I have created a tool in my free time for duplicating repo functionality on windows without using the cygwin. Cygwin basically emulates Linux ABIs on windows and is prone to errors. My tool is using native windows binaries so no ABI translation is needed.

The tool is available for download at: https://github.com/wolverine2k/win-repo/tree/master/releases. The instructions for configuration are available at: https://github.com/wolverine2k/win-repo

The tool is a WIP but still the repo init and syncs are working great. Please do spread the information as needed.

Microsoft XNA 4.0 refresh is a very good framework for doing various things including game development, simulation, etc. Of course as with all good things, Microsoft is not going to support it anymore. And one more reason in not investing in MSFT technology. But that is besides the point that one cannot simply install XNA 4.0 without a VS 2010 installation. I had VS 2013 on my machine and wanted XNA for some simulation stuff I have been developing. And I don’t want to overload my machine with multiple versions of Visual Studio.

There are a load of extensions for VS2010 and VS2012 which should just work on VS2013. BUT, yes there is always a but, Microsoft does not want our life so easy. Each and every extension developer has to repack and republish his extensions every time a new VS version is released. Anyways, I was looking into a very exciting VS Extension known as Axiom3D. It is a rendering engine which is fully object oriented 3D graphics engine using C# and the .NET platform.

Many of my friends using Linux have serious problems with switching screens, screen resolutions, connecting to projectors, etc. and all of them end up wasting humongous amount of time doing stuff like that. And after banging their heads for 30 minutes they curse Linux and all and put up a request for another meeting! Anyways, below is the code to get screen toggling and switching screens easily done. Of course one needs to modify to suite their own use-cases but I guess the script itself will suffice most people.

Now WTH is Blind Debugging? Well, thats what I have been doing for the past 2 weeks everyday for 14-16 hours a day! I am working on a new top secret project(!) where there is a lot of intercommunication happening between 2 systems. One of them is a master and one is a slave. The intercommunication happens with a list of complicated protocols. Now comes the bad part. I don’t have source code access to either of the systems and my task is to get some things working in both the systems!

Original Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

Now now, don’t get me wrong. I am not recommending and writing about installation of Windows 8 over Linux. Infact, I am not recommending you guys to install Windows 8 (W8) at all except if you like me are developers and creators at heart and would like to do some applications for Windows Phone 8 (WP8). Microsoft being the good guys (deeply sarcastic if you don’t get me) have released a 1.5GB download for tools related to WP8 development. It also includes a gratis version of Visual Studio 2012 Express edition!

After a couple of philosophy articles, I am back to my usual self writing about technology and related rants. This time, I will write about a heated discussion that happened between me and my fellow colleague. And that was on 2 points. So let the rant begin. Now before I begin, let me write that these days I am doing a lot of coding in C. So assume C in the below discussions.