My latest photos on flickr

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Xmms on Solaris 10/11


Like every music lover I really missed my Maiden, Metallica, and Pantera tracks while I was on Solaris. One simple way to get xmms is to download it from blastwave.org. I wasnt too happy with blastwave.org cause they install many libraries that are already present on my box. So the only option left was to use java media player or totem that come by default on Solaris 11, or compile my fav player XMMS. I chose the latter. It turned out to be a very simple affair.
* Download sources from xmms.org [or direct link]
* Put gcc, make in the path (Can be found in these locations /usr/sfw/bin/gcc and /usr/ccs/bin/make)
* Unzip and untar. Change directory to xmms-.
* Run configure with no options.
* Add this ( -I/usr/X11/include )include path to the line starting with 'INCLUDES = -I/usr/sfw/include/gtk-1.2 ...' in the file xmms/Makefile. It should look like 'INCLUDES = -I/usr/X11/include -I/usr/sfw/include/gtk-1.2 ...'
* The default installation location is /usr/local/,change it if you want by editing the Makefile and changing the variable called prefix.
* gmake;gmake install
* done

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

As some of you might know we created a local community for Java users
called Bojug. This was a couple of months back, now we are community
of 150+ and growing. We created this platform with the intent of
sharing knowledge and to precipitate collaborative innovation. We hope
you will take active part in this community and contribute to its growth.



We are having our first meeting this weekend. We have two sessions
scheduled for the weekend.



    * *Talk on Apache Derby - The pure Java database*, by Anurag Shekar

    * *Netbeans Platform Development* , by Rohan Ranade



*Date :* March 10, 2007

*Time :* 10:30 AM to 12:30

*Venue:*

    Sun Microsystems India Office

    Divyashree Chambers,

    Off Langford Road,

    Shanthinagar,

    Bangalore - 560025

google maps link



Please confirm your attendance by mailing bojug@googlegroups.com

Regards,

Jeevan



Homepage: http://bojug.dev.java.net




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Saturday, March 03, 2007

Futures Trading - a reason for rising prices?

Although futures trading has been banned in pulses the prices continue to remain high. Thus the recent announcement of government banning the futures trading in wheat and rice is expected to have little effect, it might have been politically motivated to silence the left which has been demanding the ban on futures trading with the reasoning that only speculation is leading to the price increase. This however is faulty reasoning the real causes need a deeper perspective. Only four years back the there were surplus stocks of both rice and wheat, with wheat hitting a high of 60 million tonnes ( the government did relax the exports on these goods then), but now rice and wheat stocks have fallen below the minimum level. This has taken four years in the making and the only quick (knee-jerk) measures the government has taken is the relaxing the import norms for these goods. However, only an increase in agricultural productivity is right measure not only to maintain price stability, but also increase farmer well being.

The Finance minister ( during the budget) announced measures to increase farm credit for farmers by allowing rural banks to generate extra capital required for farm lending through allowing them to engage in foreign exchange business and allowing them to accept FCNR deposits among other measures. How effective these measures will be are still to be seen.

All in all one is forced to believe the Finance Minister's view that futures trading is not the reason for inflation , as the left has claimed, but a price discovery mechanism. Of course, one cannot deny that there is speculation in futures trading.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Microsoft has bought the Java keyword


Just chanced upon this while surfing, Microsoft seems to have bought the Java keyword on Google search. Hmmm... good or bad you decide. Let me know what you think. :). Seems very shady to me.

Bangalore behold, Maiden cometh!



I wish Ozzy comes too!

Update: D bought the tickets for me! Planet M is doing the sales, strangely enough it is a cash only transaction.