So, I was working on a project and i wanted to test how long a file can be.
The resources I checked, and also the Kernel and C source I reviewed, were pointing that effectively the limit is 255 characters.
But I had one doubt… given that Python 3 String are UTF-8, and that Linux encode by default is UTF-8, will I be able to use 255 characters length, or this will be reduced as the Strings will be encoded as UTF-8 or Unicode?.
So I did a small Proof of Concept.
For the filenames I grabbed a fragment of the translation to English of the book epic book “Tirant lo Blanc” (The White Knight), one of the first books written in Catalan language and the first chivalry novel known in the world. You can download it for free it in:
from carleslibs.fileutils import FileUtils
from colorama import Fore, Back, Style , init
class ColorUtils:
def __init__(self):
# For Colorama on Windows
init()
def print_error(self, s_text, s_end="\n"):
"""
Prints errors in Red.
:param s_text:
:return:
"""
print(Fore.RED + s_text)
print(Style.RESET_ALL, end=s_end)
def print_success(self, s_text, s_end="\n"):
"""
Prints errors in Green.
:param s_text:
:return:
"""
print(Fore.GREEN + s_text)
print(Style.RESET_ALL, end=s_end)
def print_label(self, s_text, s_end="\n"):
"""
Prints a label and not the end line
:param s_text:
:return:
"""
print(Fore.BLUE + s_text, end="")
print(Style.RESET_ALL, end=s_end)
def return_text_blue(self, s_text):
"""
Restuns a Text
:param s_text:
:return: String
"""
s_text_return = Fore.BLUE + s_text + Style.RESET_ALL
return s_text_return
if __name__ == "__main__":
o_color = ColorUtils()
o_file = FileUtils()
s_text = "In the fertile, rich and lovely island of England there lived a most valiant knight, noble by his lineage and much more for his "
s_text += "courage. In his great wisdom and ingenuity he had served the profession of chivalry for many years and with a great deal of honor, "
s_text += "and his fame was widely known throughout the world. His name was Count William of Warwick. This was a very strong knight "
s_text += "who, in his virile youth, had practiced the use of arms, following wars on sea as well as land, and he had brought many "
s_text += "battles to a successful conclusion."
o_color.print_label("Erasure Code project by Carles Mateo")
print()
print("Task 237 - Proof of Concep of Long File Names, encoded is ASCii, in Linux ext3 and ext4 Filesystems")
print()
print("Using as a sample a text based on the translation of Tirant Lo Blanc")
print("Sample text used:")
print("-"*30)
print(s_text)
print("-" * 30)
print()
print("This test uses the OpenSource libraries from Carles Mateo carleslibs")
print()
print("Initiating tests")
print("================")
s_dir = "task237_tests"
if o_file.folder_exists(s_dir) is True:
o_color.print_success("Directory " + s_dir + " already existed, skipping creation")
else:
b_success = o_file.create_folder(s_dir)
if b_success is True:
o_color.print_success("Directory " + s_dir + " created successfully")
else:
o_color.print_error("Directory " + s_dir + " creation failed")
exit(1)
for i_length in range(200, 512, 1):
s_filename = s_dir + "/" + s_text[0:i_length]
b_success = o_file.write(s_file=s_filename, s_text=s_text)
s_output = "Writing file length: "
print(s_output, end="")
o_color.print_label(str(i_length).rjust(3), s_end="")
print(" file name: ", end="")
o_color.print_label(s_filename, s_end="")
print(": ", end="")
if b_success is False:
o_color.print_error("failed", s_end="\n")
exit(0)
else:
o_color.print_success("success", s_end="\n")
# Note: up to 255 work, 256 fails
I tried this in an Ubuntu Virtual Box VM.
As part of my tests I tried to add a non typical character in English, ASCii >127, like Ç.
When I use ASCii character < 128 (0 to 127) for the filenames in ext3/ext4 and in a ZFS Pool, I can use 255 positions. But when I add characters that are not typical, like the Catalan ç Ç or accents Àí the space available is reduced, suggesting the characters are being encoded:
Ç has value 128 in the ASCii table and ç 135.
I used my Open Source carleslibs and the package colorama.
These are used for increasing your stats or weapons stats.
When you die you’ll lose the runes.
You can recover them if you go to the place where you died. You’ll see them shining on the floor. The place you died is marked on the map.
You’ll not lose things like the map, flowers you picked, etc…
You don’t lose your stats.
Horseback mount
After you get the Spectral Steed Whistle bind it to your belt through the inventory or pouch. It looks like a golden ring.
Then you’ll be able to summit it by selecting it (keypad down changes the item selected from the belt) and pressing X.
If you jump over some special spinning wind zones you’ll fly to very high distances.
You can run/sprint!
That’s something I didn’t see in the controls and I was being killed many many times, so I figured it out there has to be a way to sprint.
You can run by pressing the dodge button, B in XBox. Press B and hold it and move to any direction.
You can also use it when you are mounting Torrent, your horse.
Rolling dodges some attacks
Some attacks are avoided by rolling.
Mentioned by my friend Cian O’Brien.
Weight
You can have many items with you, but when you equip them the weight is important.
If you equip too much you’ll be unable jump or roll.
You can have several weapons with you and just equip what you need at each moment (before engaging combat).
Golden runes
You’ll find golden runes that will be kept in your inventory. They are consumables and you can use them to get instant amount of fragments.
Summon Ashes spirits
You’ll find spirits that you can summon in points of interest and to fight bosses.
Flasks
You can balance the number of flasks you have, and increase the number of them by using golden seeds at the sites of grace and the amount of life they replenish if you have the sacred tears.
Sort Chest
At the sites of grace you can sort your chest, and move things from your inventory to the chest and vice versa.
That’s ideal for reducing the items you carry until the appropriate moment to sell the goods.
Chests protected by soldiers in cars
You will find some cars protected by soldiers or big monsters.
It took me many time to realize that in the back of them they have a chest.
Jump and open the chest. Good weapons will become handy at an early stage.
Use the shield
Pressing LB if you have the shield on the left hand will raise the shield and keep it lifted.
This will protect you from incoming attacks.
I killed many enemies and bosses without using the shield, and it was a bit of a pain.
Sekiro style, dying and dying. Raising the shield I was able to beat impossible-to-beat-before bosses easily.
Head Skull
There are head skulls in the map, with bright eyes.
If you crack them hitting with your weapon, you’ll get a golden rune.
You can sell the golden runes to merchants or use them at any time and you’ll get runes. You may have a treasure enough to level up and you may not known.
You don’t loss the golden runes when you die.
Cycling items in your bag
You can bind several items to your back and cycle them pressing the down key on the pad.
If you bind the healing potion to the first slot in your bag if you hold down the cycle key it will always go back to the first item (thanks Cian!)
My friend Michela says: Carles I suggest if i may put the ring in backup pouch because if you map on the menu where healing potions are you risk to call the horse when u wanna heal
If you press and hold Y you’ll see the actions that you have mapped in the pouch. So, it’s also a quick way to access these.
Eliminating groups
Will restore a flask, so you will be able to use another crimson tears. This is capped to your max number of flasks.
Torch
You can buy a torch and use it. Useful for caves and dark places. Equip it as a weapon and just select it.
Traveling to the Round Table
When the requirements are met and you travel to the round table, you can go back by opening the map and zooming out. You’ll see then the round table.
Craft bombs
You can craft bombs if you have recipients to hold them.
Bombs are very useful against some bosses.
In order to craft you’ll need to buy a crafting kit.
Medallions
Michela also recommends: Bosses use to drop medallions. You can equip them in the medallion/s slot.
Use Magic
Once you have a spell you can go to a site of grace and select Memorize Spell.
Then with the up path you can switch.
You need to have a casting tool in any hand and press the attack button for that hand in order to perform the sorcery.
I found my first staff in the Sellia Crystal cave, after killing several of these digging blue crystal enemeies, which is a zone where you travel after you open a chest in a cave in Dragon-Buirnt ruins which you access going down stairs in the runes that have the zombies, where the big dragon is. It’s the Digger’s staff.
The centipedes in that area are very hard but I found them very vulnerable to fire bombs that you can craft and to throwing curved knives that you can buy in merchants.
After you defeat a boss in a cave next to a gigantic plant, you can become Sorceress Sellen’s protegee and she will teach you magic (she sell scrolls).
You can give her the academy scroll, IDK if this is good or bad.
Show glinstone projectiles without aiming
You don’t need to have the focus over an enemy. If you’re looking at the right direction you can just shoot using your staff, and the projectile will go to the enemy automatically.
Use Incantations
You can use incantations, that are another type of spell.
For doing incantations you need a Sacred Seal.
You can buy one in the two commerce women in the round table.
I discovered this after 82 hours of gameplay.
The incantations are based of faith.
Kick stairs
Like in Sekiro Shadows die Twice, after you get to certain parts you will be able to kick a stair so you’ll not need to do all the round to get to a boss.
Try different weapons
Different weapons have different behavior that you may find very convenient.
I recommend you to try different of them.
Some shields parry, which means that if you press the LT action button in the precise moment an enemy attacks, they will become vulnerable for a moment. You can then perform a critical with RB.
Great Runes
When you defeat one of the mega bosses, the demi gods, you will get a great rune.
You can use the great runes after restoring their power (only once) in a tower.
Then you equip a great rune in a site of grace.
They grant some buffs, but to get the most of them you have to use a Rune Arc.
These are dropped by rats and big rats.
Using a Rune Arc when having a Great Rune active gives you buff, like increased stats, until you die. Then you need another Arc.
I used an Arc for the first time when I was level 77.
Hashes of war can be duplicated
The hashes of war give special effects to the weapons. To be honest I have been afraid of using it and ruining a good weapon effect, or losing the ash.
But Ashes of war can be duplicated if you have the proper ingredient, in the smith in the Round Table.
I found the first nomadic merchant selling one of these ingredients just after South Raya Lucaria Gate, coming back after traversing the seal, from Main Academy Gate, just walking through the seal, without examining it, and after killing some packs of wolves.
I found this at level 77…
After 120 hours played I was level 83.
After 150 hours played I was level 111 and I had not yet used a single Ash of war.
Some attacks can be charged
Some attacks, like Loretta’s great arrow, can be charged by holding the fire button.
When it’s fired at its max charge level, it will deal more damage for the same FP cost.
Don’t roll over poison
In some caves you’ll find poison or rott on the floor. Don’t roll over trying to advance faster. That will cover your clothes with the poison and the disease will continue after you leave the infected zone. Just run or walk.
Plants in the caves allow you to level up the spirit ashes
The plants that are in the caves, allow to level up the spirit ashes.
I created this little video to show how to use the Web Developer Tools to check if jQuery AJAX request is being made.
This is to help beginners in their journey learning to program Front End.
Please be aware that the page I used makes their own calls for marketing purposes. I cleared several times the history to show what is the real AJAX request we are doing.
Note: The recording program did not capture correctly the mouse position and this video has no sound.
Normally you can try your HTML and JavaScript from your browser, opening the HTML file. However there are Security restrictions when it applies to AJAX requests or trying to access a local file from the browser.
You’ll need to run your JavaScript from an HTML page server from a Web Server. You can install apache if you use Linux, or WAMP if you use Windows or MAMP (Mac Apache MySQL PHP) if you use Mac or if you know how to you can create a Docker Container.
When you’re programming and your code does not trigger, pay attention to errors:
I’m Catalan. In 1936 the fascist military leaded by franco raised in arms against the elected government of the Spanish Republic. The Italian and nazi German fascist in power bombed the Catalan population. Hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens were assassinated and millions of Catalan and Spaniards had to exile. The sons of those that were ruling with the dictator have been insisting in naming it a “civil war”, but it was the military lead by a fascist, revolting against the legitimate Republic and ending a democracy.
The dictatorship lasted until 1975, when the dictator died in the bed. The effects of the repression never abandoned Catalonia, and nowadays in Catalonia people is still detained by the Spanish police for talking the Catalan language in front of them, and our Parliament decisions are cancelled by the Spanish courts, for example to force the exit of a President of Catalonia that they didn’t like, or to force the Catalan schools to teach 25% of the time in Spanish attacking the Catalan teaching system.
During WW2 millions of Jews were mass murdered, also people from all the nations were assassinated.
Russian population suffered a lot also fighting the nazis.
Now we have to see how Russia’s army is invading Ukraine and murdering innocent citizens.
That’s horrible.
I know Engineers from Ukraine. Those guys were doing great building wealthy based on knowledge and working well for companies across the world. Now these people are being killed or Engineers, amongst all the brave population, are arming themselves to fight the invasion. Shells destroy beautiful cities and population are starving, and young soldiers from both sides will never be seen again by their mothers.
Let music play in solidarity with Ukraine. First is a Catalan group. Second is a famous Irish band in this epic song dedicated to the brave International Brigades, volunteers that fought the fascism in Spain and in Catalonia trying to make a better world.
The Blog
I’ve updated the SSL Certificate. The previous one I bought was issued for two years, and I renewed as it was due to expire.
Honestly, my ego was flattered. It is a lot of reputation.
Although in the past I got an offer from another monstrously big editorial to publish world wide my book Python 3 Combat Guide and I also rejected, and an offer from a digital learning platform to create an interactive course from this same book.
I’ve rejected it again this time.
If you are curious, this is what I answered to them:
Hi XXXX,
I'm well, thank you. I hope you are doing well too.
Thanks for taking the time to explain your conditions to me.
I feel flattered by your editorial thinking about me. I respect your brand, as I mentioned, as I own several of your titles.
However, I have to refuse your offer.
Is not the first time an editor has offered to publish one or more of my books. For all over the world, with much higher economic expectations.
I'll tell you why I love being at LeanPub:
1- I own the rights. All of them.
2- I can publish updates, and my readers get them for free. As I add new materials, the value is maximized for my readers.
3- I get 80% of the royalties.
4- If a reader is not happy, they can return the book for 60 days.
5- I can create vouchers and give a discount to certain readers, or give for free to people that are poor and are trying to get a career in Engineering.
The community of readers are very honest, and I only got 2 returns. One of them I think was from an editorial that purchased the book, evaluated it, and they contacted me to publish it, and after I rejected they applied for the refund.
I teach classes, and I charge 125 EUR per hour. I can make much more by my side than the one time payment you offer. The compensation for the video seems really obsolete.
Also, I could be using Amazon self publishing, which also brings bigger margins than you.
So many thanks for your offer. I thought about it because of the reputation, but I already have a reputation. I've thousands of visits to my tech blog, and because of the higher royalties, even if I sell less books through LeanPub it is much more rewarding.
Thanks again and have a lovely day and rest of the week.
Best,
Carles
The provisioning in Amazon AWS through their SDK is a book I’m particularly proud, as it empowers the developers so much. And I provide source code so they can go from zero to hero, in a moment. Amazon should provide a project sample as I do, not difficult to follow documentation.
Teaching / Mentoring
As I was requested, I’ve been offering advice and having virtual coffees with some people that recently started their journey to become Software Engineers and wanted some guidance and advice.
It has been great seeing people putting passion and studying hard to make a better future for themselves and for their families.
I’ll probably add to the blog more contents for beginners, although it will continue being a blog dedicated to extreme IT, and to super cool Engineering skills and troubleshooting.
For my regular students I have a discord space where we can talk and they can meet new friends studying or working in Engineering.
Free Resources
This github link provides many free books in multiple languages:
Zoom can zoom the view. So if they are sharing their screen, and font is too small, you can give a relax to your eyes by using Zoom’s zoom feature. It is located in View.
My health
After being in the hospital in December 2021, with risk for my life, and after my incredible recuperation, I’ve got the good news that I don’t need anymore 2 of the 3 medicines I was taking in a daily basis. It looks well through a completely recovery thanks to my discipline, doing sport every day several times, and the fantastic Catalan doctors that are supporting me so well.
Since they found what was failing in me, and after the emergency treatments I started to sleep really well. All night. That’s a privilege that I didn’t have for long long time.
Humor
Sad but true history. How many super talented Engineers have been hired and then they were given a shitty laptop/workstation super slow? That happened to me when I was hired by Volkswagen IT: gedas. I was creating projects for very big companies and I calculated that I was wasting 2 hours of my time compiling. The computer did not had enough RAM and was using swap.
This is a very simple guide for beginners, to benefit from using this amazing Python IDE with Git.
You may think that it’s a bit difficult and why you should use it. The first reason I would tell is because it marks the errors, not just syntax errors also if you have typos or you forgot an import or you forgot to declare a variable, has autocomplete, will mark when you don’t follow standards, etc… If you want to be a professional, this is the tool that most Python professional developers and companies use.
Go to Jetbrains page and from there select Developer Tools and PyCharm.
If you don’t have Git installed, PyCharm will tell you in red, and will allow you to install it for you. It is a very convenient way to install it, specially if you use Windows.
In Ubuntu or Debian Linux installing git is so easy as typing from the Terminal:
sudo apt install git
If it’s your first time PyCharm will ask you for your credentials in Gitlab, so your username or email, and your password.
As it is you own new project and it’s empty, you can trust it. Hit Trust Project.
A window with tips will appear, you can close it.
As you see your project is empty. Only has a the default README.md file created by Gitlab.
Creating new Python files
On the top left, over the name of your project folder press with the Right button of the mouse and select New > Python File
Enter the name of the file, I choose helloworld and press Enter.
You will be asked if you want to add automatically the file to Git. This refers to your local Git repository. Say Yes and you will see the file changing from color Red, which means it is not added to the repository to Green. Green means that is added, but has never been committed.
Just add this line to helloworld.py
print("Hello World")
Note: I made a typo and I wrote “helloworl.py” instead of “helloworld.py”, I will show how to fix this later.
Now, press over the file name over the top left, with the Right button of the mouse, and select Run helloworl (In your case will be Run helloword)
Note: To be able to run a Python program, you need to have Python installed.
Note2: Do not start the name of your file by test as PyCharm will consider that you are writing Unit Testing Code, and will not show the option to run the code, but to run with pytest (if you have pytest framework installed).
And you see on the bottom how it worked and printed “Hello World”.
To rename the file you’ll click over it with the Right button of the mouse and select Refactor > Rename
Type the correct name, in my case “helloworld.py” and for the Scope select: Current File.
PyCharm is so powerful that can search for your entire project to see if other files are using that file and will update the code to reflect the file name change. By indicating Scope: Current File we are telling that the change affects only to this file, and by not marking Search for references and not marking Search in comments and strings you are indicating to PyCharm that it should not search in code and comments to update them with the new file. This option is really useful when you get more confident with programming.
Perfect. Now you want to commit the file to the repository and Push.
The first time PyCharm will ask you how people will know you, that is, your visible name in the Git History of Commits, and your email. You can mark to use these properties locally. This is basically because Git needs to know how to identify you. Consider that Git was created to work with Teams, so everybody should know who made what. Add your friendly name, like “Carles Mateo” and your email. I recommend you to check to use this info for Git globally (all the projects in your computer).
When you commit you’re expected to provide a Commit Message. As Git is used by teams, to work on the same code, try to explain briefly what your changes consisted on.
If you press Commit, you will see how helloworld.py is no longer in color green, now is black. This means that the file is up to date respect our local Git.
Go to the Main Menu and select Git > Push.
You’ll see a message in the bottom indicating that your code has been pushed to the repository.
Now, you can refresh your browser, and you’ll see the changes in Gitlab:
PyCharm vs VSCode
I got asked what are the advantage from PyCharm respect VSCode.
IMO the most powerful feat from PyCharm are the refactors, the code analysis showing errors, unused variables, integration with virtual environment, support for pytest and Code Coverage (the pro ver). This article very nicely compares both: https://t.co/67h4ZL6EGk 1/2
While VSCode has some great support for Python coding with the ‘Python’ plugin by Microsoft, PyCharm is truly designed for Python development and it shows.
The Unix Epoch is the time, in seconds, that has passed since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC.
#!/usr/bin/env python3
#
# Date time methods
#
# Author: Carles Mateo
# Creation Date: 2019-11-20 17:23 IST
# Description: Class to return Date, datetime, Unix EPOCH timestamp
#
import datetime
import time
class DateTimeUtils:
def get_unix_epoch(self):
"""
Will return the EPOCH Time. For convenience is returned as String
:return:
"""
s_now_epoch = str(int(time.time()))
return s_now_epoch
def get_datetime(self, b_milliseconds=False):
"""
Return the datetime with miliseconds in format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.xxxxx
or without milliseconds as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS"""
if b_milliseconds is True:
s_now = str(datetime.datetime.now())
else:
s_now = str(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))
return s_now
def main():
o_datetime = DateTimeUtils()
s_now_epoch = o_datetime.get_unix_epoch()
s_now_date = o_datetime.get_datetime()
print(s_now_epoch)
print(s_now_date)
main()
zpool watch is a small Python program for Linux workstations with graphical environment and ZFS, that checks every 30 seconds if your OpenZFS pools are Ok.
If a pool is not healthy, it displays a message in a window using tk inter.
Basically allows you to skip checking from the terminal zpool status continuously or to having to customize the ZED service to send an email and having to figure out how to it can spawn a window alert to the graphical system or what to do if the session has not been initiated.
carleslibs
Since last News from the Blog I’ve released carleslibs v.1.06, v.1.0.5 and v.1.0.4.
v.1.0.6 adds a new class OsUtils to deal with mostly-Linux Os tasks, like knowing the userid, the username, if it’s root, the distribution name and kernel version.
It also adds:
DatetimeUtils.sleep(i_seconds)
In v.1.0.5 I’ve included a new method for getting the Datetime in Unix Epoc format as Integer and increased Code Coverage to 95% for ScreenUtils class.
v. 1.0.4 contains a minor update, a method in StringUtils to escape html from a string.
It uses the library html (part of Python core) so it was small work to do for me to create this method, and the Unit Test for it, but I wanted to use carleslibs in more projects and adding it as core functionality, makes the code of these projects I’m working on, much more clear.
Minor refactors and adding more Code Coverage (Unit Testing), and protection in the code for division per zero when seconds passed as int are 0. (this was not an actual error, but is worth protecting the code just in case for the future)
Currently in Master there is a stable version of 0.8.9 mainly fixing https://gitlab.com/carles.mateo/ctop/-/issues/51 which was not detecting when CTOP was running inside a Docker Container (reporting Unable to decode DMI).
My Books
Docker Combat Guide
Added 20 new pages with some tricks, like clearing the logs (1.6GB in my workstation), using some cool tools, using bind mounts and using Docker in Windows from command line without activating Docker Desktop or WSL.
One of my SATA 2TB 2.5″ 5,400 rpm drive got damaged and so was generating errors, so that was a fantastic opportunity to show how to detect and deal with the situation to replace it with a new SATA 2TB 3.5″ 7,200 rpm and fix the pool.
The company sent me the Stein, which is sent to the employees that serve for two years, with a recognition and a celebration called “The Circle of Honor”.
Books purchased
I bought this book as often I discover new ways, better, to explain the things to my students.
Sometimes I buy books for beginners, as I can get explained what I want to do super fast and some times they teach nice tricks that I didn’t know. I have huge Django books, and it took a lot to finish them.
A simpler book may only talk about how to install and work with it under a platform (Windows or Mac, as instance) but it is all that I require as the command to create projects are the same cross platform.
For example, you can get to install and to create a simple project with ORM, connected to the database, very quickly.
Software
So I just discovered that Zoom has an option to draw in the shared screen, like Slack has. It is called Annotate. It is super useful for my classes. :)
Also discovered the icons in the Chat. It seems that not all the video calls accept it.
Hardware
As Working From Home I needed an scanner, I looked in Amazon and all of them were costing more than €200.
I changed my strategy and I bought a All-In-One from HP, which costed me €68.
So I’ll have a scanner and a backup printer, which always comes handy.
The nightmare started after I tried to connect it with Ubuntu.
Ubuntu was not recognizing it. Checking the manuals they force to configure the printer from an Android/iPhone app or from their web page, my understanding is for windows only. In any case I would not install the proprietary drivers in my Linux system.
Annoyed, I installed the Android application, and it was requesting to get Location permissions to configure it. No way. There was not possible to configure the printer without giving GPS/Location permissions to the app, so I cancelled the process.
I grabbed a Windows 10 laptop and plugged the All-in-one through the USB. I ran the wizard to search for Scanners and Printers and was not unable to use my scanner, only to configure as a printer, so I was forced to install HP drivers.
Irritated I did, and they were suggesting to configure the printer so I can print from Internet or from the phone. Thanks HP, you’ll be the next SolarWinds big-security-hole. I said no way, and in order to use the Wifi I have to agree to open that security door which is that the printer would be connected to Internet permanently, sending and receiving information. I said no, I’ll use only via USB.
Even selecting that, in order to scan, the Software forces me to create an account.
Disappointing. HP is doing very big stupid mistakes. They used to be a good company.
Since they stopped doing the drivers in Barcelona years ago, their Software and solutions (not the hardware) went to hell.
I checked the reviews in the App Store and so many people gave them 1 star and have problems… what a shame the way they created this solution.
This is a great Open Source, multi-platform editor, so I wanted to support the creator.
Security
Attacks: looking for exploits
This is just a sample of a set of attacks to the blog in a 3 minutes interval.
Another one this morning:
Now all are blocked in the Firewall.
This is a non stop practice from spammers and pirates that has been going on for years.
It was almost three decades ago, when I was the Linux responsible of an ISP, and I was installing a brand new Linux system connected to a service called “infovia”, at the time when Internet was used with dial-up and modems, and in the interval of time of the installation, it got hacked. I had the Ethernet connected. So then already, this was happening.
The morning I was writing this, I blocked thousands of offending Ip Addresses.
Protection solutions
I recommend you to use CloudFlare, is a CDN/Cache/Accelerator with DoS protection and even in its Free version is really useful.
Fun/Games
So I come with a game kind of Quiz that you can play with your friends, family or work colleagues working from home (WFH).
The idea is that the master shares screen and sound in Zoom, and then the rest connect to jackbox.tv and enter the code displayed on the master’s screen on their own browser, and an interactive game is started.
It is recommended that the master has two monitors so they can also play.
The games are so fun as a phrase appearing and people having to complete with a lie. If your friends vote your phrase, believing is true, you get points. If you vote the true answer, you get points too.
Very funny and recommendable.
Stuff
<humor>Skynet sent another terminator to end me, but I terminated it. Its processor lays exhibited in my home now</humor>
I bought a laminator.
It has also a ruler and a trimmer to cut the paper.
It was only €39 and I’ve to say that I’m very happy with the results.
It takes around 5 minutes to be ready, it takes to get to the hot-enough temperature, and feeds the pages slowly, around 50 secs a DIN-A4, but the results are worth the time.
I’ve protected my medical receipts and other value documents and the work was perfect. No bubbles at all. No big deal if the plastic covers are introduced not 100% straight. Even if you pass again an already plasticized document, all is good.
Fun
Databases
One of my friends sent me this image.
It is old, but still it’s fun. So it assumes the cameras of the parking or speed cameras, will OCR the plate to build a query, and that the code is not well protected. So basically is exploiting a Sql Injection.
Anybody working on the systems side, and with databases, knows how annoying are those potential situations.
The change of license of Docker Desktop for Windows has been a low punch, a dirty one.
Many big companies use Windows as for the laptops and workstations, we like it or not.
You can setup a Linux development computer or Virtual Machine, you may argue, but things are not as easier.
Big companies have Software licenses assigned to corporation machines, so you may not use your Pycharm license in a Linux VM.
You may no use Docker Desktop either, if your company did not license it.
And finally you may need to have access to internal resources, like Artifactory, or Servers where access is granted via ACL, so only you, from your Development machine can access it. So you have to be able to run Docker locally.
After Docker introduced this changed of license I was using VirtualBox with NAT attached to the VPN Virtual Ethernet, and I port forwarded to be able to SSH, deploy, test, etc… from outside to my Linux VM, and it was working for a while, until with the last VirtualBox update and some Windows updates where pushed to my Windows box and my VirtualBox VMs stopped booting most of the times and having random problems.
I configured a new Linux VM in a Development Server, and I opened Docker API so my Pycharm’s workstation was able to deploy there and I was able to test. But the Dev Ip’s do not have access to the same Test Servers I need my Python Automation projects to reach (and quickly I used 50 GB of space), so I tried WSL. I like Pycharm I didn’t want to switch to VStudio Code because of their good Docker extensions, in any case I could not run my code locally with venv cause some of the packages where not available for Windows, so I needed Linux to run the Unit Testing and see the Code Coverage, run the code, etc…
I tried Hyper-V, tried with NAT External, but it was incompatible with my VPN.
Note: WSL can be used, but I wanted to use Docker Engine, not docker in WSL.
Installing Docker Command line binaries
The first thing I checked was the Docker downloads page.
