f-log

Ok I looked at the output from lsusb -v in more detail and it appears that most of it is duplicates.
There are 9 interface descriptors each with a different bAlternatSetting and a different wMaxPacketSize value, these go from 0 - 1007

• 0
• 128
• 256
• 384
• 512
• 680
• 800
• 900
• 1007

Those values are decimal.
There are 7 end points:
2 Bulk IN
2 Bulk OUT
1 Interrupt
2 Isochronous
The 9 interfaces above are on one of the Isochronous endpoints.
Interface descriptors, endpoints, isochronous wassits ?
No I do not really know what I am talking about but maybe as I get further into this project I will find out and let you know.

That quick bit of code worked and I can now claim the device, but now what ?
lsusb -vreturns so much on this one device compared to the keyboard or mouse :S

Plugging and unplugging the KeyPic usb device from my Linux box caused the USB sub system to have an 'issue'. Everything else USB worked but the KeyPix gave read errors and was not even assigned a place in the /proc/bus/usb folders.
Sooo, I rmmod ohci_hcd as I did so I realised that my USB keyboard and mouse may be affected...
Two days later I ssh'd backing to the machine and added the module back in, and my keyboard and mouse were reborn.
Oh, I did try a PS2 keyboard but it would seem that it has to be there at boot as it was not recognised.

Keypic Day 4: Although its not in the docs 32mb is the limit for the Qemu TFTP server.
Installed the free ZIP program http://www.7-zip.org/ unpacked the usblogdump.tgz and created a new archive that is only 700k, transfers no problem.
Builds no problem, decodes snoopy logs no problem.
just need to transfer these files out to the host machine surely that will be easy ?
Nope, TFTP server is one way. Windows has SMB shares so SMB should work, nope and all the tutorials are for connecting to Windows as the guest environment.
In the end I get a trial version of winimage and extract the files directly from the Qemu virtual hard disk. I could have also uploaded them to rapidshare, bitbucket etc.
The decoded plain text files are not easy to read and there lots of records, nothing makes and logical sense. For instance connecting the device and firing up the software gives 2000+ packets and all it does is read the number of images already on the device. Try it twice and get a different 2000+ packets.
Still I did find this nugget http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7466
USB support does not work for Qemu when windows is the host, so I tried vmware player but the play has no options and I did not want the hassle of the trial version.

Keypic Day3: need to analyse the USB logs from USBSnoopyPro.
One: open in GEdit, nope none ASCII
Two: reload .USBLog files back into snoopy and export as .XML, nope export function is flaker than a popular chocolate found added to ice cream cones.
Three: look for a convert, found USBLogDump. Linux only so install Qemu and DamnSmalLinux.
To get the USBLogDump file to the virtual machine make sure QEMU is run with internal TFTP server enabled, but DSL does not have TFTP client. Find one, downloaded it, no gcc so can not build it.
Add a build environment, build it start downloading the file, times out, set time out try again, times out and has only copied 32MB of a 40MB file. Set timeout to 99999 and go to a meeting at another office, come back 3 hours later, not finished, kill it and its still only 32MB, AGHHHhhhh.....!
Now its to late to load in on to me Gentoo box, maybe tomorrow....

Don't you just love Windows;
I was trying to convince Outlook that there were new mails to download (at work) and the calculator popped up. Odd but I closed it and carried on working.
Then it happened again about ten minutes later and just as I am about to tell the others in the office a new browser window opens.
First thoughts are that the machine has been compromised, but a few checks and all seems well then the machine goes into hibernation.
Now I am really worried, the only thing I had done prior to this was attaching a wireless mouse I had spare at home. But this wireless mouse comes with a wireless keyboard that I had not brought in and I had not plugged in the keyboard part of the receiver. Seems that the wireless receiver had told windows it might handle a keyboard and had setup the "Application keys", you know the extra keys on some keyboards above the F-Keys that open calculator, a new browser window or set the computer to Hibernate.
I tried to install the Belkin drivers to see if that would fix it (they had a mouse only option) but the file said I was not running windows and the web site said they had not been updated since 2002.
Enough people had seen the problem on the internet with a variety of devices, even monitors and the solution was to delete the registry keys for these extra functions.
That done, I had no more calculator or browser pop-ups and the machine did not spontaneously enter hibernation but, now random letters or numbers appeared about once an hour :(
I gave up and brought the keyboard in and now it all works well, so much for the ghost in the machine.

I mentioned not so long ago that there was no work at my new job.
Well we are into week three now and I have only done what I would call on morning of work and that was helping out someone else as opposed to something assigned to me.
Now do not get me wrong most of the first week revolved around rebuilding machines, installing software, installing updates and configuring applications. Then there was all the security procedure reading I had to do (there was a test) and I had to watch some very cheesy American safety videos.
But leaving me to my own devices (and the other new guy) I did get some time (OK a lot of time) to play with my own ideas.
Idea one, a Vista gadget that was a Kanji date clock, needs some tweaking but this was done then animated and now wants some clever code to make the animation look better.
Idea two: after being forced to use Windows messenger write a drag and drop app to update the personal message.
Done and worked exactly to spec only no one would find it useful as it only saves one second off the task of updating your message and thats if you have the app open.
Phase two write a console version that use a source file and updates periodically. Done, but seems silly to leave a console window open for it and I did not want to have to write a server.
Phase three write a windows app that sits in the system tray and periodically updates the message.
Done. Works with XML, has settings window, custom icon, about window, can set XML file and delay, if file is updated the program notices, saves settings to registry and allows sequential and random movement through the source file.
Not to mention the app I wrote just to do some regular expressions with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_phrases_%28full%29 to pull and format just the quotes and the translations.

All of these in C#
Idea three: create a nice dual screen backdrop in blender took about ten mins, just a tube elongated with a smaller transparent version of itself inside and a few lights, very nice ?

Fathers day: I get (amongst other things) a KeyPic Key Chain http://www.taoelectronics.com/keychain_files/square14.html is it my birthday or something ?
Allows 56 96x64 (4096 colours) images to be uploaded via USB and then plays them back one at a time or as a slideshow.
But does it work with Linux ? hell no!
Day 1: insert device and run dmesg
and all I get is note about a new device, nothing else
but it is happily re-charging its on-board battery.
so run lsusb and get ID 093a:02f Pixart Imaging Inc
A quick google shows nothing for the device ID but the manufacturer ID (093a) does show Pixart are responsible for a number of webcam/camera devices.
There website http://www.pixart.com.tw/ has nothing about the keychain or anything remotely simular, I email them but do not expect a response.
Day 2: download the USB capture utility http://usbsnoop.sf.net/ install it onto Sarah's laptop run the windows only software (very limited) and capture loads of logs, starting with connection then issuing commands etc.
Day 3: ...

SEGA! Free the Planet Ring!, so commands your subjects.
http://www.petitiononline.com/pltring/petition.html

Alex is now crawling, my wii is in danger, not to mention anything else located at floor level.

I think I am through with Steven King. I have finished reading Cell and found it just to formulaic (is that a word?).
Not only was it to simular to some of his other work but it felt forced as if he wrote it just because his publisher was pushing him.
It's about a signal that reverts humans back to their primitive state and is transmitted by cell/mobile phones. So far so good, but then, after much in fighting an general gore they start collecting boom boxes, stereos and batteries.
The reasoning for this is that in their simple state, super natural abilities have been unlocked and a 'hive' collective mind has formed.
Then they start invading dreams and floating, hmmmm.
To be fair I have read most of his horror collection and found most to be highly engaging, different and clever, he was due a dud.

While awaiting access to any systems I could actually work on I wrote a Vista gadget, turns out they are just HTML and JavaScript.
then we uninstalled Vista so I am now using windows server 2003 so I am developing literally in plain old HTML+JavaScript.
Although it currently uses plain text I have started work on the graphics that will make this gadget a Kanji clock, with bottom to top/right to left display.
The next step is to animate the character I had created.
Also everyone uses messenger so I wrote a quick C# app that you can drag and drop text onto that then updates your messenger personal message.

OK I think I have got it this time.
This time I will blame ... learning Japanese, screws with your brain o_O

we have been on holiday in Cornwall, surprisingly good weather, Alex ate sand, which is always good.
Also I started my new job this week, and it appears I will be working with (not for) Microsoft. I got to pee in a Microsoft toilet today and it was very satisfying ;)