Category: Internet Stuff

Internet updates, reviews and technology

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RFC 2324: Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol

Wonder how I missed this this peculiar RFC, RFC 2324 : Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol. It was brought out by Toydi a while ago when we were having discussion about REST implementation.

The RFC provides specification for a protocol based on HTTP, which can be use to send signal to a coffee maker appliance which can help people make coffee.

Clearly this is intended as a joke, but it is a well-written RFC which has all the details necessary to build HTCP-compliant coffee maker.

and according to this wikipedia entry, is indeed has been implemented on Emacs and Mozilla browser (through 3rd party patches).

Other Humorous RFC ?
HTCPCP is an example of a well written RFC which is intended as an April Fool’s joke, but it is not the only one produced, please refer here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1st_RFC for a list of RFC written specifically for April Fool’s day.

[tags]humor, funny,internet,rfc[/tags]

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How to secure your SSH server

I came across this interesting post about how to secure your SSH without changing the SSH listening port.

Things that the post author suggested are :

  1. Enforce the use of secure and hard to guess password
  2. Disable login by password, use Public Key Authentication for greater security.
  3. Allow SSH connection from trusted network only.
  4. Implement Port Knocking – http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6811
  5. Use iptables RECENT match to filter SSH scanners

Personally I’ve enabled public-key authentication and SSH scanner filter to secure my server at the advice of my friend from a local security firm. Although, I haven’t tried the port knocking method yet, it seems interesting to know that ‘secret port knocking’ pattern also exists in computer security (remember ali baba?)

Hopefully this post will serve as a reminder to myself and those who read them, ah oh, most of this post content are lifted shamelessly from False sense of security

[tags]ssh,iptables,ubuntu,debian,security, port knocking,nmap, security scanners,exploit[/tags]

http://blog.drinsama.de/erich/en/linux/2007021502-false-sense-of-security

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I got myself an affordable Linux VPS account with RapidVPS

After doing some surveying and looking around the internet for a decent Linux VPS service provider, I finally settled with RapidVPS.com.

What is VPS ?
Virtual Private Server (VPS) is similar to Dedicated Server, except it runs on the same machine as other Virtual Private Server, this made possible by virtualization technology. Because it is similar to Dedicated Server in its own respect, you’ve full authority on VPS as to install any operating system that you like, root access and your own IP address. Having root access means that you’re free to install any software and administer your server as you see fit.

Why do I need VPS?
I need VPS because I want to have a cost-effective server that can run 24/7 for my software and web services since shared hosting solutions have very limited option for customization and expandibility.

I could use my personal computer for the same purpose, but given various factor (electricity bills, reliability, 24/7 uptime, hardware support, unreliable Streamyx ISP), I would rather use RapidVPS as it is the most cost-effective solution.

Why Do I choose RapidVPS?

  • Affordable price, no setup fees
  • Easy to upgrade
  • Service uptime and reliability
  • Excellent customer support
  • Offers various popular Linux operating system including latest release of Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora Core, Gentoo

However those who want to host IRC-related software (servers, eggdrop, bnc,psybnc, etc) might be dissapointed because RapidVPS has a strict no-IRC policy on its server.

Other than that, I would recommend RapidVPS anytime if you’re seeking to get a decent VPS solution.

[tags]vps, linux, server,dedicated service, rapidvps,ubuntu,debian[/tags]

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Secure your computer from viruses and other threats

GNU/Linux users are blessed with a system that is not vulnerable to virus threats present in Windows operating system. This is because computer viruses can disrupt your computing experience by affecting your computer speed and performance.

Some computer viruses present more threats than others, these viruses target your document files and infect them, spreading to other system in the process. The virus may destroy your document files afterwards by making them unusable for later usage.

Users of Windows operating system might need extra protection by investing in installing anti-virus software to better protect their files from the threats of malicious programs and viruses. For those who wants to be better protected, can get Norton 2007 download on the internet.

You might also want to shield your computer by installing Personal Firewall from unintended network access that might compromise your system. Computers that is not protected by firewalls are vulnerable to network attacks and exploitations.

Modern personal firewall has customizable feature that can allow users to select a list of applications that are allowed to access the internet. A rule of thumb, do not allow any application to access internet unless necessary (like Windows Media Player)

As a summary, personal computer security is not a subject to be taken lightly. You are advised to backup your data frequently and exercise caution when downloading executable programs from the internet.

-paid article-

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PayPerPost – an Innovative way to blog and get paid

Finally, I’m glad that my blog was accepted in PayPerPost, a relatively new service which allows your to earn money while blogging. PayPerPost is a truly innovative way to spread buzz across the internet.

How do you earn money by blogging? Simple, all you need to do is register your website with PayPerPost and awaits them to accept you. To make sure that you can earn continuously, you must make sure that you checked categories that most suited you. Writing for the sake of getting the money alone won’t do much good to your visitors and blog.

I love PayPerPost because they give you the freedom to choose from a number of reviews/buzz (called: opportunities) to write about, this way you can handpick which opportunities that is better suited for your style and way of writing and remember theme consistency is important for your blog.

And yes, PayPerPost works both ways too, if you have a product, services or something that you want people to talk about, then you can sign in as an advertiser. You can select the amount of payment you like to pay bloggers, write in some specifications and let them talk about your products and you’ll have your ads on blogs in no time.

So go ahead and try PayPerPost now

[tags]blogging,blog,payperpost,earnings[/tags]

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How to setup OpenDNS using Ubuntu

opendns.gif

Here’s is the step to setup OpenDNS for your Ubuntu desktop :

  • From Desktop, goto System and Administration
  • Select Networking, a dialog will appear
  • Select DNS tab
  • Click Add and put the OpenDNS ipaddress
  • Click close and you’re done!

Here’s the screenshot of the dialog


What is OpenDNS ?

OpenDNS is a free DNS resolution service provided as an alternative to to using your Internet service provider’s DNS servers. One of the advantage using OpenDNS is its intercepts phishing attempts, when a user tries to visit a phishing site. The list of phishing website is constantly updated from Phishtank which is also run by OpenDNS.

I personally use OpenDNS when my ISP DNS service seems to fail at times, though some people speculate that OpenDNS resolution might be slow compared to my ISP’s, but personally, I hardly notice any delays at all. Read about OpenDNS at its website or from wikipedia entry.
[tags]opendns,ubuntu,dns.linux[/tags]