From joe at begriffs.com Mon Apr 1 22:34:04 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2019 17:34:04 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? Message-ID: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> The first Weds of each month the Livefront company runs a hack night with food and drink provided. How about we go there this week rather than our usual Hack Factory? It's a little earlier: 6-8 pm. https://tchacknight.com From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Mon Apr 1 23:23:06 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2019 18:23:06 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <20190401232306.y5ccdvsevpm23hys@19a6.tech> On Mon, Apr 01, 2019 at 05:34:04PM -0500, Joe Nelson wrote: > The first Weds of each month the Livefront company runs a hack night > with food and drink provided. How about we go there this week rather > than our usual Hack Factory? It's a little earlier: 6-8 pm. > > https://tchacknight.com Sounds great to me. I'm down. From louis at goessling.com Tue Apr 2 00:24:10 2019 From: louis at goessling.com (Louis) Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2019 19:24:10 -0500 Subject: How to bind a key to unicode character? In-Reply-To: <27AF1E45-E0BC-4945-862B-2AE46DBE6225@gmail.com> References: <20190330213048.GA46536@begriffs.com> <20190331055028.GB46536@begriffs.com> <27AF1E45-E0BC-4945-862B-2AE46DBE6225@gmail.com> Message-ID: Wow... XCompose is a very useful tool I should have looked at a while ago! My current but not for long setup is in two parts... one part is a set of scripts that invoke `xmodmap` to remap most of the keyboard. For example, < https://github.com/602p/dotfiles/blob/master/files/i3/set_fullwidth.sh > and unset later by restoring the saved xmodmap-produced file. This has the advantage of not requiring a program restart. They other set are single characters like ? that I might want to type from my normal keyboard mode, which are done very inelegantly via `xdotool`, e.g. < https://github.com/602p/dotfiles/blob/master/files/i3/qmark.sh >. I invoke all of these little scripts from my window manager. Now that Sam has posted his XCompose config, I will probably wipe out the majority of my bindings of the second variety and replace them with XCompose bindings, which are much neater. I was just playing around with this, and to get the compose bindings to work in Firefox/Sublime Text/Electron apps I needed to add the following to my ~/.xinitrc: ``` xmodmap -e "keycode 108 = Multi_key" export GTK_IM_MODULE=xim export QT_IM_MODULE=xim ``` Louis Goessling On Sun, Mar 31, 2019 at 8:50 AM Sam Stuewe wrote: > > Joe, > > Happy to be helpful! > All the best, > > -Sam From nompelis at nobelware.com Tue Apr 2 02:06:44 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 02:06:44 +0000 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190401232306.y5ccdvsevpm23hys@19a6.tech> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190401232306.y5ccdvsevpm23hys@19a6.tech> Message-ID: <20190402020644.GA19921@nobelware.com> The location is so close to my place that I have no excuse to skip, and so I will be there. From erikbpanderson at gmail.com Wed Apr 3 03:55:20 2019 From: erikbpanderson at gmail.com (Erik Anderson) Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 22:55:20 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190402020644.GA19921@nobelware.com> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190401232306.y5ccdvsevpm23hys@19a6.tech> <20190402020644.GA19921@nobelware.com> Message-ID: I'm game! See you all at 6! On Mon, Apr 1, 2019 at 9:06 PM Ioannis Nompelis wrote: > > The location is so close to my place that I have no excuse to skip, and so > I will be there. > From joe at begriffs.com Thu Apr 4 02:51:03 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 21:51:03 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> Hmm, I thought tonight was a mixed success. On one hand we got to see a new place and meet some people. On the other I didn't feel a strong hacking energy. Maybe it's not realistic to think it'll be productive every time, but I do look forward to jumping into something and learning. From nompelis at nobelware.com Thu Apr 4 13:50:47 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2019 13:50:47 +0000 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> Yes, the spirit was more "get to know eachother" and "I am working on this on my own" for the most part. This is not bad at all, and not surprising, given that we jumped into another group's open meetup. I got to meet "harv" who showed up to meet us. I had a chat with the retired gentleman who told us a lot about networking in the 70s among military contractors. I got to glance at the $5 UUCP book that Dave bought. And I saw a robot that was balancing itself with two PID controllers running on an Arduino and using stepper motors, all commanded to walk around from the tilting of an Android phone that was somehow connected to the robot. Sweet! Dave was noticing that our UUCP node had hiccups, which he is trying to resolve. Erik, what were you hacking on that phone? When we have our own meetup, the agenda will be more focused. From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Thu Apr 4 19:12:01 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2019 14:12:01 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> On Thu, Apr 04, 2019 at 01:50:47PM +0000, Ioannis Nompelis wrote: > When we have our own meetup, the agenda will be more focused. I'd love to do something informal Saturday afternoon. I dont have a good suggestion for a location, but downtown will be bad with Final Four stuff. From erikbpanderson at gmail.com Fri Apr 5 04:28:31 2019 From: erikbpanderson at gmail.com (Erik Anderson) Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2019 23:28:31 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> Message-ID: > Erik, what were you hacking on that phone? I was working a little on an elisp wrapper for the Termux API functions (https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Termux:API). Termux makes it trivial to, for example, send an SMS message or use text-to-speech from the shell. I find that functionality in android applications to generally be quite siloed and inaccessible, so it's an effort to build some infrastructure for implementing reusable mobile app -type logic directly in Emacs. > Hmm, I thought tonight was a mixed success. Maybe we could try next time to pull our projects out early and direct conversation towards problem-solving with respect to "next steps" and blockers. > I'd love to do something informal Saturday afternoon. I dont have a good suggestion for a location, but downtown will be bad with Final Four stuff. Nick and I generally meet up in St. Paul on Sunday at Black Dog Cafe in St. Paul. I'd be up for meeting up Saturday, but I'd need to duck out by early afternoon. -Erik. From nompelis at nobelware.com Fri Apr 5 15:10:40 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2019 15:10:40 +0000 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> Message-ID: <20190405151040.GC18656@nobelware.com> > > I was working a little on an elisp wrapper for the Termux API > functions (https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Termux:API). Termux makes it > trivial to, for example, send an SMS message or use text-to-speech > from the shell. I find that functionality in android applications to > generally be quite siloed and inaccessible, so it's an effort to build > some infrastructure for implementing reusable mobile app -type logic > directly in Emacs. > Cool. I still have a soft spot for Emacs (because of the Amige), but I never use it. We need a weblog post for your work when it matures. I cannot meet anytime this weekend; way too may things to do at home. From joe at begriffs.com Fri Apr 5 16:58:55 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2019 11:58:55 -0500 Subject: New place this Wednesday? In-Reply-To: <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> References: <20190401223404.GA80215@begriffs.com> <20190404025103.GA98067@begriffs.com> <20190404135047.GA27134@nobelware.com> <20190404191201.fcyg2kjabjqvt5xg@19a6.tech> Message-ID: <20190405165855.GA5443@begriffs.com> > I'd love to do something informal Saturday afternoon. I would too, except this Saturday I have some family stuff. From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Sun Apr 7 03:28:24 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2019 22:28:24 -0500 Subject: MPLS Digital Makers Message-ID: <20190407032824.nhbfht5mkqvkshp2@19a6.tech> I'm keeping my eye on this group. If they ever hold a meeting, I might go drop some hints about "hacking" at "night". From nompelis at nobelware.com Sun Apr 7 05:53:18 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2019 00:53:18 -0500 Subject: MPLS Digital Makers In-Reply-To: <20190407032824.nhbfht5mkqvkshp2@19a6.tech> References: <20190407032824.nhbfht5mkqvkshp2@19a6.tech> Message-ID: <20190407055318.GA1901@nobelware.com> I looked them up on Meetup. Sounds like the right kind of group. I liked the 1,000 unfinished ideas part... That is me. From nompelis at nobelware.com Tue Apr 9 13:00:08 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2019 13:00:08 +0000 Subject: Hacking iOS SDK versions in Xcode Message-ID: <20190409130008.GA4410@nobelware.com> I know some of you use an iPhone, like I do. Maybe some of you actually try to hack that thing too. For those of you with an interest, I did some learning last Friday, on forcing specific SDK versions (for the iOS but also in general) when compiling with Xcode from the command-line. I used a build-script from Github that does the build work. But there was still the SDK selection beyond the defaults. The hackwork is here: https://nobelware.com/Weblog/weblog.php?entry=20190406 Turns out it pays to have an underlying OS that is a Unix variant. From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Wed Apr 10 19:04:07 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:04:07 -0500 Subject: Meetup tonight? Message-ID: Anyone planning to go to Hack Factory? Unfortunately, I need to stay home and do my taxes. I'm planning to set up INN2 on the UUCP machine. If you know about setting up a news server, or would like to learn, get in touch. From samuel.stuewe at gmail.com Wed Apr 10 19:16:51 2019 From: samuel.stuewe at gmail.com (Sam Stuewe) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:16:51 -0500 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I was actually really hoping to come tonight as I've been unable to join the last few times, but the weather is not looking terribly amenable? ): If several other folks are planning to show, I may try to brave it. All the best, -Sam From erikbpanderson at gmail.com Wed Apr 10 19:44:14 2019 From: erikbpanderson at gmail.com (Erik Anderson) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:44:14 -0500 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: > Anyone planning to go to Hack Factory? Unfortunately, I need to stay home and do my taxes. I'm planning to set up INN2 on the UUCP machine. If you know about setting up a news server, or would like to learn, get in touch. I'm not going to be making the trek either tonight. Stay safe everyone! -Erik. From joe at begriffs.com Wed Apr 10 22:23:52 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:23:52 -0500 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <20190410222352.GA85492@begriffs.com> > If several other folks are planning to show, I may try to brave it. I'll be there, but yeah it may be pretty sparse tonight. :) From nompelis at nobelware.com Wed Apr 10 22:44:46 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 22:44:46 +0000 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: <20190410222352.GA85492@begriffs.com> References: <20190410222352.GA85492@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <20190410224446.GA16924@nobelware.com> "Sparse" can mean more focused work. I will skip, because I am going to go check out some books. It does not look terribly slippery out there on the bike (famous last words). From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Thu Apr 11 00:26:36 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 19:26:36 -0500 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks Message-ID: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> https://why-openbsd.rocks/fact/ -Your friendly neighborhood Reddit gateway From nompelis at nobelware.com Thu Apr 11 16:42:37 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:42:37 +0000 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: <20190410224446.GA16924@nobelware.com> References: <20190410222352.GA85492@begriffs.com> <20190410224446.GA16924@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <20190411164237.GA25531@nobelware.com> How was the meetup? From nompelis at nobelware.com Thu Apr 11 16:47:33 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:47:33 +0000 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> Message-ID: <20190411164733.GC25531@nobelware.com> Some of these are _significant_ differences from Linux -- which I use. And some of them may require that some of us do some research and present to the group, like non-root X server, stack registers, ping randomization... From joe at begriffs.com Fri Apr 12 03:58:18 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 22:58:18 -0500 Subject: Meetup tonight? In-Reply-To: <20190411164237.GA25531@nobelware.com> References: <20190410222352.GA85492@begriffs.com> <20190410224446.GA16924@nobelware.com> <20190411164237.GA25531@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <20190412035818.GA11593@begriffs.com> Ioannis Nompelis wrote: > How was the meetup? It was just me, nobody else went. I worked on more Unicode experiments. Created these: * https://github.com/begriffs/libicu-examples/blob/master/fuzz.c * https://github.com/begriffs/libicu-examples/blob/master/helpers.c From joe at begriffs.com Fri Apr 12 04:08:15 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 23:08:15 -0500 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <20190411164733.GC25531@nobelware.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> <20190411164733.GC25531@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <20190412040815.GB11593@begriffs.com> > Some of these are _significant_ differences from Linux One thing about OpenBSD that doesn't rock is that Valgrind no longer works. Well, I guess it's due to a security thing that kind of does rock called Retguard https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-cvs&m=15282440793191 There is a port of Valgrind to obsd http://ports.su/devel/valgrind but when I run the program it dies and I see this in my system dmesg log: trap [memcheck-amd64-o]93343/358695 type 6: sp 39d8f050 not inside 7f7fffbcb000-7f7ffffca000 That "sp" you see refers to the stack pointer. The kernel detected that Valgrind messed with sp, and put a stop to it. The #openbsd channel on freenode suggested I run Valgrind in Alpine Linux inside a virtual machine for now. If I recall correctly, our shared server doesn't support vmm so I'd have to do that on my obsd laptop. Or just use my mac. From salo at saloits.com Fri Apr 12 06:55:19 2019 From: salo at saloits.com (Timothy J. Salo) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2019 01:55:19 -0500 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> Message-ID: <1bd68988-7cd2-e8ae-12b6-0ee80de9d97b@saloits.com> On 4/10/2019 7:26 PM, Dave Bucklin wrote: > https://why-openbsd.rocks/fact/ As far as I can tell, this is simply a list Open BSD features, not a list of reasons to run Open BSD rather than Linux. I ran FreeBSD for a number of years, perhaps 20-25 years ago. And, it was rock solid - I don't think I ever needed to reboot it between power outages. It was much more stable that Linux was at the time. But, the world has changed in the last quarter-century. I ran FreeBSD because that is were researchers generally implemented new networking features. But, over time, FreeBSD began to lag behind Linux in implementing new networking technologies. It appeared that the FreeBSD developer community simply wasn't large enough to keep up with those developing Linux. So, why in 2019 should I consider running Open BSD or FreeBSD, rather than Linux? -tjs From nompelis at nobelware.com Fri Apr 12 14:41:53 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2019 14:41:53 +0000 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <20190412040815.GB11593@begriffs.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> <20190411164733.GC25531@nobelware.com> <20190412040815.GB11593@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <20190412144153.GA8328@nobelware.com> > > One thing about OpenBSD that doesn't rock is that Valgrind no longer > works. Well, I guess it's due to a security thing that kind of does rock > called Retguard https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-cvs&m=15282440793191 > I think I will need to know more on the subject. As in, can somebody give us a short presentation or make a weblog post on the function of modifying the stack (utility), the perils to go with it (from a security perspective in particular), and educate me? Is this a potential subject of discussion and demonstration at a meetup? I have used Valgrind on several occasions. The umbrella subject of monitored execution interets me (I spoke to Dave about something like this), and it is a dman shame I do not have the time to go down that rabbithole right now. > The #openbsd channel on freenode suggested I run Valgrind in Alpine > Linux inside a virtual machine for now. If I recall correctly, our > shared server doesn't support vmm so I'd have to do that on my obsd > laptop. Or just use my mac. Our OpenBSD does not like over-virtualization (probably by design of the VPS hosting entity, but I could be wrong). Our UUCP node is Linux Debian, and you can hack on that thing all you want. (Note to self to see if that one allows for over-virtualization.) From nompelis at nobelware.com Fri Apr 12 14:49:58 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2019 14:49:58 +0000 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <1bd68988-7cd2-e8ae-12b6-0ee80de9d97b@saloits.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> <1bd68988-7cd2-e8ae-12b6-0ee80de9d97b@saloits.com> Message-ID: <20190412144958.GB8328@nobelware.com> Tim, I am completely with you on this, and as you know, I am a 25+ year fanatic of Linux. > > So, why in 2019 should I consider running Open BSD or FreeBSD, rather > than Linux? > In 1998, a graduate of the UMN CS department was telling me (over several bottles of wine and some Scotch) how FreeBSD's greatest advantage, and the reason why he liked it so much, was that there was a sole distribution point for it. I believe this is still the case. I found that having run NetBSD/FreeBSD and Linux on several platforms (even on the Amiga) and now having experienced OpenBSD, I have a broader view of the proper function and utility, as well as the problems, that come with choices made in designing an operating system. And lastly, I have a much much better appreciation for standardization and an eye for what sticks to a POSIX standard, etc. Final thought: use multiple OSs because you will learn a lot. From hello at robertdherb.com Fri Apr 12 21:52:10 2019 From: hello at robertdherb.com (Robbie D.) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:52:10 -0500 Subject: Why Open BSD Rocks In-Reply-To: <20190412144958.GB8328@nobelware.com> References: <81D3E519-C47A-44B9-8D85-219E212D125D@gmail.com> <1bd68988-7cd2-e8ae-12b6-0ee80de9d97b@saloits.com> <20190412144958.GB8328@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <506E2B93-4DAC-4F6A-BAD0-CD37D6C93AA3@robertdherb.com> I like OBSD because it's simple and stable. Things don't change much, unlike the constantly evolving world of Linux. This can be a negative, and there are plenty of times I have had to use Linux because what I wanted to do just wasn't an option in the BSD world. But for the most part, I can configure something, and leave it sitting for years, continuing to get security updates without worrying too much about something breaking. Additionally, there have been some security issues that have popped up lately (like Spectre) that the OpenBSD devs saw years in advance. Watching the OpenBSD mailing lists has been very interesting for me. Why should YOU use Open/FreeBSD, though? Well, only you can answer that. If you don't already have a good reason, you should probably just keep using Linux, because Linux is good, too. BSD is just a different OS. It doesn't have to necessarily be better. On April 12, 2019 9:49:58 AM CDT, Ioannis Nompelis wrote: >Tim, I am completely with you on this, and as you know, I am a 25+ year >fanatic of Linux. > >> >> So, why in 2019 should I consider running Open BSD or FreeBSD, rather >> than Linux? >> > >In 1998, a graduate of the UMN CS department was telling me (over >several >bottles of wine and some Scotch) how FreeBSD's greatest advantage, and >the >reason why he liked it so much, was that there was a sole distribution >point >for it. I believe this is still the case. > >I found that having run NetBSD/FreeBSD and Linux on several platforms >(even >on the Amiga) and now having experienced OpenBSD, I have a broader view >of >the proper function and utility, as well as the problems, that come >with >choices made in designing an operating system. And lastly, I have a >much much >better appreciation for standardization and an eye for what sticks to a >POSIX >standard, etc. > >Final thought: use multiple OSs because you will learn a lot. From nompelis at nobelware.com Thu Apr 18 15:49:02 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2019 15:49:02 +0000 Subject: IGDA event this Wednesday (4/24) Message-ID: <20190418154902.GA13380@nobelware.com> I know Wednesdays are hack-nights at the hack Factory or similar venue. I wanted to offer an alternative for those who want to see something a little different from our (thriving) local scene. I will be attending the IGDA meeting at Space150 (downtown Mpls). It tends to be less technical, "lightning" like for the most part, and it is a good place to find out who is doing what in town -- and I made some good connections there. This time the MN VR and HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) groups have: HP Reverb - Dan Schneider | HPThe new HP Reverb headset features upgraded lenses, ergonomics, FOV, and 2160 x 2160 per eye (full RGB stripe) for great clarity on text and detailed objects. Try it ahead of the 4/26 launch. Vapor Run VR - Pixel Farm VRVapor Run is a car-drifting, alien-blasting homage to the retro-futuristic video games and synthwave music scene of the 1980s. Demoing on a Playseat racing seat setup and a Rift. FireZone - RJ WhiteClassic team-based FPS gameplay on 6 or 8 Oculus Go's. New demos - Team Zero | Ingersoll RandTry our latest VR trade show experiences, featuring an upgraded 3rd-person view for spectators. Demoing on Vive Pro. Ravenclaw Common Room VR - Colin Cody-WatersA fan-made demo project that lets you cast an assortment of spells (using your voice), interact with magical objects, and relax in the high tower of Hogwarts castle. Automaza - Nate Yourchuck Automaza is a logic-based puzzle game for VR. Demoing on Pimax 8K. Grandmother's Porch - Luke PiersonAfter moving in to assisted living, my grandma said she missed her porch in Brooklyn Park. So, I rebuilt it for her - in VR! I used Oculus Go and LWRP-VR. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mn-vr-and-hci-apr-2019-vr-demos-tickets-60316199376?ref=enivtefor001&invite=MTYzMTk5MjAvbm9tcGVsaXNAdW1uLmVkdS8w%0A&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&utm_term=eventpage It is "SOLD OUT" but I will try to go there and stand around. From nompelis at nobelware.com Mon Apr 22 15:37:52 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:37:52 +0000 Subject: PBS piece on "Chinese Hacking" Message-ID: <20190422153752.GB27576@nobelware.com> I was sent this link by a friend: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/chinese-hacking-steals-billions-u-s-businesses-turn-a-blind-eye/ (I think any hacker group with the slightest inclination on network security would like to read this piece.) My VPS has being getting probed from China ever since I was setup, over a decade ago. I do not know what people do to have a coordinated effort in banning IPs that come from mallicious places (like "Spamhaus" does for email), but if anyone has any info to ofrer, I welcome it. I am sure tools do exist. Perhaps we can test them out. From salo at saloits.com Mon Apr 22 18:39:45 2019 From: salo at saloits.com (Timothy J. Salo) Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2019 13:39:45 -0500 Subject: PBS piece on "Chinese Hacking" In-Reply-To: <20190422153752.GB27576@nobelware.com> References: <20190422153752.GB27576@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <547bd3c2-ee21-cfec-b392-0dcdeaf58c93@saloits.com> On 4/22/2019 10:37 AM, Ioannis Nompelis wrote: > I was sent this link by a friend: > > https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/chinese-hacking-steals-billions-u-s-businesses-turn-a-blind-eye/ It is an interesting story. China has been particularly aggressive in this arena, but they certainly haven't been alone. In my view, some of their biggest wins have been enabled by gross incompetence on the part of the victim. How on earth could the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) let the Chinese (apparently) walk off with the personnel records for 21.5 million government employees, contractors and retirees? Hint: political appointees and chronic under-funding of cybersecurity. > (I think any hacker group with the slightest inclination on network security > would like to read this piece.) This is a good article. But, there are probably better ones. I would start with: o The Snowden papers, which offer insight into the sophistication of modern state-level hacking efforts o The OPM hack, to emphasize the cost of not taking cypersecurity seriously o The Sony hack, for an example of the damage a technologically fairly backwards country can do to an organization that doesn't take cybersecurity seriously. o The Target hack, again an example of an organization that didn't take IT or cybersecurity very seriously (at the time, the Target CIO was a marketing person). I used Target for lots of examples when I was teaching a networking class, and later when I taught a operating system class. By the way, the key technology for the Target hack was some software that could be purchased off the dark net for a few thousand dollars. o Brian Krebs, . By the way, Brian Krebs first publicized the Target hack. His blog posts on the Target hack, and some of the comments, are very good. As are the rest of his blog entries. o Bruce Schneier, . If you ever have a chance, go listen to him. By the way, I think he might live in the area, or at least used to. o Ars Technica, . I think this may be the best online tech publication. And, it has the best online comments (except maybe for the New York Times). I often avoid reading Ars Technica, because it takes too long to read all of the comments. > My VPS has being getting probed from China ever since I was setup, over a > decade ago. I do not know what people do to have a coordinated effort in > banning IPs that come from mallicious places (like "Spamhaus" does for email), > but if anyone has any info to ofrer, I welcome it. I am sure tools do exist. > Perhaps we can test them out. The idea of a black hole list for malicious activity gets proposed now and then. The problem is that many, (probably most), of the machines that are doing the hacking are controlled by hackers, not the owners. This is one of the reasons that attribution is hard. SANS has a list of the most active malicious IP addresses. From time to time, someone proposes that ISPs ought to be responsible identifying and correcting and/or isolating hacked machines on their networks. This idea has never gone anywhere. Be sure and read the SANS Survival Time webpage, . Every IP address in the universe is subject to continuous attacks. Most of us don't see these attacks, because our hosts are typically behind firewalls, and because we don't religiously read our log files. According to the SANS webpage, an unpatched host would last less than a minute, connected directly to the Internet. (Actually, the details are somewhat more nuanced: read the Survival Time webpage for details.) -tjs From nompelis at nobelware.com Mon Apr 22 18:51:14 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2019 18:51:14 +0000 Subject: PBS piece on "Chinese Hacking" In-Reply-To: <547bd3c2-ee21-cfec-b392-0dcdeaf58c93@saloits.com> References: <20190422153752.GB27576@nobelware.com> <547bd3c2-ee21-cfec-b392-0dcdeaf58c93@saloits.com> Message-ID: <20190422185114.GA3154@nobelware.com> Thanks Tim. Great links and insight. I follow Schneier. In all honesty, I would rather not have my ISP filter much, for obvious reasons. That is where a centralized, concensous-bsaed database would be very handy. From nompelis at nobelware.com Tue Apr 23 16:54:33 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:54:33 +0000 Subject: PBS piece on "Chinese Hacking" In-Reply-To: <20190422185114.GA3154@nobelware.com> References: <20190422153752.GB27576@nobelware.com> <547bd3c2-ee21-cfec-b392-0dcdeaf58c93@saloits.com> <20190422185114.GA3154@nobelware.com> Message-ID: <20190423165433.GA25876@nobelware.com> One link I received that is mildly related to the topic here: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/ic3-releases-2018-internet-crime-report-042219 The trend is beyond alarming. #MeThinks From joe at begriffs.com Wed Apr 24 19:43:19 2019 From: joe at begriffs.com (Joe Nelson) Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:43:19 -0500 Subject: Skipping the meeting tonight; notes about C meetup group Message-ID: <20190424194319.GA81228@begriffs.com> Hey I'm coming up on a deadline at work and I think I better skip our meeting tonight. Also next week Weds I'll be out of town. Have fun without me, wish I could be there. Also, I stepped up to organize the local C meetup [0]. Any ideas where to host it? The group has been meeting in a library in the suburbs, but I'd like to line up space at a business downtown to make it more convenient. Also, any ideas for talks? Topics you're curious about or would like to present? 0: https://www.meetup.com/TwinCities-C-Meetup/ From nompelis at nobelware.com Thu Apr 25 12:47:19 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:47:19 +0000 Subject: Stack Overflow 2019 survey results Message-ID: <20190425124719.GA2858@nobelware.com> I had not seen their survey until now. I love data, and this is good stuff. Not sure on the bias there, but I visit Stack Overflow often, and it is very popular. https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019 From eric at faehnri.ch Sun Apr 28 12:55:36 2019 From: eric at faehnri.ch (Eric Faehnrich) Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2019 08:55:36 -0400 Subject: Skipping the meeting tonight; notes about C meetup group In-Reply-To: <20190424194319.GA81228@begriffs.com> References: <20190424194319.GA81228@begriffs.com> Message-ID: <9c86b17b-3d98-21a8-03f4-755d0d537518@faehnri.ch> I'd love to come to these hack nights and C meetups, but I am not a local. Any tips on starting these? I'm a member of a small hackerspace, I could just post I'm working on some C project, see if others join. I did start a low-level programming meetup some time ago, that just didn't work out. -Eric From dave.bucklin at gmail.com Sun Apr 28 22:24:32 2019 From: dave.bucklin at gmail.com (Dave Bucklin) Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2019 17:24:32 -0500 Subject: Skipping the meeting tonight; notes about C meetup group In-Reply-To: <9c86b17b-3d98-21a8-03f4-755d0d537518@faehnri.ch> References: <20190424194319.GA81228@begriffs.com> <9c86b17b-3d98-21a8-03f4-755d0d537518@faehnri.ch> Message-ID: <20190428222432.rowux4neql23edrg@19a6.tech> On Sun, Apr 28, 2019 at 08:55:36AM -0400, Eric Faehnrich wrote: > I'd love to come to these hack nights and C meetups, but I am not a local. > > Any tips on starting these? I'm a member of a small hackerspace, I could > just post I'm working on some C project, see if others join. > > I did start a low-level programming meetup some time ago, that just > didn't work out. I think it's really hard to get something like that going. I think you need to identify why people go to these things and address as many of those needs as you can. Maybe some people go to make new friends, or to find a job, or to actually learn about the topic. I think you need to show how you will address all of those needs. Asking someone to change their schedule to come to a meetup is not a small thing. You're competing with all the other things they could be doing, like going home and watching TV or spending time with their family. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. You should, but just understand what you are up against and don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out. The reason I'm on this list is that Joe sent me an email out of the blue one day. He found my blog and thought I would be interested in the meetup. I can't be the only person that got an email from Joe. He did a lot of research and, as we say in the biz, targeted marketing. I'm glad he did. From nompelis at nobelware.com Mon Apr 29 19:16:38 2019 From: nompelis at nobelware.com (Ioannis Nompelis) Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2019 19:16:38 +0000 Subject: Skipping the meeting tonight; notes about C meetup group In-Reply-To: <20190428222432.rowux4neql23edrg@19a6.tech> References: <20190424194319.GA81228@begriffs.com> <9c86b17b-3d98-21a8-03f4-755d0d537518@faehnri.ch> <20190428222432.rowux4neql23edrg@19a6.tech> Message-ID: <20190429191638.GA12297@nobelware.com> What Dave said, exactly. I know the urge to build something up, like a _local_ community with similar interests, seems very appealing at first thought. But all of what dave has mentioned starts to thin out the initial pack, enthusiasm slows, and you can easily get discouraged. I also think you should not get discouraged. But in 2019, there are clever ways to participate in such things from a distance. We have a VPS, to which we allow access via SSH keys for people that we have met in person (for obvious reasons). We collaborate and do paired programming using that. We also run a mumble server so that we can even do voice chatting while pair-programming with "tmux" or similar. We also chat on IRC. And it turns out this is fun. My advise is to let us knwo in advance that you will be "mumbling" with us at our meetup, and let the rest take its natural path. Which reminds me, chances are very good I will be able to do shack-stuff on Wednesday night. Maybe we can check on our UUCP server, check out the Unicode tools Joe has been building (i have an interest), work on our website (overdue), or just chat.