Villaver Family Blog

Java Plugin problem and workaround in Debian Squeeze

December 24th, 2009

I use the Squeeze aka testing distribution of Debian Linux on my dual boot computer at home. After updating the packages yesterday I discovered that java applications including Tomcat and Java Webstart were unable to connect to the network. I had no idea what was going on as I had not upgraded Java or Tomcat. After a lot of searching through the logs and then the internet I found Debian Bug #560142 and Sun bug #6342561 describing the problem. Apparently, it is related to a change in IPv6 networking in the netbase package that causes Java applications to ignore IPv4 network connections, which is rather annoying.

Fortunately, there is a simple workaround for running servers:

echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv6/bindv6only

You will also have to change the default value in /etc/sysctl.d/bindv6only.conf from 1 to 0 so that the value is used after a reboot.

This means that Java is able to connect to IPv4 servers. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon but I'm glad to have found out what the problem was and to have a workaround.

Merry Christmas.

Posted in Computers, Debian | No Comments »

Bremen Freimarkt

November 19th, 2009

These colourful pictures are of Bremen Freimarkt. It is an enormous funfair that includes live music, drinking, eating and street entertainment. Also parts of the attractions are rides like huge roller coasters, wild water rides and the largest mobile ferris wheel in Germany. The annual Bremen Freimarkt started almost 1000 years ago in 1035 and has about 4 million visitors.

Wandering around these attractions and watching what's going on was so much fun .

Posted in Europe, Germany, Travel | No Comments »

World Wide Web Consortium site gets face lift

October 29th, 2009

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has recently updated the design of their site on www.w3.org It now uses a pleasant mix of blue and green with some shadows. For some reason, I particularly like the extra thick underlining used for the links.

For those of you who do not know what the W3C is, the following text from their site explains it:

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards

Posted in Computers, Webmasters | No Comments »

Birgittenkloster In Schnoor

October 24th, 2009

This is the Birgittenkloster, built in 2002, which makes it the first convent to be built in Bremen since the Middle Ages. Within the grounds there is a separate chapel which can seat about thirty people. It is open to the public from 9:00 to 6:00 pm everyday. From the outside, the building is a good mix of traditional and modern architecture. The strong colour makes it really stand out if you are walking along the street nearby. The rooms inside the Birgittenkloster, with their lovely high ceilings, are nicely painted.

The Birgittenkloster is in a part of Bremen called the Schnoor, an absolutely beautiful place where people wander around the small cobbled stone streets. If you fancy going to the souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants, they're all here for locals and tourists as they always buy little something to take back home.

Looking at the the structure of the buildings, the city streets and the way they're all built is just fantastic. It's very interesting place to be. Being here was so much fun; it's cold though. We coming to Bremen to see our friends.

Posted in Church, Europe, Germany, Travel | No Comments »

Milô In Manongol

September 30th, 2009

I don’t know what this gorgeous animal is called in English. In Cebuano, we call it Milô. They live in the jungle in Mindanao. I think he’s really cute.

Posted in Animals, Kidapawan, Philippines | No Comments »

GamesCom in Cologne

August 31st, 2009

I was lucky enough to be able to get to GamesCom in Cologne to see possibly the largest electronic games exhibitions in Europe. I was astounded by the size of it and the amount of money that the game studios spend on their enormous sets. All of the Cologne Exhibition Centre was full. All the large companies were there like Nintendo, Sony, EA, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Activision, Sega, Microsoft, and many others.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Computers, Europe, Germany, Travel | No Comments »

Houseboat

July 31st, 2009

This is a houseboat used as a dwelling that is moored along the canal. I’m not entirely sure if I would feel comfortable living here. Some people think it’s cool.

Posted in Europe, Real Estate, Travel | No Comments »

Beautiful Park For Everyone To Enjoy

July 17th, 2009

Not long ago, while travelling, we walked past this beautiful park surrounded by trees. People come here to go for a walk or to relax in the sun. It was nice to see the students from a local school enjoying the park during their lunch break. There are plenty of cycling paths that everyone can use.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

Forest Along The River

July 10th, 2009

There is a a large area of beautiful forest along the Saguing river, near Kidapawan. The ground is covered with trees and other plants. The park, which is popular with the locals, is very close to the Kidapawan landmark; a great feature to the city. I think that these views look marvellous.

Posted in Eating and Drinking, Kidapawan, Philippines, Plants | No Comments »

Aren’t They Adorable?

June 28th, 2009

Not long ago, these puppies were born at home. It didn’t take long before they were snapped up by friends, neighbours and relatives. I think that they look really sweet.