April 2007

Today, I increased the font size for the main content column on Meandering Passage. I had updated the template with the latest theme version when I moved to my current host a few weeks ago and hadn’t paid much attention to how small the font was in the new templates CSS file.

Also, Kent Newsome mentioned web font sizes, or lack of size, on his blog the other day and I thought that since Kent sometimes swings past this site I’d better jack the size up some. Kent, I use a 24″ monitor as well and yes I agree with you that some of the newer fonts being used are very hard to read…especially for an old man like me!

Technorati Tags: font size, small fonts

There’s been a couple of announcements today that may be of interest to those of us who like to tinker with a little web development.

First, MacRabbit has released CSSEdit 2.5 which is an update to is Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) editor. I’ve used this software for some time and earlier did a review. This new version has new features that includes a “X-ray Inspector” that integrates CSS files from your Web page, “Intelligent CodeSense” that analyzes CSS to provide suggestions, “Selection Builder” that describes styles using plain English, and a smoother interface.

Second, Panic Software, developers of the excellent Transmit FTP client, released a one-window web development environment application named CODA. CODA includes integrated Text Editor, FTP client, CSS Editor, Terminal, Online Book, and more all in an one window environment designed to streamline the web development process. I’m a faithful user of Panic’s Transmit FTP software. Some of the features of CODA include:

• Sites as links where CODA remembers the status and with a simple click will restore you development environment as is was the last time you used it.
• One-click publishing to remote servers with CODA tracking your local changes.
• The power of “Transmit” in the space of a sidebar that faster then ever.
• A powerful text editor.
• Previews that allow you to get a visual look.

Both of these application seem to have a nice “Mac like” interface and should make web development a little easier. I look forward to using and/or trying out both of them.

Technorati Tags: apple, coda, cssedit, macrabbit, panic, software

Version 7.04 of Ubuntu was released on April 19 2007. I didn’t realize until just a couple of days ago that the version number for Ubuntu comes from the year and month it was released (7.04 = 2007, April).

I had tried to do the upgrade from my computer that had version 6.10 on it but I guess the Ubuntu servers were getting hammered because it just sat there for several hours without activity until I gave up on it. I did managed to download the live CD of v7.04 and proceeded to do a fresh install on my Mac Pro OS X computer using Parallels.

It install without problems and seems to run about the same as 6.10. I’ll have to spend some time with it to see what the changes are. I’m just learning about Linux so I may not be aware of many of the improvements.

I prefer OS upgrades to be a natural and gradual progression. It tends to indicate stability in the development process which translates to good things for the user. Especially when the releases appear to be as timely as Ubuntu’s.

I just have one question, what up with the name “Feisty Fawn”? Was someone scared as a child from watching Bambi, or is it some type of inside joke?

Hey, if these cartoons are driving you nuts let me know. I’m just having some fun and playing around with the old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words…..

Technorati Tags: feisty fawn, linux, ubuntu

At the CanSecWest security conference currently taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia, a contest is taking place to see if two MacBook Pro’s with the latest OS X version and patches installed can be hacked. There is a $10,000 bounty for successful attacks. The rules are:

1. The first winning hack requires a attacker to get a shell with user level privileges.

2. The second winning hack requires the same plus the attacker needs to get root privileges. The second hack cannot use the same exploit as the first.

Results:

The first MacBook Pro has been successfully attacked by taking advantage of a flaw in Safari which can be triggered with a malicious web page. It appears this is a zero-day exploit with no known patch at this time.

No word yet of a successful attack gaining root level access.

UPDATE: Apple released a version/patch today (Quicktime 7.1.6), 1 May 2007, that plugged the security flaw of Quicktime, not Safari as originally reported, that allowed the successful attacked noted above.

Technorati Tags: apple, hacked, mac, osx, security