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Blog Software

Raspbian Upgrade kills the RaspberryPi

It all started that I wanted to upgrade the PHP from version 7.0 to version 7.3/4, because wordpress was blaming about it. And I never would have imagined that an Raspbian Upgrade kills the RaspberryPi.

But first things first, that’s how the story goes that occupied my for two days.

Raspbian Upgrade kills the RaspberryPi

The base version of my Raspbian is Jessie, running on a standard RPi version 3. So I wanted to fetch the 7.3 PHP packages from the buster version of Raspbian. But I was unable to finish that process as the upgrade said, I had to break the 7.0. So I was afraid and stopped it.

The result was, that the system was completely messed up. The curl to the HTTPS world was no longer working. And I saw that even the udev package had some unmet dependencies. So I rebooted the system and it stopped completely while booting.

First attempt

What to do now?

I decided to install raspbian buster on a new hard disc (I once configured the RPi to boot directly from the USB hard drive) and install all the necessary applications based on the following tutorials:

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/lamp-web-server-with-wordpress

https://bitreporter.de/raspberrypi/webserver-mit-wordpress-blog-auf-dem-raspberry-pi-einrichten/

For configuring the php fpm module I used https://tecadmin.net/install-apache-php-fpm-debian-10/

The last software part was getting an HTTPS certificate from let’s encrypt based on https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-ssl-lets-encrypt/

All these are really very good tutorials and worked like a charm (I just replaced once the mysql-server with mariadb-server). For connecting to the WordPress jetpack service you need also php-xml to be installed.

Fortunately I was performing a regular backup of the system with updraft. The restore worked perfectly. I was also using standard backups of the system that helped me a bit, but due to the HDD configuration I did not have a backup that I just could use, e.g. like an image to copy on the hard disk.

As I have a bit of a special wordpress installation (site URL != wordpress URL) I had to move the wordpress directory from „html“ to „wordpress“ and had to adapt the apache vhost configuration slightly.

After configuring all that the site was up and running again after around 5h.

So I thought, „Ok, let’s make a reboot.“ And the system stopped during boot.

What a shit!

The error message was:

usb usb1-port1: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
usb usb1-port1: attempt power cycle

„Ok“ I thought as I was using a quite old hard disc, maybe it’s somthing wrong with the cable now. I decided to just flash the fine running hard disc of my former life system and do the process again (I was faster now, took me just 3h!)

Second attempt

After configuring everthing again, I made the reboot and…the system stopped again with the same error message.

„Ok, it cannot be that we are having here now exactly the same hardware problem with another hardware. So it must be a software issue. What did I do except just the install of new software? What was hardware related?“

There was one command:

pi@raspberrypi3:~ $ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Calculating upgrade… Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
rpi-eeprom-images
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be upgraded:
ca-certificates firmware-atheros firmware-brcm80211 firmware-libertas firmware-misc-nonfree firmware-realtek
libgnutls30 libraspberrypi-bin libraspberrypi-dev libraspberrypi-doc libraspberrypi0 raspberrypi-bootloader
raspberrypi-kernel raspi-config rpi-eeprom rpi-eeprom-images
16 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 127 MB of archives.
After this operation, 6,477 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

After issuing this command the system did not boot anymore.

Final attempt

So, I did the installation process a third time (2h now), this time without the upgrade, and the system just works.

Since 2013 I’m working with this setup and it never happened that an upgrade of the operating system resulted in such a disaster!

Update from 16.08.2020

It works now. I did the upgrade in some package chunks to find out which packge caused the problem with the command:

sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade <package-name>

But I think it would have been not necessary. I have no idea, which package was changed in the mean time.

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Blog Podcast

The ego and the self, an evolution

Let’s discuss here about the ego and the self and start with the ego.

The ego

When I’m talking about the ego, I mean one (person) is mainly taking care for himHerself.

The ego is coming from the fear during our cage time. We had to fight against other creatures and later against other tribes of the (almost) same species.

During that time it was completely fine to act selfishly as this first instinct was necessary to survive.

Then, when bigger tribes and societies established, more and more self was necessary, e. g. while the elderly cared for the kids.

Both behaviors in parallel make completely sense during that phase.

War and competition are expressions or effects of the ego. One wants to be better/survive/dominate the others. And even these activities are somehow good as they bring out better products and raise the level of an activity (look at the sports).

I also think always „what to do next “ when a project is finished. And that is a good attitude as only this brings us further. Otherwise we will be stuck on the same level and no enhancement will happen.

The self

Now, slowly we should move more to the self direction as Ghandi or Jesus have shown us. I believe that only working together will bring us to the next level in our societies. History already has shown us that this behaviour is the main reason why we humans are currently ruling the world.

Or can you imagine that 10.000 apes are sitting together and watching a soccer match (a reference to Harari)?

And if you think that selfishness alone is helping to survive as a replicator (check with Richard Dawkins) you will be wrong. This is just the basic hardware level. We also have to look at software level (meme). Only the combination of a good hardware (gene) and a good software (meme) makes the replicator survive.

But honestly these days it’s difficult for me to imagine how we get there. There are more & more egos ruling the world.

Balance and creativity

Finding the balance between health and passion and hard work is not so easy. But you have to sacrifice if you wanna be good or the best. Just look at the best athletes. They are really practicing hard and are taking into account that they have to pay the tribute with a hurt body.

The ego and the self
Let’s be creative

When are we creative? Mainly when we are bored. These are different situations for everybody. But nobody will be creative when you have to struggle for survival and are e.g. busy getting enough food.

Any new idea is compiled from multiple other ideas, triggered by many other people. These days it’s almost impossible to generate something new completely from scratch by yourself. You always use some building blocks from somebody else.

Conclusion

The ego and the self must be viewed as a package and we have to work on both parts to get better.

This post is triggered by the great podcast of Steven Pressfield „The War of Art“, hosted by Lex Fridman.

https://pca.st/episode/e38daffc-f8ca-4881-b34e-7ae0df04e230

I don’t agree with Steven’s opinion, that everything is predefined and I have also a different view about reinkarnation.

In general the AI podcast of Lex is great, it’s really recommended to subscribe to it!

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Blog

Government is a technology, so fix it like one

This is a nice approach thinking of a government as a technology. And I think Eliot is right. Specifically as you always have to enhance and adapt the environment you are living in.

And it does not matter if it’s a relationship or a company or a state. There is always a status quo, and if you stand still you will loose at some point in time.

Government is a technology
Empires fight

It’s like that every item, lifely or not, has a life time. And as every (human) life and also the universe has an end, however it looks like, also states and empires have an end.

Nevertheless it’s still worth to fix them as long as it still makes sense. This means as the maintenance costs are not higher as building them from scratch again. Sometimes this process of building something from scratch again is replaced by a (lost) war.

When I’m looking at the US system I’m really shocked which huge power just one role has. For me it looks more like a kingdom than a democracy as the control mechanisms seem to be quite low. Also the election system looks quite weird to me as there are effectively just two parties with no big differences. And they are playing good and bad cops, white and black (what is not really true, it seems), friends or enemies. A very binary view.

So either they are fixing that system (fast), or it will end soon.

In software some people are saying after n (5) years you should build the software again from scratch. With governments, states and empires it just takes a bit longer.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/30/government-is-a-technology-so-fix-it-like-one/

TechCrunch
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Blog

Is Your Job Safe for the Next 20 Years?

With the tech market continuously evolving, it’s hard to know what will be the requirements in the future of work. The use of new technologies has changed the world in so many ways. A few years ago, attending online was close to unthinkable, but now it’s possible thanks to the wide reach of the internet. In the same way, there are many things that years ago we thought could only belong in the science fiction world but are made real today from the development of new technologies. 

The use of new technologies has also caused a massive job disruption. It is because some roles are no longer needed. At the same time, new jobs are being created to meet new demands. Under those circumstances, we have to pay attention to what employers are looking for in their new hirings. It will help us to know what skills will be required in the coming days and how we should be prepared.

This has led some professionals to wonder if they are in a safe position for the next 20 years. It is essential to realize that as years pass, many roles won’t disappear; they will only be redefined. So, it’s probable that you won’t lose your job as you will only need to update your skills. Here’s a list of some of the most in-demand skills that employers will continue to look for in new recruits. 

Programming Skills

Nowadays, knowing how to code is almost a must for every tech job. Programming languages like Java, JavaScript, and Python have become very popular because they are used by tech professionals to develop sophisticated solutions. 

For example, JavaScript is a programming language that is commonly used by web developers. With the help of JavaScript, web developers can create not only visually appealing websites but also efficient client-server platforms that allow companies to gather data in a systematic way. In like manner, JavaScript frameworks help web developers to accomplish the tasks of building web pages more efficiently. 

On the other hand, websites are deemed an essential part of today’s businesses. This is considering almost every device can be connected to the internet and therefore can be used to browse the web. As a result, customers now prefer the digital world as they are able to accomplish everyday tasks in mere minutes. 

An excellent example would be how people now read the news. A few years ago, people used to go to a local store and buy a newspaper to learn about current affairs. However, now they can even get real-life updates of global news with just a click of a button on their smartphones. 

Going back to essential programming languages, Java is also a great tool to learn as it proves to be beneficial for mobile developers particularly. The language is used to develop apps for Android, which is essentially the most used operating system in the world. Java allows mobile developers to use libraries to create more complex applications. In effect, they are useful because developers will only need to adapt the code to their project in order to make it work. So, in other words, Java is an essential tool for mobile developers who are on the path of innovating the market.

Generally speaking, if you need programming skills to complete your current work duties, it’s probable that your skills will stay relevant in the next 20 years. However, every now and then you will need to keep your skills up to date to avoid becoming an obsolete part of the workforce. 

Machine Learning Skills

Machine learning algorithms have been implemented by several industries to improve their products and services. It is because the technology allows companies to provide systems with the capability to learn without human intervention. 

To understand how it works, you should know the importance of data in today’s business landscape. When users use a company’s products or services, their data is gathered. Then the systems will use these inputs to improve their own performance with time. Machine learning algorithms analyze real-life behaviors to adapt and provide human-like responses. 

For tech professionals like data scientists, it is essential to have advanced knowledge in machine learning and artificial intelligence. It is because they are responsible for analyzing and interpreting valuable data that will be used to create useful insights. Companies want to be able to rely on those insights to make smart business moves. 

On the other hand, machine learning also allows services like Netflix to provide personalized experiences to customers. For example, Netflix app is able to give recommendations based on users’ previously watched content. In like manner, websites like Amazon also recommends products based on your previous purchases. 

Machine learning is not only allowing companies to improve their existing products but also to innovate the market. This only proves how crucial machine learning skills will continue to be in decades to come. For those reasons, jobs that require this kind of skill will be safe in the following years. 

Design Skills

Today’s companies care more about how a product makes customers feel rather than what characteristics they have. In effect, UX/UI designers have become essential for companies in order to compete and outcompete their rivals. Essentially, UX/UI designers are behind every well-design product there is. 

A proof of their hard work is every single mobile app that you currently have on your smartphones right now—yes, the ones that help make your life easier and help you achieve tasks in just minutes. UX/UI designers strive to ensure all web and mobile apps are easy to use, informative, attractive, and beneficial to all users. 

Being a UX/UI designer means you understand the significance of providing the best user experience. For instance, if an app performs smoothly, users will feel engaged and it will allow them to have a pleasant experience. If the app happens to be selling products or services, users are likely to make a purchase because they had a good experience. 

Given the points, such design skills will be actively in-demand even when new technologies show up in the next decade or so. If you are well-versed at providing the best user experience, you can probably take a breather because you have got one foot in the door. All you need to do now is to continuously enhance your skills in order to secure a place in the future of work.

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Blog Film Review

AI robot ‚Erica‘ will star in sci-fi movie

The next generation of movies is on the way as AI robot ‚Erica‘ will star in a sci-fi movie. I’m not sure how long we still need actors staring in movies.

Or do I miss a point there?

At least they are spending a lot of money for the movie, and normally they wanna get it back 😉

AI robot 'Erica' will star
Is that an AI robot?

https://www.engadget.com/ai-robot-erica-will-star-in-70-million-scifi-movie-b-130539023.html