0.3 Release

0.3 release for our projects is coming very soon. After 0.2 I submitted one of my package for review at redhat bugzilla, but because they were creating a packaging guidelines for packages related to JavaScript, my package couldn't be approved. I've to wait till that guideline is finished. I am also planning to package DXR for 0.3, lets see how far it goes...

Tutorial for creating a mosiac

I've used a program called Metapixel to create a mosaic in this tutorial

First step is to install Metapixel, so on a terminal window, issue this command:-
#yum install metapixel -y

Secondly, create a Directory and dump all your pictures there (lets say "MyPics"). More pictures, better quality. Then create an empty directory (lets say "metapixel_prepared").

Get back to the terminal window and issue this command:
#metapixel-prepare -r --width=50 --height=50 MyPics/ metapixel_prepared/
'metapixel-prepare' command needs to be run before metapixel can be used to prepare source images so that they can be used to create photomosiac. The "-r" tells metapixel to browse through the given repository recursively.

Next thing to be done is to generate the mosaic picture. Place the picture you want to transform into a mosaic (lets say "mypic") and the "metapixel_prepared" directory in the same place, change into that dir and issue this command:
#metapixel --library=metapixel_prepared -s 10 -a 10 --metapixel mypic.jpg mymosaic.jpg

Magnet VS Torrent links

Magnet Links:
Advantages:
1. They do not need a central authority to issue.
2. They has open nature and platform independence, the same magnet link can be used as long as the system has the appropriate application.
3. They are more user based, easy to use. All the system need is an application that support magnet links.
4. Since it is user based, it is so easy to share resources.
5. Most Magnet links application has a search function.

Disadvantages:
1. Slower speed.
2. Less control on speed and on the contend that is being downloaded

Torrent:
Advantages:
1. Faster connection.
2. Easier to search through the web.

Disadvantages:
1. Trackers are needed when downloading a contend. If the tracker is down and there are no existing connection, the download may never be finished.
2. Most torrent client do not have search function. Torrents ususally would be find from the internet.
3. If a torrent was stored on web for long time, the tracker may be expeired already. It is almost impossible to find existing seed or leechers.

Virtual Machines

For the last weeks lab, based on virtual machines, I used virt manager, a GUI for installing. I never used virtual machines before, but when I used it, I think its easy and very useful. On my Fedora system I installed ubuntu and it works fine. Next thing I am gonna do is I am gonna install OS-X on by Fedora.

My v0.2 release

The version 0.2 for my MDRK project is released now. For version 0.2 I've build glimpse on mock and verified that it works. I've packaged Ext JS and build it on mock and verified that it works. I've tried building Ext JS on koji but did not work that well. There are some issues which will be taken care of. After building Ext JS on koji, I can submit my package in fedora repository (Its a long process though). I've also created my repository on Liberia for the packages having licensing issues, and so cannot go to fedora repo. You can download some of the packages from the link below.

http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Creating_an_MDRK_spin

Kickstart file on HTTP server

This lab was to understand how to perform automatic installations using kickstart file. Kickstart file, once created can be placed on cdroms, floppy drives, USB drives etc. or even on NFS servers and can be used from there. For my lab, I decided to upload my kickstart file on HTTP server and use it from there. It's actually easy. Boot your system from the boot media you have i.e CDROM. At the boot prompt issue the command linux ks=http:/// (in my case: linux ks=http://matrix.senecac.on.ca/~mdvyas/MDRK/ks.cfg) and wait for it to install. Easy isn't it ? I also burnt it into a DVD. In my DVD I had isolinux.cfg configured to point my kickstart file to HTTP server. So next time I dont even have to issue that command, just put in the DVD and it'll do everything by itself.

SPR720 Package Review Lab

I really like the idea of this lab. In this lab we had to review a package from bugzilla and find an error in it and comment on it. Actually Prof. Chris wanted us to go through the Fedora Package Review Guidelines, but how, so he asked us to go through the packages on bugzilla, review one package, find an error, and comment on it and show what you've commented. Now unless you go through the Fedora Package Review Guidelines very well, you wont be able to get the error in it. In fact I looked more than 20 packages but didnt find any error. Then I went through the guidelines well and was able to find some small errors. Anyways, heres the link to what I've commented

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=469474#c4

Thanks to Chris Tyler

Arcade Project

Finally we've got something to work on, not quite yet, but most likely by this tuesday .i.e. Tue Nov 04, 2008. Yes I'm talkin about our arcade machine. After looking so many machines, we've decided to buy this one now. I wish this was a bit more nicer and cleaner, but it is (far) better than ones we saw earlier, and of course we can always make it look nicer. This box is in a working condition, the ones we saw earlier were not even in a working condition and even the prices were high. Once we get the machine, we can start working on it.













PS:
There are some talks going on to name this machine JailFreezer(In contras with our Freedom Toaster), cause everyone will stick to the machne to play games, anyways just kidding ;-)

LPT730 Assignment

Here's a small effort made by me and milton to create the game of BlackJack using JavaScript, XHTML and CSS. It is not the world best BlackJack game made ever, but without much knowledge of JavaScript XHTML and CSS, making this game in less than three hours was not too bad. This game was part of our LPT730 assignment. Here's the link to try the game, I hope you like it...


http://matrix.senecac.on.ca/~mdvyas/BlackJack/blackJack.html

Any comments and/or suggestions are always welcome :-)