New Box

This past fall I picked up a new personal box for development.

On the local box:

• XCode
• Dropbox - File syncing at it's best
• TextWrangler - A nice text editor.
• KeePassX - A nice encrypted password store.
• Amazon KindleApp

Given my experimentation with Ruby and Python I've also added

- RVM - Ruby Virtual Machine

- VirtualEnv - a similar stack for Python.

These tools allow me to create specific versions of Python and Ruby Apps without polluting the global space. If I need a new set of gems/modules I can cut a new environment to test against. I also don't have to worry as much about conflicts or upgrades of individual packages.

I've also started using Divvy and Evernote. Divvy is a nice little app for slicing up windows and placing apps nicely on the screen. I've started trying to use Evernote to track notes, plans and todo lists across machines.

I just got a new box for work, and I'm setting up most of the same tools. A few additions: I'll be making: VirtualBox and Vagrant for setting up unix environments cheap and easy. Need to look at Puppet vs Chef, but that'll wait for another night.

new toy

Got a new laptop from work today. In a change from my normal linux laptops I'm piloting a MacBook Pro. I am still learning the ins and outs of it. Trying to get used to the keyboard and the feel of it. So far, I'm liking it. I got used to the multitouch trackpad faster than I thought I would. While I still miss the thinkpad eraser mouse, I do like the multitouch for scrolling. The placement of the keyboard really helps me avoid the accidental smacking of the touchpad that I get on most other laptops.

Am I converted to the cult of mac yet? Dunno. Day 1 has gone well, but I need to see what I like and what annoys me. I still have to install have my apps and I need to figure out what I want to keep on the dock. I know that there are lots of good mac apps out there that are interesting, so I need to search for them and get them started. Also want to get started with Virtualization on the Mac. Probably going with VMWare since most of my other images are VMWare, but I may try parallels for a little while. Biggest roadblock -- replacing visio. I do too much chartwork in Visio, now I need to find a good alternative.

Been spending some cycles on Facebook. Connecting to more and more friends there. A few surprises have shown up. Old friends I hadn't expected to see there, but Facebook is starting to be like New York City, stay in one place long enough and everyone shows up.