Roll-your-own git push-to-deploy, and markdown support

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Today I added support for development of za3k.com using git:

# !/bin/sh
# /git/bare-repos/za3k.com/hooks/post-update
cd ~za3k/public_html
env -i git pull
echo "Deployed za3k.com"

and markdown support, via a cgi markdown wrapper someone wrote for apache (yes, I’m still using Apache).

Edit: I ended up wanting support for tables in markdown, so I used Ruby‘s redcarpet markdown gem (the same thing Github uses, supports this style of tables as well as code blocks).

CGI support via http://blog.tonns.org/2013/10/enabling-markdown-on-your-apache.html

Screen and Tmux IDEs

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I don’t usually like IDEs. They’re hard to switch off of, they do too much. They don’t let me customize things, and I always have to use external tools anyway. I’d really rather do things with a bunch of small tools, the linux way. The problem is, if I close everything, I’ll have trouble getting started back up again. Saving state is one solution. Quick start-up is another. Basically, write a checklist for myself to make starting things up easy (open such-and-such files in the editor, start the server in debug mode, etc).

But we’re programmers, so obviously we’re not going to use a literal checklist. Instead, we’re going to write a little script to auto-start things in a new screen session:

#!/usr/bin/screen -c
# game_development.screen.conf
# Run stand-alone or with screen -c game_devel.screen.conf
screen -t "Vim" 2 bash -c "vim -p *.t"
bind "r" screen -t "Game" 2 bash run.sh

Or if you prefer tmux:

# game_development.tmux.conf
# Run with tmux -f game_development.tmux.conf attach
new-session -s game_development
new-window -n "Vim" "bash -c 'vim -p *.t'"
bind r new-window -n "Game" "bash run.sh"

Note the main features being used: a shebang line hack for screen, to let this file be self-contained and executable. Opening files in vim in place of a text editor. Binding keys for unit tests, running the program, restarting the server, etc. Now, a similar approach is to add new key bindings to the text editor, but I feel like text editors should edit text, and I like being able to document all the additions with help menus (which screen and tmux both support).

Note: ratpoison is similar to screen/tmux so you can do similar things in X.

One thing I’d love is if this kind of file was easy to dump from the current state, especially for things like positioning windows, etc. A little assistance is available, but not too much. Ratpoison and tmux let you dump sizing information. Nothing outputs keybindings or a list of running programs with their windows.

There is a program called tmuxinator to let you write the same config in nested YAML of sessions, panes, and windows, which might appeal to some users.

Also, check out dtach if you don’t need panes and windows, and just want a detachable process.

KISS vs DRY

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The best practice or goal emphasized above with respect to templates and views is KISS and DRY. As long as the implementation does not become overly complex and difficult to grok, keep the template code DRY, otherwise KISS principle overrides the need to have template code that does not repeat itself.

–Vertebrae Framework

A nice illustration of conflicting positive principles and resolution.

moreorcs.com

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orc

My newest site: http://moreorcs.com/

The site generates orc-themed emails for you, which you can get emailed at (completely insecurely, it’s just a web address at mailinator to see the content). Please check out mailinator’s site, it’s a really neat project.

Some samples:

  • the last small poop orc (thelastsmallpooporc@moreorcs.com)
  • poop gross green blood thirsty orc
  • 49 cross-eyed slightly intimidating poop dumb orcs
  • the last slightly intimidating orc
  • quite a lot of slightly intimidating small orcs
  • 73 slightly intimidating small pretty orcs
  • smelly orc
  • a few orcs
  • lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of orcs

Money orders

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A postal money order

A postal money order

Allow me to introduce you all to the postal money order. For $1.50, you can get the equivalent of a cashier’s check from the post office. It can only be cashed by whoever you make it out to, and it’s basically accepted as cash by every corporation. You can also just give someone a blank one, although that’s riskier to carry around for the obvious reasons.

I was tired of checks bouncing. I can’t be bothered to make sure my account remains such-and-such, which means it happens sometimes, especially times like now when I’m poor. So I asked my landlord if I could pay by money order–he’d never heard of them before, but seemed okay with it when I explained (he’s a really good guy!).

I went down to the bank and got out $2750, and headed to the post office. I asked for 9 money orders, each for $303. The postal worker really only made a couple funny faces about me being weird, although my friend said she was pretty loud about my walking out with that much cash-equivalent, it went pretty well. And I immediately endorsed all the money orders so now they can lie around the hose safely.

Also, they come with attachable receipts (shown in the picture) in case you lose the check and need a replacement, so that’s nice.