I'm Brad, and I'm nearing 20 years of experience with Linux. I've worked in just about every IT role there is before taking the leap into software development. Currently, I'm building desktop and web-based solutions with NodeJS and PHP hosted on Linux infrastructure. Visit my blog or find me on Twitter to see what I'm up to.
This was only meant to be a two-parter, but I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Raspberry Pi & Python Powered Tank Part III is an update with better Python code and an improved design. I’ve gone back to fix the biggest issues that were left… Read More »Raspberry Pi & Python Powered Tank Part III: More Tank
This article will show you to build a DIY soldering extraction fan (to ventilate fumes) using an Arduino and a temperature sensor to activate the fan when the soldering iron is hot. Before you read this, why not open up my other projects in some… Read More »DIY Arduino Powered Soldering Extraction Fan
This article documents my success in getting the OpenWrt operating system up and running on a BT HomeHub 5A (also sold as the Plusnet Hub One). This was checked with the latest version of OpenWRT as of early 2021, so it’s up to date and ready… Read More »Installing OpenWrt on a BT HomeHub 5 (or Plusnet Hub One), Full Instructions
If you’re the sort of person who has to check the stove is off before leaving the house, then recheck it because you can’t remember if you checked it (and maybe even turn around at the front gate, unlock the door, go back inside and… Read More »DIY Arduino Powered Electronic Morning Checklist
This tutorial covers converting Bytes to a string variable (and a string to Bytes) in Python versions 2 and 3. What is the difference between a string and a byte string? A string is a series of characters. When stored on disk, the characters are converted to a series of bytes. What… Read More »Converting Bytes To String In Python [Guide]
This article explains how to check the type of a variable in the Python programming language. What are Types? The type of a variable determines what it can or can’t do. It determines what value the variable may take and what can be done with that value. Using the type() Function… Read More »Checking Type in Python [Guide]
This tutorial covers limiting the number of results from a MySQL database query using the LIMIT clause and skipping results using the OFFSET clause. This is especially useful when wanting to paginate results in web applications – spreading them out over several pages by retrieving a subset of the database results.… Read More »The MySQL LIMIT and OFFSET Clauses [with Examples]
There are two things called CASE in MySQL (and, by extension, the compatible MariaDB). The CASE Operator, for use in queries. The CASE Statement, for use in stored programs and procedures. Both have similar syntax and the same purpose. Both MySQL CASE Operator and Statement provide… Read More »MySQL CASE Statement and CASE Operator – Difference and Examples
This tutorial explains how to use several methods for displaying errors in a PHP application for debugging purposes. Be Careful There are security considerations when displaying errors in any application. Be careful when and where errors are displayed – especially when building products for the… Read More »Showing Errors in PHP [Tutorial]
I stumbled across a thread about terrible programming mistakes and found this: https://github.com/MrMEEE/bumblebee-Old-and-abbandoned/commit/a047be85247755cdbe0acce6f1dafc8beb84f2ac Which contains the line: rm -rf /foo-bar-usr /lib/nvidia-current/xorg/xorg Note – I’ve added foo-bar- to the string so that if you try to run it, it won’t do the thing I’m warning about –even having… Read More »Why You Should Wrap File Paths in Strings in Your Shell Scripts