1
Hey, two months passed!
Creating the Visual Basic script for WSH+WMI.
Unfortunately, it can't write to the console unless it's running in a cscript host.
Running the script directly from the console starts not cscript,
but another scripting host - wscript (of course).
Under wscript I have to use the message box instead of console output.
2
Gathering the information for the web site development.
There are many unanswered questions.
What is clear, it's the need to automate site validation process.
3
The prototype of the next generation site tested on Konqueror 3.0.3,
Galeon 1.2.5, Mozilla 1.1, Opera 6.03, Lynx 2.8.5dev.8 :-),
IE 5.0, IE 5.5 and my favorite IE 4.01 SP2.
4
Cosmetic updating of web pages on SourceForge.
Preparing materials for the comparison of Portable and GNU versions.
5
New surprise from KDE: 2 minute pause occured during KDE startup while loading Panel,
then Panel disappeared from the screen. Fortunately, the context menu does work.
I do last warning to KDE windows manager.
After next misbehavior I move to Gnome!
6
WSH excluded from upcoming release.
It does work on one computer and doesn't work on another one with the same OS installed.
Today I'm writing an introductory article about getmyip
as the tool for Information Technology exploration.
7
Preparing the release of getmyip Scripting Edition 1.0.
Although it's very compact edition, there is a lot of work.
For example, proper end-of-line should be set in every file in order to
make reading on Windows comfortable.
8
Doing small improvements of the web site user interface.
Simple Things Require Hard Workâ˘.
9
The size of AleAnt site outgrows the critical value.
Now I'm unable to do all required quality checks manually and be on schedule.
I decided to temporarily sacrifice the presentation quality
in order to release planned features on time.
Sounds too familiar?
Now I better understand IBM, Microsoft, MandrakeSoft, Netscape and other big and little monsters.
Their software is buggy not because they don't know how to fix it.
They just haven't enough time.
And they won't spent the time to fix a feature that will be obsolete anyway in several months.
Instead they use the term "known problem".
OK, in order to release dozens of really cool applications, I announce a known problem:
Developer's diary will be updated two or three times in the week (although every day will be mentioned).
AleAnt home page will be updated at least weekly.
Two new articles will be published every month.
In parallel I'll develop an automation script.
By first estimation, it should be ready (in open source form, of course) till January 7, 2003.
Stay tuned!
10
The conceptual model of the automation script is ready.
The script should load every page from the site, do spell- and grammar-check,
test for HTML standard compliance and search for broken links.
Then E-mail report should be sent to webmaster.
The script will be run daily in the background mode.
It also can be started manually.
11
First prototype in Visual Basic is ready.
It creates the file "report.doc" and outputs brief statistics about remode HTML file.
12
Starting an article comparing Portable and GNU getmyip editions.
13
Installing Microsoft .NET framework. Oh, boy.
14
Configuring working environment.
15
First draft of the article comparing GNU and Portable Editions is ready.
16
Reading ".NET Framework essentials" by Thuan Thai and Hoang Q. Lam.
17
Microsoft.NET variants of getmyip in C#, Visual Basic, and "managed" C++
have clean source code.
The intermediate C# executable is about 5K.
I don't see the difference between Debug and Release versions.
Debug output code isn't excluded from the Release intermediate binary.
An investigation of the final code required.
18
Installing and configuring Windows NT Server trial, IIS, service packs, etc.
19
Short working night. I just arranged the project documentation.
20
Downloading and installing Java SDK.
21
Formatting of Java and CLR source codes.
Visual Basic and C# executables are 3.5 K long.
Surprisingly, C++ variant is 5.5 K long.
Microsoft, probably, will try to exclude C++ from Visual Studio.
C++ is too hard to implement.
Programming in C++ requires discipline, design, thinking.
Programmers don't like think or do the design.
That's why scripting languages are so popular...
The size of Java class is only 600 bytes!
It's smallest compiled variant of getmyip.
22
I got an account at Hewlett-Packard "Test Drive" program.
This is a step toward the goal "getmyip on every platform".
The getmyip Portable Edition 1.1 scheduled to December 24 will run on HP systems.
23
Numerous attempts to make AleAnt Server Lab
look originally.
Most web design sites just advertise monster tools.
One good information source is Yale guide - after years it is really useful.
24
Doing last calculations for an article.
Uploading latest content to web sites.
25
KDE session crashed when I double-clicked the text file icon in Konqueror.
Every reboot leads to frozen logon screen (text cursor doesn't blink,
mouse pointer doesn move, only reset helps).
Of course, there is a lot of inodes broken in all possible and impossible ways.
"Disconnected directory /????"
Who damages so many inodes between disk check and logon screen?
Aurora? Cron? 400 records in 50 log files or what?
Now I'm writing the description for upcoming Bytecode Edition
in old good Microsoft Notepad.
26
As I promised earlier, I moved from KDE to Gnome after last crash.
By the way, when I turned off mouse wheel support,
the system passed the logon screen normally
(as it did hundred times with wheel support turned on).
I like Linux for its stability. In rare cases when it's stable.
Gnome authors don't know what the word "design" means. They made me angry in five minutes.
Their icons... Find 2 differences between "Enjoy music & video" and "Log Out".
Their disbalanced fonts...
Their extra-large images and microscopic file names in the file manager...
"Error: can't launch entry. Details: not a launchable item".
What this not launchable item does in the menu intended for launching programs?
What for are two almost empty panels on opposite sides of the screen?
Why the program with unsaved document
exited silently when I selected it from the "corner menu"?
Why System Monitor 2.0.1 having no known bugs
shows 8796093022208.0 GB of total space on /mnt/floppy?
At least one thing in Gnome is better than in KDE:
there is no counter-productive buttons showing the menu with 3-4 instances of text editor,
web browser, etc.
27
Trying to read the CD-RW written with errors.
The disk contains several software development kits.
Although the content occupies 500 M,
and all file names are visible to file manager,
only one multi-session track of size 127 M really exists.
I copied all files from that track.
28
After upgrading Microsoft Internet Explorer from 5.0 to 6.0,
the dial-up program cannot find the modem.
Windows Device Manager sees the modem and queries it without problems.
By the way, Gnome PPP also doesn't work - it disconnects immediately after connect.
I guess the reason is in how I entered the user name and password
in two of three available fields: "User name", "Remote name" and "Hidden password".
I selected "User name" and "Hidden password", because all dial-up configuration programs
require user name (or login ID) and password.
What does "Remote name" mean?
Try to find at least two Internet Service Providers on the Earth that give you
something called "Remote name".
What does "Hidden password" mean?
Does the program have another, not hidden, public password available for everyone?
Help file - not available from the configuration dialog in question - told me:
"User name" and "Remote name" are the values you write to /etc/.../chap-secrets.
I never edited chap-secrets manually.
Should I left fields "User name" and "Remote name" empty?
I don't want use the system that adds difficulty rather than reduce it.
I have to return to KDE.
29
Relaxation.
30
Wow! getmyip Bytecode Edition 1.1 released!