Vista-Like Breadcrumbs for WordPress

Posted by in Guides

applevista-breadcrumbs2

Update: This was modified on February 10, 2015 to reflect changes in suggested calling code for Breadcrumb NavXT. Note that the Breadcrumb NavXT Multidimension Extensions plugin handles the PHP side of things covered in the guide below.

Update: This was modified on January 11, 2011 to reflect changes in the code base of Breadcrumb NavXT. Note that this should now work for all newer versions of Breadcrumb NavXT (3.6.0 up to 4.0). It will not work for the proposed Breadcrumb NavXT 4.0.

Previously, one revealed how to apply Janko’s Apple.com-like breadcrumb trail tutorial to WordPress using Breadcrumb NavXT. After several requests for a breadcrumb trail a la the one found in Explorer since Windows Vista, this guide was created. While this guide will not provide a method to exactly recreate the Vista breadcrumbs, it will be in the same spirit. The Apple.com breadcrumb trail style will be extended; a simple replacement of images and minor CSS tweaking will result something behaving very similar to the vista breadcrumb trail.

Download sources | View Demo

Continue reading

Force Feedback with the Logitech WingMan RumblePad and Windows 7

Posted by in Guides

Since Windows XP, Microsoft has provided a generic driver for the Logitech WingMan RumblePad. This eliminated the need to install Logitech’s software to use the gamepad. Generally, one looks favorably upon such things. However, this driver has always lacked support for force feedback. While the WingMan may be a DirectInput force feedback device in a world moving towards the XInput force feedback model, many games still use DirectInput force feedback.

While Logitech does not provide a standalone driver for the WingMan, it does include a DirectInput force feedback driver for the WingMan in its Logitech Gaming Software. To download LGS, go to Logitech’s website and click support. In the search form enter “G-UA4” (the model number for the closest device to the WingMan RumblePad). Under the downloads tab, select Windows Vista as your OS, then select Logitech Gaming Software from the download dropdown. Install Logitech Gaming Software and your WingMan should now have working force feedback.

-John Havlik

[end of transmission, stay tuned]

Road to Breadcrumb NavXT 3.4.0

Posted by in WordPress > Plugins

After numerous delays, development on Breadcrumb NavXT 3.4.0 has resumed. Currently, the status of hierarchical custom taxonomy support is being evaluated. Single level custom taxonomies appear to work correctly, minus a few things pertaining to Breadcrumb NavXT settings (e.g. it will still say “Archive by Tag:” on custom taxonomy archive pages). After that, for the 3.4.0 release, all that remains will be to do some reworking of the administrative interface to handle the new taxonomy structure. Do note that while hierarchical custom taxonomies are some what broken (in WordPress) at the moment, since the API is already there, when they do get fixed Breadcrumb NavXT will be ready to take full advantage of them.

Also, due to the change in how taxonomies are handled internally by Breadcrumb NavXT in version 3.4.0, versions of WordPress prior to 2.8 may generate errors. One is not checking for WordPress compatibility prior to 2.8.x.

By Monday, November 16th, the translation team will be notified that the SVN trunk version of Breadcrumb NavXT will be ready for translation updates. This places the release date for 3.4.0 on November 20th at the earliest, and November 23rd being the likely release date. The forecast for 3.5.0 places the release near the end of January, 2010.

-John Havlik

[end of transmission, stay tuned]

Meet Atomtux

Posted by in General

After mtekktux met an untimely demise, one did not have working parts to replace it. Once the new Atom 330 board arrived on Saturday, work commenced on fitting it into the Gateway FLEXATXSTC case of mtekktux. Yes, a little modding took place.

The back of the case does not have a standard IO shield hole, so one had to be cut with the trusty Dremel tool. Since this the board is the intel D945GCLF2, it requires the “Pentium 4″ 4 pin 12V connector. Well, the power supply in the case is a 70W ATX power supply, so a molex to P4 connector adapter had to be made. Luckily, the P4 connector from a dead Antec power supply was still around, as was a molex to 2x SATA power adapter. One of the SATA connectors on the adapter was removed, and the P4 connector soldered in the appropriate locations.

When trying to close/flip in the disk bracket (flips forward and contains the hard drive bay, 3.5″ bay, and 5.25″ bay), the hard drive hit the ATX power connector, and its bracket hit the memory. So off to another round of modifications. The 3.5” bay needed new holes to accommodate the screw holes for the hard drive (who ever decided that floppy drives and hard drives should have different hole patterns should be punished). The lip of the bracket, which hit the memory, was trimmed back with the Dremel. Now everything fits in the case. There is some external aesthetics related work that needs to be done, but that can wait until the semester is done.

Since last night, Gentoo Linux has been installed, well actually it’s Funtoo (the Core 2 stage 3 was used). This is install number six using the handbook method, which seems shorter now than it used to be. At the moment, the internal network functions (samba, hplip, etc) are being installed and configured. Apache is already up and running (with the same USE flags as we use at Weblogs.us).

And for the curious, an Atom 330 runs just fine under the GCC “Core 2” profile (in menuconfig for the kernel a similar option was set as well).

-John Havlik

[end of transmission, stay tuned]

The Patient is Dead

Posted by in General

Well this morning an unsuccessful attempt to install Gentoo onto mtekktux failed horribly. Memtest86 does not get past 50 seconds before it completely hangs (keyboard lights flash). Something is very wrong with the motherboard/IDE controller. Tonight, the backup motherboard will be tried (have to see if one can find the memory that goes in that one). If all else fails, one will probably get one of those Atom 330 miniITX boards. Though the atom is quite anemic, it should be good at the occasional print job, running apache, and a few other miscellaneous tasks.

Update: It’s dead, the memory that is. The error presents itself with the backup motherboard and a different, known to be good CPU. So that means, mtektux will not get running this week.

-John Havlik

[end of transmission, stay tuned]

Updated: