WWCND?

Got this captcha on the Ticketmaster site today, which answers the age-old question, What Would Chuck Norris Do?

Do want... a better copywriter!

Bad lol.

Good lol.

Io no quiero

Now, this is a story all about how
My name got flipped, turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Just sit down, yo
I'll tell you how I became formerly known as Io


In west of the Ottawa born and raised
On the server was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out, mirrorin', relaxin' all cool
And a'servin' some b-ndwidth to all th'Eclipse fools

When a couple of guys, who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my server'hood
Opened one little bug and th'PC did vote
Said 'Gotta find a new name cuz they hatin' on Io'


I whistled for input and when it came near
The options were fresh and they'd sound sweet on the mirrors
With a split of +1s and a whole bunch of 'No'
But I thought anything's better - 'Yo, no to Io!'

Suggested were Galileo and Hermione
Hyperion, Titan and Hegemone
I looked at the votes
But with only 8 cast
It seemed that Io would be here to last


So I plead with the Council at least one more time
With the help of this rather contrived bit of rhyme
To look through the options
And cast there a vote
And save us at last from an Eclipse Io

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (Theme Song)

Caveat Emptor

Mark suggested I slap a Tipper Sticker on this site to avoid offending people. And as doing so provides yet another venue for parody, here's my first kick at that can...

Across The Intertubes

W00t. Ganymede M7 is out today -- here's something to read / listen to while you download it. If you use the Friends of Eclipse site, you'll probably get your bits downloaded before the first verse has finished playing. Membership has its privileges, as they say.

Bits are flying out like
endless rain into a pigeon coop
They syn/ack while they pass
They slip away across the intertubes
Pack-ed jars and XML
are drifting through my net, p2's
Resolving and installing 'em

Jai guru deva om
Ganymede'll rock my world [x4]

Finally there's self-hosting
now fixed for Ed and the rest of the Sad Men Club
(As Wassim calls them 'cross the intertubes)
Support for patches has improved
in many ways -- go check the news
And JUnits now report how long they take
to wend their way across your cpus

Jai guru deva om
Gany's gonna rock my world [x4]

Sounds of laughter, tons of code
installed for free: thanks, open source!
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the intertubes

Jai guru deva om
Ganymede'll rock my world [x4]
Jai guru deva [x2]

The Beatles - Across The Universe

p2'd

With Ganymede M7 just around the corner, and Eclipse 3.4M7 in the can, it's time for everyone to start playing w/ p2 again. It's come a *LONG* way from where it was in M6, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Equinox team. If you tried it then and got scared, please give it another look -- it's a much more user-friendly animal today. The promise presented at EclipseCON is coming true, despite some people's misguided attempts at humour last time around.

If you haven't tried converting an existing update site into a p2-enabled one, you should. I was very pleasantly surprised how easy it was.

And now, some Beatles for your Friday afternoon entertainment...

p2'd: it's not so bad
Took a sad song, and made it better
Remember to test drive it today
So you can help to make it better

p2'd: don't be afraid
You're now used to use Update Manager
The minute p2 gets under your skin
Then you begin to see it's better

And any time you feel a pain's p2'd, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
Well don't you know that it's a nug who don't file bugs
Be they grit or Sisyphean boulders

p2'd: won't let you down
You'll have found the new Install Manager
Generate extra jars for your site
And you'll see that it's made much better

So try it out, yes, it's time for p2 to begin
Stop waiting for code freeze to download it
And don't you know that it's for you, p2'd
You'll do, the details you need are in the wiki

p2'd: works really well
Took a sad song, and made it better
Remember to let it into your heart
And you will start to see it's better

Na na na na na ,na na na, p2'd ...

The Beatles - Hey Jude

Synch View Magic

Earlier this week, I opened bug 228701 asking for Mylyn filtering on the Synch view. (Please vote if you agree.) This afternoon in #eclipse-dev, Eugene pinged to ask why I don't simply use the Change Sets presentation in the Synch view, and Boris chimed in to tell me about bug 143419, "Strange tree rendering in synchronize view". Strange indeed.

I agreed I'd document my experiences with this view, but because Bugzilla is undergoing maintenance at the moment (thanks to our tireless webmasters!) and I want to share it while it's fresh, here's my account of how to make files vanish from the Synch view, though Mylyn continues to track them.

DO try this at home, as magic tricks in Eclipse are rare (e4 demo at EclipseCON with spinning views & scriptable UI elements notwithstanding), and this one's pretty cool.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install the latest Eclipse 3.4 I build (I've got eclipse-SDK-I20080422-0800-linux-gtk.tar.gz.)
2. Install Mylyn from its update site (mylyn-2.3.2-e3.4.zip).

   DO NOT unpack it first, just give the URL to Eclipse's new p2 / Install Manager or download the zip and hand it that. If you unpack it first, p2 doesn't seem to know how to find the features therein. But I digress...

   

3. Check out some CVS project into your workspace. I used :ext:nickb@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/modeling/org.eclipse.emf/org.eclipse.emf.releng, from HEAD.
4. Open Mylyn's Task List view (Shift-Alt-Q, Q). Create a new Local Task or open an existing Bugzilla task. Enable the task.
5. Unfilter the Package Explorer view.

   This is one of my *very* few complaints about Mylyn -- I'm starting a new task w/ no context, yet it insists on filtering my view to show me my non-existent context, so I can't start selecting files on which to work until I unfilter the view. But I digress again...

6. Open the Synchronize View (Shift-Alt-Q, Y).
7. Configure the view as shown below:

   

8. In the Synchronize view, select the Change Sets presentation (the toolbar icon that looks like a file tree).
9. Create a new Synchronization. Type CVS, Resources to synch: Workspace. Hit Finish.
10. Open some files in the Package Explorer view, and edit them. Watch as they appear in the Synch view as items under your Change Set (ie., as changes for your Local or Bugzilla Task)

    It would be nice if the Change Set title included the bug number, or could be configured the same way that commit comments can be. Not crucial, just a handy enhancement. For now, the task's title is sufficient.

11. Pick some file in the CVS-backed project and copy it within the same folder. Notice how it appears in the Synch view as an outgoing addition.

    

    
    
    
12. Here's where the magic trick starts. Made sure your audience is still awake.
    
    
13. Disable your Task.
14. Copy some file (could be the same one as before, or a new one -- doesn't matter as long as it's in a CVS-backed project. The new file will appear in the Synchronize view under a new <Unassigned> Change Set.

    

15. Re-enable your Task.
16. In the synch view, select the new file from under the <Unassigned> Change Set.
17. As you select the file, it will be added to Mylyn's context for that task, and appear in the filtered Package Explorer. Note however that it didn't change from the <Unassigned> Change Set to your Task's change set. So begins the magic.

    

18. In the Synchronize view, select the Workspace presentation (the toolbar icon that looks like a file tree).
19. When you expand the tree, you'll see that your new file does appear as you'd expect. This tree should mirror what's in the Package Explorer (as in previous screenshot).

    

20. Switch back to the Change Sets presentation, and get ready for your exit with flourish.

    

21. Lo, that new file has vanished!

Image from Happy Tree Friends - I Get a Trick Out of You.
Courtesy of Mondo Media / YouTube. Used without permission.

Eclipse The Universe

Dear Members, won't you come out to play?
Dear Members, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, e4 is new
But it won't work, sans all of you
Dear Members, won't you come out to play?

Perception, don't think about slights
Perception, focus on what might (be)
The code is new, and we all sing
That you are part of everything
Perception, won't you focus on what's right?

Look around round
Look around round round
Look around

Committers, let me see you smile
Committers, travel many miles
e4 will be a gravy train
So let me see you smile again
Committers, won't you let me see you smile?

Dear Members, won't you come out to play?
Dear Members, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, e4 is new
But it won't work, sans all of you
Dear Members, won't you come out to play?

-------------------------------------

You say you want a e4'lution
Well you know
We all want to help Eclipse
You tell me no more evolution
Well you know
We all want to change Eclipse
But when you talk about division, now
Don't you know you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright, alright

You say time for a real solution
Well you know
Let's all work to make a plan
You say you'll make a contribution
Well you know
It'll fail without YOU, man
Cuz it seems to me that this was tried last year
But no one came forward, so it disappeared

But this time it's gonna be alright
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright, alright

Across The Universe (Soundtrack) - Dear Prudence & Revolution (Lennon/McCartney)

Great movie, BTW. Especially if you're a fan of The Beatles, Bono, or Eddie Izzard. ;-)

Time for M4

Ganymede M4 is out tomorrow! Get your red hots bits here (or here)!

There's no profit out in Portland but they're making up Gany
With long division and an update site
It's easy enough to be used by your granny
And it's out tomorrow night

C'mon people time to give us a hand here
You're Eclipse's working corps
(Can this be what you voted for?)

Time for M4 [x2]
Nothing like Four On The Floor
Time for M4 [x2]

It's an urgent fest of test
Declining bugs

Use the force and ya'll try it out
Th'Eclipse economy is making new jobs
You're the people who benefit most
So give a little to your benevolent hosts

Does open source steal from the rich to give to the poor?
Who cares about that - come get some M4!
And new provisioning tech to explore

Come get some 4 [x2]
Better than going to war
Come get some 4 [x2]

It's an urgent fest of test
Declining bugs

We've got to kill 'em and close 'em
Before the API freeze
Squash some bad bugs
Let 'em bleed from their knees
Give a few dollars to the people who sweat
Source is open or closed - which would you rather get?

At a job site the boss is god like
Conditioned workhorses code into the night
Seasoned vets with their feet in nets
A stones throw away from a cock fight
But not tonight: feed a patch

You'd like another add-on? (feed a patch)
Cause it's the finest in the nation? (feed a patch)
Well there's no time left to add that
When it's scope creep or it's plan

Install M4 [x2]
Better'n releases of yore
Install M4 [x2]

It's an urgent fest of test

Bad Religion - Let Them Eat War

50 Ways To Be A Modeler

The Eclipse Modeling Project stands poised on the precipice, ready to break the 50 committer mark, just in time for M4 the holidays.

Are you that 50th person? Send me your headshot and details, and I'll add you into the fold.

If you're already listed but your information is out of date (because you are now a committer for more than one project?) reopen bug 182613 with your updated info. If you've so far neglected to send me a photo, now's your chance!

And now... some musical encouragement:

The model is all inside your head
Ed said to me
The answer is easy if you
Take it logically
I’d like to help you in your struggle
For notoriety
There must be fifty ways
To be a Modeler

He said it’s really not my habit
To intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning
Won’t be lost or misconstrued
But I’ll repeat myself
At the risk of flak from Euge
There must be fifty ways
To be a Modeler
Fifty ways to be a Modeler

Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

Beer-to-Peer Networking, Part 1

The following is an experiment in B2P networking, and an attempt to implement a cross-province UUBP transfer. (Aside: I had considered a cross-country experiment too, eg., Toronto to Porland, but I'm not sure how to implement such an idea, especially given the ever-tighter security policies at the US-Canada border. Any suggestions?)

I'd also like to say upfront that this experiment should not be construed as an irresponsible attempt to encourage others to mix beer (or any form of alcohol, really) w/ software development. Drinking and coding can lead to serious problems. Please, B2P responsibly.

While I realize I'm deviating from the spec, I've decided to implement using a more MDD-based approach, in that the message I plan to send via UUBP will not be an actual beer, but rather a model of a beer, which can then be extrapolated and ingested (and later digested!) at the receiving end.

Raw materials can be acquired from your nearest Beer Store and your office's mail room.

Required Materials

Next, the message is encapsulated for security using the "gift envelope" technique, which I presume won't cause licensing headaches or adoption problems as this technique is already widely used in the public domain.

Assembling the Inner Packet

Completed Inner Packet

Now, a second layer of encapsulation is required to ensure the packet can be properly delivered to its intended audience. While there is no real protection of malicious packet sniffing, this at least ensures that the casual observer won't want to intercept the packet. The procedure is very similar to the above, and so will be lest as an exercise for the reader.

With the completed packet, it was time to attempt delivery. The UUBP spec says nothing about transport methods, so I'll first try a web-based approach:

First Delivery Attempt

Unfortunately, even with a 20" monitor, the packet is too large to be sent via the web:

Delivery Attempt Failure

After this initial setback, it was decided to try a more conventional delivery mechanism. This Canada Post node will be employed to transfer the completed packet to its destination.

Second Delivery Attempt: Success!

The UUBP packet is now in transit via the B2P network. With any luck, its recipient will receive it in a couple of days and take some shots, er, photos to complete Part 2.

UPDATE: See Part 2.

Tickle the EMO

Part three of last week's thread...

Option A		Option B
Sad emo.		Happy EMO.

Nine Out of Ten Dentists

Continuing from yesterday's thread...

Option A		Option B
Life without floss.		Life with FLOSS.

For a Few Dollars More

'Tis the season. Won't you give?

Option A		Option B
Eat. Eat. Eat.		Dedicated mirror site. Snazzy logo for your site. Your name in lights All this for ten cents a day.

`man uubp`

On a lark (not a lart) I decided to waste a few minutes and installed the Debian funny-manpages and asr-manpages .deb packages. I tried the obvious man sex and man woman but then realized quickly there was no index to find all the rest.

Some quick digging into /usr/share/man found the "*.fun.gz" bundles, but that wasn't entirely useful either because pre-existing entries, like echo or date returned the real entries, not the spoofs. A little for f in $(find /usr/share/man -name "*fun.gz"); do g=${f/gz/txt}; man -l $f > $g; done later, and I've got them all as text files instead of gzipped nroff files.

To save you the work and serve up the funny, I've posted them here. You can beer me later.

Modeler Bees

And now a little ditty to cheer up my fellow modelers out there on this miserably wet & grey day. If you're not already a regular in #eclipse-modeling, please drop in and say hi! Thanks to Dave Steinberg for his invaluable assistance in writing this one, and to Ed for the bee pic.

March on, modeler bees!
Know your MDD!

We take our orders given by the spec
Our PMC leaders are Ed and Rich
If you resist us you will feel our sting
Don't code by hand when you can use codegen

Control input with importers!
Control output with genmodel!
Follow the schema totally!
We can reuse our models

March on, modeler bees!
Use your MDT!

A Ph.D. once coming from the west,
And in a flash! OMG, made a nest
Supply of models flowing bottomless
Input any form, you're not powerless

Bidi reference handshaking!
Reflection: code generically!
Conform to schema totally!
We save time with our models

And we'll merge... along, with our genmodel
And we'll fly... our JETs, with our templates drawn
Can the suits... in blue, believe what we've done?
We can regen our models

And we'll merge... along, with our codegen on
And define... constraints, validators drawn
Can even... record, changes that we've done
When we modify data

Can we persist our models?
Yes, go see E-M-F-T!

Billy Talent - Worker Bees

Defraggin' Physical

I wanna trash you baby
I wanna take you off
I wanna reformat you
The way you grind and grind and die
I want you right off my disk
So gone from my drive
Don't need a key to my OS
Or a phone to call n' snitch

Cuz you're too physical, physical to me
You're just too physical, physical to me

Don't want your Vista baby
I want this right in your ear
Don't need to buy new hardware
No closed source OS now let's be clear
Don't want the touch of your bugs
The constant updates
Don't wanna say all those things
That would be better unsaid
No!

But you're too physical, physical to me
Who needs a 2 Gig swap file, eh?
Used to come out on floppies
Now you're a whole DVD
You're really jus- just too- just
Defraggin'? No!

You're just too physical [x2]
Defraggin' physical
No no no no no no no!
Oh you're too physical
Just too physical
Just too

nin - physical (you're so)

M & 3s

You and I should get away for a while
I just want to be alone with your smile
Download some features and plugins to update the IDE
We'll blast the stereo and we'll build with PDE

Because when I'm with you there's nothing I couldn't do
I just want to be your only fool
I'm grasping out at straws thinking back to what I saw
That night I tried to use that other tool

IRC was getting so bland
There are only so many ways to type '~faq' with one hand
Sometimes it makes me want to laugh
Sometimes I want to take the toaster in the bath

Because when we're with you there's nothing we couldn't do
And now it's time to share that love
We all oughta be testin' out Gany M3
Cuz there's no free help coming down from above

Who wants to live the bleeding edge?
I want to to live the bleeding edge.
Are you going to help testin'
Or are you assuming it'll work out in the end?

Blink 182 - M & Ms

Fallen Leafs

Hee hee. Cracked rips the Toronto Maple Leafs a new one for their willfull mispluralizing "leaves," even if that's allowable. Me, I just point and laugh whenever anyone says "maybe this year." Not until the franchise starts to suffer will management pay for skilled players. Still, I can't complain -- afterall, SWMNBN's pension is heavily invested in MLS&E.

Powerfully Lame Marketing

I'm not one to bash the competition, but I need to mention this. zx pointed me to a "Pro NetBeans" site, bearing this post:

But lame attempts at humour aside, this site is whois-privacy-blocked:

Administrative Contact:
   Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc.
   Whois Agent (hvbffrld@whoisprivacyprotect.com)
   +1.4252740657
   Fax: +1.4256960234
   PMB 368, 14150 NE 20th St - F1
   C/O pronetbeans.com
   Bellevue, WA 98007
   US

Most of the posts (almost all by "admin") are about Sun's point-releases of their JDK (snore), or features in NetBeans. Who's moderating this site? Could it be the NetBeans girls? Certainly isn't the Eclipse Ladies... ;-)

On the plus side, Amazon isn't so "Pro NetBeans" with its site ads (they're not all O'Reilly, o'really).