Java-plugin for firefox 3 in Ubuntu 64bit

Finally I managed to do it.
These past 3 months I have really seen how many sites use java code for different things. Not having the java plugin working in linux is a MAJOR issue and one of a few good reasons to boot up windows for me.
The problem is that the 64bit versions of java plugins for firefox doesn’t seem to work out-of-the-box as the 32bit version does. But there is a solution.

There are tons of sites out there that explain different procedures for installing the javaplugin for firefox.
Thank to this guide (robinbowes.com) and this guide (ubuntuforums.org).
First of I linked to the javaplugin to ~/.mozilla/plugins but that eliminated the browsers history. Ultimatively I linked it to /usr/lib/firefox-3.0.8/plugins
That restored the history functionality but I had to reinstall addons and retype all my logins. So now everything is working. At least until I upgrade my firefox I believe.

scanning -_-

I must be ill! Actually I am a bit unwell from this weekend’s escapades, it might be it is the yeast but it could also be a simple transmission since some of the people near me are also ill. And here I was so happy about not being able to remember the last time I was ill.

Anyway, as I am writing this I am scanning all the remaining photos from my trip to Italy with Dea, Rikke and Anders in 2005. It is a job I started in 2007 about the same time as when Dea and I were moving apart. I never got it finished and all the while I have had the pictures lying on a shelf in my room filling dust.
I am scanning at 200 DPI because I think this is a good compromise between quality and time.

The process of scanning a picture is basically broken down like this:

1. lift the lid of the scanner
2. remove old photo, insert new and align it
3. close lid
4. click through the GUI and make a preview (4 clicks)
5. scan
6. rotate and save image (4 or more clicks)

Here is a sample image showing an overview of Sorrento where we stayed for some time at a camping site near the bottom right corner of the golden section.

an overview of Sorrento, Italy

The process of scanning takes a mean time of 2 minutes and 15 seconds pr. image. I estimated that I need to scan a total of 150 pictures and thus it will take about 5,5 hours to scan all of them.
While scanning I thought it would be nice to fill out the waiting time with some movies but it turns out that during scan time my PC sometimes goes unresponsive which makes anything but audio stall. Therefore I have turned to listening to the Dune – God Emperor audiobook. I previously read the book but since then I have turned to a lot of other books and series and have forgotten some parts of the novel. However, before I return to the Dune universe I think a quick recap is in order. After a couple of chapters of listening though I lost concentration and have now turned to music, blogging and other minor computer tasks.

UPDATE:
With a stack of 40 left I thought of making an Autohotkey script that automates the computer part of scanning for me. Here is the script. The only thing left for me is changing the photos once in a while. Sweet deal!
Anyway I was done at 17pm (started out at 10am) after only 7 hours of intense scanning. Had some small breaks in between playing dota, eating and scripting. 5.5 hours working was an ok estimate.

And like that I cleaned up a 2 year old dust pile!

third time brewing

This Saturday we brewed again in the kitchen at my dormitory. It went much better than both first and second time. Everything went along more smoothly – we must be getting better.
While brewing we drank the beer from the first time. The other guys think it is horrible but I quite like it. True enough it does contain and taste a lot of yeast but that is not too bad and underneath it also tastes like pilsner. But you have to let the bottles rest for some time after moving them and be careful when opening it to let the yeast precipitate. The others switched to regular beer but I stayed loyally to our own blend for much too long.

Yesterday we bottled the second brew and it tasted much better but also all too bitter for my taste. It is an improvement though.
Pictures will come.

board games in sweden

The weekend before last I joined up with 3 friends Hans, Mathias and Drud and went to Hans’ parents derelict farm in Sweden. We went Thursday evening and returned Monday evening.

the cabin

At the cabin we RPG’ed and played a lot of different board games.

• Carcasonne
• Robo Rally
• Tomb
• Guillotine
• Golf Mania
• Imperial

board games in sweden - Tomb

We also fooled around on the thin ice on some small local lakes watching the ice slowly break beneath us. It was much fun. Drud went through when he least expected it!

Drud got cold feet

We made pigs in a blanket, meatballs (frikadeller), scalloped potatoes (flødekartofler), baked root crops with mushroom sauce and english breakfast for food. Good trip, I look forward to the next one!