Category Archives: Geek Stuff

About the gadgets and technologies I like to play and hack.

New hosting and hardware upgrades

A lot’s of things changed during past weeks. One of them was the destruction of this blog by my ex boss, who is totally losing his mind . He shut down-ed my blog hosting, destroying this blog content and some other web sites that I hosted at my previous work. Some of the important content’s was restored thanks to Google cache.

I also replaced my laptop keyboard with new one and got a new router – TP-Link TL-WR940N.

Because I’m on the wave of rapid hardware and software updates I’m thinking of a total renovation of my home office, getting new chair, maybe new desk and dual monitor setup with adjustable monitor stands.

I also has some progress on my Trabant restoration project. I almost collected all the metal parts that should be replaced and got some new equipment for the garage. If everything is going according my plan the car should hit the road sometime September this year. On my next pay check I will make an order for parts from Germany and if we meet the deadline for the new project at work some welding equipment will be purchased.

I’m also considering to start welding courses in the technical university of Varna.

Usefull feature in Windows XP SP2

Alternative IP configuration in Windows XP

I think it’s introduced in Windows XP SP2 because I havent noticed the precense of such feature in earlier XP releases.

What is it for? It help’s you to use two different set’s of configurations on one LAN card. Very usefull if you own a laptop. I was thinking of writing such helper tool!

How to reach it.
1. Right click on “My Network Places” and select Properties, then right click on you network connection, from the dialog select “TCP/IP Protocol” and click “Properties”, select the alternative tab.

Windows will switch to your alternative settings if it fails to obtain IP from DHCP server (such as one I has at home). The alternative configuration in my case is that at work.

The 404 poem

Just browsing, and I get this insted of 404 page, cool :)

The 404 poem

It is said, “To err is human,”
That quote from alt.times.lore,
Alas, you have made an error,
So I say, “404.”

Double-check your URL,
As we all have heard before.
You ask for an invalid filename,
And I respond, “404.”

Perhaps you made a typo —
Your fingers may be sore —
But until you type it right,
You’ll only get 404.

Maybe you followed a bad link,
Surfing a foreign shore;
You’ll just have to tell that author
About this 404.

I’m just a lowly server
(Who likes to speak in metaphor),
So for a request that I don’t know,
I must return 404.

Be glad I’m not an old mainframe
That might just dump its core,
Because then you’d get a ten-meg file
Instead of this 404.

I really would like to help you,
But I don’t know what you’re looking for,
And since I don’t know what you want,
I give you 404.

Remember Poe, insane with longing
For his tragically lost Lenore.
Instead, you quest for files.
Quoth the Raven, “404!”

Laws of Computer Programming

I. Any given program, when running, is obsolete.

II. Any given program costs more and takes longer.

III. If a program is useful, it will have to be changed.

IV. If a program is useless, it will have to be documented.

V. Any program will expand to fill available memory.

VI. The value of a program is proportional to the weight of its output.

VII. Program complexity grows until it exceeds the capabilities of the programmer who must maintain it.

VIII. Any non-trivial program contains at least one bug.

IX. Undetectable errors are infinite in variety, in contrast to detectable errors, which by definition are limited.

X. Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.

Lubarsky’s Law of Cybernetic Entomology: There’s always one more bug.

Shaw’s Principle: Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.

Woltman’s Law: Never program and drink beer at the same time.

Gallois’ Revelation: If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine, is somehow enobled, and no one dares to criticize it.

Original source: click here

How to make a network game of Starcraft without Battle.net

I and few colleagues at the university, old school gamers :) decided to play Starcraft Broodwar over the net. The idea was to create our own privite game without accessing Battle.net servers. This scenario is currently unavailable because there is no option to set the IP address of the server. So after some googling and tryign various solutions I found Battle.LAN program. It’s a small app that was what we are looking for.

Battle.LAN

So how this whole thing works?

First you shoud have Starcraft Broodwar version 1.14 or Starcraft version 1.09 or higher. Your firewall (if you have one) shoud allow connections on UDP port 6111. Here is how to enable this port if you are using GNU/Linux machine as your firewall/router:

iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -o $internet_connection_dev_here -p udp –dport 6111 -j DNAT –to your_internal_pc_ip

In the IP Address box add your Internet IP addres (not local) and click the “Add” button, repeate the same with the IP’s of all the game players, click “Save” and then start. Minimize the application if you like and start Starcraft or Broodwar, then under “Multiplayer” select “Local Area Network (UDP)”, if everithing is ok in the “Game” list all available games shoud be listed. Select one and enjoy :)

Download Battle.LAN from here.