Loading a native library in Java on Windows

I’ve been struggling a bit with Java on Windows when I have needed to load a native library required by the application I’m currently working on (believe it or not a Java desktop application. Yes they still exist! 🙂 There are several options:

  • Load from an explicitly specified absolute path using the System.load call.
  • Make sure the DLL is in one of the paths listed in “java.library.path”

Handy tip: if running IntelliJ grab the code from and use it for a new Scratch file. It’s an easy way to get the value for your java.library.path.

  • Modify the Windows system PATH environment variable to include the folder where the DLL is stored.
  • Passing the “java.library.path” on the command line to the java runtime by using the -D option.

The best resource I found that helped me a lot was this page from Chilkat Software (and where the 4 items above were directly cribbed from! Thank you!).

Here we go again – hello OmniFocus

Knowing that I probably shouldn’t be doing this but doing it anyhow because the itch is there I setup an OmniFocus trial again. Just really curious to give it hard go for two weeks and see where that leads me. I really like Things but it can’t hurt to look elsewhere on occasion if only to see where I can improve my system.

Just a thought on task management

Sitting here about to shut stuff down for the night it just dawned on me that planning for stuff I need to do doesn’t just happen in a task manager. Yes the task manager is for planning but it’s the final destination for other planning work that needs to be done beforehand. Part of my problem is not exploring just what that part of my system is. It’s not capture and it’s not execution. Need to do some work I think.

Disabling SIP to delete “trouble” files in MacOS Catalina

I decided to check out the Safari Technology Preview but when I found out that the 1Password extension (no, not even the beta one) wouldn’t work there was little point in continuing as I rely on that for any passwords.

I uninstalled the Tech Preview via App Cleaner and Uninstaller and one folder couldn’t be removed. The folder name started with com.apple.SafariTechnologyPreview and I removed it manually via Finder which put it in the trash. When I tried to empty the trash it would complain that the folder was in use.

I tried rebooting in safe mode (hold down the Shift key while booting) to disable just about everything with no luck. The Mac was still complaining that the file was in use. I then tried the same experiment via booting into single user mode (hold down Command-S while booting) so I could perform the same thing as the root user. No luck there either as it gave more cryptic complaints.

This folder contained a file named SafariFamily that was the problem. I found this page where the person had the same problem and had a solution. I had to disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) via the Mac’s recovery mode. Recovery mode requires restarting the Mac and holding down Command-R while until the Apple logo appears.

Once in recovery mode I had to open up the Mac terminal app (via the menu) and run the command csrutil disable.

After that I restarted and that finally allowed me to delete the file. Then I had to reboot again into recovery mode again to turn SIP back on via csrutil enable. Another restart and I was back in business.

Disappointed with Google Drive and Dropbox in iOS

Disappointed with Google Drive and Dropbox in iOS

Just found out that neither the Google Drive or the Dropbox iOS applications fully support the Files API on iOS and thus I can’t set up folders in Google Drive or Dropbox in iA Writer. I had planned on moving all of my writing to Google Drive but that isn’t going to work with this situation.

Really bums me out when companies do this. It is fully possible via the API but they force users to their own applications. Boo!

The Washington Post is obnoxious

They really, really want me to hate their website. They don’t want ad blocking. OK I get that. I really wanted to read this article so I turned off the ad blocker (to make matters worse they refer to the Firefox tracking protection as an “ad blocker”) and this is what I get:

Here are some screenshots of the site as I scroll down through the article.


So obnoxious that I won’t visit the site again. You lost a potential reader WaPo.

Ulysses 19 released, odd reviews ensue

So @ulyssesapp released a new version today with external folder support. Always amusing to me when people then try/suggest ways to use the software in a way it wasn’t really designed.

For instance there is a suggestion to, instead of using Ulysses’ native CloudKit support to create a Ulysses folder in iCloud Drive and use that instead, making sure to use the Ulysses native file format to get all of the features the editor provides.

Why would someone want to do that other than “because it can be done”? Sure, you can do it. But it’s not a better solution than the long-standing CloudKit syncing while at the same not being being the reason external folder support was added in the first place.