I should also acknowledge that I'm pretty ignorant of the whole conda alternative python ecosystem. I've tinkered a bit with it. It might be a better way to handle all this.

- venvs - yes
- lockfiles - yes
- project dependency file - yes
- myriad of conflicting solutions - no
- apt vs pip conflict - no

As an old linux user I can sort it out. But showing others how to get poetry install to work on a fresh ubuntu sucks. The goal of getting matching library/tool versions installed to experiment with shouldn't be this hard for someone moving from core python to trying out some packages.

This feels wrong. pipenv, pyenv were attempts to solve it. Mise and Nix are other approaches. Docker container envs, where appropriate definitely help, but it's all a bit of a mess.

poetry, uv, using pipx? Older requirements for pip not handling transitives locking at all. Or poetry versions with different compatibilities? And then apt installs being dreadfully out of date, so needing user installs. For all but trivial first-user cases. It's become frustratingly complex.

Python, we have a problem. I've been a user of python, the language, since around 2008 (maybe earlier). The language is still pretty good.
But the package ecosystem is a mess. Multiple package managers, new troubles getting old repos set up in fresh ubuntu/debian.

Note for advertisers. If I’m looking to download some bit of software, and your ad appears to impersonate the real download button, I will report it as inappropriate.

Another SG90 Servo Failed: Heat, Clicking, and a Likely Gear Jam | Orionrobots - Learn to build robots at home Notes from diagnosing a failed SG90 micro servo that made an unusual low-pitch whirring noise, got hot, drew high current, and ended up beyond economical repair.

orionrobots.co.uk/2026/04/02/0... - more learning really, after another servo failure.

So I’m not surprised by muppets who try running AI code with 0 validation and get burned. This was the key thing decades ago when looking at fitness criteria for it!

I do devops when not doing robots. AI is another automation in the devops tool belt when used well. I pretty much got into dev ops because I knew automation of code validation was key to AI code being viable.

If you aren’t already doing this for your engineers, Ai will not help you, it will make things worse. In a word where code review (testing, linting, release process ) practices are well embedded, Ai can be great.

Why is there so much of it, is it sprawling instead of targeting a particular work package? This helps knowledge share, code quality, security, testing, readability.

Important note for using AI, or software engineers. Have someone else review their works. Peer review is a key concept in decent coding. Not rubber stamping, but an actual analysis. What did they write? Why did they do it like that? This looks like a mistake?

So what robot builders are at #smrrf2026 today?

I guess it’s adaptable, the concept could be changed to accommodate different footprints. There’s also one with a standard DIP rows section too, although it looked a bit awkward.

If there’s any thing to fear in London it’s poor weather. We’ve a week of freezing cold rain to come. I was trying to find a good time to clear up Some garden things, but it won’t be this week.

Wide-Board Breadboard for Pico, ESP32 and Similar DESCRIPTION Many modern microcontroller boards like the Raspberry Pi Pico or ESP32 dev boards are too wide for standard solderless breadboards, leaving little or no usable space for wiring and compone...

Ok - this is an awesome idea - hackaday.io/project/2050.... I use breadboards for students/mentee's to prototype and try stuff on. The slot incompatibility made the Pico and Esp32/nodemcu factors a bit awkward. This is a nice solution.

You’ll find a 555 doing that in the spindle motor control on cheaper cnc mills among other things. Two diodes, a variable resistor and capacitor plus the 555.

A cool thing about teaching others something is that you usually end up seeing them teach someone else it.

That's probably a great way to doom itself into irrelevance.

The full circle moments are awesome. One of my python beginners kids has grown into confidently mentoring microbit for the last few years.

Good afternoon from downtown Chicago, where despite heavy snowfall, thousands have gathered for an anti-ICE/CBP demonstration in solidarity with the Twin Cities. More are still streaming in.

Lt. Illinois Gov. Juliana Stratton just addressed the crowd, and called for ICE to be abolished.

A cartoon of a news report. The picture shows a government official doing a press conference flanked by goons. The headline reads “A man attacked federal bullets with his body” Underneath the picture is a quote saying “those bullets had families”

US government rn

There is far more outrage from tech leaders over a wealth tax than masked ICE agents terrorizing communities and executing civilians in the streets. Tells you what you need to know about the values of our industry.

OpenAI exec James Dyett calling out the cowardice

The US . Stupid auto correct.

Trying to determine if the YS has hit some kind of threshold for a rogue state, is perhaps like CMOT Dibbler’s (Discworld) dragon detector. That was a bit of wood on a metal handle, when the wood burns, you’ve found your dragon…

The rise of the right had left me sickened and withdrawn for some of the previous year, so I tried to stop reading the news. But to be honest - it's in my face. People I work with, rely on, spent time with are being threatened and hurt. WE need to get off this dark path.

The world I want to be in is one of kindness, learning, growth, progress, elevating humans to better levels of tech, fun, fulfilment, thriving, satisfaction. By humans, I don't just mean the ones that look like me or share the same gender, neurotype etc.

I want to remain talking about robotics, 3d printing, Lego and so on. But what is going on in the world has me increasingly concerned. The US appears to be turning into terrifying right wing dystopia, and the far right in the UK (through Reform) are trying to follow suit.

If you were computing in the 1980s then these books were a must! Still have my originals from back in the 80's when I started with a #ZXSpectrum.

I'm still developing for 8-bits. Hardware / software / magazine for the #SAMCoupe (www.samcoupe.com) plus some Speccy hardware too (zx.samcoupe.com)