Category: geeky

how to get started with Git

mtadros

git-logoGit – if you still don’t know what it is – is a “collaboration, code review, and code management for open source and private projects”. It is being used increasingly in project management and team work in development. Of course there is much more to Git than what I wrote here – but this is only to get you started.

Git to get you started:

 

  • Install Git and use all default configurations. To get a good install go to http://git-scm.com/downloads
  • Go to the folder you have created on your desktop for your project by typing $ cd desktop [or whatever the path to your folder is]
  • Write $ git init to initiate that folder
  • set your user name and e-mail address. This is important because every Git commit uses this information, and it’s immutably baked into the commits you start creating:
  • $ git config –global user.name”John Doe”$ git config –global user.email johndoe@example.com
  • Git comes with a terminal and a GUI. When in doubt, use the GUI [though I don’t recommend it].
  • In windows, you may right click on the desktop and the Git menu will show up.
  • In Macs just go to utilities and find the Terminal.
  • Configure your default text editor eg
    $ git config –global core.editor emacs
  • You may head over to documentation http://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-First-Time-Git-Setup and/or you may also try codeschool’s Git https://try.github.io/levels/1/challenges/
  • To check what’s happening on git all the time, type
    $ git status
  • To make a new directory that is a Git repository specify the directory:
    $ git init “directoryname”
  • Now you can start adding files to Git
    $ git add “filename” or to add entire directory $ git add . [note the period at the end which means add all]
  • To add a directory that is in some folder on your desktop just type
    $ git add pathtodirectory
    $ git add desktop/webs/somefolder/yourfolder/
  • Now we want to commit adding them to our repository:
    $ git commit –m “adding files” [if you don’t write the –m it will ask you for an your text editor’s name and if it doesn’t find one it will not commit].
  • To put files to the server – create an account on github.com
  • You may create a new repository on it or you may just leave it empty.
  • Push your files to github by writing:

               git remote add origin https://github.com/yourlogin/nameofrepo.git
git push -u origin master

  • It will ask you for the login and password for your github. Write them down. If you don’t see the password being written, that’s because it is a hidden password [duh!]
  • Now you’re done!

 

 

Tools to interest kids in electronics and programming: arduino, conductive pens, 3D doodlers and lix

mtadros

Kickstarter has been – well – a kickstarter of many fascinating projects. In looking for ways to engage high-school girls and boys in technology, and besides Raspberry Pi and Kano, here are some reasonably priced products that began as Kickstarter projects and are now in full swing. They may all be used to interest and motivate high school students [and less] to be involved in electronics and programming with some fascinating projects:

  1. Arduino
    Arduino board

    Arduino: Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists and beginner programmers interested in creating real life interactive objects. It uses programming language that can be divided into familiar code such structure, values (variables and constants), and functions. The environment is written in Java and based on Processing, avr-gcc, and other open source software. It is easy to write code and upload  to the i/o board, and runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The hardware may be bought from the Arduino site or locally in major tech stores [eg. Micro Center in Cambridge or online at Amazon].
    Uses: Unlike Raspberry Pi, Arduino is not a stand-alone computer. It is a board that basically enables one to work in electronics without any prior knowledge of electronics.

    Twitter-enabled Arduino coffee pot
    Twitter-enabled Arduino coffee pot

    Tutorials and projects: The Arduino website has more information on how to install and get started with it and you may view many projects that have been done with Arduino. There is also a tutorials page. Here are some Arduino projects and some here and another page of projects.
    Price: An Arduino kit typically sells for approximately $100 which comes with a how-to projects book. You may buy for less if you want just the board or a starter board.
    Special: There is an International Arduino Day every year on March 29th.

  2. Circuit Scribe
    Circuit Scribe

    Circuit Scribe: another Kickstarter project is the circuit scribe which uses a conductive pen. It was created by Electroninks Incorporated in IL. Circuit Scribe was made for project based learning where kids can build circuits and switches in their notebooks and use those concepts to get creative. Low-Cost High Quality Electronics: You can build a circuit with nothing but a coin battery, paper clip, and LED, or build out complex circuits with multiple components.
    Price: a classroom kit sells for a steep $200, but you can get a basic one with book for $40.

  3. 3ddoodler3D Doodler: 3Doodler is the 3D printing pen you can hold in your hand and lets you draw in the air. It is certainly more affordable than a 3D printer – at least for now. 3Doodler is a brand new way of creating objects and artistic works. The 3Doodler pen is 180mm by 24mm and weighs less than 200 gms or 7 ounces (the weight of a typical apple). It usies a universal power supply, so will work on 110v or 240v.
    Price: you may order the 3D doodler from their website. However there is an exclusive sales company which is located in Dubai. You may order it on Amazon though for asbout $139.
  4. LIX pen
    LIX Pen

    LIX: unlike 3D Doodler which is rather bulky, Lix is thin and sleek. LIX has great potential and can be a perfect tool for stylists, architects, designers and anybody who are interested in 3D printing. Comes in a wide range of colors and levels of attractive glossy translucency. The plant-based origins and desirable semi-sweet smell. Has slightly less strength and flexibility than ABS and is also sensitive to moisture. Begins to melt at 320 °F and works at 356 °F.
    Price: $139.95. May still be bought on kickstarter.

  5. Bare conductive pen and paint
    Bare conductive pen and paint

    Bare Conductive Pen: This is from a company based in the UK which also started on kickstarter. One can get creative with Electronics with Bare’s Electric Paint. Whether you’re a student, artist, designer or engineer, there’s loads of projects waiting to be made. You may buy it with a touchboard or without. The Touch Board is a tool to make your projects interactive, responsive, smart or just fun. You may buy the pen alone or you may buy some fun packs of cards and then create the circuit with it. You may also buy a house set which turns out to be beautiful, colored and all lit up. They have a range of products that provide a variety of tools for teaching students of all ages the fundamentals of electronics.
    Bare conductive pen and paint is not the only one available in the market. There are simple conductive pens and paint that you may buy elsewhere at the same cost.
    Tutorials: There are many online tutorials to help in using the pen and paint for projects. You may also watch a video here.
    Price: prices range depending on the tool. The pen itself is inexpensive but the card activities and other tools are what make it expensive. You can buy the electric pain for about $11

putting keyword in firefox’s address bar

mtadros

If you are a Firefox user, you probably already know that you can just type a keyword in the address bar and you will get directed to the page you want.  Also, the default search engine is Google. Sometimes when we download an application like AIM or some toolbar like Ask,com, it suddenly changes our default settings. Here is how you can remedy that:

  1. To change the default search engine: In your address bar, type in:  about:config Approve the button that shows up telling you to be careful about changing settings. Inthe filter type
    browser.search.defaultenginename
    Double click that entry (or right click and choose “Modify”) and then type in the name of the search engine you wish to have as the default search engine.
  2. To make the keyword search in the address bar work if it stopped working, do the following: in the address bar type about:config Approve the button that shows up telling you to be careful about changing settings. In the filter type keyword.url then double click it and paste this: http://www.google.com/search?btnI=I%27m+Feeling+Lucky&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=

Hope this was helpful. It took me a while to figure it out. 🙂