This couldn’t be easier, if you already have NPM installed on your Mac. Please install here.
[raw] sudo npm cache clean -fNow if you’re feeling adventurous update all NPM packages at once!
[raw] sudo npm update -g
Now in development over one year and with no signs of stopping in site – one of the best mail servers around is Mail-in-a-Box. Z-Push support and Encryption as a blown out feature and is a much needed improvement over the aging iRedMail. Make sure you have considerable hard drive space as the secure backups will eat a VPS in a few days. Bare Metal is what real men use anyway.
Follow along on Github too
Untangle is a firewall and gateway server that is one of the best on the market today.
The Zotac Zbox ID91 is a Mini ITX PC.
Americans may not be so familiar with the Zotac brand but they offer a wide variety of integrated PC’s that are usual for both home media servers and powerful business machines.
I purchased the ID91 on Amazon for $350.99 – additionally you will need to add a Hard Drive and Memory (DDR3 SO-DIMM)
If you don’t want to deal with hassle of installing a hard drive or memory, the ID91 Plus is available with a 500GB (Non-SSD) hard drive.
The ID91 is based on the H81 Express platform. Sporting Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports this model is perfect for anyone wanting to run a Linux Firewall or Gateway.
For the mission of a home based ad-blocking gateway – I chose the ID91 as it comes with a i3 4130T(dual-core, 2.9 Ghz) processor.
Additionally I added a Kingston Digital 60GB SSD – $54.99 and 4GB of DDR3 – CT2KIT25664BF160B -$43.24 memory. Plenty enough power to handle Untangle with a fiber (400MB connection) to home.
This configuration is sufficient to handle a VERY fast connection. We are talking Fiber speeds without a problem, I am currently on a 400mb connection without any slowdown with a full Untangle configuration.
Total Cost = $449.22
Installation:
Enjoy the internet now without Facebook ad’s – Pre-roll ads on YouTube – and the protection of a real firewall.
Untangle has earned it’s place in my favorite pieces of software, days after the initial installation I have not had to restart the box or fiddle – things just work, and these days it’s hard to find software that just works this well out of the box.
Backup today can be a PITA. It takes too long, and too much work to automate. That’s what makes this single line backup script one of my favorites. It creates a compressed DD image a remote server in the form of a BZ2 archive. This command is run locally from the machine you want to backup.
Let’s begin:
First, create your file
[raw]nano xf[/raw]
Inside xf, paste the following:
[raw]
#!/bin/bash
dd if=/dev/vda1 of=/dev/stdout bs=1M | bzip2 | ssh root@myhost.com “cat – > /home/backups/Live.img.bz2”
[/raw]
Let’s break this down, so you can create your own command!
First, start by doing a [raw]df -a[/raw] to determine the name of your disk, replacing /dev/vda1 with the disk you want to backup.
Second, change root@myhost.com to your remote server. For best practices you should exchange SSH keys so there is no password prompt. See this tutorial here to exchange keys.
Finally, change /home/backups/Live.img.bz2 to the destination directory and filename you would like on the remote server.
Run the script in a shell to test, and finally automate.
Be sure to make your script executable by running [raw]chmod +x[/raw] after creation. To run in the background, install [raw]apt-get install nohup[/raw]. This will allow you to start your backup script in the background, allowing it plenty of time to execute. [raw]nohup ./scriptname &[/raw] will run the script as a daemon.
Do you need to read or open a .IMG file created with DD backup on Windows? The best tool for the job is called DiskInternals Linux Reader. This multi-platform program supports ex2/ext3/ext4/hfs/reiserfs filesystems.
60 Second Install. 3 – 2 – 1 – GO!
[raw]sudo apt-get install vsftpd[/raw] [raw]sudo nano /etc/vsftpd.conf[/raw]Uncomment the Following:
[raw]
write_enable=YES
local_umask=022
[/raw]
Add to end of the file:
[raw]# the list of users to give access
userlist_file=/etc/vsftpd.userlist
# this list is on
userlist_enable=YES
# It is not a list of users to deny ftp access
userlist_deny=NO[/raw]
Setup the user, replace /path/to/your/dir
[raw]useradd -d /path/to/your/dir -s /usr/sbin/nologin ftpuserAdd new user to vsftpd
[raw] nano /etc/vsftpd.userlist[/raw]Add “ftpuser” to this file
[raw]nano /etc/shells[/raw]Add “/usr/sbin/nologin” to this file
[raw]addgroup ftpuserssudo usermod -Gftpusers ftpuser
service vsftpd restart
[/raw]
BONUS:
You can chroot users by uncommenting this section of vsftpd.conf file:
[raw] chroot_local_user=YESAdd “ftpuser” to this file
[raw]nano /etc/vsftpd.chroot[/raw]Questions? Hit up the comments.
With this simple command you can delete specific messages that are in your Postfix queue. In this case of a spam attack this is an invaluable command, as you can cleanup the queue of the offending messages.
Enter any text string and this command will hunt the messages and delete them.
First, check what is in the queue with:
[raw]mailq[/raw]Then run the command, making sure to change REPLACEME to the string you search and delete messages for.
[raw]mailq | tail -n +2 | awk ‘BEGIN { RS = “” } / REPLACEME/ { print $1 }’ | tr -d ‘*!’ | postsuper -d -[/raw]The new IaaS (Infastructure as a Service) provider ProfitBricks is currently running it’s operations out of Las Vegas, Nevada and Berlin, Germany. Two Datacenters with incredible performance. Below are some real world tests to show you how they stack up against the competition.
In the Left Corner we have ProfitBricks running 2 core with 8GB of Ram.
In the Right Corner we have our control, Linode. This is a 4096 Machine (4GB Ram) with a 4 Core processor config.
For x64:
[raw] wget http://downloads2.ioncube.com/loader_downloads/ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gzFor x86:
[raw] wget http://downloads2.ioncube.com/loader_downloads/ioncube_loaders_lin_x86.tar.gzProceed as follows:
[raw] cp ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_5.3.so /usr/lib/php5/20090626/ioncube.soNow edit to match:
[raw]
nano /etc/php5/conf.d/ioncube.ini
[/raw]
In this quick tutorial, I will show you how to setup a perfect VPS system with infinitely expandable storage and capacity from the new hosting provider ProfitBricks.
Background: VPS speed is somewhat of a commodity these days, and is not only increasingly hard to come by – but hard to customize. I was in search of a new VPS host that would allow me to customize all three dimensions of a host – memory, cpu, and storage. Amazon has created an incredibly complex system for what should be a stupid simple task. Most providers, Linode included do not allow you to scale resources independently, but rather makes you choose – fast, good, and cheap. Luckily – ProfitBricks is here to solve the problem. I can create as many disks as I would like, as many servers and CPU’s, and choose exactly how much RAM. Now add in the fact that ProfitBricks performance is currently topping EngineYard, Amazon, and Linode — it’s time to give it a try!
Compounding the problem my cPanel license is up for renewal, and I am rather dissatisfied with the experience. The admin panel feels old and clunky with too many configuration options for very little gain. I spent multiple times recompiling Apache tinkering with php options rather than focusing on the work at hand. Control Panels should make life easier, not harder. Virtualmin was always on my short list and I have tried earlier versions – however the lack of Nginx support was the Achilles heel for me. As of today, they have solved this problem and Virtualmin natively support Nginx! Bravo.
Once Virtualmin is installed you can use the GUI to create, format, and mount additional storage drives created in the ProfitBricks data center designer interface. This makes handling all this new capacity, like multi-terabyte additional storage a breeze to handle.
To begin, create and account with ProfitBricks and use the Datacenter Designer to create an internet connection, server, and storage. The free demo brick will do just fine. Once you have logged in as root begin the routine:
1. Set your hostname
[raw]echo “jupiter” >; /etc/hostname
hostname -F /etc/hostname[/raw]
2. Update host file
[raw]127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
12.34.56.78 jupiter.example.com jupiter[/raw]
3. Set timezone
[raw]dpkg-reconfigure tzdata[/raw]
4. (Optional) Add Additional Repo’s : DotDeb will keep you using the most up-to-date LEMP stack
[raw]echo ‘deb http://packages.dotdeb.org stable all’ >;>; /etc/apt/sources.list.d/DotDeb.list
echo ‘deb-src http://packages.dotdeb.org stable all’ >;>; /etc/apt/sources.list.d/DotDeb.list
wget http://www.dotdeb.org/dotdeb.gpg cat dotdeb.gpg | sudo apt-key add –
rm dotdeb.gpg[/raw]
5. Update and Upgrade
[raw]apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade[/raw]
4. Reboot
[raw]reboot[/raw]
5. Download Virtualmin
[raw]wget http://software.virtualmin.com/gpl/scripts/install.sh[/raw]
Make the script executable:
[raw]chmod u+x install.sh[/raw]
Run the install script:
[raw]/bin/sh install.sh[/raw]
When it’s finished, all you need to do is open a browser and go to port 10000 on the server:
https://yourdomain.com:10000
Walk through the install process, configuring options as required. Remember to turn off BIND in System Settings – >; Features and Plugins
Time to install NGINX:
Shutdown and disable Apache
[raw]/etc/init.d/apache2 stop ; update-rc.d apache2 remove[/raw]
Install Nginx:
[raw]apt-get install nginx[/raw]
Start Nginx:
[raw]/etc/init.d/nginx start[/raw]
Install Virtualmin Nginx Plugin:
[raw]apt-get install webmin-virtualmin-nginx webmin-virtualmin-nginx-ssl[/raw]
Before you continue, fix the broken SSL implementation:
Fix Broken SSL Argument:
[raw]nano /usr/share/webmin/virtualmin-nginx-ssl/virtual_feature.pl[/raw]Change line 152 to >> [raw]&virtual_server::find_matching_certificate($d);[/raw]
Now-
Login to virtualmin as root (https://ipaddress:10000)
1. Go to System Settings ->; Features and Plugins
2. Un-check the “Apache website” , “SSL website” and “DAV Login”, “Mailman”, “Protected web directories”, “AWstats reporting” and “Subversion repositories” features.
Check the “Nginx website”, then click “Save”.
Due to a small bug you cannot select “Nginx Website” and “Nginx SSL Website” at the same time. So go back and select “Nginx SSL Website” after enabling “Nginx Website”.
Go to the System Information page and click Refresh system information in the top right.
Verify that running appears next to Nginx in the Status section.
It’s also a good idea to click on System Settings ->; Re-Check Configuration after everything is done to ensure it’s work properly
Now you can add Nginx sites using the Create Virtual Server link as you would with Apache. The only thing different is “Enable Nginx” needs to be checked in the features section.
BONUS FEATURE:
Here are some of the best utilities for your server!
Don’t forget to install these great addons!
[raw]apt-get install bmon htop aria2[/raw]bmon – monitor your bandwidth on each adapter
htop – enhanced Top
aria2c – download magnet files or multi-threaded gets
88plug is proud to announce the release of the Antiques Diva.
“The Antiques Diva® is the nom de plume for Toma Clark Haines, an American expat living in Europe whose life story has been liberally sprinkled with Cinderella dust. As a child growing up in Oklahoma, Toma dreamed of global adventures. While other kids drew houses with picket fences, Toma drew gondolas with men in striped shirts. After studying abroad in London in university, Toma returned home on the range to marry her college sweetheart. After saying “I do,” she immediately began whispering in his ear words of far-away places and before long her dream became his. When a serendipitous opportunity arose, offering them a chance to live and work in Europe, they moved to Paris for 5 years and then Amsterdam for 4. Along with her husband and well-traveled pet Catpuccino, Toma currently resides in Berlin nearby Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag. ”
See the combined Store and Blog here:
A simple regular expression will help you. I found this particulary useful when migrating client sites.
[raw]</?(table|tr|tbody|td|th)(s?[^>]*)>[/raw]
The best free and open source available for all you HTML 5 video needs(which include multiple format conversions) can easily be done with Miro Video Converter. There is little additional information available from the site, but this tool does exactly what the box says:
Convert to:
Theora
WebM
MP4 Video
MP3 (Audio Only)
Although the application is 32 bit, you can run multiple instances to max out your CPU. Also included are profiles for Android and Apple devices as well.
MySQL version 5.1.47 failing to start after upgrade? Here is the brief:
Problem: tail -f /var/log/mysqld.log
[raw]/usr/libexec/mysqld: unknown option ‘–skip-bdb'[/raw]After poking around for a quick solution, nobody seemed to release that the bdb dependncy is no longer used in /etc/my.cnf configuration file.
Old my.cnf:
[raw] [mysqld] set-variable=local-infile=0datadir=/var/lib/mysql
#socket=/usr/libexec/mysqld
socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
user=mysql
# Default to using old password format for compatibility with mysql 3.x
# clients (those using the mysqlclient10 compatibility package).
old_passwords=1
skip-bdb
set-variable = innodb_buffer_pool_size=2M
set-variable = innodb_additional_mem_pool_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_log_buffer_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_thread_concurrency=2
[mysqld_safe]
log-error=/var/log/mysqld.log
pid-file=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
skip-bdb
set-variable = innodb_buffer_pool_size=2M
set-variable = innodb_additional_mem_pool_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_log_buffer_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_thread_concurrency=2
New:
[raw][mysqld] set-variable=local-infile=0datadir=/var/lib/mysql
#socket=/usr/libexec/mysqld
socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
user=mysql
# Default to using old password format for compatibility with mysql 3.x
# clients (those using the mysqlclient10 compatibility package).
old_passwords=1
#skip-bdb
set-variable = innodb_buffer_pool_size=2M
set-variable = innodb_additional_mem_pool_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_log_buffer_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_thread_concurrency=2
[mysqld_safe]
log-error=/var/log/mysqld.log
pid-file=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
#skip-bdb
set-variable = innodb_buffer_pool_size=2M
set-variable = innodb_additional_mem_pool_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_log_buffer_size=500K
set-variable = innodb_thread_concurrency=2
One of the most recent problems I stumbled upon while running Backtrack, or any other linux distro for that matter is setting the region on a wireless card. The typical procedure is :
[raw]iwconfig wlan0 channel 13[/raw]
And commonly you will get
[raw]error for wireless regquest ”set frequency”
(8b04)
set failed on device wlan0 ; invalid arugment[/raw]
There is an easy fix for this that will allow you to change the region mode your wireless adapter is in.
[raw]iw reg set FR[/raw] [raw]iw reg set US[/raw]
More on IW here.
References:
Issue : After installing Ubuntu 9.10 wireless and wired networking are either working sporadicly or not at all. The most vanilla solution you will find.
Target : Acer Aspire 3690-2159
Hardware : Broadcom 4318 Wireless Adapter
Ensure your wireless switch is turned on in the front before reading step 1.
1. Install Ubuntu 9.10
2. Plug in active internet connection the Wired ethernet
3. Run update-manager
4. Restart after Kernel update
5. Now with internet still plugged in, goto System>Administration>Hardware Drivers
6. Select the Broadcom B43 wireless drive and click activate.
7. Type in your administrator password
8. Restart
et Voila.
Lost your administrator password? Working with a client who has lost their administrator password and need to install applications and updates? Here is a very simple workaround to resetting the password on any account in OS X.
So what do we do?
Basically start up your Mac in single user mode, deleting the local profile cache for the creation of a new user. Upon restart, you will be prompted to setup a new administrator account. This process of creating this account is the same as after a fresh install. Once you have logged in under the new account, open System Preferences>Accounts and change the password of your original account. No data is lost, and nothing is deleted. Logout/Login with your new password and then delete the temporary admin account.
Presto – Password recovered.
1. Reboot in Single User Mode – hold [cci]Apple Key(command)-S[/cci] after you hear the chime
2. Run the following:
[raw]mount -uw /**Note**
In terms of security, this is why restriction of physical access to a machine is critical. Passwords are not safe, and are not to be conceived as “safe”. Strong passwords are irrelevant if you do not limit physical access to machines. Play safe.
Take a look at this post over at Ubuntu forums for a very comprehensive, yet easy to understand guide to Grub2. Noteworthy mentions are as follows:
“At first boot, there will not be much difference in what the user sees on the boot menu. The one exception is a clean install of Ubuntu 9.10 with no other installed operating system. In this case, GRUB 2 will boot directly to the login prompt or Desktop without displaying a menu. Other major differences:
Big thanks to our author : http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=223945
Original Post : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275
Fix a common MySQL problem.
Supporting multiple operating systems on all types of different hardware configurations seems to be a daunting task, however in my daily routine I find that a perfect balance in the bag can really make this job a lot easier.
What’s in the bag!
-320GB External USB Hard Drive – 7200 RPM/SATA/USB
(2 screws to open external exclosure)
-Macbook (2.1Ghz C2D, 3GB Ram, 320 GB 7200 RPM HD)
Parallels running Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04
-Headphones
-Small Screwdriver Set
-USB Charger – large/mini usb for Blackberry
-iPhone w Charger
Jailbroken w/SSH
-Dual USB charger, with miniUSB
-Sprint Unlocked Blackberry 9630 Tour
-8GB USB Key
-3FT Firewire Cable
What do I need?
Well, I would one day like to be able to replace the Macbook with a well partitioned netbook.
