ChopZip: a parallel implementation of arbitrary compression algorithms
Remember plzma.py? I made a wrapper script for running LZMA in parallel. The script could be readily generalized to use any compression algorithm, following the principle of breaking the file in parts...
View ArticleHardware compatibility is better with Windows... not
One of the (few, but legitimate) reasons given by some Windows users to not switch to Linux is that many pieces of hardware are not recognized by the latter. Sure enough, 99.9%, if not all, of the...
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Reverse SSH to twart over-zealous firewalls
I guess it is not very uncommon, since it has happened twice to me, in two sites I have worked. "Over-cautious" sysadmins decide that the University, Institute, Corporation, or whatever, would be safer...
View ArticleAvoiding time_increment_bits problem when encoding bad header MPEG4 videos to...
There is some debate going on lately about the migration of YouTube to HTML5, and whether they (i.e. YouTube's owner, Google) should support H.264 or Theora as standard codecs for the upcoming...
View ArticleSpeed up PyGTK and Cairo by reusing images
As you might have read in this blog, I own a Neo FreeRunner since one year ago. I have used it far less than I should have, mostly because it's a wonderful toy, but a lousy phone. The hardware is fine,...
View ArticleScrobbling to Last.fm with Amarok 2.3 and no Kwallet
I am not a great KWallet fan (probably due to ignorance), so when I introduce my Last.fm credentials in Amarok I get this warning that they will be saved in plain text (because Kwallet is not running)....
View ArticleThe nightmare of tagging multiple photos with digiKam, and a hacky way around it
[Update and big fat warning]: apparently, renaming or moving files does mess with the tags the image already has. A way around this, and maybe a generally good idea (use your own judgement on that...
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The nightmare of tagging multiple photos with digiKam, and a hacky way around...
Yesterday I posted about how to put multiple tags in tons of pictures, with digiKam. Apparently, the method I described there does not work (blame it on digiKam, of course). Still, the post makes for...
View ArticleTiny introduction to GNU Terminator
Some weeks ago, I came across this little wonder called GNU Terminator (or "GNOME" Terminator). It is an unfortunate coincidence that there is another similar tool with the same name (Terminator). I am...
View ArticleDesktop environment manipulation from the command line
I recently discovered Regnum Online, a very good MMORPG, with two interesting properties: it has a native Linux version, and is free to download and play (NGD, its owner, gets revenue through so called...
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