Downloading a whole series of episodes for a show

I've found an article that explains how to download shows via RSS.  It looks quite useful, for those that are into this kind of thing: http://www.crisi.ch/automatically-download-torrents-with-your-synology-nas-and-downloadstation/

It makes significant use of the http://showrss.info/ site.

Backing up Google Mail

In the last month I've been trialling a way of backing up my Google Mail account.  The solution is call GmVault, and it was recommended by LifeHacker

It's cross-platform, and it stores your Google Mail as individual emails, so should GMail go down for any length of time you can still search/browse your emails.

Here is the command I use to do the backup:

bin/gmvault sync ian@email.com -d /Volumes/Sys_Slow/NoBackup/GmailBackup/ -t quick

Hey, remember to correct the email address.  Note that the -d parameter specifies where to do the dump, and the -t quick specifies to only do the last two months (clearly you don't use this parameter the first time you run it).

Changing the icon in Eclipse Windows launcher

Here's the official page on Eclipse branding:
http://www.eclipse.org/articles/Article-Branding/branding-your-application.html

Yes, it's from 2004. It explains how to give icons/branding to your Eclipse RCP product.  It's quite straightforward.

The tricky bit is to get your custom icon into the Exe launcher that Eclipse P2 build creates for your app.  This is because at the end of the build Eclipse just copies over Eclipse.exe, and renames it if/as necessary. This .exe contains stock eclipse icons.

The above web-site does include guidance in how to use/run a compilable exe that's included in the Eclipse SDK.  But, I couldn't get the exe to compile in MS Windows, OSX or Ubuntu.

So, I've found another way:

• Use IconSlate to produce a .ico file that contains images at 16,32,64 and 256 pixel height/widths.

• Open a Windows VM, and use Resource Hacker to open a copy of the stock .exe.  Then right-click on an icon, and select "Replace Resource..."

• Introduce an Ant build stage that copies the shiny new exe into the target deployment directory, overwriting the standard Eclipse one.

Sorted.

Switching to Git/Eclipse

Here are the steps to checkout Debrief to Eclipse now we're trialling under Git

1. Download & install Git
2. Setup username/password [1]:
   $ git config --global user.name "Firstname Lastname"
   $ git config --global user.email "your_email@youremail.com"
3. Setup the ssh keys [2]:
   $ ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "your_email@youremail.com"
4. Install Git into Eclipse
5. Add Git repository (checkout from public repo) git://git.assembla.com/Debrief.git

Fingers crossed.

Update: dragging on. Hey, command line updates work!

So, edit in Debrief commit changes to local repo.

Use command line to push to server. In the git repo we need to git remote add origin the private git url. Then from the command line we can do a git push, a git fetch, or a git merge origin/master [3]. Hopefully eGit will work soon.

Update 2: switched to GitHub, but the Eclipse permissions issue didn't go away. Turns out it's a problem with eGit. eGit doesn't know how to read new SSH keys, so you have to tell it before you start Eclipse [4]:

export GIT_SSH=/usr/bin/ssh

[1]. http://help.github.com/set-your-user-name-email-and-github-token/

[2]. http://help.github.com/mac-set-up-git/

[3]. http://book.git-scm.com/3_distributed_workflows.html

[4]. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3601805/auth-problem-with-egit-and-github

Moving the Maven repository

By default the Maven repository is in the user's root folder. But, since I'm trying to streamline the contents of the system drive I'm going to use a Maven repository in a non-system drive (I don't expect to do Maven builds all that often - so it's ok for them to be slower).

Here's guidance on how to move the repo:

http://www.mkyong.com/maven/where-is-maven-local-repository/

For my reference, I've specified a repo in:

/Volumes/Backup/tmp/MAVEN_REPO

Update to Indigo

I've just downloaded Eclipse 3.7 Indigo. Here are the steps I took to get Debrief the build working:

1. download Eclipse Classic 3.7
2. start the app
3. install SubClipse
4. checkout a copy of the Debrief sources from Assembla
5. install the Eclipse XML editors feature from "install new software"
6. copy over FOP 1.0 from another build
7. change the ANT properties so it runs in the same JRE as the workspace (to get the Eclipse Ant addins)

What am I thinking of doing next?

• install WindowBuilder
• have a look at Mylyn integration
• Investigate use of mouse fwd/bwd buttons for time-stepping

O2 Mobile dongle under osx

I've found this article on how to get the O2 dongle working on OSX (Snow Leopard):

http://skillfrenzy.vg/2009/08/30/how-to-get-your-o2-mobile-broadband-dongle-working-with-os-x-10-6-snow-leopard/

Big picture (for safe keeping) is:

1) Firstly remove the Mobile Connect program that came with the dongle and then unplug it. Download a new set of drivers from here. (safe copy in gmail) Unzip, and install. Simples.

2) Wack the dongle back into your Mac, and wait for the green lights to stop flashing.

3) Next, open up Network Preferences and click the “+” sign in the bottom left to add a new service.
After that, select HUAWEI Mobile from the list on the left and then name your service.

4) Now setup your service by entering a telephone number of *99#, and fill in the account settings as follows: Account Name – o2bb, Password – password. Then, from the Configuration drop down menu, select Mobile Broadband. After that, hit Advanced

5) In the Advanced window, select Generic as the vendor then GPRS (GSM/3G) as the model. EnterAPN as m-bb.o2.co.uk. If your not using O2, you can enter your own provider’s APN, but leave the Account name and Password blank. Leave CID as 1.

6) Click Apply and then hit the Connect button back in Network Preferences, and you should see an indication it's connected

And thats it! Hopefully your connected. Below are some APN’s for providers in the UK. Google Mobile Broadband APN’s for international ones.

• O2 - m-bb.o2.co.uk (Account Name: 02bb Password: password)
• UK 3 – three.co.uk
• UK t-mobile – general.t-mobile.uk
• Vodafone UK: APN: internet, userid/password: web, web on CHAP
• Vodafone UK prepaid: APN: pp.internet, userid/password: web, web on CHAP
• Vodafone UK pay-as-you go and topup: APN: pp.internet, userid/password: web, web on CHAP