Dustin Ingram

I occasionally write technical articles for my own website. Sometimes I write for other venues instead. These articles vary widely from short “Today I Learned” type posts, to long-form technical explanations. Often, my articles double as the early drafts for my speaking.

Some of my recent writing:

• What does it take to power the Python Package Index?
  The time, money and services it takes to power PyPI in 2021
  
  
• PyPI as a Service
  Challenges in making a package index turn a profit
  
  
• Popular PyPI projects made in 2018
  Taking a look at some of the most popular projects on PyPI that didn't exist in 2017.
  
  
• PyPI is dead. Long live PyPI!
  Some thoughts on the launch of the new PyPI
  
  
• Markdown Descriptions on PyPI
  The best way to render your project's description as Markdown on PyPI
  
  
• Why PyPI Doesn't Know Your Projects Dependencies
  A explanation as to why PyPI currently can't tell you the dependencies of a given project
  
  
• Verifying GitHub Commits with Keybase.io
  Learn what a 'verified commit' is in Git, and how you can verify your commits in GitHub using keys from your Keybase.io account.
  
  
• Pin All Dependencies (& let pip sort ’em out)
  A discusson on dependency pinning, when it's appropriate, why it’s a good idea, and how to do it.
  
  
• The Cure for Architectural Amnesia
  How often do you find yourself introducing your codebase to a new teammate, and you can't quite remember why you did something one way, but you're really sure there was a good reason for it?
  
  
• The Fastest Fizzbuzz In The West
  Wherein our lowly protagonist gets fed up with the state of software development interviews, and creates a new programming language which is particularly well-suited to implementing FizzBuzz.
  
  
• Swiss Train Deployments
  A new deployment philosophy based on Yehuda Katz's talk 'Stability without Stagnation.'
  
  
• On Doing It Yourself
  A short essay on the value of doing things the hard way.
  
  
• Load Testing with Locust
  An introduction to load-testing a web application with Locust.
  
  
• Coded by Kids - The Best PTW Event You Didn't Go To
  A look at how a Philly nonprofit is trying to create a new generation of coders.
  
  
• Vagrant Secret Feature: Automatic Plugin Installation
  How to use a hidden feature of Vagrant to automatically install plugins.
  
  
• Preventing Unintended Check-ins with Git Precommit Hooks
  How to use global git hooks to prevent commits which unintentionally contain debug statements or focus marks.
  
  
• Using iTerm's Semantic History with vi
  A quick tip for getting the most out of one of iTerm's new features with everyone's favorite editor.
  
  
• When Is Cheryl's Birthday?
  Using Python to solve the latest viral math problem.
  
  
• Upgrading OrientDB on Amazon EC2
  Using the latest and greatest version of OrientDB on AWS, and connecting with pyorient.
  
  
• Deploying Private Git Submodules on Heroku with 2FA
  Solution to an issue for those of us that use two-factor authentication, private git submodules, and Heroku.
  
  
• VNC Screenshare over HTTP with Python and Flask
  Using Flask to create a simple in-browser screen sharing app.
  
  
• Refused to get unsafe header "X-FB-Debug"
  Solution to an issue that Chrome may present when uploading a photo to a Facebook status post.
  
  
• Z-Machines and One-Eyed Robots
  Solutions to two interview questions from the Oxford Programming Research Group (circa 1980) in Python.
  
  
• How I Invented the Document-Oriented Database
  Wherein a younger, dumber version of myself gets by with the tools I'm given to reinvent the wheel without ever having seen the wagon.
  
  
• On Doing It Yourself
  A short essay on the value of doing things the hard way.
  
  
• Using MIT-Scheme in MacOS X on the Command Line
  A quick tip on using MIT-Scheme in the terminal on OSX.
  
  
• Threaded Messaging via Unix Domain Sockets in Python
  A small example using Unix Domain Sockets to send messages or data between threads on a local domain.
  
  
• Automated Control of an Android Device with Python
  Using Android's Simple Protocol for Automated Network Control to send touch events to a physical device using Python and a TCP socket.
  
  
• Device Screenshots with the Android Debug Bridge
  Getting a screen shot of a live or emulated Android Device automatically using the Android Debug Bridge.
  
  
• Ubuntu LiveCD Kernel Patching
  A step-by-step tutorial on building a custom kernel and, subsequently, a custom Ubuntu LiveCD.
  
  
• Creating a FreeBSD PXE Network Boot Server
  A guide including custom images and install scripts.
  
  
• Embedding Audio Using Google's MP3 Player
  Using Google's existing video/audio player to embed MP3s hosted online on your blog or website.
  
  
• PHP File Uploader
  My friend needed an easy way to upload and embed audio clips to her blog, so I wrote my Simple PHP File Uploader.
  
  
• The Singularity - Friendliness Theory
  An essay on the Singularity, and how Friendliness Theory relates.