March 2011 – scrambled tofu

Quick Tip: gtk_show_uri(): Operation Not Supported

Writing this down because it took me way too long to realise what I was missing.

If you’re getting the error “Operation Not Supported” when calling gtk_show_uri() or g_app_info_launch_default_for_uri(), then you’re most likely missing gvfs, which contains the extension points for all non-file:// URI schemas.

Now here’s the bit I forgot… gvfs has to be installed in the same prefix as glib. So if it works for your system GLib, but not for the one you built in some prefix, you probably forgot to build and install gvfs in that prefix.

Linux work available in Perth, Australia

My former employer, Fugro Seismic Imaging, is looking for new R&D staff for their office in Perth, Western Australia.

The team there is approximately half a dozen people, generally open-source experienced, who are primarily developing graphical front ends to geophysics applications (there’s also some other stuff, in general it’s pretty cool). You’ll almost certainly have to know C. Knowing any of C++, Python, Perl, GTK+, Qt or Fortran also a benefit. You don’t have to know any geophysics, but knowing a bit of maths and physics helps. You’ll easily pick up what you don’t know as you go along.

Pay and conditions are very good. FSI have previously provided sponsored work visas for skilled applicants looking to work in Australia.

If you’re interested, send your CV to the chief geophysicist, Kelly Beauglehole.

The Ada Initiative Census

The Ada Initiative have just launched their first annual census — a broad survey of open technology and culture participants — to find out more about what projects and communities people are involved in, and how they feel about women’s inclusion and representation in the field.

Everyone involved in free and open software, open culture, etc. is invited to participate and I encourage you all to do so.

The census is short and takes about 5 minutes to complete.

Take the Census

useful git aliases

Thought I’d share some useful git aliases with people. These can go in your ~/.gitconfig.

[alias]
    branch-name = !git branch --no-color 2> /dev/null | sed -e '/^[^*]/d' -e 's/* \\(.*\\)/\\1/'
    export-branch = !git format-patch --stdout $1 > ~/Desktop/`git branch-name`.diff

git branch-name (based on an idea from Jon Maddox) will print the name of your current working branch. For example:

[danni@adelie empathy]$ git branch-name 
ft-warning-644062

This can then be used to create another alias, git export-branch which will export the current branch from the named branchpoint to a format-patch called ~/Desktop/branchname.diff. For example:

[danni@adelie empathy]$ git export-branch gnome-2-34
[danni@adelie empathy]$ ls ~/Desktop/*.diff
/home/danni/Desktop/ft-warning-644062.diff

Update: thanks to David in the comments for a much more reliable approach to get the branch-name:

branch-name = !git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short)' `git symbolic-ref HEAD`