Category Archives: Software

Mac 101: Enter directory paths when in open/save dialogs – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

By Martin Murphy | Published: January 4, 2009
Saw this on TUAW, I’ve been looking for that functionality since I switched to Mac. Although it’s useful to be able to specify a folder path and avoid having to traverse the folder lists, a bigger benefit for me is being able to specify a directory that you can’t reach normally in an open/save dialog, [...]
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mysql: --i-am-a-dummy

By Martin Murphy | Published: October 9, 2007
I just noticed the mysql client “--i-am-a-dummy” parameter in the help output (from mysql --help) This interestingly named synonym for “--safe-updates” looks like it should be set as the default on any live mysql database. The command is supposed to block updates and deletes that don’t use keys. As an example, it could be used [...]
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Compiling Ruby on Ubuntu – Part 2

By Martin Murphy | Published: August 21, 2007
Following on from my previous post Installing Ruby on Ubuntu, I tried to install/compile Ruby (and rubygems, rake) on Ubuntu server 7.04. Since Ubuntu Server is a “minimal” installation for use on a server, various development tools need to be installed, I used the following commands: apt-get install build-essential autoconf manpages-dev and also apt-get build-dep [...]
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Symbian Slingplayer In Private Beta

By Martin Murphy | Published: August 13, 2007
Saw this on mocoNews.net this morning: Symbian Slingplayer In Private Beta Looks interesting, even with the number of operators making video available on mobile, this allows an individual get the video content that they have available, in their home or office, delivered to their phone. So, while they’re on a train, or waiting in an [...]
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SSH updates

By Martin Murphy | Published: August 3, 2007
The Past: I’m a long-time user of SSH. I presume that I was typical in my initial use of it for secure access to remote servers. But I quickly became familiar with its port-forwarding capabilities, and have often set up intricate webs of connected and nested tunnels, in order to negotiate the problems of multiple [...]
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Create an in-cell bar graph with Excel

By Martin Murphy | Published: July 26, 2007
Excellent tip here to Create an in-cell bar graph with Excel from the Lifehacker Shortcut Screencast Contest. Really handy for quick graph, and it works in OpenOffice.org also. Screencasts look like a good way to distribute tips like this, so I’ll have to look into that for the future, maybe using Jing for screenshots and [...]
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Upgrading WordPress

By Martin Murphy | Published: June 24, 2007
Well, after my earlier problems with the automated Fantastico upgrade, I did the “manual” upgrade to my WordPress installation. I was moving from 2.0.6 to 2.2.1 following the instructions from WordPress. It all went perfectly. Well done on the instructions (and the software). At the end of the upgrade instructions, there’s a section called Special [...]
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Back to basics (or some rules for software upgrades)

By Martin Murphy | Published: June 24, 2007
Don’t upgrade just because there is a newer version available. Check the release notes and other documentation for any problems with the new software. Verify the upgrade in a test environment first. This is not always a realistic option, but if you don’t do it then backups become even more important. Backup your current live [...]
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Flash Lite: Graphics for Mobile Devices

By Martin Murphy | Published: June 22, 2007
This is an interesting introduction to Flash Lite – including getting data from the network – in the current issue of Dr. Dobbs Journal. Well it’s probably only interesting if, like me, the only thing you already know about Flash Lite, is that some people can make nice looking demos with it Dr. Dobbs | [...]
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RubyCocoa 0.11.0 released – The Unofficial Apple Weblog TUAW

By Martin Murphy | Published: May 25, 2007
Just saw this post on TUAW: RubyCocoa 0.11.0 released – The Unofficial Apple Weblog TUAW Looks interesting for anyone wanting to develop Mac applications in Ruby.
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