So I thought I would give Ubuntu a whirl … first on my netbook, then on my laptop, and who knows, maybe even on my desktop? Problem is, the current version of Ubuntu Netbook Edition (10.04) — and even the standard desktop install – doesn’t let you encrypt your whole hard drive (and I’m used to having this done, in case my laptop… goes missing). Sure, you can encrypt your home directory, which is where all your documents would likely be, but most crypto geeks say stuff could ‘leak’ out (through temp files etc.)

Plus, if I want to share stuff between all users of the laptop, like music and pictures and video that I don’t want a laptop thief to find, I’d have to figue out how to encrypt THAT directory in a way that any user login could decrypt it. Probably possible, but… too much trouble, and the first problem is still there.

So, on the ubuntu forums, I found a set of instructions for accomplishing exactly this. It’s for 9.04, but worked perfectly for 10.04 as well:

Originally Posted by LonelyAppleHater

BTW, I’m able to resume and hibernate with my encrypted swap. I have a hard drive, not an SSD, so I don’t have to take care with excessive writes.

Here’s the updated procedure without the need for the Fedora install (thanks jiink):

Encrypted Linux Install

1. Set up partitions.

Code:

# sudo -i
# cfdisk /dev/sda
### Create first partition with type 83 (Linux) for /boot
### Create second partition with type 8e (Linux LVM) for our encrypted volumes

2. Setup the encrypted volume to contain our LV’s

Code:

# apt-get install lvm2 cryptsetup
# modprobe dm-crypt
# modprobe aes
# cryptsetup -y -s 256 -c aes-cbc-essiv:sha256 luksFormat /dev/sda2
# cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 sda2_crypt
(enter password)

3. Now the encrypted volume is ready – let’s use it for Logical Volumes.

Code:

# pvcreate /dev/mapper/sda2_crypt
# vgcreate vg /dev/mapper/sda2_crypt
# vgchange -a y vg
# lvcreate -L 3G -n swap vg
# lvcreate -l 100%FREE -n root vg

4. Finally format the volumes so the installer partitioner recognizes them. There’s no need to format again in the partitioner after this.

Code:

# mkfs.ext4 -L boot -M /boot /dev/sda1
# mkfs.ext4 -L root -M / /dev/vg/root
 # mkswap -L swap /dev/vg/swap

5. Start installer. No need to reformat partitions. Don’t reboot after installer is done.

5.5

Code:

# mkdir /target2

as /target/ existed on my live unr version after the installer was finished i createt a new directory called target2

Code:

# mount /dev/vg/root /target2/
# mount /dev/sda1 /target2/boot
# chroot /target2
# mount -t proc proc /proc
# mount -t sysfs sys /sys
# apt-get install lvm2 cryptsetup

6. Using your favorite text editor (I used nano), enter the following entry in /etc/crypttab:

Code:

sda2_crypt     /dev/sda2     none      luks

7. Now put the following in /etc/initramfs-tools/modules:

Code:

aes-i586
dm-crypt
dm-mod
sha256

8. Now edit /etc/fstab. What you need to do here is comment out or delete the UUID that is associated with your encrypted volumes and put in the actual path for the volume. Apparently, the UUID’s might be wrong, so you need to use the path instead.

So, for example, it might say in the comment “Was on /dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00 during installation.” You should see the UUID below. So, replace the UUID with /dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00. Repeat for the encrypted swap volume as well. There’s no need to do this for any other partition in the fstab file.

9. Finally, save and close the fstab file and enter one final command:

Code:

# update-initramfs -k all -c

Also, to fix the unusual position of the window buttons, see here.
(basically, hit Alt-F2, run gconf-editor, and change the apps/metacity/general button_layout to “menu:minimize, maximize, close”)

Possibly related posts:

1. J. River Media Center 11 under WINE
2. Xandros Linux
3. Misc. Updates

For the last year or so I’ve been using Unison as I described here, syncronizing to my file server (using Hamachi to keep a VPN connection to it open no matter where I am).

For the most part, it works well – especially once I put the batch file to run whenever I step away from my computer and when I get back (set it up as a Scheduled Task with a bunch of triggers like screen saver active, workstation locked, workstation unlocked, etc). Occasionally though I still ran into conflicts. Also, accessing my files from a machine I didn’t own (without Hamachi installed) was a bit of a pain. And, primarily, all my stuff was sitting just on hardware I had at home. If someone broke in and took all the electronics, or my house burned down – goodbye 20 years of photos and videos. I do have some backups on DVD in a safety deposit box but I think I last updated those backups 2 years ago. Burning & reburning & taking the trip out there just isn’t convenient.

My main concern is privacy – I have some scans of important documents etc. on my HD that I want backed up – but I don’t necessarily want some random employee (or the US government) snooping around in it. So… I just stuck all that stuff in a TrueCrypt volume, to be synchronized.

So, I bit the bullet and had a look around. Quickly my options dwindled to SugarSync or DropBox*. Mozy was another one (endorsed by Xmarks – a great bookmark sync plugin!), but it is more of a pure backup app with some bad performance reviews out there; and adding 3 computers (or more!) would cost extra $$$.

They are both about the same, overall. A quick bullet list of pros/cons:

SugarSync:

• The Good:
  • More space (up to 250GB)
  • Cheaper (14.99/mo for 100GB vs. 19.99/mo)
  • More control over sharing of folders between computers & other people
  • Lets you pick which folders to share
  • Lets you stream mp3s from your files over the ‘net… even to a mobile device!
• The Bad:
  • Supposedly has delta sync, but for what I need it for (My aforementioned TrueCrypt volume) it was re-uploading the whole file on every minor change
  • The client was crashing randomly on Windows 7 (although it may be something with my install or my hardware – my box has been doing this for the last month or so with lots of other weirdness…)
  • Syncronization would sometimes just stop. 5000 files to go, it would say ‘uploading’… but network activity would be zilch. I’d have to quit & reload the program. At which point (despite supposedly being able to ‘resume’ uploading, it would start re-synchronizing my 512 MB TrueCrypt volume from the beginning.
  • Limited support – no user forums. Takes 48 hours even for support to acknowledge a ticket.

DropBox:

• The Good:
  • True delta sync that works
  • Fast sync. Stable client
  • A Wiki, user forums, vote for new features – generally more active/interactive community.
• The Bad:
  • Less space / more expensive (although 100GB plenty atm for me)
  • Fewer options for sharing with others
  • Syncs only one directory “My Dropbox” although this is easily circumvented with symbolic links (Link Shell Extension GUI makes this even easier; see full instruction on the DropBox Wiki).

Anyway, I ended up going with DropBox, because of the geek factor, but also because the instability of the SugarSync client & lack of real delta sync was a no-starter for me.

So, sign up with my referral link, give me some extra space, & get some extra space for you, too!

* This is my referral link – use it to get an extra 250MB of space (giving me an extra 500MB…). Or just go to the main site and not… up to you.

Possibly related posts:

1. Offline Files
2. Video Editing Issues…
3. You never know what the computer repairman is looking at…

Apparently, I’m not alone with this problem. And, as often is the case, someone else on the internet has solved it admirably with MetaDataMover.

Doesn’t your mp4 file stream properly over the Internet? Does the mp4 need to download completely before playing in a Flash player? rndware’s Metadata Mover moves metadata from the end to the beginning of mp4 files. This allows any mp4 file to be streamed using Flash players, without needing to load the entire movie.

I’m just puzzled why this tool needs administrator access. Hope I haven’t installed a trojan…

Local cache: mp4MetadataMover0.9

Possibly related posts:

1. Adobe Premiere Elements – Project settings problem
2. Synchronizing Files
3. Video Editing Issues…

On Windows Vista (which I have on the laptop because it came with it – and I’m not spending any more money on a Windows XP license, as if you can still find them….), Win-L just goes to a new ‘locked’ screen. It’s an extra mouse click to go to the select user screen. Which doesn’t seem like much, but despite the fact that the resolution is the SAME FOR ALL USERS, Vista insists on refreshing the screen. And Vista being Vista, it is SLOW to do this. So, instead of 2 seconds to switch users, it takes 10-15, which is really annoying for a supposedly ‘upgraded’ operating system.

I know, I know, I should just install Linux on the laptop. My wife probably wouldn’t even notice. :) But, I do ocassionally play games (ok, ok, dual boot, I know).

I’ll do that with Windows 7 I guess…

Anyway, this website has a workaround that, while not ideal, allows me to get to switch users with a quick keypress in Vista (Win-2). So, somewhat improved user switching. Doesn’t help if the screen saver kicks in & goes to the ‘locked’ screen automatically… but when it comes to Microsoft, I’ll take what I can get. They even have a solution for Vista Home/Home Premium without a TSDISCON executable.

1. Create a shortcut on your desktop to TSDISCON (* see below) and call it something like “Switch User”
2. Go the shortcut Properties page and assign a shortcut key. Note that unfortunately you can’t use the Windows Key in your shortcut – so I went for CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + L
3. Right click Start button and choose “Open All Users” and move the shortcut into the Programs folder (confirming the UAC prompt as you go).
4. Log out, and back in again. This is necessary because Explorer hasn’t noticed there’s now a shortcut with a new shortcut key it should be taking notice of.

And that did it. CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + L isn’t quite a neat as WinKey+L but it’s a hell of a lot better than poking around in the Start Menu.

Possibly related posts:

1. Vista highlights digital freedom battle
2. How to access UpToDate from home (for McMaster Students)
3. Tinkering with my old Acer Travelmate C310

I bought a new Toshiba last year, but I missed my old computer (hey, at least it’s running XP instead of that crappy Vista!) so I thought I’d give repairing it a whirl.

I had tried to take it apart before, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. The case seemed glued together despite all the screws coming out. Well, the Service Manual helped. (Local cache: Acer TravelMate C300 Service Manual). Even with that I was stuck on the cryptic remove keyboard directions until I found this:

Hi there! Stumbled across your blog while looking for more info on the C300. I’m typing this on a C300 with 1 GB of RAM, and I thought I’d share the method for upgrading the RAM. As an aside, shame on ACER for the poor split-location memory design, and even more shame for not even mentioning it in the manual!

Ok, the second ram slot is under the keyboard, but it’s not as tough to get to as past models may have been. You’ll notice a little round doohicky between the F12 and the prtsc key. There are two others between F4-F5 and ESC F1. Take a paperclip, straighten one side of it, and put that side in the doohicky. pull down towards the front of the computer. Each will slide a couple of mm’s and click. Flip the computer over, and tere’s a screw in the middle of the computer labled “KB”. Remove it.

You can now lift the keyboard out of the computer by pulling up on the Function row. Carefully lift it up and rotate it towards the touchpad. There is a ribbon cable attaching it to the computer. Now very carefully pry out the extremely poorly designed cost-saving clip that retains the ribbon cable to the computer. I can’t believe Acer used this rather than the typical “cam’d” locking clip. Once you remove that, hopefully in one piece, you’re home free.

The memory slot is under the metal cover you’re now looking at. Remove the 6 or 7 screws that retain it, and slide it towards the screen and up and out. Ta-da! you’re set.

Don’t be afraid of the ribbon cable. The only thing you need to make sure of is that the cable isn’t backwards, but it’ll be obvious which way it goes back in. You just press it back in and put the clip over it to retain it. After putting the metal cover/framwork back in place, the keyboard will click back into place by pushing on the left and right sides. Flip the computer over and re-install the KB screw, and you’re done :)

So with those instructions in hand, I disassembled the TravelMate C310.

When I finally got the heatsink off — I saw the problem. There was nothing between the chip and the heatsink. Usually there’s some thermal paste or a pad of some kind… but no luck.
Threw some Arctic Silver on it and voila.

The only mistake I made was that the nvidia chip DID have a thermal pad between heatsink & chip. Normally, the Arctic Silver folks recommend not to use those but to use paste instead, so I took it off & dabbed arctic silver on it too.

Unfortunately the heat sink is mounted several mm above the chip (room for the pad!) so I suspect the heat transfer will not be ideal. I’ll have to get a replacement pad thingie. Ah well, wasn’t exactly planning on playing games on this old clunker, anyway.

Anyway, it’s running like a charm. Faster than my dual-core Toshiba running Vista, natch. (That’s what a lean install can do…). CPU idling at 70 degrees (still hot but it’s a crappy Intel chip, what can I say), and it hasn’t climbed above 82 degrees with the CPU maxed out for several minutes.

Yay! … now to run Windows Update for the last 12 months of patches… :S

Possibly related posts:

1. CPU Temp
2. New Toshiba Laptop
3. Tinkering with my Dell Axim

My search for an rsync-like util to do this landed me with Unison. Works like a charm – unfortunately the GUI doesn’t work (at least, not in Vista), from the precompiled packages available.

No matter, I just set up a little batch file and PRESTO! Synchronized like a charm.

Well, at least, it’s working on it. I really should have done this first sync in a while from home… :)

Possibly related posts:

1. Synchronize / Backup to the Cloud…
2. Offline Files
3. MP4 (h264) files won’t stream?

Besides the approximately 3 hours it takes to unpack its software after first boot-up, it runs pretty well. Initial boot times were in the 3 minute range but I removed Norton 360 (which was the major culprit, I think), and some other programs, tweaked the startup a bit with msconfig, and installed Kaspersky AV, and VOILA!

Was trying to find something similar to notebook hardware control for the 64-bit vista that came with the laptop, and ran across RMClock.

A little tweak to let it run without signed drivers (need to run cmd.exe as admin) was presented in the forums:

Disable Driver Signature Enforcement. Go to the command promt (run “cmd.exe”), then type
“bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS” (without quotes, and the DD is not a typo)

And a scheduled task to get it to start up on boot with admin priviledges… and we’re all set! … Except it doesn’t work. :( *sigh* back to the drawing board!

Vista is very pretty, BTW. Looks sketchy performance-wise, but… we’ll see how it goes!

Possibly related posts:

1. Whoops, a key fell off my laptop keyboard…
2. Windows Vista – Switch User Shortcut
3. Adobe Premiere Elements – Project settings problem

It’s pretty fun – a little different combat system, but otherwise pretty much standard. I think I’ll keep playing for a while though, because Mabinogi has what most other games I’ve played don’t – people I know in real life (TM) actually playing them!!

… that being said, I haven’t had a chance to log in all week, with re-installing my computer and that pesky residency thing and all that. *sigh*

Oh, and because of the combat system (or rather, probably the developer’s implementation thereof) lag really screws you over. On the forums they suggest disabling the Nagle algorithm, like so:

http://projectelite.freeforums.org/lag-fix-darkmgl-s-fix-t333.html

This is not a joke. I have been suffering from major lag for a long time, and I have FOUND the problem.

The issue is something known as the “Nagle Algorithm”. Anyways I’ll keep it simple, this algorithm was created years ago as a way of allowing a steady stream of data to use low bandwidth. It was designed for older dial up modems to prevent online games and other things sending large numbers of small packets from filling up your entire bandwidth sending “ACK Packets”. What this does is automatically delay your computer from responding to a single packet by 200ms which allows your computer to respond to multiple packets at once using less bandwidth. What this essentially does, is add up to 200ms to your lag. If you want to know more, do some googling; I don’t want to bore you.

Anyways, if you are on a modern broadband connection, you can DRASTICALLY improve your Mabinogi lag by disabling this algorithm. I am unsure of how to do this in Windows Vista, but in Windows XP it is a simple registry edit.

1. Run Regedit

2. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\

3. It gets tricky here, there be a bunch of Folders with letters and numbers under this Key, you need to find the one that is your network adapter. Browse them one at a time and look for the ones with similar settings to your network, such as if you have an IP address or a Gateway manually set. If you are unsure, you could always just try adding the line to all of them.
4. Add a DWORD named TcpAckFrequency This is Case Sensitive. If it is already there, skip to step 5.
5. Set the Value of the DWORD to 1
6. Reboot your PC

After this, the Nagle Algorithm will be disabled.

If you wish to test your lag, the best way to do it is by casting the Healing spell. Try casting all 5 charges of your healing spell before this fix, then after. I guarantee you’ll cast them twice as fast after this fix if you have had lag issues or are living on the east coast.

For more information read: http://smallvoid.com/article/winnt-nagle-algorithm.html

I was ready to quit this game due to lag issues until I found this. Now all of my problems have completely gone away. If this improves your game performance, please share!

Original Post = http://forum.nexon.net/Mabinogi/forums/thread/919604.aspx

Well, off to bed now, another busy day tomorrow!

Possibly related posts:

1. Taking apart my Zire 72
2. Some Gaming links…
3. Birthday updates…

The other issue with that is, unlike ‘Remote Assistance’, the person at the local end is kicked off the machine…

Anyway, I poked around on the Internet for a while and found TightVNC. Perfect!

I still need to figure out a way to encase the VNC connection in an SSH tunnel (when I had a linux server on my LAN this was easy, but now I just have Microsoft machines… ick), but for now I can connect easily. Hamachi actually is a good way to do this – except I may have to configure some port forwarding on my router for it to work from behind a work firewall without going through Hamachi’s proxies (low-speed, since I haven’t paid them for a membership).

The only hiccup I ran into was, because of the firewalls at work, I had to listen on a non-standard port. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to get VNC Viewer to connect on an alternate port — the port was open, I could telnet to it, but the !@$!% thing wouldn’t connect.

I guess I should have read the documentation. For some reason, despite standard notation being server:port, the VNC viewer you need to use server::port (two colons). Crazy. Anyway, that works.

Possibly related posts:

1. More ways to get around an annoying firewall
2. Quick Fix for Missing ‘Desktop’ Icon
3. Wireless LAN goodness

So I’ve finally taken the time to edit the piles of footage I’ve filmed over the years with my camcorder. Most of the original footage I had backed up to DVD already, but some was still lying around vulnerable on my HDD. In going to back it up, I noticed I had several files where Adobe Premiere’s scene detection had failed at the end of the tape, and I had a file with about 30 minutes of blank tape (which took up some 6 GB of disk space). This had been a problem for me before but I was too lazy to look into it — my initial attempts at opening it with VirtualDub gave me an error. It complained about not having a VfW (Video for Windows) driver for the DV codec.

So I just burned those humungous files — sometimes requiring archiving for some files that were bigger than 4.3 GB (lately, 8 GB with my DL burner…)

I should have turned to google sooner. Apparently there is a free DV VfW codec. It took me 10 seconds to download and install, and now all those AVIs open in VirtualDubMod without a hitch — making it a cinch to remove the dead tape.

*sigh*. That’s what I get for being lazy, I guess.

Local cache: Panasonic DV VfW codec

Possibly related posts:

1. Video Editing Issues…
2. Offline Files
3. Video Capture Stuff fixed..