BSD Tips 2

Install Perl using ports:

# cd /usr/ports/lang/perl5.8
# make;make install;make clean

Install Perl using pkg_add command:

# pkg_add -v -r perl

BSD Tips 1

I haven't posted in a long time. I need to list these things or I will forget them! There is not enough room in my brain for learning something completely new right now. However, having mastered Windows it is time to move on to a more secure, more stable, faster, and more powerful operating system.

Laptop: Dell M5010
OS: PCBSD 8.1 AMDx64

Wireless Card: DW1501 Wireless-N
Universal Broadcom Driver: http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

Incompatible driver packaging from Windows drivers for unix/linux: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ndiswrapper/

First try:
Copy tar.gz binary to /usr/ports

Open Terminal, type:
# cd /usr/ports/hybrid-portsrc_x86_64-v5_100_82_38.tar.gz
# make;make install;make clean

Configure Outlook 2010 with Hostgator domain email (using SSL)

Outlook 2010 Configuration Details:

INSTRUCTIONS

Open Outlook
Go to "File" on the menu bar
Click the button that says "+ Add Account"
Choose "Manually configure server settings or additional server types"
Choose "Internet Email"

SETTINGS

Your Name: (this will appear as your name in emails)
Email Address: ____@yoursite.com
Account Type: POP3 (this will allow you to download emails to your computer)
Incoming Mail Server secure___.hostgator.com
(example: if your cpanel is at gator999, then put 999 in the blank**)
Outgoing Mail Server (smtp): secure___.hostgator.com
(example: if your cpanel is at gator999, then put 999 in the blank**)
Username: ____@yoursite.com
Password: (your password)
Check box: Require Logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

"More Settings" box (bottom right):
"Outgoing Server" tab:
Check the box: My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication
"Advanced" tab:
Incoming server (POP3): 995
Check the box: This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL)
Outgoing server (SMTP): 465
Use the following typer of encrypted connection: [drop-down menu] SSL

If this still does not work, take the following steps:
1) Ensure you have created the email address, by going to your cPanel home page***, and under the "Mail" tab, click "Email accounts".
2) Check your firewall settings on your computer. Disable your firewall or antivirus and try the above settings to see if your firewall or antivirus program is the problem.

** You can find this information on your cPanel home page, under "Account Information" tab (on left column at the bottom of the page), under "Server Name"
*** You can get to your Hostgator cPanel home page by going to http://yoursite.com/cpanel

Best Browser? Opera 10 vs Chrome 4 vs Firefox 3 vs Safari 4 vs Explorer (any)

First thing to know if you're not already aware - Internet Explorer is the worst browser period. This is not just opinion, this is proven fact, and countless tests have shown Internet Explorer to perform so much less, that most of the time it is not even included in ratings.It's a long and ongoing battle about which browser is best, but essentially, the choice is up to the top couple browsers and your personal preferences.

Here are a few speed tests taken from Lifehacker.net:







These speed tests generally indicate Chrome as the fastest browser; however, consider the fact that Chrome uses everything in a separate process, including add-ons (extensions). Hence, a user who likes the extra browser features will notice a heavy load on their computer, as compared with Firefox, which on the surface appears to be slower.

In addition, even though Opera rates high in the speed charts, consider the fact that it does not support add-ons or extensions at all. This means that certain must-have extensions, like for example LastPass, are unavailable for Opera users.

Initially, I had abandoned Firefox (after many years of loving and promoting it) and left for Opera, and later abandoned Opera seeing the lack of extensions, and left for Chrome. Later I began using Firefox once again, for at various instances either Firefox or Chrome is best for the job.

I dislike the lack of variety of features of Chrome, along with the lack of features or customization. With Chrome you can't move things around like you can in Firefox or (especially) Opera.

When it comes to spacial customization, such as the ability to move around and create new toolbars, Opera wins hands-down.

However, when it comes to maximizing desktop space, with Firefox 3.6's full-screen mode (press F11), Firefox wins.

When it comes to visual customization, Firefox wins hands-down.

When it comes to being supported on Windows operating systems, Safari loses.

When it comes to being the slowest, most malicious, and most unsafe browser, then Internet Explorer wins without a thought.

When it comes to speed, it depends on your type of processor and how much you are multitasking with other programs - as well as your operating system. At different times, Firefox, Chrome, or Opera are the fastest. If you cannot live without certain extensions, then the tie is between Firefox and Chrome, even though Chrome technically wins the benchmark tests.

When it comes to usability, Firefox has the most features, is the most user-friendly, and is the most widely supported. In my opinion, Firefox is also the most stable, even though at the time of writing I am using Chrome 4.

And lastly, when it comes to not having a utilitarian dictatorship monopoly running all your daily internet tasks, then Google Chrome is out of the running. On the other hand, besides taking away a certain amount of control and freedom, Google has provided us with a large amount of awesome and top-of-the-line services, which are more importantly free, even if it does mean we lose our customer service and privacy. For this reason I cannot completely hate Google for being a masked tyrannical dictatorship.

In conclusion, my opinion actually sways toward Firefox as being the best browser overall, with the runner-up being Google Chrome. Even so, I do still use Chrome as a primary browser, maybe because I depend on so many Google services for my daily life already.

BTGuart - A Scam Or Not?

So that you don't get the wrong idea, I'll tell you up front I think that BTGuard is a scam. However, it is important you know why.

Even though theoretically a service which blocked the ISP from seeing the identity of the person who downloads something could be a reality, that's just not the way things work in our society. Realistically, the fact that the ISP is even sending you the data in the first place, completely negates even the remote possibility of being able to mask your identity. Not only does your ISP have your address and phone number, they also have you name, your bank account and credit card information, your credit history - and depending on who your ISP is, even your Social Security number! They have your friends, your family, your email address - truth is, there is no way to escape it.

On the other hand, to truly understand why a service such as BTGuard could not even remotely be a logical possibility, you need to think about the way you actually receive data to your computer in the first place. Let's talk about torrents specifically. When you download a torrent, that torrent alone is linked directly to you by your ISP. The torrent is downloaded through your internet browser, not through some "service" such as BTGuard. Then, you open a program such as Bittorrent, in order to allow numerous random people across the world send you data. Now, consider the path in which the date reaches you from the other people's computers:
First, it leaves their computer.
Next, it ports through their ISP.
Eventually, it gets to your ISP, and ports though a box directed towards your house, located at your ISP.
Then, it ports through your ISP into your internet "box" (not your router), which is owned by your ISP. Your ISP specifically allowed data to go through that box to get to your router in your house.
Then, for some ISP's, the data goes through a special router owned by the ISP company, which is located in your house and connected to your computer. Otherwise it goes straight from the box to your computer.

See it like this:
OTHER GUY > THEIR ISP > YOUR ISP > YOUR "BOX" (located at your ISP) > YOUR "BOX" (located in your house) > ISP ROUTER > YOUR COMPUTER.

Now, consider where BTGuard servers are located:

OTHER GUY > THEIR ISP > **BTGuard** > YOUR ISP > YOUR "BOX" (located at your ISP) > YOUR "BOX" (located in your house) > ISP ROUTER > YOUR COMPUTER.

So the reality is that BTGuard has to port through your ISP just to even get to your computer in the first place. Due to the geographic location of the BTGuard servers, or any other "service" like them, it is physically impossible for them to "mask" you from your ISP, without actually hacking into your ISP's databases and physically removing your IP from your ISP's servers.

Thus, BTGuard is simply making profit off people who want to illegally download, and no authority is going to say anything because of the very nature of the business. Worse, you should consider the possibility that people at BTGuard actually work for the authorities who send you that dreaded letter. Even more, regardless of the derivation or background of the employees of BTGuard, consider the fact that the very purchasing of the services is basically the same as going to court and pleading guilty. Take that thought into your head.

In conclusion, from a statistical standpoint, you are actually safer by never even visiting the BTGuard website - and not only that, but the very illogical premise behind the idea of masking your identity from your ISP from the outside, proves that BTGuard and any related service is a complete and absolute scam. Add on the fact that people say their customer service is virtaully nonexistent - they never reply. Then think again before considering wasting your money and placing yourself in a position in which your statistical probability of getting that dreaded letter is drastically increased, not decreased. Don't let these guys fool you.


Then again, you might want to consider this bridge I have for sale in San Francisco...

Essential Free Programs You Should Know About

Here is a quick list of the free and open-source programs that you should know about and that I could not live without:

FOR EVERYONE:

Irfanview 
Excellent photo editing program which I use alongside Photoshop
http://www.irfanview.com/

MagicIso 

Quickly mount .iso files on a "virtual disc" to play them the same as if they were in a CD or DVD drive; easily burn .iso discs

http://www.magiciso.com/download.htm

VLC Media Player 

Uninstall Windows Media player and never look back. Never worry about incompatible video formats again. Never worry about your video program slowing down your computer again.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

RocketDock 

Get the same cool "dock" like in MacOSX, for Windows.

http://rocketdock.com/download

CopyTrans (free version)

If you hate iTunes, this is for you. Only install the free part though, you don't need to buy the extras, you'll probably never use it. However, if they ever change this to not be free, then I'd suggest to find an alternative.

http://www.copytrans.net/copytrans.php

Audacity  

Excellent free sound editor, I use it to crop out parts of songs which I otherwise really like the song, or create quick audio mixes of several songs.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

iPhoneBrowser 

For jailbroken iPhones: allows to directly access files on the iPhone. If you do not have an iPhone, you do not need this.

http://code.google.com/p/iphonebrowser/downloads/list

CCleaner 
Cleans up Windows and fixes the registry; also removes bad programs and adjusts startup, with other features as well
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Defraggler
By the makers of CCleaner, this is a better alternative to Windows' native defrag program. If you do not know what defrag means, you do not need this.
http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Winrar 
Unrar files and compress files into .rar format; also zips and unzips files (.zip). If you don't know what a rar file is, you do not need this.
http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

7zip
More powerful than Winrar, although does not do anything with .rar files; great for very strong compression, especially for web servers (such as .gzip format).
http://www.7-zip.org/

Thunderbird

Okay I'll admit I didn't use this for the longest time. Now I regret it. Quickly and easily set this up and use it for emailing so you never have to go into your email account(s). Also makes it easily possible to download your emails to your computer.

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Spybot Search And Destroy

Gets rid of malware. Use this if you're not a computer expert and tend to have computer problems despite having a good antivirus program.
WARNING! This is not an antivirus program, and should NOT be used in place of an antivirus program.

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

UniversalThemePatcher by deepxw

Quickly and easily allows you to patch your theme files so you can use other themes in Windows. Now you don't have to try 30 different programs to do it, most of which are installing viruses on your computer instead of patching your theme files. I've found this one to be the best, and the only one that is legit.

http://deepxw.blogspot.com/2008/11/universal-theme-patcher.html

TaskBar Shuffle (v2.5)  

Only useful for XP and Vista. Makes it possible to move around the buttons in the taskbar like in Windows 7.

http://download.cnet.com/Taskbar-Shuffle/3000-2072_4-10531265.html

___________________________________________________________

FOR ADVANCED USERS ONLY:

Process Blocker 

Easily block processes from ever starting in Windows, especially pesky ones like GoogleUpdate.exe and GoogleCrashHandler.exe, which serve no functional purpose except sharing your personal information with Google.
WARNING! If you do not know what a process is, then do not use this.

http://www.processblocker.com/download.html

EASEUS Partition Manager (EPM) 
Great Windows-side program as a much more powerful and accurate alternative to Windows' native Disk Management.
WARNING! If you have never partitioned a HDD before, or do not know what a partition is, then DO NOT USE THIS! =)
http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm

GParted 
Awesome and best program for disk partitioning; boot from the Live CD for massively greater functionality and features than Windows' Disk Management; fills in the blanks where EPM doesn't measure up.
WARNING! If you have never partitioned a HDD before, or do not know what a partition is, then DO NOT USE THIS! =)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/files/gparted-live-stable/

WinSCP
If you have a website, this is the best way to access your server through a secured SFTP or SSH management session.
WARNING! If you do not need this, do not install! It could open up your computer to a potential hacker attack if you do not know what you're doing.
http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

EasyBCD
Excellent (best) boot manager; recommended as absolutely essential if you have multiple operating systems (multiboot).
WARNING! If you do not know what a boot manager is, DO NOT USE THIS! =)
http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

Resurrect A Broken Hard Drive!

So you thought your old laptop hard drive, the one from your broken laptop, was dead forever - but "just in case", you decided to go ahead and store it away on an old bookshelf somewhere. What you might not realize is that there is a chance you have a 150GB to 500GB asset, just waiting to be recovered.

First off, I'll tell you, there's a slim chance of recovering those files - at least, not without days of running a recovery program. However, if you are pulling out an old HDD from a long time ago, there is a slim chance you actually need the information off that drive anymore, anyways. If you are willing to lose the information off the hard drive, here is a quick fix to resurrect the hard drive and put it to good use.

First off, determine whether or not there is even a possibility of recovering the drive. The first step is to jog your memory a bit. When the hard drive died or stopped working, did you hear clicking or grinding sounds? If so, the best thing to do is get out your hammer and release some tension by destroying the hard drive. This is because that clicking or grinding sound is a result of physically broken pieces inside the hard drive. Without FBI top-secret government technology at hand, you can most likely expect to never recover an ounce from that drive.

Determining The Possibility

If, however, the hard drive does not emit any weird sounds when plugged in, then there is a really good chance you can recover it! This can be very useful as either a second or third internal drive, or as a portable hard drive. THe best best is to buy a really inexpensive external USB hard drive case, such as off eBay. Make sure you get the right type - SATA is the type for most laptop hard drives.

The next step, after connecting the hard drive externally using a USB hard drive case, is to basically destroy the filesystem entirely. What this means if that you are essentially cleaning out the drive of all data and starting fresh. If you are a Windows user, this could appear to pose a really big problem for you. Here are some of the possible issues you may encounter in Windows:

a) Hard drive will not connect - nothing shows in "Computer" (Vista or Windows 7) or "My Computer" (XP)

b) Hard drive shows up, but if you try to right-click the drive and choose format, it either hangs there forever (hours), or it quickly comes up with an error

c) Hard drive looks like it works, but gives random issues and doesn't appear to save data properly

d) Hard drive shows up in Windows, but as an unknown or unusable device

Essential Background Information

Basically, none of these are an issue. The first thing to know about Windows, is the build in "Disk Manager", which is Windows' built-in disk management and partitioning system. The second thing to know is that it is crap and 70% of the time you should not use it, and the other 30% of the time, there is a faster and more efficient alternative.

Next thing to know is a real solution to disk management. Note the difference between "disk", which is storage such as a hard drive, and a "disc", which is media such as a CD or DVD. This real solution is called GParted, a free, open-source disk management program, which I have found to be one of the best free programs for the purpose. I don't usually like naming names or promoting software, and if it ever becaome not-free I suggest to find another program.

Continuing With Your Hard Drive Resurrection

Now, first step is to choose how to run GParted. basically, you have the choice between CD or USB. I suggest CD if you have a CD or DVD drive, because it is more widely supported for booting than USB. If you choose CD, then download it from the GParted site at Sourceforge.net: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
The direct link to find the newest Live CD version is here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/files/gparted-live-stable/

It is important to know what a Live CD is. A "Live" CD means that it will run as an operating system even if you didn't have an operating system installed on your computer. The reason we want this in this case, is because we are going to boot our computer directly from the "Live CD" of GParted, so we can bypass Windows and use a more effective program to resurrect our broken hard drive.

It is also important to know what an .iso file is. Any CD or DVD you put in your CD/DVD drive, such as your Windows operating system CD/DVD, has a filesystem on it called an "image" which contains the data and files. In order for this "image" to be "run" when you place the CD or DVD in your CD/DVD drive, this "image" needs to be constructed in a way which can allow it to play automatically. Basically, this is done by containing the image of the disc in an .iso format.

Thus, make sure you download the file ending in .iso from Sourceforge.net, using the link above.

Properly Burning/Mounting Your Live CD

In order to properly make the CD so that it boots with your computer when you start your computer, you must burn the CD image correctly to the disc. If you do not burn it correctly, it will not work and you'll have to just throw away the CD.

The easiest way to burn an .iso image to a CD is using nanother one of my favorite free programs, called MagicIso. This is downloadable from the MagicIso site, which is here:
http://www.magiciso.com/download.htm

MagicIso gives you an option to pay for extra features, but we don't need those extra features. Just go ahead and download and install the FREE version, that's all we'll be needing for this task. Once you've installed MagicIso, just insert your CD, locate the .iso image of GParted which you downloaded earlier, and click to burn the CD image to the CD.

IMPORTANT: Burn the CD at the slowest possible speed! You can choose the speed 1x, and MagicIso should automatically adjust if your CD burner does not support burning at 1x speed.

Prepare To Run The Live CD

Insert the Live CD in your CD drive.
Make sure your old drive to be resurrected is connected (USB)
Reboot your computer.
Your computer should automatically boot into the Live CD instead of Windows.
If not:
When your computer starts to reboot, before Windows starts, press F12 (or whatever will bring up the boot menu), and choose to boot from the CD drive.


Resurrect Your Hard Drive

Once you have booted into GParted, you should see a screen which looked kind of like Linux.
Wait until GParted finishes reading your drives, which might take several minutes.
Choose your old drive from the top right menu.
Right-click the area showing the size of your old hard drive, and choose to Delete everything.
Then click the green arrow saying to make those changes.
If you did this correctly, you should see your old hard drive as having the entire amount of the dirve as colored gray, and it should read "unallocated"

Next, right-click the space which reads "unallocated" and click "Create". This is where you will choose your filesystem.
If you plan on using this in Windows, then I strongly recommend to choose "NTFS", which is the file system for Windows. If you plan to use this in BOTH Windows and MacOSX, then choose the filesystem "Fat32", which is readable by both Windows and MacOSX.
Click the green arrow which says "apply" and wait for it to finish. It should not take very long.

Hopefully at this point everything has worked out, and if so, you now have a perfectly functioning new hard drive to use as either internal or external! Congratulations!

Feel free to leave a comment if this helped you, or if you have a question or need help.