On his new blog Write To Done, Leo Babauta talks about how to write without distractions. I wanted to look at a couple of his points from the FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu perspective.
Posts Tagged ‘Writing’
Cutting out distractions
Thursday, January 24th, 2008Bestseller?
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008Just did a quick check on how my book – Managing Software Development with Trac and Subversion – was doing on Amazon UK. They had stock earlier in the week, but it’s all gone now – that can only be a good thing!
I was also really pleased to see that I had made into the top 100,000 bestsellers – number 94,492 to be precise. Considering I’ve seen books ranked over the million mark, I’m very happy with my current position.
Managing Software Development available on Amazon
Saturday, January 5th, 2008I looked my book – Managing Software Development with Trac and Subversion – on Amazon when it was published, but I could not find it. Earlier tonight my wife went surfing earlier today and had more luck:
Keeping Quiet Reason #1
Friday, February 16th, 2007In the past I’ve hinted at reasons why I’ve been so quiet on here (and why most of my recent content has been non-technical).
Well, the cat’s out of the bag on one the reasons now:
Thanks to Jono I am co-authoring the 2nd edition of The Official Ubuntu Book due out around the release of Feisty.
I’m even on Amazon!
From tiny acorns…
Saturday, January 6th, 2007I’ve been quiet. Too quiet. Even allowing for the holidays I’ve been too quiet. However, in my defense, there are reasons for this.
Firstly, following on from my previous articles there will be more, in a Python vein.
Secondly, a couple of projects – which at the moment I won’t discuss, not because I can’t, just because I like being mysterious – will be coming to fruition this year. Think articles, but BIGGER. 
We shall have to wait and see if they turn into Oaks!
RADical Python
Friday, December 8th, 2006I have another article in the latest issue of Linux User & Developer entitled RADical Python.
It is an introduction to Rapid Application Development with PyGTK, and I’m very pleased with the result. Of course real feedback (instead of my own ego massaging) is always welcome.
I am intending to follow this article up with a series on Python development (with a twist) – further bulletins as events warrant.
In the mean time go and pick up a copy!
LinuxWorld Beckons
Monday, October 16th, 2006I’ve been trying to make up my mind whether to attend LinuxWorld this year but with my recent foray back into the world of (technical) writing, as yet unpublished work under my belt and a not insignificant project (which will be announced soon) in the pipeline I’ve decided it will be worth going to, if only for the ‘networking’ which sounds so cold-blooded but in this context seems apt.
I’ll be there for both days with – as yet – no plans for the Thursday evening (before making the trip home) so if anyone wants to meet up, let me know.
Update
Due to a change in travel plans I shall now be on a train on Thursday evening so any meetups will have to take place early Wednesday evening or during the expo.
Published Again!
Wednesday, September 27th, 2006It’s always nice to see your work in print. Don’t get me wrong – online publishing is great, but there’s just something…nice about holding something you’ve written. Now it’s not the first time something I’ve written has been printed, but this time it is directly attributable to me.
On page 50 of Issue 66 of Linux User & Developer you will find my article about Open Source software for children, inspired by my childrens recent painless conversion to Linux.
Go buy, read, enjoy, and provide me with feedback please. Oh and keep an eye out – there is more where that came from (hint, hint)!
Triumphant Return
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006I’m now back after a weeks holiday in France, preceded by an intensive week of work at my day job handing off a particularly long running project to its new victim maintainer.
Unfortunately I now seem to have been struck down by some sort of bug that whilst not serious enough to prevent me from work, it does make the experience pretty unpleasant.
In other news it looks like I should have an article published in the next issue of Linux User & Developer and I’m writing a couple more for other ‘outlets’. Futher bulletins as events warrant.
How to install Ruby on Rails on Ubuntu
Tuesday, July 25th, 2006The instructions for installing Ruby on Rails have always been lumped in with the Debian ones, and over time the page has gotten pretty messy. I’ve recently been having numerous discussions with various people about the perceived difficulties in installing Rails and its offspring on Ubuntu (and Debian). I’d been meaning to write an installation guide for Ubuntu for quite a while now to address this, but I never seemed to get around to it.
Whilst at LugRadio Live this weekend, I attended the Ruby on Rails BOF during which someone mentioned an install guide and I said I was going to be (re)writing one. This prompted me to pull my finger and actually do it, so without further ado let me introduce the new guide for installing Ruby on Rails on Ubuntu. I decided to create a new page instead of updating the old one not because that’s the Open Source Way but rather because the old one may still be useful to people.
I’m planning on creating a similar (probably almost identical) guide for Debian, and I need to add a couple more bits and pieces to it. I’m also planning on duplicating the content to the equivalent Ubuntu wiki page.