Author: John McLear

Exporting or Viewing a saved revision in Etherpad

Posted on by John McLear

A saved revision is created by clicking the STAR button however they are periodically created too.

To access a saved revision add the number of the saved revision you would like to see IE To export the text: http://beta.etherpad.org/p/test/2/export/txt

Change the number IE 2 in this case to 6 if you want to access the sixth revision.

IE: http://beta.etherpad.org/p/test/6/export/txt

Gas sensor with an alarm

Posted on by John McLear

My first arduino project thanks to Tom Hudson for lending me his Uno

Very simple code, comments should explain it:

I’m using an MQ2 gas sensor.

#include "pitches.h"

int gasSensor = 0; // select input pin for gas Sensor
int val = 0; // variable to store the value coming from the sensor
int greenLed = 3; // the LED port
int redLed = 4; // the LED port
int speaker = 8; // Speaker

// notes in the melody:
int melody[] = {
  NOTE_C4, NOTE_G3,NOTE_G3, NOTE_A3, NOTE_G3,0, NOTE_B3, NOTE_C4
};

// note durations: 4 = quarter note, 8 = eighth note, etc.:
int noteDurations[] = {
  4, 8, 8, 4,4,4,4,4 
};

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  val = analogRead(gasSensor); // read the value from the pot
  Serial.println( val );
  delay(100);
  if(val > 100){
    digitalWrite(greenLed, LOW); // turn the green LED off by making the voltage LOW
    digitalWrite(redLed, HIGH); // turn the red LED off
    
    // iterate over the notes of the melody:
    for (int thisNote = 0; thisNote < 8; thisNote++) {

      // to calculate the note duration, take one second 
      // divided by the note type.
      //e.g. quarter note = 1000 / 4, eighth note = 1000/8, etc.
      int noteDuration = 1000/noteDurations[thisNote];
      tone(speaker, melody[thisNote],noteDuration);
  
      // to distinguish the notes, set a minimum time between them.
      // the note's duration + 30% seems to work well:
      int pauseBetweenNotes = noteDuration * 1.30;
      delay(pauseBetweenNotes);
      // stop the tone playing:
      noTone(speaker);
    }
  }else{ // everyting okay.
    digitalWrite(greenLed, HIGH);  // The the green LED on
    digitalWrite(redLed, LOW);   // The the red LED off
  }
}

Using git flow to release new version

Posted on by John McLear

Using git flow to release a new version of software enables developers to easily switch between releases to locate bugs and/or introduce new features.

In this example we are releasing version 1.1.4.

NOTE TO SELF: Remember to bump the version in src/packages.json

# debian/ubuntu only
apt-get install git-flow

# checkout the development branch
git checkout develop

# first time only, accept defaults
git flow init

# start the release process
# note the releases-1.1.4 bit, this should be 1.1.4 only but I'm following the pattern of Etherpad Lite
git flow release start 1.1.4

# publish the release to a new release branch
git flow release publish 1.1.4

Check everything fully one last time IE packages.json and let travis run it’s tests..

git flow release finish 1.2.4
git push origin master --tags

Now in root do

make docs

then copy the out/doc folder to ether.github.com repo doc/vx.x.x folder

mv out/doc/ ../ether.github.com/doc/v1.4.1/

create the windows binary

bin/buildforwindows.sh

copy the last 10 digits of the sha from git log to the end of the windows package file name before .zip

put this .zip in the ether.github.com/downloads folder and commit / push that.

A director responding to Reading, Writing and Rip-Offs

Posted on by John McLear

Panorama released an episode leaving a possibly sour taste in the mouth of teachers about technology company directors (That’s what I did) [And now I’m a shareholder]. Here are my thoughts on the program and hopefully a little bit of a balanced view.

TLDR; Not all technology companies are trying to make a quick buck from schools. Primary Technology certainly didn’t when I was fulfilling my role as managing director and wont while I’m fulfilling my role as a shareholder.

All of the schools I have worked with have had increased levels of access to technology through my involvement.

I would never inflate prices or try bully schools into signing contracts they don’t want. I think pricing should be transparent and that’s why I’m a huge fan of schools getting 3 quotes when making a purchase over a certain value (the value is usually decided by the LA).

Most of the schools I have worked with have been absolutely fantastic and responsible when it has come to purchasing decisions. I was once stung by one of these companies when it payed to fail for labor we completed, schools are not the only victims here.. Technology companies are…

The technology companies accused in the program are not technology companies, they are sales and leasing companies. Technology companies do the actual installation / configuration / development / design etc. I’d be interested to know if that was included in the price per item.

Michael Gove doesn’t have to take responsibility if free schools go bust. If only! Imagine Michael declaring bankruptcy.. Let’s not remember

On the topic of Michael Gove

From the Members of Parliament disclosure via Wikipedia.

Expenses claims
Main article: Disclosure of expenses of British Members of Parliament
Michael Gove claimed £7,000 for furnishing a London property before reportedly ‘flipping’ his designated second home, a property for which he claimed around £13,000 to cover stamp duty.[44] Gove also claimed for a cot mattress, despite children’s items being banned under the Commons rule. Gove said he would repay the claim for the cot mattress, but maintained that his other claims were “below the acceptable threshold costs for furniture” and that moving house was necessary “to effectively discharge my parliamentary duties”.[44] While he was moving between homes, on one occasion he stayed at the Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa following a constituency engagement, charging the taxpayer more than £500 per night’s stay.[44]
Gove’s second home was not in his constituency, but in Elstead, in the South West Surrey Constituency. Gove subsequently sold the house and now has no base in or near his constituency.[45]

Let’s take a second to reflect on what’s important..

This program could be really damaging to the relationship between technology and schools possibly putting some schools off investing fairly in the future of their pupils. Making the assumption that all schools dealings with technology companies end poorly would be extremely damaging. Exposing crooks is great and kudos to Panorama, but hopefully the viewers wont put all company directors in one box.

Gove wants schools to move “back to basics” ergo away from tech. Does it seem slightly suspicious this Panorama would be aired now? Just saying…