Projects, Have I got 'em

I thought that I might have a slow winter this year. Boy was I wrong.

I've got more work than I expected, and certainly enough to keep me busy for the next several months. In fact, I'm so wrapped up with Linux-related stuff, that I can't wait for spring to arrive, just so I can get out and away from the computer.

First off, I'm still in the throws of my software upgrade(s). I upgraded the OS on Merlin just over a month ago, and still have some tuning issues left to resolve. Additionally, I still want (desperately) to upgrade the OS on Bitsie, as it is so very backlevel, and starting to lose some of the capabilities I want. OS upgrades are a lot of work, so these projects alone could keep me quite occupied for the next month or so. But, we'll add on more, just in case.

As a side-effect of Merlin's upgrade, I looked into upgrading the web software I use to manage my Recipe book. While there are capable and well-supported packages out there, I am not that impressed with any of them. And, so, I'm rolling my own web Recipe book program. I've got a workable framework in place, and have built a tool to migrate my recipes out of the old application and into my new one. I'm learning a lot about PHP development, MySQL (and other RDBMS), HTML, and CSS. I haven't (yet) had much to do with Javascript, but I can see that coming as part of the package.

Another side-effect of the upgrade highlighted how backlevel my Drupal installation was; not very (I'm still supported), but getting close to E-O-L. So, I have another project on the go to upgrade my websites from Drupal 6 to Drupal 7. There will be changes here at JustLinux, along with changes at my DigitalFreehold and Invacanza sites as well. This is another big task that I've just started looking in to, and I will probably tackle it in January.

In an effort to clean up some neglected areas around my house, I (re)started cataloging photos that I had taken over the years. I have a hundred or so rolls of film, and thousands of photos to catalog in my home-brew photo management application. As I catalog each film, I generate index sheets for the negatives, narrative labels for each photo, and caption cards for each album page. A lot of research goes into each narrative; I try to capture the participants, circumstances, location and date of each photo, and most of these photos don't have any accompanying documentation. That means a lot of research with Google Maps and Streetview, and all my vacation records. And that adds up to a lot of computer time, organizing my vacation records in spreadsheets, viewing maps and street views, inputting data into the cataloging application. Enough to keep me busy for quite a long time.

But, the photo cataloging application needs some TLC as well. I wrote it years ago, when my PHP and MySQL skills were, shall we say, less developed. The database design is simple, too simple, and needs some fortification. The web interface is clumsy, and not the easiest to work with. So, on the list it goes for improvement and redevelopment.

Add to all that, I'm still playing with my Arduino. I've got a little IR remote-controlled car that I'm trying to interface to an Arduino. I haven't even begun that project yet.