Kexi project

Some days ago I’ve interested in kexi. I was simply looking for something that could replace MS Access, because I’m not using Windows. I didn’t like OpenOffice Base, because combination of java and XML for storing data doesn’t seem to be optimal. Kexi is different, it make heavy use of SQL, it stores everything in tables. So I downloaded Kexi’s source and start playing with it. I already commited two small patches for it. Now I’m looking forward to wrote something bigger for it, like a web form export. See pages.

BTW: I’m going next Tuesday for a two-week scientific camp near Warsaw.

Results

A week ago I went to Sopot for the final stage of Olympics in Informatics ( ble, ble I’m knew that I’m rather monotony). As one of my friends accurately describe: “OI would be a great party if not this problems”. We slept in a Combidata training centre. After each day, we could seen how our programs work with a few tests and what is the exemplary solution. I was a bit angry at myself, because I thought that I hadn’t did especially well. My most silly mistake was allocating memory for string without null. Although my algorithm work well, my program sometimes cause SEGFAULT, because scanf write NULL character to not always mine memory. Anyway, I was quite surprised with result. I’m laureate of III place ;-). Now I’m planning to learn more about practical programming. So you could expect some use{full|less} applications here.

OpenSUSE 10.0

Yesterday, I upgraded my Operating System. My previous OS – SUSE 9.2 was working well, but it was rather old and unsupported (there wasn’t new rpms for it). As I always associate SUSE distro with good hardware recognition, I hoped that I will install it without hassles. But there were 3 problems, 3 more then in 9.2:

• shape of display on my monitor (CRT – Philips 107T5) was a bit strange. I can’t it change using hardware buttons, because i linux share it will windows. So I have to do it in software layer. It took me some time to work it out, but the workaraund is simply. I just set in SaX2 standard Vesa monitor…
• Nvidia driver didn’t work out of box. Moreover, after I installed it, X didn’t boot. Solution: log as root, in console write: “init 3; switch2nv; tiny-nvidia-installer –uninstall; init 5″, then upgrade system using YOU, again as a root: “init 3; /usr/share/doc/nvidia/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-7676-pkg1.run ” (numbers could be different) “switch2nvidia; init 5″. Now you could enjoy 3D acceleration using ut2004-demo
• printer Deskjet 710C doesn’t work, despite it’s recognized. Solution: On OpenSUSE website.

One more tip: consider permission, ownership and groups when you are doing backup -> restore. After I done that I have problems with Opera Mail and KMail. In KMail it was a bit funny, because I could see a list of messages, but after selecting any e-mail subject turned into “No Subject” and sender into “Unknown” and there wasn’t any text inside. Fortunately, giving write access (chmod -R u+w ~/Mail and chmod -R u+w ~/.opera/mail) helped.

Before the final stage

3rd stage of OI is coming soon. It will take place in Sopot (a city on the coast, near Gda?sk and Gdynia). It’s quite far from my home (about 600km direct), so I will go there by train next Monday (27.03.2006). Now, as always, I’m preparing for it. I’m solving problems from websites and I’m looking through IT literature during recent days.

Yet another good information, today I received mail that I qualified for interdisciplinary camp. Rumour says that we will be analysing linux kernel booting process, and try speed it up by placing file blocks in order they are loaded. In the other hand, I hope that the teachers from my high school are not going to kill me, because of the lessons I missed (and going to miss).

I’m planning to do a research work on public transport. Mainly about synchronising bus service and how delays affect timetables. To do this in a nice way I’m learning how to use Qt toolkit to make user interface. I like this library, because it’s intuitive to use and multiplatform.

I will also participate in Polish young parliament contest (the translation of title is awful). at first I didn’t won’t to take part in it, but after teacher read my homework, he convinced my to give it a try. I need to send them essay about dependence between ecology and politics/economy. I would also like to write to another competition about unemployment and its reasons. However, because of lack of the time, I prefer to concentrate on thing that I’m already in.

I also must admit that I’m playing on Warsaw stock market. Of course virtually, because my savings are too small to avoid be eaten by provisions. I now having about 17,5% income before tax, but counting provisions. I get it between end of the September and now (6 months). Quick summary:

• Best investment: Comarch – stocks price almost doubled, since I bought it.
• Worse investment: LPP – stock fall down from 915 to about 690 PLN.

Our politics is like a swamp (like in most of democratic countries, unless your favourite party is in charge). They discuss even about making dependent of our national bank, who control our currency. Because coalition is breaking down, there is a little chance of tax reform and so. What is optimistic, despite lack of law changes, our economic growth is smoothly, 4.5% increase of PKB in the beginning of 2006. It’s good that our companies are making money without looking at politics.