Speaking as a burnt out oldie, I have tried to get my skills up to speed by getting involved in a startup (which has open sourced its main project so far) in my spare time. Maybe I just do not have the energy, time and comitment anymore.
My main job just seems like a huge rut with no mentors, or peers in my own small area. My problems are complicated by being manic depressive, but I probably dwell/whinge about that too much. Ok so maybe I should get out more into the local linux or unix user group, (or help some newbies) to find people to sap their enthusiasm like a modern day vampire.
Maybe all the voice recognition systems are tuned to the Irish accent, or maybe just west Belfast and south Armagh..
I heard that during the minors strike the war services had lots of phones and locations taped with the tapes starting on the keywords 'Miners Strike'. Everyone was talking about the miners strike so they all ran out of tape on innocent conversations. I say put them all against the wall and shoot them. Check out emacs escape-x spook command:
Kennedy CIA spy jihad strategic smuggle Uzi Waco, Texas Honduras PLO quiche genetic Rule Psix DES South Africa
Tiocfaidh ar la.. Eireann go bra..
If used liberally, along with encryption, it might help increase their noise to signal ratio!
Is linux available on a CD that will run without installing unto the hard drive (except perhaps for a swap file in c:\tmp) using a ramdisk and floppy for (slow) permanent storage ?
This would mean I can run linux on any PC I come across without having to install it on the hard drive.
Unix: almost everything is accessed by a file api plan9: everything is accessed via a file api anti mac: everything is accessed by a corba interface, inherited and extended from a say [a file like api plus extensions]. How you handle this graphically is an exercise left to the reader.:)
So how easy is it to convert vbscript to perl automatically?
Working in parsing for Oracle I just know the answer is, you could do 50% of this easy 70% with 1years development effoort.. 75% with 2years development effort.. SIGH
Free reads and converts between lots of file formats feature complete (almost) Available cross platform
Cons:
not as good as Microsoft Office in usability filters always convert but no necessarily very well (e.g. glitches in to HTML filters) Does not seem to have a good API for extensions (java plugs [not just for the HTML browser]anyone, to allow star office to be used in batch mode on a web server) Not the fastest program on the block.
http://www.applepiesolutions.com We try to make money but so far are revenue is from using the company as a consultancy vehicle. It is more of a club at the moment, requiring 10 hrs per week from the participants. We are not allergic to revenue, but we want the company to work or at least survive even if we are not doing 60hrs a week and taking the odd extended vactation.
There are lots of American Multinational corporations here [IBM, Oracle, Microsoft,.. brought in by 10% corporation tax], and indigenous startups are starting to takeoff, people are starting to come back after spending a couple of years in the U.S. we speak English though there is a bit of a housing bubble and traffic problems. The government is starting to encourage jobs outside the Dublin area. Galway is a great small place to live with a fair amount og I.T. action.
Ennis, Clare, Ireland has been used to experiment with wiring a small town for computer.'Irelands Information Age Town'
There is a non gui option (silent) for the Oracle Universal Installer (assumes you have all your actions in a pre configured file), but I have not tried it myself..
I have installed on linux and the GUI install does take lots of memory (make sure you have the swap space..)
I work in the Migration Technology Group at Oracle. We are working on mysql to Oracle migration.
Oracle 8.1.6 for linux is currently is oracles top download.
What else should we be doing in the linux/open source area?
Our product (Oracle Migration Workbench, free from Oracle Technology Network ) currently runs on windows but can migrate, SQLserver, Sybase and Access to Oracle on Linux (using Oracle networking connectivity), we are working on SQLAnywhere and mysql (next up is Informix) we may do Postgress if there is demand. There are other facilities for migration, e.g. Oracle transparent gateways and flat files for data migration (imported to Oracle using sqlldr), and some unsupported toolkits/migration documentation on OTN. Data from oracle on other platforms can be transfered to Oracle on Linux using exp and imp (shipped with Oracle server).
There is the old mantra: to the tune of 'Let it be', called write in C.
Now I reckon the answer is write in Java. As it is platform neutral, including the graphic user interface apis shipped with the language.
I use bash (diff find grep..)[I know I should learn perl but you can't teach an old dog new tools when his old ones still work], netscape, oracle, make, grep, emacs, cvs, jdk on win32 and linux. (I prefer linux because I am used to unix, but it tends to be less user friendly (i.e. graphical, remember developers are users too) than windows, but it bites (blue screens) less.)
Using java it is easy to shift to win32 or Linux, either now or in the future, depending which pays more (in money + career development).
Re:balancing capitalism and (pure) communism
on
Thus Spake Stallman
·
· Score: 1
Commercial I am an 8hrs a day code monkey for Oracle, and there is only a small chance of the code I write there being Open Sourced/ GPL/LGL'd
Open Source I work part time for a small software company http://www.applepiesolutions.com , and we will open source GPL LGPL out stuff if/when this will make us money. [Give away the product / sell consultency.] We are unlikely to Open Source/ GPL/ LGPL the software initially as this may effect venture capital, and can be done later. I am doing applepiesolutions work largely to get more varied experience than the experience at Oracle.
GPL If I was not doing applepiesolutions work in the evenings, I may consider doing FSF work, but it would be harder to motivate myself without having the support working with people in the flesh (Are there many FSF coders in Dublin Ireland?). I am going to see what the local linux group are up to [Gnu/linux may be more accurate in some ways, but it seems a bit pedantic to try to insist on it.]
Plugging the Oracle Migration Workbench. You can always start on Open Source databases and move to Oracle later. Oracle have a free tool for converting commercial databases to Oracle. It runs on NT and solaris but the target database can be on Linux. If there is demand, conversion from Open Source databases will be provided (MySQL then maybe PostgreSQL). This tool, the Oracle Migration Workbench, can be downloaded from the Oracle Technology Network (http://technet.oracle.com) (free registration required) http://technet.oracle.com/software/tech/migration/ workbench/software_index.htm . I work on this product, but do not let that put you off. I am reluctant to give our support email as our Product Manager is busy enough without even a small a slashdot effect.
Great book Mr Greenspun. I suppose now I just need to get some relevant commercial experience, above the bottom rung developer level.
The MS Access Migration Wizard is available for download (requires free registration) at http://technet.oracle.com/tech/migration/toolkit s/files/msaccess/intro.htm
We hope to be in a position to provide more migration tools in the future.
Turloch
Migration Technology Group, Oracle Migration Workbench Team.
The AmigaOS is getting long in the tooth, but a multitasking robust mature windowing operating systems in 512k may have a market, in say appliance PC's or maybe even mobile phones..
I come from the occupied part of Ireland. I do not want to aid the occupation forces in doing their job better, being a pacifist myself I do not want to aid gun men on either side. The occupying forces hold the strong arm in weapons, equipment and armed men. Intelligence and security in terms of the resistance forces is less technical , though it has 800 years of R&D behind it and seems pretty effective.
What with small active service units, severe informer penalties, and 'no go' areas for would be undercover infiltrators.
Largely due to intelligence difficulties this is a war that cannot be won on the battlefield (fortunately).
The occupying forces may be inept but I do not want them to be any better.
Does it migrate Microsofts T/SQL stored procedures and triggers to Oracles PL/SQL or Java Stored Procedures? That's my job on the Oracle Migration Workbench, and I am quite prepared to..mmmm.. evaluate other peoples efforts.
I work in Oracle on a migration tool, the Oracle Migration Workbench to convert to Oracle, it is FREE (oracle wants to get back the money in database licensing costs, but you can get a free oracle download where you basically pay when you deploy).
It only runs on Microsoft windows but it can connect to oracle on linux, if say you want to upgrade from sqlserver on nt to oracle on linux... see technet.oracle.com for a free (55Meg (sorry)) download.
Forum and download at Oracle Technology Network (OTN) at http://technet.oracle.com [free registration required to access OTN]
Supported: SqlServer6.5 Sybase adaptive server 11.9.2
Real Soon Now: Access SqlServer7.0 Sybase sqlanywhere
Planned: Informix.
We may even do MySQL conversion if resources and demand allow..
A shameless plug, but relevant to the discussion in question..
Photography changed the (pictorial) art world, the printing press changed the book world, Open Source changes the software development world
The relationship between goods and labour changes, when the incremental cost of goods gets low. Opening up and harnessing Open Source software, like linux has done is grouvy, almost novel, and a thing of beauty. I'd consider it artistic, but then I am an engineer.
Don't know where I am going with this so I'll stop now.
If you want to migrate from Sybase or indeed from SQLServer 6.5, there is a free migration tool available on the Oracle Technology Network http://technet.oracle.com/ Oracle Migration Workbench 1.2.2 , unfortunately you need access to a windoze nt/98/95 box while doing the migrate to Oracle 8i on Linux.
NT is almost livable once you reach a steady state and do not install/upgrade software. It helps to install cygwin un*x utilities (bash etc), emacs, vncviewer (X server) and to develop in Java. The corporations mail system and the use of non standard files (microft word etc) make using linux on the desktop a bit of a problem, though I am tempted to dual boot (yep I am a bit of a coward) and occasionally use another pc remotely for accessing micrsoft stuff.
Slashdot Mirror
Overcomming programmers block (slashdot article)
Speaking as a burnt out oldie, I have tried to get my skills up to speed by getting involved in a startup (which has open sourced its main project so far) in my spare time. Maybe I just do not have the energy, time and comitment anymore.
My main job just seems like a huge rut with no mentors, or peers in my own small area. My problems are complicated by being manic depressive, but I probably dwell/whinge about that too much. Ok so maybe I should get out more into the local linux or unix user group, (or help some newbies) to find people to sap their enthusiasm like a modern day vampire.
Maybe all the voice recognition systems are tuned to the Irish accent, or maybe just west Belfast and south Armagh..
I heard that during the minors strike the war services had lots of phones and locations taped with the tapes starting on the keywords 'Miners Strike'. Everyone was talking about the miners strike so they all ran out of tape on innocent conversations. I say put them all against the wall and shoot them. Check out emacs escape-x spook command:
Kennedy CIA spy jihad strategic smuggle Uzi Waco, Texas Honduras PLO quiche genetic Rule Psix DES South Africa
Tiocfaidh ar la.. Eireann go bra..
If used liberally, along with encryption, it might help increase their noise to signal ratio!
Is linux available on a CD that will run without installing unto the hard drive (except perhaps for a swap file in c:\tmp) using a ramdisk and floppy for (slow) permanent storage ?
This would mean I can run linux on any PC I come across without having to install it on the hard drive.
apple uses proprietary graphics libraries. maybe linux + X + java is a good standards based base for an operating system.
Unix: almost everything is accessed by a file api :)
plan9: everything is accessed via a file api
anti mac: everything is accessed by a corba interface, inherited and extended from a say [a file like api plus extensions]. How you handle this graphically is an exercise left to the reader.
So how easy is it to convert vbscript to perl automatically?
.. 75% with 2years development effort.. SIGH
Working in parsing for Oracle I just know the answer is, you could do 50% of this easy 70% with 1years development effoort
open source: resistance is futile.
Pros:
Free
reads and converts between lots of file formats
feature complete (almost)
Available cross platform
Cons:
not as good as Microsoft Office in usability
filters always convert but no necessarily very well (e.g. glitches in to HTML filters)
Does not seem to have a good API for extensions (java plugs [not just for the HTML browser]anyone, to allow star office to be used in batch mode on a web server)
Not the fastest program on the block.
Consultants do not scale..
Teach a customer to fish (over http://technet.oracle.com), using Oracle rods, and you have revenue for life.
http://www.applepiesolutions.com
We try to make money but so far are revenue is from using the company as a consultancy vehicle.
It is more of a club at the moment, requiring 10 hrs per week from the participants. We are not allergic to revenue, but we want the company to work or at least survive even if we are not doing 60hrs a week and taking the odd extended vactation.
TPC benchmarks require the system to be available to be purchased within a certain time frame (6 months?).
The vendors usually use the latest possible software (unless it has performance issues!).
There are lots of American Multinational corporations here [IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, .. brought in by 10% corporation tax], and indigenous startups are starting to takeoff, people are starting to come back after spending a couple of years in the U.S. we speak English though there is a bit of a housing bubble and traffic problems. The government is starting to encourage jobs outside the Dublin area. Galway is a great small place to live with a fair amount og I.T. action.
Ennis, Clare, Ireland has been used to experiment with wiring a small town for computer.'Irelands Information Age Town'
There is a non gui option (silent) for the Oracle Universal Installer (assumes you have all your actions in a pre configured file), but I have not tried it myself..
I have installed on linux and the GUI install does take lots of memory (make sure you have the swap space..)
Oracle 8.1.6 for linux is currently is oracles top download.
What else should we be doing in the linux/open source area?
Our product (Oracle Migration Workbench, free from Oracle Technology Network ) currently runs on windows but can migrate, SQLserver, Sybase and Access to Oracle on Linux (using Oracle networking connectivity), we are working on SQLAnywhere and mysql (next up is Informix) we may do Postgress if there is demand. There are other facilities for migration, e.g. Oracle transparent gateways and flat files for data migration (imported to Oracle using sqlldr), and some unsupported toolkits/migration documentation on OTN. Data from oracle on other platforms can be transfered to Oracle on Linux using exp and imp (shipped with Oracle server).
totierne@hotmail.com
There is the old mantra: to the tune of 'Let it be', called write in C.
..)[I know I should learn perl but you can't teach an old dog new tools when his old ones still work], netscape, oracle, make, grep, emacs, cvs, jdk on win32 and linux. (I prefer linux because I am used to unix, but it tends to be less user friendly (i.e. graphical, remember developers are users too) than windows, but it bites (blue screens) less.)
Now I reckon the answer is write in Java.
As it is platform neutral, including the graphic user interface apis shipped with the language.
I use bash (diff find grep
Using java it is easy to shift to win32 or Linux, either now or in the future, depending which pays more (in money + career development).
applepiesolutions Ltd.
Commercial
I am an 8hrs a day code monkey for Oracle, and there is only a small chance of the code I write there being Open Sourced/ GPL/LGL'd
Open Source
I work part time for a small software company http://www.applepiesolutions.com , and we will open source GPL LGPL out stuff if/when this will make us money. [Give away the product / sell consultency.] We are unlikely to Open Source/ GPL/ LGPL the software initially as this may effect venture capital, and can be done later.
I am doing applepiesolutions work largely to get more varied experience than the experience at Oracle.
GPL
If I was not doing applepiesolutions work in the evenings, I may consider doing FSF work, but it would be harder to motivate myself without having the support working with people in the flesh (Are there many FSF coders in Dublin Ireland?). I am going to see what the local linux group are up to [Gnu/linux may be more accurate in some ways, but it seems a bit pedantic to try to insist on it.]
Plugging the Oracle Migration Workbench. You can always start on Open Source databases and move to Oracle later. Oracle have a free tool for converting commercial databases to Oracle. It runs on NT and solaris but the target database can be on Linux. If there is demand, conversion from Open Source databases will be provided (MySQL then maybe PostgreSQL). This tool, the Oracle Migration Workbench, can be downloaded from the Oracle Technology Network (http://technet.oracle.com) (free registration required) http://technet.oracle.com/software/tech/migration/ workbench/software_index.htm . I work on this product, but do not let that put you off. I am reluctant to give our support email as our Product Manager is busy enough without even a small a slashdot effect.
Great book Mr Greenspun. I suppose now I just need to get some relevant commercial experience, above the bottom rung developer level.
Oracle runs on Linux.
t s/files/msaccess/intro.htm
The MS Access Migration Wizard is available for download (requires free registration) at
http://technet.oracle.com/tech/migration/toolki
We hope to be in a position to provide more migration tools in the future.
Turloch
Migration Technology Group,
Oracle Migration Workbench Team.
The AmigaOS is getting long in the tooth, but a multitasking robust mature windowing operating systems in 512k may have a market, in say appliance PC's or maybe even mobile phones..
..
Wonder if I'll score above zero
I come from the occupied part of Ireland. I do not want to aid the occupation forces in doing their job better, being a pacifist myself I do not want to aid gun men on either side. The occupying forces hold the strong arm in weapons, equipment and armed men. Intelligence and security in terms of the resistance forces is less technical , though it has 800 years of R&D behind it and seems pretty effective.
What with small active service units, severe informer penalties, and 'no go' areas for would be undercover infiltrators.
Largely due to intelligence difficulties this is a war that cannot be won on the battlefield (fortunately).
The occupying forces may be inept but I do not want them to be any better.
Pfhreakaz0id,
..mmmm.. evaluate other peoples efforts.
Does it migrate Microsofts T/SQL stored procedures and triggers to Oracles PL/SQL or Java Stored Procedures?
That's my job on the Oracle Migration Workbench, and I am quite prepared to
Turloch
Oracle Migration Workbench:
I work in Oracle on a migration tool, the Oracle Migration Workbench to convert to Oracle, it is FREE (oracle wants to get back the money in database licensing costs, but you can get a free oracle download where you basically pay when you deploy).
It only runs on Microsoft windows but it can connect to oracle on linux, if say you want to upgrade from sqlserver on nt to oracle on linux... see technet.oracle.com for a free (55Meg (sorry)) download.
Forum and download at Oracle Technology Network (OTN) at http://technet.oracle.com [free registration required to access OTN]
Supported:
SqlServer6.5
Sybase adaptive server 11.9.2
Real Soon Now:
Access
SqlServer7.0
Sybase sqlanywhere
Planned:
Informix.
We may even do MySQL conversion if resources and demand allow..
A shameless plug, but relevant to the discussion in question..
Turloch
Photography changed the (pictorial) art world,
the printing press changed the book world,
Open Source changes the software development world
The relationship between goods and labour changes,
when the incremental cost of goods gets low.
Opening up and harnessing Open Source software,
like linux has done is grouvy, almost novel, and a thing of beauty.
I'd consider it artistic, but then I am an engineer.
Don't know where I am going with this so I'll stop now.
If you want to migrate from Sybase or indeed
from SQLServer 6.5, there is a free migration tool
available on the Oracle Technology Network
http://technet.oracle.com/
Oracle Migration Workbench 1.2.2 , unfortunately
you need access to a windoze nt/98/95 box while
doing the migrate to Oracle 8i on Linux.
NT is almost livable once you reach a steady state and do not install/upgrade software. It helps to install cygwin un*x utilities (bash etc), emacs,
vncviewer (X server) and to develop in Java. The corporations mail system and the use of non standard files (microft word etc) make using linux on the desktop a bit of a problem, though I am tempted to dual boot (yep I am a bit of a coward) and occasionally use another pc remotely for accessing micrsoft stuff.