Category: Computers

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How to limit cpu usage for a process with cpulimit (Ubuntu / Debian server)

cpulimit is a tool that can be used to limit cpu usage (throttle cpu usage) for a single process (by its PID). cpulimit is useful to ensure that a single process would not hogs the cpu cycles, which can be use by other processes. cpulimit is different from ‘nice’ as it limits the real cpu usage for a process, while ‘nice’ controls scheduling priorities for a particular process.

How to use cpulimit?
Basic usage:
[bash]
cpulimit -p [pid] -l [ cpu percentage]
cpulimit -p 12345 -l 25
[/bash]

Running cpulimit on background:

[bash]
cpulimit -p 12345 -l 25 -z -b
[/bash]

Note: The cpu percentage is the same one as reported by the ‘top’ command.

cpulimit can be installed from Ubuntu and Debian 6.0 (Squeeze) repository through apt-get. The official website of cpulimit is http://limitcpu.sf.net

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Pingness.com: Free service to monitor website uptime

It is undeniable that uptime is important for business and personal websites. For example, a website with low uptime may mean that the host is having technical problem or the web server is overwhelmed by client requests (serving web pages may incur a lot of overhead)

Pingness.com service does not require sign-up, you need to submit your email address and website url, and pingness will send reports of your site downtime (if any) and when the website is back-online.

pingness
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Grake – a tool for scanning web pages for Youtube Video URL

grake is a command-line tool for scanning web pages for embedded Youtube video link. As a scanning tool, grake is meant to complement other tool that would accept Youtube URL as its parameter, notably cclive.

Usage Example:

[bash]
# general command line example
grake [YOUTUBE URL]
[/bash]

[bash]
# typical / normal use
grake http://youtube.com/
[/bash]

[bash]
#output as json (for programmatic consumption)
grake –json http://youtube.com/
[/bash]

[bash]
#tell cclive to download youtube urls from grake output

grake http://youtube.com/ | cclive
[/bash]

This of course require the latest release of cclive in order for the download example to work.

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RadioPlay – an online radio streaming Player that runs on Linux system tray

RadioPlay is an only radio streaming player that runs on compatible Linux Desktop system tray. It feature an easy to use interface and only targets online streaming radio listener. The application sits on the system tray and features a simple interface which allows the user to quickly select Radio station based on its genre.

RadioTray supports customized playlist in the popular PLS (shoutcast/icecast) format, M3U as well as ASX, WAX and WVX.

Radio Tray

tray

Radiotray is available from the Ubuntu and Debian repository and can be installed using the Ubuntu Software Center, Synaptic or by running command “sudo apt-get install radiotray“

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9 GNU/Linux distributions endorsed by the Free Software Foundation

These are the 9 GNU/Linux distribution which are endorsed by Free Software Foundation as it meet the Guidelines for Free System Distribution as outlined by FSF.

The Free Software Foundation also provides a brief explanation behind the reason why some popular GNU/Linux distributions are not included in the lists, which is available here: Explaining Why We Don’t Endorse Other Systems