03/01/2009 - 04/01/2009

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Easy Crontab Howto

Here is a quick howto on crontab, crontab is a text file that has a list of commands that are to be run at specified times, the command and their run times, are controlled by the cron daemon and are executed in the system's background, the system maintains a crontab for each user, you will be able to edit the crontab file by using the -e switch when using the crontab command like so:

$ crontab -e

If this is the first time you have used crontab the list may be blank.

All you need to now to use crontab and schedule a command is when you will run it and when you will want it to run

minute (0-59), hour (0-23, 0 = midnight), day (1-31), month (1-12), weekday (0-6, 0 = Sunday), command

An example entry would be

* 10 * * 1,3,5 /usr/bin/updatedb

The entry above will execute updatedb on 10am every monday, tuesday, friday, after saving the file you can view the crontab entry by using the -l option

$ crontab -l

Thats it.

Tech Blog Quick List of howto's:

EMC PowerPath - Removal Error

Have been doing EMC Power Path upgrade for couple of weeks now and here is one error I have encountered a lot during Power Path removal on Sun Solaris Box with Veritas.

During >pkgrm EMCpower command I get the error below, even though I'm on single user mode, anyway one of the reason I got that error was that my Veritas dump is using powerpath devices.

EMCpower Removal:
Error: PowerPath pseudo(s) still in-use,
busy or mounted.
Please stop all I/Os and make sure all
volumes are not mounted then retry removing
the package.
--------------------------------------------
pkgrm: ERROR: preremove script did not
complete successfully
Removal of failed.

Anyway I would check first that my system swap is not using the Power Path device
>dmpadm

Then I will check that Veritas dump is not using Power Path device.
>vxdmpadm getsubpaths ctlr=emcp
emcpower0c ENABLED(A) - c8t1d27s2 EMC_CLARiiON EMC_CLARiiON0 -
emcpower1c ENABLED(A) - c8t1d26s2 EMC_CLARiiON EMC_CLARiiON0 -

In my case Veritas dump is using the Power Path device that is preventing me from uninstalling the EMCpower package from the system to fix this we will need disable dmp.
>vxdmpadm disable –f path= emcpower0c
>vxdmpadm disable –f path= emcpower1c

Then remove EMCpower
>pkgrm EMCpower

After installing the new Power Path we need to enable the Veritas dump once again
>vxdmpadm enable path= emcpower0c
>vxdmpadm enable path= emcpower1c

Then boot with -r option.

This solution work for me however it might not work for you I have also found other solution to this problem including some that are recommended by EMC it is quite lengthy see below I hope it work for you.

Fix 1 - emc28200 -

Fix for PowerPath 4.x and 5.x - Make sure to backup /kernel/drv before removing anything and make sure you have a copy of your license.

tar -cf /kernel/drv.tar /kernel/drv

rm /kernel/drv/emcp.conf (make sure there is no emcp.conf.saved )
rm /etc/powermt.custom (make sure there is no powermt.custom.saved )

rm /etc/emcp_devicesDB.dat

rm /etc/emcp_devicesDB.idx
rm /dev/dsk/emcp*
rm /dev/rdsk/emcp*
Caution on next step!
Do not remove /devices/pseudo/emcp@0:0 . Device driver file do not remove, Remove other emcp@ devices
rm /devices/pseudo/emcp@xxxxxxxxxxxxraw
rm /devices/pseudo/emcp@xxxxxxxxxxxxblk
For severe cases such as path_to_inst being replaced:
Refer to How to rebuild path_to_inst on Solaris Host
rm /dev/dsk/c1* , etc.. (do not remove boot device, normally c0)
rm /dev/rdsk/c1* , etc.. (do not remove boot device, normally c0)
perform reboot -- -r
run powercf -q
run powermt config

run powermt manage class=ess | hpxp | hitachi (only if PowerPath controling these 3rd party arrays)

run powermt display (confirm paths)
run powermt display dev=all (confirm devices)

If PowerPath still cannot be remove as it was busy or PowerPath would not run, initialization error. Then you need to reboot without PowerPath running and remove PowerPath. To do this, it is no longer sufficient just to remove /kernel/drv/emcp.conf as volume manager has a copy and it will be rebuilt in on reboot. In addition to the procedure above, remove the drivers themselves (/kernel/drv/emcp and /kernel/drv/sparcv9/emcp. (or move to a emcp.drv)). Reboot (in single mode if you want), pkgrm emcpower, pkgadd emcpower, reboot and hopefully be all set.

Fix 2

System Forceload Removal
---------------------------------------

Fix: Comment out the following entries in the /etc/system:

forceload: drv/emcp
forceload: misc/emcpmp
forceload: misc/emcpmpc
forceload: misc/emcpmpaa
forceload: misc/emcpmpap
forceload: misc/emcpsapi
forceload: misc/emcpcg
forceload: misc/emcphr
forceload: misc/emcpgpx
forceload: misc/emcpdm
forceload: misc/emcpioc
set emcp:bPxEnableInit=1
set lwp_default_stksize=0x6000
set rpcmod:svc_default_stksize=0x6000

Rename the emcp driver located within the following two directories;

/kernel/drv
/kernel/drv/sparcv9

Once the files are commented out and renamed boot the host in single user mode.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Sharing folder with Windows on Ubuntu using Samba

Tech Blog - Recently I was asked by one of my friends that is trying to use Ubuntu Linux on how to share his files on the Ubuntu Desktop to the rest of the computers on his network which are mostly running Windows, so I told him to install and setup Samba on his Ubuntu desktop once installed and configure he would be able to share files and folder through the network with any Windows computer, this is a basic howto on setting up Samba on an Ubuntu desktop.

Steps to setting up Samba

Step 1 - Go to your terminal and check if Samba is installed using the following command, or you can also check it using the GUI Synaptic Package Manager

$ dpkg -l | grep samba

Step 2 - if Samba is not installed use the following command to get it, or you can install it through the Synaptic Package Manager

$ apt-get install smbfs samba

Step 3 - Configuring Samba

Goto > System > Administration > Networking, and goto General tab enter your hostname
Goto > System > Administration > Shared Folders > click General Properties then enter a name for Workgroup.
Goto > Applications > Accessories > Terminal once you see a prompt type

$ vi /etc/samba/smb.conf

Here you have the option to further cuztomize the configuration of your Samba install such as

Making the shared folder writable by editing the line and changing "no" to "yes"
writable = no

To make the folder browseable over the network
browseable = yes

Vi Note: you can find the line on vi by doing a search on the term type /searchpatternhere
Vi Note: You need to press "i" to enter edit mode on Vi
Vi Note: You need to press "ESC" to enter view/command mode on Vi Vi Note: To exit vi press "ESC" key then hold shift and press zz to save and exit.

After doing changes you can save and exit

Now you will need to create a userrname/password to protect your share folder
$ smbpasswd -a username

Restart Samba so that Samba daemon will reread the newly edited configuration file.
$ /etc/init.d/samba stop
$ /etc/init.d/samba start

Now you should be able to share any folder by clicking on it and selecting share through smb, and your Windows should be able to see it.

Another way of sharing files on Ubuntu is by allowing Windows user to connect to your desktop using scp client such as winscp.

Tech Blog Quick List of howto's:

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Garmin GPSMAP 292C Colour GPS Chartplotter

Garmin has introduced a latest GPS system meant especially for marine chartplotting. Garmin GPSMAP 292C Colour GPS Chartplotter is a new model navigation system integrated with very fine navigation details and also it has a complete world base map with extra-detailed portrayal of seashores and the roads for easy navigational purpose. This is basically required for those who make most of their travelling in the sea. The features that it has are simply the best inclusive of all the minute details required by the users while they are on travel.

The size of the Satellite navigation system is 5 inches, which is highly capable of displaying the navigation details in high quality and crisp images. This Garmin Sat Nav System has offered an outstanding resolution of 234 x 320 pixels and supports a total of 256 colours. CCFL backlight for the display and keypad are the two other notable features available in this navigation system. Talking about the navigation features it comes with improved route creation, modification and navigation feature.

Other few navigation systems available in this GPS system are 3000way points and 68 way point symbols. Also, the device has a 10,000-point active track log and the special 3D perspective display helps to view the maps comfortably is 3D effect. This Garmin GPSMAP 292C Colour GPS Chartplotter has enhanced route creation, modification and navigation feature which helps to make the journey easy and comfortable. It also has split map and sonar display.

Apart from all these exceptional features it also has graphical bearing and the course guidance. It also has an improved base world map, which is capable of providing 300 meter shore resolution, interstates and other highways too. DSC-equipped VHF radios helps for positioning the data. Other remarkable features included in this model are 15 user interface languages, mounting bracket and its size are the few to mention.

Read expert reviews on Takara, Trafficmaster, Trumpion, Snooper, Road angel, Navman, MyGuide Sat Nav System, Navigon and Panasonic GPS Systems at Satellite Navigation System Reviews Website.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Kidzui Safe Internet for Kids Review

Tech Blog - After accidentally running into a site called Kidzui I installed the addon for Firefox, Kidzui claims on their site that they provide internet(content) for kids, meaning KidZui uses filters to pre-screen content. After screening by filters, content is reviewed by paid teachers and parents using a set of content guidelines, anyway although I'm no longer am a kid nor do I have a kid, I decided to install Kidzui, the installation for Kidzui is very straight forward like installing any other Firefox addons although a little bigger than the usual Firefox add-on which is understandable, anyway once installed to use Kidzui you just have to click on the letter "K" icon on your Firefox navigation bar, Kidzui will open up and you will be ask to create an account for your kid or your can create it for him, the process of creating an account is very straight forward it includes creating an Kidzui avatar, a username and password for your child's account it will also ask for the parent's e-mail adress which the [arent has to respond to before the account would be activated some screens of the Kidzui account creation process.

Once account is activated your child will be able to browse through Kidzui which will allow him to browse pre-screened internet content, which include videos, photos, games, and website, the navigation is very easy it uses a zooming user interface paradigm where search results are displayed visually at smaller scale, children click on images to enlarge them. the visual interface makes it easier for children to browse without advanced reading skills. KidZui also has category browsing that allows children to explore the Internet using categories based on popularity or similarity, below is a screenshot of Kidzui navigation screen I was viewing a Naruto picture and voting it as "The Best!" here at Tech blog we love Naruto and another screen it not allowing me to go to youporn.com and gmail.com, apparently to Kidzui its the same :D which is great in my IMHO.

Now lets go to where the parents take control with Kidzui there is 2 component one is the Kids which is what ones we have been discussing as shown above, and second part is the parents component, which lets you administer and monitor what your child has been viewing on Kidzui, the free version of the administration page allows you to monitor pages being surf and view attempt to surf unappropriate/unapprove pages using Kidzui, it also has a personalization tab on the administration page that will allow you to add sites that you will allow him to surf on which is very useful, the paid version of Kidzui parental page allows very detailed monitoring of your child's browsing habit, including amount of time spent, who are they friends with on Kidzui, their activities, interest, favorites, some screen shot of Kidzui parental administration screen that can be used on the free version below as you can see I have allowed review-ninja.com on Kidzui we all know there are no inappropriate material there :)

In conclusion I would recommend Kidzui to parents who have kids not more than 9 or 10 years old as you may have already figured out Kidzui is very easy to get around specially if your kids is even a bit computer savvy however for your kids this will surely be an enjoyable experience as everything is presented very well, and there ae lot of learning materials available, lus the parental tool even the free version will allow you an overview of your kids interest and activities which will be very helpful in understanding them, however there is still no software replacement for good parenting, check out Kidzui I'm sure you will find it very enjoyable and usefull it free. Check them out here

CDisplay Great Comic Book Reader

Tech Blog - I have been collection comic book for a pretty long time now, and every month I buy a lot of comics but I'm still not able to afford all the books I want so for years I have been catching up with old comic books that I missed by reading a digital copy of this issue, usually you will be able to find and download them through mostly any torrent site such as Pirate Bay or Mininova, most of this type of files come in cbr file format and you will need a cbr reader to view the comics, anyway one of the best cbr reader out the is CDisplay which can be downloaded here for free, I find CDisplay to be very convenient as you can run the program off a folder, it also has some nice features such as customizable action assigned to certain keys and mouse click, auto zoom on mouse over for certain region of the book, automatic color balance and yellow reduction, can read cbr files that are compressed in zip and rar without decompressing, page through images sequentially and scroll around pages with single key presses and multiple format view of the comics and best of all CDisplay is free, enjoy!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Howto fix iTunes Windows Vista DEP error

Couple of days ago I encountered a problem with my iTunes that is installed on my Windows Vista laptop, after insalling K-Lite package I found that iTunes is unable to start due to DEP featue on Vista keeps on closing the application, I also found that the fault lies in "quicktime.qts_unloaded", below is a list of the thing I did to fix the issue.

- Uninstall K-lite package from my computer.
- Uninstall Quicktime from my computer.
- Reboot the computer ater Quicktime and K-lite uninstallation.
- Download the latest Quicktime, install then reboot
- Start iTunes see if problem still persist, if problem still persist.
- Download and Install over old iTunes then reboot.
- After reboot start iTunes and all your libraries should still be intact.

I hope this help, for you guys having problem with your iTunes and DEP.

Note: K-Lite codec is not compatible with iTunes based on my experienced.

Tech Blog's Quick List of other how to below:

Sony Ericsson W902 Mobile Phone

Sony Ericsson offers a great gift to the mobile phone lovers. You will be surprised by the features admitted in this mobile phone. Lets cherish and proud to own this wonderful appliance. It support all your music needs. You never get frustrated if you are music lover. The 5 Mega pixel camera accomodated in this mobile phone offers a stunning clarity every time.

Music Phone

Enjoy rich music with the help of the dazing music features of this mobile phone. The clear bass and stereo and a great capacity to store unlimited music will never take you back. This Walkman phone with eight equaliser presets offers you a fine performance. The music recognition software will tell you the details. The shake control feature of this mobile phone allows you to change the songs by flicking of your wrist.

Physical Features

This mobile phone comes with the dimensions of 110 x 49 x 11.7 mm and it weighs 99.8 grams. The display has 240 x 320 pixels resolution with 262,144 colours support. This Sony Ericsson W902 Mobile Phone available in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green colours to match your colour preference.This mobile phone has 25MB phone memory and support up to 8GB external memory.

Camera Mobile Phone

This mobile phone can be used as a digital camera to record the special moments in your life. This well featured mobile phone furnished with auto focus, 16x Digital zoom, image stabiliser, photo fix, photo flash and picture blogging. The video features of this 5MP Camera mobile phone allows you to record the videos in an easy way, the video light and video stabiliser offers a fine performance every time.

Entertainment

Sony Ericsson W902 Mobile Phone has a handful of entertainment features, the 3D games, Java, Motion gaming, Radio, Video clip and video streaming are fine enough to handle your entertainment.

Connectivity

This mobile phone is equipped with a fistful of features for all your connectivity needs. It features Bluetooth technology, Modem, PictBridge, USB mass storage and USB support. You never feel difficult to connect it to other devices.

Internet

This mobile phone is equipped with many features for your internet connectivity. It features WAP 1.2.1, WAP 2.0 XHTML and Web browser. It helps you to keep in touch with the world always.

Visit bestmobiles.eu site where you can find best USA mobile phone sites and compare prices on latest handsets and read expert reviews on top mobile phone brands.

Visit Dialaphone for the best mobile phone deals

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Madasafish Broadband Provider Review

Madasafish offers the best broadband packages to meet the requirements of the home and business users and for the online gamers too. The features of the Madasafish are the unlimited email addresses, spam filtering and email virus protection, webmail, webspace, newsgroups, Static IP address and bullguard security suite absolutely for free. Moreover it is AppleMac and PC compatible. Like other service providers in the UK, Madasafish Broadband Package also includes broadband and phone services.

Most of the subscribers are really impressed by the excellent customer service that was offered by the customer forum. The focus of Madasafish broadband service is to provide top quality phone and internet services. Focus on customer service; honesty and transparency, keen about support, award winning broadband and the value for money are the main reasons for the customers to choose Madasafish when compared to other internet providers in the UK. As a subscriber what else one can expect from the broadband service provider?

If you are in need of any assistance on broadband then you will be given full support round the clock. Madasafish broadband comes with free connection including excellent call rates to the mobiles and international destinations. The only difference in here is the amount of usage is included. Before you go in for a broadband service check out for the minimum requirements that the service provider offers. When compared to the others you need just three things.

The three broadband packages have a variation in its usage limit. The speed that they provide is the same with the other service providers of UK. The connection fee differs from based on the usage limit of the package that you choose. The rates that are offered by the service provider are nominal when compared with the other service providers in UK. But Madasafish stand unique through their unbeatable customer service and the best technical support offered by them to their customers. These are the best qualities that make the internet service provider friendlier to the customers.

Visit broadband suppliers site to find Unlimited Broadband Offers from leading UK broadband providers including BT Total, T-mobile, Opal Business Broadband, Sky, Post office broadband, Virgin media and O2 broadband providers.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Howto cancel e-mail sent on GMAIL

Here is a quick tip on canceling e-mail sent on Gmail, that later on you might regret sending you know how Microsoft Outlook has a feature that allows you to recall a e-mail taht you have sent, this feature of Gmail sort of works like that but you will only be able to cancel or unsend your e-mail within 5 seconds after pressing the send button, anyway to enable this feature on your Gmail account you will need to enable it on your Google Labs, take note this will not recall e-mail that has been sent, so think twice before pressing the send button specially if your writing something that you might regret later on. :)

Thats it!

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Olympus MJU Tough 6000 Digital Camera

If you are fed up in carrying the bulky picture camera all around the place, then your next choice should be Olympus MJU Tough 6000 Digital Camera. This is the slimmest and small digital camera available in the market, where the users will definitely enjoy taking pictures in this ultra slim model digital camera. The features that are integrated in this digital camera are awesome which assures the users a comfortable handling of pictures. The colour of this model is very attractive, which almost resembles like a transistor.

The image resolution offered in this camera are 10 mega pixels which is said to be higher image resolution suitable for taking pictures in superior quality. It is more light-weighted which comes with a total weight of just 149 grams. A total of 42 MB internal memory is offered in this model, which helps out to store more pictures. Also, the memory can be extended with the help of xD or micro SD memory cards. The 2.7 inch LCD display screen helps the users to view the pictures taking with very good picture resolution of 230000 pixels.

Few other impressive features that are available in this digital camera are Dual Image Stabilisation feature, advanced face detection technology , TruePic III Image processor, LED illuminator, video recorder, hand strap, AV cable, USB cable, software CD-ROM, USB cable, instruction manual and world wide warranty card are the few other remarkable features available in this slim and shock proof digital camera. With all these impressive facilities, the dimensions that are available in this model are 95.3 x 63.4 x 22.4 mm. This 10 MP Digital Camera is highly suitable for taking underwater pictures more comfortably and conveniently.

Visit digital camera reviews site to find Top digital camera retailers,

read latest digital camera reviews and exclusive articles on Adrian's Digital Escapades and Famous Digital Photographers.

Friday, March 20, 2009

BenQ PDP46W1S Plasma TV Review

BenQ is a well-known company for manufacturing the plasma television with its unique style and outstanding performance of the products. BenQ PDP46W1S 46” Plasma TV is their latest launch in the market, which has been embedded with outmost picture quality and digital sound effects. This model will definitely be a piece of attraction in this model with its elegant and fashionable looks.

A unique feature included in this model is the dynamic white balancing correction function which helps to reduce the greenish tinge of traditional PDP and the ripples found in the PDP images are driven out with the help of low grey level correction. Another remarkable feature available in this BenQ PDP46W1S 46″ Plasma TV is the 3D comb filter technology that effectively dispenses the colour mingling process. This 46 inch Plasma TV has a good WVGA picture resolution of 852 x 480 pixels, which holds the responsibility of displaying the images with better quality.

The XGA resolution of this model is deserved as 1024 x 768 pixels, where it has a contrast ratio of 850:1 and 700cd/m2 brightness level. The viewers are put at ease in watching the pictures with 160 degree viewing angle. These are some of the highlighting features available in this model. De-Interlace and P-Scan capabilities are used in BenQ PDP46W1S 46″ Plasma TV in order to convert the 480i signals to finer formats. The weight of this model is nearly 92.6lbs with a size of 44.8 inch, 27.2 inch and 3.9 inch. Accessories that this model holds are a remote control and a table top stand.

You can read expert reviews on Akai, Cornea, Daewoo, Gateway, Hitachi, 37" Plasma TV reviews, Orion, Sampo, Promax and Vizio Plasma Televisions at Plasma TV Reviews Website.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Nokia N96 GPS and Google Earth on your PC

I have been playing around lately with my Nokia N96 and its GPS feature, anyway I was able to make my Nokia N96 work as an external GPS receiver for the Google Earth Application on my PC and here is how I did it.

What you need:

Nokia N96 - I think any Nokia with GPS unit would work also.
ExtGPS - You will need to download this install it on your phone, it will enable your phone to act as external GPS receiver for your laptop - get it here
Blutooth - You will need to enable blutooth on your phone and computer
Google Earth - You need to download and install on your computer for the mapping.

Steps to get it working

Step 1 - Pair your Phone's Blutooth and Computer, after pairing set the computer as authorized device on your phone blutooth setting.

Step 2 - Once it is paired go to your pc's blutooth setting select the paired device with the ExtGS install, click on propertes and make sure that ExtGPS is checked then click apply.

Step 3 - Make sure that COM port is set after enable ExtGPS on the porperties screen, got to the COM ports and make sure that something like the one on the image below is present

Step 4 - Now that everything is setup for Blutooth on your phone and computer, start up Google Earth, once Google Earth is up go to tools > Realtime > Make sure that NMEA is selected, Automatically folow path, then click on Start wait a few seconds or minute you should see Google Earth identified your position, see image below.

Then your done! enjoy.

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Thursday, March 05, 2009

Sudo error: sudo: must be setuid root

Here is a solution to a common error when using sudo

momouser> sudo -l
sudo: must be setuid root
momouser>

To fix the error above chown and chmod the sudo file as root, in my case the file is in /usr/bin

root>chown root:root /usr/bin/sudo
root>chmod 4111 /usr/bin/sudo

That should fix the error and you should be able to sudo without a problem.

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