The dream

One day... one day...

Leopard X11 on multiple monitors fix

The X11 that comes with Leopard seems to not work across multiple monitors. The following is a fix given to me by James Jackson, a PhD student here...

cp /usr/X11/bin/Xquartz ~/Documents/Xquartz-backup
curl -LO http://people.freedesktop.org/~bbyer/x11app/xorg-server-1.2a10/Xquartz-1.2a10.bz2
bunzip2 Xquartz-1.2a10.bz2
sudo install -b Xquartz-1.2a10 /usr/X11/bin/Xquartz
curl -LO http://people.freedesktop.org/~bbyer/x11app/libX11.6.dylib.bz2
bunzip2 libX11.6.dylib.bz2
sudo install -b libX11.6.dylib /usr/X11/lib
curl -LO http://cloud.cs.berkeley.edu/~jeremy/X11/X11.bz2
bunzip2 X11.bz2
sudo install -b X11 /Applications/Utilities/X11.app/Contents/MacOS/

How very meta, a post about a post...

Make stacks look a bit nicer by forcing a nice icon to be overlayed.

[The following was a post to the 43folders forum, but I realised it ended up more like a blog post than a question, so copied it here, with a few more links...]

I stumbled upon this tip to "attach" files to an iCal event - very useful. But not that useful, I can't drag an drop the file I want to use, so my big clumsy fingers have to go through a number of contortions to do it. Immediately I thought "I bet I could do this with Quicksilver" (I'm new to it and think its great), but it seems I can't. I can find the file and copy the file name to the clipboard, but I can't update/modify the iCal event. Is there something simple I've not turned on?

Also, while I like the neat little two pane window of quicksilver, if I have a complex action (capture file name, prepend file:// to it, add that as this events url, in this instance) I'd like to be able to define this as a new action associated with files (or whatever), so I just call quicksilver once, find the file and type attach (or whatever). Is it possible to define such complex actions (chains of actions) and set them to a known command name? What would be really nice is if quicksilvers adaptive learning could work such complex actions out for me (I'm very lazy), and create new actions on the fly. Maybe now I'm dreaming!

Last but not least, I have an applescript that takes a message from mail.app and makes it an iCal event, I think I can pretty quickly make it save attachments somewhere sensible and attach them to these new events. I guess 90% of the time the files I want to attach are from mail ("The meeting is on Tuesday, the agenda pdf is attached") so maybe I don't need quicksilver to do it in this instance, though I'd really like it to!

[EDIT: after making this post to the forum it spat out a few related links, one being this - sounds perfect! Time to play...]

Fixing a broken update

So I screwed up an update (due to having a full system disk - oops!) and all of a sudden my mac will only boot to a flashing bue screen of doom. Not good. So I did some searching around and found out that:
1. Mac updates aren't rollback-able
2. You can run software update as a CLI tool
3. You can mount and install things from DMG's via CLI tools

Skipping over point 1, here's how I restored my system:

First, I was a bit lucky. I could log in from a remote terminal. I ssh'ed in and looked in /var/log/system.log to see what the hell was going on - seemed that the login window was somehow crashing - nice:

Nov 19 14:15:01 Hilbert crashdump[5914]: loginwindow crashed
Nov 19 14:15:01 Hilbert /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/loginwindow: Login Window Application Started
Nov 19 14:15:02 Hilbert crashdump[5914]: crash report written to: /Library/Logs/CrashReporter/loginwindow.crash.log

I was fairly sure that the problem was due to the failed update, so looked for a rollback tool (404 really useful tool not found). I then looked for a way to reinstall that update.

Following this life hack I tried to reinstall the update. Sadly this isn't possible using the softwareupdate tool, but I include it here for completeness - it might be a useful thing to know one day...

Next up I downloaded the DMG of the update from the apple site (wget is so good), mounted it:

hdiutil attach MacOSXUpd10.4.11Intel.dmg

Checked I had the room:

df -h
Filesystem                Size   Used  Avail Capacity  Mounted on
/dev/disk0s2               74G    73G   1.1G    99%    /
devfs                     100K   100K     0B   100%    /dev
fdesc                     1.0K   1.0K     0B   100%    /dev
                   512K   512K     0B   100%    /.vol
automount -nsl [201]        0B     0B     0B   100%    /Network
automount -fstab [212]      0B     0B     0B   100%    /automount/Servers
automount -static [212]     0B     0B     0B   100%    /automount/static
/dev/disk1s3              205M   144M    61M    70%    /Volumes/Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update (Intel)

And then set it installing:

sudo installer -pkg MacOSXUpd10.4.11Intel.pkg -target "/"

It seemed to take a while (it took some time with the GUI interface, too, though there I could see a progress bar), but it seemed to do the trick, the update completed and the login ran fine. I rebooted the machine, to finish the update, and after a wait that was a bit to long, everything was back to normal - phew!

Lessons learnt:
1. Never turn off sshd
2. Install Leopard, run regular backups
3. Never install a software update with a full system disk

Weirdness

Had some weirdness with my google account today, wouldn't let me sign in and was really unresponsive. Any one else see similar?

Militant Canadians

I got a DVD in the post today from Play (Last Star Fighter - sweeet!) which had come all the way from Canada. I know this because it had a sticker on the side saying "Only for sale in Canada - Security device enclosed!". Needless to say I opened the case with some caution. I had visions of a maple syrup bomb going off in my face, but no, nothing.

I took out the DVD all was fine. Then I noticed an RFID chip. My first reaction was one of mild disdain - how is that going to stop international DVD sales? But, I thought with increasing fear, this RFID could be really strong, beaming out the location of this illicit DVD to a Canadian spy satellite! I await a call from the Mounties, they always get their man....

Applescript to make an iCal event from an email

So after much gnashing of teeth and swearing about Applescript I got my little app to work. I have an Act-on key binding which triggers a script. The script takes the email and dumps it into iCal, for further correction (e.g. setting date/time of the event). If I was feeling brave/stupid I'd get the script to parse out the date, but I really don't want to do that! The script was based on a mail to todo item script I found.

using terms from application "Mail"
on perform mail action with messages selectedMessages
try
set theCalendar to "WorkEvents"
repeat with mail in selectedMessages

set theSummary to the subject of the mail
set theDescription to the content of the mail
set theDate to the date received of the mail

tell application "iCal"
make new event at the end of events of (every calendar whose
title = theCalendar) with properties {summary:theSummary,
description:theDescription, start date:theDate}
end tell
set read status of the mail to true
delete the mail
end repeat
on error errMsg number errorNumber
display dialog ("An error occurred:  " & errorNumber as string)
end try
end perform mail action with messages

end using terms from

The following script does similar work, but creates a todo item instead of a new event. It also doesn't delete the original mail.

using terms from application "Mail"
on perform mail action with messages selectedMessages
 try
  set theCalendar to "WorkEvents"
  --say theCalendar
  repeat with mail in selectedMessages
  
   set theSummary to the subject of the mail
   set theDescription to the content of the mail
  
   tell application "iCal"
    --set theCalendar to choose from list every calendar with
 prompt "Choose name or cancel"
    make new todo at the end of todos of (every calendar whose
 title = theCalendar) with properties {summary:theSummary,
 description:theDescription}
   end tell
   set read status of the mail to true
   --delete the mail
  end repeat
 on error errMsg number errorNumber
  display dialog ("An error occurred:  " & errorNumber as string)
 end try
end perform mail action with messages

end using terms from

iCal appointments from Mail

Some links for making iCal entries from Mail using Act-On

http://kleinware.net/software - Didn't work, or I didn't set it up right.
http://www.cyberhq.nl/2005/12/10/mail-yourself-ical-todos.html - Became the base of my script.
http://www.hawkwings.net/2005/10/04/fuhgeddaboutit-make-a-to-do-from-an-email/ - Didn't work, or I didn't set it up right.

Email woes

So I was watching a video of a talk given by Merlin Mann about "Inbox Zero" and it's got me thinking. I have a lot of email. A LOT.
In fact much of my day is spent dealing with mail. It comes at me from all directions, and can get to be too much. I can't "just check" my mail - it will always trigger some sort of action (writing another mail, usually). I know this annoys Chloe, too, something must be done! So I've decided to put some of Merlin's ideas into action.

First I deleted all the mails from various lists I'm on. They're archived at CERN so if I need to I can trawl them online, but I don't think I ever will. It was quite satisfying deleting over 6000 mails that were of no real direct relevance to me.

Next I created two DMZ regions in my CERN and Bristol mail accounts, and put all the mails in those two inboxes into them. My inbox is now slimline. One day I'll sort through all those mails (or just delete them if I don't go into the DMZ's much in the next month or so).

Third I've taken it on myself to delete any mail that comes my way once the appropriate action has been taken. I've also set the email check time to 30mins instead of 5. I might up that to an hour depending on how things go... If it's urgent people can still get me on IM (though maybe that will change in the future...).

Next is to set up the Mail Act-On rules and see how they go. I'm also going to write a little automator script to take an email and make it an entry in iCal.

Keep using the tablets

Well its all go here; last week it was the chutney extravaganza, this week it's tablets galore. No not tablets you eat, tablets you draw on. The bamboo tablet is pretty neat, looks trendily black and is surprisingly responsive. I really like it. Below are the first few pictures I have done with it. Still working out how best to use it, but I can see all the possibilities there.

Let me know what you think...

Chutney Crazy!

I had some fruit left over from my fruit and veg box so Chloe and I decided to make some chutney. I had pears and apples remaining so Chloe found a recipe and off we go!

We decided that the two apples and a pear weren't going to be enough, so went to Sainsbury's to get a few extra bits and bobs (as well as provisions for the week). They had some plums on offer so we decided to make plum and pear chutney, instead of apple and pear chutney (though the apples would still go in). We also got a few more pears, 3 Rocha ones and two Red Williams (to go with the one left over from the box). Adding to that a lime, some dried apricots, some raisins, sugar, mustard and vinegar and we're good to go!

The fruit

We got back and decided to append some carrots into the mix (again, left over from the box). This was shaping up to be quite the chutney! We camped out in the lounge chopping everything up, zesting the limes, grating the carrot.

The chopping

Then we were beset by fear and doubt; what if this chutney wasn't nice? There was going to be masses of it!! We decided there was no turning back (we'd chopped till our fingers were sore!) and progressed onto the boil!

Beginning the boil

Once things were getting mushy I added the vinegar, but realised we didn't have enough dark muscovado sugar so topped it up with Demerara. Also I couldn't be bothered to grate 3inches of ginger, so put in more ground ginger. I'd put a couple of pinches of chilli flakes in before the boil so thought it'd be hot enough.

After adding the sugar

A couple of taster sips and the chutney was declared tasty, but a bit too vinegary. We hoped it would simmer down and become sweeter now the sugar was in there. But if it didn't a plan was afoot to add in some honey.

Simmering took ages, but we wanted a nice thick chunky chutney. As it simmered it became sweeter, so the honey was put back in the cupboard. The flat started to smell of nice, sweet, fruity chutney. All was looking good, apart from the runnyness. I was growing concerned.

After an hour of simmering (20 mins according to the recipe - pah!) we decided to turn off the heat and see what we'd created. 30 mins of cooling and it was time to try. And lo, it did taste good.

The finished article

ATP vs the fans

Made my votes today:

Max Metson - RIP

My dog Max died today. He was 9 or 10 I think. We got him as a rescue dog. He was a Northern Border Collie. When we went to the rescue place he and I just clicked. It sounds a bit silly but I suppose we were kindred spirits. We played together in a field for a bit and a really strong bond was formed. We had to take him home. Mum wasn't quite as convinced as me but she soon grew to love him, too.

He was a bit nuts. He loved to run like crazy chasing balls and other assorted toys. He loved to bark in the car and at people arriving and leaving the house (less appreciated...). He used to do this thing where he'd roll on his back and stretch a paw out like he was doing the Saturday Night Fever dance. If you tickled his belly then he'd love you forever.

When I'd leave home at the end of a visit he'd seem really upset and that would make me really sad. I had a dream where I'd take him to live with me on a big farm so we could play all day. I'm sorry that I never got the chance to do that.

I love you Maxie. You were a loyal pet, a fun companion and a very very good friend. I will miss you a great deal.

More guitar porn

Ahh lovely!



Left to right:- Honer Jaguar/Jazzmaster copy, Fender Jaguar, Gordon Smith Gypsy, Gordon Smith GS1 1/2 Hybrid, Gordon Smith GS2

New guitar

That is all.