Image Manipulation

In a recent blog article I used WordPress to embed images into a posting. This was very simple to do but there is a drawback: The image embedded within the post is identical in size and resolution to the one viewed if the image hyperlink is clicked. This makes the post and initial webpage very… Continue reading Image Manipulation

Published
Categorized as Debian

Goodbye Green Fields

Since moving into the village of St Mellion, almost two years ago, I’ve walked our dogs, Ollie and Murphy two or three times every day in some local fields. Sadly (for me) today is likely to be the last time as the fields will be mostly gone by tomorrow. The land has been purchased by… Continue reading Goodbye Green Fields

Encrypted Filesystems Revised

Some years back I blogged about encrypted filesystems. That info is still valid but times have moved on and there are other, better ways now. I can’t take any credit for this info, it all comes from the blog of Lars Strand. My thanks to him for taking the trouble to make it public. I’m… Continue reading Encrypted Filesystems Revised

Published
Categorized as Debian

0121 7084055

I just got a call from 0121 7084055. The guy on the other end wanted to speak to my partner Lou and then just abruptly hung up when I explained she was at work. The manner of it was such that I Googled the number which apparently belongs to a company called Ocean Communication Ltd.… Continue reading 0121 7084055

Broken Debian Openssl

It’s been a day since news emerged of the long-term issue with the Debian packaged openssl. As demonstrated by the feedback to Ben Laurie’s Blog entry, this is a very high profile issue with plenty of opposing points of view. Hardly surprising, considering the impact it has on the security of the OS. There is… Continue reading Broken Debian Openssl

Published
Categorized as Security

Who do I trust?

I recently read an excellent article by Ben Laurie that proposes methods that evil companies like Phorm could use to intercept SSL communications. This got me thinking about whom I actually trust when I’m using the Web. Most people install an Operating System and simply trust whatever Certificate Authorities it happens to come with. A… Continue reading Who do I trust?

Published
Categorized as Security

Domestic Switched Light

The following diagram shows the most simple of lighting circuits, a single lamp on a single switch. In this instance I’ve shown it with an incoming and outgoing supply as this can be achieved without breaking the rule of not putting more than four cables into a single junction box. The next diagram shows a… Continue reading Domestic Switched Light

Domestic 2-Way Lighting Circuit

The following diagram shows my preferred method for wiring a domestic 2-way lighting circuit. In this context, 2-way implies that two switches attach to the same light. In the above diagram, the Supply and Light cables are standard 3-core (Live, Neutral and Earth). The Switch cables are special 4-core used specifically for this type of… Continue reading Domestic 2-Way Lighting Circuit