Cloud providers will get angry with you if you deal with network access by popping huge holes in the firewall. If you don't get the angry emails, your account administrator is getting them. At any rate, the practice of simply popping holes in the firewall for web app access is not secure. This guide shows how to make use of a SOCKS proxy for all your web-based access to Cloud VMs. Read more

I avoided using Microsoft Windows for almost 15 years, but with my new job at a Microsoft-enthralled development shop, those idyllic days have come to an abrupt end. Because in the past I could always use my trusty Linux and OS X machines, I never did push past the hurdles of using Emacs on Windows. My utter reliance on Org-mode, TRAMP, and Ediff (to name a few) made it essential to get Emacs working on Windows if at all possible. Now I am using Emacs on Windows XP and Windows 7 on a daily basis, and am quite happy with the results. It was not easy to get to the point of full functionality, so I wanted to share the magic that makes it all work. Read more