June 2004 - Posts
Wow, I was waiting this moment... today is the official date for the Mono 1.0 release.
Mono 1.0 consists of:
- A cross platform ECMA CLI runtime engine.
- A cross platform IKVM Java runtime engine.
- C# 1.0 compiler.
- Development toolchain.
- Class libraries implementing the .NET 1.1 profile.
- The Gtk# 1.0 GUI programming toolkit.
- Mono specific libraries.
- Third party convenience libraries bundled with the release.
- GNU Classpath for the CLI.
- Visual Basic runtime.
and don't forget the new MonoDevelop 0.5 (wonderful!).
I think the time to install it on my Linux box is coming... 
With the Express Family announce at TechEd Europe, Microsoft has attracted the attention of all the developers community (Pro MS and not).
This is an important fact on the Microsoft strategy... with these family of products, MS can attract the attention also from little developers that maybe wants to start building application for the MS world but that cannot build their personal MSDN license because it's too expensive (I'm thinking about students, hobbists or people who like programming in general).
If this product will be free (like SQL Server Express 2005) or with a sensible low cost (I hope lots about 100$) the Express Family will be a great success. Not only the normal MS developer could be attracted by this family of products, but expecially the hobbist that, at the actual moment, could be oriented to other "worlds" (such as pirated software or open source).
I think also that the Express could have a side effect... someone could start his experience on the development world with an Express product, improve his experience with a low cost and, in a second time, start thinking to do more seriously and pass to Visual Studio 2005. If this people was forced to start his development experience with VS2005, maybe he never started this.
MS, this is the right road... keep the price to a sensible low level and the success will be sure!
.NET Framework Language Packs contain translated text, such as error messages, for languages other than English. Installation of a language pack is not required to run .NET Framework applications on a non-English operating system; however, it is recommended. Multiple language packs, each for a different language, can be installed on a single computer.
My question is: why don't integrate it with the .NET Framework Redistributable Package? Could be useful...
I was reading some blogs about TechEd Europe when, during my surfing, I've see this news (that has nothing to see with TechEd but it's really interesting)...
Accordingly to Winbeta, seems that someone has taken out from Windows XP MCE (Media Centre Edition) 2005 new Royale theme (really cool) and it's now available to install on XP and Windows 2003 machines. I've tryed it with my XP Pro and works really good... I love it! (this is my default theme now)
You can download it from here. Recommended to try... I think you'll like it!
Wonderful... the first Beta of Visual Studio 2005 is out and ready to download... 
In addition, the new Visual Studio 2005 Express Products are also now available to download. The available products are::
Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
Visual C# 2005 Express Edition
Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
Visual J# 2005 Express Edition
Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
Great idea this Express Family... it's a lightweight set of tools for developers that must be seriously evaluated.
Little note on SQL Server 2005 Express Edition:
- Support for XCopy style deployment
- No workload governor
- Support for databases up to 4Gb in size
- Support for up to 50 instances
- Only supports 1 processor
- Only supports 512 Mb of RAM (ERROR: Maximum 1 GB addressable RAM, not 512... sorry!)
Yes, it's out today...
The Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 beta Redistributable Package is the most recent update to the Microsoft .NET Framework and includes everything you need to run applications developed using the .NET Framework.
Wonderful... New Apple 30" Display (2560x1600 pixel resolution)...
Will come the day where could I have one of this?
This is what appears you when you start to install Mozilla Firefox 0.9 under Linux...
Maybe the ghost of Windows is on the air? Wonderful!!
Yesterday I wrote this post on my troubles during the installation of Fedora Core 2 under Virtual PC or VMWare.
Today I've retryed the installation under VMWare that failed yesterday for a X-Server loading error... I've checked the error log reported by the X-Server crash and I've see that the problem is caused by the fact that during the installation under VMWare the depth color is set to 16.
What you've to do to complete the Fedora Core 2 installation under VMWare is this:
- at the login prompt after the X-Server crash, login as root
- use vi (or similar) to edit the X-Server configuration file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf )
- go to the "Screen" section, search the line DefaultDepth 16 and change the value to DefaultDepth 24.
- save the xorg.conf file and restart all (just type reboot). Magically, Fedora Core 2 starts!
Wonderful... now I've my Fedora Core 2 Virtual Machine that runs under my Windows XP.
Just finished to read quickly this article... the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) talking about the recent IE exploits said something like this:
If you want to continue to use the Internet Explorer, we recommend setting the browser's security settings to "high", but that can impair some browsing functions. The best choice is start to consider other browsers that are not affected by the attack, such as Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape and Opera.
All against the little, dear IE... 
Today I was starting to install Fedora Core 2 (Final Release) on my Virtual PC and, after the first boot from the ISO CD, the window that I was praying to never see has appeared me:
"An internal virtual machine error (13) has occurred."
This window appears during the installation process when Anaconda (the fedora installer) attempts to start the X server.
Terrible... I was thinking that Fedora was supported by Virtual PC. I've checked on Google to find solutions to this problem, but seems that Fedora Core 2 (Final) can't be installed under Virtual PC.
Has anyone find the same problem?
On Red Hat's BugZilla I've found these thread about this problem:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=119838
and:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=124251
and reading them seems to be a serious problem.
I think that the VPC team must take the problem in consideration... Fedora Core 2 is a widespread distribution and the impossibility to use it under VPC is frustrating! 
UPDATE: just tryed also to install Fedora Core 2 under VMWare... the installation go to a completion but, when you reboot the virtual machine, there's a problem at the X-server loading. Maybe tomorrow I'll check for it... now I think it's time to turn off my pc!
Only a word... wonderful!!!
Sun's Java Studio Creator is really a powerful product, maybe the product that every Java Developer was waiting for a long time. It's a complete set of products to develop Java applications in a more quick and productive way.
When you start Java Studio Creator, the first think you'll have is "but, it's quite similar to Visual Studio .NET"... yes, the environment is similar to VS.NET, so for a .NET program the usage is not traumatic. In addition, you have the possibility to add skins to the environment, so you can have a complete "clone" of VS.NET for example.
The main parts of the environment are:
- Server Navigator: with this window you can have access to a variety of data sources and services, such as servers, databases (you can create a connection or automatically discover Pointbase, Oracle, MySQL, SQLServer, and Access databases) and Web Services (it provides automatic access to WSDL files located at URLs, in local files, or in UDDI registries) and drag-and-drop it to your application.
- Palette: this is the place where you can find the building block of your application, such as textbox, button, datagrid etc. It's totally customizable and it's really similar to the VS.NET Toolbar.
- Properties: it's like the VS.NET Property Window... All the properties of an object can be set here.
- Portfolio Navigator: this is an interesting tool (but I don't like too much the name assigned!)... this is useful for web applications because provides access to the current components in the Web application as they are added and with it you can copy an existing application root directory outside of the test environment (useful for deployment).
- The Code Window is clear, formats code based on file types (Java, JSP, XML, HTML etc.), with tabbed window, similar to VS.NET.
But for me the most interesting and new feature present on this environment are 2:
- A great feature (that will be present also in the future Visual Studio .NET 2005) is the SQL Query Editor, a tool that helps developers to build database queries rapidly and visually (with drag-amd-drop of tables).
- This is innovative: The DataGrid Customizer window, that helps you to format the visual aspect of your datagrid in a more and intuitive way (visually). Features include autoformat color options, sortable column headings, automatic paging and scrolling, the ability to rename columns to names other than those from the corresponding database tables, the ability to nest buttons, hypertext links.
As you can see from this my "quick" review, the Environment is really similar to VS.NET, and it's also similar the way to create an application. When you start Java Studio Creator, it asks what type of application do you want to create and, after the choice, the environment sets all the necessary project files and you're ready to start.
Really a powerful tool... now working with Java is better!
Interesting also the license mode... Sun will offers the software for an annual subscription of $99. The price includes a perpetual license for the Java Studio Creator tool, product updates and upgrades for one year, access to premium content for one year, and access to Community Support Forums.
Marty Garins has written an interesting and useful macro for performing a Google search from the Visual Studio Environment, by simply press ALT+F1.
A great idea... thanks for the tip Marty!
Resumed as follow:
Warning boxes will be more user friendly, and the default settings for downloading code are automatically set to deny downloads.
When users try to download an attachment, a new text box explains in a more simple way what they need to be aware of. Hitting return will automatically refuse the download (unlike the current default settings).
An add-on control has been installed so that applications will not automatically download upgrades or plug-ins (this is to avoid the actual fact that some applications can automatically download an upgrade or plug-in, and hackers can exploit this).
The pop-up blocker has been changed to allow varying degrees of protection. Now users can choose to allow or disallow pop-up adverts, and also allow pop-ups from trusted sites (a needed feature).
As you can see, security improvements are made... now we must wait this new SP2 and see its impact on users. I'm worried about possible alerts from users that no have the cognition of all this new changes (such as "why my download don't start?", or "why I can't see popup?").
I agree to this petition started by Peter Provost and I want to support it:
I want to start a blog petition. I want everyone who agrees with me to blog the following sentence: Unit Testing support should be included with all versions of Visual Studio 2005 and not just with Team System. Please link or TrackBack to this post so I can keep track of how well this works. |
If you're interested, please do the same... I hope it could be the first success for a Blog petition!
There's a new type of virus discovered in these days that seems to be more dangerous than what initially seems.
The virus uses a novel vector (code in web pages that seems to be an Internet Explorer vulnerability) and when visitors request a web page that includes the malicious graphics, the code automatically downloads itself onto their machines. Once installed, the code unpacks itself, loads a keystroke logger on the PC, forces the machine to contact two IP addresses (located in Russia and in the United States and then downloads some other files to the compromised machine (expecially spamming as the first infections seems to demonstrate).
Spamming atacks are always more sophisticated...
The Gmail effect seems to be positive for all users... after the Yahoo mailbox increase in space, also Hotmail will take the same action: the free space will be 250Mb (+ 10Mb attach limit) and with an annual fee around $19.95 you can have 2Gb of storage + 20Mb attach limit, no expiration date and (important) POP3 access.
Seems also that MSN Premium subscribers will automatically switched to the new 2Gb service.
A great improvement thanks to Gmail...
This news has just appeared under my eyes... if it's true, I think we're on a complete and terrible delirium... 
I report the news as is... no comment!!
Microsoft patents a method to transmit data and power over the human body:
Yesterday Microsoft was granted patent 6,754,472 for "Method and apparatus for transmitting power and data using the human body."
The human body is used as a conductive medium, e.g., a bus, over which power and/or data is distributed. Power is distributed by coupling a power source to the human body via a first set of electrodes. One or more devise to be powered, e.g., peripheral devices, are also coupled to the human body via additional sets of electrodes. The devices may be, e.g., a speaker, display, watch, keyboard, etc. A pulsed DC signal or AC signal may be used as the power source. By using multiple power supply signals of differing frequencies, different devices can be selectively powered. Digital data and/or other information signals, e.g., audio signals, can be modulated on the power signal using frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques.
Terrible!
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services is the new reporting platform provided by Microsoft and now there's available the first Service Pack for them.
Reporting Services SP1 is available to SQL Server 2000 customers free via Web download and includes enhancements that increase functionality, performance and security. Key features of SP1 include support for exporting reports to Excel 97 and 2000, improvements in the PDF rendering extension for pagination and matrix performance, and control over series and data point styles in charts.
The first update for a wonderful project...
The Gmail service is still in beta (works good but I can see that the Gmail server is too often down!) and someone has just written tools for managing the Gmail account...
During a Google search for POP3 interface with Gmail, I've discovered PGtGM, alias Pop Goes the Gmail, that is a program that sits between the http://gmail.com web server and your email client, converting messages from web format into POP3 format that a program such as Outlook Express or Thunderbird can understand.
Nice tool... Now you can read your Gmail messages also with your mail client.
