Category: Technical

Posts related to programming or other highly technical stuff that can only be of interest to computer geeks.

Playing with Ruby

February 1, 2008

Technical

install, Merb, Rails, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Ubuntu

This is a remake of Installing Rails 2 on Ubuntu but targeting Ruby in general and with some improvements. Essentially the same, actually, but more usable, at least for myself.

Ubuntu, like many other free operating systems, have a beautiful package management system that will track what depends on what, what is installed, what is not, what is not longer needed, which versions of each. If you tamper with it, you are asking for trouble. If you do a manual upgrade, from sources, eventually a package upgrade will downgrade your version or some other application being incompatible will not work. And once you start throwing files in /usr, you start to ask for trouble. I’ve been using this type of operating systems for years and I’ve learned this by experience.
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Pylons or Django?

January 26, 2008

Technical

Django, framework, programming, Pylons, Python, rant, web

I am trying to decide whether to use Pylons or Django. Both are frameworks for building Python web applications, but with opposing philosophies.

Django tries to be everything. It comes with its own ORM, its own template engine, its own everything. That gives you a nice developing experience because everything fits together and because very nice applications can be built on top of all those components, like the admin tool, which is amazing. (more…)
“Programming Languages: Application and Interpretation” now in paperback

December 16, 2007

Technical

announcement, book, programming

Programming Languages: Application and Interpretation, the best book I’ve found on creating your own programming language is now available in paperback.

You can still get a free-of-cost copy of Programming Languages: Application and Interpretation at its original site. Actually, the book is now released under a Creative Common license, thank you Shriram!

This is, actually, old news. The book has been in paperback for quite a while, but I neglected to publish the post at that time. Today, a chat at the Esperanto meeting about Lulu (and how useful it is for Esperantists, that make books nobody wants to publish) reminded me about the post and I’m now publishing it.
If you fancy Zope, on Ubuntu

December 15, 2007

Technical

install, Ubuntu, Zope
If you fancy Zope getting up and running on Ubuntu takes no time. Install in the usual simple and lovely way:
```
sudo aptitude install zope3
```
and you’ll get Zope 3.3.1, and of course, all the dependencies. To create an instance run:

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Installing Rails 2 on Ubuntu

November 13, 2007

Technical

Kubuntu, Rails, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Ubuntu

Ubuntu, like many other free operating systems, have a beautiful package management system that will track what depends on what, what is installed, what is not, what is not longer needed, which versions of each. If you tamper with it, you are asking for trouble. If you do a manual upgrade, from sources, eventually a package upgrade will downgrade your version or some other application being incompatible will not work. And once you start throwing files in /usr, you start to ask for trouble. I’ve been using this type of operating systems for years and I’ve learned this by experience.

Nevertheless you, as I, want to try and code with Rails 2, right? Well, this is how I installed it in my Kubuntu box (should work the same for any Ubuntu and Debian derivate as well as others). I’ve decided to install everything on /opt/rails. I like to keep more-or-less self-contained directories in /opt. So I started with:

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Linux is not an operating system

September 9, 2007

Technical

Debian, distro, FreeBSD, GNU, kernel, Linux, operating system, rant

For the purpose of writing this article I’m going to use the following definition of “operating system”. There are other definitions and I’m not claiming this is the right one. An operating system is a unit of software that you can install in a computer and will let you use the computer, thought a set of utilities or program in one way or another. (more…)
Freeing Squeak, freeing Smalltalk

September 7, 2007

Technical

announcement, free software, freedom, Smalltalk, Squeak

Squeak is by far the best and most complex Smalltalk implementation out there. It may not play well with other operating systems because it is an operating system by itself. It is also one of the most impressive development environments I ever seen. OK, the most impressive.

The only thing that bothers me is that Squeak is not really free software (search for Squeak in that page). Fortunately, some people are working on making it proper free software. Hurrah! I hope the succeed soon!
Common Lisp method composition

September 6, 2007

Technical

CLOSS, Common Lisp, composition, Lisp, method, multiple dispatch, object oriented

I’ve made an image to describe Common Lisp method composition (or CLOS method composition if you want):
Joining the OpenID revolution

September 2, 2007

Technical

announcement, OpenID

After watching the OpenID community grow for years, I finally joined them. I’ve liked the idea from the first day I’ve read about it; aren’t we all tired, after all, of having to remember hundreds of usernames, passwords (sometimes with conflicting constraints: a password must have numbers, a password can’t have numbers)?

From OpenID’s web site:

OpenID means the elimination of multiple user names and passwords and a smoother, more secure, online experience. For businesses, this means a lower cost of password or account management, the opportunity for easier and higher numbers of new user registrations and the elimination of missed transactions because of user frustration with lost and forgotten passwords. OpenID allows for innovation in the authentication space beyond just using a password to “unlock” your OpenID identity, but the ability to strongly protect your OpenID and have that benefit move with you everywhere you go online.

For me, joining the revolution was very easy. First I open an account on MyOpenID, then I installed the OpenID Delegate WordPress Plugin in my wordpress blog so my OpenID address is, actually, pupeno.com. So even thought I’m using a third party service, if they disappear I just pick another one (or become my own OpenID provider) and go on using the same address, pupeno.com. Isn’t it great? There are many other OpenID providers and many sites already supporting OpenID.
Another simplistic solution, with SCons

September 1, 2007

Technical

Common Lisp, Lisp, programming, Scons

SCons is a program designed to replace make and autotools. SCons being a new tool is built with all the knowledge of what problem really this kind of tool should be solving, while make and autotools were built while discovering the real problem. It is natural to expect SCons to have a better design that covers the big picture. (more…)