My mum and her super ceramics

Thrown Handled Vase,
originally uploaded by Sarah Abell.

My mum has started posting pics of her fab ceramics work on flickr. Go mum!

One of her early pieces has pride of place in my display cabinet and is admired by all. Watch this space for more funky designs as she heads towards the end of uni.

Get emailed Tim's blog and photos

Can't be bothered to check here and see if I've written anything this month? Great news! You can now have my blog entries and latest flickr photos sent to you by email thanks to the feedblitz service.

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starfighter

Whilst looking for backup packages on ubuntu via synaptic by searching for the word "tar", I stumbled across the package "starfighter". So I installed it. Then ran it. And played it. It's rather good fun. Ctrl to fire lasers, space to fire rockets, cursors to get around. Spend your time chasing enemy ships around the screen, and collecting bonuses / money. Has a decent sound track too.

Highly recommended. I love the open source world.



$ apt-cache show starfighter
Package: starfighter
Priority: optional
Section: universe/games
Installed-Size: 368
Maintainer: Debian Games Team
Architecture: i386
Version: 1.1-6
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.4-1), libgcc1 (>= 1:4.1.0), libsdl-image1.2 (>= 1.2.3), lib
sdl-mixer1.2 (>= 1.2.6), libsdl1.2debian (>> 1.2.7+1.2.8), libstdc++6 (>= 4.1.0)
, starfighter-data (= 1.1-6)
Filename: pool/universe/s/starfighter/starfighter_1.1-6_i386.deb
Size: 116320
MD5sum: 959f894e78517a3411c3c2656d61b85c
SHA1: ac7e2f458d4bd8c57056e11bb3da8609f35b528c
SHA256: 29c9adee1ee2fb52f1d790254683579e919655ad01bb806a02a59d32abcb8d58
Description: 2D scrolling shooter game
After decades of war one company, who had gained powerful supplying both
sides with weaponary, steps forwards and crushes both warring factions
in one swift movement. Using far superior weaponary and AI craft, the
company was completely unstoppable and now no one can stand in their
way. Thousands began to perish under the iron fist of the company. The
people cried out for a saviour, for someone to light this dark hour...
and someone did.
.
Features of the game:
.
o 26 missions over 4 star systems
o Primary and Secondary Weapons (including a laser cannon and a charge weapon)
o A weapon powerup system
o Wingmates
o Missions with Primary and Secondary Objectives
o A Variety of Missions (Protect, Destroy, etc)
o 13 different music tracks
o Boss battles
.
Homepage: http://www.parallelrealities.co.uk/starfighter.php
Bugs: mailto:ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com
Origin: Ubuntu


running partimage in batch mode

A continuation of the partimage project.

As it would appear that stdout support doesn't work due the user interface making use of stdout, I have been figuring out how to make the program run in batch mode, with a little help from KDevelop.

My continued findings:

The help presents a fully batch mode, -B

$ ./partimage --help
===============================================================================
Partition Image (http://www.partimage.org/) version 0.6.5_beta4 [stable]
---- distributed under the GPL 2 license (GNU General Public License) ----

Supported file systems:....Ext2/3, Reiser3, FAT16/32, HPFS, JFS, XFS,
                           UFS(beta), HFS(beta), NTFS(experimental)

usage: partimage [options] <action> <device> <image_file>
       partimage <imginfo/restmbr> <image_file>

ex: partimage -z1 -o -d save /dev/hda12 /mnt/backup/redhat-6.2.partimg.gz
ex: partimage restore /dev/hda13 /mnt/backup/suse-6.4.partimg
ex: partimage restmbr /mnt/backup/debian-potato-2.2.partimg.bz2
ex: partimage -z1 -om save /dev/hda9 /mnt/backup/win95-osr2.partimg.gz
ex: partimage imginfo /mnt/backup/debian-potato-2.2.partimg.bz2
ex: partimage -a/dev/hda6#/mnt/partimg#vfat -V 700 save /dev/hda12 /mnt/partimg/redhat-6.2.partimg.gz

Arguments:
* <action>:
  - save: save the partition datas in an image file
  - restore: restore the partition from an image file
  - restmbr: restore a MBR of the image file to an hard disk
  - imginfo: show informations about the image file
* <device>: partition to save/restore (example: /dev/hda1)
* <image_file>: file where data will be read/written. Can be very big.
                For restore, <image_file> can have the value 'stdin'. This allows
                for providing image files through a pipe.

Options:
* -z,  --compress      (image file compression level):
  -z0, --compress=0    don't compress: very fast but very big image file
  -z1, --compress=1    compress using gzip: fast and small image file (default)
  -z2, --compress=2    (compress using bzip2: very slow and very small image file):
* -c,  --nocheck       don't check the partition before saving
* -o,  --overwrite     overwrite the existing image file without confirmation
* -d,  --nodesc        don't ask any description for the image file
* -V,  --volume        (split image into multiple volumes files)
  -VX, --volume=X      create volumes with a size of X MB
* -w,  --waitvol       wait for a confirmation after each volume change
* -e,  --erase         erase empty blocks on restore with zero bytes
* -m,  --allowmnt      don't fail if the partition is mounted. Dangerous !
* -M,  --nombr         don't create a backup of the MBR (Mast Boot Record) in the image file
* -h,  --help          show help
* -v,  --version       show version
* -i,  --compilinfo    show compilation options used
* -f,  --finish        (action to do if finished successfully):
  -f0, --finish=0      wait: don't make anything
  -f1, --finish=1      halt (power off) the computer
  -f2, --finish=2      reboot (restart the computer):
  -f3, --finish=3      quit
* -b,  --batch         batch mode: the GUI won't wait for an user action
* -BX, --fully-batch=X batch mode without GUI, X is a challenge response string
* -y,  --nosync        don't synchronize the disks at the end of the operation (dangerous)
* -sX, --server=X      give partimaged server's ip address
* -pX, --port=X        give partimaged server's listening port
* -g,  --debug=X       set the debug level to X (default: 1):
* -n,  --nossl         disable SSL in network mode
* -S,  --simulate      simulation of restoration mode
* -aX, --automnt=X     automatic mount with X options. Read the doc for more details
* -UX  --username=X    username to authenticate to server
* -PX  --password=X    password for authentication of user to server
===============================================================================

It is not immediately obvious what "X is a challenge response string" means.
I was able to get the program to run to a limited extend after a bit of searching the internet and trial and error with the option "-B x=y".

Having stepped through the program, it transpires that where I have put "x", the program expects a pattern to match with the title and content of any messages that would otherwise have been shown to the user, and "y" is the pre-programmed response. This is in the "interface_none" section.
"x" has to match the question in the form "message title/message content" and is compared using fnmatch which allows * as a wildcard (anyone got a good reference for fnmatch?).
If the program hits a question for the user, and cannot find a matching answer in the command arguments, "CInterfaceNone::invalid_programmed_response()" fires "exit(8)" and the program dies.

So far I have been running the program as a normal user, which will inevitably fail where it attempts to work with block devices / root owned files & folders. This produces a warning in the user interface, followed by program termination.

To bypass this first "not root" warning, I successfully used this pre-programmed answer:
./partimage -B Warning*=Continue
Alternatively the following is more specific and also works:
./partimage -B Warning*root*=continue

I haven't figured out how to pass more than one predefined answer in batch mode.

The run arguments can be set in KDevelop here:
project > options > debugger > program arguments

Side note:
The program has a base class of user interface defined, and then either instantiates interface_none or interface_newt depending on command line arguments.

If not using full batch mode it helps to set "enable separate terminal for application IO" in KDevelop (project > options > debugger) so that you can see the full user interface. However if the program exits then the console closes and any output is lost.

As part of stepping through the code, I came across a macro, which makes the program harder to follow while debugging due to not being able to step through. So I figured out what it did, and wrote out its output C++ code in full:

interface_none.cpp, line 103

#define MB_2(One,Other,ONE,OTHER)       \
int CInterfaceNone::msgBox##One##Other(char *title, char *text, ...) {  \
char *result= lookup(title,text,"(unspecified)");     \
va_list al;          \
va_start(al,text);         \
message_only(#One "/" #Other, title, text, al, result);    \
va_end(al);          \
if (!strcasecmp(result,#One)) return MSGBOX_##ONE;     \
if (!strcasecmp(result,#Other)) return MSGBOX_##OTHER;    \
invalid_programmed_response();       \
return 0;                                                             \
}

MB_2(Continue,Cancel,CONTINUE,CANCEL)
MB_2(Yes,No,YES,NO)

my expanded version:

//notes: have expanded out macro so I can step through it.
int CInterfaceNone::msgBoxContinueCancel(char *title, char *text, ...) {
 char *result= lookup(title,text,"(unspecified)");
 va_list al;          
 va_start(al,text);         
 message_only("Continue" "/" "Cancel", title, text, al, result);    
 va_end(al);          
 if (!strcasecmp(result,"Continue")) return MSGBOX_CONTINUE;    
 if (!strcasecmp(result,"Cancel")) return MSGBOX_CANCEL;    
 invalid_programmed_response();       
return 0;                                                             
}

int CInterfaceNone::msgBoxYesNo(char *title, char *text, ...) {  
 char *result= lookup(title,text,"(unspecified)");     
 va_list al;          
 va_start(al,text);         
 message_only("Yes" "/" "No", title, text, al, result);    
 va_end(al);          
 if (!strcasecmp(result,"Yes")) return MSGBOX_YES;     
 if (!strcasecmp(result,"No")) return MSGBOX_NO;    
 invalid_programmed_response();       
 return 0;                                                             
}

creating a ramdisk for testing.
http://www.vanemery.com/Linux/Ramdisk/ramdisk.html
(I am on ubuntu 6.10 here, details may vary)

$ ls -l /dev/ram*
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  0 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram0
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  1 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram1
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 10 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram10
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 11 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram11
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 12 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram12
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 13 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram13
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 14 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram14
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1, 15 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram15
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  2 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram2
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  3 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram3
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  4 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram4
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  5 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram5
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  6 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram6
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  7 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram7
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  8 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram8
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 1,  9 2007-04-08 20:10 /dev/ram9

create and mount test ramdisk

# mke2fs /dev/ram0
# mkdir /media/ram0
# mount /dev/ram0 /media/ram0

add a test file and unmount the disk

# echo "test data #1." >> /media/ram0/foo.txt
# umount /media/ram0

the above, as a script:

#!/bin/bash
# create and mount test ramdisk
mke2fs /dev/ram0
if [ ! -d /media/ram0 ]; then
    mkdir /media/ram0
fi
mount /dev/ram0 /media/ram0
#add a test file and unmount the disk
echo "test file." >> /media/ram0/foo.txt
date >> /media/ram0/foo.txt
cat /media/ram0/foo.txt
umount /media/ram0

Create & run script (as root, because it (un)mounts a file system, and creates a dir in a root owned folder):

$ gedit mkram.sh
$ chmod ug+x mkram.sh
$ sudo ./mkram.sh

Wierdly, partimage won't run in full batch mode without a second part to the -B switch, even if it's set up to not need to ask any questions. Supplying a dummy "x=y" seems sufficient to fool it.

Runing as root without asking for partition description works:

$ sudo ./partimage -d -B x=y save /dev/ram0 ram0.img

Restore image to a different ramdisk and check file:

$ sudo ./partimage -B x=y restore /dev/ram1 ram0.img.000
$ sudo mount /dev/ram1 /media/ram1
$ cat /media/ram1/foo.txt
test file.
Mon Apr  9 12:56:59 BST 2007

Success!

Script for checking file in saved partition:

#!/bin/bash
# mount and check restored ramdisk
if [ ! -d /media/ram1 ]; then
    mkdir /media/ram1
fi
mount /dev/ram1 /media/ram1
cat /media/ram1/foo.txt
umount /media/ram1

To debug in KDevelop as root (in ubuntu):
alt-F2 (run)
gksudo kdevelop
open project... (go find existing copy)

So in summary, I have made progress in understanding the ways of this useful utility, and am a step closer to making a useful contribution to the project.

The rambling nature of this post reflects the way in which one begins to understand a new program. Hopefully it's not too hard to follow, or pick out the useful pieces. All feedback gratefully appreciated.

Tim.

bad geek joke: the bourne shell

Here's one I made earlier (19 Oct 2006 according to my pc):

It's modified from http://thebourneidentity.com/, which is incidentally a film I very much like.

For those who don't know, this is the bourne shell:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourne_shell
Which is the father of BASH (/bin/bash, the Bourne Again SHell)

partimage + stdout, existing code

On first inspection it looks like some code already exists for writing an image to stdout (standard output).

image_disk.cpp, line 558

  if (strcmp(m_szImageFilename, "stdout"))
    {
      //... network output code hidden for clarity ...
    }
  else // it's stdout
    {
      m_fImageFile = stdout;
      showDebug(1, "image will be on stdout\n");
    }

Unlike stdin for restore, stdout for save is not currently available in the command line options. I did do a build earlier where I enabled it (which I don't have any more due to my build problems). I managed to pipe an image to hexdump and seemed to be able to see some of the user interface info in the output.

It would seem the problem with the stdout option is that even in batch mode the program outputs interface data to stdout, which then corrupts the image.

I think I shall attempt to remove all the UI stuff, and make it act more like all the other unix tools. Might also try to create a reusable library out of it.

compiling partimage

Had a problems getting partimage to compile on one of my pcs from a fresh checkout.
svn co https://partimage.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/partimage/trunk/partimage partimage

The ./autogen.sh script was failing as follows
tim@lap:~/projects/partimage$ ./autogen.sh
Running "autoreconf -vif" ...

autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: running: autopoint --force
autoreconf: running: aclocal -I m4 --output=aclocal.m4t
autoreconf: `aclocal.m4' is unchanged
autoreconf: configure.ac: tracing
autoreconf: running: libtoolize --copy --force
autoreconf: running: /usr/bin/autoconf --force
autoreconf: running: /usr/bin/autoheader --force
autoreconf: running: automake --add-missing --copy
configure.ac: 16: required file `./[config.h].in' not found
Makefile.am:1: AM_GNU_GETTEXT in `configure.ac' but `intl' not in SUBDIRS
automake: Makefile.am: AM_GNU_GETTEXT in `configure.ac' but `ALL_LINGUAS' not defined
autoreconf: automake failed with exit status: 1
Done.

Barked up lots of wrong trees, including looking for missing libraries, gettext config etc.

Turned out to be an old version of automake.

Not sure how my other pc ended up with the right version, but this pc's version was:
$ automake --version
automake (GNU automake) 1.4-p6

Installing new version (with some help from command line auto-completion):
$ apt-get install automake[tab]
automake automake1.5 automake1.8
automake1.4 automake1.6 automake1.9
automake1.4-doc automake1.7 automaken

$ sudo apt-get install automake1.9
...
$ automake --version
automake (GNU automake) 1.9.6

After updating automake, the ./autogen.sh script ran, and I could then run ./configure and make successfully, and was left with a binary for partimage in src/client/

Hurrah.

The solution came from a post by Tibor Simko on cdsware.cern.ch:

Re: problem with autoreconf when installing from cvs

* From: Tibor Simko
* Subject: Re: problem with autoreconf when installing from cvs
* Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:12:20 +0100

Hello:

On Thu, 18 Jan 2007, robert forkel wrote:

> $ autoreconf
> Makefile.am:23: AM_GNU_GETTEXT in `configure.ac' but `intl' not in SUBDIRS
> automake: Makefile.am: AM_GNU_GETTEXT in `configure.ac' but
> ALL_LINGUAS' not defined

Which version numbers of automake, autoconf, and gettext do you have?
E.g. automake versions prior to 1.9 and gettext versions prior to 0.14
will not work.

Best regards
--
Tibor Simko