null pointer dereference

For years I’ve used unstable on my personal laptop. The only problem with using unstable is that the upgrade paths are fuzzy, and if you can catch up with the upgrades (because you’ve been user other system, or you’ve been travelling, or you’ve been relying on the APT cache because you don’t have much disk space and/or bad connectivity) then you are basically on your own.

While dist-upgrade’ing this week, I got into a dpkg hard stop because the trigger contained an unknown ‘interest-noawait’ directive. If you are a Debian head then the solution is as clear and straigthforward to you as it was to me: install the newest dpkg first. Enjoy sid. Even if it eats your dog. See below:

bureado@oersted:~$ sudo dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb
(Leyendo la base de datos … 265182 ficheros o directorios instalados actualmente.)
Preparando para reemplazar install-info 4.13a.dfsg.1-8 (usando …/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb) …
dpkg: error al procesar /var/cache/apt/archives/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb (–install):
el fichero de disparadores ci contiene una directiva desconocida `interest-noawait’
Se encontraron errores al procesar:
/var/cache/apt/archives/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb

bureado@oersted:~$ sudo dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/dpkg_1.16.10_i386.deb
(Leyendo la base de datos … 265182 ficheros o directorios instalados actualmente.)
Preparando para reemplazar dpkg 1.16.0.3 (usando …/archives/dpkg_1.16.10_i386.deb) …
Desempaquetando el reemplazo de dpkg …
Configurando dpkg (1.16.10) …
Procesando disparadores para man-db …

bureado@oersted:~$ sudo dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb
(Leyendo la base de datos … 265194 ficheros o directorios instalados actualmente.)
Preparando para reemplazar install-info 4.13a.dfsg.1-8 (usando …/install-info_5.1.dfsg.1-3_i386.deb) …
Desempaquetando el reemplazo de install-info …
Configurando install-info (5.1.dfsg.1-3) …
install-info: warning: no info dir entry in `/usr/share/info/smbc.info.gz’
Procesando disparadores para man-db …

Siempre he tenido problemas con la electricidad estática. Algunos de esos problemas se agravaron cuando me mudé a Quito, pues el clima era un poco más seco, y ahora están significativamente peores.

¿Qué significa vivir con estática? Significa que tienes una reticencia quasi-Pavloviana a abrir puertas, encender luces, tocar aparatos con piezas metálicas, conectar periféricos al computador, bajarte de un vehículo, entre otras cosas. Y además, que cuando te rozas con alguien que está cargado de electricidad estática, tienes un desagradable chispazo que usualmente sobresalta y la gente te mira como si quisieran exorcizarte un demonio. Incluso si ese alguien es tu perro.

Hay muchos factores que agravan el problema. Remover o mitigar estos factores puede ayudar. Los principales son el clima seco y la fricción entre dos superficies (usualmente telas, aunque también los zapatos con la alfombra) El clima seco se puede mitigar con un humidificador o plantas, y agravar con aire acondicionado. Pero la fricción entre dos superficies (como tu pantalón y el asiento del carro) no se puede mitigar (existen zapatos que se descargan, pero eso es harina de otro costal)

Como no podemos mitigar eso, hay algunas técnicas que, con el tiempo y la disciplina, pueden ayudar:

• Utilizar un dispositivo para descargar la estática. Yo utilizo este. Lo cargas contigo y tocas las superficies metálicas con él antes de tocarlas tú. También puedes tocar personas o perros. Un poco raro, pero funciona.
• Utilizar un clip de metal para descargar la estática. Tomas un clip cualquiera, lo llevas contigo y tocas las superficies metálicas con él antes de tocarlas tú.
• Poner una mano en la carrocería del carro antes de salir del carro. Abres la puerta, tocas el metal, pones tus pies afuera y sueltas el metal. Si no lo haces, o lo haces mal, recibirás un calambre.
• Usar partes del cuerpo menos sensibles para tocar algo, por ejemplo los nudillos o las partes de abajo de las palmas de las manos.

Utilizar cremas y lociones en las manos, así como agua en spray (alguna gente utiliza agua y suavizante de ropas), frotarse láminas de secado (populares en Estados Unidos para suavizar la ropa en la secadora) o utilizar bolas para secar en la secadora, o productos como Static Guard también pueden ayudar.

Las alfombras son las principales culpables. Aplicarles Static Guard o limpiadores y luego aspirarlas, junto con humidificar un poco el ambiente puede ayudar. Anyway. Happy buzzing!

While attending the Open Business Conference (formerly the Open Source Business Conference) in San Francisco, I noticed how some people were referred to as “the open source guy at…” foo/bar/baz.

Gender issues aside, I think it is interesting to notice that lots of places don’t have open source “guys” anymore… but open source teams, with broad strategies in place. And the open source “guy” role has merged into the business, adding value to the business.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the value of the “guy” – she’s a catalyzer for open source inside the business and liaisons with executive leadership. And perhaps I’m lost in translation – as a non-native English speaker perhaps I give it too much importance.

Agreed, Microsoft’s a different animal composed of several product groups with open source guys and girls, Microsoft Open Technologies, some Open Source labs, people doing standards, lawyers and also the field team that does Open Source from a Corporate perspective.

And meanwhile, if you’re the open source guy or girl at foo/bar/baz, I’d love to hear from you!

On Sunday, I flew with Virgin America for the first time on a Seattle – San Francisco PM flight. I was looking forward to the experience with this airline. They had cool things, such as the cabin lighting, the refined accent/pronunciation of some crewmembers, the cleanliness of the plane, etc. But in general I had some issues mostly due to Red, the inflight entertainment system, and a few non-related issues such as the boarding passes being unable to be saved/sent/printed, delayed departure and arrival, etc.

Back to Red. Red is very advanced. It allows you to chat with other seats, buy food and products and have them delivered to your seat, and consume content. It is not surprising since they seem to be running an X Server, thus Linux on the backend (although not as visible as Avianca-Taca’s Linux-based system)

Red is also a barrier that Virgin America puts between you and the flight attendants. This is a good thing, because flight attendants are not there for inflight service but for safety, including collaborating to a prompt departure from the gate. But the problem is that Virgin gives you little opportunity to workaround that barrier, should anything happens.

I ordered food and headphones. Seconds later, a flight attendant throwed me some pink headphones. I was startled by the headphones falling on my lap, then because they were bright pink headphones. When I turned my head up, she was gone. I couldn’t find a flight attendant button at my reach or a function on Red to call them. I wasn’t standing up my seat and/or reaching to the console above my seat for this. I decided to wait until they brought my food.

But they never did. They ran a cart across the cabin and delivered free drinks, but no food. I decided to shut up and see what happened. They ran by my seat and nothing happened. So I reordered water on Red (it was free) and when the attendant came I asked for my food and a blue set of headphones. She was really helpful and concerned that I didn’t get my stuff. At the end she made it right, though.

I love inflight entertainment systems, especially when they go above and beyond the trivial content consumption model and offer you more value such as communication, learning, shopping, etc. And I love that they are based on Linux and open source components that I know. In this case, Virgin is leveraging Red as a barrier but they need to work on mechanisms for people to workaround the barrier when they need it.

BTW, I would fly Virgin America again.

Watch them one after the another. Nice hit, vs. nice goal!