Cleaning Up

What to do if your script needs to kill all processes that it started? Just kill everything that has same parent as your current shell ($$):

#!/bin/bash
…
kill `ps -ef | awk '$3 == '$$' {print $2}'`

Chain of Fools

Microsoft always took pride in maintaining compatibility. One guy decided to test just how upgradeable Windows were going from Windows 1.01 to Windows 7.

P.S. Do notice that there is no Windows ME. Repressed memory perhaps?

Do Not Analyze Me

I like using Google Analytics for tracking statistics. Those statistics read like porn to guy who loves numbers. There is only one problem with them - they count every visitor. That would also mean that my administrative tasks are skewing numbers. We cannot have that!

In order to disable logging own visits we need to check what exactly Analytics’ code does:

<script type="text/javascript">
  var _gaq = _gaq || [];
  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4401313-2']);
  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
  (function() {
    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })();
</script>

Code is pretty simple and only place where any action can possibly happen is in line 7 where we see ga.js script. Depending on whether our page is http or https those URL’s are http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js and https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js respectively. As soon as we disable those two servers our own visits will not be logged.

Since we cannot disable servers as such we need to do next best thing and disable them in our part of universe. There is nice file called “hosts” situated in “C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc” (or in “/etc” for *nix systems). In this file we can override any DNS resolution and assign any IP address to any host name.

File format is quite simple and I will not explain it here. It is enough to say that we just need to append two lines (after adding write permissions, by default this file is not writable by normal user):

···
127.0.0.1	www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1	ssl.google-analytics.com

These lines are just forwarding any call to Analytics servers to our own computer. Since we do not have Google’s infrastructure it is pretty safe to assume that all requests will go nowhere. And that also means that computer with this “fix” will not be recorded by Google Analytics.

P.S. Modifications to “hosts” file are great way to annoy somebody in office who left computer unlocked.

Homelessness

My laptop died again so I am currently using my wife’s laptop. I got my account there but it is annoying how much effort must go into setting up environment. As soon as I install something, I notice something else missing.

What I didn’t expect is effect it has on my productivity. I just can’t be bothered to do anything new. And it is not that I miss my particular laptop, I just miss a place to call home.

What is most annoying is fact that, as soon as I set up whole environment, my old laptop will be repaired and, in worst case scenario, I will need to repeat everything once more. Nitpicker’s work is never done…

Manning

Illustration

As I bought yet another book few days ago, I noticed that most of my IT book purchases are going to Manning. Whenever I need a book they are first site that I check. If there is book there, I will check no further.

Probably main reason for this is their stance toward DRM - there is none! Once I buy PDF book I can read it on whichever device I want to. I can make million of copies. Only thing they add is your name on footer of every page. Cynics would call this social DRM but I find this acceptable and quite unobtrusive when reading on computer or paper.

Most e-book readers are notoriously lousy when it comes to PDF and Manning fortunately recognized this as of late. Almost all new books are coming with mobi (Kindle) and ePub support alongside PDF (and you only pay once for all three). Some older books are getting e-book versions also, but Manning is taking their time.

Selection of books is quite nice, especially in .NET compartment where you can find gem as C# in Depth by Jon Skeet, easily the best book on C#. Other authors and books are also way above minimum quality. I would definitely say that, at least for books that I have read, quality ranges from good to excellent.

If you want to get view of newest technology where book is just in writing, Manning has solution for that also. It is called MEAP (Manning Early Access Program) and, in nutshell, it enables you book access as it is being written. You buy book in advance and every month or so you get next few chapters to read and that goes on until book is completed. During that time you have access to author and you can give him notice of error, steer him in other direction, or just annoy the hell out of him. :) Rarely it happens that MEAP book is cancelled and in that case Manning offers full refund (or two free books for your emotional suffering).

Nice touch is that I probably never paid full price for a book. It is really hard to find time in year when there isn’t some coupon code to take 30% or more from purchase (they adore giving 42% discounts). If you are patient enough there is also Deal of the Day offering where each day there is a book with discount. I find it almost impossible to pay full price.

There are bad things also. Site looks like something from 10 years ago, their account center is almost impossible to find and, once you find it, you will curse at annoying interface. Other than this, they are pretty close to being perfect.

P.S. For company with colorful book covers, they have a really ugly logo.

P.P.S. No, I was not paid for promoting them.