Oracle WebLogic and Forms Installation on Oracle Linux (64-bit)…

In an attempt to delay packing for my trip, I decided to give the server installation on Linux a go.

The installation was pretty straight forward. I will take a look at some of the further configuration stuff when I get back from my trip.

Cheers

Tim…

Oracle WebLogic and Forms Installation on Windows (32-bit)…

At least one of the apps at work will be moving to Forms 11gR2, so I thought I better do a run through of the desktop developer installation before someone asks me how it is done. 🙂

Our standard desktop environment is still Windows XP (32-bit), hence the archaic choice here.

The server environment will be Linux 64-bit, so when I get back from the next trip I will probably do a write up of that installation. The install steps will be pretty similar, but I like to have a no-brain-needed guide to follow when I do these things. 🙂

Cheers

Tim…

Desktops, Laptops and Tablets…

File this under #NothingNewHere 🙂

Over the last couple of years we’ve been constantly bombarded with the “tablets are the future” message. Today I read this piece about Microsoft.

Being a techie, it’s hard for me to get in the “normal folk” frame of mind when thinking about technology, but it just so happens I had a conversation with a “normal person” last night. He’s a personal trainer at my gym. It turns out his opinion on the desktop/laptop/tablet debate is pretty similar to all the techies I’ve spoken with. He was asking me for some advice (which I’m not qualified to provide), but before I said a word he hit me with a few statements:

  • I need a new desktop for home. The one I’ve got is a bit slow when the kids are using it to play games.
  • I would like a new laptop. This one I’ve got (shows me his laptop) is a few years old and needs to be replaced.
  • I’ve got an iPad. It’s OK, but I really need the laptop if I’m doing any typing.

This is the same stuff us techies have been going on about since the launch of the iPad. I agree that tablet sales will probably increase over the coming years, but in the near future, they will be in addition to regular kit, not a replacement for it.

When I eventually have to replace my iPad (v1) I will probably pick the cheapest device available that has a functioning browser. Unless some amazing new use case comes along, I really won’t need more than that for a device with such limitations.

Enough of stating the obvious…

Cheers

Tim…

Prometheus (3D)

I went to see Prometheus at the start of the month and wrote about it here.

A few days ago some friends asked me if I wanted to go with them to see it in 3D, so I did.

In 2D, the opening sequence was amazing. In 3D it was a bit of a let down. The opening credits (being 3D) jumped out at you and distracted from scenes behind. As for the rest of the film, some scenes worked and others didn’t. Pretty much any time there is movement, 3D sucks.

If I had gone to see the film in 3D first, I think my impression of it would have been quite different. If you have yet to see it, please go to the 2D version!

Cheers

Tim…

PS. The Spiderman trailer was a mess in 3D. All of us commented on it being just a big blur. Truly terrible. I think the film will be good though (in 2D).

Thank heavens for Time Machine…

I was running through my demos for the OTN Tour of Central America and my laptop completely died!

<assorted expletives removed for fear of offending readers>

I ran through the disk repair utility and it found (and fixed) a number of problems, but still the laptop wouldn’t boot. Time for drastic measures!

Next I started a full restore of the hard disk from Time Machine. I left it running over night and woke up this morning to find a fully functioning laptop. 🙂

I’m going to record all my live demos so if something bad happens during the tour I can present from a memory stick.

Not exactly what you want the week before you go away…

Cheers

Tim…

OTN Tour of Latin America…

All the flights and hotels are booked, so it now feels very real. In a little over a week I will be taking part in the OTN Tour of Latin America.

I’m a little nervous because there are so many legs in such a short time. The tour lasts 13 days. In that time I’ll be taking 11 flights and visiting 6 locations.

  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Costa Rica

I feel my stomach twisting as I look at the list. With so many locations in such a short time, the possibility of hiccups in transit seems rather high. Miss one connection and things get tricky…

I’m looking forward to meeting people, but I would be a liar if I said I’m happy about spending 2 weeks on a plane. 🙂

Cheers

Tim…

VirtualBox 4.1.18 Released…

VirtualBox 4.1.18 has been released. It’s a maintenance release and the downloads and changelogs are in the normal places.

It’s been about 2 years since I switched across to VirtualBox (when the shared virtual disks feature was introduced). In that time there have been loads of updates to the product. In the same time frame, VMware Server has had zero releases. I still get a lot of people writing to me about issues with VMware Server installations. I immediately tell them to ditch it. 🙂

Cheers

Tim…

PS. I’ve got nothing against VMware’s paid-for offerings, which do get updates. I just don’t see the point in using them when VirtualBox is free and works great for me.

Oracle Forms and Java 1.7 (don’t panic)…

The company I’m currently working for have a number of legacy Forms apps that will probably never get upgraded, so the recent news about JRE 1.7 and eBS being an issue (because of the Oracle Forms component)  made me worry just a bit. 🙂

Luckily, Kurt Van Meerbeeck has a good post about it here. Looks like there is nothing to panic about after all.

Cheers

Tim…