Re: World's largest web comic panel

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:47:48 -0400
Joshua Judson Rosen  wrote:

 
> i.e.: what if the limits of the world were further out than you guessed?


i.e.,  "I just didn't expect it
to be so BIG."

?  :)

-b
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Re: Asus USB-BT211 / Atheros AR3011 firmware loading?

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 5 Sep 2012 21:23:20 -0400
Ben Scott  wrote:

> On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 4:25 PM, Joshua Judson Rosen
>  wrote:
> >>> "Penguin USB Bluetooth Micro Adapter for GNU / Linux"
> >
> > It's closer to `what Google found'. ThinkPenguin was one of the
> > `consumer Linux computer companies' that I found as part of
> > a big investigative task that I undertook about a year ago.
> 
>   Better than nothing, I guess.


"Be the first to write a review"(tm)   :)


-Bill
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Apple and lawsuits...Apple BEING sued

[Bill Sconce]

[PJ:]

"[I]t's WWIII in the patent universe. Remember how we used to say
that no one would ever be so foolish as to start a patent war,
because it'd be destructive to everyone in it? Guess what? Apple
decided on going thermonuclear, and here we are. Talk about your
infinite loop. How wasteful is this?

One thing I discern: do not mess with Google. They have apparently
an endless supply of ninja patent lawyers. This filing is by Quinn
Emanuel, the same law firm that we've been watching represent
Samsung against Apple in California. The mighty John Quinn's law
firm, in other words.

Oh, almost forgot. What does the complaint ask for? Not much, er, just
stopping Apple from making, importing, or selling pretty much anything
beginning with "i". Plus a few Mac*...

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20120820182004477

-Bill

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Re: Malware for Linux

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:25:44 -0400
"Michael ODonnell"  wrote:

> >> Those who use terms like "immune" or "virus-proof" when
> >> discussing Linux do everybody a disservice since neither
> >> is true.
> >
> >Ouch.
> 
> Ooops.  I forgot about your signature line.  ;->

Heh. No problem. It does sound kinda snooty.  :)


   [... insightful commentary here from MoD ...]

> FWIW, some term that conveys the "process" idea, or the notion
> that "perfect-security-is-impossible-but-we're-better-than-most"
> would be preferable.

Indeed. I agree.  A connotation of "Recovering", perhaps?
It's never "done", that's for sure.

-Bill

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Re: Malware for Linux

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:04:44 -0400
"Michael ODonnell"  wrote:

> Those who use terms like "immune" or "virus-proof" when
> discussing Linux do everybody a disservice since neither
> is true.

Ouch.

I gave careful consideration to adopting my current signature line,
for exactly the reason of the problems of conveying an inference of
"immune" -- when that is not, and cannot possibly be, the case.

I only wanted to convey that it IS POSSIBLE to take security seriously,
and to do a great deal to close the horrendous (and well-known, and
obvious) holes which seem to be taken-for-granted-as-intevitable with
PCs, and with personal computing and the Internet, and that I had (and
have) spent a LOT of time and energy anaylzing those holes, and refusing
to put up with the exposure they represent, and NOT allowing phone-home,
invasion by Java, reading of my e-mail by cross-site scripting, and
indeed anything else of which I'm aware. NO, I'm not aware of everything.
But yes, it IS possible to make things better. A LOT better.

What did surprise me was how many hundreds of hours it's taken to get
this far. (And it still takes far more manual work to "live safely".
Smoothing the UI is STILL a work in progress. Hey, just a few weekends
more...  still.  So it's not for everyone.)

To return to English, you might termiteproof your house -- and still get
termites. Or fireproof it, and still have it burn down. We could, and
probably will :( get a flamewar on whether you can say things like "I paid
to have my house termiteproofed".  On whether "virusproofed" is less
overreaching than "virusproof".

I just wanted to remind myself (daily) that it IS possible to take
action, and (daily) that it's worth looking for yet another step
to make the virusproofing better. VirusPROOF?  No, never. Virusproofed?
Oh, man, what a struggle, and never "done"  ...but YES.

And very different from just hoping, *again*, that Adobe will get
Reader fixed. Or Oracle, Java.  It says "I have closed those well-known
holes". It says "I've stopped having my online fate in the hands of
Adobe and Oracle". I've DONE SOMETHING.

(And yes, this work was possible because of Linux's design, and would
not be possible on [certain] other OSes.)

-Bill

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Re: Malware for Linux

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:23:45 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> And Java, yet another case -- if there ever turns out to be a reason to
> have Java installed.

There seems never to have been a reason. Not on any Linux system I've 
been responsible for, my own or clients'.

What's more surprising, over the past few weeks I've been removing Java
from all my clients' Windows PCs. At first I was afraid something would
break, but itt seems THEY'VE never really needed Java either. (I'm sure
that others' mileage will vary on this. But the easiest way to secure a
piece of software IS to remove it.)

On a related note, when reading/researching this thread I came across
an article describing a *PYTHON* vulnerability. That got my attention,
for sure.   Turns out ^U   ...no, wait, you'll probably get a chuckle
reading it for yourself:

Python-based malware attack targets Macs.
Windows PCs also under fire

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/04/27/python-malware-mac/

-Bill
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Re: Malware for Linux

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:09:42 -0400
David Ohlemacher  wrote:

> Any recommended solutions for risk reduction?
> 
> 0. How about running your browser as a different user?

That's one of the things.
(One of the things you *have* to do.(*))

Also a different user for your e-mail client.
"Users" are cheap.(**)

That's what I've been doing, for the last few years, anyway.(***)

YMMV,

Bill

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(*) I used to think a browser could be made "safe" with NoScript,
whitelists, and so on. I was forced to give up on that, finally
discovering that the problem becomes easier to solve if you just
assume the browser is poisoned code/TRYING to do its worst, and
throw away everything it had write access to after each use. (E.g.,
its home directory;  OF COURSE it doesn't have write access to
"your" home directory, or to any other users's stuff, including
root's.)

(**) Almost forgot: your PDF reader. (Especially if it's the Adobe one.)
And Java, yet another case -- if there ever turns out to be a reason to
have Java installed.

Basically, any executable which doesn't come from Debian and/or any
executable which pulls things from the Internet.

Or which "phones home". (Other users don't have READ access to your
home directory either.)

(***) I suppose I ought to give a talk on it someday. Kinda got
discouraged, though, back when I started, after observing on this list
that other *cough* operating systems don't help with security techiques
in some of the ways which Linux makes easy, such as separate user
accounts for separate applications.  Got yelled at...   :)
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Re: [GNHLUG] [Python-talk] PySIG next week - Thursday, 24 May 2012

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 21 May 2012 21:01:59 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> ...the cookie selection is
>   o Gingerbread cookies
>   o Chocolate-chocolate chip cookies
> Do we have a volunteer to bring milk?
> And_don't_forget_to_bring_a_Python_project'ly yrs,


1. Bill Freeman has kindly offered to bring milk.  Thanks, Bill!

2. Not only that, but Bill Freeman has also straightened out
   the Python initialization/PATH/installdir jungle to tell us
   how it works. Complete with slides!


Goes_with_gingerbread'ly yrs,

Bill

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Re: [GNHLUG] [Python-talk] PySIG next week - Thursday, 24 May 2012

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 18 May 2012 20:52:48 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> Next Thursday is 4th Thursday, and that means...  PySIG!
> 
> ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Streen, Manchester NH
> 7:30 PM, with a Beginners' Session preceding at 6:30 PM
>[...]
> Cookie_selection_to_be_reported'ly yrs,


News from Operations: the cookie selection is

  o Gingerbread cookies
  o Chocolate-chocolate chip cookies

Do we have a volunteer to bring milk?


And_don't_forget_to_bring_a_Python_project'ly yrs,

-Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week - Thursday, 24 May 2012

[Bill Sconce]

Next Thursday is 4th Thursday, and that means...  PySIG!

ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Streen, Manchester NH
7:30 PM, with a Beginners' Session preceding at 6:30 PM

Bring a project, bring a question. Find out if anyone can
keep Bill from talking about *his* most recent Python
project.  (If any, heh.)

Cookie_selection_to_be_reported'ly yrs,

Bill

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Re: USB (*gasp*) modem?

[Bill Sconce]

On Sun, 13 May 2012 23:28:05 -0400
"James A. Kuzdrall"  wrote:

> I have had several USB to RS232 to serial modem setups within the last 5 
> years, and none of them worked very well.  (We have 3 computers on dialup.)  
> I also used a number of PCMCIA cards.  They run hot, and I now have 3 of them 
> that are dead or partially working.

As one of those coincidences, I'm currently working with a piece of lab gear
(a vector network analyzer) which communicates with its controlling PC via
...serial.

Which works fine. RS-232, nine-pin plugs, even runs under KVM.

When I bought it the manufacturer offered that "it *can* be made to work with
USB-to-serial adapters, some of our customers have done it". Their wiki filled
in what they didn't say -- that not a few of their customers couldn't get 
certain
adapters to work, the drivers crashed, one chipset would not work and another
chipset would work, etc.

My .02 would be that "real" serial is the way to go if you can. (Fortunately all
of my PCs are of such a vintage that they *have* serial ports  [they mostly have
floppy drives, too...]  :)

-Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG. Audacity. (!) Schedule change. NOT IN MANCHESTER THIS MONTH

[Bill Sconce]

 SPECIAL OCCASION.
 PySIG WILL BE IN PEPPERELL THIS THURSDAY.  NOT MANCHESTER.

 Program:  Audacity
 Location: Pepperell

 NOT MANCHESTER.
 
Can't be in two places at once! With considerable reluctance
we admit that the sometimes conflict between the wonderful things
which tend to happen on fourth Thursdays/last Thursdays is too
tough to handle this month. Because this month's Tech Talk(*)
will be Bill Hewett's swan song at Pepperell's Lawrence Library.

Bill makes the trip up from Newton to do his presentations, which
have always been great, and this month's presentation will be his
last as this summer he and his family pack up for Stanford, where
his wife will be entering her residency.

That's cause for both celebration and sadness. And because we
know that more than a few PySIG enthusiasts are also Audacity
enthusiasts, Mark and I have decided to offer this month's PySIG
meeting as a "field trip", to take in Bill's program on Audacity. 

And, oh yes, enjoy our requisite milk and Janet's cookies.
(Actually, Janet has made cupcakes this time :).  Mark is bringing
the milk.  Thanks, Mark!

So.  PySIG WILL BE IN PEPPERELL THIS THURSDAY.  NOT MANCHESTER.
 SPECIAL OCCASION.
 
Please join Mark and Deb and Bill Hewett for a special evening.
And thanks to the Lawrence Library for hosting this continuing
series on Free software.


Field_trip'ly yrs,

Bill
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(*) "Tech Talks" are a several-years-running sequence of
regular programs about Free software given for the benefit of
the public at the Pepperell Lawrence (free public) Library.
Not so much a LUG, more of a community outreach. Well received
and well attended. Kudos to our own Mark Boyajian!

__
>From Mark's PDF announcement sent out to the "Tech Talk" list

Digital Audio Editing with Audacity

When:   Thursday, April 26th, 6:30pm

Where:  Pepperell's Lawrence Library
15 Main Street
Pepperell, MA  01463
978 433-0330
http://www.lawrencelibrary.org/

Please join us in welcoming back Bill Hewett for another great session
working with Open Source Audio software. Audacity is a free, open source,
cross-platform digital multi-track audio editor for Linux/Unix, MacOS and
Windows. It is designed for easy recording, playing and editing of digital
audio. Editing is very fast and provides unlimited undo/redo. Bill will
provide an overview of audio formats and transcoding and review the use
of "tracks", audio input sources, track manipulation, and final mixing.
Sound cool?  Check this out:

> Tracks: Learn about Mono and Stereo tracks and multi-track recording.

> Input Sources: Explore how to select input sources such as an
 internal microphone, USB devices, and your internal
 sound card.
 
> Track Magic:   Manipulate tracks by adjusting gain/volume, left/right
 pan, fading, and splicing/splitting.
  
> Mixing:Perform mixing for your final master and export to
 target file format(s).
 
Don't miss this very special presentation on this fantastic application!
Whether you want to record audio from the web, your own performances, or
make your own custom "mixes" of recorded music, this is a great tool, and
Bill is a great teacher on the subject with lots or real-world experience!

So mark your calendars, spread the word, and have your questions ready for Bill.

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[GNHLUG] PySIG ... this week!

[Bill Sconce]

OK, OK, I got caught. Fourth Thursday snuck up on me. 
(Hey, the 22nd is about the earliest it can get, eh?)
I almost forgot to order the cookies!

NH PySIG, fourth Thursday.  THIS week.  Manchester, NH.

   Thursday, 22 March 2012, 7:00 PM
   Beginner's session at 6:30 PM
   ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street


Actually_it_was_the_cookie_dept_who_noticed'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG - ON for tomorrow night

[Bill Sconce]

Cookies are peanut butter, as previously announced. PLUS, baked yesterday:
brownies, and chocolate chip. I'm bringing the milk; sounds like we maybe
should have a gallon this time.

Beginners' session, Q&A, at 6:30 PM. Meeting proper (if "proper" is a word
we can use where PySIG is concerned) starts at 7:00 PM. ABI Hub, 33 South
Commercial Street, Manchester.

no_free_canapés_this_time_I_checked_with_ABI'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week -- heads-up

[Bill Sconce]

Next week has a fourth Thursday in it. (The 23rd).

That means... PySIG!  Usual place(*), usual time:

   ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester
   7:00 PM; Beginners' session at 6:30 PM

Cookies_on_their_way_to_the_oven'ly yrs,

Bill

(*) I'll verify that they aren't doing a 200-person
invitational blowout on "our" evening this time  :)

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Re: GNOME 3 (was: mint)

[Bill Sconce]

On 05 Jan 2012 13:53:04 -0500
kevin_d_cl...@comcast.net (Kevin D. Clark) wrote:

> I'll say one really nice thing about LXDE:  if you want to change
> the format of the displayed time in the date/time applet, the docs say
> "use the format described in strftime()".  Wow, that's minimal, and
> that's awesome too.

Same in fluxbox. Awesome.

Only thing is I can't figure out how to present both local and UTC...  :)


29_desktops_here'ly yrs,

-Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG tomorrow (!) - Happy Thanksgiving

[Bill Sconce]

Just a reminder about the special schedule, 3rd Thursday this month.

7:30 PM, at the ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.
THIS Thursday (tomorrow), 17 November 2011

See you there!

>>> print(cookies)
Chocolate Turtle
>>> 

yum'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG - get-together NEXT week, 11/17 (special schedule for Thanksgiving)

[Bill Sconce]

I just talked with the ABI, and we can have Meeting Room 2, in spite
of NEXT WEEK being not our usual 4th Thursday.

An informal get-together, comparing notes on Python projects, getting
ready for the holidays, etc.

7:30 PM (Beginner's Session at 6:30 P.M.)
17 November 2011, THIRD THURSDAY
ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street
Manchester, NH

diet_in_trouble_soon'ly yrs,

Bill
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PySIG report 27 Oct 2011 [Project Night]

[Bill Sconce]

Another successful PySIG! A surprisingly good turnout last night,
considering that our intrepid Pythoneers had to brave the wilds
of Southern NH's first wet-the-roads snowfall. It was mushy to
the west -- a couple of inches in Peterborough. Six of us made
it; David O. brought the milk -- Thanks, David!

"Project night":

  o Shawn O. introduced us to two Python packages which he's used
in real production:

 1. web.py

 "web.py was originally published while Aaron Swartz worked at
 reddit.com, where the site used it as it grew to become one of
 the top 1000 sites according to Alexa and served millions of
 daily page views. 'It's the anti-framework framework. web.py
 doesn't get in your way,' explained founder Steve Huffman..."

 It's perhaps [not, given that this is Python] amazing that
 you can create a Web server with 12 lines of code. It's
 certainly amazing that such a framework is not a toy. Shawn
 used it for real $WORK applications, and of course reddit.com
 was a real, and large-scale, Internet site. Worth a look.

 http://webpy.org/

 2. rhodecode

 "This will change the way you manage your code"

 "Open source repository browser/management tool with a 
 built in push/pull server, LDAP, permissions sytem and
 full text search."

 [I especially like the lack of fine print in their
 licensing blurb:
 RhodeCode is an open source software. It's
 available to everybody for free, forever.
 ]

 Shawn outlined how pleased he's been with rhodecode,
 especially the built-in intgration with LDAP and its
 full-text search capabilities.  Thanks, Shawn!

  o Firefox custom keybinding (Bill S.)

 I outlined a work in progress, a Python automation of
 the five-or-six-step procedure necessary to modify the
 configuration file ("browser.xul") which maps keyboard
 shortcuts in the 3.6 series of Firefox. What's neat
 is that PySIG makes a darned good design review -- I had
 already discovered in my work so far that my old friend
 optparse has been deprecated (as of 2.7), in favor of
 argparse; the group told me, and we discussed, why.

 Even better, the comments convinced me to abandon my
 brute-force approach (of finding and replacing text
 lines), in favor of properly parsing the XML -- i.e.,
 to use lxml. I'll have a progress report next time.
 And in the meantime, really appreciate the improvement
 in design which a group of friends can provide.
 Thanks, guys...

Till next time. (Which, after looking at the calendar, we'll
make happen on November 17th, third Thursday, since "our"
4th Thursday is Thanksgiving.)


>>> pysig.eat(ginger_cookies.next())
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pysig.py", line 11, in 
ginger_cookies.next()
StopIteration
>>>

-Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG this week (Thursday 10/27) -- Project Night

[Bill Sconce]

Thursday this week (the 27th) is PySIG.

An informal meeting: bring news of a project you're working on which involves
Python. I have one, "setting up custom keyboard shortcuts in Firefox". I may
even have it working by Thursday.  :)

Cookies: chocolate chip, AND iced gingerbread.

Anyone volunteer to bring milk?

Time and place, as always,
7:00 PM / Beginner's session at 6:30 PM
ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester

Happy Halloween'ly yrs,

Bill


P.S. Oh, I almost forgot. Rumor has it that we may see something scary
at PySIG this month. I'm not sure, and I wouldn't know how to describe
it, but thoughts of ominous thrums of music come to mind...  right, Bill?

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[GNHLUG] PySIG September 2011 - The GIMP! - 22 Sept 2011, 7:30 P.M., Manchester

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH22 September 2011

 GIMP, Presented by Paul Beaudet

  GIMP is a very powerful Photoshop(R)-like application for such
  tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image creation
  --and GIMP is free and open source software: completely free to
  download and use.
  
  GIMP is used by children and professionals alike, and is even
  used by Hollywood movie-makers.
  
  If you've been itching to retouch, modify, or enhance your digital
  photos, then this program is for you.
  
  Learn how to:
o Make color corrections (make your digital photos look more
  like film photos)
o Use Curves and Cloning to enhance and modify your photos.
o Apply Layers and Channels (Paul will provide a detailed
  explanation of Layers and when and how to use them)
o Sharpen, blur, remove red-eye, and much, much more.
  


PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
ABI Hub, Manchester, NH
22 September 2011 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; problem-solving group consultation/advice to
the lovelorn (serial ports to connect to outboard devices?); more.

Milk, anyone?  (Volunteer, that is?)

Janet's cookies - Penguin Cookies!

Happy_end_of_summer'ly yrs,

Bill



About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About ABI Hub:
Our gracious hosts are the ABI Hub, an organization whose mission is
"to nurture high growth startups and create an environment where
entrepreneurs have access to the resources, connections, experience,
and capital to support the journey of putting ideas into action. Our
residents come from diverse backgrounds and age groups and that is
what makes our environment so unique. We are literally a hub for all
things 'startup.'"

PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI Hub for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abihub.org/


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial
Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 5 ("Granite Street") from I-293.  Stay to the left
  at the bottom of the ramp, to turn left (east). Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.
  
Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the south:
o Use the Granite Street exit.  Turn right (east).  Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.

After crossing the bridge:
o Turn right (south) at the first light.  This is South
  Commercial Street.

o Go past one parking-lot e

[GNHLUG] PySIG next week: The GIMP! -- Thursday 22 September

[Bill Sconce]

Next Thursday (the 22nd) is PySIG. And we have a special program.

PySIG's own Paul Beaudet will present to us layers and layres
(heh) of information on the GIMP. I'll send more information and
an agenda in the next few days. Of course there'll be the
ever-popular beginners' pre-session, and cookies (Pengin cookies
this month). Mark your calendar! Next Thursday, 9/22, 7:00 P.M.,
at the ABI Hub, in Manchester.

Happy_end_of_summer'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG - tomorrow

[Bill Sconce]

Yes, it's fourth_thursday_and_PySIG time. And in spite of
the pressures of a busy summer schedule, it's time that we
remember to get together and talk about Python.

(What have *you* been doing with your summer vacation?   :)


Just an informal get-together, the usual time and place,

  7:00 P.M.  25 August 2011
  ABI Hub, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester

and the usual

  Beginners' session/Q&A at 6:30 P.M.

Cookies are chocolate chip/oatmeal.


Time_to_get_ready_for_Fall'ly yrs,
Bill

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Browsers

[Bill Sconce]

Someone has to post this...

-Bill
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_
1.
http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,236944/printable.html

If you use Internet Explorer, your IQ might be below average--at
least, according to one study.

AptiQuant, a "psychometric consulting" firm that provides hiring
exams for businesses, gave online IQ tests to more than 100,000
people. Visitors arrived either through organic searches or through
advertisements on other sites, and Aptiquant made a note of which
browser each test taker was using.

On average, Internet Explorer users fared the worst, with IE6 users
at the bottom of the pile and IE8 users performing slightly better.
Firefox, Chrome and Safari fell in the middle with little difference
between them. IE with Chrome Frame and Camino landed on top, along
with Opera, whose users scored the highest (on average).

"The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual's
cognitive ability and their choice of web browser," AptiQuant
concluded. "From the test results, it is a clear indication that
individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a 
change/upgrade of their browsers."

[The study itself, a PDF, with graphs and color:
  http://www.aptiquant.com/IQ-Browser-AptiQuant-2011.pdf
]

(The two bars at the left in Figure 1 *could* be interpreted
as indicating that using Internet Explorer costs users 4 IQ
points/year...   just joking... :)


It gets stranger:
_
2.

http://www.aptiquant.com/news/aptiquant-threatened-with-a-lawsuit-by-loyal-internet-explorer-users/

AptiQuant, the company that released the report titled ‘Intelligence
Quotient (IQ) and Browser Usage’ about the relation between an
individual’s IQ score and their choice of web browser yesterday,
is being threatened with a lawsuit by a group of Internet Explorer
users. Internet Explorer users were labelled as the ones having the
lowest IQ as compared to other browsers mentioned in the report.

Leonard Howard, the CEO of the company said that he has been receiving
hate mail from IE users since yesterday. He said, “I just want to make
it clear that the report released by my company did not suggest that
if you use IE that means you have a low IQ, but what it really says is
that if you have a low IQ then there are high chances that you use
Internet Explorer.” He further went on to say that the company did not
feel threatened at all by the lawsuit threats because they have all
the scientific data and logs to back their claims. “A win in a court
would only give a stamp of approval and more credibility to our
report,” he quipped.

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[GNHLUG] PySIG - Solstice break?

[Bill Sconce]

It looks like PySIG will get to take a Solstice break (that is, at least
a break from me :) this month. A schedule which I don't control makes it
necessary for me to be out of town late this week.

Apologies to Paul and Dave and Ray and Eric, and Janet, and to all 
Pythonistas whose taste includes cookies with chocolate chips/pecans/
currants, for this disruption.

A PySIG meeting could still get together (and eat those cookies). Post a
message on the PySIG list and I'll deliver them to ABI beforehand.


elsewise_next_month'ly yrs,

-Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG this Thursday

[Bill Sconce]

Once again a month's fourth Thursday sneaks up on us, and once
again it's time for ... PySIG.

Thursday, 26 May 2011, 7:00 PM at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester NH. Beginners' session
precedes at 6:30 PM.

Janet informs me that after a back-and-forth decision between
chocolate chip and peanut butter, the cookies will be: peanut butter.


Heisenberg'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week

[Bill Sconce]

Thursday the 28th, 7:00 PM, Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.

Python discussion; questions answered; success stories
shared; plans for for Deerfield laid. Chocolate chip cookies.

Beginner's session at 6:30 PM.


all_my_humor_is_twisted'ly yrs,

Bill

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Re: [GNHLUG] [Python-talk] PySIG next week -- Hamster; door prizes; more -- 24 March 2011

[Bill Sconce]

Update: Cookies have been baked, and are packed and ready to go:

(GhirardelliChocolateChipCookies, GhirardelliBrownies,)


On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:31:44 -0400
Bruce Labitt  wrote:

> Door prizes?  Wow, I've been gone too long.  vbg.
> I'll be there...

Wonderful!  Perhaps we'll be able to answer the question Bruce posted
on the list about deleting objects created by a function...


On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:33:10 -0400
Corey Richardson  wrote:

> I'll be there as well. First time going to any GNHLUG/PySIG meeting,
> anything I should know / prepare?

Not a thing. Anyone needs bring only an interest, whether beginner's
curiosity, expert's subtle question, or some nifty thing to share
about Python, Free software, or electronic toys, er, instruments.

Or (this month) an interest in timekeeping systems writen in Python.
Or a taste for (this month) Ghirardelli chocolate...  :)


-Bill

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About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 5 ("Granite Street") from I-293.  Stay to the left
  at the bottom of the ramp, to turn left (east). Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.
  
Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the south:
o Use the Granite Street exit.  Turn right (east).  Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.

After crossing the bridge:
o Turn right (south) at the first light.  This is South
  Commercial Street.

o Go past one parking-lot entrance, turn right into the second
  one.  33 Commercial Street will be right in front of you.  
  You may go in via either the ramp or the door and up three
  steps inside.

o Inside.  Up the stairs if via the door.  Go through the
  glass doors - follow the diamonds on the floor.  Go left 
  at the last diamond.   (Under a sign which says 
  "<- Amoskeag Small Bus. Incubator").

o More diamonds, another sign...  much glass and office
  space for SNHU; turn left there, 4 more diamonds and 
  you're at the glass doors for the Incubator.  An "abi"
  sign is above.

o Through the doors, straight down the hall.  The ABI
  Conference Room is on the left.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week -- Hamster; door prizes; more -- 24 March 2011

[Bill Sconce]

Next Thursday is 4th Thursday: PySIG!24 March 2011, Manchester

Special guest and presentation: our own Mark Boyajian,
who has discovered...  Hamster.

(I googled for Hamster and Python, top result was a YouTube
on a Python "befriending" a hamster. Before, er, lunch   :)

No. Not that hamster.  Hamster the time-tracker, written in Python.

Cookies are on order; more data to follow.


and_we'll_have_door_prizes'ly yrs,

Bill
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Re: Nmap: pissing. me. off.

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:22:40 -0400
Kyle Smith  wrote:

> > ...somehow, nmap on the failing machine was -rwxr-xr-x (vs.
> > -rwsr-sr-x on the functioning one).  It became obvious I'd missed
> > something when this line popped up in strace:
> >
> > mmap2(NULL, 156036, PROT_READ|PROT_EXEC, MAP_PRIVATE|MAP_DENYWRITE...
> >
> > I *am* curious, now, though: I always thought SUID, etc., bits affected
> > *non*-root users.  How is it that root is being denied root privs?


A possibility (just supposing): if you were writing a program which
was planned to play limited God (e.g., by SUID), you might consider it
a good design philosophy to have your program look around at its
environment and purposely drop all privileges it doesn't "think" its
environment was supposed to give it...

(In the case of returning MAC addresses one might say "why not", but
if the question is phrased as "hey, I'm root, I can take it easy and
not bother about protecting anything" the answer comes up different.)

Personally, I'd think that a program which honors a "don't do this"
protection bit when running as root is doing the right thing.

(Just supposing.)

-Bill


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Re: Holy War(!): APT vs. RPM (was: Force apt-get to ignore dependencies?)

[Bill Sconce]

Er, isn't the likely effect of

> > bigots..who crawl out of the woodwork..

to hurt people's feelings?


-Bill


"You never win an argument until they attack your person."
--Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Bed of Procustes,  p11
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[GNHLUG] PySIG 24 February 2011 - Gigapan, presented by our own David Pease

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH 24 February 2011

 Gigapan, Presented by David Pease

And now for something completely different:

  Gigapan is hardware and application software for composing and
  displaying large photographs via a Web page. By "large" we may
  mean many, many GB; by "composing" we may mean many, many images
  stitched together and then presented along with interactive
  navigation aids such as Google-Earth-like zoom and pan.
  
  There is neat hardware involved (hence the interest at a PySIG,
  although to my knowledge Python itself is not). David has one of
  these neat devices. And knows how to use it.
  
  For an example of David's work see
  http://gigapan.org/gigapans/18104/
  -- a composite of picturesque images he took in Pepperell.
  
  (For an example of canonically "really big" work see
  http://gigapan.org/gigapans/48492/
  -- a composite of 4,2350 images, 27.5 GB, which during stitching
  required over a Terabyte of workspace on disk. Taken in Dubai.)
  
  If you put images on Web sites, or if you enjoy photography, or if
  you just like neat toys, join us at PySIG on Thursday, and see the
  gizmo which makes this happen do its stuff.


PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
24 February 2011 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; problem-solving group consultation/advice to
the lovelorn (serial ports to connect to outboard devices?); more.

Milk, anyone?  (Volunteer, that is?)

Janet's cookies - 

>>> import random
>>> def random_cookies(recipe_list, relative_odds):
... table = [ z for x, y in zip(sequence, relative_odds) for z in [x]*y 
]
... while True:
... yield random.choice(table)
... 
>>> 
From the Python Cookbook [heh], 2nd Ed., p 184, Recipe 4.21;
thanks to Kevin Parks and Peter Cogolo

guess_we'll_find_out_on_Thursday'ly yrs,

Bill



About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

   

PySIG report, 27 Jan 2011

[Bill Sconce]

Five fearless Python people braved the New Hampshire January evening
last night to venture to the Amoskeag Business Incubator to talk about
Python.

We were fortunate to get one of small meeting rooms, where there is
wired Internet access. Fortunate because the "program" ended up being
one of those magic problem-solving sessions - a sprint if you will.

One of our membership is introducing himself to Python by discovering
for himself how to use it to clean up a name-and-address database.
You know the kind of thing: output by a proprietary package, running
on a proprietary operating system, underlying database also proprietary,
the schema not revealed, etc. Lots of inconsistencies in addresses,
"previous" where should be "current", "Lane" spelled "Ln" sometimes,
and so on.

The good news: the data comes in in CSV files.

An area where Python shines. We did some code review (his first effort
is impressive -- good use of dictionaries, code which ACTUALLY RUNS!);
everyone had a suggestion or two, everyone learned a thing or two.

(Like csv.DictReader.

 class csv.DictReader ...

 Create an object which operates like a regular reader but
 maps the information read into a dict whose keys are given
 by the optional fieldnames parameter [..] the values in 
 the first row of the csvfile will be used as the fieldnames.
 [...]

Wow. A CSV reader which can "know" about which column is firstName,
which column is Addr2, etc. -- you don't have to code lame stuff
like "name = field[3]". Is that neat or what?)

A great meeting!

thanks_to_everyone'ly yrs,

Bill

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Re: Representative Seth Cohn

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:04:39 -0400
Bill McGonigle  wrote:

> For those not watching the races last night, our very own Seth Cohn is a 
> new Representative-Elect from Merrimack 7.

This is the greatest news of the election.
Congratulations, Seth!

-Bill and Janet

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[GNHLUG] PySIG this Thursday - 28 October 2010

[Bill Sconce]

Hard to believe, but it's Fall already.  And that time again,
namely fourth Thursday.  Not Halloween (not quite yet), but:
PySIG time.

7:00 PM, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 33 South Commercial
Street, Manchester, 28 October 2010.  Beginners' session precedes
at 6:30 PM.

We /might/ talk about canvas refreshing, and how to provide the
visual output from a simulation in Web page using Python.  We
might begin our planning for the holidays.

The cookies are for certain.  Gingerbread people.  (They come
with a certain story.)

Have we a volunteer for milk?


Delicious_they_are'ly yrs,

Bill





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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week, 9/23 -- How this Django stuff really works, with Bill Freeman

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH23 September 2010

Django, Presented by Bill Freeman

Bill Freeman writes,

  Django is a pleasant way, using Python, to create a significant web
  site, including much more than static pages.

  I have been a significant contributor to several Django based web
  sites which my employer has deployed for paying customers, so I've had
  to figure out how this stuff really works, and I'm willing to share.

  I will introduce its primary architectural features by following the
  flow of web requests through URL path parsing, database access and
  update, template rendering, and more.

  An example web site being developed for a potential short course in
  Django development will be used to demonstrate the features.  An early
  version of course materials, including code, will be available, and
  can be discussed if there is interest and if time permits.


PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
23 September 2010 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; problem-solving group consultation/advice to
the lovelorn (converting VB screens to something better?); more.

Milk, anyone?  (Volunteer, that is?)

Janet's cookies - 

>>> from __future__ import cookie_recipe
  File "", line 1
SyntaxError: future feature cookie_recipe is not defined
>>>
    
guess_we'll_find_out_on_Thursday'ly yrs,

Bill (Sconce)



About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 5 ("Granite Street") from I-293.  Stay to the left
  at the bottom of the ramp, to turn left (east). Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.
  
Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the south:
o Use the Granite Street exit.  Turn right (east).  Go under

[GNHLUG] PySIG in two weeks -- 24 Sep 2010, Manchester - Django Workshop

[Bill Sconce]

New Hampshire PySIG's next meeting will be in two weeks
(4th Thursday).

Kickoff for PySIG's 2010-2011 Technical Seminars season:
Django -- hands-on workshop, presented by Bill Freeman.

24 September 2010, 7:00 PM
Beginners' session at 6:30 PM

Amoskeag Business Incubator
33 South Commercial Street
Manchester, NH

Details to follow (mark your calendar for the 24th).


including_your_homework_assignment'ly yrs,

BillS
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Re: Widget to manipulate parallel port signals ?

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:07:04 -0400
"Michael ODonnell"  wrote:

> > One possibility might be pyparallel.
> 
> Thanks.  Forgive me for appearing stoopid; the Installation instructions
> on that page say, "Extract files from the archive, open a shell/console
> in that directory and let Distutils do the rest", which sounds very nice
> but I'm not sure what archive they're referring to.

It's not you. "Let Distutils do the rest" is NOT user-friendly, and it's
their fault for falling into what's essentially an "RTFM" attitude. They
assume you know all about setup.py, etc. I apologize. I don't like that
part of the Python culture very much myself.

I pulled down the source tree, built it, and saw that "import pyparallel"
works. (The import statement! I didn't try actually toggling register
bits -- there's a working printer attached to that parallel port.  :)

I imagine for the moment that Dave Johnson's lcdraw.c is going to be
what you want. But I'll be happy to help (I'd be curious about it 
myself) if you want to pursue pyserial/pyparallel further.

-Bill

___
Log follows. I thought first to put it in a private response to OP
because of the length, but if someone wants to find it later this is
a better place.

Summary:
$ svn co https://pyserial.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/pyserial pyserial
$ cd pyserial/trunk/pyparallel
$ sudo python setup.py install
$ python
Python 2.7 (r27:82500, Jul 18 2010, 13:03:24)
[GCC 4.1.3 20070929 (prerelease) (Ubuntu 4.1.2-16ubuntu2)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import parallel
>>> dir(parallel)
['IEEE1284_ADDR', 'IEEE1284_DATA', 'IEEE1284_DEVICEID', 'IEEE1284_EXT_LINK', 'IE
EE1284_MODE_BECP', 'IEEE1284_MODE_BYTE', 'IEEE1284_MODE_COMPAT', 'IEEE1284_MODE_
ECP', 'IEEE1284_MODE_ECPRLE', 'IEEE1284_MODE_ECPSWE', 'IEEE1284_MODE_EPP', 'IEEE
1284_MODE_EPPSL', 'IEEE1284_MODE_EPPSWE', 'IEEE1284_MODE_NIBBLE', 'IOCSIZE_MASK'
, 'IOCSIZE_SHIFT', 'IOC_IN', 'IOC_INOUT', 'IOC_OUT', 'PARPORT_CONTROL_AUTOFD', '
PARPORT_CONTROL_INIT', 'PARPORT_CONTROL_SELECT', 'PARPORT_CONTROL_STROBE', 'PARP
ORT_EPP_FAST', 'PARPORT_STATUS_ACK', 'PARPORT_STATUS_BUSY', 'PARPORT_STATUS_ERRO
R', 'PARPORT_STATUS_PAPEROUT', 'PARPORT_STATUS_SELECT', 'PARPORT_W91284PIC', 'PP
CLAIM', 'PPCLRIRQ', 'PPDATADIR', 'PPEXCL', 'PPFCONTROL', 'PPGETFLAGS', 'PPGETMOD
E', 'PPGETMODES', 'PPGETPHASE', 'PPGETTIME', 'PPNEGOT', 'PPRCONTROL', 'PPRDATA',
 'PPRELEASE', 'PPRSTATUS', 'PPSETFLAGS', 'PPSETMODE', 'PPSETPHASE', 'PPSETTIME',
 'PPWCONTROL', 'PPWCTLONIRQ', 'PPWDATA', 'PPYIELD', 'PP_FASTREAD', 'PP_FASTWRITE
', 'PP_FLAGMASK', 'PP_IOCTL', 'PP_MAJOR', 'PP_W91284PIC', 'Parallel', 'VERSION',
 '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', '__package__', '__path__', '
fcntl', 'i386', 'linux', 'os', 'parallelppdev', 'sizeof', 'string', 'struct', 's
ys', 'unix']
>>>

___
Unedited:

100909 Z 14:22:49EDT (-0400) Thursday 2010 Sep 09100909 EDT 10:22:49
laura$ new /tmp/pyserial/
laura$ mkdir -p /tmp/pyserial/; cd /tmp/pyserial/
laura$ svn co https://pyserial.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/pyserial pyserial
Error validating server certificate for 'https://pyserial.svn.sourceforge.net:44
3':
 - The certificate is not issued by a trusted authority. Use the
   fingerprint to validate the certificate manually!
Certificate information:
 - Hostname: *.svn.sourceforge.net
 - Valid: from Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:21:55 GMT until Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:03:23 GMT
 - Issuer: Equifax Secure Certificate Authority, Equifax, US
 - Fingerprint: ea:d1:3e:01:cc:16:e9:9b:c2:ab:4b:0c:cc:26:5f:25:78:ea:89:b4
(R)eject, accept (t)emporarily or accept (p)ermanently? t
Apyserial/trunk
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/LICENSE.txt
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/CHANGES.txt
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/MANIFEST
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/setup.py
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/giveio
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/giveio/GIVEIO.C
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/giveio/SOURCES
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/giveio/README.TXT
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/giveio/MAKEFILE
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/simpleio.c
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/remove_giveio.bat
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/_pyparallel.c
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/README.txt
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/simpleio.dll
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/install_giveio.bat
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/loaddrv_console
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/loaddrv_console/loaddrv.h
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/loaddrv_console/loaddrv.c
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/loaddrv_console/makefile
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/src/win32/makefile
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/README.txt
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/parallel
Apyserial/trunk/pyparallel/parallel/parallelutil.py
A 

Using Python to encode cassette recordings (David Beazely)

[Bill Sconce]

>From the Sometimes-We-Didn't-Even-Have-1s" Dept., a tour de force on
David Beazely's blog about encoding Kansas City Standard audio using
Python and Matplotlib. To drive a Superbooard II...you remember them,
don't you?

"On many old machines, cassette output is encoded using something
called the Kansas City Standard. It's a pretty simple encoding.
A 0 is encoded as 4 cycles of a 1200 Hz sine wave and a 1 is 
encoded as 8 cycles of a 2400 Hz sine wave. 
  [...]
"Python has a built-in module for reading WAV files. Combined with
Matplotlib you can easily view the waveform.
  >>> import wave
  >>> [6 more lines of Python]
Waveform plot (!)
  
  [...much more...no kidding...pix..."LOAD" on the Superboard II...]

http://dabeaz.blogspot.com/2010/08/using-python-to-encode-cassette.html

_
P.S.  He ends with:
"The power of Python never ceases to amaze me--once again a problem
that seems like it might be hard is solved with a short script using
nothing more than a single built-in library module and some basic
data manipulation. Next on the agenda: A Python script to decode WAV
files back into text files."

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Re: Widget to manipulate parallel port signals ?

[Bill Sconce]

On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:25:07 -0400
"Michael ODonnell"  wrote:

> 
> Anybody know of a (commandline or GUI) utility that I could use to
> wiggle/sense the individual data/control lines of a parallel port?
> I'd prefer that it operate using one of the standard drivers (like
> parport_pc) via ioctls rather than poking around directly in I/O
> or memory space at hardcoded addresses as I'd hope it'd be flexible
> enough to work with either an integral "legacy" device or an add-in
> device connected via PCI, USB, etc.


One possibility might be pyparallel. (I haven't used it, but I have
used its sibling pyserial and found it very useful, and very usable.)

http://pyserial.sourceforge.net/pyparallel.html

"Short Introduction" sample code from the project's homepage:

>>> import parallel
>>> p = parallel.Parallel() # open LPT1
>>> p.setData(0x55)

Good luck!

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG - program for next month, September 2010: Django, presented by Bill Freeman

[Bill Sconce]

Our PySIG program for September will be:

Django

presented by Bill Freeman

23 September 2010 (4th Thursday)
Start off Fall with better code.  Mark your calendar.  Be there!

-Bill


___
django - The Web framework for perfectionsists with deadlines.
 Django makes it easier to build better Web apps more
 quickly and with less code.

Developed four years ago by a fast-moving online-news
operation, Django was designed to handle two challenges:
the intensive deadlines of a newsroom and the stringent
requirements of the experienced Web developers who
wrote it. It lets you build high-performing, elegant Web
applications quickly.

Django focuses on automating as much as possible and
adhering to the DRY(*) principle.

http://www.djangoproject.com/

  __
  (*) DRY - "Don't Repeat Yourself"

  But what exactly counts as duplication? CloneAndModifyProgramming
  is generally cited as the chief culprit (see OnceAndOnlyOnce, 
  etc.), but there is more to it than that. Whether in code, 
  architecture, requirements documents, or user documentation, 
  duplication of knowledge - not just text - is the real culprit. 

  http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?DontRepeatYourself
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PySIG report for 26 August 2010

[Bill Sconce]

Seven people braved the hazards of multi-car pileups on Route 293
to attend last night's PySIG meeting, held (as usual) at the
Amoskeag Business Incubator.

Our topics, "Why Python", with lively discussion of which language
should be the first one taught to programming students (hint: its
name doesn't begin with J), some applications which may *not* be
suited to Python (think multi-threading; think Global Interpreter
Lock). Bruce Labitt showed us code and demonstrated a slick use
of a generator function: creation with simulation of kinematics
of a synthesized set of moving targets. All done, including an
animated color display, in Python code which fit in a single editor
window.  (His simulation showed six lanes of freeway traffic, with
vehicles moving at different speeds, weaving from lane to lane,
etc. Ironic, considering last night's real-world traffic.)

Thanks once again to our hosts at the Amoskeag Business Incubator
for their generous hospitality.

References for the "Why Python" discussion attached.

-Bill

___
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_

In Praise of Scripting: Real Programming Pragmatism
Loui, R.P.;  Washington Univ. in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO  
15 July 2008   [IEEE Xplore - subscription required]
 
Abstract

The academic programming language community continues to
reject the change in programming practices brought about
by scripting. We need a programming language pragmatics
to go past the analysis of syntax and semantics in the
same way that linguistics studies perlocution and illocution.
Pragmatic questions are not the easiest for mathematically
inclined computer scientists to address. [...] It's the
importance of just these kinds of questions that makes
programmers choose scripting languages. The author recommends
that scripting, not Java, be taught first, asserting that
students should learn to love their own possibilities before
they learn to loathe other people's restrictions.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=4563874


In Praise of Scripting: Real Programming Pragmatism
Ronald P. Loui
Associate Professor of CSE
Washington University in St. Louis
[Draft under submission for the above IEEE article]

TO THE EDITORS:  Please read at least the first four lines to see
why this article belongs in IEEE COMPUTER.  See the Business Week
article linked at the end for additional motivation on the topic
and its timing [...]

To the credit of this journal, it had the courage to publish the 
signal paper on scripting, John Ousterhout's "Scripting: Higher 
Level Programming for the 21st Century" in 1998.  Today, that
document rolls forward with an ever-growing list of positive
citations.  More importantly, every major observation in that paper
seems now to be entrenched in software practice today; every
benefit claimed for scripting appears to be genuine (flexibility
of typelessness, rapid turnaround of interpretation, higher level
semantics, development speed, appropriateness for gluing components
and internet programming, ease of learning and increase in amount
of casual programming).

Interestingly, IEEE COMPUTER also just printed one of the most
canonical attacks on scripting, by one Diomidis Spinellis, 2005,
"Java Makes Scripting Languages Irrelevant?"  Part of what makes
this attack interesting is that the author seems unconvinced of
his own title; the paper concludes with more text devoted to 
praising scripting languages than it expends in its declaration
of Java's progress toward improved usability.  It is unclear what
is a better recommendation for scripting:  the durability of
Ousterhout's text or the indecisiveness of this recent critic's.
[...]

http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~loui/praiseieee.html


Scripting: Higher Level Programming for the 21st Century
John K. Ousterhout 
IEEE Computer magazine, March 1998

Abstract

Scripting languages such as Perl and Tcl represent a very different
style of programming than system programming languages such as C or
JavaTM. Scripting languages are designed for "gluing" applications;
they use typeless approaches to achieve a higher level of 
programming and more rapid application development than system 
programming languages. Increases in computer speed and changes in
the application mix are making scripting languages more and more
important for applications of the future.

http://home.pacbell.net/ouster/scripting.html


Java's Cover
Paul Graham
April 2001

This essay developed out of conversations I've had with several
other programmers about why Java smelled suspicious. It's not a
critique of Java! It is a case study of hacker's radar.  [...]
I'm not writing here about Java (which I have never used) but
about hacker's radar 

[GNHLUG] PySIG -- tonight, 26 August 2010 -- generators for animation; "why Python?"

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH   26 August 2010

   Summer Seminar Series 2010



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
26 August 2010 (4th Thursday)7:00PM   (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; problem-solving group consultation (how to
make generators work to animate simulation results); more.

At the recent first ManchLUG meeting the question came up, "why Python?".
We'll have a new look at the reasons.  Bill has some new handouts.
(Ever hear of Paul Graham?)

Janet's cookies - 
"America's Test Kitchen
 Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies"
 
The plan was that *this* time she'd follow the recipe
exactly, no changes. The plan did not work.




About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 5 ("Granite Street") from I-293.  Stay to the left
  at the bottom of the ramp, to turn left (east). Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.
  
Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the south:
o Use the Granite Street exit.  Turn right (east).  Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.

After crossing the bridge:
o Turn right (south) at the first light.  This is South
  Commercial Street.

o Go past one parking-lot entrance, turn right into the second
  one.  33 Commercial Street will be right in front of you.  
  You may go in via either the ramp or the door and up three
  steps inside.

o Inside.  Up the stairs if via the door.  Go through the
  glass doors - follow the diamonds on the floor.  Go left 
  at the last diamond.   (Under a sign which says 
  "<- Amoskeag Small Bus. Incubator").

o More diamonds, another sign...  much glass and office
  space for SNHU; turn left there, 4 more diamonds and 
  you're at the glass doors for the Incubator.  

Re: Where to dispose of UPSes?

[Bill Sconce]

On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:11:47 -0400
Joseph Smith  wrote:

> On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:07:21 -0400, Dan Miller  wrote:
> > I have a dead UPS and a UPS that starts yelling whenever a ground plug
> > gets plugged in. Is there a local place that will take dead UPSes?
> > 
> The Goodwill computer recycling program will take everything. I brought 4
> or 5 old dead UPS's down to the Goodwill on the Heights and they took them
> no problem. Hope that helps.



A valuable tip.  Thanks, Joseph.

Where are "the Heights"?  In New Hampshire, I hope?

-Bill
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eR: [Python-talk] [GNHLUG] PySIG next week, Thursday 26 July 2010

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:38:41 -0400
Chef Richard A Sharpe  wrote:

> Bill
>   I think the date is wrong.
> Rich

Rich
I think you are right.
Bill


_
"Please, everyone, consider my original post to have read...(tm)":

Next week is PySIG week!

Thursday, 26 July 2010, 7:00 PM
(beginners' session at 6:30 PM)
Amoskeag Business Incubator
33 South Commercial Street
Manchester NH

Janet says "something special" is up for cookies.

-Bill


P.S. Update 8/21: Janet says the cookies are unusual.
  "I'm going to follow the recipe for a change," she says.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week, Thursday 27 July 2010

[Bill Sconce]

Next week is PySIG week!

Thursday, 27 July 2010, 7:00 PM
(beginners' session at 6:30 PM)
Amoskeag Business Incubator
33 South Commercial Street
Manchester NH

Janet says "something special" is up for cookies.

-Bill
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References - Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

I mentioned "Warner Bros." in my re-post. That may be current news today,
but to leave a cookie crumb for later (e.g. if/when a presentation on
this subject happens), here are wayback URLs/notes. These are far from
the only news stories about Flash; they just happened to be the ones
which were current when we were discussing quarantining here. Apology
for any repetitiveness.   -b

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/zombie-cookies-lawsuit/

Privacy Lawsuit Targets Net Giants Over "Zombie" Cookies
[July 27, 2010]

A wide swath of the net's top websites, including MTV,
ESPN, MySpace, Hulu, ABC, NBC and Scribd, were sued in federal
court Friday on the grounds they violated federal computer
intrusion law by secretly using storage in Adobe's Flash
player to re-create cookies deleted by users.

At issue is technology from Quantcast, also targeted in the
lawsuit. Quantcast created Flash cookies that track users
across the web, and used them to re-create traditional browser
cookies that users deleted from their computers. These "zombie"
cookies came to light last year, after researchers at UC 
Berkeley documented deleted browser cookies returning to life.
Quantcast quickly fixed the issue, calling it an unintended
consequence of trying to measure web traffic accurately.

-The point here being not whether Quantcast is CYAing;
 it's that a user's installing the Flash binary opens
 her/his machine to code having unknown capabilities,
 resurrecting "zombie" cookies being one which got noticed
 by researchers. The capabilities may not even have been
 intended by Adobe (see below); all that matters is that
 the binary provides them when it's installed.


http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/65207

The Audacity of Warner Brothers and Re-Spawning Zombie Cookies
A lawsuit alleges that companies "steal" private user information.
[August 18, 2010]

A Berkeley University research team published an academic study
titled, "Flash Cookies and Privacy." According to their research,
even if you opt-out from having a Flash cookie set, user's Flash
cookie preference is disregarded "as evidenced within the log
activity as retargeting.sol." This respawning activity happens
within five seconds! It's an interesting read; even Whitehouse.gov
showed up in the Flash cookie and tracking report.

According to this report (.pdf), Adobe condemns the practice of
Local Storage to back up browser cookies for the purpose of later
restoring them without users' consent or knowledge. Although I
emailed with many questions about re-spawning Flash cookies, user
settings to control/delete these zombie cookies, and several other
questions about Local Shared Objects (LSOs), Adobe did not reply
to any of my questions.

-The points here being that 1) the stealing of control
 of users' PCs is on purpose, commercial, and widespread
 (ah, the White House - now we feel better); and that 2)
 Adobe "condemns the practice", which whether or not
 they are CYAing points out that a user's installing the
 Flash binary opens his/her machine to code having
 capabilities *condemned by its own author*.

 (If that isn't a clear call for quarantining, what does it take?)
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RE-POST - Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

[Note: this is a re-send of my post describing why I'd asked
about quarantining. It's been called to my attention that the
footnote I put in at "(*)" in the original was subject to
misinterpretation. I apologize; my remark was meant to be 
ironic, meant to be perceived by a Linux audience as wryly
humorous. It did have the merit of being brief.

I've replaced it. 

Please, everyone, allow this version of my post to represent
what I meant, and to replace the earlier version. Nothing has
been changed other than the footnote.  (Too bad it's not brief
anymore. Sorry.)  -Bill]

__
On 17 Aug 2010 08:43:35 -0400
kevin_d_cl...@comcast.net (Kevin D. Clark) wrote:

> Suggestion: suppose you have setup your system with a uid that is
> protected by some iptables rules (call this UNTRUSTED), and futhermore
> also suppose that the binary that you really want to protect against
> is called "DOCREADER".  

Exactly! You've got it! This much is already done.  I just didn't put
details in the original post; I won't do *all* the details here either,
but here's a synopsis. (Like everything I write, it starts out as
only a few lines, but grows. Sorry; I hope you find it's worth it.)

_
Over the past couple of years, I've been, gradually, developing my
personal machine as a kind of feasibility proof that it's possible
to visit the Internet without submitting to Moglen's "spying, all
the time, for free".
http://www.isoc-ny.org/?p=1338
 ^ highly recommended
   
It's most of the way there. Essentially, the rubric is to provide
a Linux account for each of several classes of activity, e.g.,

  o General browsing (no scripts, no Flash)
  o Special browsing (e.g, each site where I post data [e.g.,
 subscription sites], or single-site browsers [e.g.,
 a single-purpose account to inspect charge-card history])
  o Poisoned browsing
 o Browsing where cookies are required
 o Browsing where Javascript is required
 o Browsing where [gack] Flash is required
 [BTW, it's surprising how much of the Internet works just
 fine without having to turn on any of the poisoned stuff.]
 
  o PDF viewing (to be implemented; the reason for this thread)
  o Mail-client quarantining (to be implemented)
  o and more

Each of the browsing classes above is handled by by running it
under a discrete Linux account(*). Each such account is nonprivileged
(duh!) and the standard Linux permissions mechanisms are indispensable
in preventing, say, your browser account from knowing anything about
your e-mail account. I've set up each browsing account to typically 
run on a specific X desktop(*), to help me remember where things are,
and to enable having more than one kind of browsing go on at a time.
I often have three or four kinds of browsing going on.

For the poisonous accounts: once you allow Javascript to run
you pretty much have to assume that you've run arbitrary/malicious
binary code from the 'net. You should assume that "you" has done the
worst things that the current account has permissions to do. Writing
cookies, "resurrecting" zombie cookies, writing Flash cookies,
writing and reading arbritrary files to and from disk (oh, wait,
I already mentioned Flash cookies), doing whatever else Flash
does (no one knows!) Even doing installs, etc.  OK, accept it:
any place on your machine that was writable by "you" while "you"
was browsing must now be treated as poisoned.

After any poisonous account has been used I erase its home
directory; a clean home directory is reloaded for the next use.
Each poisonous account can write stuff to the disk (Flash will
certainly so so), but I can make it go away, and prove that
it's gone away. And sleep at night. It's my computer(*).

All of that's working and has been working for some time. (Although
of course it was something of pain get it working. :)  It was only
a question of pulling together tools that are  already there(*). 
But it's certainly not a technique which helps anyone else (yet?); 
this is just a feasibility proof(**). Nor is it a technique for
grandma's use case. Ever.  :(

My original post in this thread came from observing that programs
*other than browsers* can be, and are, designed to phone home.
Adobe Reader(tm), for instance. But not just Adobe, nor just
proprietary blobs. Any program whose source code you don't see,
especially any program which offers "services" such as displaying
hyperlinks. But any program can be exploitable, whether or not it's
complicit by design in spying. To put it another way, I'd like
for any program I run to be subject to proof by me that it hasn't
been able to spy.

For instance, thinking beyond PDF readers, my e-mail client. It
displays hyperlinks. It offers to display HTML. (HTML is turned off,
of course, but it bothers me that an e-mail client contains code
which knows anything about HTML.) It would be n

Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:56:32 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> (The intention is to quarantine a very-untrusted application,
> for example a program which runs Flash, 
>[...]
> It all has to do with a talk I should do someday, and which has
> gotten a fresh kick from Eben Moglen's talk at LinuxCon...


Today, this:

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/65207

The "Clearspring" lawsuit further states, "A millisecond
was the time allotted to an online visitor opening a 
Clearspring Flash Cookie Affiliates' webpage, before a
Flash cookie was embedded within their computer and data
collected immediately, without their awareness, knowledge
or consent to such actions."
[...]
You might find that Ccleaner is your friend. I'm not sure
how much good it actually will do, since these zombie-cookies-
from-hell can re-spawn in five seconds, but delete cookies or
change your Flash player storage settings.

Not just obscure sites in Romania, either.

But what really catches my attention today is the audacity of
Warner Brothers, of Warner Bros. Records being named in this
suit. Really, Warner Brothers?
[...]
According to the complaint (.pdf), these zombie cookies could
be used to collect information to determine "users' video viewing
choices and personal characteristics such as gender, age, race,
number of children, education level, geographic location, and
household income, what the web user looked at and what he/she
bought, the materials he/she read, details about his/her financial
situation, his/her sexual preference, his/her name, home address,
e-mail address and telephone number, and even more specific
information like health conditions, such as depression."
[...]
It also points out that the CEO of Clearspring admitted that
Flash cookies were a mistake. The company says it no longer uses
Flash cookies for tracking. 

(THAT's reassuring, since Clearspring were the only ones. :)

Sometime in the future, however, Clearspring intends to start
selling consumer data to advertisers.

No comment.

Summary: if you have EVER used Flash in a unquarantined browser...
(fill in your own answer here).

"We only clicked on sites we trust"?
Like YouTube??

-Bill
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Re: Linux vs Windows, obscure security features (was: Quarantining an account...)

[Bill Sconce]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:01:50 -0400
Benjamin Scott  wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 2:31 PM, Bill Sconce  wrote:
> > (*)  Sorry, Windows users. The tools you need just aren't
> >     available on Windows.
> 
>   Windows NT certainly has user accounts.  Always has, since the first
> version (Version 3.0).  (NT is today called "Windows 7", and has also
> been called "Vista", "XP", and  "2000".)  (It's still Microsoft; they
> love playing name games.)
> 
>   Vista also introduces a number of features along the lines of
> privilege isolation.

Before you let me get ripped to shreds, let me say: if NT's user accounts
can be made to do what's needed, I want (and my clients want) to know
how to make it happen.

And I'll be happy to eat crow because I didn't know enough about
Windows, if that's the case. I certainly know about NT user accounts

But. 

By "do what's needed" I don't and can't mean
  o "when you want to go to the Web, log out and log back in";
  o "when you want to view a PDF document, log out and log back in";
  o "when you want to run a program which can't see the files
you have open on your desktop, log out and log back in";
  o and so on.

Perhaps I'd have run less risk of shredding if I'd said
  "The tools to make user-privilege separation usable day to day,
  e.g., the ability to run programs with/without the net and to
  switch among working environments/desktops/user accounts with
  a single keypress, and so on just aren't available on Windows."

Or perhaps Windows users can do these things, in which case
I deserve shredding.

(I can surely say I'll be *pissed* if someone shows me that what
took me three years' part time to get working usably can be done
more easily in Windows!)

I can also surely say I've never seen a Windows shop where
any of Microsoft's "privilege separation" was used. The best of
them have user accounts set as "restricted" (a good thing), but
I've never seen ACLs used, including in the largest/most 
professional Windows shop I've worked in, 4000+ desktops. Only
saying I've never seen it, not that it doesn't happen somewhere.
(Full disclosure: I've never seen a Vista system at all. None
of my clients use it. Or Windows 7. [I hope to convert them to
Linux before they ever have to!] All Vista shops could be doing
security right and I wouldn't know. And if they are all doing it
right I hereby volunteer to be shredded, with broken CRT necks.)

(I've never seen a Linux shop using ACLs or implementing
SELinux either, but those do exist. Just not at the social
strata I move in -- not in one-man-admin shops. Which are
what I care about these days.)

> Vista also supports running simultaneous virtual desktops
> in support of multiple user sessions ("Fast User Switching",
> in Microsoft parlance).

OK, that might actually help. If that facility is usable,
I was wrong. Thanks.

-Bill


P.S. It was worth a threat of shredding to have triggered md's
telling of the DecWest/Cutler story. The best!

I love this list.

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Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:35:59 -0400
Benjamin Scott  wrote:


>   It sounds like what he really wants to do is sandbox an untrusted 
> application.
> 
>   For example, if you don't trust Adobe Reader, you might want to deny
> all network I/O to it.

That's it. 

[A virtual machine would also do the job.

[But just a user account in which to run Adobe Reader, a user account for
which the kernel refuses to pass any packets out to the network, is
considerably lighter weight. In fact, the machine in question, my
laptop, is old enough to not support the virtualization hardware
instructions. It does run virtualized machines, but SLOOOWLY.]

I promised to report back on iptables.

>> Success! <<

I created an account, then did several ad hoc tests. I used "whois",
before and after setting "-j DROP" (reproduced below), ran Firefox
before and after ditto, and did some trials of SSH on the LAN and
on the WAN. In every case the network is there when the "-j DROP"
rule below isn't in effect, and not accessible when "-j DROP" is
in effect.  And evince (which is what I usually use to read PDFs)
works without complaint, at least on the first few PDFs (local
files!) I tried. I suppose I'll try the real Adobe Reader(tm) at
some point, but for now, this is exactly what I hoped for.

Test summary:
Any program run as the user "sconce_nonet", with the iptables
rule below in effect, cannot send IP packets to the net, WAN
or LAN. Programs running as other users are not affected.
Perfect.

Thanks again, guys!

-Bill

__
$ sudo adduser --force-badname --uid 609 sconce_nonet
   [...]

$ sudo -H -u sconce_nonet -s

sconce_no...@laura:~$ ls -l
total 0


sconce_no...@laura:~$ # Test that the newly-created account can reach the net
sconce_no...@laura:~$ whois google.com

Whois Server Version 2.0

Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered
with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net
for detailed information.

   Server Name: 
GOOGLE.COM.Z.GET.ONE.MILLION.DOLLARS.AT.WWW.UNIMUNDI.COM
   IP Address: 209.126.190.70
   Registrar: DIRECTI INTERNET SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. D/B/A 
PUBLICDOMAINREGISTRY.COM
   Whois Server: whois.PublicDomainRegistry.com
   Referral URL: http://www.PublicDomainRegistry.com

   Server Name: GOOGLE.COM.ZZ.THE.BEST.WEBHOSTING.AT.WWW.FATUCH.COM
   IP Address: 209.126.190.70
   Registrar: DIRECTI INTERNET SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. D/B/A 
PUBLICDOMAINREGISTRY.COM
   Whois Server: whois.PublicDomainRegistry.com
   Referral URL: http://www.PublicDomainRegistry.com

   Server Name: GOOGLE.COM.Z.GET.LAID.AT.WWW.SWINGINGCOMMUNITY.COM
  [...and so on for a while. I am not making this up.]

sconce_no...@laura:~$ # Test that iptables can shut off access to the net
sconce_no...@laura:~$ sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -m owner --uid-owner 609 
-j DROP

sconce_no...@laura:~$ whois google.com
getaddrinfo(whois.crsnic.net): Name or service not known
  [...]



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Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

On 17 Aug 2010 08:43:35 -0400
kevin_d_cl...@comcast.net (Kevin D. Clark) wrote:

> Suggestion: suppose you have setup your system with a uid that is
> protected by some iptables rules (call this UNTRUSTED), and futhermore
> also suppose that the binary that you really want to protect against
> is called "DOCREADER".  

Exactly! You've got it! This much is already done.  I just didn't put
details in the original post; I won't do *all* the details here either,
but here's a synopsis. (Like everything I write, it starts out as
only a few lines, but grows. Sorry; I hope you find it's worth it.)

_
Over the past couple of years, I've been, gradually, developing my
personal machine as a kind of feasibility proof that it's possible
to visit the Internet without submitting to Moglen's "spying, all
the time, for free".
http://www.isoc-ny.org/?p=1338
 ^ highly recommended
   
It's most of the way there. Essentially, the rubric is to provide
a Linux account for each of several classes of activity, e.g.,

  o General browsing (no scripts, no Flash)
  o Special browsing (e.g, each site where I post data [e.g.,
 subscription sites], or single-site browsers [e.g.,
 a single-purpose account to inspect charge-card history])
  o Poisoned browsing
 o Browsing where cookies are required
 o Browsing where Javascript is required
 o Browsing where [gack] Flash is required
 [BTW, it's surprising how much of the Internet works just
 fine without having to turn on any of the poisoned stuff.]
 
  o PDF viewing (to be implemented; the reason for this thread)
  o Mail-client quarantining (to be implemented)
  o and more

Each of the browsing classes above is handled by by running it
under a discrete Linux account(*). Each such account is nonprivileged
(duh!) and the standard Linux permissions mechanisms are indispensable
in preventing, say, your browser account from knowing anything about
your e-mail account. I've set up each browsing account to typically 
run on a specific X desktop(*), to help me remember where things are,
and to enable having more than one kind of browsing go on at a time.
I often have three or four kinds of browsing going on.

For the poisonous accounts: once you allow Javascript to run
you pretty much have to assume that you've run arbitrary/malicious
binary code from the 'net. You should assume that "you" has done the
worst things that the current account has permissions to do. Writing
cookies, "resurrecting" zombie cookies, writing Flash cookies,
writing and reading arbritrary files to and from disk (oh, wait,
I already mentioned Flash cookies), doing whatever else Flash
does (no one knows!) Even doing installs, etc.  OK, accept it:
any place on your machine that was writable by "you" while "you"
was browsing must now be treated as poisoned.

After any poisonous account has been used I erase its home
directory; a clean home directory is reloaded for the next use.
Each poisonous account can write stuff to the disk (Flash will
certainly so so), but I can make it go away, and prove that
it's gone away. And sleep at night. It's my computer(*).

All of that's working and has been working for some time. (Although
of course it was something of pain get it working. :)  It was only
a question of pulling together tools that are  already there(*). 
But it's certainly not a technique which helps anyone else (yet?); 
this is just a feasibility proof(**). Nor is it a technique for
grandma's use case. Ever.  :(

My original post in this thread came from observing that programs
*other than browsers* can be, and are, designed to phone home.
Adobe Reader(tm), for instance. But not just Adobe, nor just
proprietary blobs. Any program whose source code you don't see,
especially any program which offers "services" such as displaying
hyperlinks. But any program can be exploitable, whether or not it's
complicit by design in spying. To put it another way, I'd like
for any program I run to be subject to proof by me that it hasn't
been able to spy.

For instance, thinking beyond PDF readers, my e-mail client. It
displays hyperlinks. It offers to display HTML. (HTML is turned off,
of course, but it bothers me that an e-mail client contains code
which knows anything about HTML.) It would be nice if the account in 
which my e-mail client runs were restricted so that it could open
sockets only to my POP/IMAP provider. That's a more exquisite
granularity than I was asking for (the ability to drop all packets).
Sounds good - a bonus!  Thanks, guys.

Stay tuned for the paper.  :)

In_2013_or_so'ly yrs,

Bill


__
(*)  Sorry, Windows users. The tools you need just aren't
 available on Windows.

(**) "Feasibility proof".

 Few computer owners are likely to want to go to this much
 trouble. Heck, *I* don't want to go to this much trouble.

 But I'm damned if I

Re: Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:56:32 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> Does anyone know of a way to prevent a Linux account from accessing
> the Internet?

Wow. Excellent. It looks like iptables may be the ticket. (If my
${very_untrusted_user_UID} is prevented from sending packets out
that does exactly the job needed. E.g., a user account which I
set up for reading PDFs can't send anything, no matter how
perniciously a PDF file has been crafted (and of course assuming
that the account is also nonprivileged etc.) then my objective
has been met.

I'll give iptables a try. It's at just the right level of brute-
forceness, and of Linuxness.

I love this list.


> 
> Many thanks!

Many more thanks!  I'll report back on results of testing.

I'll_report_back_on_results_of_testing'ly yrs,

Bill
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Quarantining an account from the Internet, or from all networking?

[Bill Sconce]

Does anyone know of a way to prevent a Linux account from accessing
the Internet?

E.g., setting a [per-user] gateway to nil, or setting permissions
on some node along the path to eth0?

It's acceptable to be crude, to prevent such an account from
using any network services whatsoever.

I can see how to do it brute-forcefully, by wrapping each focus
into such a user's process [window] with a script which invokes
"ifdown eth0", and invokes "ifup eth0" on the way back out. But
that's ugly; something like a permissions-based approach would
be much more Linux-like.

(The intention is to quarantine a very-untrusted application,
for example a program which runs Flash, or any program which
displays PDFs, or any other blobs-downloaded-from-the-'net.
Adobe Reader(tm), I'm talking to you.)

It all has to do with a talk I should do someday, and which has
gotten a fresh kick from Eben Moglen's talk at LinuxCon...

Many thanks!

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week -- Thursday 7/22

[Bill Sconce]

Summertime schedule, oatmeal/peanut butter cookies - or
oatmeal cookies AND peanut butter cookies.  Lots of good
Python discussion.

Thursday, July 22nd, 7:00 PM
Beginners' session/Q&A at 6:30 PM
Amoskeag Business Incubator, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester NH

By then my 2.7 Final(*) build, running as I write this, may have completed.
Be sure to needle me about whether readline works...  :)

Does anyone have another burning topic(**) which we should discuss?


and_have_we_a_Milk_volunteer?'ly yrs,

Bill



(*) 2.7 Final was released on July 4 2010. Happy Indpendence Day!

(**) Last meeting the question "should I use 2.7 or 3.0" came up.
 Turns out there's an official article on just that:
http://wiki.python.org/moin/Python2orPython3
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Open Source in Russia ... lock-in

[Bill Sconce]

Microsoft opens source code to Russian secret service
By Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK, 8 July, 2010 16:56 

NEWS  Microsoft has signed a deal to open its Windows 7 source
code up to the Russian intelligence services.

Russian publication Vedomosti reported on Wednesday that Microsoft
had also given the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) access
to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Office 2010 and 
Microsoft SQL Server source code, with hopes of improving Microsoft
sales to the Russian state.   [...]
   
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2010/07/08/microsoft-opens-source-code-to-russian-secret-service-40089481/



Remarks:   [Sorry for the length; this turned into almost a blog post. -Bill]

  1. The point isn't so much that a commercial entity did this.
  It's that proprietary software is *typically* handled this way;
  that users of proprietary software agree [by EULA] to expect no
  voice in such a decision.
  
  
  2. "They stand to benefit massively from having you locked-in;
  they want to trade your freedom for their profit."
  --Simon Phipps
"Open Core Is Bad For You"

http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=3047&blogid=41
  
  
  3. I happen at the moment to be researching remote-access technologies,
  things like "logmein.com", for a client. Again and again we are asked
  to trust third parties, to sign EULAs, to give up [not just a few] 
  rights, to get a shiny app. Again and again I find myself cornered by
  the actual terms of agreements: "check back at our Web site for our
  unilateral changes to our privacy policies", etc; I always end up
  wondering how anyone who thinks about the problem doesn't restrict
  his or her choices in software to licenses which don't require
  abandoning all rights. Even if, as in the case of remote access,
  one has to learn a few things (as is certainly the case with the
  warty SSH!).
  
  [The fact seems to be that not CIO has ever been fired for giving
  away their company's rights, however. I guess if I were a CIO I'd
  have to do the same thing; a good reason to remain a technician.]
  
  
  4. Sometimes I wonder if things would be any better if there was
  a big meter over the door, "Locked-In", 0 to 100.  [Imagining a
  world in which a client not only noticed lock-in, but attached
  some significant value to not being locked in.]
  
  "...a 'good enough' reaction among users. Particularly for users
  who have generally used only proprietary software, the experience of
  using a package that mostly respects software freedom can be
  incredibly liberating. When 98% of your software is FaiF-licensed,
  you sometimes don't notice the 2% that isn't. Over time, the 2% goes
  up to 3%, then 4%. This proprietary drift will often lead back to a
  system not that much different from (for example) Apple's operating
  system, which has a permissively-licensed software freedom core, but
  most of the system is very much proprietary."
  --Bradley M. Kuhn
  "Beware of Proprietary Drift"
  http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2010/05/08/proprietary-drift.html
  
  
  5. 'But we HAVE to locked in'.
 'Everything is wrapped up shiny and ready to use'.
 'They take charge cards.'
 'SSH is too warty.'
 'Everyone else does it.'
  
  Well, no.  400,000 employees at IBM:
  
  "Some of us started using it because it was new and fast and cool.
  I tried it for those reasons, but I still use it for the following
  ones:
* Firefox is stunningly standards compliant, and interoperability
  via open standards is key to IBM's strategy.
* Firefox is open source and its development schedule is managed
  by a development community not beholden to one commercial entity.
* Firefox is secure and an international community of experts
  continues to develop and maintain it.
* Firefox is extensible and can be customized for particular
  applications and organizations, like IBM.
* Firefox is innovative and has forced the hand of browsers that
  came before and after it to add and improve speed and function.
  [...]
  Any employee who is not now using Firefox will be strongly
  encouraged to use it as their default browser. All new computers
  will be provisioned with it."
  
  --Bob Sutor
  "Saying it out loud: IBM is moving to Firefox as its default browser"
  http://www.sutor.com/c/2010/07/ibm-moving-to-firefox-as-default-browser/


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Re: [OT] movie trailer - .Net vs Java

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:50:33 -0400
"Michael ODonnell"  wrote:

> 
> I'm not particularly a fan of Java but this is still funny:
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrfpnbGXL70


I take it that .NET doesn't come off too well, heh.

First time I've tried a YouTube video and gotten "please register".
Ouch. Didn't know they'd done that.

(I felt a twinge of surprise.  Why?  YouTube /is/ Google...)

Well, it's always been difficult to get Flash to work anyway, plus
creating a new home directory for a quarantined account each time,
etc...  doing it less often will leave more time for coding.

-Bill


P.S. The real issue is giving away your right to read something
without that fact being recorded.  (And shared with third parties.
Some of the YouTubes I've seen being watched at certain client
sites would be worth money to keep from getting back to
management. How long until some politician's career is ruined
by campaign ads broadcasting a YouTube history?  :)

Coincidentally, "free last year but just a few cents per view
next year" has just been in the news again:

  24 June 2010 
  
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/06/incipient-paywall-costing-newspaper-online-readers.ars

  "In the UK, The Times is rolling out its paywall and now demands
  that anyone intent on reading its content register an account. 
  According to research done by the traffic metrics firm Hitwise,
  simply demanding registration has already cut into traffic at
  The Times.

  "Right now, The Times isn't charging for content, although it plans
  on doing so in the near future. As of mid-June, however, the site
  started requiring that anyone who wished to view an actual article
  register an account. Ultimately, these accounts will be used to try
  to extract payment for viewing an article's content.

  But, according to Hitwise's numbers, simply adding the registration
  barrier has cut traffic to the site almost in half."
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PySIG -- "horn tooting"

[Bill Sconce]

A few days ago the fine folks at the Amoskeag Business Incubator (our
ever-generous hosts for our meetings in Manchester) asked me for a
small writeup on what PySIG is about.  I expected to write 4 or 5 lines,
but this was the result...

(BTW, meeting tonight.  "Maple Floater" cookies.  A discussion on
default values in function definitions, if anyone would like to
see some demo code I've hacked together, and a little handout.
"Beginners' session" at 18:30, as always.)


watch_out_for_tornadoes'ly yrs,

Bill

  
_____
Begin forwarded message:

From: Bill Sconce [mailto:sco...@in-spec-inc.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 9:56 AM
To: [Amoskeag Business Incubator]
Subject: PySIG - draft "horn tooting" - could use more (but then, could be 
shorter too)

PySIG is a group of technical computer people who use the Python
programming language, people who have heard about Python and want
to learn more about it, and project/management people who are
interested in the productivity gains and cost savings available
from using modern tools such as Python.

Python is used widely and gratefully around the world.  NASA
uses Python; Google's IT structure is built on Python.  Honeywell
uses Python; AstraZeneca, Industrial Light & Magic, Philips,
Rackspace, and many more use Python -- and in many cases, base
their businesses on Python.  Chances are that several of the Web
sites you browsed today run on Python (notably the remarkable
Django Web framework, as well as others).  Universities and
schools use Python to run their IT systems, and increasingly
use Python as the base for their Computer Sciences curricula.

Using Python makes sound business sense.  Not incidentally,
Python is delightful to use -- designed for human beings, and
purposely free of certain kinds of busywork that used to
characterize computer languages.

PySIG's members include software developers, IT managers, CIOs
and CEOs, electrical engineers, Web developers, and pilots;
members from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont attend
our meetings in Manchester, and a friendly mailing list on the
Web answers questions and shares experiences from wherever on
the Earth PySIG members may be.

PySIG meetings are seminar-like, with problem-solving, sharing
of experiences, and formal presentations (primarily during the
academic season).  Each PySIG meeting is open to everyone,
experienced to beginner to merely curious, with a special half
hour beginning at 6:30 PM always devoted to beginners'
questions and introductions.

Python is licensed under terms which confer the freedom to use
it, study it, and modify it to everyone (that is, it's free
software); Python runs on nearly everything, from smartphones
to PCs to supercomputers, and on operating systems from MacOS
to Windows to Linux and beyond.  More information at

  http://python.org

Come join us if you'd like to know more about this exciting
development in getting things done on your computers.

-Bill


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Re: Broadcom WiFi -- for a public library -- in Fedora 13 maybe?

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:50:27 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> a whole stream of replies -- and most significantly,
> an answer to the last question.  (I.e., "don't give up".)

I'm glad I (we) didn't.  Victory!


> Thanks to everyone who responded.  I'll do some more reading 
> and choose a new approach.  The library shall have its laptops
> "FREE OF MICROSOFT" after all!
> 
> More later...

I was back at the library today, armed with the information from
this thread.  I explained to the librarian the copyright issues
regarding firmware (and what firmware is), how the Linux community
works, how it's very seldom that any one of us is the first to
encounter a problem, and how conversely the solution to "your"
problem is often just an e-mail away.

I took in some CAT5 cables and a small hub, connected the first
laptop via cable, and was able to download and use fwcutter (as
recommended here and at the URLs suggested here).  I restarted
NetworkManager, and Presto.  Wireless!  There was their (unsecured)
wifi in the popdown list.  Just like on Windows.  We look like
heros.  Heck, we ARE heros...

They'll use the first laptop for a week or two, see how patrons
like it or what problems they find, then we'll do the other laptop.

So far, so good.

(Thanks to this list!  The Broadcom picture has become less
disgusting than I remembered it, but I would have thrown in the
towel rather than pursue the answer without the tips, and
encouragement, from GNHLUG.)

-Bill


P.S.  There was a yucky part, of course: for the first time ever
I had to install the unspeakable Flash plugin on a Linux system...
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Re: Spike in SSH attacks

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:05:18 -0400
Chip Marshall  wrote:

> On 21-Jun-2010, Bill Sconce  sent:
> > START WITH NEVER EXPOSING SSHD ON PORT 22.
>
> You don't secure your house by hiding the door, you secure it by
> having good locks.

I couldn't agree more.  The idea is to cut down on the scratching
and rattling noises as every script kiddie in Romania bashes on your
door on the chance it might be unlatched.  Noise is annoying; it's
hard to see why anyone would recommend that you have to put up with
it.  (Nevertheless, if you like port 22, use port 22.)

I hope I didn't give the impression that moving off port 22 is the
only thing I recommend, or do.  On the contrary, I spent solid weeks
(documented in changelogs) several years ago researching all the SSH
options, determining the sshd configurations I believe to be correct
for my clients(*), and  writing a Python program to parse the
applicable manpage (options and defaults change!), QA the available
(many) options, and produce a recommended sshd_config together with
a checklist and a set of annotations for manual review.  'Been doing
that for years now, for every sshd I set up.

> > "START" with port 22...

-Bill


(*) I found it interesting that, when I saw this thread, that

  a) when I went to ensure that my Python program disallows
 "keyboard interactive", I found that it does so, and has done
 so since the beginning

  b) I wasn't able to remember what "keyboard interactive" means,
 in spite of having known it a couple of years ago, or whether
 it's in my set of deprecated settings, and had to look it up
 again.

(Hmm.  Is SSH too complicated?  Y'think?)
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Re: Spike in SSH attacks

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:04:59 -0400
Ted Roche  wrote:

> On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:28 AM, Benjamin Scott  wrote:
> >
> >  Apparently attackers are going after "keyboard interactive"
> > authentication, which is separate from "password authentication".
> >
> 
> So, even if I have set PasswordAuthentication no in my sshd_config,
> there's still a way to ssh into the server without a key pair? That's
> confusing.
> 
> Time to break out the dog-eared snail book and get a refresh...

I had to do the same.  "Challenge/Response" ??   "S/Key" 
From Barret & Silverman, "SSH...The Definitive Guide", 1st ed., p 175:
  "S/Key is a one-time password system, created by Bellcore [...]
  'One-time' means that each time you authenticate, you provide a
  different password" ...
The remote sshd service provides you with an integer and a string,
which you enter into a magic calculator on your local machine,
along with a secret passphrase [never transmitted], and the
"calculator" produces your one-time password.

My reading is that Yes, there's a way to ssh in without a key pair;
but No, the bad guys don't get in that way (unless the one-time key
framework was very poorly set up somehow); and What You Care About
is that a machine which OFFERS the S/Key method will get lots of
attention from the world of botnets.

START WITH NEVER EXPOSING SSHD ON PORT 22.

-Bill
who just went and looked, and found one of his servers with S/Key
still defaulted (on), but with not a peep in the logs because of
not being on port 22.

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Re: Broadcom WiFi -- for a public library -- in Fedora 13 maybe?

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:11:01 -0400
Bill Sconce  wrote:

> Does anyone have experience, either with this laptop (Dell
> Dimension E5500) or with getting a $#! Broadcom adapter to work
> (a 4318 apparently) -- or experience which justifies a decision
> to just not do this?

Look at that!  Before I can even get back from customer site to
check my mail, a whole stream of replies -- and most significantly,
an answer to the last question.  (I.e., "don't give up".)

Thanks to everyone who responded.  I'll do some more reading 
and choose a new approach.  The library shall have its laptops
"FREE OF MICROSOFT" after all!

More later...

-Bill
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Broadcom WiFi -- for a public library -- in Fedora 13 maybe?

[Bill Sconce]

I got an e-mail a couple of weeks ago, from a public library in a
small New Hampshire town, with the subject

HELP SAVE US FROM MICROSOFT!

(I am not making this up.)  Such a plea caused me to do some
perhaps-foolish things.  I called the library; I volunteered
to help them; I omitted to ask what hardware was involved.

Turns out they had acquired a pair of Dell E5500 laptops (under
a Gates Foundation grant, I believe), and of course the machines
came with you-know-who's software.  And not just the operating
system, but a selection of add-on cruft including DeepFreeze and
"role management" apps, the combination of which proved to be a
nightmare and impossible to get or keep working.  Eventually
someone suggested to the library that the "Linux community"
might be able to help; somehow my name came up, and I received
the HELP SAVE US message.

After an initial visit, I burned a Fedora 13 live CD for them
to try, took it over to the library, booted it and showed it off.
All OK.

But then the zinger: of COURSE...they only use wireless.  And
of COURSE...the laptop has a Broadcom Wifi adapter.  And of course
it doesn't work.

I've spent today so far researching. I searched my GNHLUG archives
and found only one discussion, circa 2/22.(*)

>From the Web it looks like "fwcutter", proprietary firmware
copyrights, kernel modules...pretty ugly.  (And Latitudes use
Nvidia, but it does seem that Fedora 13 has the Nvidia part
working.)

Does anyone have experience, either with this laptop (Dell
Dimension E5500) or with getting a $#! Broadcom adapter to work
(a 4318 apparently) -- or experience which justifies a decision
to just not do this?


Many thanks!

Be_careful_what_you_volunteer_for'ly yrs,

-Bill


(*) 2/22: Wherein Alan Johnson offers the clearly definitive advice,
 "In any case, be sure to steer clear of Broadcom".

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Re: Open Source Auction Web Site software on Linux

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:55:12 -0400
Dan Jenkins  wrote:

> I would definitely be interested in your auction software, Ray.
> Thank you.
> 
> I have not used Django, so it'll be a chance to learn something else new.


Aha.  A new member for PySIG... :)

-Bill
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Re: LUG meetings and topics

[Bill Sconce]

On Tue, 11 May 2010 10:28:29 -0400
Joseph Smith  wrote:

> Thanks Ted,
> Maybe Aug 2nd would be better turn out wise?
> The Hopkinton Town Library sounds like a great meeting spot. 
> Would anyone happen to have a projector that I could use?



I would happen to.  See you on August 2nd.:)

THIS_is_how_LUG_meetings_should_get_organized'ly yrs,

Bill
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Re: is there a topic / meeting for Monday at SLUG?

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 07 May 2010 17:45:52 -0400
Joseph Smith  wrote:

> When and where is the meeting? I would like to check it out.

Sez the wiki (http://wiki.gnhlug.org/twiki2/bin/view/Www/SLUG):
# NH seacoast area and UNH (Durham)
# Website: http://slug.gnhlug.org/slug
# Meetings
* Second Monday of the month
* 7:00 PM
* Room 301, Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

I've always been able to find parking by driving south along
the campus street which puts Morse Hall on my left and looking
on the right... there's a lot essentially across the street
from Morse Hall.  Couldn't be more convenient.  (I think the
signs suggest that campus parking-permit rules apply, but
I've never heard of there being a problem.)

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG tonight

[Bill Sconce]

We'll do some Python.  Hands on.

The canonical Tutorial, perhaps.

Cookies: Janet sez:
  Goldy-the-Caterer-(where everything's just right)'s Bleak House Bars.

  (Very literary/esoteric.)What I do know: Chocolate.

Ryan Stack is bringing the milk.

Thanks, Ryan!



sticky_keyboards_R_us'ly yrs,

Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG - now a week away -- next Thursday, 22 April 2010

[Bill Sconce]

The next meeting of the NH Python Special Interest Group will
be next week, Thursday 4/22, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator
(our continuing thanks to those fine folks, and to Southern
New Hampshire University, for making this possible!).

7:00 PM, "beginner's session" at 6:30.

I'm working on the agenda, which I expect will emphasize hands-on
exercises -- Python as it's used, "beginning" Python perhaps.

Oh, yes, cookies are on order.  I'm told that something special
has been found in the cookie namespace.

A volunteer to bring milk would be welcome.


But_be_there_if_you_like_Python'ly yrs,

Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG this week -- 3/25 2010

[Bill Sconce]

It's that week again.  The week with the fourth Thursday in it. 

PySIG week!

Yes, there will be a PySIG.  Cookies are on order.  Ted has kindly
offered to bring the milk.  (Thanks, Ted!)

Likely topics:
  o Teaching Python to co-workers
  o PyCon report
  o Lyndeborough evacuation (?)

7:00 PM at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 33 South Commercial
Street, Manchester.  6:30 PM "Beginners' Session".

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week -- Cascading Style Sheets, Mr. Ted Roche

[Bill Sconce]

(Fourth Thursday)  Next week, Thursday 25 February 2010

PySIG, February 2010
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester NH
(Detailed agenda and driving directions to follow)

Featured presentation:  Cascading Style Sheets, by Ted Roche
   "Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) allow developers and web page
authors to add color, font effects and layout to the hypertext
markup language that describes the content and structure of
the HTML document. CSS can be applied in layers, switched out
depending on conditions, or used to specify print vs. screen
media. "Introduction to CSS" will look at how CSS works:
selectors, style declarations, the CSS Box model, positioning
elements with CSS, and wrap up the basics with a review of
the rules that make CSS cascade: order, inheritance and
specificity.

"We'll also have a quick preview of what to anticipate in
HTML5 and the latest CSS (2.1 for IE8 and 3 for the rest of
the world)."

Ted Roche is a Senior Member of the ACM, a Certified MySQL
Developer, and a LAMP developer/consultant at
http://www.tedroche.com.


Plus:
The usual invitations and Q&A for beginners;
the usual arguments about data types;
once again, milk(*) and cookies(**);
perhaps some reports on PyCON 2010 Atlanta (hint, hint?)


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(*) Milk: have we a volunteer?
(**) Cookies: "Chocolate Chip & Bacon & Maple" (!)
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BTW: PySIG -- was: Re: MerriLUG or Manchester meets planned? + Twitter

[Bill Sconce]

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:40:15 -0500
Ben Scott  wrote:

>   I suspect efforts should *not* start with speakers. [...] Get people
> together first. There's nothing keeping anyone from arranging a 
> presentation, but the focus should be community, not speaking.


Hmmm.  Cookies?

(Er, I forgot to CC GNHLUG on this month's PySIG meeting.  Thanks
for the reminder, Ben!   :)

Everyone's welcome!

-Bill



To: Python - Live Free or Die 
Subject: [Python-talk] PySIG tomorrow
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:34:48 -0500

Theme: Hints & Kinks

I've got a couple, having to do with using SciTE to develop Python
programs(*).  Bring yours!

Cookies are:
   1. Persimmon Spice;
   2. Chocolate Chip;
   3. Brownies.

Mark Boyajian is bringing the milk.  Thanks, Mark!

-Bill


(*) Just for PySIG: a one-key "if-else" interchanger.  (Been meaning
to do this one for a couple of years.  Nothing like an upcoming
meeting to give a project some priority...  :)

P.S. It could use some code review.  Come and help!
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[GNHLUG] No PySIG meeting for December

[Bill Sconce]

Fourth Thursday is pre-empted this month.  OUR date!   Sheesh.  :)

Happy Holidays, Pythoneers!  See you January 28th 2010!

-Bill
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Re: [semi-OT] alternatives to FairPoint in Nashua?

[Bill Sconce]

On Tue, 8 Dec 2009 00:01:33 -0500
Thomas Charron  wrote:

> On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 9:39 PM, Peter Dobratz  wrote:
> > Are there any alternatives to FairPoint for internet + phone line in
> > Nashua?  We're far enough away from Main Street to miss out on the
> > free Wi-Fi.
> 
>   Too bad TDS doesn't serve Nashua.  Kinda funny that out here in the
> stick, we can get awesome support from the former Wilton telephone
> company.  :-D
> 
>   *waves to Bill Sconce*
> 
>   :-D


*waves to Thomas*

That's the ticket: TDS for last-mile, and DSL that works, and MV for
the real ISP support.  (TDS downside: they outsource everything that
an ISP would do, e.g., Gmail.)  But we *do* have MV.  And TDS's DSL
has been, oh, 3 nines.

pretty_good_for_the_boondocks'ly yrs,

Bill

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Re: [OT] Experience with getting participation in school web site by teachers

[Bill Sconce]

 Moodle...

 It does many of those things.
 (Of course, it also does real education stuff, course content management,
 class forums, etc.  :)

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG (yes, Virginia, there is a PySIG, even in May) - Thursday 5/28/09

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH  28 May 2009

A problem-solving/roundtable night, a.k.a. "Nifties"



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
28 May 2009 (4th Thursday)7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; problems to be solved using Python (e.g., one
request: document processing); updates on happenings (Software Freedom
Day?  Open 1-to-1?); Janet's cookies - Experimental(*) Rum Squares.
JDB safe.

Milk by Mark Mallett - thanks, Mark!


Plus:

o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types X
- (Running PySIG joke  :)

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...
  

6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet & Alex  (thanks, Alex!)
7:15   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:20   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone
7:35   Nifties / problemsToBeSolvedInPython - anyone  (i.e., roundtable)

8:30   Open discussion; plans for next time
8:45~  Adjourn


(*) Experimental - the recipe called for "butter-rum flavoring".  We
didn't have any.  Real butter, though.   And 151...


About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG and GNHLUG thank the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com


Directions:
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 5 ("Granite Street") from I-293.  Stay to the left
  at the bottom of the ramp, to turn left (east). Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.
  
Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the south:
o Use the Granite Street exit.  Turn right (east).  Go under
  I-293 and cross the bridge over the Merrimack River.

After crossing the bridge:
o Turn right (south) at the first light.  This is South
  Commercial Street.

o Go past one parking-lot entrance, turn right into the second
  o

Re: UNIX license plate

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 14 May 2009 22:20:03 -0400
Dan Miller  wrote:

> 
> >   Bill also ha(s|d) "GPL".
> 
> I have "GPL" on the "normal" NH plate. Maybe Bill (I thought Ted had it
> at one point) has the veterans GPL plate, or was it a plate on a motorcycle?


Bingo.  Veteran.  "GPL" with a little American flag...
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[GNHLUG] PySIG: Using Python to Solve Radar Problems -- April '09 meeting, this Thursday

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH 24 April2009

Using Python to Solve Radar Problems, presented by Bruce Labitt



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
24 April 2009 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; follow-up on Mercurial implementations after
Kent's Hg presentation last month; Janet's cookies (the rumors turned
out to be true -- Derby-Day Preview Cookies (!)); and more this month.


 Using Python to Solve Radar Problems
  Presented by Bruce Labitt
  
  Radar systems analysis and simulation can tax the abilities of many
  computing platforms.  A customized platform built from off-the-shelf
  components has been assembled to speed the analysis of computationally
  intensive radar simulations. 

  Open-source software has been employed to speed both the development
  and running of the code.  Python was used to implement the user
  interface, C and openmp were used for the computation engine, and
  Python used again in the back end to render the surface plots.

  This was the author's first experience with a moderately sized
  software project.  The author had to learn Python and numpy, and was
  impressed with both the versatility and power of the Python language.


Plus:

o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types IX
- (Running PySIG joke  :)

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & cookies.
  This month: Derby-Pie cookies (not JBD safe, yet laced with special
  "Kentucky Bluegrass Icing"...)
  

6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet & Alex  (thanks, Alex!)
7:15   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:20   Mercurial-Implementation stories -anyone
7:25   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone

7:30   Using Python to Solve Radar Problems
 presented by Bruce Labitt

8:30   Open discussion; plans for next time
8:45~  Adjourn


About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG 

[GNHLUG] PySIG next week (Thursday 23 April 2008)

[Bill Sconce]

Cookies are likely, a dynamite program is rumored, no snow is
forecast.  Stories.  Gotchas.  Data types.  [Or not.]  More.

Next Thursday, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester.
Agenda to follow.

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week (3/26/09)

[Bill Sconce]

Distributed Version Control with Mercurial, presented by Kent Johnson.

"Surprises and Ah HAs", presented by Ray Côté
Cookies, presented by Janet
Milk, presented by the ever-popular "TBA"

Plus: Summer of Code (Arc Riley), PyCON (in absentia?), more...

Thursday (4th Thursday), 26 March 2009.
  At the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 
  33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.
7:00 PM, with a Beginner's Session at 6:30PM.


Bring_a_question'ly yrs,

Bill


===
"mercurial
(adj) relating to or having characteristics 
(eloquence, swiftness, cleverness) attributed
to the god Mercury. 
"Mercurial
(n) a fast, lightweight Source Control Management
system designed for efficient handling of very large
distributed projects."
  -- http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/
  
"Way cool, better than subversion"
  -- Kent
  
"Written in Python"
  -- Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG reminder: day after tomorrow (2/26) - XMPP, Twisted, and more

[Bill Sconce]

Implementing XMPP with Python, presented by Arc Riley and Walter Mundt.

Thursday (4th Thursday), 26 February 2009.
  At the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 
  33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.
7:00 PM, with a Beginner's Session at 6:30PM.

And all the usual discussions, announcements, and arguments
over data types.

Shortbreads this month.  Alex is bringing the milk.
(Thanks, Alex!)

Bill

 XMPP with Python

XMPP, eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is the
standard for XML-based instant messaging, multiuser chat,
newsfeeds, voice over IP, and a lot more.

This month at PySIG we'll show how XMPP works, why you want
to use it everywhere, and many ways to easily implement it
using Python.

Walter Mundt, our new Twisted Matrix enthusiast, will
discuss how Twisted can be used to quickly build cool
new XMPP clients and services.

Arc Riley will present XMPP solutions in Python 3 with
sleekxmpp and strophe for clients plus his new project,
Concordance, an XMPP service framework.

BOSH (Bidirectional streams Over Synchronous HTTP) will
also be touched on to show how XMPP and JSON can be used
to build web apps with open standards that work in every
modern browser.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG in two weeks (2/26) - XMPP, Twisted, and more

[Bill Sconce]

Implementing XMPP with Python, presented by Arc Riley and Walter Mundt.

Thursday (4th Thursday), 26 February 2009.
  At the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 
  33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.
7:00 PM, with a Beginner's Session at 6:30PM.

bring_a_question'ly yrs,

Bill


===
Implementing XMPP with Python

XMPP, eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is the
standard for XML-based instant messaging, multiuser chat,
newsfeeds, voice over IP, and a lot more.

This month at PySIG we'll show how XMPP works, why you want
to use it everywhere, and many ways to easily implement it
using Python.

Walter Mundt, our new Twisted Matrix enthusiast, will
discuss how Twisted can be used to quickly build cool
new XMPP clients and services.

Arc Riley will present XMPP solutions in Python 3 with
sleekxmpp and strophe for clients plus his new project,
Concordance, an XMPP service framework.

BOSH (Bidirectional streams Over Synchronous HTTP) will
also be touched on to show how XMPP and JSON can be used
to build web apps with open standards that work in every
modern browser.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG for January 2009 tonight

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH  22 January 2009

   Building a Python 3.0 Extension, presented by Arc Riley
Kent's Korner: Context Managers and the with'statement



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
22 January 2009 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; Kent's Korner; Janet's cookies (some of them
JBD safe!); and more this month.


  Building a Python 3.0 Extension
  Presented by Arc Riley

o The missing PyModule_* functions
 
o Bookmarks you will need
 
o Handy macros you'll use everywhere
 
o An actual example (source code & batteries included)



___
Kent's Korner:
Context managers and the 'with' statement

"A common need in programming is to guarantee some kind of cleanup
after a block of code is run; for example, closing a file or
database connection after use. The usual way to do this in Python
prior to version 2.5 is with a try / except block..."

[There's a better way, much more robust, and what's really
important, easier.  -ed]
   

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types VIII
- (Running PySIG joke  :)

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & cookies.
  This month: Oatmeal, with and w/o chocolate  (you know who you are)
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet & Ray  (thanks, Ray!)
7:15   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:20   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone

7:30   Kent's Korner -- Context managers and the 'with' statement

8:00   Building a Python 3.0 Extension
 presented by Arc Riley

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG thanks the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com

_

[GNHLUG] PySIG in a couple of days (Thursday 1/22 to be exact)

[Bill Sconce]

And some good stuff coming, including how to write C extensions
for Python 3 and the return of Kent's Korner (with the with(*)
statement), and more.

Once again at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 33 South
Commercial Street, Manchester;  once again, 7:00 PM, with
a Beginner's Session at 6:30PM;  as always, cookies.


agenda_to_follow_when_someone_volunteers_for_milk'ly yrs,

Bill


(*) hee the hee...   :)
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[GNHLUG] PySIG, a week from tomorrow (i.e., Jan 22 2009)

[Bill Sconce]

Cookies are on order.(*)

Next week!  First PySIG of 2009.  Fourth Thursday: January 22nd.

PySIG, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, 7:00 PM.
"Beginner's Q&A" precedes, at 6:30 PM.

agenda_to_follow'ly yrs,

Bill



(*) Rumor has it they'll be oatmeal raisin.  Who wants to bring milk?


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[GNHLUG] PySIG for November -- yes indeed, altho moved to Tuesday (the 23rd)

[Bill Sconce]

Hi, all -

I stopped by the ABI, and we're in luck for moving our "4th Thursday"
to "4th Tuesday" this month to get away from Thanksgiving.

So, PySIG is ON, Tuesday the 23rd, 7:00PM at the Amoskeag Business
Incubator, 33 South Commercial Street, Manchester.

Agenda to follow.  If we have one.(*)  File formats and data interchange?
A workshop?

-Bill


(*) Well we do have: get ready for the big T day, get the resistance
built up...   seems to call for cookies, heh.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG, October 2008 -- Sphix, unittest, more

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH  23 October 2008

 Sphinx, presented by Arc Riley
Kent's Korner: unittest



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
23 October 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest; a special Kent's Korner; Janet's cookies (JBD
safe!); and more this month.


 Sphinx, presented by Arc Riley
   A ReStructuredText-based markup framework
   
"Sphinx is a tool that makes it easy to create intelligent and
beautiful documentation for Python projects, written by Georg
Brandl and licensed under the BSD license.

"It was originally created to translate the new Python documentation,
but has now been cleaned up in the hope that it will be useful to
many other projects.

"Although it is still under constant development, the following
features are already present, work fine and can be seen 'in 
action' in the Python docs:

* Output formats: HTML (including Windows HTML Help) and
  LaTeX, for printable PDF versions
* Extensive cross-references: semantic markup and automatic
  links for functions, classes, glossary terms and similar
  pieces of information
* Hierarchical structure: easy definition of a document
  tree, with automatic links to siblings, parents and children
* Automatic indices: general index as well as a module index
* Code handling: automatic highlighting
* Extensions: automatic testing of code snippets, inclusion
  of docstrings from Python modules, and more

"Sphinx uses reStructuredText as its markup language, and many of
its strengths come from the power and straightforwardness of 
reStructuredText..."
   
"The major theme of Python 2.6 is preparing the migration path to 
Python 3.0, a major redesign of the language. Whenever possible, 
Python 2.6 incorporates new features and syntax from 3.0 while
remaining compatible with existing code by not removing older 
features or syntax. When it's not possible to do that, Python 2.6
tries to do what it can, adding compatibility functions in a 
future_builtins module and a -3 switch to warn about usages that
will become unsupported in 3.0."

http://sphinx.pocoo.org/
   

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types VII
- (Running PySIG joke  :)

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & cookies.
  This month: Janet's 1) glazed maple pecan ("special" ../me); 
  2) molasses ginger; 3) "assorted meringues--if they don't fail"
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet & Alex  (thanks, Alex!)
7:15   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:20   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone

7:30   Kent's Korner -- unittest: Unit Testing in Python

8:00   Sphinx, ReST-based markup framework
 presented by Arc Riley

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integ

[GNHLUG] PySIG in two weeks - Sphinx, and more

[Bill Sconce]

Mark your calendar: Thursday the 23rd.  PySIG.  Sphinx, presented
by our own Arc Riley.  Kent's Korner, we hope.  Cookies, by Janet.
Gotchas, too, probably.  And more.

As always, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 33 South Commercial
Street, Manchester, 7:00 PM.  (Our continuing thanks to PySIG's
hosts, SNHU and ABI!)  Beginner's session at 6:30 PM.

Agenda to follow.

-Bill


__
http://sphinx.pocoo.org/

Sphinx is a tool that makes it easy to create intelligent and
beautiful documentation for Python projects, written by Georg
Brandl and licensed under the BSD license.

It was originally created to translate the new Python documentation,
but has now been cleaned up in the hope that it will be useful to
many other projects.

Although it is still under constant development, the following
features are already present, work fine and can be seen “in 
action” in the Python docs:

* Output formats: HTML (including Windows HTML Help) and
  LaTeX, for printable PDF versions
* Extensive cross-references: semantic markup and automatic
  links for functions, classes, glossary terms and similar
  pieces of information
* Hierarchical structure: easy definition of a document
  tree, with automatic links to siblings, parents and children
* Automatic indices: general index as well as a module index
* Code handling: automatic highlighting
* Extensions: automatic testing of code snippets, inclusion
  of docstrings from Python modules, and more

Sphinx uses reStructuredText as its markup language, and many of
its strengths come from the power and straightforwardness of 
reStructuredText...

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Re: [GNHLUG] [Python-talk] PySIG (this Thursday, Python 2.6) -- updated plans

[Bill Sconce]

As you've probably seen, our featured speaker's plans have
been preempted by Real Life this month.  No problem, we'll
give him the stage again later...

And this is still PySIG.  And we do get together to talk
about Python.  

Kent suggested that we
> ...meanwhile check out
> http://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/2.6.html
and that does sound like a good idea.  We can get together and
discuss, round-table, the new goodies coming our way in Python
2.6.

And (perhaps) develop a wishlist of which of those goodies
we'd like Kent to talk to us about in greater depth.  (How
would that sound, Kent?)

We might also have a testimonial from a new Python user.

As well as the usual announcements, arguments over data types,
gotchas, success stories, a report on Software Freedom Day,
and more.

We shall certainly have cookies.  They are a feathery chocolate
concoction, and will go GREAT with milk.  I know these things.
(Thanks to Alex for offering to bring the milk!)

Review your "../whatsnew/2.6.html", bring questions, and I'll
see you all on Thursday!


personally_I'd_like_to_learn_more_about_sphinx'ly yrs,
Bill



PySIGManchester, NH25 September 2008

   Think About the Future -- Python 2.6
 Roundtable Discussion



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
25 September 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM (Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest, Software Freedom Day, and more this month.


 Python 2.6
   Roundtable Discussion
   
"The major theme of Python 2.6 is preparing the migration path to 
Python 3.0, a major redesign of the language. Whenever possible, 
Python 2.6 incorporates new features and syntax from 3.0 while
remaining compatible with existing code by not removing older 
features or syntax. When it's not possible to do that, Python 2.6
tries to do what it can, adding compatibility functions in a 
future_builtins module and a -3 switch to warn about usages that
will become unsupported in 3.0."
http://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/2.6.html
   

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types
- (Running PySIG joke  :)

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & cookies from Janet's kitchen.
  This month: "Chocolate Dreams"
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet & Alex
7:20   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:25   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone

7:40   Python 2.6 -- Roundtable

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Ma

[GNHLUG] PySIG next week! Highlights of Python 2.6

[Bill Sconce]

Mark your calendar: next Thursday (the 25th) is PySIG
night.  As usual, we'll be at the Amoskeag Business
Incubator, 33 South Commercial Street, 7:00 PM.

Our special topic: highlights of Python version 2.6,
presented by our own Kent Johnson, Python Tutor
Extraordinaire.

Thanks, as always, to the fine folks of ABI for making
this series possible.  Agenda will follow.

-Bill
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[GNHLUG] PySIG August 2008 - this Thursday (28th) - BOSS(tm); Kent's Korner; more

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH   28 August 2008

   The BOSS
  BOSS -- Build your Own Search Service
Presented by Ray Côté, Appropriate Solutions, Inc.



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
28 August 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM(Beginner's Q&A at 6:30PM)

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest, Kent's Korner, and more this month.


 BOSS, an Internet search API from Yahoo
   Presented by Ray Côté
   
"BOSS (Build your Own Search Service) is different - it's a truly open
API with as few rules and limitations as possible. With BOSS, developers
and start-ups now have the technology and infrastructure to build next
generation search solutions that can compete head-to-head with the
principals in the search industry. BOSS will grow and evolve with a
focus on providing additional functionality, tools, and data for
developers."
  ...
"The BOSS Mashup Framework is an experimental Python library that
provides developers with tools for mashing up the BOSS API with other
third-party data sources."
http://developer.yahoo.com/search/boss/

Ray Côté is President and co-Founder of Appropriate Solutions, Inc.
in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
http://www.appropriatesolutions.com

---
Kent's Korner:
   defaultdict
   
   "defaultdict is a little-known gem tucked away in the collections
   module of the standard library.  A defaultdict is a dict with a
   default value - a value that will be returned for missing keys."
   

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Data Types
- "Towers" of them...

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & cookies from Janet's kitchen.
  This month: "Mexican Wedding Balls"; and more
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Cookies & Milk - Janet and Alex
7:20   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:25   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone
7:40   Kent's Korner - Assignments in Python, presented by Kent Johnson

8:00   BOSS - a Python-scriptable Internet search API  - Ray Côté

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepr

[GNHLUG] PySIG in two weeks - Aug 28th - BOSS

[Bill Sconce]

PySIG August, two weeks from today.
August 28th 2008, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator

Featured presenter, Ray Côté, from Appropriate Solutions, Inc., Peterborough.

BOSS, a 'net search API from Yahoo.  Mashups scriptable from Python!

"BOSS (Build your Own Search Service) is different – it's a truly open
API with as few rules and limitations as possible. With BOSS, developers
and start-ups now have the technology and infrastructure to build next
generation search solutions that can compete head-to-head with the
principals in the search industry. BOSS will grow and evolve with a
focus on providing additional functionality, tools, and data for
developers."
 --Yahoo


Cookie order to the Janet Dept. is in.  (Milk-run volunteer sought.)
Agenda to follow...


Mark_your-calendar'y yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG next week - Thursday, 24 July

[Bill Sconce]

Again and as always, and as always, with fresh cookies.

(No, not THOSE cookies.  No javascript either.  Cookies
with CHOCOLATE.)

Our featured presenter will be Ray Côté, who has been looking
into Yahoo's Python front-end to their "BOSS", Build your Own
Search Service.

Plus Beginner's Time, milk_as_soon_as_someone_volunteers,
and Favorite Gotchas.  Agenda to follow...


summertime_is_for_pythons'ly yrs,

Bill

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[GNHLUG] PySIG tomorrow - Assignments in Python

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH 26 June 2008

 Summer Solstice'ly Yrs!

Informal get-together, lots of people out of town, lots of project work
for some of us,  but PySIG goes on!  A number of special announcements
this month...


PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
26 June 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest, Kent's Korner, and more this month.



Kent's Korner:
   Python assignments
   "By reference" or "by value"?
   The Shadow knows...   nyaaa h ha

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Gotcha contest
- Data Types  (Bill's "gotcha be kidding")  (or is he?)
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & Janet's cookies.
  This month: "Heathbar peanutbutter"; and more
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Milk & Cookies - Janet and Alex  (thanks, Alex!)
7:20   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone
7:45   Favorite-gotcha contest
8:00   Kent's Korner - Assignments in Python, presented by Kent Johnson

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG thanks the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com

___
Directions (thanks to Ted Roche for improvements to "from the north"):
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 6 from I-293.  Stay to the right on the ramp,
  yield twice to traffic incoming from the left, cross back
  over I-293 and accept one merge coming in from your right.
  
o Then get in the right lane, and stay there, over the river,
  and onto the Canal Street exit ramp.
  
o Take the first right off Canal Street onto North Commercial
  Street.  Enjoy the scenic mill buildings as the street turns
  into Comm

Kaiser to test linking health records to Microsoft (Reuters)

[Bill Sconce]

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0630718920080609


Kaiser to test linking health records to Microsoft
Mon Jun 9, 2008 10:50am EDT

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kaiser Permanente, the biggest health maintenance
organization in the United States, announced a pilot program on Monday to
link patient records to Microsoft Corp's consumer health platform.

The test will initially be limited to Kaiser employees who volunteer to
have their records transferred, but access could be widened to the HMO's
8.7 million members later this year, said Anna-Lisa Silvestre, vice
president of online services at Kaiser.

She said more than 2 million members have signed up to use Kaiser's own
online health records service, My Health Manager, and the agreement with
Microsoft will dramatically expand availability of online health 
information, services and tools.

"People today do a lot of things for their health outside of a formal
healthcare system," Silvestre said, adding that the HMO is looking for 
ways to help members improve their health outcomes.

Kaiser is the first large health provider to link to the Microsoft health
platform, called HealthVault, but Microsoft "expects to connect with lots
and lots of source data providers," said Peter Neupert, vice president of
Microsoft's Health Solutions Group.

He said the Microsoft platform currently offers about 30 tools for
consumers, with more to be announced this week.

Rival Google Inc last month unveiled Google Health, a U.S. health 
information service that combines the leading Web company's classic 
search services with a user's personal health records online.

Kaiser and Microsoft, as well as Google, said their sites adhere to 
federal standards for data exchange and include advanced safeguards to 
protect members' personal information.
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[GNHLUG] PySIG, May 22: IPython

[Bill Sconce]

PySIGManchester, NH22 May 2008

IPython
Kent's Korner's Komeback
   Presented by Kent Johnson



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
22 May 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest, Kent's Korner, and more this month.

The favorite-gotcha contest will be anchored by a follow-up discussion
on the recent list exchange about driving/interfacing with Excel from
Python.



Kent's Korner:
   IPython
   "An enhanced Python shell designed for efficient interactive
   work.  It includes many enhancements over the default Python 
   shell, including the ability for controlling interactively 
   all major GUI toolkits in a non-blocking manner."
 http://ipython.scipy.org/moin/

Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Gotcha contest
- Excel -- Excel vs. SQLite, driving Excel from Python
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk, & Janet's cookies.
  This month: "Frango cookies"; "Double Chocolate Surprises"
  The JBD Contingency Cookie may or may not be available;
even the Frango cookies don't qualify...
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Milk & Cookies - Bill & Janet
7:20   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone
7:45   Favorite-gotcha contest - Excel (vs. SQLite)
8:00   Kent's Korner - IPython, presented by Kent Johnson

8:45   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers report substantial 
productivity gains and feel the language encourages the 
development of higher quality, more maintainable code."

"NASA uses Python...so does Rackspace, Industrial Light&Magic,
AstraZeneca, Honeywell, and many others."

Google: "Python has been an important part of Google since the
beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves." 
-Peter Norvig

http://www.python.org

About Amoskeag Business Incubator:
Our gracious hosts are the Amoskeag Business Incubator, an
organization providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment
that stimulates the growth of businesses to ensure economic
vitality and encourage job creation, by providing affordable
office space and technical assistance to early stage companies.
PySIG thanks the ABI for their generous hospitality.

http://www.abi-nh.com

___
Directions (thanks to Ted Roche for improvements to "from the north"):
PySIG NH meetings are held at the Amoskeag Business Incubator,
33 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH.

Coming in to Manchester using I-293, from the north:
o Use Exit 6 from I-293.  Stay to the right on the ramp,
  yield twice to traffic incoming from the left, cross back
 

[GNHLUG] PySIG this Thursday

[Bill Sconce]

PySIG meets once again, and as always, 4th Thursday, which this month
is as early as 4th Thursday can get: the 22nd -- this coming Thursday,
and as always in Manchester, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator.

Program/agenda to follow.  Already certain: beginners' Python session;
cookies (Frango Cookies!  Double-Chocolate Surprises!); the return of
Kent's Korner.  Bill will probably once again not present Data Types II...

See everyone Thursday!

-Bill
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Re: Comcast blocks port 25 incoming, yet again

[Bill Sconce]

On Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:38:31 -0400
"Ben Scott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

 
> Seriously.  GNHLUG gets better service from MV
> for free then I've ever been able to *pay for* with somebody else.  I
> can't say enough good things about MV.  Hugely recommended.
> 
>   http://www.mv.com


Another vote.  As I've also said each time ISPs have been discussed, 
I've been using MV for years, and wouldn't consider switching.  I'd
tried two other local ISPs, neither of them a telco, and finally 
thought to call MV when the second one started double-dipping on its
billing.

Been happy ever since.  Totally.  Should have *started* with MV. Every
call a pleasure; never one problem with the service.

-Bill
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Fw: [Python-talk] PySIG next week! Pysoy, a multi-threaded 3D game engine for Python

[Bill Sconce]

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:55:34 -0400
From: Bill Sconce <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Python - Live Free or Die <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Python-talk] PySIG next week!  Pysoy, a multi-threaded 3D game engine 
for Python


PySIGManchester, NH27 March 2008

The Game's Afoot
 PySoy -- A Multi-Threaded 3D Game Engine for Python
Presented by Arc Riley



PySIG -- New Hampshire Python Special Interest Group
Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH
27 March 2008 (4th Thursday)   7:00PM

The monthly meeting of PySIG, the NH Python Special Interest Group,
takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 7:00 PM.

A beginners' session precedes, at 6:30 PM.  (Bring a Python question!)
Favorite-gotcha contest, Kent's Korner, and more this month.


 PySoy -- A Multi-Threaded 3D Game Engine for Python
Presented by Arc Riley

"PySoy is a multi-threaded 3d game engine for Python. Its object-
oriented API is designed for rapid game development while speed
critical functions, such as physics processing and rendering, are
implemented in C.

"With the most computation-heavy parts of OpenGL and Physics
processing in C, PySoy remains efficient while offering a high level
object-oriented Python API. The goal is to allow for rapid development
without sacrificing speed or flexibility."
  -- http://www.pysoy.org/
  
Arc says, "[I'll include] a bit about how we've cheated GIL to
allow Python to utilize all cores, the problems we've had doing so,
solutions we've found and are working on, etc.  Then a demo on how
easy Python makes game programing and where this is all going.

"I hope if someone has no interest in game programing they'll still
walk away with some wisdom about Python overall.  PySoy *IS* pretty
unique, AFAIK, in that it does true parallel processing in Python."


---
Kent's Korner:
   urrllib2
   "The urllib2 module defines functions and classes which help in
   opening URLs (mostly HTTP) in a complex world -- basic and digest
   authentication, redirections, cookies and more."
 -- Python library documentation


Plus:
---
o Our usual roundtable of introductions, happenings, announcements

o Gotcha contest
- Got a favorite "gotcha"?  Bring it and share...

And of course, milk & Janet's cookies.
  This month: "Engineers' cookies".
  The JBD Contingency Cookie won't be necessary this month.
  
---
6:30   Beginners' Q&A
7:00   Welcome, Announcements - Bill & Ted & Alex
7:10   Milk & Cookies - TBA & Janet
7:15   Favorite-gotcha contest
7:25   Bill's Cookbook: SciTE tidbits
7:27   Impromptu lightning talk(s) - anyone
7:30   Kent's Korner - urrlib2, presented by Kent Johnson

7:45   Pysoy - presented by Arc Riley

8:30   Open discussion; plans for next time
9:00~  Adjourn

___
About PySIG:
PySIG meetings are typically 10-20 people, around a large table
equipped with a projector and Internet hookups (wired and
wireless).  We encourage laptops and a hands-on seminar style.
The main meeting starts at 7 PM; officially we finish circa 9 PM.  
Everyone is welcome.  ("Membership" is anyone who has an interest
in the Python progamming language, whether on Microsoft systems
or Linux or OS X; or cell phones, mainframes, or space stations.
We have everyone  from object-oriented gurus to recovering COBOL
programmers.)  Tell your friends!

Beginners' session:
The half hour before the formal meeting (i.e., starting at 6:30PM)
we have a beginners' session.  Any Python question is welcome -- 
whoever asks the first question gets the half hour!  Questions are
equally welcome by mail beforehand (in which case we can announce
them) or at the meeting.  (As are all Python questions, anytime.)

Mailing list:
http://www.dlslug.org/mailman/listinfo/python-talk

About Python:
"Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that
can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers 
strong support for integration with other languages and tools, 
comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned
in a few days.  Many Python programmers

[GNHLUG] PySIG next week

[Bill Sconce]

Hello fellow Pythonistas -

Next Thursday is cookie ^h^h, er PySIG night once again.  Specials
are in the works, I'm told.

Agenda to follow.  Rumor has it, CSVs with Ray, maybe, Data Types
redux with Bill (only kidding), debrief on the Presidential primary
recount (Howard still lost), a source for Python podcasts, and
more.

Next Thursday, 2/28, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator.

-Bill
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Re: (Off Topic) Windoze spam and corruption

[Bill Sconce]

On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:50:33 -0500
Alex Hewitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> One item I've found very useful for this is a small cable/USB interface
> you can buy that let's you easily slave the hard drive from a PC and
> perform your scans from a known good system. Here are pointers to one of
> these devices:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812156101
> 
> The small power cube that comes with the cable has enough juice to run
> most 3.5 inch drives although I've found a few that wouldn't spin up.
> You can also just plug in the cable to the drive and leave the power
> connector plugged into the PC that it's running in. You plug the USB end
> of the cable into the PC that you want to do your scanning from.


I picked one of these up at SFD (that is, at GotInk4U, in Nashua).
It was there on the shelf, and looked just too handy for anyone to
be without one.  As indeed it is, as Alex says.  It has proved
invaluable, whether for testing new drives before installing them
in cases or for reading old data off of small drives removed during
a laptop upgrade.

(I like walking in with $$ at a brick-and-mortar store and coming
out with a new toy, too.  :)

-Bill
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