Planet Db2 and Planet Big Data are two blog aggregators that I created when I first started at IBM. They were similar to Planet Debian or Planet Intertwingly but about the Db2 relational database server and about big data technologies like Hadoop. If you are interested in taking over the blogrolls, please contact me. Blog … Continue reading Retiring Planet Db2 and Planet Big Data
Skynet Golems in Cyberspace
There is no stealth in space. You can see a rocket burn anywhere between here and past Pluto, or any object of room temperature on infrared at the same distance. You cannot hide a spaceship. It is much the same thing in cyberspace. Anyone on the internet can attack anyone on the internet. Yet across … Continue reading Skynet Golems in Cyberspace
Python Library of the Day: retrying
I've learned through extensive experience that Bash is the wrong choice for anything longer than a few lines. I needed to write a command line app, so I put one together in Python -- Python 3 of course, as Python 2 is going away by 2020. In the process I discovered a new to me … Continue reading Python Library of the Day: retrying
Kudos to Firefox team on Quantum release
The new Firefox Quantum release is incredibly fast. It feels faster than Chrome, faster than old Firefox, and faster than all the other browsers on my Macbook. Impressively, despite Firefox ditching the old extension model, all my extensions continue to work. I did have to manually reinstall the indispensable Tree Style Lab, but it works … Continue reading Kudos to Firefox team on Quantum release
Cryptocurrency and irreversible transactions
There's a current news story about a wallet blunder freezing up $280,000,000 of Ether, a cryptocurrency. I try to avoid posting too much opinion on my blog, but I do have a view on this. Cryptocurrency A cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Ether is based on the idea of unbreakable contracts and irreversible transactions. This is … Continue reading Cryptocurrency and irreversible transactions
Integrate your Rails app with Open edX SSO and Oauth2
OpenEdX is an open source platform for MOOCs. I put together the omniauth-cognitiveclass gem for integrating Rails apps with Open edX SSO using Oauth2
Brace expansion to match multiple files in Bash
Bash has handy brace expansion powers that I've belatedly discovered. $ echo I love hippo{griffs,potamuses,dromes} I love hippogriffs hippopotamuses hippodromes For example, you can quickly diff a file with and without a suffix: $ echo diff .env{,.example} diff .env .env.example Or tail multiple log files: $ echo tail -f /var/log/{messages,secure} tail -f /var/log/messages /var/log/secure Bash … Continue reading Brace expansion to match multiple files in Bash
Command line client for Sentry (Bash)
Sentry is a great error aggregation service. We use it for every service we deploy at work. A command line client for Sentry lets you log Bash errors.
Update OpenLDAP SSL certificate on CentOS 6
You may need to update your OpenLDAP SSL certificate, as well as the CA certificate and signing key on a regular basis.
Fix full Ubuntu /boot partition
Linux kernel images are stored on a separate partition mounted under /boot. This partition can fill up and prevent you from installing updates.