X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/f110f560157f86a7c01552ba419724ca0dbcebf9..2aafae50dc90da8ae2432aaeca9569fbe49cf7d7:/blog/index.rss diff --git a/blog/index.rss b/blog/index.rss index f242b8d1f6..0581cf3d48 100644 --- a/blog/index.rss +++ b/blog/index.rss @@ -6,6 +6,187 @@ http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/ + + Software created using taxpayers’ money should be Free Software + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Software_created_using_taxpayers__money_should_be_Free_Software.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Software_created_using_taxpayers__money_should_be_Free_Software.html + Thu, 30 Aug 2018 13:50:00 +0200 + <p>It might seem obvious that software created using tax money should +be available for everyone to use and improve. Free Software +Foundation Europe recentlystarted a campaign to help get more people +to understand this, and I just signed the petition on +<a href="https://publiccode.eu/">Public Money, Public Code</a> to help +them. I hope you too will do the same.</p> + + + + + A bit more on privacy respecting health monitor / fitness tracker + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/A_bit_more_on_privacy_respecting_health_monitor___fitness_tracker.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/A_bit_more_on_privacy_respecting_health_monitor___fitness_tracker.html + Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:00:00 +0200 + <p>A few days ago, I wondered if there are any privacy respecting +health monitors and/or fitness trackers available for sale these days. +I would like to buy one, but do not want to share my personal data +with strangers, nor be forced to have a mobile phone to get data out +of the unit. I've received some ideas, and would like to share them +with you. + +One interesting data point was a pointer to a Free Software app for +Android named +<a href="https://github.com/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge/">Gadgetbridge</a>. +It provide cloudless collection and storing of data from a variety of +trackers. Its +<a href="https://github.com/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge/#supported-devices">list +of supported devices</a> is a good indicator for units where the +protocol is fairly open, as it is obviously being handled by Free +Software. Other units are reportedly encrypting the collected +information with their own public key, making sure only the vendor +cloud service is able to extract data from the unit. The people +contacting me about Gadgetbirde said they were using +<a href="https://us.amazfit.com/shop/bip?variant=336750">Amazfit +Bip</a> and +<a href="http://www.xiaomimi6phone.com/xiaomi-mi-band-3-features-release-date-rumors/">Xiaomi +Band 3</a>.</p> + +<p>I also got a suggestion to look at some of the units from Garmin. +I was told their GPS watches can be connected via USB and show up as a +USB storage device with +<a href="https://www.gpsbabel.org/htmldoc-development/fmt_garmin_fit.html">Garmin +FIT files</a> containing the collected measurements. While +proprietary, FIT files apparently can be read at least by +<a href="https://www.gpsbabel.org">GPSBabel</a> and the +<a href="https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/gpxpod">GpxPod</a> Nextcloud +app. It is unclear to me if they can read step count and heart rate +data. The person I talked to was using a +<a href="https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/564291">Garmin Forerunner +935</a>, which is a fairly expensive unit. I doubt it is worth it for +a unit where the vendor clearly is trying its best to move from open +to closed systems. I still remember when Garmin dropped NMEA support +in its GPSes.</p> + +<p>A final idea was to build ones own unit, perhaps by basing it on a +wearable hardware platforms like +<a href="https://learn.adafruit.com/flora-geo-watch">the Flora Geo +Watch</a>. Sound like fun, but I had more money than time to spend on +the topic, so I suspect it will have to wait for another time.</p> + +<p>While I was working on tracking down links, I came across an +inspiring TED talk by Dave Debronkart about +<a href="https://archive.org/details/DavedeBronkart_2010X">being a +e-patient</a>, and discovered the web site +<a href="https://participatorymedicine.org/epatients/">Participatory +Medicine</a>. If you too want to track your own health and fitness +without having information about your private life floating around on +computers owned by others, I recommend checking it out.</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">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p> + + + + + Privacy respecting health monitor / fitness tracker? + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Privacy_respecting_health_monitor___fitness_tracker_.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Privacy_respecting_health_monitor___fitness_tracker_.html + Tue, 7 Aug 2018 16:00:00 +0200 + <p>Dear lazyweb,</p> + +<p>I wonder, is there a fitness tracker / health monitor available for +sale today that respect the users privacy? With this I mean a +watch/bracelet capable of measuring pulse rate and other +fitness/health related values (and by all means, also the correct time +and location if possible), which is <strong>only</strong> provided for +me to extract/read from the unit with computer without a radio beacon +and Internet connection. In other words, it do not depend on a cell +phone app, and do make the measurements available via other peoples +computer (aka "the cloud"). The collected data should be available +using only free software. I'm not interested in depending on some +non-free software that will leave me high and dry some time in the +future. I've been unable to find any such unit. I would like to buy +it. The ones I have seen for sale here in Norway are proud to report +that they share my health data with strangers (aka "cloud enabled"). +Is there an alternative? I'm not interested in giving money to people +requiring me to accept "privacy terms" to allow myself to measure my +own health.</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">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p> + + + + + Sharing images with friends and family using RSS and EXIF/XMP metadata + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Sharing_images_with_friends_and_family_using_RSS_and_EXIF_XMP_metadata.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Sharing_images_with_friends_and_family_using_RSS_and_EXIF_XMP_metadata.html + Tue, 31 Jul 2018 23:30:00 +0200 + <p>For a while now, I have looked for a sensible way to share images +with my family using a self hosted solution, as it is unacceptable to +place images from my personal life under the control of strangers +working for data hoarders like Google or Dropbox. The last few days I +have drafted an approach that might work out, and I would like to +share it with you. I would like to publish images on a server under +my control, and point some Internet connected display units using some +free and open standard to the images I published. As my primary +language is not limited to ASCII, I need to store metadata using +UTF-8. Many years ago, I hoped to find a digital photo frame capable +of reading a RSS feed with image references (aka using the +&lt;enclosure&gt; RSS tag), but was unable to find a current supplier +of such frames. In the end I gave up that approach.</p> + +<p>Some months ago, I discovered that +<a href="https://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/">XScreensaver</a> is able to +read images from a RSS feed, and used it to set up a screen saver on +my home info screen, showing images from the Daily images feed from +NASA. This proved to work well. More recently I discovered that +<a href="https://kodi.tv">Kodi</a> (both using +<a href="https://www.openelec.tv/">OpenELEC</a> and +<a href="https://libreelec.tv">LibreELEC</a>) provide the +<a href="https://github.com/grinsted/script.screensaver.feedreader">Feedreader</a> +screen saver capable of reading a RSS feed with images and news. For +fun, I used it this summer to test Kodi on my parents TV by hooking up +a Raspberry PI unit with LibreELEC, and wanted to provide them with a +screen saver showing selected pictures from my selection.</p> + +<p>Armed with motivation and a test photo frame, I set out to generate +a RSS feed for the Kodi instance. I adjusted my <a +href="https://freedombox.org/">Freedombox</a> instance, created +/var/www/html/privatepictures/, wrote a small Perl script to extract +title and description metadata from the photo files and generate the +RSS file. I ended up using Perl instead of python, as the +libimage-exiftool-perl Debian package seemed to handle the EXIF/XMP +tags I ended up using, while python3-exif did not. The relevant EXIF +tags only support ASCII, so I had to find better alternatives. XMP +seem to have the support I need.</p> + +<p>I am a bit unsure which EXIF/XMP tags to use, as I would like to +use tags that can be easily added/updated using normal free software +photo managing software. I ended up using the tags set using this +exiftool command, as these tags can also be set using digiKam:</p> + +<blockquote><pre> +exiftool -headline='The RSS image title' \ + -description='The RSS image description.' \ + -subject+=for-family photo.jpeg +</pre></blockquote> + +<p>I initially tried the "-title" and "keyword" tags, but they were +invisible in digiKam, so I changed to "-headline" and "-subject". I +use the keyword/subject 'for-family' to flag that the photo should be +shared with my family. Images with this keyword set are located and +copied into my Freedombox for the RSS generating script to find.</p> + +<p>Are there better ways to do this? Get in touch if you have better +suggestions.</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">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p> + + + Simple streaming the Linux desktop to Kodi using GStreamer and RTP http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Simple_streaming_the_Linux_desktop_to_Kodi_using_GStreamer_and_RTP.html @@ -535,157 +716,5 @@ activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address - - youtube-dl for nedlasting fra NRK med undertekster - nice free software - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/youtube_dl_for_nedlasting_fra_NRK_med_undertekster___nice_free_software.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/youtube_dl_for_nedlasting_fra_NRK_med_undertekster___nice_free_software.html - Sat, 28 Apr 2018 10:30:00 +0200 - <p>I <a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS">VHS-kassettenes</a> -tid var det rett frem å ta vare på et TV-program en ønsket å kunne se -senere, uten å være avhengig av at programmet ble sendt på nytt. -Kanskje ønsket en å se programmet på hytten der det ikke var -TV-signal, eller av andre grunner ha det tilgjengelig for fremtidig -fornøyelse. Dette er blitt vanskeligere med introduksjon av -digital-TV og webstreaming, der opptak til harddisk er utenfor de -flestes kontroll hvis de bruker ufri programvare og bokser kontrollert -av andre. Men for NRK her i Norge, finnes det heldigvis flere fri -programvare-alternativer, som jeg har -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Hvordan_enkelt_laste_ned_filmer_fra_NRK.html">skrevet</a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Hvordan_enkelt_laste_ned_filmer_fra_NRK_med_den__nye__l_sningen.html">om</a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Nedlasting_fra_NRK__som_Matroska_med_undertekster.html">før</a>. -Så lenge kilden for nedlastingen er lovlig lagt ut på nett (hvilket -jeg antar NRK gjør), så er slik lagring til privat bruk også lovlig i -Norge.</p> - -<p>Sist jeg så på saken, i 2016, nevnte jeg at -<a href="https://rg3.github.com/youtube-dl/">youtube-dl</a> ikke kunne -bake undertekster fra NRK inn i videofilene, og at jeg derfor -foretrakk andre alternativer. Nylig oppdaget jeg at dette har endret -seg. Fordelen med youtube-dl er at den er tilgjengelig direkte fra -Linux-distribusjoner som <a href="https://www.debian.org/">Debian</a> -og <a href="https://www.ubuntu.com/">Ubuntu</a>, slik at en slipper å -finne ut selv hvordan en skal få dem til å virke.</p> - -<p>For å laste ned et NRK-innslag med undertekster, og få den norske -underteksten pakket inn i videofilen, så kan følgende kommando -brukes:</p> - -<p><pre> -youtube-dl --write-sub --sub-format ttml \ - --convert-subtitles srt --embed-subs \ - https://tv.nrk.no/serie/ramm-ferdig-gaa/MUHU11000316/27-04-2018 -</pre></p> - -<p>URL-eksemplet er dagens toppsak på tv.nrk.no. Resultatet er en -MP4-fil med filmen og undertekster som kan spilles av med VLC. Merk -at VLC ikke viser frem undertekster før du aktiverer dem. For å gjøre -det, høyreklikk med musa i fremviservinduet, velg menyvalget for -undertekst og så norsk språk. Jeg testet også '--write-auto-sub', -men det kommandolinjeargumentet ser ikke ut til å fungere, så jeg -endte opp med settet med argumentlisten over, som jeg fant i en -feilrapport i youtube-dl-prosjektets samling over feilrapporter.</p> - -<p>Denne støtten i youtube-dl gjør det svært enkelt å lagre -NRK-innslag, det være seg nyheter, filmer, serier eller dokumentater, -for å ha dem tilgjengelig for fremtidig referanse og bruk, uavhengig -av hvor lenge innslagene ligger tilgjengelig hos NRK. Så får det ikke -hjelpe at NRKs jurister mener at det er -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Best___ikke_fortelle_noen_at_streaming_er_nedlasting___.html">vesensforskjellig -å legge tilgjengelig for nedlasting og for streaming</a>, når det rent -teknisk er samme sak.</p> - -<p>Programmet youtube-dl støtter også en rekke andre nettsteder, se -prosjektoversikten for -<a href="http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/supportedsites.html">en -komplett liste</a>.</p> - - - - - Stortingsflertallet går inn for ny IP-basert sensurinfrastruktur i Norge - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Stortingsflertallet_g_r_inn_for_ny_IP_basert_sensurinfrastruktur_i_Norge.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Stortingsflertallet_g_r_inn_for_ny_IP_basert_sensurinfrastruktur_i_Norge.html - Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:00:00 +0200 - <p><a href="https://www.vg.no/sport/i/J1g8zj/stortingsvedtak-snart-ip-blokkerer-utenlandske-spillselskaper">VG</a>, -<a href="https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/stortinget-blokkerer-utenlandske-spillselskaper/69740219">Dagbladet</a> -og -<a href="https://www.nrk.no/ostfold/tar-opp-kampen-mot-utenlandske-spillselskap-1.14021381">NRK</a> -melder i dag at flertallet i Familie- og kulturkomiteen på Stortinget -har bestemt seg for å introdusere en ny sensurinfrastruktur i Norge. -Fra før har Norge en «frivillig» sensurinfrastruktur basert på -DNS-navn, der de største ISP-ene basert på en liste med DNS-navn -forgifter DNS-svar og omdirigerer til et annet IP-nummer enn det som -ligger i DNS. Nå kommer altså IP-basert omdirigering i tillegg. Når -infrastrukturen er på plass, er sensur av IP-adresser redusert et -spørsmål om hvilke IP-nummer som skal blokkeres. Listen over -IP-adresser vil naturligvis endre seg etter hvert som myndighetene -endrer seg. Det er ingen betryggende tanke.</p> - - - - - En grunn til å takke nei til usikker digital post - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/En_grunn_til___takke_nei_til_usikker_digital_post.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/En_grunn_til___takke_nei_til_usikker_digital_post.html - Mon, 2 Apr 2018 13:30:00 +0200 - <p>Brevpost er beskyttet av straffelovens bestemmelse som gjør det -kriminelt å åpne andres brev. Dette følger av (ny) straffelovs -<a href="https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2005-05-20-28/§205">§ 205 -(Krenkelse av retten til privat kommunikasjon)</a>, som sier at «Med -bot eller fengsel inntil 2 år straffes den som uberettiget ... c) -åpner brev eller annen lukket skriftlig meddelelse som er adressert -til en annen, eller på annen måte skaffer seg uberettiget tilgang til -innholdet.» Dette gjelder såvel postbud som alle andre som har -befatning med brevet etter at avsender har befatning med et lukket -brev. Tilsvarende står også tidligere utgaver av den norske -straffeloven.</p> - -<p>Når en registrerer seg på usikre digitale postkasseløsningene, som -f.eks. Digipost og e-Boks, og slik tar disse i bruk, så gir en de som -står bak løsningene tillatelse til å åpne sine brev. Dette er -nødvendig for at innholdet i digital post skal kunne vises frem til -mottaker via tjenestens websider. Dermed gjelder ikke straffelovens -paragraf om forbud mot å åpne brev, da tilgangen ikke lenger er -uberettiget. En gir altså fremmede tilgang til å lese sin -korrespondanse. I tillegg vil bruk av slike usikre digitale -postbokser føre til at det blir registrert når du leser brevene, hvor -du befinner deg (vha. tilkoblingens IP-adresse), hvilket utstyr du -bruker og en rekke annen personlig informasjon som ikke er -tilgjengelig når papirpost brukes. Jeg foretrekker at det er -lovmessig beskyttelse av min korrespondanse, som jo inneholder privat -og personlig informasjon. Det bidrar til litt bedre vern av personlig -integritet i dagens norske samfunn.</p> - - - - - Self-appointed leaders of the Free World - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Self_appointed_leaders_of_the_Free_World.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Self_appointed_leaders_of_the_Free_World.html - Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:00:00 +0100 - <p>The leaders of the worlds have started to congratulate the -re-elected Russian head of state, and this causes some criticism. I -am though a little fascinated by a comment from USA senator John McCain, -<a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379339-mccain-rips-trumps-congratulatory-call-to-putin-as-insult-to-russian-people">sited -by The Hill and others</a>: - -<p><blockquote> -<p>"An American president does not lead the Free World by -congratulating dictators on winning sham elections."</p> -</blockquote></p> - -<p>While I totally agree with the senator here, the way the quote is -phrased make me suspect that he is unaware of the simple fact that USA -have not lead the Free World since at least before its government -<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar">kidnapped a -completely innocent Canadian citizen in transit on his way home to -Canada via John F. Kennedy International Airport in September 2002 and -sent him to be tortured in Syria for a year</a>.</p> - -<p>USA might be running ahead, but the path they are taking is not the -one taken by any Free World.</p> - - -