Happy New Year!

I hope you all have a good one. Perhaps I'll even post something else here in 2012.

Today's Linux Nugget

I've been using Linux almost exclusively for quite a few months now and I have been avoiding setting up my printer until I needed it because it is connected via a USB to parallel port adapter and it didn't work out of the box. Linux seems to have no idea it is there.

Well, today I needed it. I rolled up my sleeves and got ready for frustration, but it wasn't that bad. Contrary to what I thought, there is no driver that I needed to install for the USB to parallel adapter. In fact, it was already installed.

~$ ls /dev/u*
/dev/urandom  /dev/usblp0  /dev/usbmon0  /dev/usbmon1  /dev/usbmon2

It is right there as /dev/usblp0. But the printing system in Gnome seems to know nothing about it. So how do I add my printer?

Assuming you are running Ubuntu 10.04 as I am: Select System > Administration > Printing, click the Add button, then select Other in the devices list. Now enter the magical device URI:

parallel:/dev/usblp0

Add your printer using the built-in Linux driver and voila!

More Baking

I got around to making supper tonight, and some Chelsea Buns! I hope these taste OK because I have never actually made them before.

Pizza!

Here are some pictures of the pizzas we made yesterday. We have been making one fancy one (prosciutto ham, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, pesto) and the usual "kitchen sink" pizza. They are both good. The crust turned out a little thinner than it should have, but that was because I was pushing it to fit the two large pizza stones.







I think today I am going to try to make Chelsea Buns!

Long Weekend

This weekend is a long one in Canada as Monday is Labour Day. We don't really have any plans, but personally I'd like to get the following done in no particular order:

• Bake some bread


• Play lots of guitar


• Work on the latest amplifier cabinet


• Clean out all the old computer carcasses lying around my basement

Seeing as it is freezing cold and raining, it should be a good weekend to get some indoor stuff done.

Since we didn't have our usual Friday night home-made pizza last night, we're doing it tonight. We've been making some rather nice pizzas lately. Perhaps I'll post some pictures later tonight before we eat them!

I'm Selling My Bike

Let me know if you are interested!

From Motorcycle

Click here for the Kijiji ad.

Clearing Out The Cobwebs

So it has been months since my last post. It really doesn't feel that long, but I guess time flies whether you're having fun or not. I recently saw the movie Julie and Julia, and it made me want to get back to posting on a more regular basis. I'm also thinking about actually making a webpage beyond the 'Coming Soon' that has been on my domain for years. At the very least I can point it here.

I've had some big changes personally this year, the largest being my slight change in career (again). I am still with the same company, but I have switched roles after more than 7 years of software development to more of an applications engineering position. What does that mean? Well, mostly it means I am doing 100 things at once instead of 2 or 3 - which I think fits better with my personality. It also means I'm dealing more with customers and will be travelling a bit. But the two biggest reasons I made the switch was to learn something completely new, and for a change of pace. I guess only time will tell if it was the right move or not.

Tomorrow we're heading to Mont Tremblant for March Break. I've never been there in the winter before, and I plan to do a lot of skiing, relaxing, eating and drinking. And there will probably be a few games of Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Citadels in there as well with Todd and Paulina. I am really looking forward to it.

I suppose I had better start packing...