The Internet Home of Kevin L. Collins
NEI
Posts about my job at Nesbitt Engineering, Inc.
Changes to the Laptop
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Image via CrunchBase
So I started to layout the changes required for the new NEI Intranet this morning. A couple of things came to mind and were quickly shot down.
During this planning and organizing session one thing came to the top: The new site would need to be compatible with both Internet Explorer 8+ and Safari (because of the widespread use of iPhones and iPads at the office).
This brought me the realization that my laptop, which is currently running Ubuntu Linux, really couldn’t be used to test the new code because I can’t use IE or Safari on Linux.
So, very shortly now, I’m going to back up my work to date and load Windows 7 on my laptop. That way I can load both IE and Safari along with my favorite Windows editor (notepad++) and use Putty to access the code on the development server. (I’m toying with the idea of using WAMP on the laptop instead, but that’ll come later.)
I know, I could use VMware or VirtualBox. But this machine barely has enough resources to run Ubuntu or Windows 7 alone. I think having even a small virtual machine for just testing would be enough to break its back.
NEI Intranet v3
0So now that I have my laptop setup for development, I’ve duplicated the NEI Intranet. In looking at the existing code, the changes in PHP and the some of the APIs that I used back in 2005, and the requirements put in front of me for the new version, it has become apparent that a complete rewrite is in order.
The first question on my plate is whether or not I should create a new MySQL database and re-organize things there too. There really isn’t a need to keep any historical information, but I could probably copy the data from the old database into a new one without too much trouble.
I need to think about this for a while before I move forward.
Recent Happenings
0For the past few days, I’ve been trying to get setup to do some serious coding again. I’ve been setting up a virtual development server (thanks to VMware), trying things with NFS, implementing a Subversion version control system, setting this laptop up on Ubuntu and getting used to all of this stuff again.
I find it odd, that almost none of this brought me enjoyment though. Two years ago, when I wrote my company’s Intranet site, I was thrilled to be creating something. But it’s different this time. It feels less like hacking and more like drudgery.
But, there is some good that has come out of this. First, I’ve been using the newest Ubuntu – 11.04, the Natty Narwhal – for my laptop and I have to say, I’m impressed. The “Unity” desktop is growing on me. Overall the installation on the laptop was a breeze – drop the CD, boot and go. Bluetooth, WiFi, Webcam, Sound – everything worked without a fuss. Definitely an improvement over my last experience with a laptop and Ubuntu.
Second, I’ve been able to upgrade and consolidate my entire virtual infrastructure from a mix of various VMware softwares and 5 physical server to VMware ESXi 4.1 on three hosts.
Next, I’ve also been using Ubuntu 10.04 LTS for several new servers along the way. The NFS host for my VMware servers and my development server are just two examples. I like its clean, quick install. I’m a bit confused as to why dash has replaced bash and why the developers have chosen not to install a full vi implementation, but those issues are easily worked around.
Finally, I’ve been learning along the way. Most of this learning focused on the changes that have happened between 2009 and now, but still I’ve learned and used a few more tricks.
The Worst Part of Being an IT Manager
0Sometimes, I really hate my job. Today is one of those times. Because of the economy, my company is being forced to lay off a significant number of employees. With me being the IT manager, I found out about this yesterday. The layoffs have started as I write this. (I’ve scheduled this post for 6:00pm because they’re not over.)
It’s hard for me to keep a “business as usual” attitude when you know that within several hours the people that you’re talking to will no longer have a job. For some of them, this will be a devastating blow that they may not recover from. For me, it takes a toll because a lot of them are my friends.
I know this is killing my boss. I know if there was any other way for him to get through this he would. I don’t envy him.
Gawd I hate days like this…
What makes all of this worse is that for the first time in 19 years, I’m concerned about my future. There’s not a single engineering firm of our size that has a full-time IT person, let alone a manger. It worries me that if these lay-offs don’t do the trick that I’m going to be next. I’m certain of one thing. If I am next, it will be a life-changing event. I know that finding an IT job is going to be very difficult in this economy – especially one that would maintain my current salary. To be honest, I’m not even sure that I would continue down the IT path. I know it’s late in life for me to think about a change of vocation, but I’ve got to look at all the options for the next 20+ years.
I can’t help but feel guilty about thinking of myself when so many others are going to be affected. But I can’t help but look at the big picture here.
Gawd I hate days like this…
All I can do is pray for those that have lost their jobs today and pray that God will show me the proper path.
“Tribal Knowledge”
0My friend Rich wrote a post on his blog entitled “Tribal Knowledge” a few days ago. I won’t go into the explanation of what it is, you can read his post for that, but I want to explain why I’ve had to deal with Tribal Knowledge and why it’s such a concern of mine.