Converting multiple JPG to PDF

Using Imagemagick it is easy, just do: convert *.jpg output.pdf

The problem is that my scanned files and using version 6.5.1 of Imagemagick on Kubuntu just gives me a Segmentation Fault error, and no valid pdf.

Well at least this way it works: convert *.jpeg -compress Zip output.pdf

[K]ubuntu USB errors->Slow boot

I’ve installed Kubuntu 8.10 64 bit on my new computer. This new computer has a Asus P6T motherboard.

What started to happen was that boot became quite slow due to some USB errors… For example:

usb 5-1: device descriptor read/all, error -71 and usb 5-1: device descriptor read/all, error -110

This slowed down booting for 30s to one minute as the console was outputing these errors… After a while, boot progressed, and the KDE logon screen appeared. No issue was found accessing any connecting USB device.

First I thought of my WD Elements 400GB external drive was the reason for the issue. But fully disconnecting it didn’t do the trick. I also thought it might be an issue with the motherboard, the new Asus P6T, but it looks like it was more a Linux kernel module issue.

At least this for me worked:

rmmod uhci_hcd

rmmod  ehci_hcd

rmmod usbcore

and then change the module loading order:

modprobe usbcore

modprobe ehci_hcd

modprobe uhci_hcd

Rebooted, and problem solved.

Corba and minor error codes

Corba errors are hard to understand when no guide is available.

The following link: http://www.omg.org/docs/omg/03-12-02.txt shows the meaning for the minor error codes that might show up.

JBoss XA datasources and mbean error

When deploying an application on Jboss that used Oracle and XA datasources, the following error croped up:

org.jboss.deployment.DeploymentException: Trying to install an already registered mbean: jboss.jca:service=OracleXAExceptionFormatter

It took me a while to found out what the issue was, and the lead to the solution was that the error moved from datasource to datasource according to it’s name, namely the xml definition filename.

The issue is quite simple: XA datasources can only have one mbean definition for the OracleXAExceptionFormatter, so choose one, and only one and put the required definition:

<mbean code=”org.jboss.resource.adapter.jdbc.vendor.OracleXAExceptionFormatter”
name=”jboss.jca:service=OracleXAExceptionFormatter”>
<depends optional-attribute-name=”TransactionManagerService”>jboss:service=TransactionManager</depends>
</mbean>

Remove this definition from any other XA datasource and theerror should disapear and all datasources can bound now without any errors.

In the ages of PATH

Why on hell in 2007 some applications can only process the Windows Path variable to the lengh of 128 characters?

And if the path they need is beyond that limit they fail miserably?

Check out the PATH variable when applications start to behave strangely after a reboot, when for example you just setup that brand new backup agent…