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Comment · 2 months ago
Although, for completeness, the company in that case is actually Canadian.
(Always nice to see decade old effort still get referenced on occasion. :) )
Source: Username checks out. :D
Comment · 7 months ago
For historical context, the Advogato site in question: https://web.archive.org/web/20170715120119/http://advogato.o...
Background on the "trust metric" implemented on the site: https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000542/https://advogato....
Apparently my account on the site is/was now more than a quarter of a century old... Gonna try to avoid thinking on that too deeply. :D
There's been a non-zero number of occasions since that time where I've observed situations that mirror the trust-based challenges Advogato sought to solve.
It is perhaps telling that as prescient as Raph's work on trust metrics was he later moved on to the notoriously challenging realm of font rendering--presumably because it seemed more tractable. :D
Comment · 8 months ago
The combo of the visuals and Halcyon is exquisite.
Comment · 9 months ago
I encountered the Sony MMCD when I fell down a rabbit hole *checks literal notes* around five years ago while researching Microsoft Encarta MindMaze[0] and its related file formats.
It turns out the data associated with MindMaze (& other encyclopedia data) changed storage format over subsequent releases of Encarta and these changes provide some interesting historical insights--including that if MS had had its way we'd all be writing web pages in RTF rather than HTML[1]. :D
You may ask, "What connection does this have to the Sony MMCD?".
Well, one of the storage formats used with early Encarta data is `.mvb` which is a format used by Microsoft Multimedia Viewer[2] (also known by multiple other names--none of which are any easier to web search :D ).
And, it turns out, "Multimedia Viewer could compile titles for Tandy Video Information System and other Modular Windows systems, as well as Sony Multimedia CD-ROM Player, a portable MS-DOS-based CD-ROM XA reader released in 1992."[2][3]
According to my research the tool "...includes software tools that simulate the look and feel of the Sony player titles on a PC" which is interesting in the context of the emulator for the Discman mentioned in the original post.
Anyway, that's the very short version of the rabbit hole--maybe in another five years I'll get around to writing up the rest...
Oh, just found my original tweet thread (including screenshots) about this rabbit hole as it happened[4]: https://xcancel.com/RancidBacon/status/1401009436949237763
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[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encarta_MindMaze (New as of October 2025.)
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_(online_platform)
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Multimedia_Viewer (First added some time after my ~2021 research.)
[3] The Tandy VIS being a "Modular Windows" system is also of historical interest and FWIW has some support in MAME.
[4] Including screenshots of "Modular Windows Shell" and various "Multimedia Viewer" versions running under WINE.
Comment · 9 months ago
The Sony MMCD[0] is a contemporary of the Sony Data Discman that people might also find of interest:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Multimedia_CD-ROM_Player
There are a couple of YouTube videos showing the device (filmed both around launch and more recently).
(I'll try to add some more context in a follow-up comment.)
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[0] a.k.a. "Sony Bookman" a.k.a. "Sony Multimedia CD-ROM Player" a.k.a. "Sony PIX100" a.k.a. "Sony Corporation Programmable CD ROM Player".
Comment · 9 months ago
"The Office Formerly Known as 365"
Comment · 10 months ago
> [...] brave or foolhardy, [...]
Heed the above warning as down this rpath madness surely lies!
Exhibit A: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...
Exhibit B: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...
Exhibit C: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...
Oh, sure, rpath/runpath shenanigans will work in some situations but then you'll be tempted to make such shenanigans work in all situations and then the madness will get you...
To save everyone a click here are the first two bullet points from Exhibit A:
* If an executable has `RPATH` (a.k.a. `DT_RPATH`) set but a shared library that is a (direct or indirect(?)) dependency of that executable has `RUNPATH` (a.k.a. `DT_RUNPATH`) set then the executable's `RPATH` is ignored!
* This means a shared library dependency can "force" loading of an incompatible [(for the executable)] dependency version in certain situations. [...]
Further nuances regarding LD_LIBRARY_PATH can be found in Exhibit B but I can feel the madness clawing at me again so will stop here. :)
Comment · 1 year ago
Just mentioned this in another reply but Jujutsu may be of interest as a maintained alternative to gitless: https://github.com/jj-vcs/jj/blob/main/README.md#introductio...
Comment · 1 year ago
> bzr
While not perfect, I have some hope that Jujutsu may be a path forward for improved ergonomics in version control: https://github.com/jj-vcs/jj/blob/main/README.md#introductio...
Comment · 1 year ago
I vaguely wondered if FreeHand would make an appearance in this thread. :)
Two features that come to mind as IIRC being unique (as compared to Illustrator) were multi-page documents and multiple page size multi-page documents. Ideal for the complete standard set of company branded print documents: business card, "With Compliments" slip, and letterhead. :D
Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia and subsequent killing of (the IMO superior) FreeHand contributed directly to my subsequent decision to avoid closed source application software--especially for creative tools--even if alternatives were "technically inferior".
(And, indeed, "creative tool killed/hampered for business reasons" is a story which has been repeated elsewhere multiple times in the quarter century[0] since.)
While Inkscape is still missing features compared to FreeHand it is however also still here many years later and is what I've used ever since when I need 2D vector design software. (Although I've also been keeping an eye on Graphite: https://graphite.rs)
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[0] Oh, weird, apparently it's actually less than 25 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_FreeHand#Adobe_FreeHand Seems I've been holding the grudge for less time than I thought. :D
Comment · 1 year ago
TIL. Thank you!
Now I just have to remember this next time I need to select text within a link. :)
Comment · 1 year ago
> I've been thinking about bluetooth and a standard protocol and generic app.
A long time ago I developed a project called "Handbag[0] for Android"[1] based around a similar concept--it targeted the short-lived "Android Open Accessory Protocol" initially over USB & later also over network/WiFi.
(My project notes from the time mentioned a long-term goal of also supporting Bluetooth but that never eventuated...)
Handbag made use of a "generic" Android app for UI display/interaction and an Arduino library that communicated with the app over a binary protocol.
The app would display various UI widgets such as labels/progress bars to display feedback from the accessory and text inputs/buttons to accept input forwarded to the accessory.
While the project did not take the world by storm, I was reminded when digging up these links that at least one person called the concept genius[2]. :)
----
[0] Because it let you "accessorize your Android phone or tablet". :D
[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20130205135845/http://handbagdev...
[2] https://www.doctormonk.com/2011/11/handbag-android-and-ardui...
Comment · 1 year ago
"Cregit" tool might be of interest to you, it generates token-based (rather than line-based) git "blame" annotation views: https://github.com/cregit/cregit
Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/
I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:
"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654
Of course, in your situation I guess such a tool would only help if other people use it. :D
Comment · 1 year ago
"Cregit" tool might be of interest to you, it generates token-based (rather than line-based) git "blame" annotation views: https://github.com/cregit/cregit
Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/
I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments (yours being one I've had open in a tab for a week to remind me! :) ) discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:
"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654
Comment · 1 year ago
"Cregit" tool might be of interest to you, it generates token-based (rather than line-based) git "blame" annotation views: https://github.com/cregit/cregit
Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/
I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:
"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654
http://rancidbacon.com/
https://rancidbacon.itch.io/
Into: Embedded, Reverse Engineering, Python, Godot, WebAssembly, Rust, Bevy, music/audio, FLOSS Text-To-Speech
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