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• Doug 12:10 pm on September 30, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Linux/Unix, Open Source, OS X, Software, Sysadmin

  If you use Open Source Unix software on the Mac, you have two choices for how to get and install packages: Fink and MacPorts. Fink is based on the package management system used by Debian Linux, and MacPorts is based on the FreeBSD ports system.

  Both are excellent systems, and to be honest, I use them both. With Fink, both the command line tools (apt-get and dselect) and the native GUI-based Fink Commander work very well and are popular. I have them all installed.

  But the Unix subsystem of OS X really is FreeBSD. OS X very closely resembles FreeBSD at the Unix level - the file system layout is very similar, the built-in Unix software works the same way, and it just feels like FreeBSD. For other Unix server devices I build and use at work I’m a fairly recent convert to FreeBSD, which I find superior to Linux for a number of server applications. On those systems I’ve really come to appreciate the FreeBSD ports system of package management. It’s at least as good as apt, and much, much better than the dreaded RPM.

  So, on OS X I’ve started using MacPorts to handle Unix package management. It just feels more natural. If you’re interested in using MacPorts but want to learn more, check out the MacPorts Wiki, particularly the UsingMacPortsQuickStart page.

   

• Doug 3:57 pm on September 26, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Linux/Unix, OS X, Stuff I Use, Sysadmin

  I discovered the excellent TSClientX this past weekend. TSClientX is a Unix-based remote desktop application for OS X that supports remote access to both Windows and X11 hosts.

  I did run into a problem with it today, however. I was attempting to use TSClientX to connect to X11 on one of our AIX systems, which didn’t work. On subsequent attempts to launch the application the icon would briefly bounce in the dock, X11 on the Mac would start, and then nothing.

  It took me a little poking around, but it was acting like some sort of corrupted config file, which turned out to be the case. There was a .tsclient directory in my home directory. Inside were two files, last.tsc and mru.tsc. I’m not sure which of these had the problem, but once I removed them both the application started with no further problems.

  Update: I spoke too soon. I managed to get TsClientX working again briefly, but it was soon again inoperable with the same symptoms. Deleting files as described above made no difference, nor did rebuilding the X11 font cache as described in the README. Oddly enough, it will run from the command line if I path all the way through the app bundle down to the executable.

  Ah well. A quick ‘ports install rdesktop’ and I’m off to the races from the command line, which is where I’d really prefer to launch remote sessions from anyway.

   

• Doug 1:12 pm on September 23, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: programming, Ruby/Rails, Software

  I’m spending some time today giving NetBeans a spin as a Ruby/Rails IDE. The discussion from many different quarters about this IDE on blogs the past couple of weeks finally reached critical mass for me, and I had to give it a try.

  Thus far, very impressed. I’ve sent the link to the “Editing Ruby Code” demo to my developers and encouraged them to download and try it out.

  Update 9/24/2007: I received a nice email this morning from Tor Norbye at Sun about the above post. Tor is intrusmental in the development of the Ruby tools in NetBeans, and points out that the “Editing Ruby Code” link above is somewhat dated. A better resource is the Ruby Section of the NetBeans wiki, which looks to be chock full of good stuff.

   

• Doug 12:13 pm on September 23, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: art and architecture, Second Life

  If you visit Second Life, take some time to visit the art installation at East of Odyssey. I picked this up from Warren Ellis’ column this week and it’s well worth the time. Interesting examples of how interactive art can be created in virtual spaces.

   

• Doug 4:57 pm on September 21, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: management, programming, Software, Tinderbox

  As Mark announced yesterday, I’ll be attending (and speaking) at Tinderbox Weekend SF 2007 on December 1st and 2nd. Once again the weekend will be held at the lovely Hotel Rex right downtown.

  The focus of my talk this year will concern how I use Tinderbox to design and manage software development projects (primarily in Rails). I’m sure I’ll also be talking some about how I use Tinderbox as a general project management and knowledge management tool in my work.

   

• Doug 4:52 pm on September 21, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Books, Media, Mobile, Technology

  I never really “got” podcasts in the past. I’ve stared listening to them during my commute, and I’m finding I really enjoy them.

  I’m a big reader, and I’d prefer to read than to listen to someone talk, so podcasts seemed the antithesis of how I prefer to take in information. While in the car, I never understood why I’d want to listen to something a few days old when I could just listen to the radio. But recently I shut down my XM Radio account and have found myself with not much to listen to during my 40 to 60 minute commute each day.

  Reading this post last week started me thinking about using that dead commute time to listen to some deeper, more in-depth material than I might normally take the time to do. I grabbed a few podcasts from iTunes and loaded them on my iPhone a couple of days ago, and so far have been very pleased. Not only am I making more productive use of that time, but I’m usually learning something or hearing something thought provoking that I might otherwise miss. This seems a good habit to pick up.

  I think I’m going to investigate books from Audible.com more closely, too.

   

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