today's leftovers
-
OpenZFS: the final word in file systems
OpenZFS, arguably the heart of TrueNAS, is the open-source file system and volume manager based on Sun/Oracle's ZFS. ZFS development began at Sun Microsystems in 2001 with the aim of completely reframing how systems administrators manage their storage systems. Its original development team outlined several guiding principles that still shape the project today: storage should be flexibly-pooled, always consistent, self-healing, and simple to manage.
In ZFS, disks are grouped into virtual devices (or vdevs) usually with some form of redundancy/protection against disk failure. A ZFS pool may have one or more vdevs; if a pool has more than one vdev, they're striped together to form one giant bucket of storage. A vdev's redundancy might be based on simple multi-disk mirrors or RAIDZ where administrators can pick from single-, double- or triple-disk parity protection.
-
Warner Bros. Fights 'Mortal Kombat II' Source Code Leak [Ed: Microsoft censoring/banning Free software again]
GitHub has removed a recent "Mortal Kombat II" source code leak following a request from Warner Bros. Discovery. The leak purportedly reveals unused artwork and an alternative storyline for the iconic arcade game, first released by Midway in 1993. Three decades later, the current rightsholder seems keen to plug the leaks.
-
There Is No Software Maintenance
Every time I hear about software maintenance as a distinct activity, I cringe. That’s because it is based on the outdated notion that first software is developed, then it is maintained. But that is not how software development works today. Software development does not have the two phases development and maintenance – it is a continuous process. Software maintenance is simply software development.
It is fairly common to come across the concept of software maintenance. Recently I have seen it in posts on LinkedIn (how developers leave if they have to do maintenance), in books (“it is well known that the majority of the cost of software is not in its initial development, but in its ongoing maintenance”), and in surveys (do you develop new features, or do you maintain existing features). But this is based on the false premise of the software project.
-
How to use methods in Java
A method in Java (called a "function" in many other programming languages) is a portion of code that's been grouped together and labeled for reuse. Methods are useful because they allow you to perform the same action or series of actions without rewriting the same code, which not only means less work for you, it means less code to maintain and debug when something goes wrong.
A method exists within a class, so the standard Java boilerplate code applies:
A package definition isn't strictly necessary in a simple one-file application like this, but it's a good habit to get into, and most IDEs enforce it.
By default, Java looks for a main method to run in a class. Methods can be made public or private, and static or non-static, but the main method must be public and static for the Java compiler to recognize and utilize it. When a method is public, it's able to be executed from outside the class. To call the Example class upon start of the program, its main method must be accessible, so set it to public.
-
Feeds: The Only Civilised Way to Read Online
There’s a better way — and there has been for decades! Amazingly, it seems underused even within tech circles, and almost completely unknown to the general public. It’s super easy to use, actually more convenient than social media apps, and leaves you in complete control of what you see.
I’m talking, of course, about RSS/Atom web feeds, and I contend that they are not only a better alternative, but in fact I’d go so far as to say that a feed reader is the only tolerable and civilised way to read online! The system works really well and more in line with what (I think) most people actually want; it minimizes the use of harmful social media platforms; and it helps foster a more vibrant, independent, creative, and non-commerical Web. So drop your non-chronological algorithmically-obscured sponsored timeline, and let’s have a whirlwind overview of what feeds are and how to use them!
-
Twitter Account Deactivated
Our Twitter account has been deactivated. As of Dec 27, if you update your Peppermint tools you will notice the Welcome Screen has removed twitter as well.