Of Python, Pandas and Neural Nets
I’ve started to look into Python and Pandas and a more indepth look at Neural Nets (coded from scratch in Python)
Completed light reads
Couldn’t sleep last night. Picked up the Kindle and completed:
- The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)
- Night of January 16th (Ayn Rand)
How to identify an Original Eames Lounge Chair
Setting up Ubuntu 20.04 (cli only)
- Remove command suggestions
- Remove bash completion
- Save screen layout
- Change directory listing colour to cyan
- Set console to 1152×682
- Remove command suggestions
sudo apt remove command-not-found
- Remove bash completion
sudo apt remove bash-completion
- GNU Screen
a. Save screen layout
While in screen Ctrl+A : layout dump .screenrc
b. Remove startup message
Add “startup_message off” to top of the .screenrc file
- Change directory listing colour to cyan
Create a file called .dircolors and insert “DIR 01;36” without the quotes
- Set console to 1152×864
a. Determine available resolutions
sudo hwinfo –framebuffer
Returns a list of console resolutions
b. Insert the selected resolution into bottom of /etc/default/grub
Add “GRUB_GFXMODE=1152×864” to bottom of the file
c. Run update-grub2
sudo update-grub2
Guerilla marketing (what on earth!?)
A Good Read: Anthony Bourdain
Oscilloscope Training
Writing a new BootRom/BIOS using the CH341A programmer
I purchased a CH341A programmer to replace a BIOS chip in my existing logic board. This CH341A programmer has the capability to write to 24xx and 25xx chips.
NOTE: I thought I was supposed to modify input voltage to avoid destroying the programmer, after reading all the reviews on Youtube. It was time wasting mistake to mod the CH341A to take 3.3V inputs before doing a test run. In the end, I had to undo all the mods; namely
- cutting the 5V VCC and connecting the VCC to 3.3V from the linear regulator.
- connecting pin 9 on the CH341A chip to 3.3V.
Chiefly 3.3V was insufficient to power the pomona clips. Reinstating the 5V input to the CH341A made the pomona clips work.
You don’t need to mod the CH341A programmer! It works as advertised without mods.
Here are pics for positioning the pomona clip and adapter to the CH341A programmer.


I am running on macOS with homebrew so I elected for flashrom (only choice actually) so…
brew update && brew upgrade
brew install flashrom
next navigate to the location of the BIOS firmware and runflashrom —-programmer ch341a_spi
It will tell you whether was the CH341A programmer detected. If it says no detection, then you will need to try a new USB port (direct from the laptop/desktop and not through a unpowered USB hub) or swap a new CH341A programmer.
Now attach the ROM chip to the ponoma clips and run the same again.flashrom --programmer ch341a
This time it will try to identify the ROM chip and ask you for the specific model of the ROM chip.
Now lets write the firmware onto the ROM chip.
flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -c MX25L3206E/MX25L3208E -w <firmware.bin> -V
-c refers to the ROM chip model that I used
-w refers to the file to write to the ROM chip
-V refers to verbose mode, instruct flashrom to tell you what’s happening.
The above command will include the verification process, countercheck for any errors. (None came up in my case)
Another way to countercheck is to read from the ROM chip after writing to it. The command is similar as follows:
flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -c MX25L3206E/MX25L3208E -r <extracted_firmware>
Hope this helps. If anyone needs a video, i’ll make one and post on Youtube.
Using nodejs mysql client
When using nodejs mysql client, use single query instead of pool. Under macOS, mysql server 8.0 appears to die after two hours of pool connection insertion and closure by nodnodejs.