The most authoritative definition of how some software works is to examine the source. Minifying JavaScript makes for faster downloads and has an extra added benefit of obfuscating your source code. Fear not, you can un-minify. Continue reading “De-Minify JavaScript On the Command Line”
Using RM Italy KL-Series Linears On HF
I’ve been using an RM Italy KL-400 linear amplifier on HF for a couple of years to boost the reach of my Yaesu FT-917ND. There are quite a few modifications and considerations that are needed to use these linears on HF. Continue reading “Using RM Italy KL-Series Linears On HF”
Make Test GPS Tracks
Your project might need some random GPS tracks. You could get some GPS traces from OSM, but they might have a lot of off-road content, or not have the coverage in your area of interest. Here’s a very high-level recipe for making a whole load of GPS traces for pretty much anywhere in the world. Continue reading “Make Test GPS Tracks”
Filtering Entity Reference Values in Autocomplete Field in Drupal 7
Drupal is great. You can create just about any functionality without writing any code. You just download a module, right? “There’s a module for that” is the standard response to most Drupal questions. OK, which module? There are 6,877 actively maintained Drupal 7 modules at the time of writing. It can take a full day of creative, lateral-thinking Googling to find which module will do what you want and how to use it. Such was my plight this week trying to get an Autocomplete field to only offer user’s own content in when linking to other nodes through an Entity Reference field. Continue reading “Filtering Entity Reference Values in Autocomplete Field in Drupal 7”
Absurd Customer Service from Google Play
About six weeks ago I ordered a Chromecast from Google Play. There were two shipping options €3 or €5.99 – the €3 option claimed a worst-case 10 days delivery time. So €3 it was and what followed was a customer service experience that only Basil Fawlty could match. Continue reading “Absurd Customer Service from Google Play”
PostgreSQL 9 High Availability Cookbook
Packt Publishing asked me to review Shaun Thomas’ PostgreSQL 9 High Availability Cookbook, so, here it is.
Executive summary: I like it. Continue reading “PostgreSQL 9 High Availability Cookbook”
Arduino Pinout Diagrams
Last year I found some awesome Arduino pinout diagrams with full colour on the Arduino forums. They are all titled something like The Unofficial Arduino Pinout Diagram / The Definitive Arduino Pinout Diagram, etc. They disappeared from the Internet (pighixxx.com) in December 2013. With the help of the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine I retrieved them. Fortunately they were distributed under a CC-BY-ND license, so here they are again in PDF’s for your download delectation. Continue reading “Arduino Pinout Diagrams”
Saleae Logic Analyser Clone with Ubuntu Linux
The Saleae Logic is an 8 channel 24MHz logic analyser. Soon after its launch people in China opened them up to find that they are pretty simple inside and, as sure as night follows day, little workshops in Shenzen started producing clones impossibly cheaply and to be sold through eBay, AliExpress, etc. Continue reading “Saleae Logic Analyser Clone with Ubuntu Linux”
Serial Protocol Debugging With Ubuntu & Bus Pirate v4
Back in the day, developing serial protocols was a cat-and-mouse game of write some code for host processor, tweak your serial peripheral and repeat, adding some logic analyser sauce as necessary. These days logic analysers and even DSOs will decode a wide variety of serial protocols for one- or more-wire hardware architectures. Still, fast logic analysers and fancy protocol-savvy scopes are pricey.
Enter the Bus Pirate. Continue reading “Serial Protocol Debugging With Ubuntu & Bus Pirate v4”
Install Ubuntu 12.04, 13.10 or 14.04 on 3TB Disk
Like me, you may have become complacent in installing Ubuntu Linux. It always ‘just works’. Right? Well, I had an unpleasant surprise when I wanted to install 13.10 on my shiny new Lenovo ThinkCentre tower with an equally shiny, new Western Digital Red 3TB drive. I wanted to use one of these drives to boot from because a) it’s huge and I have lots of data b) it’s got some good reliability reports c) it only uses 4W and I will have it switched on 24×7 and d) on a price per GB basis they’re extremely cheap. Continue reading “Install Ubuntu 12.04, 13.10 or 14.04 on 3TB Disk”