Just a Quick Note #2
Just a few bits and bobs after a long hiatus
Bit #1
At work I have been quite busy and have achieved success in a major project: I have been responsible for creating a Linux-based firmware version of the ABBY and while there are some loose ends to tie up, the deployment and operating systems portions are working well.
The developers fairly quickly ported the software application for ABBY to the new system, thanks to having used a cross-platform framework to develop it, when they developed it for Windows some years ago. There is some work still to be done on their side to complete the transformation and to get beta test units in the field (and production units shortly thereafter), but I expect they will complete that soon (I could do it myself, but I have other work to do, and this has been their baby for a lot longer than I have been involved in the project, so I don’t want to steal their thunder).
So before the end of Q3 I expect we will be shipping the new Linux-based generation of ABBY!
Bit #2
For those of you who have been here before: yes the I briefly replaced the site with links to copies of this site on the WayBack Machine, then had a change of heart and replaced the Hugo theme for the site, changed the hosting method, and made updates to number of docs on the site.
The original removal of the site was due to the lack of time to work on it (no updates in over nine months), not feeling it was useful enough to justify the expense, and wanting to change the the theme, but not expecting to get to updating any time soon.
Shortly after that, though, I was able to work on another ‘To Do’ item that had been languishing and in the process rediscovered a different hosting option for the website (using ‘s3 storage’-style buckets and a frontend, instead of an Apache server instance). I then moved my site as it was to the new hosting method.
For whatever reason, that got me poking at the site, and I decided to replace the theme using a work in progress theme I had stopped working on 2-3 years ago. I was able to hack on it enough for it to support this site, and you can see the results.
It is not perfect, but I think it’s not bad, and since the theme is one I created, I know it’s workings better, and can better update and fix it.
Bit #3
I’ve had some struggles over the last many months with health issues, mostly related to medication dosages and getting to what works (and having a rather disruptive unexpected medication change due to the pharmacies not having the medication and there not being an ETA from the manufacturer on availability. For that one I blame Trump and his war – because ’no new wars’ was what anyone with any sense expected; a complete falsehood, like the mountain of others that too many Americans seem ready to ignore and/or forgive).
This part seems to be getting back on track, but it was a frustrating and unpleasant journey.
Bit #4
I’ve got back to working on OpenWrt, and for the past few months have been quite active on the packages feed. I think I’ve been getting some good things done, and it’s way to not only improve a project on which I rely, but to a chance to contribute to said project and hopefully benefit others).
Bit #5
I finally got the Wye Marsh for a visit, and a membership. I’m hoping to visit regularly. At the very least it’s a good way to get doing something outside instead of staring a computer screen and immersed in the digital world.
Bobs
Those are private, as I reclaim some sense of having some privacy.