Personal Blogs

Getting closer meant that I had to get more serious about learning Python. 

I run a web and e-mail server from home. The e-mail server is for the family domain and there are three web sites that are running on the machine as well. I thought that I had put together a reliable setup when I  purchased a brand new Lenovo desktop box running Windows 8 (which was fairly quickly upgraded to Windows 10). However, the box freezes occasionally. I can't find any reason for this so I just have to manage the situation. I find the the Pingdom service, which is supposed to e-mail me when my server goes down isn't as reliable as I need.

I was casting around for another program to write in Python to extend my knowledge of the language so I thought that I would write my own Ping software. Now a ping is something that gets sent to a web address and reports back if the server at that address responds or not. What my software had to do was to regularly connect to the server and, if the server failed to respond, send me an e-mail. There was a few problems with me doing this in Python.

1. I had no idea how to connect to a web server
2. I had no idea how to send an e-mail
3. I had no idea how to log these actions

So, this was going to test my ability to learn the inner details of Python. It was actually easier than I thought. Python has a rich set of libraries so I included the following in my program:

import smtplib
import requests
import time
import configparser
import os

These gave me everything that I needed. I used these libraries and very quickly I had my web checker program running. It runs in the background as a script on my iMac and has now been running for a few weeks without incident. It has shown me how useful Python can be. It would have been a good bit more complicated to do this simple task in Smalltalk - but then there are many things that I have done in Smalltalk that would be nigh on impossible in Python so, whilst I am pleased that I now know how to code in Python, I won't be giving up on Smalltalk anytime soon!

My next progression towards the course is a giant backward step. We have decided to move apartments and the move takes place on 23rd January. We are only moving from one floor to another (the new apartment is much bigger than the existing one) but, for various reasons, we are to lose our broadband internet connection for about 10 days - which covers the date of the start of the course! I am hoping that I can use my iPhone as a router for my iMac in the meantime. As we have a nice 4G signal here, that shouldn't be a hardship.

Lastly, I have quite severe Arthritis in a lot of my body so I have registered, through the OU, as disabled. Following an assessment of my problems, I have been awarded a grant that will provide me with equipment that will help me in my studies. I have difficulty sitting for too long in one position and find concentrating for long periods a trial due to pain levels.  Yesterday, I had a visit from a representative of an Ergonomics company who has carried out an assessment for a new desk, chair and reading aids. It seems that I am to get a desk that is electrically height adjustable, a fully configurable chair, an iPad holding device and a footrest. All of this is designed to get me into the best possible position for sitting at my iMac for extended periods. It seems to take about 6 weeks for this to happen but it does mean that, soon after the course starts, I will be able to get on with more success. My existing hobby room is way to small to take the new desk along with my other stuff so it is good that I am moving to a bigger apartment as the 2nd bedroom in that one is substantially larger than now. I might even have room for a decent model railway - at last!!!