tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44893772892271547952024-03-13T09:10:23.184+00:00Karmic OdysseyAdventures with Ubuntu - my attempt to unshackle myself from WindowsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.comBlogger369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-49067442935199153052015-02-10T12:38:00.001+00:002015-02-10T12:44:01.610+00:00Shhhh.... Not in Front of the Kids TV<p>Fortunately, my Samsung TV is not that smart, but it makes you think!</p><p>News this week that Samsung smart TV sends data about your livingroom utterances to every man and his dog is yet another example that we have surrendered our privacy to consumerism. Once your privacy is gone, you'll never get it back.</p><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition."</span></blockquote><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>The Register: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/09/samsung_listens_in_to_everything_you_say_to_your_smart_tellie/" target="blank">Your Samsung smart telly: WATCH IT, it's watching you watch it</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-24481868330772363212015-02-10T12:07:00.000+00:002015-02-10T12:07:36.093+00:00Quick Tip - Centre an iframe in Blogger Using CSS<p>I draft most of my blog posts in a text editor before uploading them to Blogger. The advantage is that I keep a local copy (for prosperity or vanity I have yet to determine) and I can play around with presentation and layouts at my leisure. However, it's often easier to get things where you want them using CSS in a text editor than in Blogger itself but, for routine settings, you can customise the style sheet in Blogger and make the changes permanent.</p><p>Today, I wanted to centre an embedded video (an iframe), so I updated my style sheet as indicated below:<br />
<ol> <li>From your Blogger home page, click the <em>more options</em> drop-down list & click the Template option.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAnGX3tGgAkbCro4mwF72ZuDdWmd9QZJ47tmo7gFP1Oz877DNxhAntqwaimk0bY2YNGrHTJk_Jc2V7kvuSmbC5iV8luL082JpSMXLyPF5y0k5TIM42SUd3sE1hqy_uu2KCWuNZrJgeKg/s1600/drop_down.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAnGX3tGgAkbCro4mwF72ZuDdWmd9QZJ47tmo7gFP1Oz877DNxhAntqwaimk0bY2YNGrHTJk_Jc2V7kvuSmbC5iV8luL082JpSMXLyPF5y0k5TIM42SUd3sE1hqy_uu2KCWuNZrJgeKg/s320/drop_down.png" /></a></div> <li>Click the <em>Customise</em> option.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgya92XoxStgkZrlOtTfZR8DcT-0hnaJNStJ_BVo3oSu3XmDhIXjCty2ZJsMUWhPuZouSq4v7tJqYjYKK88e6V7-mmCQ97pMG1kYRdX0VYTQI3DGkqobSb6OYtBUtZB0slOdJPmoL1JyW4/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgya92XoxStgkZrlOtTfZR8DcT-0hnaJNStJ_BVo3oSu3XmDhIXjCty2ZJsMUWhPuZouSq4v7tJqYjYKK88e6V7-mmCQ97pMG1kYRdX0VYTQI3DGkqobSb6OYtBUtZB0slOdJPmoL1JyW4/s320/2.png" /></a></div> <li>Click the <em>Advanced</em> option & then scroll down to <em>Add CSS</em> option.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn4NKjRgGOr_ORJXapgOpX-mJVO6aAokFaYYv9SuRq9l8KkP-mxp72qawIM2lg0FopcIU4A8-Y7yFiIMaS-fQiHfURHM3NIV1vkTxiC-nYIIGZGJBSQguzbedNLMgkC115PUeChW4fj0/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn4NKjRgGOr_ORJXapgOpX-mJVO6aAokFaYYv9SuRq9l8KkP-mxp72qawIM2lg0FopcIU4A8-Y7yFiIMaS-fQiHfURHM3NIV1vkTxiC-nYIIGZGJBSQguzbedNLMgkC115PUeChW4fj0/s320/3.png" /></a></div> <li>Add the following code in the <em>Add custom css</em> text box:</li>
<span style="padding-left:00px"><code>iframe { display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: 0; }</code></span>
<li>Click <em>Apply to Blog</em> button (top RHC of web page).</li>
</ol><p>This should work with any CSS, but bear in mind that it will become the <strong>default style</strong> once the code is uploaded. In this case, all iframe objects on this blog will be centred from now on.</p><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-44360786839435146042015-02-10T10:30:00.000+00:002015-02-10T10:30:54.755+00:00Ubuntu Phone - Too Little, Too Late? <p>So, the Ubuntu Phone is finally coming, although it's not all that we thought it might be. According to first reports, the handset will no longer act as an extension to your Ubuntu pc and some pretty fundamental applications will not be ported in the early releases of the smartphone.</p> <blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">"Unlike the original proposal, the handset does not become a desktop PC when plugged into a monitor.</span><span style="font-size:x-small;"> Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31148661" target="blank">BBC Technology</a></span></blockquote> <p>For instance, Leo Kelion is reporting that both Whatsapp & Skype will be absent from the first handsets.</p> <p>Whilst I realize that this is a new (and very exciting) smartphone concept, these omissions seem to me to be problematic for Canonical. Even the mighty Microsoft has struggled to break the Android stranglehold on the mobile phone market and the Ubuntu OS will have to compete with Google, Microsoft, & Apple for market share: the minimum requirement for market entry <strong>is to match</strong> (if not, surpass) the current offer and, if Canonical is not hasty, by the time the Ubuntu phone catches up with the market, it's competitors will have moved on.</p><iframe width="492" height="276" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-dpfHYpfEXY" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
<p>Of course, existing operating systems are not the only concern for Canonical in an all ready crowded market: in January, Samsung released the Z1 running its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tizen" target="blank">Tizen operating system</a>: the significance of this event should not be underestimated, in 2013, Samsung was by far the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_mobile_phones#2013_2" target="blank">largest producer of handsets</a> in the world (although the iPhone (all variants) was the largest selling handset (same link)).</p><p>But, even if you are desperate to own the new Aquaris E4.5 (not a terribly catchy name), you can't just wander down to your local mobile provider and pick up your new handset: you have to wait for a flash sale to pick up your new toy, so Ubuntu's entry into the mobile arena is limited to say the least.</p> <p>Ultimately, only time will tell if Canonical has got this right or missed its opportunity. However, the €170 price tag is undoubtedly attractive and it may be that the phone will find a niche. I for one hope that this venture is successful for Canonical and the Ubuntu operating system continues to find new fans.</p> <h1>Sources & References:</h1> <ul> <li>BBC Technology: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31148661" target="blank">Ubuntu smartphone offers alternative to apps</a> (Leo Kelion)</li>
<li>Ubuntu: <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/phone" target="blank" >Ubuntu On Phones</a></li>
<li>BQ: <a href="http://www.bq.com/gb/products/aquaris-e4-5.html" target="blank" >Aquaris E4.5</a></li>
<li>The Register: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/14/samsung_z1_tizen_launch/" target="blank" >Samsung's first Tizen smartphone is HERE ... by which we mean India</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-14815520023740871852015-01-28T10:43:00.002+00:002015-01-28T10:50:00.850+00:00Extending the Life of your Kodi Remote (& Your Mobile Phone)<p>I seem to be blogging about my mobile phone more than Linux at the moment. This is mostly because my phone is doubling up as my Kodi remote and it is a fabulous free/sunk cost alternative to purchasing new hardware (which may also require modification to work). However, my Samsung GT-19070i is three years old in October and the battery life had started to be problematic: I could no longer get through the day without having to recharge my phone.</p><p>So, I've bought myself a <a href=http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008B1S912?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00" target="blank">new battery</a> and now I've got more than 50% charge at the end of the day! This is cheaper than buying a new phone and I should (fingers-crossed) get another year out of the device before needing to upgrade. I read yesterday, that mobile devices can last a decade or more but, in our consumption-oriented world, we're locked into much sorter upgrade cycles: so, I'm also doing my bit to save the planet.</p><blockquote><em>"The Linux-based Puzzlephone project wants to extend the life of smartphones by making more of the phone replaceable, on the premise that most of the hardware can last a decade, but consumers are locked into a much shorter upgrade cycle."</em></blockquote><h1>Sources & References</h1><ul><li>The Register: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/27/recycling_smartphone_motherboards_as_desktop_clusters/" target="blank">Linux chaps want to recycle your mobe as a supercomputer</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-84410542372058138342015-01-28T10:14:00.000+00:002015-01-28T10:16:49.030+00:00Kodi - Remote Remedy <h2>Try this if you can't get your remote working and you're using a Wifi Extender</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJwnQpdMqXqHJ2uZM0-dmurV1fAA_1Dkv10er-JrLF-mtT3kjMmhMrVXdvfDyW7EnpJjMGbpOTkmMOmKegse_0WEX0F7NyFQDQW7FnMbWaPC1ZMWDo6KJSacj4TB9vXdmgSI-GmpAsj8/s1600/xbmc_home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJwnQpdMqXqHJ2uZM0-dmurV1fAA_1Dkv10er-JrLF-mtT3kjMmhMrVXdvfDyW7EnpJjMGbpOTkmMOmKegse_0WEX0F7NyFQDQW7FnMbWaPC1ZMWDo6KJSacj4TB9vXdmgSI-GmpAsj8/s200/xbmc_home.png" /></a></div><p>After installing my new HTPC, I discovered that the Kodi remote app (on my Samsung GT-19070P) no longer worked. I'd get <em>no connection</em> or <em>connection refused</em> errors despite being attached to my wireless network and being able to connect to the Internet.</p><p>I tried everything from enabling/disabling UFW, opening/closing ports, rebuilding the host information, fixing the host's IP address, and rebooting the router. Nothing seemed to work. However, whilst rebooting my router via the web interface, I noticed that my phone didn't appear in the client list - hmmmmm.</p><p>I'd recently installed a <a href="http://uk.tp-link.com/products/details/?model=TL-WPA281+V3" target="blank">wifi range extender</a> in my lounge and my phone was connecting via this node: simply rebooting the device solved my problem and ended hours of frustration. I'm not entirely sure why the node was refusing to pass the datagram to the router, but it may have just been a glitch in the network layer. Anyway, the moral of the story; you can't reboot enough!</p><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>TP-Link: <a href="http://uk.tp-link.com/products/details/?model=TL-WPA281+V3" target="blank">WPA281 Wifi Extender</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-49667596242035169862015-01-28T09:59:00.000+00:002015-01-28T09:59:17.878+00:00DELL DIMENSION 8400 - Desktop of the Month<p>Taken last week from the Carneddau looking towards the Glyders - the Ogwen Valley is probably my favourite place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuu7UOFfRjKqqeRKigqzAtqJ1ItV8jIHbAtRHQ38ncjd70yb52tlQ-2b6Umc-fUdSf93u28LxtDSa4Pfl-NLGBXfwPJ_JXTlWNiMcROsuLvaiqF_JlWtK0aM1lL7vONeZMH0rACuPmm0/s1600/dell_0115.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuu7UOFfRjKqqeRKigqzAtqJ1ItV8jIHbAtRHQ38ncjd70yb52tlQ-2b6Umc-fUdSf93u28LxtDSa4Pfl-NLGBXfwPJ_JXTlWNiMcROsuLvaiqF_JlWtK0aM1lL7vONeZMH0rACuPmm0/s320/dell_0115.png" alt="The Glyders from the Carneddau" /><center>The Glyders from The Carneddau</center></a></div><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-71251956971744935622015-01-14T16:04:00.000+00:002015-01-14T16:04:53.551+00:00The HTPC Build - Final Specs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTT7pDWxyu0xjSXheik_JjByLLTrF1S_gGhb5acxoAxvWY6WAn77Uh5bUOmljrBnjbohGZOWrX35fV1niw4MOK3f_lpbn9WKbAOzcLDPoeN3yKoEk4N3yBiDyFWbK3sDOxZP29481858/s1600/c9047809-e5ea-4428-81b9-4a3ad47d5e7d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 2em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTT7pDWxyu0xjSXheik_JjByLLTrF1S_gGhb5acxoAxvWY6WAn77Uh5bUOmljrBnjbohGZOWrX35fV1niw4MOK3f_lpbn9WKbAOzcLDPoeN3yKoEk4N3yBiDyFWbK3sDOxZP29481858/s200/c9047809-e5ea-4428-81b9-4a3ad47d5e7d.jpg" /></a></div><p>I finally got around to ordering the parts and building my HTPC: I'm thrilled with the results and the total build cost was less than £320.00!</p><p>So, here are the component specifications (aka parts list) & some detail about the operating system and media software.</p><h2>Hardware</h2><ul><li>Chassis - <a href="http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-mini" target="blank">Fractal Design Define Mini Series</a> Micro ATX (Black Pearl). This is a stunning case which is beautiful for its simplicity. The optical drive is hidden behind the front (hinged) panel. Price at the time of purchase £56.98.</li>
<li>Processor - AMD <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0095VPBFY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages02" target="blank">A6 5400K Black Edition</a>. This is my first ever build using an AMD processor and it took me a couple of minutes to figure out the FM2+ socket arrangements (perhaps I should have read the instructions first!). I've been stunned by the performance of this dual core processor and, from now on, I will <strong>always</strong> consider AMD for future builds. I'm using the stock fan for cooling which is as near silent as makes no difference and I'm thrilled by this budget processor - <strong>highly recommended!</strong> Price at the time of purchase £39.99.</li>
<li>Motherboard - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FKK7A5I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s02" target="blank">Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3</a> (Socket FM2+): always a matter of preference, but I've always favoured Gigabyte boards. This board is tight to work on as you might expect, but it all went in and connected first time. Price at time of purchase £47.31.</li>
<li>Memory - 4GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-10666 1333MHz Ripjaw Series. For a budget HTPC this is ample memory: however, if you intend to use your PC for other tasks (perhaps, vitalisation or video manipulation) you will want to ramp-up the RAM! Price at the time of purchase £35.95</li>
<li>Storage -<br />
<ul> <li>Boot Drive/OS - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007ZWLRSU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages01" target="blank">SanDisk 64 GB 2.5 Inch Internal SSD</a>. Yes, I know that this won't be the fastest sdd available, but this was a budget build and I'm not writing huge amounts of data to or from this drive. It boots beautifully in under a minute and is, of course, silent! I've always been leery of Sandisk but this drive is changing my mind. Price at the time of purchase £32.18</li>
<li>Media Drive 1 - Weston Digital Green 1TB hdd - this is my salvaged drive from the NAS that failed last year. The drive still reports that it's OK (although, S.M.A.R.T recognizes it as an <em>old</em> drive) so it's been formatted and recycled. It's a sunk cost so I've counted it as £0.00.</li>
<li>Media Drive 2 - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D0243DU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages01" target="blank">WD 1TB SATA III Desktop SATA Drive</a> (Blue). I've not used this drive (although, I've installed it) - I still have over 400GB of space left on the first drive. Price at the time of purchase £40.60</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Optical Drive - Samsung 24x DVD Writer. Other than the processor, this component is the best value for money in this build: this drive is superb. It comes with interchangeable bezels and is quiet (but not silent) in operation. <strong>Highly recommended!</strong> Price at the time of purchase &14.75.</li>
<li>Power Supply - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ALYP208?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00" target="blank">Corsair Builder Series CXM 430W</a> Modular 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX/EPS PSU. I've used and recommended these PSU for several years: they are quiet and reliable and packing plenty of <em>bang for your buck</em>. Yes, you <em>can</em> buy PSUs for under £20.00 - <strong>but don't!</strong> Price at the time of purchase £45.13</li>
<li>Networking - TP-Link TL-WN751ND. Another <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-reliable-choice-missing-engineer.html" target="blank">sunk cost</a> but it's performing quite well. Nonetheless, I'll probably end up using a Powerline adapter and an ethernet cable in the long run. As a sunk cost, I've counted this as £0.00.</li>
<li>Peripherals -<br />
<ul> <li>Keyboard/Mouse - Logitech Wireless K400r. This is another sunk cost so I've counted it as £0.00. Nonetheless, I would recommend this keyboard for any HTPC project and, at the time of posting, it's worth every penny of the £27.15 that <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Wireless-Touch-Keyboard-K400/dp/B005LDLQXG/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1421240429&sr=1-1&keywords=k400r" target="blank" >Amazon</a> is asking.</li>
<li>Remote control - XBMC Remote running on my Samsung Advance GT-I9070P. Download the app free from Google Play or the Apple Store. Cost at the time of purchase £0.00 (excluding the hardware)</li>
<li>Speakers - DELL setup. Sunk cost counted as £0.00.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul><p>The connection to my Samsung TV is via the mobo's HDMI port. As a nice touch, you can rename your source (albeit from a predefined list) on your TV. You can also use the HDMI for sound, but I've opted to recycle my old DELL Dimension 8400 speakers which have always been of decent quality.</p><h2>Software</h2><p>The operating system is (after several false starts) Mint 17.1 with the Mate Desktop. Originally, I had planned on using Cinnamon, but I just couldn't get the graphics to play nice on the 43" screen. I also tried the <a href="http://openelec.tv/" target="blank" >openelec</a> but, although it looked superb, it pretty much turned my brand new PC into little more than Apple TV. Nonetheless, Mate looks fantastic with the AMD Catalyst drivers & Control Centre installed and I don't <em>need</em> a graphics card. However, it would be nice to have a little more granularity over the graphics performance and I'm reserving judgement on whether to add a dedicated graphics card in the future.</p><p>For the HTPC software/media centre, I'm using Kodi (formerly XBMC): put simply, this is outstanding software and I'm still exploring all of its functions.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Notwithstanding several recycled/reused components, this little system is outstanding for around £300.00. The chassis looks beautiful and is endlessly upgradable: needless to say, I'm chuffed!</p><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>Fractal Design - <a href="http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-mini" target="blank">Define Series</a></li>
<li>Gigabyte - <a href="http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4727&kw=GA-F2A88XM-HD33.x#ov" target="blank" >Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3</a></li>
<li>Logitech - <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-hk/product/wireless-touch-keyboard-k400r2" target="blank" >Wireless Touch Keyboard K400r</a></li>
<li>Kodi Wiki - <a href="http://kodi.wiki/view/Smart_phone/tablet" target="blank" >Smartphone/Tablet Remotes</a></li>
<li>Mint - <a href="http://www.linuxmint.com/" target="blank" >Home</a></li>
<li>Openelec - <a href="http://openelec.tv/" target="blank" >Home</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-81722449763220680822014-12-31T10:57:00.003+00:002014-12-31T10:57:49.032+00:00Happy 2015<p>Well, 2015 is almost upon us and I'd like to wish my reader a Happy New Year!</p><p>Actually, I'm being a little hard on myself: Karmic Odyssey gets read by people from all over the world and has had over fifteen thousand page loads over the last five years: not earth shattering I know, but I hope that at least some of what readers found here was useful.</p><p>As for the new year, the HTPC will be my next project - cash be damned! I'm also hoping that the Ubuntu phone really will make an appearance in February. Whatever you find yourself doing and wherever life takes you in 2015, I hope that the World will be kind to you and that you have a happy and prosperous time.</p><p>See you all on the other side :)</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-68065419847887183962014-12-24T14:17:00.000+00:002014-12-24T14:19:59.029+00:00Setting Up the XBMC Remote On Your Android Smartphone<p>In my post describing how to <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/setting-up-yatse-remote-control-for-xbmc.html" target="blank">set up a Yatse remote</a> on your Android smartphone, I opined that the Kodi/XBMC offering was a little trickier to set up. Nonetheless, I've found persevering with the setup to be a worthwhile experience and, despite some minor shortcomings, I've found that the XBMC remote is more reliable on my Samsung Galaxy Advance than Yatse.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ndKO10U5qRZDzm3APMIDk2CcWlcJacUgoOJODGEs-zyccRTEYGluBdzug_53h0s0vKhhb22gGVelr0b0mSWmKX3w0w_Alo2WOI8Z0Sq-VHOFa2C29emItjo95NwmYFGDoXYuJhFkNh0/s1600/xbmc_home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: ; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ndKO10U5qRZDzm3APMIDk2CcWlcJacUgoOJODGEs-zyccRTEYGluBdzug_53h0s0vKhhb22gGVelr0b0mSWmKX3w0w_Alo2WOI8Z0Sq-VHOFa2C29emItjo95NwmYFGDoXYuJhFkNh0/s320/xbmc_home.png" alt="XBMC Remote Home Screen" /><center>XBMC Remote Control's Home Screen</center></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfjzeDcSo8R3j8YSVJ9QrGbQ-JG1nyeoNe8-wkF8MUEVMJazhRT6mVKkPx5Ezldr9eHdqHgFtM6wPZerjU_RTrC-W0QzR-p4Svp6dZlYaMXIU1nUmeDHhgP7FKlMwRcP3zYQ_KfNeig/s1600/remote_control.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfjzeDcSo8R3j8YSVJ9QrGbQ-JG1nyeoNe8-wkF8MUEVMJazhRT6mVKkPx5Ezldr9eHdqHgFtM6wPZerjU_RTrC-W0QzR-p4Svp6dZlYaMXIU1nUmeDHhgP7FKlMwRcP3zYQ_KfNeig/s320/remote_control.png" alt="The remote control interface" /><center>The Remote Control's Interface</center></a></div><p>In order to control Kodi/XBMC via <strong>any</strong> remote control, you must first make some adjustments to the host machine. The following instructions are taken from my setup using 13.2 Gotham & my Samsung Galaxy Advance (as the remote): </p><ol><li>Start Kodi/XBMC, navigate to <strong>SYSTEM</strong> and select <strong>Services</strong></li>
<li>Select the <strong>Webserver</strong> menu option:<br />
<ul><li>Check the <em>Allow control of XBMC via HTTP</em> option</li>
<li>Set the <em>- Port</em> option to 8080 (this should be the default value)</li>
<li>The <em>- Username</em> & <em>- Password</em> options can be set to any value you choose (but you'll need to remember them)</li>
<li>Leave the <em>- Web interface</em> option as default.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Select the <strong>Remote Control</strong> menu option:<br />
<ul><li>Check the <em>Allow programs on this system to control XBMC</em> option</li>
<li>Check the <em>Allow programs on other systems to control XBMC</em> option</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Select the <strong>Zeroconf</strong> menu item and check the <em>Announce these services to other systems via Zeroconf</em> option.</li>
</ol><p>Now we need to allow the remote control access to Kodi/XBMC (via HTTP) via the firewall (because you do have it enabled, <strong>don't you!</strong>). Both Yatse & the XBMC remote controls are web-based controls; that is, they send their commands via the local area network to the PC hosting Kodi/XBMC (as opposed to an IR or bluetooth remote). Open a terminal and do:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50px;"><code>sudo ufw allow proto tcp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port 8080 && sudo ufw allow proto udp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port 9777</code></span></p><p>This is really two commands rolled into one. If you prefer, you can do each separately:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50px;"><code>sudo ufw allow proto tcp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port 8080</code></span></p><p>Followed by:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50px"><code>sudo ufw allow proto udp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port 9777</code></span></p><p>Note, that you may need to change your IP range depending on your hardware. You can check that your firewall has updated its rules using:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50px"><code>sudo ufw status</code></span></p><p>And then restart your firewall (perhaps not entirely necessary) using:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50px"><code>sudo ufw reload</code></span></p><p>Now we can set up the remote! If you haven't already, download the XBMC remote from the Google Playstore.</p><ol><li>Start the XBMC remote app on your Android smartphone.</li>
<li>From the app home screen, tap your phone's menu button and select <strong>Settings</strong></li>
<li>Tap <em>Manage XBMC Hosts</em>.</li>
<li>Tap your phone's menu button and select <strong>Add Host</strong>.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoZC1qlax6Vu-0grBuXKUwFYRAkBiTwRT9edg7n5scHXftHvNZfcmf60Ct_aswEY_Yz4LalGJSPDXJ3WYU7NnJxKXtX20uCAIAmnCrdBP5WLjig2yvyMpqboKyNFCTQA22bZEUqz_2MQ/s1600/new_host_dialog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoZC1qlax6Vu-0grBuXKUwFYRAkBiTwRT9edg7n5scHXftHvNZfcmf60Ct_aswEY_Yz4LalGJSPDXJ3WYU7NnJxKXtX20uCAIAmnCrdBP5WLjig2yvyMpqboKyNFCTQA22bZEUqz_2MQ/s320/new_host_dialog.png" alt="the Add New Host Dialog" /><center>The Add New Host Dialog</center></a></div><li>In the <em>Add new host</em> dialog:<br />
<ul><li><em>Name of this instance:</em> - anything that will identify your host. XBMC can manage multiple hosts, so this is simply a name that tells you which host you are connecting to.</li>
<li><em>Host or IP address:</em> - I had no joy using host names - use your IP address. If you don't want to use ifconfig (from the terminal), from the Kodi/XMBC home screen select the <em>System info</em> sub-menu option from the System option and look under the <em>Summary</em> option.</li>
<li><em>HTTP API port:</em> - leave this as the default 8080 (unless you've changed it for some reason)</li>
<li><em>Username:</em> - You set this earlier (I did tell you to remember it!)</li>
<li><em>Password:</em> - this is the password that you set for Kodi/XBMC and <strong>not</strong> your host password.</li>
<li><em>EventServer port:</em> - leave as the default 9777 value (unless you've changed it for some reason</li>
<li>Leave all other settings at their default values and tap OK</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Tap your smartphone's back button</li>
<li>Tap your smartphone's back button (yes, for a second time)</li>
</ol><p>You should be able to connect to your host by tapping the smartphone's menu button & selecting <em>Switch XBMC</em> or from the right-hand applet on the XBMC remote's home screen.</p><p>On balance, I like the reliability and stability of the XBMC remote over Yatse, but Yatse is more configurable and looks great. In the end, this is a matter of user choice, but XBMC is free and there are no paid for upgrades.</p><h1>Sources & References:</h1><ul><li>XBMC Remote: <a href="https://code.google.com/p/android-xbmcremote/wiki/Setup_Instructions_9_11_and_later" target="blank">XBMC Configuration</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-50115748065235239582014-12-17T21:41:00.002+00:002014-12-17T21:41:51.052+00:00Jogga's HTPC<p>Intended design of the HTPC (when I've saved enough money :)</p><h2>Parts List</h2><ol><li>CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor (£39.99 @ Amazon UK)</li>
<li>Motherboard: ASRock FM2A88M-HD+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard (£46.80 @ Amazon UK)</li>
<li>Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (£35.17 @ Amazon UK)</li>
<li>Storage (Operating System & files): Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 60GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£32.90 @ Amazon UK)</li>
<li>Storage (Media): Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.90 @ Amazon UK) </li>
<li>Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (£29.99 @ Amazon UK) </li>
<li>Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£51.50 @ Amazon UK) </li>
<li>Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£10.46 @ Aria PC) </li>
</ol><p><span style="padding-left:20pt;"><strong>Total: £306.71</strong></span> <span style="font-size:x-small">(correct as of 17/12/14)</span></p><p>I'm living without a discrete graphics card (unless the build demonstrates a need to reconsider) and I'm recycling an existing TP-Link wireless card for networking. The speakers will probably be my existing DELL setup until I can afford a sound bar and I've already recycled a 1TB hdd from my busted NAS.</p><p>Control will be via my existing Logitech K400r wireless keyboard & my <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/setting-up-yatse-remote-control-for-xbmc.html" target="blank">Samsung A3 advance smartphone</a>.</p><p>The operating system will be Linux Mint 17 (obviously) although I have considered <a href="http://openelec.tv/" target="blank">openelec</a>. The media centre will be <a href="http://kodi.tv/" target="blank">Kodi</a> (formerly known as XBMC).</p><p>Criticism & advice welcome!</p><p><h1>Sources & References:</h1></p><ul><li>Part Picker: <a href="http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/Jogga/saved/FCCgXL" target="blank">HTPC Parts List</a></li>
<li>openelec: <a href="http://openelec.tv/" target="blank">Home</a></li>
<li>Kodi: <a href="http://kodi.tv/" target="blank" >Home</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-2458032322413074192014-12-17T21:06:00.000+00:002014-12-17T21:06:26.722+00:00Reconnecting With Your SSH Server after an Upgrade <p>I recently got around to updating my file server's operating system (from Mint 16 to Mint 17) and, in accordance with the <em>law of unintended consequences</em>, I found that I could no longer access my files using secure shell!</p> <p>What I did get was an error message telling me that the <em>host key verification</em> [test had] <em>failed</em>. When you think about it, I should have anticipated the problem, after all, the original key was hashed under a different implementation of SSH Server as well as a different operating system! Fortunately, the fix is quite simple, particularly if you're only connecting to one host. <br />
<h2>For a Single Host</h2> <br />
Navigate to to the .ssh folder in the home/<span style="color:red;">username</span> directory (username will be unique to your circumstances). Remember that the period (full stop) indicates that this is a hidden folder, so you should ensure that you have the <em>Show Hidden Files</em> option enabled in your file browser. Delete the <em>known_hosts</em> file in the .ssh directory.</p><p>Now reconnect with your SSH host and a new key will be created following the usual warning that this is a new (and unknown!) host.</p><h2>For Multiple Hosts</h2><p>The error message will identify a line number in the <em>know_hosts</em> file; make a note of the number and open a terminal:</p><p><span style="padding-left:50pt;"><code>gksu gedit /home/<span style="color:red;">username</span>/.ssh/known_hosts</code></span></p><p>You will be prompted for your password. When the file is opened, delete the offending line, save the file and reconnect with your server. You should be prompted to recreate the key as if this were a first connection.</p><p>If you accidentally delete the wrong line (or the whole file, for that matter), fear not, the individual keys will be recreated when you next connect to your SSH server(s).</p> <h1>Sources & Resources:</h1> <ul> <li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-50314289482029554422014-12-17T12:09:00.000+00:002014-12-17T12:09:44.428+00:00Setting Up Yatse Remote Control for XBMC <p>My recent project to repair and consolidate my music library seems to have taken on a life of its own!</p> <p>You may recall that back in September, my <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nas-woes.html" target="blank">NAS failed</a> leaving me with a spare 1TB hdd. Having fixed my music library, I decided to <em>back-up</em> my DVD library and build an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_theater_PC" target="blank">HTPC</a> around the redundant drive: it's taken months and I'm nowhere near finishing! Last night, the DELL Dimension, the DELL Inspiron, & the Compaq CQ60 were all backing-up movie files.</p> <p>Designing a PC to fit around the drive has been fun, and I think that I can build a first-class rig for around £300 but money is a real issue at the moment and I've had to make compromises. One consideration is how to control the rig from my sofa: originally, I'd planned to use my <a href="http://support.logitech.com/product/10543" target="blank">Logitech K400r</a> wireless keyboard (from my file server), saving myself a few quid on an IR remote control. However, on yesterday's RSS feed, Maximum PC did a piece on getting started with XBMC and I came across a reference to a smartphone app called <a href="http://yatse.leetzone.org/redmine" target="blank">Yatse</a> XBMC also offers an <em>official</em> remote, which under test, is just as good but a little more difficult to set up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDMRz-G2A7nfWTUD1aooYKoiFvxQQXF6tdcS_YCxTT65Ibe5Vp7wdtpV1wNK1PdiX5R12YSxJRnQ-oaxqYGD_K1fVgYCPn3HdQFf7xRCViQ5S86cemZRGa6f1Fnidzt4dGkluLB1rHCQ/s1600/yatse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDMRz-G2A7nfWTUD1aooYKoiFvxQQXF6tdcS_YCxTT65Ibe5Vp7wdtpV1wNK1PdiX5R12YSxJRnQ-oaxqYGD_K1fVgYCPn3HdQFf7xRCViQ5S86cemZRGa6f1Fnidzt4dGkluLB1rHCQ/s320/yatse.png" alt="Yatse interface"/><center>The Yatse Interface</center></a></div> <p>Downloading and installing Yatse on your Android phone or tablet is simple (just head over to the Google Play Store & search for <em>xbmc remote</em> or <em>Yatse</em>), the basic app is free. However, getting the app to play nice with XBMC can be a little tricky! When you open the Yatse app, you should be prompted to add a server (called <em>Host</em> in Yatse). The nice thing with this app, is that the wizard does quite a lot of the work for you - you should only need to select the Host, add a username and a password (if you've enabled them in Kodi/XBMC. However, the setup may fail if you're running a firewall on your Linux box.</p> <p>If you <strong>are</strong> running a firewall (and you should be!), you'll need to open a couple of ports for Yatse or XBMC Remote to work properly. Open a terminal and do:</p> <p><span style="padding-left:50pt;"><code>sudo ufw allow proto tcp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port <span style="color:red;">8080</span></code></span></p> <p>Followed by:</p> <p><span style="padding-left:50pt;"><code>sudo ufw allow proto udp from <span style="color:red;">192.168.1.0/24</span> to any port <span style="color:red;">9777</span></code></span></p> <p>You may need to change the ip range to suit your router and, depending on your version of Kodi/XMBC, your tcp port. Unless you've done something very unusual on your system, the udp port should be left at the default value of 9777. In Kodi Gotham, you can check your tcp port under System > Settings > Services > Webserver, but I suspect that it will be a similar route in earlier versions.</p> <h1>Sources & References:</h1> <ul> <li>Maximum PC: <a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/getting_started_xbmc_2014" target="blank">Getting Started with XBMC</a></li>
<li>Yatse: <a href="http://yatse.leetzone.org/redmine" target="blank">Home</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-34037140952002106912014-11-01T21:52:00.000+00:002014-11-01T21:52:23.700+00:00Quick Tip - Auto Shutdown<p>I'm currently copying some video files to my network drive so that I can stream them through the house. It's a time consuming business so it makes sense to batch some up to copy overnight. However, being tight, I hate the idea that the system will be idle for hours after the task is finished, needlessly consuming power. The solution is simple; tell the system to shutdown automatically at a set time.</p><p>Estimate your shutdown time and open a terminal:</p><p><span style="padding-left:25px;"><code>sudo shutdown -h <span style="color:red;">hh:mm</span></code></span></p><p>where <span style="color:red;">hh:mm</span> is the time (in 24 hour format). So, to close my system at 03:00am:</p><p><span style="padding-left:25px;"><code>sudo shutdown -h 03:00</code></span></p><p>I type in my password, turn of my monitor (and any other peripherals) and go to bed!</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-67731672019330436632014-10-20T19:21:00.002+01:002014-10-20T19:21:48.033+01:00Quick Tip: Fixing Album Art<p>Having recently ripped an album to my file server, I couldn't get the album art to display in xbmc. The solution turned out to be changing the file permissions to <em>read/write</em> for all users & groups.</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-20598323612603838802014-10-20T19:02:00.000+01:002014-10-20T19:02:39.869+01:00Happy Birthday Ubuntu<p>Happy birthday to Ubuntu: <span style="font-weight:bold; color:red;">ten years old today!</span></p><p>I for one am grateful for the adventure.</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>Ubuntu Discourse: <a href="http://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/today-ubuntu-turns-10-years-old/1939" target="blank">Today Ubuntu turns 10 years old!</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-37325320630058574692014-10-19T19:54:00.000+01:002014-10-19T19:54:08.541+01:00Fixing mp3 Track Duration Errors <p>I recently converted my music collection to the mp3 format; however, whilst the playback quality is excellent, many of the tracks had erroneous track duration data. This wasn't a particular problem until I copied some of the tracks to my phone which started crashing while playing music and I began to suspect the duration error as the culprit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp1rwu-1mKEqCFiBebZnJbnlh4YP3EAJz81yEidmDd8-RXKTPEZ81_piNSE1AHb0kMa_V_tF1JpFIno820sKkhtdAaArfeqdufWIxOzNXDHcq9yiXWQBoQIZSDrZ_5FOTcNFRzk3eVP4/s1600/XBMC+Media+Center_014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp1rwu-1mKEqCFiBebZnJbnlh4YP3EAJz81yEidmDd8-RXKTPEZ81_piNSE1AHb0kMa_V_tF1JpFIno820sKkhtdAaArfeqdufWIxOzNXDHcq9yiXWQBoQIZSDrZ_5FOTcNFRzk3eVP4/s320/XBMC+Media+Center_014.png" alt="track duration error in xbmc" /><center>That's too Long!</center></a></div> <p>Changing duration is not as straightforward as fixing tags (easily achieved using <a href="https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/EasyTAG" target="blank">EasyTAG</a>) but there is a great app in the Software Center for doing just that, MP3 Diags.</p> <p>Track duration errors are caused by missing, incomplete, or corrupt variable bitrate (VBR) headers:</p> <blockquote><em>"There are 3 kinds of VBR headers: Xing, LAME, and VBRI. MP3 Diags identifies files having an incorrect or missing VBR header, and allows you to create Xing headers, should you need to."</em> <span style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://mp3diags.sourceforge.net/020_mp3_introduction.html" target="blank" >Source: MP3 Diags, MP3 Introduction</a></span></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight:bold; color:red;">Warning, following this advice may corrupt your music files - backup first!</span></p> <p>Despite the rather dire warning above, I've experienced no data loss or corruption (at least, none that I've found) and this great app has repaired all of my track duration errors and one or two other issues as well!</p> <p>If you're using Ubuntu or one of it's derivatives, the best installation option is the Software Center. Open the Software Center and search for <strong>mp3diags</strong> - don't put a gap between mp3 & diags or you'll only be offered the MP3 Diags documentation. Simply install as usual.</p> <p>When you open the app you must scan your files for errors. Just click the gear icon (1st on the left of the toolbar) and the browser will open. You can also scan remote files if you have mounted them using SSH: in Mint the route is a little convoluted, try:</p> <p><span style="padding-left:25px;"><code>run/usr/1000/gvfs/sftp:host=<span style="color:red;">server</span>,user=<span style="color:red;">user</span>/</code></span></p> <p>...and then look for your music directory. Select your directory and then hit the <strong>Scan</strong> option. This can take several minutes on a single remote directory (album), so patience will be needed if you have a large music library with lots of errors. My repairs took over a week on a modest (3,500 track) library.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunoERNY-ayvaz9-N7X00FmUU2iB4cg3aMjsYrg7co6u37rfSsLuW49_mOk8aheq_LSWTKdddV2OWC3ib53ML9d01y13AtXc52744MNZl24_7OhV2RSrh36a-IRfj-WQeP7gbJtDIBsRk/s1600/Workspace+1_015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunoERNY-ayvaz9-N7X00FmUU2iB4cg3aMjsYrg7co6u37rfSsLuW49_mOk8aheq_LSWTKdddV2OWC3ib53ML9d01y13AtXc52744MNZl24_7OhV2RSrh36a-IRfj-WQeP7gbJtDIBsRk/s320/Workspace+1_015.png" alt="mp3 diags browser window & workspace" /><center>Select Your directory & Hit Scan</center></a></div><p>If the scan reveals any Xing errors, repair them by clicking the <em>single transformation</em> icon (a hammer with a green arrow) and selecting the <strong>Repair VBR data</strong> option.</p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>Sourceforge: <a href="http://mp3diags.sourceforge.net/" target="blank">MP3 Diags</a></li>
<li>Wiki Gnome: <a href="https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/EasyTAG" target="blank" >EasyTAG</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-67643614914145989602014-10-05T15:06:00.000+01:002014-10-05T15:06:22.453+01:00Fixing The Internal Microphone - Presario CQ60 <p>It's taken weeks of <em>Googling</em>, but I've finally found a fix for the internal microphone on the Presario CQ60.</p> <p>I had no luck with the various fixes that I found online until I came across <a href="https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=82911" target="blank">this post</a> which, if I've understood it correctly, suggests that the problem with the internal microphone on the CQ60 is not a software issue but a hardware problem. As I understand the OP's problem, the kernel allocates the wrong pin id at boot: the workaround turns out to be surprisingly simple.</p> <p>First we need an application developed by David Henningsson at Canonical. It's called HDAJackRetask and it was originally developed to turn unused microphone jacks into additional headphone jacks - brilliant! It's now part of the <em>alsa-tools-gui</em>, so there's no need to add a new repository. Open a terminal and do:</p> <p><span style="padding-left: 25px;"><code>sudo apt-get install alsa-tools-gui</code></span></p> <p>Alternatively, you can download it from the Software Center or Synaptic. When prompted about the additional space (in the terminal method), type y and hit enter.</p> <p>Open HDAJackRetask from the Main Menu (in Mint Cinnamon it's under Sound & Video). Select your sound card and then, under the <em>Options</em> panel, check the <em>Show unconnected pins</em> option. In the <em>Pin configuration</em> section, look for your <em>Internal Mic, Riser</em> entry, click the <em>Override</em> checkbox, and set the spin button to <em>Not connected</em>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1_13pH9m1m8QcETlz9f1AbaqO-ZpFBoTSE9IZypDnSM5Vx3QAv0byhyphenhyphen-IPcC5MHWJWYqFLqWblVcH47va8sbmLIr3fH9gPnRENryQh2OHiJ_SywTZ9ynSVMFc8JQ3juOjsq4LBvHzmw/s1600/Jack+retasking+for+HDA+Intel+sound+cards_011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1_13pH9m1m8QcETlz9f1AbaqO-ZpFBoTSE9IZypDnSM5Vx3QAv0byhyphenhyphen-IPcC5MHWJWYqFLqWblVcH47va8sbmLIr3fH9gPnRENryQh2OHiJ_SywTZ9ynSVMFc8JQ3juOjsq4LBvHzmw/s320/Jack+retasking+for+HDA+Intel+sound+cards_011.png" alt="HDAJackRetask Window" /><center>The HDAJackRetask Window</center></a></div> <p>Next, look for the Pin ID: <em><strong>0x1d</strong></em>, check the <em>Override</em> checkbox, and the use the spin button to select <em>Internal mic</em>. Now click the <em><strong>Apply now</strong></em> option and test your microphone. If all's gone well, it's time to make this a permanent change: click the <em><strong>Install boot override</strong>. You'll see the following message dialog: click OK and reboot.</em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMB71Uv2mpPhqxONzOfcVVuS-__rSkxsP7XaRTe35hBAhysWHeQA5pMRx4GN3ts82l0wLZuMn8PrevtlhdCL57-4GoqyzzobaX22aCFwctBMpO2tkSiG7nP-YN1BpzvYCXP3bP6ywh8A/s1600/reboot_msg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMB71Uv2mpPhqxONzOfcVVuS-__rSkxsP7XaRTe35hBAhysWHeQA5pMRx4GN3ts82l0wLZuMn8PrevtlhdCL57-4GoqyzzobaX22aCFwctBMpO2tkSiG7nP-YN1BpzvYCXP3bP6ywh8A/s320/reboot_msg.png" alt="message dialog" /><center>The Boot Override Warning Dialog</center></a></div> <p><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:large;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>Kernel Bug Tracker: <a href="https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=82911" target="blank" >Bug 82911 - Mic doesn't work on Compaq Presario CQ60</a></li>
<li>Canonical: <a href="http://voices.canonical.com/david.henningsson/2011/11/29/turn-your-mic-jack-into-a-headphone-jack/" target="blank" >Turn your mic jack into a headphone jack!</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-11034191186190823882014-10-05T08:36:00.000+01:002014-10-05T08:37:31.966+01:00Wallpaper of the Month: Presario CQ60<p>There never seems to be enough hours in the day and I have a pile of topics that I want to get published here on Karmic Odyssey but haven't (yet) had the time. Nonetheless, posting my wallpaper for all to see is a <em>cheap</em> post and often gets the ball rolling: for my first post this month, here's the new desktop for the Presario CQ60</P><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gJsK_BbPs1BS7Uym1lpwoRQHXm5k46suZvmEWGrEYSS0naC24nyxigjXqFzwCMdPyn6p9iam8jr5-YDiHKSCL1kbxpMJHfvNdFKUSNaCMEqjn74EYc49sjFV1Jyejt3hLoWx77208I/s1600/october_14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gJsK_BbPs1BS7Uym1lpwoRQHXm5k46suZvmEWGrEYSS0naC24nyxigjXqFzwCMdPyn6p9iam8jr5-YDiHKSCL1kbxpMJHfvNdFKUSNaCMEqjn74EYc49sjFV1Jyejt3hLoWx77208I/s320/october_14.png" alt="Llyn yr Arddu" /><center>Llyn yr Arddu © John Dexter</center></a></div><p>This is Llyn yr Arddu looking west towards Moel Hebog. It's another image taken with my Samsung Galaxy which is rapidly proving that I don't need to carry a large (and heavy) camera on the hills.</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-91857633073812018522014-09-28T21:13:00.000+01:002014-09-28T21:13:33.670+01:00SSH - Sharing Privately<p>Apart from loving the look and feel of the Cinnamon desktop, Mint 17 has another attraction over some other Ubuntu derivatives such as Lubuntu: Secure Shell (SSH) has native support from the file manager GUI.</p> <p>Many of my posts over the last four years have been about networking & file sharing using Ubuntu and I have used (and promoted) Samba as the solution to my particular circumstances. However, recently I have become increasingly aware that Samba is not without its problems, particularly read/write permissions and <em>lock files</em> on the remote server. These problems aren't terribly serious and there are ways to work around the issues; but I want my file server to be just that and I don't want to find workarounds for simple file sharing on a private network.</p> <p>As an example, you may know that I spend much of my free time in the mountains of North Wales and take some of my pictures on my mobile (cell) phone. Rather than slip the ssd out of the phone and into a card reader (meaning that I have to stop the card and disassemble the phone) I normally use Bluetooth and set up a personal area network (PAN) to transfer the files to a laptop or desktop. Using Samba, I find that I can't simply copy the new files to my pictures directory on the server because I don't have the necessary permissions. Try as I might, I can't seem get the read/write access right. I've also had problems with GnuCash, meaning that I have to use the program on the server to update my finances - not ideal!</p> <p>Using Secure Shell to connect to my server resolves <strong>all</strong> of these permission issues at a stroke and, for all intents and purposes, it behaves exactly the same as accessing local files. It has the additional advantage in that directories on the server do not need to be <em>shared</em> in the conventional sense and that makes them accessible only to me (or anyone that steal my login credentials).</p> <p>To access your files you need only to invoke the <em>Connect to Server...</em> dialog from Nemo (File > Connect to Server...) and provide the necessary details.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDNyQnq3GCCWi2UnGuI5vkG3iwK4veaxYpAaJOrAnkxEfLPdD8YKzziWwBS1mARDIQV8hwmAx9wpuNpZ0Rj_-yWOn6OHYria202us78YSe4Lv39_3AbE8vGB9v8yNgcy3QWM8eLkxQp8/s1600/Connect+to+Server_005.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDNyQnq3GCCWi2UnGuI5vkG3iwK4veaxYpAaJOrAnkxEfLPdD8YKzziWwBS1mARDIQV8hwmAx9wpuNpZ0Rj_-yWOn6OHYria202us78YSe4Lv39_3AbE8vGB9v8yNgcy3QWM8eLkxQp8/s320/Connect+to+Server_005.png" alt="SSH dialog from the Nemo File Manager" /><center>SSH dialog from the Nemo File Manager</center></a></div> <p>If you've set up Samba to recognize netbios names, then it's pretty straightforward: the port default for SSH is 22 (and will only change if you've changed it!). Once connected, you can access your files and directories from Nemo's GUI and use them locally. This may be overkill on a private network, but using SSH also resolves another irritating problem: file lock. Using Samba, if an application wasn't closed before shutting down the client pc, the file lock would remain on the server (effectively making the file, <em>read only</em>): SHH seems to resolve this problem because Nemo is closed down as part of the normal shutdown sequence.</p><p>One final tip, if you're having trouble connecting to your server, check that ufw is allowing incoming traffic on port 22:</p><p><span style="padding-left:20px;"><code>sudo ufw allow proto tcp from 192.168.0.0/24 to any port 22</code></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Shell" target="blank" >Secure Shell</a></li>
<li>Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemo_(file_manager)" target="blank" >Nemo (file manager)</a></li>
<li>Ubuntu Help: <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/serverguide/firewall.html" target="blank">Uncomplicated Firewall</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-5201199588496808372014-09-26T19:40:00.001+01:002014-09-26T19:40:45.193+01:00CQ60 - Reminted <p>It wasn't long before the <em>new</em> <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/compaq-presario-c60-minted.html" target="blank">Presario CQ60</a> ran into problems: despite managing to achieve stable graphics using Mint 17 <strong>Mate</strong>, I couldn't seem to maintain a persistent WiFi link. Often, the hardware button wouldn't work and, even when it did, it rarely made a difference as to whether or not the laptop connected to my network. Issuing the terminal command:</p> <p><span style="padding-left:50px;"><code>rfkill list</code></span></p> <p>would show the hardware blocked and the command:</p> <p><span style="padding-left:50px;"><code>rfkill ublock all</code></span></p> <p>had no effect. It was sometime before I realized that this is <a href="http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/lucid/en/man1/rfkill.1.html" target="blank">by design</a>! It was clear that I had to find a way to make the hardware switch work if I wanted this laptop to be more than a vanity project. </p> <p>Having read some comment online that Lubuntu had a more reliable wireless platform, I installed the latest version (14.04 LTS) of the Ubuntu derivative to see if it made any difference: it did, effectively ruling out hardware as the source of the problem. Had I merely wanted a functioning laptop I could easily have left the lightweight operating system in place but, whilst this is undoubtedly a viable solution, the truth is that I'm not terribly keen on Lubuntu and I really love Mint Cinnamon. There are also some practical networking reasons for preferring Mint over Lubuntu (specifically, native SSH support) and I want to migrate from SAMBA to manage my network, so the research effort began!</p> <p>This problem with the Presario is not entirely <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1734050" target="blank" >unknown</a> and it seems that there is no single solution. Nonetheless, there does seem to be an online consensus that replacing the ath5k driver for the Atheros chipset for the ath9k driver is the most successful fix and I resolved to give it a try. However, fate intervened to scupper my plans.</p> <p>At some time on Wednesday of this week I lost my WAN connection: this makes testing a WiFi connection problematic! It was twenty-four hours before the restoration of my connection and I didn't get around to reinstalling Mint until late yesterday afternoon. I decided to go for Mint 17 Cinnamon and, as always, the WiFi connection was flawless on the live disk but, more importantly, it was also flawless <strong>after</strong> installation to the ssd and I have no idea why! This condition has persisted beyond the initial (307MB) software updates and countless reboots (both restarts & cold boots), so I'm assuming that the problem is resolved. I can only identify <strong>two</strong> candidate processes that may have influenced this change in fortune:</p> <ol> <li>I didn't format the <em>/home</em> partition during installation but used the existing partition that I set up when I installed Lubuntu.</li>
<li>I had to reset my hybrid router yesterday in order to re-establish a link to the WAN when my connection came back up.</li>
</ol> <p>It's not clear if either or both of these changes had the desired effect, but I remain connected a day after installation!</p> <p>Having also had some unpleasant experiences with the graphics drivers during previous implementations of Mint, I decided to install the nvidia-304 legacy driver right off the bat and it has proved to be a good decision. Sure, the boot sequence isn't as pretty as it would be using the default <em>nouveau</em> driver, but, with the improved boot time delivered by the new ssd, who cares? Moreover, there is absolutely no flicker or distortion during operation and I now have a stable (as well as, connected) Mint 17 <strong>Cinnamon</strong> installation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDsw4RDP_Y5Qf8QntUBpAcseGFXyZKG7jfiC97IUM9S-lILX9FoXNNu51hvUf5ahlqU_xWJeCYxCggnn1uBnpwLTxB5nFWNY8UC7xEKmGUqLngUDst9LbqrhLKz6Npy2JsW1EgO4_xyA/s1600/System+Info_003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDsw4RDP_Y5Qf8QntUBpAcseGFXyZKG7jfiC97IUM9S-lILX9FoXNNu51hvUf5ahlqU_xWJeCYxCggnn1uBnpwLTxB5nFWNY8UC7xEKmGUqLngUDst9LbqrhLKz6Npy2JsW1EgO4_xyA/s320/System+Info_003.png" alt="system information on the Presario CQ60" /><center>Mint 17 on the Presario CQ60 - It can be done!</center></a></div> <p>This little laptop has exceeded expectations although it has proved to be quite a challenge to get it running the Mint OS. The irony is that, despite learning a great deal about networing drivers in Ubuntu, I can offer no explanation as to why the problem has been rectified but I'm thrilled that they have been.</p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & Reference:</span></p> <ul> <li>Ubuntu Manual Pages: <a href="http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/lucid/en/man1/rfkill.1.html" target="blank" >rfkill</a> (see ublock)</li>
<li>Lubuntu: <a href="http://lubuntu.net/" target="blank" >Home</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-21686085469092958052014-09-20T21:49:00.000+01:002014-09-20T21:49:38.971+01:00Compaq Presario C60 - Minted<p>Well, this is my first post from the Compaq Presario CQ60 <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/another-careless-owner.html" target="blank">found in a dumpster</a> a week ago! It's been an interesting repair project and one that has had me scratching my head a couple of times: but I think I finally know why the previous owner abandoned this cracking little machine: <strong>dust!</strong></p> <p>OK, first the low-down on the specs (and I use the word loosely). This is no speedball (even when it was new): it was originally designed to run Microsoft Vista and one wonders how well it managed that! The processor is an AMD Sempron SI-42 - so no records broken there even with 3GB of memory! That said, the previous owner loved this machine and there is very little damage. Moreover, the 15.6" screen is superb.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKrmejnSLgA04P9FGcfHC2d1BXW04_UwJAZ7dPAyrOn2ohVbBQ45NHwUQSYdBtvrHJ10WmrXilKXMPMVX-H8KJtbm5sgl2TlJYSCTXKh0U8wY8jeVjJTVsneO8mYNRTwKSUs7TzzCcd0/s1600/System+Monitor_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKrmejnSLgA04P9FGcfHC2d1BXW04_UwJAZ7dPAyrOn2ohVbBQ45NHwUQSYdBtvrHJ10WmrXilKXMPMVX-H8KJtbm5sgl2TlJYSCTXKh0U8wY8jeVjJTVsneO8mYNRTwKSUs7TzzCcd0/s320/System+Monitor_002.png" alt="system specs" /><center>System Specs</center></a></div> <p>My daughter Lozzy installed the new hard drive; a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CSSD-F60GBLS-Series-Phison-Toggle/dp/B00EENQ0U8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411230636&sr=8-1&keywords=force+ls+60gb" target="blank">60GB Corsair ssd</a> that I picked up for less than £40. The battery was as cheap as I could find (around £12) and I really don't expect it to last very long. So, all ready to install an operating system. This is where the problems started: this laptop hated Mint Cinnamon and the graphics stack crashed on every boot regardless of the driver I installed - on to Plan B.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6bpFrifrovY4cIdPRBB0JEP65kS7o2trZzkjYdX-vqV6l5g1l4jxOky9M3iO2o1b0ktmrhN0brFgjOIUDld11QD-PLTqOyjb4w-2XL3uquOTZ16UR3UGpgeY0sngOoHOaGDZzgWA6w4/s1600/presario.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6bpFrifrovY4cIdPRBB0JEP65kS7o2trZzkjYdX-vqV6l5g1l4jxOky9M3iO2o1b0ktmrhN0brFgjOIUDld11QD-PLTqOyjb4w-2XL3uquOTZ16UR3UGpgeY0sngOoHOaGDZzgWA6w4/s320/presario.png" alt="Compaq Presario CQ60" /><center>Compaq Presario CQ60</center></a></div> <p>We had much more success with Mint Mate and, after loading the legacy NVidia driver, even the graphics stack behaved. Now, if we could only solve the problem of the system running hot (and I do mean hot!) we'd have a nice little system. The heat problem was a real issue with bottom of the case almost too hot to touch just a few minutes after booting. There's no fine fan control in the bios and eventually I was forced to strip the machine to clean the cooling system. I've seen worse but there was quite a build up of dust and lint and cleaning it has resulted in an almost silent case fan: that's better for battery life and performance.</p> <p>The new battery is giving surprising performance with a couple of hours per charge and the ssd gives a boot time of less that 50 seconds. It's not a stunning performance, but it 's not bad for £50.</p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-43275623174064310282014-09-18T09:25:00.000+01:002014-09-18T09:25:50.881+01:00Inspiron 6400 - Wallpaper of the Month<p>A stunning day in Snowdonia National Park yesterday has prompted an early change in my desktop's wallpaper!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSLmigsWJEOkS7uoad59QJeaTPYSDhSGIhdDQRI-hvzUmsssUyl1RAvEiolaifRaAt8AzeDgtk4nKa8jAtaPMRPV_8ZXZKD710qTa0XSsIw1xeyoY-6ek2g1YPYvFu92pAVHf3IvQ_fY/s1600/mynydd_drws_y_coed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSLmigsWJEOkS7uoad59QJeaTPYSDhSGIhdDQRI-hvzUmsssUyl1RAvEiolaifRaAt8AzeDgtk4nKa8jAtaPMRPV_8ZXZKD710qTa0XSsIw1xeyoY-6ek2g1YPYvFu92pAVHf3IvQ_fY/s320/mynydd_drws_y_coed.png" alt="Snowdon from The Nantlle Ridge" /><center>Snowdon from The Nantlle Ridge © John Dexter</center></a></div><p>This is taken on my phone (a Samsung Galaxy S3 Advance). The view of Snowdon (in the distance) is taken from the Nantlle Ridge looking (roughly) north east over Mynydd Drws-y-coed.</p><p><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size:large;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul><li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-62203348808011557882014-09-16T21:10:00.000+01:002014-09-16T21:10:50.200+01:00Rotten Apple - Your Data & The Cloud <p>Something for nothing is good right? Well, not always. Apple's recent decision to interfere with users' cloud accounts without permission has caused a little controversy: notwithstanding the Company's dreadful taste in music, foisting music on customers who didn't ask for (and who <a href="https://twitter.com/jgrahamc/status/509999914164559872" target="blank">don't want</a>) it demonstrates utter disregard for customers' privacy (not to mention the associated security implications).</p> <p>Following the public outcry, Apple has subsequently <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/15/apple_gives_fanbois_the_sweetest_thing_a_delete_button_for_that_u2_album/" target="blank">released a way</a> to delete the offending album, but the affair highlights a bigger issue: if you give your data to a third-party to look after, you no longer control you data! Hand it over at your peril.</p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>The Register: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/13/apple_u2_push_security_risk/" target="blank">Not pro Bono: Apple's audio junk mail made spammers' lives easier</a></li>
<li>The Register: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/15/apple_gives_fanbois_the_sweetest_thing_a_delete_button_for_that_u2_album/" target="blank" >Apple gives fanbois The Sweetest Thing: A delete button for that U2 album</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-22318675975242265662014-09-12T19:25:00.000+01:002014-09-12T19:25:15.835+01:00Another Careless Owner! <p>Last year I <a href="http://karmicodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/im-amazed-at-what-some-folk-will-throw.html" target="blank">reported</a> on finding an old Compaq C700 in the recycling skip: well, I've just found another in the same skip! This one's a Compaq Presario CQ60 & I managed to recover a working charger at the same time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQW-ZqomPVt_7g7pmggguGYCLZxkM593wmDMsWHxEzY2OgFZicsoG4E2LKtD20eKd8dRVnqcWHRkWpRJWv9DE8qqNKRsAU0oxwP_G2bFLWoUcphQm7ccVl4K51tmDmEVZRke0yQIRn2Q/s1600/presario.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQW-ZqomPVt_7g7pmggguGYCLZxkM593wmDMsWHxEzY2OgFZicsoG4E2LKtD20eKd8dRVnqcWHRkWpRJWv9DE8qqNKRsAU0oxwP_G2bFLWoUcphQm7ccVl4K51tmDmEVZRke0yQIRn2Q/s320/presario.png" alt="Compaq Presario CQ60 found in a dumpster" /><center>Compaq Presario CQ60 Found in a Dumpster</center></a></div> <p>My first thought was that this would be suffering from a shot screen (all too common with Compaq laptops), but it's not and I can find absolutely <strong>nothing</strong> wrong with this little beauty. Apart from needing a new battery (I couldn't find the original) and hard drive (sensibly removed by the original owner), this laptop is perfectly operational right down to the webcam. There's no damage to the case aside from the marks and scuffs associated with normal wear & tear. That is, if you ignore the missing rubber bumper on the bottom of the case!</p> <p>I've gone for a cheap battery (I don't expect it to last more than twelve months) but a 60GB solid state hard drive - I really do want to see how much of a performance improvement an ssd will deliver and I have no need for a massive hard drive. Total repair costs are circa £50.00 and it's a project for my daughter, Lozzy to cut her teeth on!</p> <p>We won't be restoring the original operating system (Microsoft Vista) and the AMD Sempron processor probably isn't <em>man enough</em> to run Win7, so we'll run Mint 17 and keep this as a play thing.</p> <p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p> <ul> <li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4489377289227154795.post-13187177189954747462014-09-07T20:32:00.000+01:002014-09-07T20:32:10.227+01:00NAS Woes <p>Some years ago I made the mistake of buying a Western Digital network drive - there's a reason that they're cheap! Anyway, this week the hard drive failed (or so I thought) and this morning I took the enclosure apart only to find that it was the capacitors that had given up the ghost.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxvuRBQvdQ36ZNqQYADa9M88P7fO0lS08QP_x1LtJoiKYlaF-9xfi1wd9kpTxF-WYdZqjfCwuJsZOF_iPUgAh_IujvZaIvYvH1z7Iu5voELxLyjLHz9Gn-LCtFBBRQHizN6cD5YnpM04/s1600/blown_caps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxvuRBQvdQ36ZNqQYADa9M88P7fO0lS08QP_x1LtJoiKYlaF-9xfi1wd9kpTxF-WYdZqjfCwuJsZOF_iPUgAh_IujvZaIvYvH1z7Iu5voELxLyjLHz9Gn-LCtFBBRQHizN6cD5YnpM04/s320/blown_caps.png" alt="blown capacitors in WD network drive" /></a><center>What's All that Goo?</center></div> <p>Because the drive uses hardware encryption, the data is unreachable: I can't even mount the drive to attempt a recovery. Assuming that the drive is still healthy (<code>smartctl -H</code> results in an <em>access denied</em> error message), I'm faced with several options:</p><ul> <li>Try to recover the data by finding a replacement enclosure with the same model number (yeah, good luck with that!)</li>
<li>Try to recover the data by repairing the pcb (replace the burned capacitors)</li>
<li>Sacrifice the data and reuse the drive building my own NAS</li>
</ul><p>Most (but not all) of the data is already safely on my file server. I've lost some video but everything else is either duplicated or replaceable so, option 3 is looking favourite! I'm toying with the idea of a low-powered box running <a href="http://www.freenas.org" target="blank">FreeNAS</a> or perhaps even a Intel's <a href="http://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/nuc/overview.html" target="blank">NUC</a>. I even looked into using a <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/" target="blank">Raspberry Pi</a>!</p><p>I've accepted that the data is gone and that I should probably format the drive, but I really can't decide on (or afford) a replacement. I'll mull it over but, in the meanwhile, my advice is to avoid Western Digital drives if you value your data.</p><p><span style="font-size:large; font-weight:bold;">Sources & References:</span></p><ul> <li>None</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900880090854723904noreply@blogger.com0