A few days ago I had to scan a paper certificate to send it in a digital form. The paper certificate had 3 pages which I promptly scanned into 3 separate PDFs as the required format was PDF.
Then came the hard part, I could only submit 1 file which meant that had to concatenate all 3 original files. Of course that for this I could use some kind of PDF tool (such as acrobat writer), but as any respected Linux user the way forward was to use “the shell”…
So, the solution was to use Ghostscript. The tool is able to “print” a sequence of files into a unique PDF file. Just use it as follows:
Yesterday was not an excelent day! The best way to describe it is an expression that I learn a few days ago.
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again
(BOHICA) An utterance of frustration by computer support personnel who anticipate being told (usually via phone) to do something that can't be done, by a boss who doesn't know his ass from deep center field about what he's asking his minions to do.
The actual event went well (it wasn’t wonderful, but it went well) and the final result was as expected, but the feeling before (and during) the discussion is very well described by BOHICA.
After using a tool on a daily basis for a while I start to (as most of the people) know very specific details about that tool. But there is always some specific features that simply are not used because they are forgotten …
I always defend that peole should not be forced to know anything by heart, and so, I am a huge fan of having a quick reference card for this or the other tool currently in use. Currently, hanging in the wall being me is the GDB reference card, and soon also the CVS reference card.
I’m also a very strong supporter of the “RTFM” approach… the linux man command is one of my favorite linux command.
The title might make the reader to think this is one of many posts that appear in this time of the year in blogs all around the blogosphere. Excuse me, but this is not the case… I’m not saying good-bye, trading the workplace with some tropical paradise to spend a well deserved vacation. I will, eventually!…
This post is about how I saw my vacation delayed yet another week. Yep! The costumer asked to get the delivery before the end of the month… So, first deliver the product, then and only then, vacations…
Now, more than ever, I think that I started sprinting the marathon a few months ago, and it’s still going…
I use and suggest to everyone a tool framework called Valgrind. Valgrind’s tool suite include very powerful debugging and profiling tools, essential to the development of any C/C++ project. In sum, I strongly recommend it use!
This post is not about any tip or trick on how to use Valgrind. It’s about a more trivial matter… Is about the name ‘Valgrind’, and it’s origins. During the last week I discussed with a colleague it’s origins. I was arguing that the name Valgring was some kind of short to “value grinder”. I now admit: “I was work!”… but very, very, dead Wrong! My colleague was dead On!
In fact, it took no more than 10 minutes to find the Valgrind FAQ, and another minute to find the answer from the authors themselves:
Where does the name “Valgrind” come from?
From Nordic mythology. Originally (before release) the project was named Heimdall, after the watchman of the Nordic gods. He could “see a hundred miles by day or night, hear the grass growing, see the wool growing on a sheep’s back” (etc). This would have been a great name, but it was already taken by a security package “Heimdal”.
Keeping with the Nordic theme, Valgrind was chosen. Valgrind is the name of the main entrance to Valhalla (the Hall of the Chosen Slain in Asgard). Over this entrance there resides a wolf and over it there is the head of a boar and on it perches a huge eagle, whose eyes can see to the far regions of the nine worlds. Only those judged worthy by the guardians are allowed to pass through Valgrind. All others are refused entrance.
It’s not short for “value grinder”, although that’s not a bad guess.
The last phrase says it all. The authors even read my mind, or someone else has had the same crazy idea before!!
I usually use my own car to travel to work everyday. Unfortunately, the public transportation (the BUS, or as called in the province of this small Portugal, “carreira”) near my home is quite scarce, and I only tend to use them when strictly necessary. On the other side, I some times use the car to travel half the way and them take the train the rest of the way.
The last option has a lot of benefits. The first benefit is related with the smaller carbon footprint os using the train (instead of diesel “tank”*). Secondly, this kind of travelling provides with much more time for reading. And I love reading…
So, with don’t I use the train every single day? Because it takes me almost one hour a day more than when using the car.
* “tank” is the caring name I use to refer to my sweet old car!
Yesterday, I took my camera to the company and just keep pressing the little round button on top of it!
It was a long time ago I did it, and it felt as very good. I’ll have to do it more often… I’m actually considering to trade my lunch for a simple sandwich, and use my lunch hour to take some pictures around Parque das Nações. I bet the place has same great spot to take some quality pictures!
The photo on the right was one of many I took during the journey…
The subject is the escalators that provide access to the train platform. I was down stairs shooting “in the dark” and upstairs the sun was too strong…
