Ubuntu and EC2

Great blog on the nitty gritty of working with EC2:

http://alestic.com/

Install Cisco AnyConnect on Ubuntu/Debian/Mint 64 bit

Looks like there are no 64 bit Cisco AnyConect VPN Clients.  Here is a workaround to get them working on a Debian-based 64 bit OS:

http://www.virtualcorner.nl/?page_id=220

Charge iPad or iPad2 over usb in Linux

First, follow these instructions:

http://korenkov.info/ipad-ipad2-charge-ubuntu

For later versions of udev (I tested this on Ubuntu 11.04), make sure that /etc/udev/rules.d/95-ipad_charge.rules looks like the following examples.

For iPad:

ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="05ac", ATTRS{idProduct}=="129a", RUN+="/usr/bin/ipad_charge"

For iPad2:

ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="05ac", ATTRS{idProduct}=="129f", RUN+="/usr/bin/ipad_charge"

Then restart udev or reboot.

Lexmark z645 install redux

This is the best way to install the printer driver for the Lexmark 600 or 640 series drivers on Ubuntu:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HardwareSupportComponentsPrinters/LexmarkPrinters

Make a service persistant on Ubuntu

The latest versions of Ubuntu (10.04 is where I noticed this behavior) ignore LSB configuration, which makes chkconfig not work for some scripts.  Instead, use update-rc.d-insserv to enable a service after reboot as shown.  This example enables the Samba services after a reboot.

update-rc.d-insserv nmbd defaults
update-rc.d-insserv smbd defaults

Process affinity

Here is how to bind a program to a CPU (process affinity):

Bind processes to a CPU core

An example would be:

taskset -pc 0,1,2 20509

to set processid #20509 to have affinity (bind) on Cpu0, Cpu1, and Cpu2. To bind it to a single core, use the command:

taskset -pc 0 20509

to bind it to Cpu0.

A quality PostgreSQL startup script

I have went through several iterations of PostgreSQL startup scripts. Most are less than useful. This one, modified for my use (changed some of the directory structure, and tailored for Postgres 8.3.6) is originally provided by the Postgres YUM repository, and is actually useful. This is in stark comparison to the quasi-useful one that is included in the source package in file postgresql-version/contrib/start-scripts/linux This is designed for Red Hat iterations of Linux, but may with small modifications, work with Debian, Ubuntu, and SuSE. Enjoy.


#!/bin/sh
# postgresql This is the init script for starting up the PostgreSQL
# server
#
# chkconfig: - 64 36
# description: Starts and stops the PostgreSQL backend daemon that handles \
# all database requests.
# processname: postmaster
# pidfile: /var/run/postmaster.pid
PGVERSION=8.3.6
# PGMAJORVERSION is major version, e.g., 8.0 (this should match PG_VERSION)
PGMAJORVERSION=`echo "$PGVERSION" | sed 's/^\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\).*$/\1/'`

# Source function library.
INITD=/etc/rc.d/init.d
. $INITD/functions

# Get function listing for cross-distribution logic.
TYPESET=`typeset -f|grep "declare"`

# Get config.
. /etc/sysconfig/network

# Find the name of the script
NAME=`basename $0`
if [ ${NAME:0:1} = "S" -o ${NAME:0:1} = "K" ]
then
NAME=${NAME:3}
fi

# For SELinux we need to use 'runuser' not 'su'
if [ -x /sbin/runuser ]
then
SU=runuser
else
SU=su
fi


# Set defaults for configuration variables
PGENGINE=/app/pgsql/bin
PGPORT=5432
PGDATA=/app/pgsql/data

if [ -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ] && [ -d "$PGDATA/base/template1" ]
then
echo "Using old-style directory structure"
else
PGDATA=/app/pgsql/data
fi
PGLOG=/app/pgsql/data/pgstartup.log

# Override defaults from /etc/sysconfig/pgsql if file is present
[ -f /etc/sysconfig/pgsql/${NAME} ] && . /etc/sysconfig/pgsql/${NAME}

export PGDATA
export PGPORT

# Check that networking is up.
# Pretty much need it for postmaster.
[ "${NETWORKING}" = "no" ] && exit 0

[ -f "$PGENGINE/postmaster" ] || exit 1

script_result=0

start(){
PSQL_START=$"Starting ${NAME} service: "

# Make sure startup-time log file is valid
if [ ! -e "$PGLOG" -a ! -h "$PGLOG" ]
then
touch "$PGLOG" || exit 1
chown postgres:postgres "$PGLOG"
chmod go-rwx "$PGLOG"
[ -x /usr/bin/chcon ] && /usr/bin/chcon -u system_u -r object_r -t postgresql_log_t "$PGLOG" 2>/dev/null
fi

# Check for the PGDATA structure
if [ -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ] && [ -d "$PGDATA/base" ]
then
# Check version of existing PGDATA

if [ x`cat "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION"` != x"$PGMAJORVERSION" ]
then
SYSDOCDIR="(Your System's documentation directory)"
if [ -d "/usr/doc/postgresql-$PGVERSION" ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/doc
fi
if [ -d "/usr/share/doc/postgresql-$PGVERSION" ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/share/doc
fi
if [ -d "/usr/doc/packages/postgresql-$PGVERSION" ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/doc/packages
fi
if [ -d "/usr/share/doc/packages/postgresql-$PGVERSION" ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/share/doc/packages
fi
echo
echo $"An old version of the database format was found."
echo $"You need to upgrade the data format before using PostgreSQL."
echo $"See $SYSDOCDIR/postgresql-$PGVERSION/README.rpm-dist for more information."
exit 1
fi

# No existing PGDATA! Warn the user to initdb it.
else
echo
echo "$PGDATA is missing. Use \"service postgresql initdb\" to initialize the cluster first."
echo_failure
echo
exit 1
fi

echo -n "$PSQL_START"
$SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/postmaster -p '$PGPORT' -D '$PGDATA' ${PGOPTS} &" >> "$PGLOG" 2>&1 < /dev/null
sleep 2
pid=`pidof -s "$PGENGINE/postmaster"`
if [ $pid ] && [ -f "$PGDATA/postmaster.pid" ]
then
success "$PSQL_START"
touch /var/lock/subsys/${NAME}
head -n 1 "$PGDATA/postmaster.pid" > "/var/run/postmaster.${PGPORT}.pid"
echo
else
failure "$PSQL_START"
echo
script_result=1
fi
}

stop(){
echo -n $"Stopping ${NAME} service: "
$SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/pg_ctl stop -D '$PGDATA' -s -m fast" > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
ret=$?
if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
then
echo_success
else
echo_failure
script_result=1
fi
echo
rm -f "/var/run/postmaster.${PGPORT}.pid"
rm -f "/var/lock/subsys/${NAME}"
}

restart(){
stop
start
}

initdb(){
if [ -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ]
then
echo "Data directory is not empty!"
echo_failure
else
echo -n $"Initializing database: "
if [ ! -e "$PGDATA" -a ! -h "$PGDATA" ]
then
mkdir -p "$PGDATA" || exit 1
chown postgres:postgres "$PGDATA"
chmod go-rwx "$PGDATA"
fi
# Clean up SELinux tagging for PGDATA
[ -x /sbin/restorecon ] && /sbin/restorecon "$PGDATA"
# Initialize the database
$SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/initdb --pgdata='$PGDATA' --auth='ident sameuser'" >> "$PGLOG" 2>&1 < /dev/null
# Create directory for postmaster log
mkdir "$PGDATA/pg_log"
chown postgres:postgres "$PGDATA/pg_log"
chmod go-rwx "$PGDATA/pg_log"

[ -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ] && echo_success
[ ! -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ] && echo_failure
echo
fi
}
condrestart(){
[ -e /var/lock/subsys/${NAME} ] && restart
}

condstop(){
[ -e /var/lock/subsys/${NAME} ] && stop
}

reload(){
$SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/pg_ctl reload -D '$PGDATA' -s" > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
}

# This script is slightly unusual in that the name of the daemon (postmaster)
# is not the same as the name of the subsystem (postgresql)

# See how we were called.
case "$1" in
start)
start
;;
stop)
stop
;;
status)
status -p /var/run/postmaster.${PGPORT}.pid
script_result=$?
;;
restart)
restart
;;
initdb)
initdb
;;
condrestart)
condrestart
;;
condstop)
condstop
;;
reload|force-reload)
reload
;;
*)
echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|restart|condrestart|condstop|reload|force-reload|initdb}"
exit 1
esac

exit $script_result

Coraid documentation

I was able to do quite a bit of technical writing with Coraid. It is useful for those of you using AoE technology. I wrote all of the quickstart documentation here:

http://www.coraid.com/RESOURCES/Quickstart-Documentation

Also, I wrote the driver installation guides here:

http://www.coraid.com/SUPPORT/AoE-Drivers

Execute any custom command on bootup (Ubuntu, Debian)

This command is for anything that you would like to execute after the system has been started and all of the scripts in /etc/init.d/ have been run. If you want them to execute afterwards, put it in

/etc/rc.local

This is rather useful for network mounts, changes to hardware configuration, or custom programs that need to be started at boot. Make sure to make the file executable through the command: $sudo chmod +x /etc/rc.local

Configure a wireless connection from the command line

Here is how to configure a wireless network interface from the command line in Ubuntu.

http://www.stoltenow.com/archives/2006/12/ubuntu_configur.html

Mythweb at its best

Mythweb, a component of MythTV, allows you to stream your own recorded videos, shows or movies from the Internet in a YouTube-like interface. Here is an example. One more reason MythTV beats the socks off TiVO.

Lexmark Z645 Printer on Ubuntu Linux

This post, is how you can get a Lexmark Z645 Printer to work within Ubuntu 7.04, 7.10, 8.04 and later. It is most useful. http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-616097.html