“Last weekend, I had The Conversation for the 3,897th time—and this time, it took place in central London just two roads away from the hospital where I was born.” Where is Ariane Sherine really from? We should be told.
www.guardian.co.uk
posts by edafe
06/03/2010
It may not be racist, but it’s a question I’m tired of hearing
26/01/2010
If the bike fits…
“Following on from last week’s show on well-being, we look at the importance of getting a good fit between rider and machine.” Scherritt Knoesen and Jack Thurston talk about finding the right position on your bike.
thebikeshow.net
08/01/2010
Redirecting mail for the local root user
postfix is Ubuntu’s default mail transfer agent (MTA) and can be configured to deliver mail using a relay host that requires SMTP authentication.
Get the necessary packages with the following command:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install postfix mailx
Begin to configure your postfix installation by choosing satellite system as the general type of configuration. Enter the local machine name as the mail name (eg mycomputer.edafe.org) and the SMTP server address of your email service provider as the SMTP relay host (eg smtp.relayhost.com).
Edit the file /etc/postfix/main.cf and add the following:
smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
smtp_sasl_security_options =
relay_domains =
Create the file /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd and make the following entries:
smtp.relayhost.com user:password
Substitute smtp.relayhost.com with the address of the SMTP relay host and user:password with your login details.
Continue by executing the following three commands:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo chown root.root /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo chmod 600 /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo postmap hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
Instruct postfix to reload its settings with the following command:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/postfix reload
Making changes to the alias table
The aliases table provides a system-wide mechanism to redirect mail for local recipients.
Edit the file /etc/aliases to contain the following entries:
postmaster: root
root: user@yourdomain.com
Substitute user@yourdomain.com with the email address that you would like mail for the root user to be redirected to.
Finally, update /etc/aliases.db using the following command:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo newaliases
Mail for the local root user from now on will automatically be forwarded to user@yourdomain.com , using smtp.relayhost.com as the relay host.
www.postfix.org, help.ubuntu.com
30/12/2009
Is aviation security mostly for show?
“Despite fearful rhetoric to the contrary, terrorism is not a transcendent threat. A terrorist attack cannot possibly destroy a country’s way of life; it’s only our reaction to that attack that can do that kind of damage.” In the wake of last week’s failed bombing of an airplane over Detroit, Bruce Schneier asks us to leverage the inherent strengths of our democracies.
edition.cnn.com
29/12/2009
Monitoring hard disks with smartmontools
SMART stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology and is built into most modern hard disks. The smartd daemon is part of smartmontools and monitors a disk’s SMART data for any signs of hardware problems.
SMART is available with Parallel and Serial ATA disks, drives appearing as either /dev/hd* or /dev/sd*, respectively. Use the following command to obtain relevant information for your system:
user@ubuntu:~$ df -hl
If required, start by configuring postfix to redirect mail for the local root user.
Get the necessary packages with the following command:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install smartmontools mailx
Configuring smartd
Edit the file /etc/smartd.conf and comment out any lines beginning with DEVICESCAN.
If you are using a netbook or a laptop, add the following line for the smartd daemon to monitor the device /dev/sda:
/dev/sda -a -d ata -n standby -o on -S on -m root -M daily -M test
If you are using a desktop or a server, add the following line for the smartd daemon to monitor the device /dev/hda:
/dev/hda -a -d ata -n never -o on -S on -s (L/../../7/04|S/../.././02) -m root -M daily -M test
See man smartd.conf for more information on how to tailor the operation of smartd to your needs.
Starting smartd
Edit the file /etc/default/smartmontools and uncomment the line containing start_smartd=yes.
Restart the smartd daemon with the following command:
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/smartmontools restart
Verify that the local root user has received a test message from the smartd daemon.
From now on, the smartd daemon will monitor the disk and, in the event of impending disk failure, alert the local root user by email.
20/12/2009
How constant beatings have caught up with campaigner Peter Tatchell
“Only Peter Tatchell could be so enraged by something that is meant to calm him down. But as he grapples with the complicated security locks on his front door to let me out, it strikes me that perhaps the rest of us are lucky that he cares enough to carry on fighting, whatever the cause.” Elizabeth Day talks to Peter Tatchell, a man deserving of some respect.
www.guardian.co.uk
22/10/2009
1.3 million reasons to re-invent the syringe
“25 years ago I read a newspaper article which said that one day syringes would be one of the major causes for the transmission of AIDS. I thought this was unacceptable so I decided to do something about it.” Marc Koska’s K1 syringe improves on an old design.
www.ted.com
29/09/2009
OpenDocument software
“This is an overview of software support for the OpenDocument format, an open document file format for saving and exchanging editable office documents.”
en.wikipedia.org
09/08/2009
Cannondale Cross XR 7
Cannondale Cross XR 7 08, wheels Mavic C29ssmax, fork Trigon XC06A, front brake Avid Juicy Ultimate 160 mm, rear brake Avid Juicy Ultimate 140 mm, chainset SRAM Rival 180 mm, chain SRAM PC1090, pedals Crankbrothers Egg Beater SL, seat post Easton EC90, saddle Selle Italia SLR, bar Easton EC90, tyres Schwalbe Kojak 28 x 1.35, weight 8.5 kg
27/06/2009
Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals
“When we look at the pattern, one thing comes out very clearly. People say HIV is very high in Africa. I would say, HIV is very different in Africa.” Using Gapminder World, Hans Rosling empowers you to think more clearly about the the ways in which HIV impacts on Africa and the wider world.
www.ted.com
20/06/2009
Introduction to OpenOffice.org 3.1
“This is a quick introduction to some of the new features in OpenOffice.org 3.1.”
youtube.com
03/06/2009
Desktop Linux for the Windows power user
“As a lifelong Windows user, system builder, ex-gamer, and performance freak, I’m not drinking anyone’s Kool-Aid. I just want the most amount of control over my system as possible, and at this point in time, Ubuntu is the best follow-up to Windows XP.” Adam Overa walks the Windows user through the Ubuntu installation process from downloading the CD image to finding help online.
www.tomshardware.com
02/06/2009
How VoIP works
“VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, you’re bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely.” Robert Valdes and Dave Roos would like to change the way you communicate.
www.howstuffworks.com
31/05/2009
After Iraq, it’s not just North Korea that wants a bomb
“The idea that there is something irrational in North Korea’s attempt to acquire nuclear weapons is clearly absurd. This is, after all, a state that has been targeted for regime change by the US ever since the end of the cold war, included as one of the select group of three in George Bush’s axis of evil in 2002, and whose Clinton administration guarantee of ‘no hostile intent’ was explicitly withdrawn by his successor.” Seumas Milne identifies the single greatest driver of nuclear proliferation.
www.guardian.co.uk
25/05/2009
OpenOffice.org 3.1: the next generation
“The latest version of the open-source office suite OpenOffice.org 3.1 has just arrived, and it’s a good one. While some of the improvements are visible to the naked eye, I found that the most important changes were hidden under the hood.” Steven J Vaughan-Nichols takes the latest OpenOffice.org release for a spin.
www.computerworld.com