Open Source - Done - Now for D-Trace

After much tedious discussions on IRC (between ted and humph), a power outage in the ORI lab and a little GO bus nap, I have got my Mac compiling to work with D-Trace. And I have accomplish 40% of my 0.1 release by doing this.

It turns out, when I compiled it, there is a difference between running the Firefox exe inside the dist, then there is actually running Minefield a little deeper. The reason this was a problem was because Firefox wasn't accepting keyboard input at all (and other programs were).

Now I have D-Trace to look into. From there I can find a probe and learn to use it.

Luckily, I have the research material printed out from the web. And all this will accomplish is make life easier when I actually sit down on the Mac and continue with my 0.1 release.

For those who need a reminder: I am taking D-Trace probes, and adding them to Mozilla Firefox functions. For 0.1, I am taking an existing probe, and using it on one section of the code, then post the results of it to the people. I won't be writing any probes until 0.2.

I had to be able to compile Mozilla on a Mac (accomplished), look up D-Trace and how it works (doing this weekend), then finding an existing probe (weekend), and utilizing it with functions inside the Mozilla code that have a relation (the week).

I have complete confidence that I should be able to get this all done by Saturday. And this assignment is more about time management now than it is actual "grunt work".

Open Source - Compiling Mozilla on Mac

I remember back when I was in Grade 3. Most of our computers at school were old MACs. And I mean the black and white ones with no CD Drives, with no funky colored monitors - and iPods were a vision of the future.

Back then, I wasn't a computer person like I am now. But now, I began to change....

I started using Windows 98 & XP. Good times. Too bad Service Pack 2 on XP wasn't friendly at all!

And Linux became easy to use for me. I had some trouble with vi at first, but then I came to love it like a brother. Then, it happened....

In order for me to begin working with D-Trace, I needed to use OpenSolaris. Problem: I needed a Mac. And it literally took me 20 minutes and a Google search on Safari just to find the location of the Command Prompt :(.

All I had to do in Windows was Windows Key + R > cmd. Linux I just simply opened it on the front screen. But this is Leopard 10.5 :(.

I got adjusted pretty decently to the atmosphere known as Mac OS. But the compilation instructions on Firefox were extremely fuzzy. And I mean EXTREMELY fuzzy. Especially since I didn't know what XTools or Darwinports were.

So I did the next best thing: Went on IRC (nick Hellwolf36) - and had a conversation between ted and jboston. Ted was helpful - his instructions were useful I wanted to get it on a home machine or remote terminal. But I am working in the Open Source lab.

jboston knew what the problem was - it was my PATH! I had already installed GLib and idlLib, XTools, D-Trace on this machine. I just didn't have my PATH set to find it. I pretty much facepalmed and was about to smash my head on the desk (metaphorically speaking).

Other than that, Mozilla Firefox seems to compile and work correctly. I will now share with you people how to avoid this trouble some fate. First, follow these instructions to the letter, especially the Software Requirements part.

Second, you may need to do this to your PATH and possibly your MANPATH.

Finally, you better find something to do for 30-50 minutes ;). You don't exactly want to sit there and watch your build happen.

My next phase for my 0.1 is to learn D-Trace and get a probe to work for me. One week left is the real nail-biter. But I have discovered, over the many years I work - that sometimes pressure brings out the best in all of us.

Open Source - Compiling Mozilla with D-Trace

I begin my step up to 0.1 glory with the bread and butter - compiling Mozilla with D-Trace. 

It's quite simple: Simply add ac_add_options --enable-dtrace in the .mozconfig file. And pray that nothing will explode.

But now, what am I to do in a lab for 1 hour?

If I was at home, I would probably log onto SCHTHACK and play Phantasy Star Online. Or boot up ZSNES for some Secret of Mana II (Seiken Densetsu 3). But considering I am on a tight schedule for 0.1 (which is due Saturday), and I don't want to let David Humphrey's links on D-Trace go to waste - I will be learning technology that is foriegn to me.

This will be by 1st time on a Mac. And I will openly admit, I am not a Mac person, but I can use Linux - so that has some merit. As long as I know what D-Trace is and how it works, I should be ready to get some things going. I wouldn't be surprised if I got half of this assignment done in 1 day. But it should be exciting, if I manage to pull it off.

Well, hopefully everything works out for the better. And given the fact this course is more time-based than difficulty - Failure is not an option.