abednarz.net

Before becoming a Mac-convert, my backup procedure was almost non-existent. Every six to twelve months I would burn a CD or DVD with my most important stuff on it. I’ve been rather lucky that I’ve never had a hard-drive failure - its happened to most people I know at least once.

After turning to the Apple-Dark-Side they made it too easy. To not do a backup really required effort. Stick a USB drive in, turn on Time Machine… and you have a regular automatic backup procedure.

Of course I didn’t want to backup to USB drive. I have my and K’s stuff to backup, and an Ubuntu file server with a nice 400GB drive to hold the files (lets not discuss off-site backups, move along…). Now while Time Machine supports backing up to a network drive, they limit it to Apple’s own products, or a drive hosted by Mac OSX 10.5. Capitalistic goals aside, there is a very good reason for this. Apple added some extensions to AFP to safely handle network dropouts during the backup process. These extensions are required to safely protect your backups from becoming corrupted.

Now if you are pretty confident that your network isn’t going to drop out during a backup, you can configure Time Machine to allow an unsupported network drive, and backup to your SMB shared network drive. Easy. So thats what I did.

This has worked flawlessly with K’s iMac. My MacBookPro however, was more complicated. Because its a laptop, I often run on wireless when I’m downstairs in-front of the tv. When I go upstairs, I’ll plug in the Ethernet for optimal speed and turn off wireless. Of course I never paid attention to see if Time Machine was currently working when I did this. It was often running and every so often I would corrupt my backup sparseBundle and had to start all over again.

So I finally gave up on Time Machine for my laptop. I still wanted the automated backup however - but I don’t care about incremental backups, I’ve never (famous last words maybe…) wanted to go back to a previous version of a file. I just care that the current version is backed up in-case my drive dies.

This is where I love that the best computer UI is built on-top of the best OS core… unix. A simple installation of rsync on my Ubuntu file server, a simple shell script on my laptop (rsync is installed by default with Leopard) and I’m mirroring the folders I want. Then a simple configuration of my system to wake up at 3am and run my script and I’m automated. Too easy.

I have started playing around with OSX development, and I have to say that Objective-C and the Cocoa framework is quite inviting. After spending so many years in a windows world, doing Delphi (object pascal), MFC C++ and .NET stuff, objective-c required me to turn my head sideways. The cocoa framework really encourages good code design. My first project (I always need a project to learn a new platform) is an OSX client for mserv, which is the shared music jukebox we run in the development area at work.

In other news I have moved abednarz.net from using joomla to using wordpress, as joomla was feature overkill. I have also decided to semi-retire my live journal, since I don’t use it that much anymore, my paid status is about to run out and most posts I do these days are of a technical musings nature. I’ve set up a wordpress cross poster and will still be checking my lj friend’s page.

This is an Opera 9.5+ widget for viewing iiNet DSL usage.

*download/install*

Tested with Opera 9.5beta++ under WinXP, Ubuntu 7.10 and OSX Leopard.

Notes:

• Opera 9.24 and earlier do not support widgets and https and will not work.
• If error getting usage occurs and username and password is correct, wait a few minutes and try again.

Note: This application is no-longer being maintained by myself as I have moved from Opera to Firefox. Feel free to modify and distribute.

Change Log:

0.5 10/12/2007
Fix for iiNet usage page login change

0.1 8/11/2007
Initial Release

Note: Due to me not using Thunderbird anymore - this extension is nolonger being maintained. If someone would like to take it over, by all means do so.

This extension for windows Thunderbird 2 adds a ‘Copy attachment to clipboard’ menu option when you right click on one or more attachments. This allows you to then paste the file(s) into an explorer window, or any other application that supports pasting files.
Download - xpi File - 93Kb

HISTORY

v0.5 2008-27-02
- Attempt to fix a reported issue with messages not opening in a new
window. Changed a variable name that may have been conflicting.

v0.4 2008-22-01
- When no attachments are selected all attachments are copied
- The Menu item’s caption reflects how many attachments will be copied
and if you have selected them or not

v0.3 2007-05-02
- fixed ‘redeclaration of constant’ error that was appearing in the error console

v0.2 2007-05-01
- menu option now appears for messages opened in a new window (previously only worked in the preview pane)

v0.1 2007-04-28
- initial release

Version 1.0.2.2

Bed’s Printer Switcher is a small utility for Windows XP that enables automatic switching of the Windows Default Printer depending on what network you are connected to. It installs into the system tray and can be configured to exit after switching a printer - I generally have it start it up with windows, 60 seconds later it will change my printer to the appropriate one depending if I’m at home or work and then go away.

Note: This software is no longer being maintained by me, due to moving to Apple’s OSX from windows. If you would like the Delphi source code to this application, please contact me.

Download - Installer - 493KB

HISTORY
1.0.2.2 2007-03-21
- Fixed issue with constantly setting the same printer
1.0.2.1 2007-03-19
- Proper printer switching for Win2K/XP. Now won’t get errors in Word etc, after automatic switching
1.0.0.1 2006-11-21
- initial release

Version 0.9.4.0

LJBackup is a GPLed (see LICENSE.TXT) win32 application for backing up and searching through livejournal entries. It currently supports the following functions:

• backup

• re-backup (from given date)

• re-backup (single entry)

• Displays text entry

• Display entry in default browser

• Filter entries by date

• Filter entries by keyword (on Entry, Subject, Mood, Music)

Note: LJBackup is nolonger maintained by me. Source code is available below.

Download

• Zip File - 505KB

• Delphi 6 SourceCode - 38.9KB

The following tracks were done with a Creative Audigy Platinum sound card on Windows XP.

• My Hands Are Tied… - 2004, 4:13, 8MB, VBR 256-320Kbit mp3 download
• Sacred Cow - 2004, 5:38, 10.6MB, VBR 256-320Kbit mp3 download
• Messiah - 2003, 1:48, 2.19MB, VBR 256-320Kbit mp3 download
• False Security - 2003, 5:29, 10MB, VBR 256-320Kbit mp3 download

• Evilution Theme - 2003, 3:24, 7.8MB, 320Kbit mp3 download

The following tracks were done with a Guillemont Home Studio Pro 64 soundcard on Windows 98.

• Impulsation - 2001, 3:41, 1.47MB, 56Kbit mp3 download

• Lurker - 2001, 2:53, 5.29MB, 256Kbit mp3 download

• Evening - 2001, 2:09, 1.72 MB, 112Kbit mp3 download

• Necrosugar - 2001, 3:39, 1.46 MB, 56Kbit mp3 download

• Sensation - 2000, 1:53, 775 KB, 56Kbit mp3 download

• The Hunt - 1999, 4:49, 1.93 MB, 56Kbit mp3 download

• While - 1999, 2:43, 1.03 MB, 56Kbit mp3 download

• Midnight - 1999, 3:12, 750 KB, 32Kbit mp3 download

• Lovers - 1999, 5:51, 2 MB, 48Kbit mp3 download

• Frigate - 1999, 2:04, 487 KB, 32Kbit mp3 download

Version 1.7

This is a small utility that aids in converting bitmaps, gifs and jpegs into windows icons. It works best with all the icon pages on the net that store the pictures in an OS-neutral format.  Freeware- source available below.

Download:

• Installer - 448KB

• Delphi 5 source code - 95.7KB

BedPoing was a homage to a great little freeware game I used to play on my Amiga called “Poing!”. Its a standard breakout clone with the slight variations of your bat is on the left side of the screen and you need to advance through past the right side of the screen. If you’re on level 3 and you miss the ball; you go back to level 2 and get a chance to recover; then back to level 1 if you miss it again. This game is pretty much complete except for the UI graphics. I just could never be bothered finishing it. The level sets can be generated or all pre set and are just flat text files so anyone can create their own levels easily.

Download:

Executeable - 725KB