Mysql access denied for user root

Clean installation of mysql-server on Ubuntu (also happened to me on Debian), i can't connect with root and no password (even though on installation i set a blank password). This is not MariaDB, it's the proper 5.7 version installed via package...

Commonly used (and abused) Ruby Gems

Following up on my last post about Ruby gems, here's a list of some of my typical choices for various tasks in the Ruby and Ruby on Rails world:

active_model_serializers

Makes it real easy to define exactly how to serialize models in an API @RubyGems

...

Choosing a Ruby gem

Instead of writing yet another list of gems you should be using, i'll try to explain how i choose a gem for a particular task or function. This is by no means a complete checklist, it's just my typical way of going about things.

Rubygems

If you're a...

Java in Firefox after v52.0 (Checkpoint VPN)

Firefox has changed a few things in its plugin infrastructure and that means Java will no longer work properly after version 52.0 (especially if you are using Checkpoint VPN to access work).

Fortunately one can always install older versions, present...