Month: May 2018

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Using Scooter Software Beyond Compare

This post has moved to eklausmeier.goip.de/blog/2018/05-17-using-scooter-software-beyond-compare.

Beyond Compare is a graphical file comparison tool sold by Scooter Software. Its open-source competitors are mainly vimdiff, and kdiff3. Its advantage is ease-of-use. While comparing files they can be edited instantly. You can diff complete directory trees.

It is written in Delphi Object Pascal, the source code is not open-source. It runs on Windows, x86 Linux, and OS X. It does not run on ARM, like Raspberry Pi or Odroid, see support for arm processors – like the raspberry pi. The “Standard Edition” costs $30, the “Pro Edition” costs $60. The software is in AUR.

1. Root User Problem. When using it as root-user you must use:

export QT_GRAPHICSSYSTEM=native
bcompare

When running

DIFFPROG=bcompare pacdiff

the screen looks like this:

2. Git Usage. To use Beyond Compare with git difftool you have to do two things: First you must create an alias bc3 for bcompare.

[root /bin]# ln -s bcompare bc3

Second add the following lines to your ~/.gitconfig file:

[diff]
        tool = bc3
[difftool]
        prompt = false
        bc3 = trustExitCode
[merge]
        tool = bc3
[mergetool]
        bc3 = trustExitCode

Alternatively to above changes in the ~/.gitconfig file, use the following commands:

git config --global diff.tool bc3
git config --global difftool.bc3.trustExitCode true
git config --global merge.tool bc3
git config --global mergetool.bc3.trustExitCode true
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Instant Messaging Client Pidgin and Skype / Lync

This post has moved to eklausmeier.goip.de/blog/2018/05-03-instant-messaging-client-pidgin-and-skype-lync.

One can use the instant messaging client Pidgin and Skype. Skype for Business was previously called Lync.

Install Pidgin

pacman -S pidgin

and install the SIP/Simple protocol for Skype for Business/Office 365/Lync

pacman -S pidgin-sipe

Setting up the account: Use your company mail-address. Protocol is: Office communicator.

In Set up Pidgin messenger and Office 365 Lync one finds the crucial hint that one has to use a special user-agent information string

User Agent :  UCCAPI/15.0.4420.1017 OC/15.0.4420.1017

In Pidgin configuration this looks like this:

The post from Gary Woodfine from above states that you also have to specify server, port, and authentification scheme. But you don’t have to. You can simply leave these entries empty, or having their default values.