=^.^=

Installing Cordova (formerly PhoneGap) with Android SDK on Gentoo

karma

Apache Cordova is an open source framework for rapidly generating mobile apps from HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. At present, Cordova supports 7 mobile platforms with plans to expand. Since it uses core web design languages Cordova allows web developers to become mobile phone app developers without having to learn Java, C++ or the proprietary APIs of each platform.

This write-up covers the installation steps listed but not expanded on at the top of Apache Cordova API Documentation: Getting Started with Android.

To get started using Cordova on Gentoo we must first install Eclipse:

# emerge eclipse-sdk --ask

 * IMPORTANT: 9 news items need reading for repository 'gentoo'.
 * Use eselect news to read news items.

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!

!!! All ebuilds that could satisfy "eclipse-sdk" have been masked.
!!! One of the following masked packages is required to complete your request:
- dev-util/eclipse-sdk-3.5.1-r1::gentoo (masked by: package.mask)
/usr/portage/profiles/package.mask:
# Ralph Sennhauser <[email protected]> (18 Jul 2012)
# Unmaintained, multiple vulnarabilities. #351626
# A more recent source build maintained by the community is available in the
# seden overlay. A more recent binary is available in the java-overlay.
Which is not going to be as easy as I had hoped. Emerge layman:
# emerge layman --ask

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!
[ebuild  N     ] app-portage/layman-1.4.2-r3  USE="-bazaar -cvs -darcs -git -mercurial -subversion -test"

Once layman has been installed add the following to your make.conf:

source "/var/lib/layman/make.conf"

Java-overlay uses subversion and seden uses git; you may also want to enable the mercurial USE flag if you plan on using other overlays. We're going to use the java-overlay since when it comes to java binary and source-compiled doesn't really make a difference (other than a lot of time).

# layman -a java-overlay
...

You may need to add eclipse-sdk-bin to package.keywords before it can be emerged:

# echo "dev-util/eclipse-sdk-bin" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords

Now install the package:

# emerge eclipse-sdk-bin

Now we need to install the :

$ wget http://dl.google.com/android/android-sdk_r20.0.3-linux.tgz
$ tar xvf android-sdk_r20.0.3-linux.tgz
$ android-sdk-linux/tools/android

Running "android" from the command line in the tools directory will bring up the Android SDK Manager in X windows. Select any additional packages you would like to install and hit the Install button.

Now we'll download the latest version of the Android Development Tools plugin for eclipse at http://developer.android.com/tools/sdk/eclipse-adt.html. Start eclipse:

$ eclipse-bin-4.2

Now follow the installation guide at http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/installing-adt.html:

  1. Start Eclipse, then select Help > Install New Software.
  2. Click Add, in the top-right corner.
  3. In the Add Repository dialog that appears, enter "ADT Plugin" for the Name and the following URL for the Location:

    https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

  4. Click OK.

    If you have trouble acquiring the plugin, try using "http" in the Location URL, instead of "https" (https is preferred for security reasons).

  5. In the Available Software dialog, select the checkbox next to Developer Tools and click Next.
  6. In the next window, you'll see a list of the tools to be downloaded. Click Next.
  7. Read and accept the license agreements, then click Finish.

    If you get a security warning saying that the authenticity or validity of the software can't be established, click OK.

  8. When the installation completes, restart Eclipse.

After restarting Eclipse you will be presented with the Welcome to Android Development dialogue, install the new SDK, and optionally 2.2. You are now ready to proceed with the rest of the Getting Started guide.

Documentary for Dinner: BBC Panorama: The War Party (2003)

karma

Back when the word "neoconservative" was still gaining household status, Panorama investigated the motives and means of the rising stars in American politics.

Documentary for Dinner: Vice: North Korean Film Madness (2012)

karma

In a look back at Vice's widely popular The Vice Guide to North Korea, never before seen footage is used to tell the story of the North Korean "film industry."

Documentary for Dinner: Ancient Aliens Debunked (2012)

karma

A superbly researched and liberally foot-noted deconstruction of The History Channel's fraudulent, pseudo-intellectual masturbation serial Ancient Aliens.

Intro ( 0:00 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/124-2/
Puma Punku ( 3:38 ) or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/puma-punku/
The Pyramids ( 22:41 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/the-pyramids/
Baalbek, ( 37:40 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/baalbek/
Incan sites ( 55:33 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/incan-sites/
Easter Island ( 1:01:33 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/easter-island/
Pacal's rocket ( 1:05:36 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/pacals-rocket/
The Nazca Lines ( 1:13:10 ) Or
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/nazca-lines/
Tolima "fighter jets ( 1:21:16 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/tolima-fighter-jets/
Egyptian "light bulb" ( 1:27:01 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/112-2/
Ufo's in ancient art ( 1:36:08 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/ufos-in-ancient-art/
The crystal skulls ( 1:46:38 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/crystal-skulls/
Ezekiel's Wheel ( 1:58:17 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/ezekiels-wheels/
Ancient nuclear warfare ( 2:11:16 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/ancient-nuclear-w...
Vimana's ( 2:20:50 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/vimanas/
Anunnaki ( 2:32:52 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/anunnaki/
Nephilim ( 2:54:37 )
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/nephilim/
Conclusion ( 3:07:10
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/misc-and-conclusion/

My Custom BKN WASD Mechanical Keyboard

karma

My blank Das Keyboard Model S has pretty much had its last run. Purchased last March, it had seen the last of my days as a smoker and consequentially the switches have become a little gummy. Now that everyone and their uncle has a blank keyboard I pondered what would have the same level of bad-assery while being unique. Thanks to WASD Keyboards' custom laser etching and engraving it's now easy and affordable for anyone to design their own keycaps and it didn't take me very long to think of using bar codes.

WASD lets you choose from a selection of mechanical Cherry MX switches; I stuck with the Blues because they're what I know and love. You also get to choose from a range of keycap colours; using their flash-based keyboard designer it's easy to mix and match to get your ideal colour coding. The etched (contrasting colour) or engraved (indented) design can also be done in the flash designer but for full customization PDFs, Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw documents based on provided templates are accepted. This is the route I would have to take to get bar codes.

Not knowing anything about Illustrator before diving in, my alignments are a little off in some places but not to the point where it's noticeable. To make things go swiftly I used a font rather than generating individual bar codes for each key. Since Code 128 requires start, stop and check characters (which would take up far too much space on many keys) none of these bar codes are scannable with a bar code reader but the font does create valid individual character codes. Ideally, characters should be converted to objects before submission but being useless with Illustrator I submitted the font in my order comments and the staff were kind enough to play along and install it. You can grab your copy at http://k-fox.net/code128.ttf

Much to my surprise my order was already being worked on the evening it was submitted and it shipped two days later. That's some seriously fast turnaround for any sort of custom order. The keyboard itself is built like a tank and I'm overjoyed at the feel of my fresh, clean Cherry Blues!

Great job, WASD - you've landed a repeat customer.