Jason L. Froebe: Ramblings of a Geek

Several people have come to me over the past few months regarding the use of the free Sybase software given away as a membership gift by the International Sybase User Group (ISUG)

… plus a package of free Sybase Software valued at over $7000

Unfortunately there is a bit of misunderstanding that Not for Retail software are full versions.

The ISUG will happily entice you to join at the Gold level for the software:

^{New Version!} Free Developer Edition of Appeon for PowerBuilder 6.2

^{New Version!} Free NFR copy of Sybase PocketBuilder 2.5 (e-shop)

^{New Version!} Free NFR copy of WorkSpace Studio 2.1 (e-shop)

^{New Version!} Free NFR copy of Sybase DataWindow.NET 2.5 (e-shop)

^{New Version!} Free NFR copy of Sybase PowerBuilder Enterprise 11.5 (e-shop)

^{New Version!} EAServer 6.2 Developers Edition (e-shop)

Free copy of IQ 12.7 Developers Edition (e-shop)

ASE 15.0 Evaluation Kit (includes licenses, training materials, etc.)

Free Copy of SQL Anywhere Studio for Windows or Linux/UNIX (e-shop)

(User Group Presidents Only): Free NFR copy of Sybase PowerDesigner Studio

Let’s take a look at Sybase’s Not for Retail license:

NFR License

Please note that the NFR copies of PowerDesigner, WorkSpace, PowerBuilder, PocketBuilder and DataWindow .NET are for development and personal use, and not for commercial deployment purposes. A copy of the NFR license can be found below. Please note that references to development in the license typically refer to full-scale development. Prototyping (also a form of development) is generally permitted. All questions related to what can and can not be done with the program in question should be directed to your local Sybase sales representative for clarification and not ISUG.

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC LICENSE TERMS

NOT FOR RESALE — DEMONSTRATION VERSION

1. DEMONSTRATION USE OF PROGRAMS. You may install and use this Program internally in your organization solely for demonstration purposes on a single Machine. You may not use the Program for any development or production purpose, or transfer, assign, sublicense or otherwise convey the Program (or any portion thereof) to another party without Sybase’s prior written consent. You may not copy the Program except that you may either install the Program on your hard disk or make one copy for inactive back-up and archival purposes for your own use.
2. TERMINATION. You acknowledge and understand that Sybase may terminate this Agreement at any time upon thirty days written notice to you. Upon any termination of this Agreement, you shall cease using the Program and shall destroy all copies of the Program in any form.
3. WARRANTY DISCLAIMER. This Not for Resale — Demonstration version Program is provided AS IS, without any warranty or support. SYBASE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABLE QUALITY, NON INFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
4. PRECEDENCE. THE ABOVE TERMS SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER ANY INCONSISTENT OR CONFLICTING TERMS OF THE ACCOMPANYING SYBASE LICENSE.

Make sense?  Well, for far too many people, it doesn’t.  So let’s just go over what you can and can not do with NFR software:

What you can do:

• Install and run the software on one and only one computer (your computer)
• Demonstrate the software
• Build diagrams, binaries, libraries, etc.

What you can not do:

• Only you can operate the software
• Share any diagrams
• Share binaries or libraries
• Release any source code generated or even YOUR OWN source code that YOU produce while using the NFR software.  Unfortunately, this also includes taking the source code (or diagrams,etc) and using them with other software outside of a ‘demonstration’.

There isn’t anything distinguishing Not for Retail software from demo software. 

International Sybase User Group

While ISUG does state that the software is Not for Retail, ISUG stating that the NFR software is valued at over $7,000 is not just a misrepresentation but a bold faced lie bordering on bait and switch.

The purpose of this post is not to direct people away from being ISUG members, you do get a nifty Technical Journal where  article authors are only sometimes paid for their work, but to have people join with their collective eyes open.

I rebuilt an Ubuntu 9.10 server this past week, ripping off VMware and replacing it with VirtualBox 3.1.2. Setting up VirtualBox as a headless server was very easy with VBoxTool. However, I ran into a problem that I was unable to connect using remote desktop (rdesktop) as any user but the user that started the virtual machine.

This is, currently, an undocumented security feature of VirtualBox 3.1x to prevent just anyone from accessing the virtual machine console. For most folk, this might be a very good thing but if you have a team of sysadmins that should have access to the virtual machine consoles, you probably don’t want them to use the same login.

If that is the case, you can add the user(s) that should have access the virtual machine console to the shadow group on the host Linux machine. Be warned though that the user(s) that are added to the shadow group should not be able to log into the host machine else they will be able to read the shadow file where all the passwords to the box are stored. If the users need access to the host box, then they should have a login for host access (not part of the shadow group) and another for virtual machine console access.

Adding linux user jason_vrdp to the shadow group:

Prevent jason_vrdp from logging in to the host or anyone from sudo’ing to it:

(root) # usermod --shell /bin/false jason_vrdp

That’s it

Yeah, it’s Who Better Than Me by Phil Collins with the Turk and Tarzan names changed but it covers just about any two closely aged siblings IMHO:

Miriam
You’re one of a kind, I can’t explain it.
You’re kind of cool, in a wonderful way.
Though you’re weird, you can make it.
And who better than me to teach you.
Who better then me to set you on your way. (Mhm)

This could take some hangin’ in there
Though with persuasion I can take you on up
Make you grow up, beside the others
And who better than me to lead you
Who better than me to take you all the way (Hey hey hey yeah)

Asher & Miriam
Struggling along for years and years

Miriam
Until I came along for you
Now its all comin’ together

Asher & Miriam
And together will see this through
You for me and me for you

Asher
I can learn, I can listen
I know there’s something
Deep inside but
I need assistance to go the distance

Miriam
And who better than me

Asher
To teach me

Miriam
Who better than me

Asher
To tell me all you know

Miriam
Who better than me

Asher
You reach me

Miriam
Who better than me

Asher & Miriam
To show them all we know!

When I purchased Foundations of Qt Development (Expert’s Voice in Open Source) by Johan Thelin a few months back, I hoped to get to it right away but work and life diverted my attention. Today at lunch I dived into it. Even though I’m still going through chapter 1, I think I can give a hint of it:

Foundations of Qt® Development (Expert’s Voice in Open Source) is well written. He assumes that you have a little bit of C++ knowledge, avoiding into the trap that so many other authors do. You wouldn’t believe how many technical books I have where the first half or more of the book is simply a rehash of the basics. Forget that!

What I really like is that when he shows you an example of code, he explains why you would want to write it this way and how it differs from the Standard Template Language (STL – see C++ Programming Language, The (3rd Edition)). Where there are performance gains or penalties of using Qt instead of STL, he demonstrates it.

I never realized just how easy it is to write C++ using the Qt framework! Just the Signals and Slots alone make it very very powerful and that’s just the beginning. I’m completely blown away

When my bought the Sony MEXBT2700 CD Receiver with Bluetooth Hands-Free with Integrated Microphone (Black), I was thrilled. It seems to be a nice little radio with bluetooth and all the whiz bang that I needed.

We purchased the wiring adapter and the harness so that it fits well and looks nice in my Saturn 2000 SL2 sedan for an extra $44. Not bad. The problem was that while the colored wiring diagram provided by the adapter was correct, it had me put the power wire from the ignition in the wrong pin slot as the casing was reversed! Argh! It needed to go into pin 6 but it was on the wrong side. I figured it out after taking a good look at the plug on the old stock radio.

No, I couldn’t find my multimeter which is in a box somewhere in the house. head*desk

Once I moved the wire to the correct pin hole, the radio came alive.

Lesson learned when installing a car radio: make sure you have your multimeter (or some other way of determining if the power pin is hot).