Function pointers in Java

Overview The last post about reactive programming introduced an experimental library which, among other things, implements method references (aka function pointers) for Java. If Java allowed for such a syntax, I could imagine a succinct example: class TestClass{ int add(int a, int b){ return a + b; } public void test(){ FunctionPointer fp = TestClass.add; … Continue reading Function pointers in Java →

Building the perfect, cheap DIY NAS

I've been running for a decade a self-built NAS at home, so I thought I'd write down my experience so that others might gloat over my many failures and gasp in awe at my few triumphs. The NAS is perfect because it is simple, safe, modular and extensible and it is cheap because it is … Continue reading Building the perfect, cheap DIY NAS →

Force-enabling Firefox’ reader view

TL;DR: Prepend "about:reader?url=" to any website URL to force reader view in Firefox I'm in love with Firefox' reader view. It not only removes ads, nag-screens, subscription prompts and other clutter from articles but it's typographical choices often are better than the (well-intended) choices of the author. I also value the consistent look and feel … Continue reading Force-enabling Firefox’ reader view →

First write operation to large ext4 file system is slow

I'm running a large (>20TB) ext4 file system and noticed that the first substantial write operation after mounting is very slow and involves plenty of drive activity. The reason seems to be some memory structure initialisation as described here: https://linux-ext4.vger.kernel.narkive.com/SUFNE520/ext4-slow-performance-on-first-write-after-mount The workaround is thankfully as simple as running this command in a script after mounting … Continue reading First write operation to large ext4 file system is slow →

Ubuntu on the Acer Nitro 5

[updated May 2020] The Acer Nitro 5 is an interesting breed; decent computing power, a mid-range SSD, a large screen with high contrast, a decent and solid keyboard with good haptics at an ok price - but will it run Ubuntu? The Nitro comes with Windows 10 home pre-installed and UEFI secure boot enabled - … Continue reading Ubuntu on the Acer Nitro 5 →

The problem with standardisation

Standards are a double-edged swordSubbu Allamaraju, CTO Expedia, https://m.subbu.org/lessons-from-2019-5beb64e63bc7 TL;DR: Standardisation reduces the dimensionality of a problem space thus eliminating possibilities for optimisation. Standards reduce the number dimensions of a problem space Consolidation initiatives aim at reducing the number of domains in a problem space in order to make problem handling easier: reduce the number … Continue reading The problem with standardisation →

2019 reading list

It's been a while since my first (and so far only) reading list (2016) [1], but this decade shall not end without another one. Rules for the 2019 reading list: The content must have been interesting throughout the year; sources with only a few notable publications of an otherwise unremarkable output don't qualifyI overcame my … Continue reading 2019 reading list →

Resetting a PCI device

The Wi-Fi adapter on my VivoBook 17 has been acting up under Ubuntu 18.04 LTS insofar that at a random point in time, possibly accelerated by power saving features, the Wi-Fi will stop working with suspicious syslog entries: ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: failed to wake target for read32 at 0x0003a028: -110 The usual tricks (suspend/resume, reload driver, … Continue reading Resetting a PCI device →

Fixing random sound drops with Ubuntu; only sound device is “Dummy Output”

The title says it all; at some point Ubuntu 18.04 stops playing sound and the only available sound device is "Dummy Output". Apart from rebooting (which fixes the issue) this command executed from the terminal fixes the issue: pulseaudio -k && sudo alsa force-reload Contributed by user Kim, source: https://superuser.com/questions/17312/restart-ubuntu-sound-processes-via-command-line