There is a nice tool which allows you to autocomplete email addresses in mutt by making use of the contacts stored in the evolution data server of the GNOME desktop. The small helper programme was originally written by Sertac Yildiz and was updated recently to the latest EDS API by Paul W. Frields.

The script adds a new action to todo.sh, the todo.txt command line client, which allows to open documents referenced in a todo item. If more than one document is available a small menu will be shown. This allows you to easily acces documents that are required to accomplish the task.

To improve my task management workflow with the todo.txt command line tool I wrote a small helper called mutt2todotxt. It converts a mail from mutt into a todo.txt item and adds it to the list of open items. It will automatically include the sender, subject, labels and the unique message id to the todo item.

Finally the Python 3 port of aptdaemon is ready for testing! Thanks to Barry Warsaw, Colin Watson and Martin Pitt for advice, support and code. So we are getting a step closer to shipping Python 3.2 only by default in Ubuntu Quantal 12.10.

Tired of typing in your super long and super secure laptop password every time your screensaver activates at home? There is a solution: dahoam. Dahoam is the Bavarian word for being at home.

Sometimes you just feel like a fool - or the fool of all fools. Especially if you have been pointed to a security vulnerability - in your own code…

Today is the second day of the cross distro app-installer mini-conference here in Nuremberg.

Finally sessioninstaller has left the status of vapoware! Sessioninstaller provides the missing link to use the PackageKit session API with aptdaemon.

This blog post is about the recent work done in aptdaemon - the backend used by Ubuntu’s software-center to install/remove packages.

Thanks to all the people who made FOSDEM 2010 possible!

I am glad to announce aptdaemon: It is a DBus controlled and PolicyKit using package management daemon build on python-apt.

Canonical/Ubuntu now has got a professional brand marketing.

Recently I added support for asynchronous operations to the Python client of PackageKit. And on top of this a set of PyGTK widgets which make using PackageKit quite comfortable. The code is part of today’s 0.3.10 release.

The APT backend for PackageKit has made a lot of progress recently in the 0.3.x series. It nearly supports all features of PackageKit.Highlights of the 0.3.x series are:

I retired from the German Ubuntu translation team. I already stopped translating some time ago and it was getting harder and harder for me to find the motivation and time to work on the coordnation of the team. So it was time for a clear cut. The troubles of an Ubuntu translator are well known and documented, so I won’t complain here again.

This tool collection wants to help Ubuntu translators in their daily work. If you have ever aksed one of the following questions, u-t-t could provide you an answer: In which package can I translate this message/dialog? What is the difference between these two po files? How can I access the translation page of a package in a faster way compared to clicking through the whole website tree or manipulating the url? Where can I get the automatically updated language packs?

I am glad to announce the initial release of SHBackup. It is a python application that allows you to easily backup so called root or dedicated servers. It supports logical volumes, mysql and file/directory backup to a ftp site or rsync host. Currently it only can perform full backups but comes with a simple rotation mechanism and encryption with GnuPG.

Python-xrandr is a high level API for the RandR extension of the X.org server. RandR allows you to switch resolution, refresgh rate and output settings on the fly without having to hack the xorg.conf file or to restart your x server.

I finally found some time to create Ubuntu packages of PackageKit. PackageKit is an effort to provide a common, sane and smooth software installation process among all/most distributions. Currently the APT backend (used by Debian and Ubuntu) only allows to search and refresh the cache. But a lot of people are interested in bringing it forward.

Making it easy to run Windows applications in Ubuntu also opens the door for all the Windows viruses and worms. So why not scanning Windows applications for viruses automatically? With the ClamAV bindings for python this is an easy task.

If you want to install the same packages that already have been installed on another system the following small script (export_list.py) could be of help:

The first day of the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Boston ended. It is quite nice to see a lot of people from other projects and distribution here around. Furthermore juding from the number of quality assurance guys the next LTS release is going to be very polished and rocking stable.

I just want to say thank you to Canonical for inviting me once again to the Ubuntu Developer Summit. This time in Boston, USA.

Unfortunately I cannot make it to the German Ubuntu user conference that happens today and tomorrow in Krefeld. But nevertheless I would recommend every one who is interested in Ubuntu and located in the region to pay a visit to the conference. Julius Bloch has made an amazing job.

Finally after starting at my new job I have found some time to work on displayconfig-gtk again. So expect a new release soon. If you would like to give it a try before, you can download the package for Gutsy from my website.

Morgen am 11.August ab 17 Uhr trettfen sich wieder Ubuntu-Anwender aus München und Umgebung. Diesmal aber nicht im Froschkönig, sondern im Zoozie’z. Einfach vorbeischauen!

Servus,