find a browser plugin supporting a given MIME type +
+
+ 18th January 2013 +
+
+

Some times I try to figure out which Iceweasel browser plugin to +install to get support for a given MIME type. Thanks to +specifications +done by Ubuntu 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:

+ +
+#!/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
+
+ +

It can be used like this to look up a given MIME type:

+ +
+% ./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
+%
+
+ +

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?

+ +

Update 2013-01-18 14:20: The Debian BTS +request for icweasel support for this feature is +#484010 from 2008 (and +#698426 from today). Lack +of manpower and wish for a different design is the reason thus feature +is not yet in iceweasel from Debian.

+ +
+
+ + + Tags: debian, english. + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ What is the most supported MIME type in Debian? +
+
+ 16th January 2013 +
+
+

The DEP-11 +proposal to add AppStream information to the Debian archive, is a +proposal to make it possible for a Desktop application to propose to +the user some package to install to gain support for a given MIME +type, font, library etc. that is currently missing. With such +mechanism in place, it would be possible for the desktop to +automatically propose and install leocad if some LDraw file is +downloaded by the browser.

+ +

To get some idea about the current content of the archive, I decided +to write a simple program to extract all .desktop files from the +Debian archive and look up the claimed MIME support there. The result +can be found on the +Skolelinux FTP +site. Using the collected information, it become possible to +answer the question in the title. Here are the 20 most supported MIME +types in Debian stable (Squeeze), testing (Wheezy) and unstable (Sid). +The complete list is available from the link above.

+ +

Debian Stable:

+ +
+  count MIME type
+  ----- -----------------------
+     32 text/plain
+     30 audio/mpeg
+     29 image/png
+     28 image/jpeg
+     27 application/ogg
+     26 audio/x-mp3
+     25 image/tiff
+     25 image/gif
+     22 image/bmp
+     22 audio/x-wav
+     20 audio/x-flac
+     19 audio/x-mpegurl
+     18 video/x-ms-asf
+     18 audio/x-musepack
+     18 audio/x-mpeg
+     18 application/x-ogg
+     17 video/mpeg
+     17 audio/x-scpls
+     17 audio/ogg
+     16 video/x-ms-wmv
+
+ +

Debian Testing:

+ +
+  count MIME type
+  ----- -----------------------
+     33 text/plain
+     32 image/png
+     32 image/jpeg
+     29 audio/mpeg
+     27 image/gif
+     26 image/tiff
+     26 application/ogg
+     25 audio/x-mp3
+     22 image/bmp
+     21 audio/x-wav
+     19 audio/x-mpegurl
+     19 audio/x-mpeg
+     18 video/mpeg
+     18 audio/x-scpls
+     18 audio/x-flac
+     18 application/x-ogg
+     17 video/x-ms-asf
+     17 text/html
+     17 audio/x-musepack
+     16 image/x-xbitmap
+
+ +

Debian Unstable:

+ +
+  count MIME type
+  ----- -----------------------
+     31 text/plain
+     31 image/png
+     31 image/jpeg
+     29 audio/mpeg
+     28 application/ogg
+     27 image/gif
+     26 image/tiff
+     26 audio/x-mp3
+     23 audio/x-wav
+     22 image/bmp
+     21 audio/x-flac
+     20 audio/x-mpegurl
+     19 audio/x-mpeg
+     18 video/x-ms-asf
+     18 video/mpeg
+     18 audio/x-scpls
+     18 application/x-ogg
+     17 audio/x-musepack
+     16 video/x-ms-wmv
+     16 video/x-msvideo
+
+ +

I am told that PackageKit can provide an API to access the kind of +information mentioned in DEP-11. I have not yet had time to look at +it, but hope the PackageKit people in Debian are on top of these +issues.

+ +

Update 2013-01-16 13:35: Updated numbers after +discovering a typo in my script.

+ +
+
+ + + Tags: debian, english. + + +
+
+
+
Using modalias info to find packages handling my hardware @@ -140,7 +565,7 @@ machine, please send me an email or talk to me on
- Tags: debian, english. + Tags: debian, english, isenkram.
@@ -407,7 +832,7 @@ in /sys/ with space in them.

- Tags: debian, english. + Tags: debian, english, isenkram.
@@ -550,7 +975,7 @@ please send me an email. :)

- Tags: debian, english. + Tags: debian, english, isenkram.
@@ -713,7 +1138,27 @@ siste måneden.

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