Mario Carrión: septiembre 2004

Recently

This is an old new, but I'll write anyway, Mono Hispano's new website is up and running, Fabian had done a really nice job, everyone in the monohispano's list want to help, maybe the site will change a lot the next days, I hope seeing more features

Two days ago, while I was doing homework, I used the nice Java (I also like Java) for doing some oriented objects programs, I want to use C# but at school there isn't any C# compiler, and I can't install it because of the user's privileges, and I don't like Delphi nor Visual Basic, so I decided to use my old oriented object language: Java. It isn't fast but I like it anyway, also the new version has a nice look-and-feel for Swing. Give it a try.

MonoUML is still inactive, both Rodolfo and Mario, are busy, so am I. I really want to keep developing this project, I like it very much, If anyone want to help, download it through cvs everything is there, then suscribe to the mailing list and tell us about it.

I learned today: 'I still like Java'

New Mono Hispano's website coming

I've modified the old también-hablamos-español image, I modified it for being used as header in the new Mono Hispano's website, Fabian and I are working in this new template, Fabian did the CSS and I drew the image, working like a concurrent team :)
I think that we need something cooler than the current website's template, a lot may agree with me. Fabian's new template is cool at least I liked it, the monohispano community might like it, new appearance new features more end-user-like :)
I learned today: '¡También hablamos español! Nice phrase, is not it?'
By the way: 'Brazil is not considered as Spanish-speaker, that's why I did not fill it. (if someone asks)'

¡También hablamos español!

After playing with GIMP and the mono's logo, I've decided to change my weblog's header as you can see. You can get the GIMP2 file and create your own, have a nice day. SUPPORT MONO HISPANO!! Vamos hispano-hablantes, apoyen la tecnlogía, apoyen a Mono Hispano, ¡¡no sean puristas!!. I learned today: '11 months of pure love. '

Stopping purism and Drag&Drop developers

Nowadays, I've changed, all my purism had gone, I'm using .NET, learning that the technology must be learned even from Microsoft. Microsoft had changed a lot, I mean, its windows is still the same, many bugs, many random hangs, many viruses, it's still the same, the same awful thing, the most awful used thing. The Microsoft Corporation, now, releases its technology for everyone, does not stop new free implementations (such as mono for .NET) (well, none yet, maybe in some years, MS will suit Novell and GNU), I'm not happy watching all those new .NET developers migrating to Unix, but I like seeing that more people is supporting Linux/Unix as primary developing operating system. Yesterday at school, I used Delphi, I DON'T LIKE DELPHI NEITHER VISUAL BASIC, but I decided to use it and learn it (for fun), at least for knowing a little about new tools; after using it for almost two hours, I understood why everyone loves Delphi/VB: Drag&Dropping, nothing else, and I also understood everything about new developers' knownledge; I'm sure that all those people (Delphi/VB developers, at least most) doesn't know anything about inherence neither polimorfism, nothing about the oriented object paradigm, I don't know all, but I try to use the "most difficult way" for learning, maybe I'm wrong, but here at school everyone is the same, "Drag&Drop Developers". Then, I started to think.. "We need tools like this", I think that Linux is a huge for new business projects, now the big corporations supports Linux or *BSD, in Europe Linux is used as most as MS Windows, and what about here? People had heard about Unix, they think "Unix" and start to think about the "black screen with white text", Unix is not the ugly duck it is cute swan, but the end-user doesn't think that, the end-user doesn't care about Unix's processes, Unix's security, Unix's scalability, they only want to browse, chat with their friends and hear some music... and write some documents. I hope that someday, everyone have free choosing for selecting its own OS, I would like to hear "I want Debian preinstalled in my computer", it will be nice, but it might be impossible. MonoUML is recently inactive, reasons?, Rodolfo Campero, Mario Fuentes and I are very busy, Rodolfo with his job, Mario Fuentes and I with school, and... What about the other MonoUML members? We don't know anything, I've heard that Manuel Cern (ceronman) is developing some new UML# widgets, will we have sooner a new commiter? Maybe. I learned today: 'Purism is not good, we need to learn, and learn even from Microsoft.'

Knoppix, Ubuntu and Slackware

I like reading, surfing the web and looking some nice news about Debian, recently something took me over, Slackware, here, at school, all the linux users use Slackware, reasons? I don't know, I haven't tryed it yet, I like Debian and FreeBSD, anyway I decided downloading all the Slackware's iso files for later installing; in the Slack's ftp I found some other distributions such as Knopppix (the lastest release: 3.6) which impressed me time ago because its powerful detection process. I also found this nice Slackware website. Then, after downloading the live-cd (Knoppix) and the four isos (Slackware) I keep reading and I found a new Debian-based distribution which ships with the new GNOME release, 2.8, I don't like compiling from sources because of my machine's CPU, it's too slow, I would have to wait at least two days to get a nice GNOME Desktop; the new distribution is called Ubuntu, it is based on Debian but it doesn't supports the Debian's packages (Knoppix does), it doesn't have mono, and obviously you can't apt-get it from SID because Ubuntu's/Debian's dpkg doesn't resolve those complicated dependencies... anyway the Ubuntu will include the mono binaries in the next release. I haven't installed any of them, yet, I'm still too busy at school, doing some homework and studying for tests. I haven't worked with MonoUML, I'm sad because of that, but I added it to FreshMeat :) I learned today: 'New computer? None yet'

Travel, Etch and Her figure

Travel Yesterday I traveled to Perote pretty city but too cold for me. I spent all the day there, while I was going back to Vercruz in the bus, I was thinking that this two years I've traleved too much times, I've traveled to Cardel, Xico, Perote, Xalapa, Naranjos, Tuxtepec, Piedra de Amolar, Oaxaca, Cosamalopan, Coatzacoalcos, Cardenas, Paraiso; all those cities are closer to Veracruz, I like traveling. I enjoyed the spent time yesterday, rainy familial day. Etch I was reading some post from barrapunto when I found a post about Debian, telling about the newest release: Sarge; I'm still waiting for its releasing, I might have to wait another year more. I discovered that the new testing release will be called Etch, it is the small blackboard. Her figure I'm trying to sculpt my cartoon with clay, it is not difficult, I've sculted the head until today, it looks really nice, her smile is pretty, I also drew her eyelashes, she will like her gift! I have a premonition!!. I learned today: 'I will start to save some money for buying one nice camera.'

Black screen

Some time ago I took some pictures (DO NOT ASK ABOUT QUALITY I used the Zire's built-in camera) about something weird that happened. I was watching TV, watching one TV channel and then another and then another and so on, but something caught me the eye, a nice and pretty windows' black death screen (I took another two shots) that remembered me the old windows' blue screen which always used to appear while you were reading any website using Netscape Communicator 4.7 or chatting with your IRC client for Windows 95, nice thoughts. I miss my modem's speed, the lowest ever, and those faster computers called 486 and those really big black diskettes, the time had passed too fast, I used to run Windows 95 on my early beginning, I'm not proud for had been an old MS Windows user, old past years. I'm impressed that Microsoft Windows is still the same, but now it uses more computer resources: more RAM, more hard disk space, and still has those nice features: hanging randomly and a lot of viruses. I don't miss any of Microsoft Windows' features. I miss the computer games, but nowadays I don't have enough time to play so I don't miss them either. Recently, the MonoUML Team, had been thinking about writing our own diagramming canvas, due to diacanvas-sharp is still too immature for our purposes, we decided to choose GnomeCanvas, Mario Fuentes and I will code all those elements, new core elements will be written. Rodolfo added a new document ARCHITECTURE, he wrote it and I made the DocBook, it shows the core elements used in MonoUML, nice for those new people who will help sometime and useful for us too. I learned today: 'I'm going to travel in 2 hour and I haven't slept yet.'

México 100%

Debido a que hoy es día de la Revolución Mexicana he decidido escribir esta corto mensaje en español, mi lengua nativa, hay que ser patriota y demostrarlo, aunque a millones de mexicanos les importe un rabano este día y lo vean sólo como una excusa para faltar a clases/trabajo y embriagarse con los amigos. Para comenzar tenemos que en este 2004 se cumplen 150 años del himno nacional mexicano, Francisco Bocanegra y Jaime Nunó escribieron y compusieron nuestro bello himno que nos obligan a aprendernos desde que estamos en educación primaria, y ahora a mi edad lo recuerdo muy poco gracias a mis grandiosas lagunas mentales. Por otro lado, el presidente de nuestra muy gloriosa república, Vicente Fox, dio el clásico grito de Independencia, ese que dice "¡¡Viva no-se-quien!! ¡¡Viva!! ¡¡Viva!!"; sinceramente no lo mire por la televisión, me encontraba haciendo algunas otras cosas, pero supongo que asi fue, pues cada año es lo mismo. Por otro lado, después de un vago trabajo en MonoUML, todo gracias a mi precioso horario de la universidad, en el cuál entro a las 8:00HRS y salgo 21:00HRS, no he podido hacer gran cosa, uno que otro icono por ahí, correción de fallos relativamente simples y uno que otro cvs commit, nada que resaltar, bueno si, Rodolfo hizo este dialogo para la selección de propiedades para Casos de Uso, y además la clásica captura de pantalla, para que vean el avance generico, aunque es recomendable bajarlo desde el cvs y compilarlo para "jugar con el". Por cierto, Rodolfo ha mencionado en nuestros correos internos que ya esta casi finalizado "Casos de Uso", sólo falta la parte de UML#, pero diacanvas# sigue tan inestable :(, asi que posiblemente dentro de algunos años mas liberemos la primera versión (muy inestable) de MonoUML. ¿Grandioso no? Hoy aprendí: 'Bacardi Blanco, no es una buena bebida para compartir un grato momento con los amigos. Al otro dia, preferirias estar muerto.'

Lazy weekend, rainy sunday

I had played a lot with my MMC/SD Card, I have it since almost one year ago, but until now I'm using it often. I didn't do anything nice this weekend, no technologies written. I spent this weekend downloading some nice MP3s, some newbies:

Royal Gigolos - California Dreamin'
DJ Tiesto - Love comes again
Boogie Pimps - Somebody to love

and some oldies:

Powerman 5000 - When worlds collide
Slipknot - Wait and Bleed
Tool - Schism

I'm still looking for David Bowie - Little Wonder, I had it long time ago, but by now I missed it. I learned today: 'Mario: a cup of coffee please.'

USB Devices: Printer, Handheld and MMC/SD Card Reader

Yesterday and today I've spent almost all my freetime setting up my USB devices

USB Printer: HP Deskjet 3650
USB Handheld: Palm Zire 71
USB MMC/SD Card Reader: Palm

USB Printer

We need the printer module from the USB Devices
Then: apt-get install cupsys hpijs foomatic-db-hpijs
Get the current HP's driver
# /etc/init.d/cupsys restart
Add your printer using the CUPS manager.
$ mozilla-firefox http://localhost:631
Test it, have fun

USB Handheld

We need the visor module from the USB Serial
Then: apt-get install pilot-link jpilot
Ask the answer from dpkg
Run terminal, then $ jpilot
Test it, have fun

USB MMC/SD Card Reader

We need the store module from the USB Storage
Then: apt-get install sg3-utils
Plug the reader, then: # cat /proc/scsi/scsi
Then: # sg_scan -i && sg_map
Mount it, test it, have fun
Don't forget to umount it when finished

The printer works pretty well, the palm works pretty well and the card reader works pretty well. Everything goes fine. I learned today: 'Too close for being an end-user environment'

News

New features had been added to MonoUML:

Comments allowed for elements and nested comments for comments.
Command line arguments, for opening projects from shell.
The toolbar icons now work.
A lot of EC bug had been fixed.
The GUI had changed, now uses Paned widgets, like in the early beginning.
Support for Use Cases almost complete (ALMOST).
Some other... :)

Look the newest screenshot, you are encourage to do cvs update -dp to our CVS. All the features were done by the current MonoUML team (Mario Fuentes, Rodolfo Campero and Mario Carrión), the other part of the team had not done anything yet, I hope to get some help from some other people sooner. I learned today: 'UML Rule so does MonoUML'

Monoppix

This days I haven't slept too much, I feel tired and I want to sleep NOW!. I have not enough time for coding MonoUML neither for writing some good articles, I've been reading and trying to solve some issues (now are already solved) and improving some features to my school projects, adding security and performance as main goals. I've been answering some emails at monohispano list, trying to solve problems which aren't mine, but it doesn't matter I care about the mono community. And I've found a nice project about mono bassed on the Knoppix release, it is called Monoppix, it is a knoppix-based live-cd which ships mono including monodevelop, monodoc and xsp. Look this page for watching some nice screenshots. I haven't done too much (recently) about MonoUML, I'll work with it sooner. Have fun with Monoppix. I learned today: 'I need to rest and I need a laptop and I need one new desktop computer and I need some money and I need more free time'

Updating MonoUML

After been (this weekend) working on my Database project, I did


$ cvs update -dP && make run

for updating the MonoUML's code, the code is working, thanks to Rodolfo for his help, due to I'm too busy for coding, he is developing some new nice features and I'm trying to solve my school's problems. There is a new screenshot sample for MonoUML. I'm thinking to travel for seeing her. I might travel in the next month: October 23th/24th for celebrating the first anniversary. :). I learned today: 'I will travel to see her' By the way: 'I'm a new monohispano's commiter, thanks to Alvaro del Castillo and Fabian Seoane for their help, I will update some tutorials sooner.. I hope so'

Justifying the project

I spent this weekend setting up all the necessary for using PostgreSQL through MS' .NET (using the ODBC provided by GBorg, that team is also developing some .NET Data Provider, but it is too unstable, and I don't to fail my DataBase subject at school =P). Yes!! I know, I'M USING MS' .NET, What about your Mono Project?, BUT WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?, :( neither of my fellow workers use Linux/Mono, they neither program with C#, and Mono/GTK# is still too much unstable for using it as core framework (sorry fellows but it is the truth), my mates used to develop with Java (some time ago), they like dragging and dropping components from toolbar filled with icons. Anyway, I also set up my Linux box for being used as Primary Domain Controller, you know for authentifying some MS Windows NT based OS, I like SAMBA I've learned a lot this two days but I've been to busy and I couldn't work with MonoUML but it didn't matter because SourceForge is in maintenance (look, I'm running MS Windows 2000 Server, with a lot of patches, but I'm still running Mozilla Firefox!!, did you think I was using MS Internet Explorer?) look at the newest screenshot. SAMBA had changed a lot since I used for sharing files all along my network, there are a lot of new features, I did:


# apt-get install samba smbclient

then I set up the /etc/samba/smb.conf, adding some variable names; there isn't too much information about Samba3, I found this good articles, they might be useful for someone else:

And what about PostgreSQL?? We know postgres is the better open sourced database, better than Oracle, better than MySQL (obvious), better than MS SQL Server (OBVIOUS); if you use PostgreSQL by the first time, you won't change it EVER!, it has a lot of features, I encourage to give it a try. I just:


# apt-get install postgresql postgresql-client

then I modified the /etc/postgresql/hba_pg.conf for allowing TCP/IP connections, that's all I need... for now :D. I learned today: '(and the day before today), we need more companies for supporting open sourced technologies; Open Source is cheaper, better, stabler, what else do you need?' By the way: 'I will go the see her SOONER! I promise. I found a nice image look it:' Mix it up!