Python easy_install, really

Python's easy_install, at least under Ubuntu, is neither easy, nor does it install stuff if you're not root.

Here's the shortcut:
- make your local packages directory. This means you can easily zap all your "I'm playing around with it" libraries and apps without damaging the system.
- tell Python (and easy_install) to search it
- also, tell easy_install to install packages into it

$ mkdir -p $HOME/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages
$ export PYTHONPATH=$HOME/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages
$ easy_install-2.6 -d $HOME/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages pyevolve

If the automatic network search doesn't work, then manually download the Egg and try again:

$ easy_install-2.6 -d $HOME/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages Desktop/Pyevolve-0.5-py2.6.egg

Then test it:

$ python -c 'import pyevolve; print pyevolve.__version__'
0.5

Note you'll have to add the PYTHONPATH into your ~/.bashrc, else you'll get errors like this:

$  (env -i !!)
(env -i python -c 'import pyevolve')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "", line 1, in 
ImportError: No module named pyevolve

Kanban Development Oversimplified

I loved this article It's clearly written, with a brief descriptions of the large numbers of tradeoffs within the Agile ecosystem. Specifically, choosing a different size length of time to develop each feature makes a huge difference. I've been using very small, one-day timeboxes. The article notes that larger boxes, four weeks, can often help the client make meaningful, business-oriented decisions vs going over each bit of minutia.

taxonomy of trees/sets/lists? automatic parallelization?

On slide 59, Guy Steele shows how to automatically translate serial into parallel code!:

http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/gjs/6.945/readings/MITApril2009Steele.pdf