vincent bidaux  freelance web and application design

So I’ve been looking for a way to install Jolicloud on my macbook  but it’s not supported… Couldn’t either find a way to make it work with VMWare. But I did find a way to make it work with VirtualBox, hided in a comment thread.. as it works fine I thought I could republish it here.

Original post : http://www.jolicloud.com/blog/2009/06/26/introducing-the-jolicloud-alpha-2-release/

Tutorial author : http://hthetiot.blogspot.com/

1. Run the command to create a bootable VDI image (without quotes): “VBoxManage convertfromraw jolicloud-robby-alpha2-live.img jolicloud-robby-alpha2-live.vdi”
2. Run the command to create a new empty VDI image where to install the image with 4GB space: “VBoxManage createhd -filename jolicloud-robby.vdi -size 4000″
   Note: you can use -register option at the end of this command or register this VDI file from the VirtualBox later.
3. Create a new VM using the jolicloud-robby-alpha2-live.vdi (use the existing vdi option)
4. Attach the jolicloud-robby.vdi as a Primary Slave
5. Start the VM (boot)
6. Install

And I’m adding a last step to the list : Once the installation finished, close the VM and edit it, remove the primary Master (the vdi file) and set the 4GB primary slave partition to primary master, launch the VM again, and voilà!

Links :

• Virtual Box
• Jolicloud

EDIT August 11th 2009

Thanks all for feedback. I now run Jolicloud on a Lenovo s10 and share experience on Twitter. Follow @vinchubang to keep track of it. I do think that Jolicloud is making a point. I’ve been looking for such a simple system for ages.  My goal was to fing a simple system for my mother to use : she’s 70 and never used a modern computer and Internet. She’s going to love it, OSX has been a litle too complex for her.

What makes Jolicloud a good OS :

• Easy install (for an Alpha)
• Easy update
• The appstore-like application panel in the Cloud area (bye bye the ‘packet’ idea and crazy words like ‘Synaptic’)
• Easy update (no really!)

This was written in a comment of a reddit item here.

Internet Meme Timeline
Spawned: 4chan
Developed: 4chan
Murdered: 4chan
Revived: Reddit
Complained about: Reddit
Noticed: Digg
Matured: Reddit
Subpage frontpaged: Digg
Made annoying: Reddit
Promptly dismissed: Somethingawful
Front Paged: Digg
Blood squeezed from the stone: www.icanhazphilosoraptor.com
Implemented into unfunny headline: Fark
Made into painful flash video: YTMND
Unfunny headline turned into meme: Fark
Automatically downmodded/buried: Reddit and Digg
Showed up at one point but no one cares because they’re too busy Twittering about their recent bowel movement: Stumbleupon
Stolen and used for profit: Ebaumsworld
Extensive advice about how meme can improve your blog: Delicio.us
Revived and considered mildly entertaining: Somethingawful
LOLcats noticed: Yahoo
Mentioned in magazine under the “we’re hip with the kids” section: Time, Newsweek, etc.
Forgotten: Everyone except Somethingawful
Revived months later to piss off everyone: 4chan

• Meme : definition on Wikipedia
• The source of the post on Reddit
• Reddit.com
• 4chan.com
• Digg.com
• Stumbleupon
• Somethingawful
• Ebaumsworld.com
• Drew Curtis’s Fark
• You’re the man now dog

(You may ask yourself sometimes where all the internet crap you’re being forwarded to comes from… Good chances it comes from one of the sites listed above.)

Several of my current personal projects involve writing a bit of text-based content. Ideally, I would write it in a spreadsheet or a MySQL database when I’m in front of my laptop, and would be drafting it with a pen in a notebook when on-the-go.

I recently got QuickBase, a free app for iPhone and iPod Touch, that I thought could allow me to write my content on the go directly in my phone. The software is extremely simple and quite easy to use, but comes with no manual or help file, no editor website url and I couldn’t find any page talking about it. As the software crashes if you don’t use all the properties correctly, I write here a simple iillustrated How-To for those who experienced the same issues and are looking for answers.

How to create a database with crossed tables on the iPhone using QuickBase

We are going to assume we want to gather organized datas to create a simple quizz game. In this game, we will have two different kinds of questions : multiple choices questions and open questions. There will be 4 possible answers for MCQs where only one answer is needed for open questions. A category will be attached to every question regardless of its kind.

So, for both kinds of questions we need a proper text question, a correct text answer and a category. On top of that, we need 3 false answers for the MCQ, plus an indication on where is the correct answer (this way the author of the questions can order the answers the way he wants, wich is quite important for the question narration). We will note answers A, B, C and D (because we want to be a millionnaire).

OK, go!

1. For new users who want to organize a bunch of datas in their iPhone, begin by downloading the app from the AppStore.
2. To begin, we are going to create the forms we need. We need a MCQ form, a Open Question and a Category one.
   The Home Screen will display the forms you are going to create. This capture displays the state after the step 2 and a restart.
   So tap on Forms, and in the next screen, tap on the New button.
   If you run the software for the first time, your screen will only display the lines Forms and Forms Fields. Note that when you will have entered new content in the software you will have to restart it to see them in the lists or to use the forms.

   

3. Create the three Forms as described below.
4. Now that we have our forms, we’re gonne create all the fields we need to populate them.
   We need to create all the fields described in the below images. Text fields, called editbox, are easy to create, but enum and reference fields are a bit more tricky.
   Enum datas are used for multiple choices like a drop down list or a radio button list. We’re gonna use this to notify the correct answer for MCQs. Reference fields are used to fill a field with the result of another field located within the same form or another form. We’re going to use this to add a category for each question.
   The first item you have to create is the Category Title, the last one on the list, attributed to the Category Form. We need it because we’re going to link it to the reference fields of the other forms.

   

   

   

5. Once the first field created, return to the main screen, reboot the application and then click on the Category form. Once there, create three different categories (yes, we’ve chosen silly categories).
   You can now go back to Form Fields to create all the other fields.
   
6. Here are the setups for editbox, enum and reference. Enum items must be separated with comas. When a reference property is set, you have to chose the foreign form and field to pick the datas in.
7. Now go back to the home screen and restart the application. Then tap on the MCQ Form and tap on new to create your first question datas. Observe how enums and references datas are displayed

Here you go! You have your database ready to be filled up.

Now you’re going to ask me how to get the datas back to your computer. Well, i don’t know. Probably by getting a file over SSH, but for that you need to have jailbroken your device, which I didn’t so I can’t test for the moment. Will be happy to read someone about it.

Pathetic lives, prolific imaginations.

I have been lazy updating my Netvibes Universe, but now that it’s done, you have a chance to check my information and entertainment sources. Check it here.

“Il n’est jamais trop tard pour n’en avoir rien  foutre” is French for “It’s never to late to not give a shit“. I stole this line from Raf, who is bulding his life around this moto. He has a second one which I forgot about but it’s surely hillarious too.

You have a Netvibes, or a Google Reader? Export your OPML file and please share your sources with me.

Il love english TV shows. Three years ago I was a total fan of Nathan Barley. My friend Alice sent me over the DVD when she was working in London. It comes with a black booklet full of urban art sarcasms about street artist Bansky. Nathan also still have a website, trashbat.co.ck (trashbat-dot-cock).

And Nathan had this incredible phone, the Wasp T12, half a computer, half mixing desks, transforming any bus ride into a showcase anoying gig.

Three years later man, the thing is reality. Introducing the Pacemaker from Beatport!

• Nathan Barley on TV.com : http://www.tv.com/nathan-barley/show/32762/
• About fabulous street artist Bansky : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bansky

More on english geeky TV swhows :

• There are links between Nathan Barley and the great The IT Crowd. This year, we had an hillarious second season.
• Englishs and dinosaurs, yes, that’s Primeval! Second season airing now.
• Not really english, but not really American either: a new serie from British Columbia, Canada, airing on CBC, it’s JPod, from the bestselling Douglas Coupland’s novel. Coupland is the author of Generation X and Microserfs. Jpod takes place in a company that resembles Electronic Arts in Vancouver. Barley and IT Crowd fans should give it a try.
• Other great TV shows from UK are : Fawlty Towers, The Young Ones and the great Father Ted.

And all this for not more than 2€ in Beleville streets!








We place great hopes in this new technology.