Month: October 2002

bsdpak for package/port management

SourceForge.net: Project Info – BSDPak

I was reminded of this tool tonight and was glad to see I had kept a copy of it. It’s similar to portupgrade but it seems to work faster and is less confusing (to me, anyway).

Here’s what it offers:

BSDPak 0.51 - A package management helper for FreeBSD and NetBSD
Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Rodney "meff" Gordon II

Usage: bsdpak-0.51/bsdpak.pl [options]

Where options are one of the below:
--help Help. (What you're reading now.)
--findpackage= Find a package, and its path in ports.
--installpackage= Find a package in ports, and install it.
(IN DEVELEOPMENT)
--upgradepackages Print commands to update your packages to
index versions.
--compare Compare currently installed packages with
the ports index.
Compare options:
--all Print comparison of all packages.
--needupdate Print packages that need updated.
--exceedindex Print packages that exceed the ports index.
--uptodate Print up to date packages.
--index=
Specify a path or url to use for the index file.

By default this program uses /usr/ports/INDEX or /usr/pkgsrc/INDEX
for the index packages, and pkg_info output for current packages.
Current info is not yet customizable (you shouldn't have to change
it.) However, the index path is, by using the previously mentioned
--index option, which may specify a path or URL.

Continue reading “bsdpak for package/port management”

My first Segway sighting

Segway | Comparisons | Save Time

Using Segway HT instead of walking increases the area you can cover 50-fold — whether you’re working or running errands.

The city bought some of these and I saw one in use by a meter reader today: I stopped to ask if it was as fun as it looked, and he allowed that it was.

The look on the faces of the three elementary schoolboys as they saw it coming was priceless: a flying saucer or jetpack couldn’t have unhinged their jaws more completely.
Continue reading “My first Segway sighting”

fun with mod_perl

So while I installed MovableType 2.5 without any problem, I decided to tackle the long-overdue installation of mod_perl.

This kind of message is always exciting . . . . .


************* WARNING *************

Apache headers found in unexpected location: ``/usr/local/include'', suggestions:
*) Remove via ``rpm -e apache''
*) Remove by hand
*) Complain to your os vendor about their poor layout choice
*) Complain to your sysadmin about their poor layout choice


************* WARNING *************
Enter `q' to stop search
Please tell me where I can find your apache src
[../apache_x.x/src] /usr/ports/www/apache13/work/apache_1.3.27
Configuring for Apache, Version 1.3.27
+ using installation path layout: Apache (config.layout)
configure:Error: invalid option '-file'
can't open /Makefile No such file or directory at Makefile.PL line 668, line 1.

Continue reading “fun with mod_perl”

That governs best which governs least

Music Industry in Global Fight on Web Copies

The people responsible for KaZaA, the file-trading software network, are trying to stay one step ahead of the entertainment industry’s lawyers. Two of it’s principals are being sought in Europe, and no one will admit to having a copy of the source code. It’s an interesting twist in the bits vs atoms debate.

The Sharman case may well raise again the unsettled question of whether Internet companies should be forced to adhere to the laws of every country whose citizens have access to their Web sites.

Some copyright experts object to that notion, on pragmatic grounds and because they say it contradicts the Jeffersonian principle that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed. But the alternative, for a company to be bound only by the laws of the country where it is headquartered, could lead to a race to incorporate in countries whose laws are the most lax.

Well, of course: why are most corporations registered in Delaware? Why are most merchant ships registered in places like Liberia? It’s not like software developers are the first to want to minimize the friction of business laws.

On the other hand, do I think people should be able to give away copies of copyrighted works? No, I don’t. But at the same time, I would like to see the industries who claim injury here to innovate, instead of litigating (I hope Microsoft hasn’t copyrighted that phrase from the browser wars). Here’s a brand-new distribution channel that offers all kinds of possibilities to generate revenue and capture mindshare, but they don’t want to take advantage of it. They’re still thinking in atoms, not bits.

fink’s “Jaguar Compatibility Release” notes

On this
page I read the following — If you have upgraded to Mac OS
X 10.2 on a machine with a pre-existing Fink installation, then
this document will provide step-by-step instructions for upgrading
Fink as providing the details for upgrading fink to run with
10.2. But then on this
page, I read this: This is the last release for Mac OS X
10.1. Future versions of Fink will not officially support Mac OS X
10.1 anymore, we are gearing all our efforts towards 10.2. At the
same time, this release is not meant for Mac OS X 10.2. Fink 0.5.0.
which is targeted for October, will be geared towards 10.2. In the
meantime refer to the news item below on how to upgrade Fink for
10.2. As far as I can tell, fink 0.4.x runs with OS X 10.2.
That’s why I call this the “Jaguar Compatibility Release.” However,
I never saw the note about 0.4.1 being the last 10.1 release before
I started down this road. Read on for details. Continue reading “fink’s “Jaguar Compatibility Release” notes”