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Earthquake in Taiwan affects Ubuntu security updates

I guess by the time of this writing, almost everybody is already aware about the earthquake in Taiwan that distrupts communication lines from Asia to United States. I wrote this because I’ve grown tired of waiting for my Ubuntu Linux to finish its software updates.

Currently my surfing speed is somewhat very limited with only a handful websites hosted outside Asia is reachable. As most of my favorite websites are located outside the region, then I guess it’s time for me to start appreciating locally hosted website like FOSSfm and the local internet Yellowpages.

I hope the connection will improve soon, my ISP estimates that the internet connection will be restored back to normal in three weeks. I’m crossing my fingers now as I badly need a reliable connection to download Ubuntu software and security updates for my pc.

[tags]ubuntu, linux, debian, taiwan, earthquake, open source, internet[/tags]

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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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How to Shutdown and Reboot Linux PC automatically

A quick tip on how to shutdown your GNU Linux computer automatically,

Suppose you need your Linux pc to shutdown automatically at certain time, you can use this command line :

shutdown -hP 23:55

which instructs your box to power down at exactly 11:55 pm. The ‘h’ parameter instructs the program to halt the computer (init runlevel 6) and ‘P’ instructs it to power off the pc.

Note: You can also add an optional message and 20 seconds shutdown delay,

shutdown -hP 23:55 -t 20 Going to power down, let's call it a day

the delay is useful for you to finish off whatever you’re doing before the pc powers down.

Why do I use this command ?
Recently the doctor diagnose me with low blood pressure and advised me to sleep early and to eat more stuff that contains iron. So by using this command I can limit my online pc time, and let me sleep early.

I’ll show you how to shutdown your computer using countdown timer.

Here’s an example how you can shutdown your pc in one hour with 30 second delay between final warning and the actual shutdown.

shutdown -hP -t 30 60 Please save your work, the lab is going to be closed soon

you can use this command to reboot your computer too,

shutdown -r

Note that you need to have root access in order to use this command. That’s all for now, enjoy the holiday

[tags]shutdown,bash,linux,command line, gnu/linux, debian[/tags]

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Planned Improvements on PHP FeedCreator-ppt (1.8.0)

Sorry for the delay caused by my busy study schedule.

Now I would like to outline the planned improvements for the next feedcreator-ppt release 1.8.0 :

  • Improve ATOM 1.0 support
  • Fix HTML encoded description feature in ATOM and RSS feeds
  • Add manual, documentations and more examples
  • Add function to change timezone and encodings easily
  • Add standard podcast support
  • Fix various bugs in PIE,RSS,ATOM feed format

The new release of Feedcreator-ppt (1.8.0) is expected to come out in end of February 2007. You can get the latest development release from Feedcreator SVN server

Any Suggestions?
If you have any suggestions, feature request or bugs, please report them at Feedcreator Tracker at Sourceforge or put a comment here.

When you do, please include pieces of code that produces the feed, the resulting xml file itself and the version of feedcreator you’ve tested against (1.7.2-ppt or SVN) for easy debugging.

I would like to thank KosherJava and various other individuals that has submitted bug reports to improve feedcreator. Thank you, and and have a great Christmas holiday.

[tags]feedcreator,rss,atom,xml,feed,feeds[/tags]

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Remaster and Customize Ubuntu Linux LiveCD with Reconstructor

reconstructor

Reconstructor is an application that can create a customized Linux LiveCD distribution based on Ubuntu. Reconstructor allows you to do extensive customization by changing the splash screen, boot screen, sounds effect, wallpaper, softwares and various other settings.

You can easily build a personalised LiveCD by including softwares that does not normally come with Ubuntu distributions. For example, Reconstructor can give you the power of creating ‘Media-centric LiveCD’ with proprietary codecs that can play various media formats or a LiveCD that concentrates on a specific purpose or functionality like Games or Desktop Publishing, complete with topic-related applications.

You can easily create CD for presentational purposes by rebranding Ubuntu splash screen and logo to your liking. If your company involved in Open Source Business and would like to distribute your presentation material in various format (documents, video files, audio files) then It is nice to have a fully customized LiveCD handy with your company logo and theme.

Reconstructor is an open source software written in python, you can find support for Reconstructor from ##reconstructor at irc.freenode.net

You can download Reconstructor at : http://reconstructor.aperantis.com

[tags]ubuntu,livecd,reconstructor,linux,edgy eft, linux mint[/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-