Bog Roll ::

Today I've been dealing with sending files to Deutsche Bank. I'm using curl to transmit SAP IDoc files to the bank and then using curl to pull report files back. Working with DB is possibly the worst experience I've ever had with a third party and I wouldn't recommend ever working with them.

I've also had to deal with nasty Windows problems. For example curl running under Cygwin on my desktop PC and on a Red Hat box are both happy to send files via a corporate Windows proxy server, curl on AIX is not. Pulling files from any system is fine but there must be a conflict between curl and OpenSSL on AIX and the Windows proxy because it works fine using an alternate Squid proxy on Debian.*

My next problem is that DB said the files would be plain comma separated ASCII text files. It turns out that they are semi-colon separated and their Web-server server is sending files with ASCII CR+LF line-endings, which screws up your shell scripting until you filter them out...**

* And yes I know it could actually be IBM at fault, AIX is weird but it is easier to blame Microsoft - it's normally their fault...

** Again technically webby protocols should be CR+LF but I forget that unlike Perl which magically deals with this, Bash does not.

posted 22:16 :: /unix :: permalink :: ^

My Desktop Adapted for Dad talk has been accepted at this year's Linux'08 meeting. I now have to extend and expand it from about 20 to 45 minutes. I have some extra pieces to add to the story, screen shots and I think it will be okay.

I also have to complete my rsnapshot talk for the next HANTS-LUG meeting and my lean-six-sigma improve stage toll gate review for tomorrow...

posted 21:51 :: /unix/gui :: permalink :: ^

This week I've been on a SAP training course at their Heathrow facility near London. It's an okay commute for a few days but I'm glad I don't go that far every day.

The course is interesting enough, it's SAP old and obsolete IDOC/ALE technology, which we'll probably be using on our antique SAP system for some time to come, so it's not a total waste of time.

It's useful stuff but I could have done with it 12-18 months ago...

posted 21:37 :: /perl :: permalink :: ^

When I came back from Holiday the latest BT bill was waiting for me on the door mat. They have charged me £105+VAT to establish my phone line - something they promised that they would not do. So not only did they incorrectly handle the phone move they also screwed up on the billing.

I HATE BT!

posted 13:00 :: /stuff/house :: permalink :: ^

Eventually it had to come to an end. We packed up the tent in the morning just before the heavens opened up and set of north for Saint-Malo. We went slowly through the pretty countryside and checked into our "motel" for our last night in Brittany of this year. We had enough time to pick up a last few essentials in town before settling in for the night.

On the last day we drove through a sleep town to the port to board out ferry home. It was the "worst" day crossing we have had to date, that only means it was cloudy once we were in English waters and we were still able to walk about as long as you were a bit more careful. Overall a decent crossing really.

posted 22:20 :: /stuff/holiday :: permalink :: ^

The past few days have been a blur of driving to places, looking at something, very short walks, shopping and eating out. Highlights included:

• A very weird church in Pleyben with a chocolate factory next door.
• A shot walk along the beach at Mousterlin and Beg-Meil.
• A really nice walk along to coast near Névez
• A fascinating visit to a small fish canning facility in Concarneau: Maison Courtin.
• Pont-Aven: pretty enough town but too many art galleries...
• Plenty of very nice cider.
• Concarneau's own walled town, which is surprisingly not over run with tourist shops and has a nice top of the ramparts walk which is free out of season!

posted 17:58 :: /stuff/holiday :: permalink :: ^