Linux – TheOS.IN

Howto connect MySQL PostgreSQL server to Microsoft Office Application using ODBC

Learn how to connect Microsoft application such as Excel and other to MySQL and PostgreSQL database server running on Linux. This is an excellent information / howto.

In cases where business applications have been built on open source databases, it may be necessary to connect other Windows applications, such as Microsoft Access or Excel, to these databases for reporting or business intelligence purposes.
One potential application of this process is to use Excel as a front-end for data analysis. Data can be pulled from views or tables and then further analyzed, graphed, and the like. Even pivot tables can be used to create even more powerful reporting solutions.
This how-to walks through this process using Excel as an example application. Although in this example, the MySQL and PostgreSQL servers are running on Linux, the steps are no different if the software is running on Windows. These steps are:
1. Setting up authentication
2. Installing the ODBC Drivers
3. Configuring the data source
4. Importing the data.

=> Connecting Office Applications to MySQL and PostgreSQL via ODBC

HowTo: Crack a Windows 7 / XP or Vista Password With Ophcrack Live CD

Ophcrack is a Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a GTK+ Graphical User Interface and runs on Windows, Mac OS X (Intel CPU) as well as on Linux.

There is also article and more screen shots at Lifehacker:
Extremely impressed at the ease and speed with which the Ophcrack Live CD cracked my Windows admin password when I tested it out last a few weeks ago, I thought it might be useful to throw together a quick guide detailing how to use this powerful little utility.

Crack a MS- Windows 7 / XP / Vista password with Ophcrack Live CD

Whether you need to recover the lost password to a Windows account, you’re looking to ensure that your passwords are secure, or you’re a super l33t h4x0r, the Ophcrack Live CD is a pretty useful tool.

Chattr like utility under freebsd

FreeBSD has chflags utility or command which modifies the file flags of the listed files as specified by the flags operand. See tutorial on how to Setup file immutable bit which is just like Linux chatter command. Following are flags

arch: set the archived flag
nodump: set the nodump flag
sappnd: set the system append-only flag
schg: set the system immutable flag
sunlnk: set the system undeletable flag
uappnd: set the user append-only flag
uchg: set the user immutable flag
uunlnk: set the user undeletable flag

Linux worm targets PHP based application

There is news of a worm which uses a vulnerability in the PHPXMLRPC libraries to spread a computer virus. It is called as Linux/Lupper.worm. This is not just Linux or BSD specific it would affect anything that use the PHP. McAfee reports that

This worm spreads by exploiting web servers hosting vulnerable PHP/CGI scripts. It is a modified derivative of the Linux/Slapper and BSD/Scalper worms from which it inherits the propagation strategy. It scans an entire class B subnet created by randomly choosing the first byte from an hard-coded list of A classes and randomly generating the second byte.

WordPress blog software is secure from this attack :D Read the McAfee report here. More coverage is here and here.

/etc/resolve.conf or resolv.conf File Example

The resolv.conf file is the resolver configuration file. It is use to configure client side access to the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). This file defines which name servers to use.

The resolver is a set of routines in the C library that provide access to the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). The resolver configuration file contains information that is read by the resolver routines the first time they are invoked by a process. The file is designed to be human readable and contains a list of keywords with values that provide various types of resolver information

Note: File name is /etc/resolv.conf and not /etc/resolve.conf.

Sample resolv.conf file

Following is an example of resolv.conf file:

search cyberciti.biz nameserver 202.54.1.10 nameserver 202.54.1.11
Where,

search domain.com: The search list is normally determined from the local domain name; by default, it contains only the local domain name. So when you type nslookup www, it will be matched to www.cyberciti.biz
nameserver Name-server-IP-address: Point out to your your own nameserver or to ISP’s name server. Up to 3 name servers may be listed.

But how do I edit the /etc/resolv.conf file?

Use text editor such as vi or gedit from Linux desktop:
# vi /etc/resolv.conf

Default /etc/resolv.conf file

Following file should be work with any ISP in the world :)
# cat /etc/resolv.conf
Output:

nameserver 208.67.220.220
nameserver 208.67.222.222

For more information see How to Setup Linux as DNS client.

Why Linux Wont Replace Windows

A well written article using the motorcycle/car metaphor on why linux will never need to replace windows. It is a must read for any user who wish to switch to Linux. Basically it compare Linux and windows side by side with different examples, which makes picture perfectly clear.
Full article here

Dells PC for open-source OS

Dell’s E510n PC comes with no operating system installed and is geared for customers who want to use open-source software such as Linux. This is really a good news for people like me because we can install whatever we want and the cost will remains low. See photo here and full article here. Also note that few days back Dell Released its First Linux Consumer Product with Mandriva

How do I install Java Run Time (JRE) environment for Firefox?

First visit Sun java site and download latest JRE for Linux. You can download RPM or self-extracting file. All the information to install JRE is on same page, just follow it. Once you downloaded and installed the JRE, you need to restart FireFox and Test your JRE installation.

My Linux Teaching experience

No one is born knowing how to live. Knowledge comes with learning. I’m a teacher and as they said ‘No teacher is without fault’ and there is no such thing as a perfect guru.

Teaching Linux, I have come realise that people are receptive to criticism and advice much more than we believe them to be. As a teacher I need to guide student, and not to shout at him/her or call him/her an idiot when she makes a mistake. I have to always start where he/she is and work from that position. Only then I can create an urge in him to know more. Oh boy, when I see my students moving faster than me and masters the art, it gives me more happiness.

And that is why I share knowledge with others via this tiny site/forum. Freely sharing knowledge with others has two distinct advantages.

* By helping others to improve, I can contribute to the growth of Linux and to the growth of others.
* Shearing knowledge helps me too. To be frank it improves my own understanding as I attempt to teach others and always challenged by their questions.

I hope others can learn something from my experience and contribute back to Linux and your good teaching will helps others.