Detail vs. filler

Question: How can I minimise the "filler" text that I end up writing when fleshing out a scene with detail?
An appropriate level of detail seems to me to be a fundamental requirement for good prose. Whatever I may be trying to achieve in terms of characters, plot, etc., in the here-and-now of each paragraph, each sentence even, telling a story is not the same as writing an outline. There needs to be enough detail to make the story feel real.
However, I find myself agonising over the seeming randomness of the information that I add to a sentence, paragraph or scene, in order to flesh out the world of the story and make it convincingly real.
A working example... A Main Character walks into a shop, and by coincidence encounters some other important character; character development happens, plot happens, motivations and values are explored, painful choices are made, all that is great. But it will often feel wrong to just have two "talking heads". Rather, the story feels real when the shop is described, as well as the products, the other customers; the owner interacts with some of those other customers; we get an overview of the space, and a few telling details too; and the main character's actions are related to this environment, for instance she goes and sits down on that couch we just described, or looks into that mirror--while what is actually important is the conversation she is having.
But why is the couch brown? Or green? Or why is there a couch there at all? Why is the mirror on the wall, or on a stand? Why was the other customer an old lady with a large handbag--or a teenager, or...
I have three possible answers to my own question (given next, in increasing order of sophistication [obsessiveness?]), but they don't feel enough.
Answer 1: "just do it". Stop obsessing and make up some details, so as to make the story feel real. It doesn't matter what they are, so don't worry about it. And, in any case, your intuition should make the details interesting--just let yourself follow the theme, or atmosphere, of the story, and make up details that seem to fit. But stop obsessing. (Did I say stop obsessing?)
Answer 2: the details don't matter in terms of the sort of "content" that you might put in an outline, but there are other qualities that make prose good, which you cannot plan for. Prose has rhythm, and a "music" to it, and is infused with attitude, emotion, atmosphere. It can "show" a PoV character's frame of mind though its organisation. Not to mention that it can do worldbuilding, one tiny detail at a time. So whether the couch is brown or green may depend on whether the sound "brown" or "green", irrespective of the actual colours, fits in with the sound of that sentence. The metaphor used to describe the mirror may indicate how the PoV character is feeling, e.g. introspective, or full of self-loathing, or narcissistic--so start with the metaphor, and it does not matter what the mirror has to look like for the metaphor to actually describe it.
Answer 3: one of my favourite "principles" is that "every component of a story should have multiple functions". Basic example of the principle: we don't write an "action scene" with nothing but action in it, then a "character development scene" with no action and only dialogue or thoughts in it, then a "plot advancement scene", then an "emotion scene", etc.; rather [it is almost always better if] every scene does all of these things. Well, apply this principle to the "details" as well: every word can foreshadow something, or do a little worldbuilding, or be described in a way that reflects how the PoV character is feeling. So make a list of important ideas that are not the main purpose of the current scene, and draw on them to flesh out the details of this scene. E.g., put in a couch that somebody will trip over later during an action-heavy scene; or use a fabric for it that is in short supply due to something important in the backstory; or make it as black as the PoV character's despair.
But this couch, which will be tripped over, which is made of a fabric that is in scarce supply, and whose colour reflects the protagonists' mood... Why is it on the left side of the shop? Why are the cushions round? Why is it a three-seater?
Indeed, at some point, maybe it's just bad to try and make every single word meaningful in some way... But if so... Why green and not purple?
Edit: re-reading my question as posted, it seems to focus too much on the sentence-level details, but that's just because of the examples I picked. My question applies more broadly. For example, say I have a scene in a forest. There will be a chance encounter between two characters. They will have competing objectives, and there will be an unfair power dynamic between them. There will be values explored and choices made etc etc etc. But is the forest on the side of a mountain? What specific trees and other plants are there? And it's not just about describing the scene. How do the characters meet? Does one surprise the other? Or does the PoV character hear the other from a mile away? Does she try to hide, then change her mind and show herself? The actions leading up to the meeting may be necessary for the chance meeting to feel real, but if I actually only really care about what happens after the meeting, they may be "randomly choosable details", too.
Comment: The pain of a first draft, I guess...
Answer: Setting is character. That is, setting functions in a story very much the way secondary characters function: it shapes and reflects the character of the protagonist, and it functions to propel the protagonist along their arc.
To a certain extent, we are shaped by the people around us, and by the environment we live in. You will grow up differently in a Pennsylvania mining town than you will in a Manhattan penthouse, regardless of your genetics. You will also grow up differently if you go to a poor school or a rich one, if your parents are scholars or farmers or drug addicts, if they are introverts, extroverts, or perverts.
But you can also choose both your environment and the people you associate with to a significant degree. You can move. You can choose different friends. You can cleve to your family or abandon them.
How your protagonist is shaped by the characters around them is fundamental to how you portray who they are, and to how you set them on their story arc towards their crisis and denouement. And, similarly, the choices they make about who to hang out with and how to treat those people tells us who they are, and thus how they will behave and react to the events of their story arc.
Setting does exactly the same thing. It shapes who the character is. The choices they make about where to live, or how to decorate their living quarters, tell us who they are, what they value, and how they will react to things. (Read Charles Ryders descriptions of his rooms at Oxford in Brideshead Revisited for a perfect example of this.)
Does it matter that the couch is old and brown and stained? Yes, because it tells us either that the character is growing up in a poor household that cannot afford better furniture, or that the money is being spent on something else. Other details are needed to complete the picture. Is the couch next to an extensive liquor cabinet? Is there a battered miners lamp sitting on the arm rest, or a syringe and a piece of rubber tubing. Is there a Bob Marley poster on the wall and a battered paperback copy of The Lord of the Rings lying on the floor next to an empty pizza box? Together these details paint very different pictures of the protagonist's living arrangements, all of which suggest different circumstances or a different character.
This is the function of detail in fiction. It maps the influences which shape the character and the arc of their story. They help us understand, in small ways and in great, how and why the events of the story unfold as they should. Thus they are never arbitrary.
This is not to say that a different choice of details could not achieve substantially the same effect. Just as different characters could drive the story to the same climax, so different details of setting could do the same thing. But, nonetheless, the function of detail is precise and clinical, and it always matters.
Answer: You are right in thinking both that details are needed - they make the scene come alive, and that the details shouldn't be random.
I use the scenery details first and foremost to set the mood of a scene. You use a meeting in a forest as an example. Is your character comfortable in the forest? Does she know it well, is it a safe environment for her? Then she might notice the tracks some small animal has left, hear the song of a familiar bird (not "a bird", but a particular bird - if I want to convey that she knows the environment, she'd recognise the call). She'd recognise the particular kinds of trees, and use positive or neutral terms to describe them. (E.g. 'knotted' rather than 'gnarled'.)
If, on the other hand, I wished to create a sense of menace, "a bird" might cry above, "something" would rustle in the undergrowth, a fallen tree might block the character's path.
The details that do not help me create the mood would not be there.

Tolkien is known for describing environment in great detail, so let's use the LotR as an example.

The sun was beginning to get low and the light of afternoon was on the land as they went down the hill. So far they had not met a soul on the road. This way was not much used, being hardly fit for carts, and there was little traffic to the Woody End. They had been jogging along again for an hour or more when Sam stopped a moment as if listening. They were now on level ground, and the road after much winding lay straight ahead through grass-land sprinkled with tall trees, outliers of the approaching woods.
  J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, book I, chapter 3 - Three is Company

Sunset is still safe, but darkness is coming. The hobbits are still in the safety of the Shire, but... There's nothing outstanding about there being nobody on the road, but help isn't going to show up if they need it. The road is straight, so there's nowhere to hide. And approaching woods - again, like the sunset, more threatening environment ahead. Tolkien creates a sense of discomfort: everything should be safe, but... (Then comes their first encounter with a nazgul)

Twilight was about them as they crept back to the lane. The West wind was sighing in the branches. Leaves were whispering. Soon the road began to fall gently but steadily into the dusk. ibid

Growing sense of disquiet, a short while after meeting the nazgul.

As they walked, brushing their way through bush and herb, sweet odours rose about them. Gollum coughed and retched; but the hobbits breathed deep, and suddenly Sam laughed, for heart's ease not for jest. They followed a stream that went quickly down before them. Presently it brought them to a small clear lake in a shallow dell: it lay in the broken ruins of an ancient stone basin, the carven rim of which was almost wholly covered with mosses and rose-brambles; iris-swords stood in ranks about it, and water-lily leaves floated on its dark gently-rippling surface; but it was deep and fresh, and spilled ever softly out over a stony lip at the far end.
  Here they washed themselves and drank their fill at the in-falling freshet. Then they sought for a resting-place, and a hiding-place; for this land, fair-seeming still, was nonetheless now territory of the Enemy. They had not come very far from the road, and yet even in so short a space they had seen scars of the old wars, and the newer wounds made by the Orcs and other foul servants of the Dark Lord: a pit of uncovered filth and refuse; trees hewn down wantonly and left to die, with evil runes or the fell sign of the Eye cut in rude strokes on their bark.
ibid, book IV, chapter 4 - Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

Here the details serve to juxtapose the beauty of Ithilien with the threat of Mordor. The hobbits have a moment of respite, but they are still in danger. The familiarity of the plants, the water spilling "softly", the "clear" lake, all create the sensation of safety, while pits of uncovered refuse remind us of the enemy.

So why is your couch green? Perhaps because the proprietor has particular design sensibilities. But if there is no particular reason for it to be green, why not make it "comfy" instead? Or "shabby", if that fits better with the mood you have in mind? (Instead of saying it's shabby, you can describe worn surfaces, tears, threads coming out etc. "Comfy" can be soft, inviting...)
And it's the same with whether your character is surprised by another character or hears them from afar - it's about the mood you want to create for the scene.
Comment: Genuine curiosity, why do you say that  'knotted' is more positive or neutral than 'gnarled'?
Answer: I've always struggled with sensory details in my writing --I'm a dialog-and-plot kind of writer.  But for me, writing details really came alive when I discovered your number three approach.  When done right, the details offer you so much opportunity for layered, immersive storytelling.  Perfunctory, by-the-book, generic "filler" details definitely aren't worth the space they take up on the page.
For that reason I think it's NOT overkill for every word and every detail to mean something.  Every detail IS important in the work of the great writers. But the key is to not foreground the work you're doing. It should feel organic, even when it isn't, and operate largely at a subconscious level for the reader. If the reader is noticing how clever or how hardworking you are, it's not a good thing.
I've elaborated more on the ways of using details in answers elsewhere, but you seem to have a good handle on the general idea --you want to put the reader in the head, and mind, and perspective and history of the character, and not just give a dry recital of the objects in the room.
Answer: The line between something being an 'interesting/critical detail', and 'fluff/time wasting filler' is a fuzzy arbitrary decision best made on a case by case basis. As such we decide what to cut or what to expand based on what works for our story at hand.
There are two key metrics to consider when trying to decide if a section of text really belongs as is, needs to be rewritten, needs to be expanded, or should be cut entirely.

Is it interesting to read, and does it provide a satisfactory level of detail/content.
Does it fit well with the overarching piece? [Or, in the case where something ranks impressively high on the first metric, does the rest of the piece fit well with it...]

One of the best examples I've been given on why we should address the question of 'useful detail' vs 'needless fluff' with care is that we can carry things to the truly absurd:
"Character has problem. Character resolves problem. The end."
Reducing the majority of stories ever written to three highly questionable sentences shows us that we can obviously take various 'pruning' ideas much too far...
So the ultimate answer to the question boils down to what we are trying to achieve in a book with regards to overall look, feel, tone, etc.

This in turn raises a secondary question which needs to be answered before we can make much headway: What is the look, feel, tone, etc that we are after?
We answer this either by sitting down to carefully consider what we want to write, or by detailed review of what has already been written to try and pull and answer out of our existing work. But it is important to remember that writing is highly flexible. What we set out to write is not always what we have by the end of things. Do not be scared to re-evaluate your work at various stages! [But do be careful of trapping yourself in unproductive loops while you waffle back and forth.]

Do you want your story to stay 'tight' and 'action packed', where everything keeps moving forward with a sort of excitable energy? Then your story will likely benefit from a 'less is more' for details in many cases, with careful consideration as to whether a specific point is worth adding/leaving in or not while you quickly move through your scenes.
On the other hand maybe you want a story that feels more like a long warm bath. Letting the reader slowly soak in a given scene gives us some rather different priorities where the writing decisions shift from 'can I safely gloss over this' and towards something more along the lines of 'how best can I phrase this detail'. Here ordering of details and 'setting the scene' can make or break the feel of a piece, and directly impact a reader's connection or view of a character. [Consider how a chapter on a character stuck in a waiting room may play out. What that character looks at or thinks, and in what order, impacts how the reader thinks about the character.]

As we gain a firm grasp of what we want overall in a piece of writing we gain a better ability to gauge how any given section helps with our goal: Does a section add to the overall work, does it drag things down, or would the overall work be improved by expanding on it?
Also keep in mind that not all readers belong in the same audience. Give careful consideration to your target reader, and be wary of trying to cast too broad of a net! Remember that even the highest ranked authors on best seller lists are still only reaching out to a relatively small chunk of overall readers.
Answer: I include detail because I think the job of the prose is to assist the imagination of the reader. If there is resonance on other levels, that's great, but it isn't a necessity in my book.
The reader needs to imagine a visual scene, an audio scene, a sensory scene. Just dialogue doesn't cut it, the talking heads and wall of dialogue feels quickly unrealistic.
Obviously in a movie script you can get away with this, the camera and sound-effects will provide all the sensory information. But in text, just dialogue, even though it often is the engine of the story, gets boring and falls flat, it is a purely intellectual exercise and feels divorced from reality. It is unrealistic.
People do things, see things, fiddle with things, use things, and are active in their world. They have feelings, even if those are hard to describe precisely.
When you read Galastel's excerpts from Tolkien, your imagination creates the setting, the sounds, the water and flowers and broken carvings covered in moss.
Do the details matter? Yes and no. They should be appropriate; if we explore a cave we don't expect flowers growing in there. A hospital looks like a hospital, not a hotel.
The details can also reflect a mood of the place, or affect the mood of the characters. Or be a contrast to it: Bing Crosby's "Singing In the Rain" demands Rain, but he is singing because he is happy and in love, despite the normally depressing connotations of rain.
That said, symbolism is not a requirement. In many cases the details are arbitrary. Whether the couch is tan or dark brown doesn't matter. What really matters is that you have to assist the reader in imagining the story with sight and sound, and at times smell and taste when those play an important sensory role. Is her kitchen at dinner odorless? Does she eat or drink without tasting anything? Does the campfire have a smell? Also when it matters to the characters, the weather: cold, heat, humidity, dryness, precipitation, lightning, thunder, wind or the lack thereof, is the sun blinding, painful to glimpse? Is it masked by clouds? Can you feel it on your skin?
Besides plotting and characterization, you are there to assist the reader in imagining a story. If you have a wall of dialogue, you have an under-imagined scene. If it goes on for more than three or four exchanges, it will bore the reader because their imagination dims, then goes dark, it becomes blind and deaf. You have created a sensory-deprivation chamber, and in there the mind wanders, or falls asleep.
That's not the experience you are aiming to create for your readers.
I always write concrete details, as I go, I spend a healthy percentage of my writing time with my eyes closed imagining every scene play out as if in a movie. Or not a movie: I have even done this for a conversation in a completely dark room, with two characters in separate beds talking, but unable to see a thing.
On re-read, I may eliminate some details, change them to more imaginative detail, or look for ways to make them more symbolic, or better fitting to the mood of the conversation. But at least I have something there to keep the reader's imagination from fading.
Answer: I think the textbook answer is: Does the detail contribute to the story? If you describe how a character's house is filled with guns and bombs, that tells us something very different about him than if his house is filled with flowers and framed poetry quotes.
A detail may prove relevant later. This is classic in mystery stories: The writer casually mentions that there is a plastic fork on the kitchen counter and later it turns out that this is the crucial clue that identifies the murderer.
Similarly, mentioning a detail early can make a later plot development seem less contrived. If you say in chapter 4 that the hero has a sword hanging on the wall as a decoration, and he explains how this sword was given to him by his father and it is an important symbol of their family history and that's why he has it hanging on the wall, and then in chapter 7 he yanks this sword off the wall and uses it to defend himself from the villain, that sounds "fair". But if in the middle of a fight scene you suddenly throw in, oh, by the way, the hero just happened to have a sword hanging on the wall, that sounds very contrived.
Really, though, the most useful test is: Is it interesting? If you mention that there is a clock on the wall and then launch into a 30 page description of the exact appearance and nature of this clock, perhaps a few clock collectors will find this interesting, but most readers will not. Or maybe you really can make readers say, "Wow! I never knew that clocks worked like that!"
So, say, if you're trying to paint a mental picture for the reader of what this shop looks like, it might be helpful to write, "There was an aisle full of car products, like oil and antifreeze and windshield wipers. The next aisle had snack foods, and the last had cheap children's toys." A detailed list of every item on the shelves, with brand name, size, list of ingredients, and a description of the package, that went on for pages and pages, would surely be mind-bogglingly boring.
Answer:
why is the couch brown?

Because it's made of leather. Yes, some details are just details. But if it doesn't matter why say it?

why is the couch on the left side of the shop?

Because there's only one tv hook up and they wanted it to face the TV or some other practical reason...if it doesn't matter to the story WHY, then it isn't relevant to the reader, and therefore isn't something that the reader should care about or you should include.
If you take time to answer all the "Whys" you can possibly think of, which don't actually matter to serving the plot or story, it will bog down the reader. Might be fun, at times, but you can ruthlessly cut them. Unless they serve a particular purpose unless they accomplish something. But even IF they accomplish something from the list below, remember this: if several things establish mood, character or furthering the plot in a specific way, you have the option of cutting the "dead weight" later. Showing the same thing in different ways is good, but when it comes time to cut, knowing how many times you've said the same thing in different ways is useful, so you can cut the weakest or least well-written thing.
Setting details can accomplish a couple of things:

Move the plot along.
Establishing a mood/danger/stakes.
Establishing a character. The sofa's on the left side of the room because it makes hard to open the door, giving your protagonist time to make an escape out the window, establishing that your protagonist often needs time to escape out of a window or is paranoid.

So setting, like every other detail, has to do its work in furthering the story. Every detail given has to do a job, be it setting the scene so that the action later makes sense (moving the plot along), setting the mood (@Galastel's example is perfect on that level), and showing the character through the setting, whether it be how they interact with the setting, or what it says about them as a person.
Finally, you can tell us what a setting is like in order to SHOW something, but you shouldn't simply be telling. If you do that, that's when it becomes tedious.  Know what you are showing, then examine whether it's simply a side note or if it serves the story in a meaningful way.

Detail vs. filler


Can I provided 3.3V regulated directly to the BBB

Question: I have a project where I need to be mobile and I draw a lot of power (4 BBB, 5 Port switch, 26 cameras). All of the cameras and the control circuits run at 3.3V - I'd love it if I could just deliver 3.3V at the main power connector and ignore the BBB 5V jack - is it possible to provide 3.3V to the BBB ? I swear I'll keep it well regulated (or pay the butchers bill if I don't)
Comment: Well, does the device offer support for providing non-5V power? I would expect not because you need to run the USB. Also, you probably want multiple point-of-load regulators with a higher distribution voltage to avoid having a lot of current across long wires at 3.3V.
Comment: Building on @user2943160 point, which I think is important and useful advice, providing mobile power to 35 devices is not trivial. So, how mobile, and how long do you need to be mobile? You might want something traditional and robust like Sealed Lead Acid, at 12 volts. In which case a bunch of DC-DC converters might be an efficient way to solve your problems.
Comment: What is a BBB?. Never mind, just read the tag.
Comment: Hey, @user2943160 - paste that in as an answer and I'll accept it - I hadn't thought the whole thing through -
Comment: @MarkMullin done.
Answer: Does the device offer support for providing non-5V power? I would expect not because the BeagleBone Black is a USB host.
While this is an answer of Y for an X, it was requested as such:
You probably want multiple point-of-load regulators with a higher distribution voltage to avoid having a lot of current across long wires at 3.3V. This would allow the use of thinner wires to distribute a higher voltage to each cluster of devices, then use regulators (switching buck regulators recommended) to supply 3.3V or 5V as required. Typical nominal voltages could be 12V and 24V, depending on the regulators chosen, power demands, and power supply availability.
Using a higher supply voltage would also decouple the mobile battery voltage from the supply voltage of the numerous devices.
Additional advice: try to keep power and signal grounds separated to avoid too much current flow in the shields of your signal cables between cameras and switches.


Error with authentication in e2e tests using cypress: chrome-error://chromewebdata

Question: I'm using cypress for writing E2E tests for my UI (Note that it's a PowerBI report, hence it's kind of special case). When I am testing with a public report, it works fine. But when it's a private PBI report, I am having trouble with login part. After some research, I found this approach promising for Azure AD based auth, and added this login function in my commands.js file:
Cypress.Commands.add('login', () => {
    cy.request({
        method: 'POST',
        url: 'https://login.microsoftonline.com/{TENANT}/oauth2/token',
        form: true,
        body: {
            grant_type: 'client_credentials',
            client_id: CLIENT_ID,
            client_secret: CLIENT_SECRET,
            // resource: RESOURCE
        },
        header: {
            'Content-Type': 'multipart/form-data'
        }
    }).then((responseData) => {
        if (responseData.status === 200) {
            window.sessionStorage.setItem("adal.idtoken", responseData.body.access_token);
            window.sessionStorage.setItem("adal.token.keys", CLIENT_ID + "|")
            window.sessionStorage.setItem(`adal.expiration.key${CLIENT_ID}`, responseData.body.expires_on)
            window.sessionStorage.setItem(`adal.access.token.key${CLIENT_ID}`, responseData.body.access_token)
        } else {
            console.log("error retrieving token")
        }
    })
})

Note that the Client ID and secret are correct and have permission to access the powerbi report. I also tested the token generated, and the sessionStorage variables, and all seem to be assigned correctly. Now, in my test:
describe("E2E Tests", () => {
    beforeEach(() => {
        cy.login();
    })
    it("Sample Test 1", () => {
        cy.visit("https://powerbi-report-url.com");
        //...
    });
})

And I am seeing in the cypress test runner that, even though login has been called in beforeEach, while visiting the powerbi report, it still redirects to https://login.microsoftonline.com url with a different client id as query param, and since the superdomains of powerbi report and redirected urls are different, it gives chrome-error://chromewebdata error(I guess that's the reason). Hence wondering, how to login to a website in cypress tests backed by azure ad auth.
Also, might be unrelated, but seeing one more error in the console:
Refused to display 'https://powerbi-report-url.com' in a frame because it set 'X-Frame-Options' to 'deny'.

Edit 1: Switching to Edge doesn't give the chrome webdata error, but still the cy.visit to the URL times out and gives HTTP 431 Error(Request header too long) and couldn't authenticate.
Edit 2 (More Details about Auth Error): While generating the toke using client credentials, I am getting the token, and see it's stored in the session Storage, however the cypress tests are not picking the same token to authorize the visit to PowerBI report. So, basically even thought the cookie exist to auth the request, the request to Power BI visit still redirects to login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/authorize?client_id={a different client ID from what I am using in the above POST call}
Whereas, while using username/password; getting this error: "error": "interaction_required", "error_description": "AADSTS50079: Due to a configuration change made by your administrator, or because you moved to a new location, you must enroll in multi-factor authentication to access
"error_codes": [50079]
Answer: At this moment (17-Apr-20), this might be related to an Open issue with the Cypress team: https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/4220
For me particularly, I used to have one super-domain having this error with the previous version 4.3.0 but now with 4.4.0, I get more domains having same issue.
Current workaround: Roll back to previous version and run via Edge (which is based on Chromium anyway).
Comment: Thanks for the suggestion @ebanster. Now I am not getting chrome webdata error, after switching to Edge. But when I visit the main URL, it redirects to the login auth URL, and gives timeout error. Do you have any idea why it's not picking up the sessionStorage credentials(set in cy.login() step) to authenticate the request? Also, when I check the cookie "cypress-session-cookie", it's null.
Comment: See if including this before the commands work: `cy.clearCookies({ domain: null })`
Comment: Getting the error, while visiting the test URL: Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 431 (Request Header Fields Too Large)
Comment: Can you try to clear Cypress app data? https://docs.cypress.io/guides/references/troubleshooting.html#To-clear-App-Data


Simple computational biology project for AP Biology class. Ideas?

Question: Our teacher assigned us a project to do with an extremely open-ended prompt and it should be completed within a month.
I was planning on doing something related to computation and evolution in terms of biology although I'm not really sure where to start. I say simple because I'm not a professional programmer, rather, extremely interested in the field and I hope to use this as an opportunity to stretch by skills.
Any ideas on a project or where to start would be greatly appreciated.
Comment: Welcome to the site. Unfortunately, Biology.SE is not a forum, and your question is quite opinion-based. From the [help/dont-ask], *`If your motivation for asking the question is "I would like to participate in a discussion about ______", then you should not be asking here.`* However, simple Google searches will turn up plenty of hits for project ideas as well as sites where this type of discussion *would* be on-topic, such as Reddit or Quora. Good luck!
Comment: This could be an appreciated discussion at [Reddit bioinformatics](https://www.reddit.com/r/bioinformatics/). Ask where to start, what are easy to use and quick tools, and how to get something meaningful out of the results.
Answer: You can use BLAST or NCBI resources to do an analysis of something like the duplication of a gene in the HIV virus, for example. If you're looking for a place to start, I would recommend just learning the NCBI database resources.
Answer: In addition to what Ham Radio suggested, checking out Galaxy might not be a bad idea for doing any sort of computation/analysis that would otherwise have to be done on the command line. In particular, check out tools for sequence alignment (BWA and Bowtie), genome assembly (Velvet, Spades, IDBA-UD), and variant analysis (Freebayes, Mpileup, GATK). Good luck!


schedule cron job on aws beanstalk rails container

Question: I am using the whenever gem to configure my crontab and schedule cron jobs. my config/schedule.rb file has the following content:
set :environment, "test"
set :output, {:error => "/var/log/cron_error.log", :standard => "/var/log/cron_log.log"}

every 1.minutes do
   runner 'TickerSymbol.update_prices'
end

At the moment I am invoking Rails.logger.debug ... in the TickerSymbol.update_prices method. Also, notice in the schedule.rb file that I am trying to write the output from the scheduled cron job to /var/logs/*.log. This is not working. When I view the logs on S3 or via the Beanstalk management console I see other log files from the /var/log directory, but I do not see my cron log files.
My .ebextensions/[app name].config file has the following content:
sources:
  /aws-scripts-mon: http://ec2-downloads.s3.amazonaws.com/cloudwatch-samples/CloudWatchMonitoringScripts.zip

option_settings:
  - option_name: AWS_SECRET_KEY
    value: XXX
  - option_name: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
    value: XXX
  - option_name: BUNDLE_WITHOUT
    value: "production:development"
  - option_name: RACK_ENV
    value: test
  - option_name: RAILS_ENV
    value: test
  - option_name: RAILS_SKIP_MIGRATIONS
    value: true

container_commands:
  01-setupcron:
    command: echo "*/5 * * * * root perl /aws-scripts-mon/mon-put-instance-data.pl --mem-util --mem-used --mem-avail --aws-access-key-id $AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID --aws-secret-key $AWS_SECRET_KEY > /dev/null" > /etc/cron.d/cwpump
  02-changeperm:
    command: chmod 644 /etc/cron.d/cwpump
  03-changeperm:
    command: chmod u+x /aws-scripts-mon/mon-put-instance-data.pl
  04-rake_routes:
    command: rake routes
  05-whenever:
    command: whenever -c
    command: whenever -i [app name] --update-crontab
    command: whenever -f
    command: crontab -l
    leader_only: true

Following is the content from my log file which is generated during my deployment with git aws.push. This log entry confirms that whenever is generating the crontab file as expected.
2013-04-06 14:50:37,469 [DEBUG] Running command 05-whenever
2013-04-06 14:50:37,470 [DEBUG] Generating defaults for command 05-whenever
<<<

2013-04-06 14:50:37,639 [DEBUG] Running test for command 05-whenever
2013-04-06 14:50:37,654 [DEBUG] Test command output:
2013-04-06 14:50:37,654 [DEBUG] Test for command 05-whenever passed
2013-04-06 14:50:37,671 [INFO] Command 05-whenever succeeded
2013-04-06 14:50:37,671 [DEBUG] Command 05-whenever output: # Begin Whenever generated tasks for: [app name]
0,2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30,32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58 * * * * /bin/bash -l -c 'cd /var/app/ondeck && script/rails runner -e production '\''TickerSymbol.update_prices'\'' >> /path/to/my/cron_log.log 2>&1'

# End Whenever generated tasks for: [app name]

Am I missing something? Based on the current configuration, I expect to see my log messages from TickerSymbol.update_prices inside my /var/log/cron_log.log file. However, I dont see any indication that these settings are producing an error nor do I see any indication that the cron job is running.
Answer: Have a look at the output in the last log:
... cd /var/app/ondeck ...

This directory exists only during the deployment. If your crontab is setup to CD to it like it says, it won't work.


Can anyone explain what the numbers at the top of this IP Header diagram represent?

Question:
… and what is the significance of the grouping?
many thanks!
Comment: Please edit the question to give us the context and from where this diagram came.
Answer: That table seems to be mangled somehow...
From the fields version and IHL you can tell that those numbers indicate the bits for those fields.
For type of service that continues but the first digit of the two-digit numbers is somehow placed in the upper half of the column header - so the indicated bits or 8 through 11 and 12 through 15. That scheme continues with 16-19, 20-23, 24-27, 28-31.


Calling and funding a payable function from existing contract balance

Question: If smart contract A has a balance of 1 ETH, can I call a payable function on Contract B, from a function in Contract A, with a msg.value that would be effectively withdrawn from the balance of smart contract A? As opposed to calling from EOA.
Answer:
The general syntax for calling a function in another contract with arguments and sending funds is: address.func.value(amount)(arg1, arg2, arg3)

From How can you call a payable function in another contract with arguments and send funds?, which is a duplicate of this question.
Please research your topic a bit more (for example I searched up 'solidity call function payable') before posting; many times you can find your question already on stack overflow.
Welcome to Ethereum Stack Overflow!
Comment: thank you for your response and maybe I should have phrased better/more specifically. I was asking if you could simply "fund" contract B with some sufficient balance of ether that would satisfy the needs of the payable function in Contract B. In this case, the payable function in B needs a value to satisfy oraclize query fee. So maybe the better questions is, will the oraclize auto-deduct its fee from the calling contract balance (contract B)?


restore a deleted imported metamask account

Question: i had my metamask wallet stoled, and my first reaction was delete the stole account. But this account has some pools os pancakeswap, and i need to restore it to save my tokens. I have the seed phrase and recovered the wallet, than created new accounts but the deleted account don't appears. important informetion s that this account is a imported account. is there any way to recover it? pleas help me
Answer: If your wallet was stolen, deleting it will not do anything-as it just removes it from the Metamask UI, not from the blockchain. You most likely imported that account with your private key. Metamask does NOT store or associate private key imported accounts with your seed phrase. If you are missing the private key to that account, then it's unfortunately... gone.
Answer: (1) Create a new account inside your main account, (don't put any name) and hit create button.
Doing this will load your sub accounts created before one by one and in order.
For example if your information was on 4th account then by creating 3 account Metamask will load your willing account.
(2) but Metamask won't load any imported-one from a different main account(wallet). For loading imported account you need privet keys for imported account or the main account's seeds and following same steps (1) until you load your account.
(3) Otherwise I think we cant load or recover our wallet.
(4) if anyone can recover an imported account in different ways please let me know because I have same problem.


What is the smallest screen size you design for

Question: I'm looking to make my website responsive, however this is my first foray into responsive design, and I'm pretty clueless at the moment.
I have no idea what the current state of play is with regard to screen sizes for phones, hand-held gaming machines et al, so I'd appreciate some advice on what the smallest devices are that you currently design for (in pixels). I know that there are more variables to it than this but it would be a start.
Comment: @RumiP. said phones should be translating the virtual pixels into device pixels. (true on iPhone and, I believe, on newer androids. BlackBerry didn't do this in the past, though) -- In other words, pixel dimensions *should* be valid with the note that we're talking virtual pixels--not device pixels.
Comment: Answers in pixels aren't going to be good enough. A design which resizes gracefully between a 320 px@100 dpi phone and 720 px@100 dpi tablet (both in portrait orientation) is going to work badly on a 720 px@250 dpi phone (which is physically narrower than the first phone mentioned).
Comment: I have designed for 1x1 pixels. It was a led indicator for internet connectivity...
Comment: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's just a survey. And a very old one.
Comment: Ok fair point. I also presume that we're going to have to throw orientation into the pot too.
Comment: I was hoping to find height as well as width answers here.
Answer:
What is the smallest screen size you design for

320px
But, as others have answered it, for best results you actually need to measure your audience and consider how much resources you want to pour into making your site/app work for that <0.1% of users below your determined screen-width threshold.
That said however, unless you are running an obscure site/app for embedded 60px monochrome displays, essentially every single one of your users will have a device screen-width support at least 320px in width. We've been using this number as our threshold and there hadn't been any negative feedback about it.
(source)
Comment: @Muz it's been likely updated since then, but in my experience, 320px still holds the ground as a good minimum threshold for low-end phones.
Comment: I understand that the original question is subjective, but all things considered your answer is very true.  You really have to struggle to find a device under 320px, although many phones do have exactly a 320px resolution.
Comment: Got the same 320px info on a google/udemy course  https://classroom.udacity.com/courses/ud893/lessons/3494350031/concepts/35726389700923
Comment: @SethKitchen And screen length on mobile matters since when? Width is the dominating factor because everything else is scrollable anyway
Comment: The source doesn't say anything about 320px though.
Comment: OP didn't ask for smallest screen width - size has 2 dimensions - where's the height?
Comment: I see where knowing a minimum screen height would be useful. While 9999 of 10000 web apps will work with pretty much any reasonable screen height you throw at them (because they just spit some DB data on screen with some UI around it), there will be more advanced stuff like complex visual editors that really will depend on what the screen height is. Personally I'd say something like 320x480 as a bare minimum is reasonable, but it really depends on what you are building.
Comment: Is this answer still valid on June, 2022? The only device with a 320 pixels screen listed here (https://screensiz.es/phone) is the very old Apple iPhone 3GS. It is probably just not worth sweating on it.
Answer: First of all, since it's your site, don't guess; know!
It's very simple. If you haven't already, add Google Analytics to your site (it's FREE).
From there, you can actually see what Mobile Device, Browser, OS, Screen Resolution, etc. that your visitors use.
Lastly, after you have what you consider enough data, make your decision on what resolutions you want to translate into CSS media queries for your new responsive site.
Comment: Though do be careful in analyzing the stats. For example, a company without a responsive site may not have many mobile visitors...not because they don't want to visit, but because they don't because your site doesn't work for them.
Comment: @CodeMaverick One of the principles of responsive design is that your design needs to be blind to device size. You should be designing for all viewport widths. Start small then increase the browser width until something breaks, then you put in a media query for that design element. Then repeat. This gives you the benefit of "future proofing" against shifts in popular device sizes. Creating media queries based on what device sizes your site is currently viewed on the most is a flawed method.
Comment: I'd want general figures, equivalent to general browser share figures. What devices exist below 320px, and how common they are. That's what I came to this page looking for, actually, and I was surprised to find nothing.
Comment: Your media queries should not be based on screen resolutions.
Comment: That being said, if you're unsure how small to start your design, existing metrics are a good starting point for figuring this out. I generally just start at 300px and call it good unless there is some edge case which requires me to go smaller.
Comment: @DA01 - I would say ***thorough*** would be a better word to use in that case. You can figure out your scenario by analyzing the mobile device, browser, os, screen resolution, etc. against return visits and pages that they bounce on.
Comment: @moss - I really meant browser widths, but I think you can easily figure that out from the screen resolutions in Google Analytics.
Comment: @moss - I'm right there with ya on that principle. The point in the post was simply *know* your audience so you can build media queries based on that and grow/go from there. It's an ever-evolving thing, responsiveness.
Comment: This answer is only useful for existing sites with an  established user base. It's not useful for a new site, sites under development, or for sites re-launching aiming to reach a new range of users.
Comment: @user568458 - I would agree to a point. You _should_ know your _target audience_, at least. What would you suggest instead for those first months?
Comment: I've asked it as a seperate question: http://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/74798/are-there-devices-below-320px-virtual-pixels-wide-and-data-on-how-common-they-a/74801?noredirect=1#comment116552_74801
Comment: While the advice to look at data is good, this answer is harmful because if you haven't designed your site to work on smaller screens, that fact will be reflected in your site stats.
Comment: IMO, the recommendation in this answer is to reinvent the wheel. The assumption that each website should find out the answer for their own use-case is false... users don't change their mobile on a per-website basis... conducting such an experiment is expensive, especially if you want a thorough analysis... I cannot see why designers can't use the data from other websites who have already invested in such as experiment?
Comment: @HoomanBahreini - You are right in that designers should most definitely use all the data they can find to help them make an informed decision for new and existing sites. You are wrong about the assumption in my answer, though, but that's because back when I wrote it, my answer simply assumed the OP already had an existing site that they wanted to transform into a responsive site, which makes my answer valid in that use-case scenario.
Answer: There are practical limits on either end of the spectrum IRT max and min screen dimensions.
What those are may vary from project to project. However, on the low end, 320px is pretty much common these days (mainly due to iPhone and Android devices in portrait mode).
There are always exceptions, however, and if your audience fits into one of those exceptions, then that is what you need to take into consideration more than anything.
Answer: On this website it gives some info about screen resolutions
http://www.websitedimensions.com/
According to that stats the smallest mobile resolution is 320px - however as mentioned in the third table, the actual width(excluding browser's interface) in that case can be 310px
in case of the link expires in the future, here is web archive link:
http://web.archive.org/web/20160330034016/http://www.websitedimensions.com/
Answer: I'm with @DA01: User data is an important point, but sometimes the decision of going responsive is about the visitors that you want to get, not necessarily about the ones you currently have. I know the web is open to everyone, but you might want to target an specific audience that might not be accessing your site because it is not mobile-friendly yet.
But to answer your question, as a rule of thumb I would target a screen widths of 320px and up.
Answer: Rumi's comment above pretty much sums up the reality of the challenge very well.
However, acknowledging that you can't make an ideal experience for every single device, just like you can't make an ideal experience for every single person from every single background with every single need, you'll want to prioritize what to make the experience ideal for. Then, make the experience acceptable and as good as possible for everyone else.
Look at the purpose of your website and the possible uses. Why would someone want to view your site on a mobile device? What would they be hoping to do? How might that be different than what they'd do/expect from the desktop experience? There are several camps as to if and how you should give a degraded experience for mobile, and I won't get into those here.
Also, look at your website analytics. Are people actually trying to view your website on small devices? What pages are they going to? How small? What percentage of traffic is from tiny devices?
In my case, I'm working on a set of applications that integrate together. Mobile is a very important part of this, so even though only about 4% of traffic to the web-app component is from 320px (100dpi) devices, we make it work well for them. However, my longer-term plan is to optimize for down to 480px-ish devices while making things still work (with zooming) on the tiny resolutions. I know some people will disagree with this, but I feel it's better to give a great experience for the largest number of people instead of making sacrifices that affect everyone.
That probably doesn't give you the answer you're looking for, but hopefully it's enough to get you pointed in the direction that's right for your situation.


Origin of the rimshot

Question: This might be a bit too obscure, but you never know what other people know, so...
Anyone know the origin of the rimshot, as used to emphasize a joke?  You know, like the representation here:
Comment: To me, the oddest thing is that it's called a rimshot, yet doesn't necessarily contain one. Case in point - http://instantrimshot.com
Answer: The origin of the rimshot is an aural cue to let an audience know when a joke has ended and it's time to laugh. This was commonly used in Vaudeville (predecessor of modern day cabaret and stand-up comedy) where they used comedians to keep the audience entertained. It's unclear whether or not it was specifically created for Vaudeville.

Origin of the rimshot


About the audible noise of capacitor

Question: All dielectric materials deform under the stress of an electric field, it's called "electrostrictive effect". And some dielectrics exhibit an additional piezoelectric effect, such ceramic capacitors, but the dominant mechanism is piezoelectric effect. I want to know if plastic film capacitors have this phenomenon? And has anyone encountered this?
Comment: Electrostrictive effect ... yes you can sometimes hear the film capacitors in a loudspeaker crossover "sing" quietly when driven with high signal levels (and the loudspeaker itself is replaced by a dummy load, otherwise it would be at least 80dB louder!)
Comment: All capacitors must show this effect. But you do not need the electrostrictive effect to produce forces inside a capacitor. When loading a capacitor, the carriers inside the electrodes result in a force on the electrodes regardless which dielectric is used (even with air). But I do not know, which Voltage has to be applied to result in audible movements. A film capacitor will especially deform, if it is not fully embedded in resin or oil, so the electrodes have some degree of freedom to move.
Comment: I think engineers in power supply design filed may be familiar with this. There are articles about ceramic capacitor's noise, but no docs about that of film capacitor.
Comment: @BrianDrummond, I'm not an audio guy, but are you sure it's not the inductors that are singing in the cross over network?  (perhaps an active network with no inductors?)
Comment: In the specific instance I mention, absolutely sure. A Spice simulation on the shiny new departmental VAX 11-750 suggested one capacitor in the BBC LS3/5A crossover might fail at a specific frequency and voltage. The test eventually took two Quad-405 power amps, bridged together, under a fan, driving only the capacitor, but eventually it did fail... (An active network would operate at low level anyway)
Answer: When subjected to an electric field, Dielectrics expands in the direction of the field and contract in a direction transverse to the field.  The strain varies roughly with the square of the electric field.  Most materials have electrostrictive strains on the order of \$1*10^{-7}\$ for Electric field strengths of \$ 1 \frac{MV}{m}\$.  In Perovskite oxide materials the strain is \$ 1* 10^{-3}\$ at the same field strengths. Data comes from *(1) which seems to be highly cited.
While \$ 1 \frac{MV}{m}\$ seems to be unreasonable, a simple plate spacing of 1 um and a drive of 1 volt can easily meet this Field. So a normal capacitor with a 100 nm gap and 10 Volts being driven can easily exceed that number by 100 X.
For a capacitor that is say 1 mm in a given dimension a \$ 1 \frac{MV}{m}\$ Field would cause expansion by about 1 angstrom (0.1 nm) and probably more than 100 X that.
How much of that couples into an audible sound is hard to tell, but US patent # 7689390 B2 uses 100's of nm thick BST (\$Ba_{0.7}Sr_{0.3}TiO_3\$) layers to couple electrical and acoustic modes for a capacitor.
PTFE (Teflon) has high electro-restrictive coefficients. *(2)
So it does look possible.

(1) "Cracking in ceramic actuators caused by electrostriction"
W Yang, Z Suo - Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 1994 - Elsevier"
(2) Schwodiauer, R.; Neugschwandtner, G.; Bauer-Gogonea, S.; Bauer, S.; Heitz, J.; Bauerle, D., "Dielectric and electret properties of novel Teflon PTFE and PTFE-like polymers," Electrets, 1999. ISE 10. Proceedings. 10th International Symposium on , vol., no., pp.313,316, 1999
Comment: Thanks, can you give some information on PET and PP, which are more common in practical applications.

About the audible noise of capacitor


What is this Luftwaffe branded plane at Tirana's airport?

Question: The question is pretty much in the title, I was definitely not expecting to see a Luftwaffe branded plane, so I'm curious to know what I'm looking at! At the time of posting the plane is sitting at Tirana's international airport
Comment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Transport_Wing_(German_Air_Force)#Current_Fleet (I was expecting an executive aircraft, but instead is usually not used for government transportation). Wild guess: UN forces, or maybe a change of crew on an army ship in a nearby port.
Answer: The aircraft 15+11 is an Airbus A321LR (the long range variant of the A321neo) operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) as a troop transporter and MedEvac plane:

The Air Force has taken delivery of the second Airbus A321LR from Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg. The aircraft with the tactical identification 15+11 will soon be available to the emergency services for troop transport and parliamentary flight operations - and will be given another task in 2023.
The 15+10 is followed by the 15+11: Germany has two state-of-the-art A321LRs for special Air Force tasks. Starting next year, both aircraft will also be equipped for medical transport and evacuation flights (MedEvac).

(aero.de News, 2022-08-19, in German, translated by Google)
It arrived in Tirana yesterday evening from Frankfurt:

(flightaware.com)
The flight was probably for the German Foreign Minister and her delegation who arrived in Tirana yesterday to discuss the recent tensions between Kosovo and Serbia (thanks to @DeltaLima for the link).
Comment: @DeltaLima Yeah, that's probably the reason. She is usually using one of the executive jets (white livery), but then again the German Air Force isn't exactly known for their reliability, so maybe this was the only one available xD
Comment: From [this article](https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-measures-against-serbia-set-to-be-on-agenda-in-tirana-fms-meeting/), I infer that the [German minister of foreign affairs is visiting Tirana](https://www.rtklive.com/en/news-single.php?ID=24640) . It's very likely she was on that Lufwaffe aircraft.


Automated copy of records only (no metadata) from Production to Sandbox

Question: I have read and researched on google and find that any refresh, clone or copy options copies all or selected data plus the metadata or only the metadata from the Production org to Sandbox. Is there a way to copy just the records or data and no metadata from Production to Sandbox without a third-party tool? And can this process be automated?
Answer: You could use SFDX for this. I am not sure what level of experience you have with it but the guide over here walks you through an example of how that can be done.
https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.sfdx_dev.meta/sfdx_dev/sfdx_dev_test_data_example.htm
A trailhead to get started with SFDX - https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/projects/quick-start-salesforce-dx/set-up-your-salesforce-dx-environment
Also not sure what you mean by automating this process but you can run a script that essentially runs these commands and loads the data into any Sandbox.
Comment: Thank you, Nitin. I am very new to Salesforce. I will check out the link you have sent. What I meant by automation was if there is a way to set up an automatic monthly copy of all records from Production into the Full Copy Sandbox without changing the metadata in the Sandbox
Comment: Thanks for clarification Jasmine! May I know what you're trying to achieve here? As long as you do not make any metadata changes in your production org you can refresh the Full Copy Sandbox every 29 days which and copy the data. Sandboxes in salesforce exist to make customizations and act as pre-prod environments for you experiment with stuff. A good overview on how to use sandboxes => [Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B73qPE1pEj4&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=SalesforceSupport). Let me know if this helps or if I got you completely wrong :)


Ideal Op Amp in Closed Loop

Question: The ideal op-amp in open loop, has a frequency response with infinite bandwidth. What about an ideal op amp in closed loop (inverting, non-inverting etc.) configuration? Does it (still being an ideal op amp although now in closed loop) also have a frequency response with infinite bandwidth?
Answer: Yes, if the other components are ideal too and there is no parasitic capacitance, series inductance, etc.  With these effects, every resistor has a non-flat frequency response.  Since your feedback path will contain resistors, the frequency response will likewise be non-flat.
Then there are other considerations depending on how obsessive you want to get.  Regardless of how ideal the opamp may be, there will be some finite propagation time of the feedback signal back to a opamp input.  This represents a different phase shift at different frequencies, which will again make the frequency response non-flat and can make the whole system unstable.
Answer: The following answer considers practical aspects only (and neglects parasitic influences like signal delay, propagation time, node capacitances, etc.):

If the opamp unit is considered to be ideal (infinite open-loop gain with infinite bandwidth), also the closed-loop gain has an infinite bandwidth. For real circuits, of course, this is not the case.
However, in many cases the following approach gives good results with sufficient accuracy: For closed-loop gain calculations the open-loop gain is considered to be infinite. However, this approach applies up to a certain frequency limit fc only. This limit is set by the real gain-bandwidth product (GBW) which is given in the data sheets. For most opamp types (unity-gain stable) this figure is identical with the frequency (transit frequency ft) for which the open-loop gain Aol of the opamp is unity (0 dB).
This frequency limit fc (3dB cut-off frequency of the closed-loop gain Acl) is determined by the mentioned GBW figure: fc=GBW/Acl=ft/Acl

Ideal Op Amp in Closed Loop


Search entire project for includes in Eclipse CDT

Question: I have a large existing c++ codebase.  Typically the users of the codebase edit the source with gvim, but we'd like to start using the nifty IDE features in Eclipse.  The codebase has an extensive directory hierarchy, but the source files use include directives without paths due to some voodoo we use in our build process.  When I link the source to my project in Eclipse, the indexer complains that it can't find any header files (because we don't specify paths in our includes.)  If I manually add the directories from the workspace to the include path then everything works wonderfully, but obviously adding hundreds of directories manually isn't feasible.  Would there be a simple method to tell Eclipse to look anywhere in the project for the include files without having to add them one by one?  If not, then can anyone suggest a good starting place, like what classes to extend, for writing a plugin to just scan the project at creation/modification and programatically add all directories to the include path?
Answer: The way that CDT manages build paths is by looking at the .cdtbuild xml file in the base of your projects directory (it might be a different name on windows... not sure)
In this you should see something like
<option id="gnu.c.compiler.option.include.paths....>
<listoptionValue builtIn="false" value=""${workspace_loc:/some/path}$quot;" />
<listOptionValue ... />

...
</option>

this is where all the build paths that you configure in the gui are placed.  It should be pretty easy to add all the directories to this using a simple perl script to walk the project and generate all the listOptionValue entries.
This is obviously not the ideal method.  But im curious, what build system are you migrating from, if it is make based you should be able to get eclipse to use your make files.
Answer: This feature has already been implemented in the current CDT development stream and will be available in CDT 6.0, which will be released along with Eclipse 3.5 in June 2009.
Basically if you have an #include and the header file exists somewhere in your project then CDT will be able to find it without the need to manually set up include paths.
If you need the feature now you can download and install the latest CDT development build.
Eclipse Bugzilla: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=213562
Latest CDT 6.0 Builds: http://download.eclipse.org/tools/cdt/builds/6.0.0/index.html
Answer: From reading the this Eclipse CDT FAQ entry, it sounds like Eclipse can automatically generate a list of include directories if you start your build from within Eclipse and if your build outputs the gcc / g++ commands before actually starting gcc / g++.  You can change how Eclipse starts a build by going under Project Properties then selecting the C/C++ Build category and looking for the Build Command option on the right side of the dialog.
Comment: I have just tested this -- it works in the most uncomfortable way.
It is parsing the build log, and adds include paths from g++ -I/some/path lines into "system includes".

Using the .cproject file and adding them yourself, allow to have it versiones in VC. Auto-Discovery does not.
Answer: Depending on the amount of voodoo you are doing in your build process, then Eclipse may not be able to correctly parse your source files, especially if you have similarly named headers for different source files. If you really want to take full advantage of Eclipse you're going to need to make sure that with whatever setup you have you aren't going to be confusing the parser. Personally I would recommend having a simple layout and build process.
As for the question at hand, adding the directories one by one is pretty much your best bet.


Open Containing Folder become Choose Appication in Firefox in Kubuntu

Question: The title says it all. Every time I download something, clicking Open Containing Folder when the download is finished, it says Choose Application and I don't know what to do. I use Firefox in Kubuntu.
Comment: Unless I'm misunderstanding, it is asking which application you would like to use to open/execute the downloaded file. What would you rather have it do?
Answer: In Kubuntu if you want to open the downloaded file's directory, you would choose Dolphin, as it is the File Manager for KDE, and therefore for Kubuntu (think Windows Explorer on Windows). If you would like to open the downloaded program directly, then it would depend entirely on what type of file was downloaded.
Once Dolphin is chosen as the desired action, you can choose to have Firefox remember the association with Dolphin so that you do not encounter the Choose Application dialogue again.
Alternatively, you can always open Dolphin from the Kickoff menu and browse to the Downloads folder in your Home directory, which will get you to the same place.
Comment: What is the directory of Dolphin to which I can select?
Comment: Well, after I use 'which dolphin' in Konsole I get the location. But if I click on the file, say a pdf file, it opens it in Dolphin and Okular (pdf reader). What can I do to make it only work in Okular?


Master Form concept?

Question: Like Master pages in ASP.NET, do we have any similar concept for Windows Form application. So that I dont have to repeat the same portion of form (Header and footer) many times through out the application.
Answer: Create a form class that defines the components you want, and make all your other forms a subclass of this form class.
Here is a good example in VB.NET.
Answer: That is what UserControls are for in Windows Forms.
Basically, you would create the "master" form and then the master form would be initialized with the types of the user controls that would go in the "placeholders".  The form would just then create the controls given the Type instance(s) and add the instances to the Controls collection.
Answer: You can create a base form class with the controls that will be on every form of that type, and then derive all of your actual forms from that base class. This is called "Visual Inheritance", and the Windows Forms designer has some nice design-time support for this.
Alternatively, you might also look into the notion of having one actual form with your header and footer fields and a big blank panel where your individual "pages" will go. Make each page a user control and swap them in and out as needed at run-time. This is a standard way of making "wizard" dialogs, for example.

Master Form concept?


Using DirectInput in C# with MonoGame?

Question: I am trying to move on from previous game development languages and have stumbled upon an issue that I took for granted in my old languages. I am trying to support DirectInput in C# with MonoGame as I feel comfortable with C# to use it as my primary game development language.
The issue is I don't know how to support DirectInput controllers and dancepads. It's out of my comfort zone. I have spent far too long looking for an answer via Coding Groups and Google to find no answers and a headache.
Is it possible to support DirectInput controllers/dancepads in C# x MonoGame and if so how is it done? I'd really appreciate any help on this one.
Answer: DirectInput is no longer recommended.
You can browse the repo here, mostly you will only ever need Keyboard and Gamepad.
Comment: You need DirectInput for joysticks (not gamepads)

Using DirectInput in C# with MonoGame?


Phantom Lancer illusions use auras?

Question: Does Phantom Lancer's illusions use aura's, like from Vladamir's? Does the lifesteal contribute to PL's health? Do they use aura armor reduction? I'm also curious about Desolation armor reduction, or do the PL illusions only do damage?
Answer: Check out http://www.dota2wiki.com/wiki/Illusions to get a understanding what illusions can do and whatnot.
Lifesteal does not work on them.
Illusions will bestow any auras that the original hero has. However, with the exception of auras that increase Attack Speed or Movement Speed, they usually will not benefit from them.
Comment: @EhevuTov Notably, the only orb that works on illusions (and only then on melee illusions) is Feedback from an item like Diffusal Blade or a built-in modifier like AM's Mana-Break. This is why the item is so core on serious illusion carries like Naga, PL, etc. They also carry the Radiance aura, allowing you to spread the burn to a wider area, which is why Radiance is such a great item on a hero like Spectre.
Comment: @Decency so something like Crusher with it's slow wouldn't work, right?
Comment: @EhevuTov Assuming you mean Sange or Skadi? Sange will not. I am not sure about Skadi.
Comment: No, the only **items** that modify the **attacks** of illusions directly are : diffusial blade, Monkey King Bar(only the true strike, not the stun) , quelling blade, critikal strike items, and the attack range change of aghanims on enchantress.

Phantom Lancer illusions use auras?


Is it possible to create in Drupal a multiple pages on single page

Question: Please check screenshot , without moving to any new URl when i click on Q&A it shows at right side the result even i can edit and save without going to new URL, everything happens on same page
Is it possible in Drupal to do that
Answer: Of course it's possible, with or without Drupal. Here is the second link from google: Ajaxify Drupal with JQuery Ajax

Ajax links API module help you to load any content to a specified DIV or ajaxify whole drupal site, using JQuery Ajax. This module will also load JS for Ajax-loaded content by using Drupal.attachBehaviors(). In case you dont want to load js or css, you can alter tpl for path/node type.
Comment: Thats look grt..let me try once ..thanks Xurshid.Appreciate
Answer: If this is a content type or entityform, you can use install Field Group with Field Group Ajaxified Multipage and this thing on the left can be a block (Multipage jumplist).
Alternatively consider Quick Tabs.


prevent anonymous access to Wordpress site (non-admin site)

Question: I'm using WP to build a help/training portal for a commercial software product (Product X).  We'd like to restrict access to this new WP site to only authenticated users of Product X as it contains sensitive information. Integrating with Product X's auth API is not a problem (I've done this before). However, all the docs/examples related to customizing WP auth seem focused on the WP admin portal, not the actual WP site.  Is such a thing supported? If so, links to examples/docs would be appreciated.
Comment: It's possible to redirect all non-logged in users to the login page.  Then you restrict who can/can not register for the site, so I assume you'd use Product X's API to authenticate/create accounts. I guess you'd have to build some sort of single sign-on utility, so they'd sign in to Product X's site and then be auto-logged in via WordPress?
Comment: This is a basic method:
https://www.peterstavrou.com/blog/website/redirect-user-not-logged-wordpress/

Also take a look at: https://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/auth_redirect

See Yahya's answer to this question:
https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/131879/how-to-redirect-non-logged-in-users-to-a-specific-page
Comment: Does this answer your question? [How to redirect non-logged in users to a specific page?](https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/131879/how-to-redirect-non-logged-in-users-to-a-specific-page)
Answer: Add this to the top of your header.php file, or a file that will be loaded at the top of every page.
<code><?php
if(!is_user_logged_in()) {
    wp_redirect('/wp-login.php');
    exit;
}
?>
</code>
Someone will probably point out a reason why not to do this, but it's the first thing that came to mind.


Why can we limit the memory the RocksDB database cache can use but not for ParityDB?

Question: In the Substrate CLI why can we limit the memory that the RocksDB database cache can use if we choose to use it here, but we're not given the option to limit the memory that ParityDB uses if we choose that database instead here?
Answer: After further investigation in this question and answer, I discovered that both RocksDB and ParityDB are both persistent key-value (KV) stores, but that ParityDB uses "OS page cache" instead of "custom data caching", where it states in the Substrate Documentation here that they use key-value cache because "accessing trie data is costly". In the ParityDB README here it states that the ParityDB "Database does not implement any custom data caching. Instead, it relies on OS page cache. Performance of a large database therefore depends on how much system memory is available to be used in OS page cache."


Is this double 2x4 sufficient for holding up large format tile?

Question: I am building a shower and my previous contractor used this double 2x4 for the top of the wall-to-wall niche. The wall does not bear any load from above, but will need to hold the weight of the tile. I was planning to use a double 2x6 at least, so was surprised he did this. The span is roughly 5 feet, and GoBoard tile backer will be used over the framing. Should I redo it?
Comment: I think I'd want jack studs on the left and right to keep those 2x4's from moving down.
Comment: I just realized the confusion.. the space in the middle is the niche, so GoBoard will be above and below it, but below the double 2x4 will only have GoBoard on the back
Comment: I don't get it...how are the studs fastened at the top? Looks like you have some joist "tails" sticking out.  Why is the ceiling here lower than over the toilet?
Comment: @Huesmann, the studs go to the ceiling and support the little ceiling joist stubs. It looks like they removed a section of load bearing wall to grow the shower's size. Instead of putting the header in plane with the floor joists, they went with bearing underneath and framed the shower ceiling at the bottom-of-header elevation. At the top of studs in the blind there must be a top plate running perpendicular to the floor joists.
Comment: How will the niche be constructed?  The back wall, a large flat surface, seems like it will lack support and may flex enough to crack tiles?  You'll have Goboard in front (in the shower), maybe you could place a sheet of plywood, nailed thoroughly to all the studs above and below the opening, on the back side of the wall and then the drywall for the toilet over the plywood.  The plywood will add strength to the questionable 2x4s and will also add strength to the middle part of the back wall of the niche.
Answer: The paneling on both sides should effectively provide diagonal struts down to your beam to hold it up.
Assuming that your the upper wall is about 5 ft square and assuming a 10 psf wall weight (the IRC sets 10 psf as an upper bound on partition weights), then the pair of 2x4s has about 3 times the necessary bending strength (assuming connections that develop the full strength). That's with standard grade SPF lumber which is almost certainly worse than whatever you're working with.
For the deflection, however, I get 0.87". And squinting at the numbers, the 10 psf doesn't seem too far off, actually. My instinct would be to require a deflection less than L/360 = 0.17". Your pair of 2x6s achieves 0.23". Your lumber is probably stiffer than standard grade SPF, so the 0.23" probably satisfies my arbitrary deflection constraint.
If you don't trust the backer board to stiffen the header, then I would sooner put a sheet of 7/16" OSB under the backer board than rework the framing. Just be sure that the outer vertical 2x4s are well fastened to the perpendicular wall.


Why does the Shinigami eye deal exist?

Question: From Shinigami's perspective, why would they take that deal? As we know they can write a human's name in the notebook and they'll get the remaining lifespan of that human added to theirs. So why would they bother giving away the eyes?
Comment: I primarily think that it is just for their amusement.
Answer:
Theory # 1: The entertainment
As It is  known that The shinigami don't normally drop their deathnote in the human world but living forever is certainly getting old for them. The one's who do it have some motives and one of them can be entertainment. To make it fair, the "half-Life" rule was made. Instead of giving shinigami eyes away, they might might what a person to become more insane after losing literally a huge portion of their life.
 OR, They want to keep the fun going. Giving a person Shinigami eyes as a last option when their host is against the walls. This wouldn't be Fun at all without such High stakes.
Theory #2: The Power Struggle
As the name suggest, the shinigami eyes belong to the Shinigami. This wasn't stated in the series, but it is quite possible that it takes a Toll on Shinigami to give shinigami eyes to their unfortunate friend. After-all they are sharing their own power with someone else. OR, this rule is to stop someone from killing all Humanity. One with the shinigami eyes for so long might kill people at much faster rate than usual. It is easy to lift a weight, but you can only keep it in the air for a limited time. Shinigami might find it difficult to some exent to share their own eyes and it is possible that they can maintain it for a limited number of years. If they take the entire lifespan of a person, they'll have again find someone else to use the deathnote, which is an unnecessary hassle.
(whenever i do  better theories, i'll add them Here.)
Comment: Your second theory has some loopholes. Shinigamis have nothing to lose from the eye deal. They are immortal creatures anyway. I merely think it is for their amusement or to make the work of the human who gets the death note easier
Comment: You are absolutely right.
Answer: I think it's simply to add to their amusement, so they have something interesting to experience. After all, the Shinigami realm is quite a dull, sad place, and living a life without a bit of fun is depressing, especially for a Shinigami since they're practically immortal. I mean, Ryuk did drop the Death Note into the human world just because he was bored.

Why does the Shinigami eye deal exist?


How to handle well-known english acronyms and names for an abstract in the local language?

Question: I have to provide a translated version of my abstract in my local country language. There are some concepts / names / acronyms that are also in my country language mostly used in english, for instance, Semantic Web. I think calling it in my local language does not make much sense because it is known under that term. What is the common way to handle this? Also if I want to abbreviate it with (SW). Thanks for your help!
Comment: Why do you feel the need for the abbreviation?
Comment: write "for instance, Semantic Web (ST)" so you can then use ST and it will refer to Semantic Web.
I still wonder why ST and not SW or SeW.
Answer: I guess the answer to this probably depends a bit on why you need the translated abstract, and who it's for. If you're translating it for the benefit of a class of school children (say), the situation is different from if you're translating it for a group of professionals who can be expected to already be familiar with the English terminology.
Can you find other documents written in your native language on this/similar topics? How do they deal with this issue? If it is common to just use the English term, then I would think it's appropriate to also do so in your 'translation'.
Note that you are producing a 'translation', not a 'transliteration'. If appropriate, you can add a sentence/footnote/similar to the translated version to clarify the issue, e.g. to say "A literal translation of this term would be XYZ, but we will use the English term in this document".


How can I add more destinations to Alfred's "move to..." results?

Question: Currently, when I use Alfred to action the currently selected item in Finder (using Cmd-Opt-), and then selecting "Move to...", the only options that come up are "Desktop" and "Documents". Is there a way to add additional sources to this list or to navigate in this screen to move the file to a different location?
Answer: The screen you're referring to is Alfred's standard file system browser, which is described in Preferences -> Features -> File Navigation.
A few useful keys for that screen are:

Use / to go to the root of the filesystem
Use ~ to go to your home folder

The complete description can be found in the preference window mentioned above, including a few customizable keys.
Comment: AND you can type in a folder name and Alfred will search for matches.
Comment: Use ⌘↓ to enter a folder, and ⌘↑ to ascend out of a folder
Answer: I don't think there is any way to add more default destinations to Move To, so if the "go there yourself" approach that Ingmar suggested is not workable for you, another approach is to create a small extension as per http://help.alfredapp.com/extensions/ .
I did this to create a "Move to Dropbox" command.  It's just a small shell script, configured as an Action (so you can choose it after you've selected a file) and "Silent" (so you don't get a terminal window opening up), containing a "mv {query} ~/documents/dropbox" command.
The benefit here is that if there is a destination you use all the time, you can avoid having to browser/search for it. I'm not saying you need to do this; it's just an optional approach.
Answer: you can just type in the folder name of the destination folder
Comment: Not the question I asked. I know I can do that, but I don't want to have to select the correct folder after typing. I have about a dozen commonly accessed folders that I want to be able to move things to quickly so I just want to have them set up as shortcuts in the alfred window. Kinda like Default Folder X.


Ideas for underwater electrocution weapon?

Question: Are there any electronic devices that can be used to electrocute people in water, like, say, beach goers in the ocean? The weapon would need to be installed under the water in advance and then be selectively activated on/off by a controller. Apparently there are already underwater electrocution devices to use for killing sharks, but I haven't found much information on how they work exactly. I'm writing a character whose M.O. is electrocuting people while they're in water, and am wondering if there's a way for them to do this from a distance (rather than dropping an electronic device into the water right in front of people). I'm thinking maybe there's a power line that goes from under the sand to a hidden location, where the activation switch is, and then that'll send a current through the line, zapping everyone within a certain radius. But I don't know if there's a better way for this to work…
Comment: Is this worbuilding? Use self-propelled mines. Less conspicuous than a cable laying ship in shallow waters
Comment: It would be a lot easier to make a peoplezapper in fresh water.
Comment: Gypsies are doing this type of illegal fishing by simple car batteries.

Problem is that it kills all fishes, not only those they want to eat, and neuters much more.
Comment: i read about Iran-Iraq war, it was mentioned they used electric current in water as the weapon.  On February 22, 1984, Iran launched Operation "Khaybar" ... ..... ...
... By order of the Minister of Defense of Iraq Adnan Kheyrallah, war gas "tabun" and electric current supplied to the water were used against the Iranian soldiers. Iranian units retreated in disarray [183].
Answer: The search term you want is electrofishing.  This article is an amusing exploration of what it would take to electrofish a blue whale, containing the following helpful diagram:

You have a battery or capacitor that pumps current around a circuit, of which the water is a part.  The current leaves through the cathode (the metal hull of the ship), goes through the water, then returns through the anode, which is set a distance away from the cathode.
Answer: Bio-Robotic Electric Eels
A particularly sinister approach to this brand of cruelty is to use electric eels.  Normally electric eels prefer not to attack humans, but when they do it is often fatal.  The trick is to be able to control them into actively hunting and killing humans and that is where bio-robotics comes in.  In the past few decades, scientists have been learning to remotely control a number of organisms using brain implants including mice and pigeons which have brain complexity least as high as that of an eel.
The hard part would seem to be insulating the implant against the eel's own electric discharge, but since the eel is able to not electrocute itself, it is likely that any subdermal implant would be fine.
As for range, a 2002 experiment allowed researches to remote control rats from a distance of 1/2 a kilometer.  That said, the recent drone crazy has incentivized much longer range more efficient remote control interfaces than we had 20 years ago, so ranges of 2-8km would not be all that incredible considering modern technology.
The best thing about this option is that you don't need to do any complex installation of powerlines in advance.  You can just sail near the beach you want to attack, release a swarm of eels, and once the attack is done, your weapons could literally just swim right back to your boat to be brought back to your base of operations leaving no evidence behind for investigators.  If you are particularly cleaver about it, you can stow the eels in an underwater compartment on your ship so that if the Coast Guard tries to search your ship, the most they would find is the laptop and radio equipment you used to control the eels... and a ship without a laptop and radio equipment is more suspicious now a days than a boat with one.

As a side note, this method is best deployed in fresh water since electric eels are fresh water fish. If you plan to attack someone is a salt water environment, you will want to use electric rays instead.  While not as electrogenic as their freshwater counterparts as to be able to instantly kill a healthy adult human through electrocution directly, stunning a human in the ocean is still likely to lead to death by drowning.
Answer: This one is a bit out there.
Underwater Electrolaser
An electrolaser is an experimental weapon that uses laser to create a plasma channel of air in order to create a conductor. A electric shock from a capacitor is then released allowing electrons to flow down the beam of plasma and shocking the target. Adaptin this to underwater would be a little difficult, but not terrible. The power output of the laser would need to be increased, but the channel would actually be preserved by the conduit of steam that would surround the superheated plasma.
Using this as the main shock device, the perpatrator can shock individual people, or aim at a large chunck of iron in the water and shock it. It should be noted that the power requirements of such a device would be severe, and it wight leave a small trail of bubles to the location the laser was fired from, so our super villian may get caught by a passing fishermen. Good luck!
Answer: Rockets away
Everything in life is better with rockets[citation not needed]. There is a technology being developed these days called Rocket Triggered Lightning and it's awesome. which allows you to shoot a cloud with a rocket that carries a grounded wire. When the cloud is hit, a lightning forms through the wire.
You could do much the same thing. Shoot a supercavitating torpedo against the victim. When the torpedo approaches to the victim, it shoots a net around them. Then the torpedo breaks in two - one part of it dives down to the sea floor carrying a wire, while another part becomes a sea-to-air missile carrying the rest of the wire to a cloud. Click, click, KABROOM!


How can I change the theme (red) color of PowerPoint for Mac?

Question:
For example in the picture, the theme color of the PowerPoint is red. How can I change it to e.g. black/blue? There is no option in MS Office to do this, but how about Mac system?
Answer:
There is no option in MS Office to do this, but how about Mac system?

There is no built-in option in macOS to theme/visually style apps. The most you can do is to turn on Dark Mode by going to System Preferences → General and select Dark for Appearance (1st item at the top). This way, you can get dark grey appearance in PowerPoint for macOS.
Office for Mac version 16.20, Office 365 and Office 2019 support Dark Mode on macOS Mojave. From this linked article on MacRumors:

Microsoft Office Apps Now Support Dark Mode on macOS Mojave

Microsoft today updated its suite of Office for Mac apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with support for Dark Mode on macOS Mojave and several other new features. The updates are available to both Office 365 subscribers and to users who purchased Office 2019 for Mac as a one-time purchase.

and

November 2018 release

Microsoft Auto Update 4.5

Support for Dark Mode

and

https://twitter.com/derek_snook/status/1072614131730169858

And with v16.20 some customers will see our Ribbon Visual Refresh with new icons and styling in Office 365 for Mac, as we begin rolling out and getting your feedback! On macOS Mojave, the new icons adapt to Light and Dark Mode as well!  #Office365

To learn more about Dark Mode, refer to the Apple Support article:

How to use Dark Mode on your Mac
Answer: You have the choice of two whole themes in Office 2016 for the Mac (two, wow!).
Unlike Office for PC you don't have much selection in what color themes Office uses.
Powerpoint > Preferences > General > Personalize, Office Theme > Classic/Colorful
As far as I am aware that is the only way to change the MS Office interface colors. Note that any changes you make in any Office app change all of the Office apps.
Comment: Unfortunately this does not work for 2019 version. I don't have office theme under personalize (under word/excel). For powerpoint, there is not even an option of Personalize. Is Office Theme located at different location in 2019 version?
Comment: Crap! sorry. I just love it when MS removes features, especially when they exist in the Windows version.


Do the Borg speak English?

Question: As the question states, do the Borg speak English, or is it a universal translator interpretation? Has this ever been addressed on screen? The Borg obviously have a few million cultures and languages to choose from.
Comment: Was the [universal translator](http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Universal_translator) in the era of *Star Trek: Enterprise* able to do instant translations of previously-unknown languages? There was a [Borg episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_(Star_Trek:_Enterprise)), and they did give a standard "resistance is futile" message in that one. So if that couldn't be explained in terms of the human translator tech of the time, it would suggest the Borg took care of translation.
Comment: @Hypnosifl but if that was the first time that the Borg meet humans, why would they know english yet? Unless the Borg also have universal translator tech. But why would they bother? They really arnt the chatty type.
Comment: @cde: Those Borg had been stranded on Earth after the events of *First Contact*, so it was not the first time they ever met humans.
Comment: @cde in that episode most of the borg are actually assimilated humans from earth, so they would have full access to english vocabulary.
Answer: It's never been addressed, but given the Borg's information dense, hive-mind intelligence, if they can recognize a species, they will likely communicate using that language. It would make the absorption of the new species easier. However, given their incredible breadth of conquered technologies, a universal translator should be easy enough to incorporate into their communication technologies.
Samples of such investigations of a species can be seen from early Borg actions in the Alpha Quadrant. Memory Alpha's Borg entry recounts:

By the 2350s, rumors of an alien race called "The Borg" had reached the Alpha Quadrant, inspiring exobiologists Magnus and Erin Hansen to set out in search of them. Their research took them all the way to the Delta Quadrant before they and their daughter Annika were assimilated in 2356. (VOY: "The Gift", "The Raven", "Dark Frontier")

Borg activity in the Alpha Quadrant, including the assimilation of the USS Tombaugh in 2362 and assimilation of outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2364, were complete mysteries to Starfleet. (VOY: "Infinite Regress"; TNG: "The Neutral Zone")

My suspicion is the Borg do not randomly absorb species without investigating them for technological developments first. If a species has something they want, the probably absorb smaller elements of the species until they can learn information which will aid them in assimilation.

On the rare occasions that the Borg were willing to open a dialog with individuals, they chose a single drone to speak for the Collective. Jean-Luc Picard was assimilated and given the name Locutus in the misguided assumption that such a representative would lower the Federation's resistance to assimilation. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds")

See Also: Why aren't we all Borg?
Answer: To the best of my knowledge it has never been addressed.
We do know that the Borg had encounters with a range of Alpha Quadrant races including the Ferengi, the Cardassians, the Romulans and the (human) Hansen family prior to encountering the Enterprise-D in TNG.
Based on what we know about the Borg, it's highly likely that by the events of "TNG: Q-Who?" they would be communicating in plain English to avoid any possibility of being misunderstood.

Do the Borg speak English?


How do I separate portions of an icon in adobe illustrator?

Question: I have a rasterized icon. As you can see, portions of it are blue. I also have an svg of this same icon but it is a compound shape and those individual pieces are not isolated; it is all black. So if i change the color, it changes the entire icon to that color. Is there an easy way to go about separating those pieces so that I can change the color of only those portions?
Comment: Hi and welcome to GDSE! It would be easier if you showed us the actual vector shape. Preferably in outline view and with the whole shape selected. If your shape really is a compound path (and not just one path) you should be able to split it using *Object > Compound Path > Release*. If that doesn't work or it splits in the wrong places I'm afraid you have to manually work with the vector paths (or draw the shape from scratch).
Comment: Without knowing how this is constructed it's difficult to say. Have you tried releasing the compound path? Is it made of strokes?  Is it grouped?
Answer: Probably not a straight-forward, easy task depending upon proficiency with Illustrator.
Assuming it's all one shape and not strokes.... The cross lines (blue) would need to be removed, repair the primary helix shape (black), then redraw the cross lines.

To be honest, it would probably be easier to simply redraw the shape in Illustrator with strokes, using what you have as a manual tracing guide for the initial curved path.
(right-click and open in new window/tab to view larger.)
...the above is constructed of only stroked paths. And all the strokes have rounded end caps set.
The initial stroke weights I used for the magenta and cyan strokes, to match the raster image in the question, was 16pts. When the appearance is expanded, the cyan removed, and the fill swapped to a stroke in step 5 above, it leaves a 16pt gap matching the raster image.
If the desire is to prevent stroke scaling, it is possible to Select All and then use Object > Expand to convert all the strokes to filled shapes. After doing so, the separate shapes comprising the primary helix can be combined to a single shape via Pathfinder or Shape Builder.

I noticed I didn't create the exact same gaps in the helix that the sample image has. It's easy enough to swap steps - reflect the shape first, and then use the scissors to cut pieces and remove them.


can't ssh to virtualbox centos from my ubuntu terminal

Question: I'm new to linux and I want to connect from my terminal to centos that I installed in virtualbox but it take too long and I have to stop it
what should I do?
Comment: what sort of networking did you setup for the virt?
Answer: Two very important things:
1) Make sure that you have the OpenSSH server installed
2) On your VirtualBox VM, make sure that your NIC is in 'bridged' mode or whatever terminology that VirtualBox uses so that your VM has an IP address on your local network
Comment: I did this things
Answer: Could be tuns of things in here.
Check communication between machines.
From Ubuntu ping CentOS IP
$ ping xxxx.xxxx.xxxx.xxxx

Check if SSH is installed
In CentOS
$ sudo rpm -q openssh

Check your firewall, see if SSH connections are accepted (port 22).
In CentOS
$ sudo iptables -L

Check if ssh service is running
In CentOS
$ sudo service sshd status

Check port listening (default 22)
IN CentOS
$ sudo netstat -tulpn

If all of this are correct, troubleshoot with logs. See in real time what happens when "sshing" to the server.
IN CentOS
$ sudo tail -f /var/log/secure

look for your user and|or IP address.
SSH with verbose mode in order to see where is getting stuck.
IN Ubuntu
$ ssh -vvv user@ipaddress

Comment: ping running correctly
Comment: service running
Comment: it's work now but after 1 min why take so long?
Comment: thank you your answer but I don;t understand some of them because I'm newbie