Some have suggested that maven as a solution. I guess the only part I'm missing is how maven ties into the actual system. From what I've seen it is always pulling from my ~/.m2 repository, or a full repository upstream. Is there a way to have like a "System" repository that yum/apt/etc could install into?
Getting things to build with maven's idea of a build process has traditionally been tough, but it's pretty good for auto-downloading dependencies. Usually I needed a shell script that had maven download some, then wget'd a few more (that, for licensing reasons, couldn't go in an upstream server).
Unless a slightly-customized maven is distributed, you'd have to put a ~/.m2/settings.xml in the new-user template that specified your local repository. Which isn't too bad.
Anyone with more than a handful of developers should really be running their own maven repository mirror to shield deployments from external outages. http://nexus.sonatype.org/ is stable and simple to get running.
The fact that the libraries get downloaded to ~/.m2 should be irrelevant in production, because your deployments should happen against a deployment-specific role user, and downloads should be super-fast, because they're all from within your colo.
(all this being said, I haven't touched java and don't miss it at all since switching to Ruby on Rails to write AdGrok, and that's coming from more than 10 years soaking in java).
I disagree: you should put in version control each library that your project depends on. I don't see what Maven adds beyond introducing an artificial dependency on a tool outside of your control.
I'm not sure how important it really is, unless your current layout doesn't work well for you. That is, most things don't really care where you save your documents, code or other files.
Using gnome/fedora quite some time I have the standard Desktop, Documents, Music, etc which sit mostly stagnant due to dropbox.
Some of the interesting others:
~/Dropbox My dropbox folder.
~/prefix where I install various libs and things I'm using. I have my /home on a seperate partition so I can quickly re-install without losing settings. Using ~/prefix saves having to re-build the more obscure dependencies/tools I end up using.
~/projects where I keep checkouts projects I'm working on or using (they get installed from here into ~/prefix). It is also an eclipse workspace folder, for the times when I need eclipse.
~/media a symlink to my other drives (DVD, usb devices, etc) so that when I samba in (rarely) I can easily get to those -- I was too lazy to add shares for them.
Do many people have advice on things that can grow inside an apartment?
I've heard/seen various lamp-based systems that have timers and things. I was curious if there are any particular plants that would grow in the relative dark of an apartment if I could get myself a barrel with some soil.
I have windows, but I also live next to some trees which makes direct sunlight limited.
I was hoping there was some secret vegetables/herbs that could deal with low-light. I guess that means things that would be possible to grow in the woods, like underbrush.
If your window gets sun, you can get herbs like basil, parsley, or mint to grow indoors. Currently I'm growing catnip indoors and I plan on moving some of my herbs indoors when it gets colder.
Is it too late in the year to start mint? I have a very similar situation to the OP; live in an apartment in SE Michigan with a window/balcony, but near trees. I'm assuming it'll have to come inside around mid-October.
Mint is like a crazy weed. It'll take over your garden given half a chance. It survives mild (UK) winters, but probably needs to be established before it will do that. So you might want to look for advice and maybe start it indoors for the first winter.
I did make a great discovery this year: chocolate mint (mentha piperita). The leaves taste like minty chocolate (you really have to try this -- you won't believe it until you do).
Also, I've heard conflicting reports about growing mint indoors over the winter; some sources say that mint needs to die down in the winter and won't survive year-round growing, but others don't mention it. Should I just plant two pots, one indoors and one out?
I've always bought it in pots, not tried it from seed. The pots are really cheap anyway (like $3 equivalent). All they need are watering, and if they die off, just get another pot ...
Removing (or rather probably just moving to be in a menu somewhere) things is definitely not the only key to simplicity, but I think it does help in this case.
I think it does look quite a bit simpler to comprehend at least with respect to not slamming too much different stuff in the same sort of grouping.
When I start up IE 8 I get the tab bar which has, in this order: A favorites button with an icon and a label, the set of tabs, some toolbar icons buttons, some of which are menus, some are just actions, some menu labels, and finally another icon menu for help. The new shot looks like they moved most of that into 3 icons on the top right.
Unfortunately they moved the tabs next to the location bar, which means they will now be competing for space, but definitely trimming down and moving where all the menu options are is a plus in my eyes.
They also added the idea of greater emphasis on the back button which is certainly more frequently used, which is nice.
The main problem I see is that they have made it simple by removing stuff but leaving no room complexity and still making the look of it complex.
For instance the browser background is semi-transparent which means that yes the page will probably stand out more in some respect but at the same time they have no canvas to work with to make additions, allow for third party stuff. It will have to sit on top of that transparent canvas which will end up making it more complex.
The reason to normally use white, black or gray is to have a neutral background that almost everything fit's nicely into. Now any icon or button have to compete with whatever happens to be behind the semi-transparent canvas.
In many way's from the looks of this they are already maxed out on design debt.
Of course that might be reading too much into it from this screen shot as I don't know what their plans are. But my immediate reaction is it won't scale very well.
In their defence, that's how windows usually work on (err...) Windows 7, apps usually have the top bar and sometimes something more where transparency is allowed (there's a system setting for setting the amount of transparency, or none).
I don't see a problem since the tabs are not transparent, just with a small gradient like Chrome, and it's probably not going to be possible to add things (icons from extensions?) to the main controls of the browser.
I will admit it would be nice to have a single list of "release notes" but there are like 30 various projects and some 20+ million lines of code getting released all at once. Keep track of all of that at once, let alone at detail fine enough to be useful would be difficult.
As a result they have been doing a "blogathon" where various community members are posting whats new, etc. On the main page of eclipse.org I clicked on blogathon.
On the page that comes up (http://eclipse.org/helios/blogathon/reviews.php):
Eclipse Helios: What’s New in JDT
Top 10 Eclipse Helios Features
Let’s See What’s New in Eclipse 3.6
Git Support, Top Eclipse Helios Feature #2
New and noteworthy in Helios (Eclipse 3.6)
etc, etc etc.
the trick for me is to not call it exercise. everyone is short on time and noone likes to do 'extra work' even if its good for you.
find something you enjoy that is active and do it. hockey, basketball, skiing, biking, boxing, swing dancing... there is no law that says it has to be some boring uninspiring task.
personal method is road bike to and from work + evening rides time/weather permitting. i'm down 70lbs since 6 years ago.
