Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Firefox SQLite Manager extension

A number of desktop applications use SQLite as a datastore, as it is lightweight and require no configuration to work out of the box.

I have a few applications running in Ubuntu that use SQLite, and I am currently learning pyGTK programming by writing an application that uses SQLIte for a backend.

I was looking for a management tool to use to query the various databases (especially my database under development) when I found the Firefox extension.

As with all Firefox extensions, it installed easily enough after the browser was restarted and is accessed from the Tools menu.

It opens in its own window, with a list of databases appearing in a tree in the left hand pane. Three tabs in the right hand pane give you access to the structure of tables, a browse window and a query window.

SQLIte in Firefox

This is a really handy extension which performs well, you should give it a try if you need to query your SQLite databases.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Gnumeric vs Open Office Calc

Back in the days (not so long ago) when I ran XP, we would use Excel 97 for spreadsheets. Once it started getting a bit long in the tooth, I tried to encourage the Wife to use Open Office. She could never get on with it, mainly due to the mappings of the keyboard shortcuts. Despite suggesting we change the mappings, she still came up with a few other problems with it.

So once I changed our PC to Ubuntu, she was more or less forced to use Open Office all the time. A few other problems came up, notably setting print areas. As my Wife is the main user of Spreadsheets in our house, I was forced to put up with her complaints - I often suggested she boot back into XP (as the machine is dual boot) if it was that big a problem, but she seemed to persevere.

Recently I read a few good comments regarding the 'other' Gnome spreadsheet, Gnumeric, on the Ubuntu forums. I thought I would give it a try. As with most other apps on Linux, it is free and easy to install, and a quick visit to the Add/Remove Applications menu had the application installed and running in under a minute.

Although it has only been a short while, early signs are promising. Much to my Wife's delight, the shortcut key mappings are the same as Excel (at least the ones she uses are), and the set print area feature is much better implemented.

I don't want this to sound like an Open Office bashing post, as I generally like it. I especially like the export to PDF feature. It is just that the major bug bear my other half had after changing to Ubuntu seems to have disappeared under Gnumeric. Hurrah!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Windows Update vs Ubuntu Update

Since I installed Ubuntu on my desktop, I have been running a Dual Boot system with Windows XP. While I hardly use XP now, I still need to fire it up once every few weeks or so - now I have got a Cisco VPN installed on Ubuntu for work, I will use XP even less.

Last night I needed to log in to XP for half an hour or so. While I was using it, I thought I had better check Windows Update, as it had been a while since I had applied any patches. Off I went to the Windows Update site. What a painful experience it was. First, after a half a minute or so check, I find that I need to install an updated Active X control. I allow the browser to install the control. Then, up pops another dialog asking if I want to run the install or save it to disk. I allow it to install (even though I thought I had just done that in the Browser).

Then it starts checking my machine for updates. This takes a minute or two. Then lo and behold, I get prompted again to install another update to allow me to check for real updates. Finally, after installing that update, the real list of updates finally appears.

Compare this process to the Ubuntu update process. In the Update Manager, I press the Check for Updates button. After a few seconds check, up comes the list of updates. I press apply and they are all installed (without any need to reboot, I might add).

The Windows Update process is a reminder of why I got cheesed off with Windows and installed Ubuntu.