Need to Keep Secrets? Encrypt it.
To Encrypt:
$ openssl des3 -salt -in file.txt -out file.des3
The above will prompt for a password, or you can put it in
with a -k option, assuming you're on a trusted server.
To Decrypt
$ openssl des3 -d -salt -in file.des3 -out file.txt -k mypassword
Need to encrypt what you type? Enter the following, then start typing
and ^D to end.
$ openssl des3 -salt -out stuff.txt
Alternative Boot Loaders
If you do not wish to use a boot loader, you have several alternatives:
- LOADLIN
-
You can load Linux from MS-DOS. Unfortunately, this requires a copy of the Linux kernel (and an initial RAM disk, if you have a SCSI adapter) to be available on an MS-DOS partition. The only way to accomplish this is to boot your Linux system using some other method (for example, from a boot CD-ROM) and then copy the kernel to an MS-DOS partition. LOADLIN is available from
ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/boot/dualboot/
and associated mirror sites.
- SYSLINUX
-
SYSLINUX is an MS-DOS program very similar to LOADLIN. It is also available from
ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/boot/loaders/
and associated mirror sites.
- Commercial boot loaders
-
You can load Linux using commercial boot loaders. For example, System Commander and Partition Magic are able to boot Linux (but still require GRUB to be installed in your Linux root partition).
Small History of "Ubuntu"
Ubuntu is one of a number of Linux distributions. The source code that makes up the Ubuntu Linux distribution originates from Debian (so called because it was started by two people named Debra and Ian). Debian is still a widely respected operating system but came under criticism for infrequent updates and less than user friendly installation and maintenance.
A South African internet mogul (who made his fortune selling his company to VeriSign for around $500 million) decided it was time for a more user friendly Linux. He took the Debian distribution and worked to make it a more human friendly distribution which he called Ubuntu. He subsequently formed a company called Canonical Ltd to promote and provide support for Ubuntu Linux. In addition Shuttleworth has formed and funded (to the tune of $10 million) a foundation to guarantee the future of Ubuntu.
The rest, as they say, is history. Ubuntu has since gone from strength to strength. Dell now ship computers pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux and Ubuntu usually tops the chart at DistroWatch.com (a web site which tracks the popularity of the various Linux distributions).
If you are new to Linux, or already use Linux and want to try a different Linux distro it is unlikely you will find a better option than Ubuntu Linux.
The most dangerous Rootkit
Dubbed "Mebroot," the rootkit infects the master boot record (MBR), the first sector of a PC's hard drive that the computer looks to before loading the operating system. Since it loads before anything else, Mebroot is nearly invisible to security software.
"You can't execute any earlier than that," F-Secure's chief research officer, Mikko Hypponen, said.
Once a machine is infected, the hacker controlling the rootkit has complete control over the victim's machine, opening up the potential for a variety of other attacks.For example, the hacker could try and download other malicious software to the machine to log a person's keystrokes and collect financial or personal data
It's still unknown how widespread Mebroot is. VeriSign's iDefense Intelligence Team has said 5,000 users were infected in separate attacks on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19
What is rootkit : The name for a kit of hacker utilities placed on a UNIX machine after a successful compromise. A typical rootkit includes: password sniffer log cleaners replacement binaries for common programs on the system (e.g. inetd) backdoor programs replacements to programs like ls and find so that they will not reveal the presence of the rootkit files. Key point: A rootkit contains many trojaned programs. These programs are used to allow the hacker entry back into the system and to hide the presence of the hacker
ctime, atime, and mtime
It is important to distinguish between a file or directory's change time (ctime), access time (atime), and modify time (mtime).
ctime -- In UNIX, it is not possible to tell the actual creation time of a file. The ctime--change time--is the time when changes were made to the file or directory's inode (owner, permissions, etc.). It is needed by the dump command to determine if the file needs to be backed up. You can view the ctime with the ls -lc command.
atime -- The atime--access time--is the time when the data of a file was last accessed. Displaying the contents of a file or executing a shell script will update a file's atime, for example. You can view the atime with the ls -lu command.
mtime -- The mtime--modify time--is the time when the actual contents of a file was last modified. This is the time displayed in a long directoring listing (ls -l).
In Linux, the stat command will show these three times.
ctime -- In UNIX, it is not possible to tell the actual creation time of a file. The ctime--change time--is the time when changes were made to the file or directory's inode (owner, permissions, etc.). It is needed by the dump command to determine if the file needs to be backed up. You can view the ctime with the ls -lc command.
atime -- The atime--access time--is the time when the data of a file was last accessed. Displaying the contents of a file or executing a shell script will update a file's atime, for example. You can view the atime with the ls -lu command.
mtime -- The mtime--modify time--is the time when the actual contents of a file was last modified. This is the time displayed in a long directoring listing (ls -l).
In Linux, the stat command will show these three times.
Write your own kernel module and insert it into running kernel
So, you want to write a kernel module. You know C, you've written a few normal programs to run as processes, and now you want to get to where the real action is, to where a single wild pointer can wipe out your file system and a core dump means a reboot.
kernel Modules are pieces of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel upon demand. They extend the functionality of the kernel without the need to reboot the system. For example, one type of module is the device driver, which allows the kernel to access hardware connected to the system.
1) Check if you have all the required tools and lib (Linux Kernel headers)for building the kernel modules for this you need - kernel-headers, you can check if it's install or not by using command: # rpm -qa | grep kernel-headers, if installed, Typing the following command ...
# ls -d /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build
Output (OpenSuse 11.1) : /lib/modules/2.6.27.7-9-pae/build
else install the kernel-header from your installation CD/DVD
2) Now, start with the famous "hello World" program, create c file call - hello.c
3) Create the make file: vi Makefile
save and close
4) Now compile the module to create - hello.ko using command : # make and you should see something like ...
you should see lot of news files get created inside the directory, check it "ls" command
5) Load/insert our kernel module into the running kernel (hello.ko) using command: # insmod hello.ko
6) Now let check the information about our module (hello.ko) using command:
# modinfo hello.ko, you should see something like ...
7) To list the module currently running inside the kernel : # lsmod
8) To remove the "hello.ko" module: # rmmod hello.ko
9) Check the output of our module by looking at the /var/log/message file, you should find the entries like ..
kernel Modules are pieces of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel upon demand. They extend the functionality of the kernel without the need to reboot the system. For example, one type of module is the device driver, which allows the kernel to access hardware connected to the system.
1) Check if you have all the required tools and lib (Linux Kernel headers)for building the kernel modules for this you need - kernel-headers, you can check if it's install or not by using command: # rpm -qa | grep kernel-headers, if installed, Typing the following command ...
# ls -d /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build
Output (OpenSuse 11.1) : /lib/modules/2.6.27.7-9-pae/build
else install the kernel-header from your installation CD/DVD
2) Now, start with the famous "hello World" program, create c file call - hello.c
/*************************************************************/
#include#include
int init_module(void)
{
printk(KERN_INFO "Hello world.\n");
return 0;
}
void cleanup_module(void)
{
printk(KERN_INFO "Goodbye world\n");
}
/*************************************************************/
3) Create the make file: vi Makefile
obj-m += hello.o
all:
make -C /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build M=$(PWD) modules
clean:
make -C /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build M=$(PWD) clean
save and close
4) Now compile the module to create - hello.ko using command : # make and you should see something like ...
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.27.7-9-pae/build M=/root/kernel modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae'
make -C ../../../linux-2.6.27.7-9 O=/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae/. modules
CC [M] /root/kernel/hello.o
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST 1 modules
CC /root/kernel/hello.mod.o
LD [M] /root/kernel/hello.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae'
you should see lot of news files get created inside the directory, check it "ls" command
5) Load/insert our kernel module into the running kernel (hello.ko) using command: # insmod hello.ko
6) Now let check the information about our module (hello.ko) using command:
# modinfo hello.ko, you should see something like ...
filename: hello.ko
srcversion: A59CC2D814343F3CA40CADF
depends: built-in
vermagic: 2.6.27.7-9-pae SMP mod_unload modversions 586
7) To list the module currently running inside the kernel : # lsmod
8) To remove the "hello.ko" module: # rmmod hello.ko
9) Check the output of our module by looking at the /var/log/message file, you should find the entries like ..
Jan 11 12:31:48 poison kernel: Hello world.
Jan 11 12:32:26 poison kernel: Goodbye world
Website downloader for Linux - HTTrack
HTTrack is a free (GPL, free / Free software) and easy-to-use offline browser utility.
It allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the Internet a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer. HTTrack arranges the original site's relative link-structure. Simply open a page of the "mirrored" website in your browser, and you can browse the site from link to link, as if you were viewing it online. HTTrack can also update an existing mirrored site, and resume interrupted downloads. HTTrack is fully configurable, and has an integrated help system.
HTTrack uses a web crawler to download a website. Some parts of the website may not be downloaded by default due to the robots exclusion protocol unless disabled during the program. HTTrack can follow links that are generated with basic JavaScript and inside Applets or Flash, but not complex links (generated using functions or expressions) or server-side image maps.
OpenSuse user can use "1 click" installaer to install HTTrack - here
Fedora user can install - yum install httrack
Others can download the source code
It allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the Internet a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer. HTTrack arranges the original site's relative link-structure. Simply open a page of the "mirrored" website in your browser, and you can browse the site from link to link, as if you were viewing it online. HTTrack can also update an existing mirrored site, and resume interrupted downloads. HTTrack is fully configurable, and has an integrated help system.
HTTrack uses a web crawler to download a website. Some parts of the website may not be downloaded by default due to the robots exclusion protocol unless disabled during the program. HTTrack can follow links that are generated with basic JavaScript and inside Applets or Flash, but not complex links (generated using functions or expressions) or server-side image maps.
OpenSuse user can use "1 click" installaer to install HTTrack - here
Fedora user can install - yum install httrack
Others can download the source code
HowTo boot the system into Resuce/Single-User or Emergency Mode
Booting into Rescue Mode
Rescue mode provides the ability to boot a small Linux environment entirely from CD-ROM, or some other boot method, instead of the system's hard drive.
As the name implies, rescue mode is provided to rescue you from something. During normal operation, your Linux system uses files located on your system's hard drive to do everything — run programs, store your files, and more.
Once you have booted using bootable disk, add the keyword rescue as a kernel parameter.
linux rescue
Booting into Single-User Mode
One of the advantages of single-user mode is that you do not need a boot CD-ROM; however, it does not give you the option to mount the file systems as read-only or not mount them at all.
In single-user mode, your computer boots to runlevel 1. Your local file systems are mounted, but your network is not activated.
use the following steps to boot into single-user mode:
1.At the GRUB splash screen at boot time, press any key to enter the GRUB interactive menu.
2.Select Linux with the version of the kernel that you wish to boot and type a to append the line.
3.Go to the end of the line and type single as a separate word (press the Spacebar and then type single). Press Enter to exit edit mode.
Emergency Mode
In emergency mode, you are booted into the most minimal environment possible. The root file system is mounted read-only and almost nothing is set up. The main advantage of emergency mode over single-user mode is that the init files are not loaded. If init is corrupted or not working, you can still mount file systems to recover data that could be lost during a re-installation.
To boot into emergency mode, use the same method as described for single-user mode, with one exception, replace the keyword single with the keyword emergency.
Rescue mode provides the ability to boot a small Linux environment entirely from CD-ROM, or some other boot method, instead of the system's hard drive.
As the name implies, rescue mode is provided to rescue you from something. During normal operation, your Linux system uses files located on your system's hard drive to do everything — run programs, store your files, and more.
Once you have booted using bootable disk, add the keyword rescue as a kernel parameter.
linux rescue
Booting into Single-User Mode
One of the advantages of single-user mode is that you do not need a boot CD-ROM; however, it does not give you the option to mount the file systems as read-only or not mount them at all.
In single-user mode, your computer boots to runlevel 1. Your local file systems are mounted, but your network is not activated.
use the following steps to boot into single-user mode:
1.At the GRUB splash screen at boot time, press any key to enter the GRUB interactive menu.
2.Select Linux with the version of the kernel that you wish to boot and type a to append the line.
3.Go to the end of the line and type single as a separate word (press the Spacebar and then type single). Press Enter to exit edit mode.
Emergency Mode
In emergency mode, you are booted into the most minimal environment possible. The root file system is mounted read-only and almost nothing is set up. The main advantage of emergency mode over single-user mode is that the init files are not loaded. If init is corrupted or not working, you can still mount file systems to recover data that could be lost during a re-installation.
To boot into emergency mode, use the same method as described for single-user mode, with one exception, replace the keyword single with the keyword emergency.
Configure Gmail account on Linux
The first step is to configure your GMail account to enable POP access. Start a browser, log into your GMail account and click on the Settings link at the top of the page. On the settings page, click on Forwarding and POP. On the GMail forwarding and POP screen, make sure the POP download is enabled. Make selections to control whether email is also left on the GMail server and whether all existing email should also be downloaded, in addition to new messages.
Click on Save Changes to complete the configuration process.
To Receive GMail Messages
Enter pop.gmail.com as the Server and your full Gmail address as the username. Finally, change the Use Secure Connection drop down menu to SSL encryption. Check the Remember password check box if you do not want to re-enter the password each time you re-start Evolution:
Sending Gmail Messages
On the Sending Email screen, set the Server Type to SMTP. Enter smtp.gmail.com as the Server and your full Gmail address as the username. Finally, change the Use Secure Connection drop down menu to SSL encryption. Check the Remember password check box if you do not want to re-enter the password each time you re-start Evolution:
Click on Save Changes to complete the configuration process.
To Receive GMail Messages
Enter pop.gmail.com as the Server and your full Gmail address as the username. Finally, change the Use Secure Connection drop down menu to SSL encryption. Check the Remember password check box if you do not want to re-enter the password each time you re-start Evolution:
Sending Gmail Messages
On the Sending Email screen, set the Server Type to SMTP. Enter smtp.gmail.com as the Server and your full Gmail address as the username. Finally, change the Use Secure Connection drop down menu to SSL encryption. Check the Remember password check box if you do not want to re-enter the password each time you re-start Evolution:
HowTo get the firstboot screen again in Fedora/RedHat
The first time the system boots, the /sbin/init program calls the /etc/rc.d/init.d/firstboot script, which in turn launches the Setup Agent. This application allows the user to install the latest updates as well as additional applications.
The /etc/sysconfig/firstboot file tells the Setup Agent application not to run on subsequent reboots. To run it the next time the system boots, remove /etc/sysconfig/firstboot and execute
chkconfig --level 5 firstboot on.
The /etc/sysconfig/firstboot file tells the Setup Agent application not to run on subsequent reboots. To run it the next time the system boots, remove /etc/sysconfig/firstboot and execute
chkconfig --level 5 firstboot on.
Firewall for Ubuntu - Gufw
iptables is already a very powerful tool by itself, but it's syntax can get awkward at times and hard to figure out, so Ubuntu developers
decided to make ufw ("The reason ufw was developed is that we wanted to create a server-level firewalling utility that was a little bit more for `human beings`."), which was to be simpler. Now, on the graphical side of things, Firestarer already existed. But why not make an even easier to use GUI for desktop `human beings`, powered by ufw? This is where Gufw comes in.
Gufw is an easy to use Ubuntu / Linux firewall, powered by ufw.
Gufw is an easy, intuitive, way to manage your Linux firewall. It supports common tasks such as allowing or blocking pre-configured, common p2p, or individual ports port(s), and many others! Gufw is powered by ufw , runs on Ubuntu, and anywhere else Python, GTK, and Ufw are available.
You can install it on ubuntu with this deb package: here
decided to make ufw ("The reason ufw was developed is that we wanted to create a server-level firewalling utility that was a little bit more for `human beings`."), which was to be simpler. Now, on the graphical side of things, Firestarer already existed. But why not make an even easier to use GUI for desktop `human beings`, powered by ufw? This is where Gufw comes in.
Gufw is an easy to use Ubuntu / Linux firewall, powered by ufw.
Gufw is an easy, intuitive, way to manage your Linux firewall. It supports common tasks such as allowing or blocking pre-configured, common p2p, or individual ports port(s), and many others! Gufw is powered by ufw , runs on Ubuntu, and anywhere else Python, GTK, and Ufw are available.
You can install it on ubuntu with this deb package: here
HowTo install Fedora 10 on old intel machines
You have tried to install Fedora 10 on your PC which worked just fine with Fedora 8 and Fedora 9, but with Fedora 10 when you finished the initial text mode part of the installation the graphical part of the installation started and the computer hung. The only thing you could do was power off the computer.Your PC has an Intel graphics chip.
The new F10 driver uses the new EXA acceleration method. If you use xorg.conf to force XAA Acceleration, the driver works just like the F9 driver. No corrupt background, infinite loops, or text/font corruption.
How can it be fixed?
Just add a line to the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf to force XAA acceleration
So why bother to create such a long howto? That sounds simple...
1) You can't edit the file until the installation is complete, but you can't do a graphical installation until the file is done.
2) You can install in text mode (see further below) but if you do that the graphical Firstboot process does not run on first boot and it is inhibited from running on a subsequent boot.
3) F10 appears not to need an xorg.conf file. This file defines what sort of screen, graphics adapter etc are installed. F10 can usually work out this information by probing the hardware. In order to modify the file you first have to create the file, populate it with sensible data and then modify it.
4)Because the install happened in text mode the computer will, by default, boot into text mode requiring you to login and then run startx to get the graphical interface. I would prefer it to boot into graphical mode every time.
Here are the steps.
1) Install Fedora in Text mode
2) Respond to the text mode firstboot questions
3) Login as root
4) Install and run system-config-display
5) Update xorg.conf
6) Re-enable firstboot
7) Configure linux to startup in graphical mode
8) Re-boot.
These instructions assume you have an ethernet connection to the internet and that your ethernet adapter will "just work" correctly. You will need internet access for step 4
1) Install Fedora in Text mode
1.1 Boot from the DVD and wait for the "Welcome to Fedora 10!" screen
1.2 Select "Install or upgrade an existing system" (By default it is already selected)
1.3 Hit the Tab key
1.4 add " text" to the command line that appears - see below
> vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img text
1.5 Then hit
Continue till your F10 is installed.
to reboot. (Take out the DVD so it boots from hard disk)
2) Respond to the text mode firstboot questions
"Choose a Tool"
Choose any of these tools and configure as you wish (Default settings should be OK if you are unsure)
When done to "Quit" and
3) Login as root
"Fedora Release 10 (Cambridge)
Kernel 2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 on an i686 (tty1)
login:"
type root
"Password:"
type the root password you entered earlier, then
"[root@ ~]# "
You are now logged in as root
If you have logged in successfully there will be a '#' prompt signalling that you are logged in as root.
Further down there will be instructions to type things preceded by a '#'. Don't type the # - it is there just as a signal that the following is a command line instruction to be run from the root account.
4. Install and Run system-config-display
4.1 first verify that the file xorg.conf does not exist:
# ls /etc/X11
applink fontpath.d prefdm xinit Xmodmap Xresources
# ls /etc/X11
applink fontpath.d prefdm xinit Xmodmap xorg.conf Xresources
OK now we need to modify it
5) Update xorg.conf
We will be using the vi editor which is incredibly powerful and rather daunting the first time you use it.
As we need to do nothing more complex than we would attempt with Windows Notepad there are only three commands to master:
5.1) Open the file you wish to edit
# vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
You should see a number of Sections containing Device Identifiers and Drivers. We are interested in the "Device" section. Mine looked like this:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "intel"
EndSection
5.2) Go into "Insert" Mode
Hit the 'I' key. 'I' is the first letter of "Insert"
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor down to the section and change it so it looks like this:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "intel"
Option "AccelMethod" "XAA"
EndSection
5.3) Save and Quit
:wq
Note there is a colon (':') between hitting and typing w
(If you make a mistake and want to quit without saving just do:q)
6) Re-enable the graphical firstboot
6.1We need to delete the file which is created to say that firstboot has been run
# rm /etc/sysconfig/firstboot
You will be prompted to confirm you really want to do this
rm: remove regular file '/etc/systconfig/firstboot'?
Hit Y
6.2 Enable firstboot
# chkconfig --level 5 firstboot on
7) Configure linux to startup in graphical mode
edit /etc/inittab as follows:
7.1 open the file for editing
# vi /etc/inittab
7.2 Hit 'I' for Insert mode and navigate to the bottom of the file
Change the line:
id:3:initdefault:
To:
id:5:initdefault:
7.3 Save changes by hitting:wq
8) Re-boot.
# shutdown -r now
On rebooting you should now see a graphical page "Welcome. There are a few more steps to take before your system is ready to use...."
The new F10 driver uses the new EXA acceleration method. If you use xorg.conf to force XAA Acceleration, the driver works just like the F9 driver. No corrupt background, infinite loops, or text/font corruption.
How can it be fixed?
Just add a line to the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf to force XAA acceleration
So why bother to create such a long howto? That sounds simple...
1) You can't edit the file until the installation is complete, but you can't do a graphical installation until the file is done.
2) You can install in text mode (see further below) but if you do that the graphical Firstboot process does not run on first boot and it is inhibited from running on a subsequent boot.
3) F10 appears not to need an xorg.conf file. This file defines what sort of screen, graphics adapter etc are installed. F10 can usually work out this information by probing the hardware. In order to modify the file you first have to create the file, populate it with sensible data and then modify it.
4)Because the install happened in text mode the computer will, by default, boot into text mode requiring you to login and then run startx to get the graphical interface. I would prefer it to boot into graphical mode every time.
Here are the steps.
1) Install Fedora in Text mode
2) Respond to the text mode firstboot questions
3) Login as root
4) Install and run system-config-display
5) Update xorg.conf
6) Re-enable firstboot
7) Configure linux to startup in graphical mode
8) Re-boot.
These instructions assume you have an ethernet connection to the internet and that your ethernet adapter will "just work" correctly. You will need internet access for step 4
1) Install Fedora in Text mode
1.1 Boot from the DVD and wait for the "Welcome to Fedora 10!" screen
1.2 Select "Install or upgrade an existing system" (By default it is already selected)
1.3 Hit the Tab key
1.4 add " text" to the command line that appears - see below
> vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img text
1.5 Then hit
Continue till your F10 is installed.
2) Respond to the text mode firstboot questions
"Choose a Tool"
Choose any of these tools and configure as you wish (Default settings should be OK if you are unsure)
When done
3) Login as root
"Fedora Release 10 (Cambridge)
Kernel 2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 on an i686 (tty1)
type root
"Password:"
type the root password you entered earlier, then
"[root@
You are now logged in as root
If you have logged in successfully there will be a '#' prompt signalling that you are logged in as root.
Further down there will be instructions to type things preceded by a '#'. Don't type the # - it is there just as a signal that the following is a command line instruction to be run from the root account.
4. Install and Run system-config-display
4.1 first verify that the file xorg.conf does not exist:
# ls /etc/X11
applink fontpath.d prefdm xinit Xmodmap Xresources
# ls /etc/X11
applink fontpath.d prefdm xinit Xmodmap xorg.conf Xresources
OK now we need to modify it
5) Update xorg.conf
We will be using the vi editor which is incredibly powerful and rather daunting the first time you use it.
As we need to do nothing more complex than we would attempt with Windows Notepad there are only three commands to master:
5.1) Open the file you wish to edit
# vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
You should see a number of Sections containing Device Identifiers and Drivers. We are interested in the "Device" section. Mine looked like this:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "intel"
EndSection
5.2) Go into "Insert" Mode
Hit the 'I' key. 'I' is the first letter of "Insert"
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor down to the section and change it so it looks like this:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "intel"
Option "AccelMethod" "XAA"
EndSection
5.3) Save and Quit
Note there is a colon (':') between hitting
(If you make a mistake and want to quit without saving just do
6) Re-enable the graphical firstboot
6.1We need to delete the file which is created to say that firstboot has been run
# rm /etc/sysconfig/firstboot
You will be prompted to confirm you really want to do this
rm: remove regular file '/etc/systconfig/firstboot'?
Hit Y
6.2 Enable firstboot
# chkconfig --level 5 firstboot on
7) Configure linux to startup in graphical mode
edit /etc/inittab as follows:
7.1 open the file for editing
# vi /etc/inittab
7.2 Hit 'I' for Insert mode and navigate to the bottom of the file
Change the line:
id:3:initdefault:
To:
id:5:initdefault:
7.3 Save changes by hitting
8) Re-boot.
# shutdown -r now
On rebooting you should now see a graphical page "Welcome. There are a few more steps to take before your system is ready to use...."
January 27, 2009. The KDE Community announced the immediate availability of "The Answer", (a.k.a KDE 4.2.0), readying the Free Desktop for end users. KDE 4.2 builds on the technology introduced with KDE 4.0 in January 2008. After the release of KDE 4.1, which was aimed at casual users, the KDE Community is now confident we have a compelling offering for the majority of end users.
Debian
KDE 4.2.0 packages are in the experimental repository. Installation Information .
Kubuntu
Januty: Packages for the development Jaunty release are available. If you use Jaunty you will be able to upgrade as normal.
Interpid:
Packages for Kubuntu 8.10 can be installed by following the instructions below. If you installed KDE 4.2 Beta or RC you can merely update your existing installation.
Instructions
The updated packages for Kubuntu 8.10 are located in the Kubuntu Experimental Software Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository. To update to KDE 4.2, please follow these instructions:
1) Remove the koffice-data-kde4 package if you have it installed. The current koffice2 packages in the kubuntu-members-kde4 PPA are incompatible with the KDE 4.2 packages since they try to install icons to the same locations.
2)Follow the Kubuntu Repository Guide to enable Recommended Updates and add the following to your 'Third-Party Software' tab:
5) You can now update any existing KDE 4 installation to the most recent version using the Adept Updater tool in your system tray.
6) Now log out and press Alt + E to restart X. When you log in you will have KDE 4.2.
Opensuse
openSUSE packages are available in one click installation for
openSUSE 11.1 (one-click install )
openSUSE 11.0 (one-click install )
openSUSE 10.3 (one-click install ).
KDE Four Live CD with KDE 4.2 is also available .
Compiling KDE 4.2.0
The complete source code for KDE 4.2.0 may be freely downloaded . Instructions on compiling and installing KDE 4.2.0 are available from the KDE 4.2.0 Info Page .
Spread the Word
The KDE team encourages everybody to spread the word on the Social Web as well. Submit stories to websites, use channels like delicious, digg, reddit, twitter, identi.ca. Upload screenshots to services like Facebook, FlickR, ipernity and Picasa and post them to appropriate groups. Create screencast, upload them to YouTube, Blip.tv, Vimeo and others. Do not forget to tag uploaded material with the tag kde42 so it is easier for everybody to find the material, and for the KDE team to compile reports of coverage for the KDE 4.2 announcement. This is the first time the KDE team is attempting a coordinated effort to use social media for their messaging. Help KDE spreading the word, be part of it.
On web forums, inform people about KDE's new compelling features, help others getting started with their new desktop.
Reporting KDE Bugs
Please report all KDE bugs and feature requests at bugs.kde.org . The site has a nice bug-reporting "wizard" and will permit far easier tracking of bugs than an email to a list.
Sources
kde.org
Kubuntu
KDE 4.2.0 packages are in the experimental repository. Installation Information .
Kubuntu
Januty: Packages for the development Jaunty release are available. If you use Jaunty you will be able to upgrade as normal.
Interpid:
Packages for Kubuntu 8.10 can be installed by following the instructions below. If you installed KDE 4.2 Beta or RC you can merely update your existing installation.
Instructions
The updated packages for Kubuntu 8.10 are located in the Kubuntu Experimental Software Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository. To update to KDE 4.2, please follow these instructions:
1) Remove the koffice-data-kde4 package if you have it installed. The current koffice2 packages in the kubuntu-members-kde4 PPA are incompatible with the KDE 4.2 packages since they try to install icons to the same locations.
2)Follow the Kubuntu Repository Guide to enable Recommended Updates and add the following to your 'Third-Party Software' tab:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-experimental/ubuntu intrepid main3) You can add the package signing key with this command:
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 493B3065 && gpg --export -a 493B3065 | sudo apt-key add -4) Old Plasma packages are not compatible with KDE 4.2, you should uninstall any plasmoids.
5) You can now update any existing KDE 4 installation to the most recent version using the Adept Updater tool in your system tray.
6) Now log out and press Alt + E to restart X. When you log in you will have KDE 4.2.
Opensuse
openSUSE packages are available in one click installation for
openSUSE 11.1 (one-click install )
openSUSE 11.0 (one-click install )
openSUSE 10.3 (one-click install ).
KDE Four Live CD with KDE 4.2 is also available .
Compiling KDE 4.2.0
The complete source code for KDE 4.2.0 may be freely downloaded . Instructions on compiling and installing KDE 4.2.0 are available from the KDE 4.2.0 Info Page .
Spread the Word
The KDE team encourages everybody to spread the word on the Social Web as well. Submit stories to websites, use channels like delicious, digg, reddit, twitter, identi.ca. Upload screenshots to services like Facebook, FlickR, ipernity and Picasa and post them to appropriate groups. Create screencast, upload them to YouTube, Blip.tv, Vimeo and others. Do not forget to tag uploaded material with the tag kde42 so it is easier for everybody to find the material, and for the KDE team to compile reports of coverage for the KDE 4.2 announcement. This is the first time the KDE team is attempting a coordinated effort to use social media for their messaging. Help KDE spreading the word, be part of it.
On web forums, inform people about KDE's new compelling features, help others getting started with their new desktop.
Reporting KDE Bugs
Please report all KDE bugs and feature requests at bugs.kde.org . The site has a nice bug-reporting "wizard" and will permit far easier tracking of bugs than an email to a list.
Sources
kde.org
Kubuntu
Hard disk drive health inspection tool - GSmartControl
To check whether smartmontools and smartctl has been installed properly , issue the following command in the terminal window (root):
This should show detailed information about your hard disk, for example in my case I got the following output:
Once everthing is working fine, we can go-ahead and install the GUI for smartctl - "GSmartControl"
GSmartControl is a graphical user interface for smartctl (from Smartmontools package), which is a tool for querying and controlling SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data on modern hard disk drives. It allows you to inspect the drive's SMART data to determine its health, as well as run various tests on it.
Features
* Automatically report and highlight any abnormal SMART information.
* Ability to enable / disable SMART.
* Ability to enable / disable Automatic Offline Data Collection - A short
* self-check that the drive will perform automatically every four hours with no
impact on performance.
* Ability to set global and per-drive options for smartctl.
* Display drive identity, capabilities, attributes, error and self-test logs.
* Perform SMART self-tests.
* Ability to load smartctl output as a "virtual" device, which acts just like a
real (read-only) device.
* Works on most smartctl-supported operating systems.
* Extensive help information.
Installation
openSUSE: One-click install for 11.1, One-click install for 11.0, One-click install for 10.3
Fedora: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/alex_sh/
Debian GNU/Linux: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/alex_sh/
Other's can download the source code - here and build and install with:
Double click on the drive to see the other various details, you can also run the test on the drive ..
# smartctl -i /dev/sda2Note : Replace sda2 with your hard disk device file
This should show detailed information about your hard disk, for example in my case I got the following output:
Once everthing is working fine, we can go-ahead and install the GUI for smartctl - "GSmartControl"
GSmartControl is a graphical user interface for smartctl (from Smartmontools package), which is a tool for querying and controlling SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data on modern hard disk drives. It allows you to inspect the drive's SMART data to determine its health, as well as run various tests on it.
Features
* Automatically report and highlight any abnormal SMART information.
* Ability to enable / disable SMART.
* Ability to enable / disable Automatic Offline Data Collection - A short
* self-check that the drive will perform automatically every four hours with no
impact on performance.
* Ability to set global and per-drive options for smartctl.
* Display drive identity, capabilities, attributes, error and self-test logs.
* Perform SMART self-tests.
* Ability to load smartctl output as a "virtual" device, which acts just like a
real (read-only) device.
* Works on most smartctl-supported operating systems.
* Extensive help information.
Installation
openSUSE: One-click install for 11.1, One-click install for 11.0, One-click install for 10.3
Fedora: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/alex_sh/
Debian GNU/Linux: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/alex_sh/
Other's can download the source code - here and build and install with:
./configure; make; make installRun gsmartcontrol-root to invoke gsmartcontrol with your desktop's su mechanism, or use the desktop menu entry, you should see something like ...
Double click on the drive to see the other various details, you can also run the test on the drive ..
HowTo Password Protect the GRUB
The main reason to password protect the GRUB boot loder is to Prevent Access to Single User Mode — If attackers can boot the system into single user mode, they are logged in automatically as root without being prompted for the root password.
To do this, open a shell prompt, log in as root, and type:
/sbin/grub-md5-crypt
When prompted, type the GRUB password and press Enter. This returns an MD5 hash of the password.
Next, edit the GRUB configuration file /boot/grub/grub.conf. Open the file and below the timeout line in the main section of the document, add the following line:
password --md5
Replace with the value returned by /sbin/grub-md5-crypt
To do this, open a shell prompt, log in as root, and type:
/sbin/grub-md5-crypt
When prompted, type the GRUB password and press Enter. This returns an MD5 hash of the password.
Next, edit the GRUB configuration file /boot/grub/grub.conf. Open the file and below the timeout line in the main section of the document, add the following line:
password --md5
Replace with the value returned by /sbin/grub-md5-crypt
Is Linus is the real author of LINUX?
“A couple of years ago this guy called Ken Brown wrote a book saying that Linus stole Linux from me… It later came out that Microsoft had paid him to do this…”
–Andrew S Tanenbaum, father on MINIX
The Alexis de Tocqueville Institution released a report based on a forthcoming book by Ken Brown, "Samizdat: And Other Issues Regarding the 'Source' Of Open Source Code", which challenges the claim that Linus Torvalds write Linux.
Linus responded in a LinuxWorld interview with his typical sense of humour: "Ok, I admit it. I was just a front-man for the real fathers of Linux, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus." He also added that he is relieved that he can return to his chosen profession: "the exploration of the fascinating mating dance of the common newt."
The story which broke the news about the report states that "Brown's account is based on extensive interviews with more than two dozen leading technologists including Richard Stallman, Dennis Ritchie, and Andrew Tanenbaum." Newsforge, however, carried a story stating that "The greater part of Brown's sources are personal Web pages of people who are not considered experts in the field of Unix, Linux, GNU, or other related subjects, home pages of people who are considered experts but were speaking generally about the subject of the history of Unix, and quotes taken grossly out of context from interviews that Brown did not conduct or take part in."
Andrew Tanenbaum, however, was directly interviewed by Ken Brown. As soon as news about the report broke, Tanenbaum wrote to Slashdot to provide a link to a page on his website which details what exactly went on in this interview.
In this page, Tanenbaum says that he quickly became suspicious of Brown and his motives. Brown, he says, was evasive about his reasons for the interview, and would not reveal who was providing his funding (though Wired have speculated that Microsoft are one of AdTI's main sponsors). He also found that Brown knew nothing about the history of Unix. Later in the interview, Brown came to his reason for being there, asking questions like "Didn't he steal pieces of MINIX without permission?" Though Tanenbaum tried to explain the actual influence that Minix had on Linux, the Newsforge story says that much of the report relies on claims that Linux contains stolen Minix code.
Tanenbaum later provided another page, with the results of a code comparison Alexey Toptygin conducted for Brown, comparing Minix and early versions of Linux. The results are pretty clear: there were only four similar sections of code, one based on the ANSI C standard, two based on POSIX, and the last in the code to access the minix filesystem - code which must be similar to work.
This fresh accusation, on top of those already laid by SCO, has caused Linus to adopt new measures before accepting code into Linux: the Developer's Certificate of Origin, which requires that each contributor state that they are entitled to contribute their code.
–Andrew S Tanenbaum, father on MINIX
The Alexis de Tocqueville Institution released a report based on a forthcoming book by Ken Brown, "Samizdat: And Other Issues Regarding the 'Source' Of Open Source Code", which challenges the claim that Linus Torvalds write Linux.
Linus responded in a LinuxWorld interview with his typical sense of humour: "Ok, I admit it. I was just a front-man for the real fathers of Linux, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus." He also added that he is relieved that he can return to his chosen profession: "the exploration of the fascinating mating dance of the common newt."
The story which broke the news about the report states that "Brown's account is based on extensive interviews with more than two dozen leading technologists including Richard Stallman, Dennis Ritchie, and Andrew Tanenbaum." Newsforge, however, carried a story stating that "The greater part of Brown's sources are personal Web pages of people who are not considered experts in the field of Unix, Linux, GNU, or other related subjects, home pages of people who are considered experts but were speaking generally about the subject of the history of Unix, and quotes taken grossly out of context from interviews that Brown did not conduct or take part in."
Andrew Tanenbaum, however, was directly interviewed by Ken Brown. As soon as news about the report broke, Tanenbaum wrote to Slashdot to provide a link to a page on his website which details what exactly went on in this interview.
In this page, Tanenbaum says that he quickly became suspicious of Brown and his motives. Brown, he says, was evasive about his reasons for the interview, and would not reveal who was providing his funding (though Wired have speculated that Microsoft are one of AdTI's main sponsors). He also found that Brown knew nothing about the history of Unix. Later in the interview, Brown came to his reason for being there, asking questions like "Didn't he steal pieces of MINIX without permission?" Though Tanenbaum tried to explain the actual influence that Minix had on Linux, the Newsforge story says that much of the report relies on claims that Linux contains stolen Minix code.
Tanenbaum later provided another page, with the results of a code comparison Alexey Toptygin conducted for Brown, comparing Minix and early versions of Linux. The results are pretty clear: there were only four similar sections of code, one based on the ANSI C standard, two based on POSIX, and the last in the code to access the minix filesystem - code which must be similar to work.
This fresh accusation, on top of those already laid by SCO, has caused Linus to adopt new measures before accepting code into Linux: the Developer's Certificate of Origin, which requires that each contributor state that they are entitled to contribute their code.
Network Configuration Files in RedHat and Fedora
The primary network configuration files are as follows:
/etc/hosts
It can also be used to resolve hostnames on small networks with no DNS server. For more information, refer to the hosts man page.
/etc/resolv.conf
This file specifies the IP addresses of DNS servers and the search domain. For more information about this file, refer to the resolv.conf man page.
/etc/sysconfig/network
This file specifies routing and host information for all network interfaces.
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-
For each network interface, there is a corresponding interface configuration script. Each of these files provide information specific to a particular network interface.
/etc/hosts
It can also be used to resolve hostnames on small networks with no DNS server. For more information, refer to the hosts man page.
/etc/resolv.conf
This file specifies the IP addresses of DNS servers and the search domain. For more information about this file, refer to the resolv.conf man page.
/etc/sysconfig/network
This file specifies routing and host information for all network interfaces.
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-
For each network interface, there is a corresponding interface configuration script. Each of these files provide information specific to a particular network interface.
How to change DMA settings on Ubuntu
One really common solution to slow, and unreliable playback of DVD is the settings related to DMA which is turn "off" by default.
DMA stands for: Direct Memory Access. DMA allows a piece of hardware to talk directly with the RAM, reading and/or writing independent of the CPU (Central Processing Unit). In other words the hardware can use the system memory, bypassing the CPU, allowing the device to read and write much faster.
By default Ubuntu has DMA turned off (set to 0), this can be changed in the /etc/hdparm.conf file, like so:
1. First make a backup of your hdpram file:
[Ref: http://geekybits.blogspot.com/2008/01/dma-and-ubuntu.html]
DMA stands for: Direct Memory Access. DMA allows a piece of hardware to talk directly with the RAM, reading and/or writing independent of the CPU (Central Processing Unit). In other words the hardware can use the system memory, bypassing the CPU, allowing the device to read and write much faster.
By default Ubuntu has DMA turned off (set to 0), this can be changed in the /etc/hdparm.conf file, like so:
1. First make a backup of your hdpram file:
# sudo cp /etc/hdparm.conf /etc/hdparm.conf.original2. Now edit the file using your favorite text editor, I'm using vi, however you can use the editor of you choice:
# sudo vi /etc/hdparm.conf3. Now just add the following at the end of the file:
/dev/cdrom {4. Once you restart your Computer you should have DMA turned on.
dma = on
}
[Ref: http://geekybits.blogspot.com/2008/01/dma-and-ubuntu.html]
Create your personal YouTube
FlowPlayer is a Flash media player. You can use it on your HTML pages to play video files. “It is your personal YouTube”. It is highly customizable which upports all the features you’ll possibly need and these features can be configured the way you like. FlowPlayer’s skin is flexible and will smoothly melt into your site. Progressive downloading, solid streming, long play features, playlists, fullscreen mode and etc… Everything you’ll need to provide rich user experience. Flowplayer is licenced under the GPL license so it’s free too.
Download FlowPlayer here.
Download FlowPlayer here.
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