Run Linux from within MS Windows

The following allow a Linux distro to be run from within MS Windows (no need to reboot). They are all free but each has pros & cons and will have different requirements of the host Windows:

• Ubuntu, via Wubi
• Any Linux LiveCD ISO: MobaLiveCD
• Other options discussed at PendriveLinux
• VirtualBox: don’t install guest OS, just boot the VM with a Linux LiveCD in CD drive

iRiver Music Manager for iFP-790 MP3 player

Gosh I had a heck of a time transfering files from my old MP3 player, an iRiver iFP-790, to my PC running Windows XP SP3. First problem: I had a .zip download that I had saved on my machine from when I bought the device 5 years ago, it was for Music Manager 3.16. I ran the installer but some error messages appeared (several of them, clicked OK on each one); the Manager got installed nonetheless but when I plugged in my iFP-790, it wasn’t recognized.

So then I tried to locate a newer version of Music Manager. Most google hits pointed to sites that google warned against visiting due to infested with malware; other hits of repository sites had the link to the Manager removed due to target site being infected; the iRiver.com website did not provide any downloads for the ifp-790 (actually it did but not under that category — read on!).

Eventually I noticed via some links that the iFP-790 probably was same as N10 and T10 models. So I returned to the iRiver.com/support site and searched for the models=N10. One came up for the Music Manager, but on the corresponding page, there was nothing to download! I cleared the N10 entry and just entered the words “music manager” in right-most box, and left all other entries to default. This showed a few hits, one of them being for Music Manager 3..21, hurray!

Installation of v3.21 showed same error messages popping up. I started the manager to see if anything would work. It ran ok but when I connected the MP3 player, I got the “new hardware found” pop-ups in the system tray and the “new hardware found” wizard window show up. I agreed to let Windows find the drivers and lo and behold, after a few seconds, the Music Manager showed “connected” and the folders/files showed up, hurray! I thought the Wizard had nothing to do with it because it eventually showed that installation of the drivers failed. So I exited the wizard.

At some point the iFP got disconnected. When I reconnected it, the same “new hardware found” but this time, I just cancelled the Wizard directly. Now the Music Manager would not connect! So for some reason, the Wizard was able to install something, enough for the Manager to connect, but not enough for the Wizard to indicate full success.

Transfering the files over to PC, then conversion to MP3 format, was straightforward.

FARR and launchy for fast search/run on desktop

Launchy nice utility to quickly locate a file by name and “start” it; but found that it consumed too much cpu on my laptop.

Find and Run Robot (FARR) is another such utility. Seems to have plugin capability with a few useful plugins like environment variable search, tineEV, etc. Not tried, but keeping note of it.

VMWare images worth noting

This is copied from http://www.petri.co.il/virtual_top_5_free_vmware_appliances.htm and has NOT been verified (not everyone would necessarily agree that they are the best options for their task):

• Openfiler – a powerful browser based Network Attached Storage appliance. It runs on top of CentOS Linux and supports iSCSI, SMB, NFS, FTP, and other file transfer protocols. You can download the Openfiler NAS appliance here. Openfiler is a free open-source application.
• Nagios – an excellent free open-source network monitoring application using the Groundwork open source network monitor, MySQL, and Suse Linux. You can find the virtual appliance for Nagios here.
• Cacti – a network performance graphing system. This virtual appliance also offers other applications like syslog and SNMP. You can download the free Cacti appliance at this link.
• Fedora Linux – why wait to download it and install it when you can download it “already installed” at this link?

As author says, “there may be multiple versions of these virtual appliances due to how many people can contribute their appliance”. To see all VM’s available for download, go to the Virtual Appliance Marketplace directory.

Upgrading a Bitnami Redmine Stack on Windows

I had to upgrade our BitNami Redmine stack from 0.8.3 to 0.9.4. It should have been very simple, according to the official howto, May 15 update. It ended up requiring a day and a half due to a combination of factors, one being that I also had to clone the virtual machine it was on to another host, another being that I couldn’t remember the MySQL database password so had to find a way to reset it, yet MySQL gave confusing error message, and yet another being that the gap between 0.8.3 and 0.9.4 is quite large so extra steps were necessary.

I followed the steps mentioned on mostly two sites, but with tweaks:

• http://bitnami.org/forums/forums/redmine/topics/fresh-install-of-rs-redmine-how-to-bring-old-db-across
• http://bitnami.org/article/how-to-backup-and-update-the-bitnami-redmine-stack, May 15 update

Several other sites used during process but the clean set of steps follows:

• Backup Redmine database:
  • verify that <bitnami>\mysql\my.ini has correct user/password/port in [mysqladmin] group and that, if using non-standard port, it is set in the [mysqldump] group with a port=# setting
  • open console

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
cmd> cd "\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack"
cmd> scripts\setenv.bat
cmd> mysqladmin --version
mysqladmin  Ver 8.41 Distrib 5.0.51b, for Win32 on ia32
cmd> mysqldump -u root -p bitnami_redmine > redmine_backup.sql
Enter password: ****
cmd> dir redmine_backup.sql
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 4817-9C88
Directory of C:\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack
05/25/2010  04:04 PM         8,491,541 redmine_backup.sql
1 File(s)      8,491,541 bytes
0 Dir(s)   2,283,737,088 bytes free
cmd>

• Stop and uninstall previous Bitnami Redmine Stack services (can do from Start menu)
• Install new Bitnami Redmine stack in NEW location, I chose “C:\Program Files\Bitnami Redmine Stack 094″
  • Download the new Redmine Stack for your platform.
  • Remember username/password, will be used when restoring database
  • Do not enter email address otherwise may get “Email has already been taken” if attempt to change account settings of a Redmine user that has same email address!
  • Setup email settings now or later; old settings are in <old_bitnami>/apps/redmine/config/email.yml
  • Allow redmine to start
  • Confirm Redmine works (visit http://localhost/redmine)
  • Stop new stack; this seems optional but also seems like a good thing to do!
• Open a NEW console for the NEW redmine

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
cmd> cd "\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack 094"
cmd> scripts\setenv.bat

• Create proper database schema to receive old database

cmd> mysql -u root -p
Enter password: ********
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 10
Server version: 5.0.83-community-log MySQL Community Edition (GPL)
Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement.
mysql> show grants;
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Grants for root@localhost                                |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD '426f44267cd6981a' WITH GRANT OPTION |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
mysql> drop database bitnami_redmine;
Query OK, 47 rows affected (0.28 sec)
mysql> create database bitnami_redmine;
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)
mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON bitnami_redmine.* TO 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIE
D BY PASSWORD '216f42268cd5911a';
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
mysql> flush privileges;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
mysql> exit;
Bye

• Restore old Database into new:

cmd> mysql -u root -p bitnami_redmine < "\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack\redmine_backup.sql"
cmd>

• Merge settings from old (C:\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack\apps\redmine\config) into new (C:\Program Files\BitNami Redmine Stack 094\apps\redmine\config). This involves three files:
  • settings.yml: I found that no lines had changed; only new lines added so left the new version untouched.
  • database.yml: left the new version untouched; note: the username is bitnami, rather than the one you selected at installation time; the password is randomly generated by installation tool, it is not a hash.
  • email.yml: if you didn’t setup at installation time, copy file from old stack.
• If you installed additional redmine plugins, you should copy them to the new location. This step is still not clear to me as I didn’t have installed plugins but a whole slew of them are included with the system. I didn’t do anything in this step but the official guide says: You can get the full list of installed plugins in Administration -> Plugins section. The folder is <bitnami>/apps/redmine/vendor/plugins.
• Migrate the data imported to the new schema:

cmd> cd apps\redmine
cmd> rake db:migrate RAILS_ENV=production
.....
.....
cmd> rake db:migrate:upgrade_plugin_migrations RAILS_ENV=production
(in C:/Program Files/BitNami Redmine Stack 094/apps/redmine)
Fixing migration info
Migration info successfully migrated - removing old schema info table
cmd> rake db:migrate_plugins RAILS_ENV=production
(in C:/Program Files/BitNami Redmine Stack 094/apps/redmine)
Migrating engines...
Migrating acts_as_activity_provider...
...
Migrating ruby-net-ldap-0.0.4...

• Clear caches:

cmd> rake tmp:cache:clear
(in C:/Program Files/BitNami Redmine Stack 094/apps/redmine)
cmd> rake tmp:sessions:clear
(in C:/Program Files/BitNami Redmine Stack 094/apps/redmine)

• Copy everything in <old_bitnami>/apps/redmine/files to <new_bitnami/apps/redmine/files
• Start new stack
• Verify that data looks ok: issues, wiki, attachments, projects hierarchy, users

Enjoy your new redmine!

Can’t delete long filenames on Windows XP

This has a good summary: http://www.atot.net/windows-xp/cant-delete-long-file-names. Basically four possibilities:

1. Move the folder
2. If possible rename folder names
3. Use DOS and short file names (ie Name12~1.txt) (use dir /x to see short version)
4. Use special program to delete invalid file (such as DelInvFile)

Only the first method works infallably. The others work sometimes, depending on the details, but I have not tried DelInvFile.

RSIGuard breaktimer: reply to RSIGuard

Ron from RSIGuard was kind enough to offer some possible solutions to my issues with RSIGuard. They are good suggestions, but not sufficient:

1) If you click the BreakTimer on/off button on the main RSIGuard window, it gives you the option of turning the BreakTimer off for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, for the rest of the day, or permanently.

I didn’t remember this, but after trying it, it is not really a workable solution: way too many clicks required, plus if I’m in a meeting I don’t want to have to open the RSIGuard window for people to see etc. I notice that RSIGuard does not have a menu when I right-click on its tray icon, that would be a good place for such setting. Even better would be to have access to this from the BreakTime window that appears when in “polite” mode.

Also good alternative would be a shortcut key that allows to cycle through the 5 settings you mention. This could be done via the hotkeys management you provide IF it were an RSIGuard function available. I also checked the RSIGuard scripting language and couldnt’ find anything that could be used, that would have been an ok solution too.

2) The BreakTimer Filters feature lets you specify that the BreakTimer should not pop-up if certain applications are running or are the frontmost window. Make sure your presentation software has a filter and BreakTimer will never pop up during a presentation.

This helps to some extent but again, only of limited value: I have many programs that I use in my presentations (PowerPoint is only one of them), yet I use the same programs in regular development work so I can’t filter them.

More versatile would be an “activity” status that I could update when needed, to tell RSIGuard what “mode” I’m in, say work vs presentation vs meeting etc. User could assign hot key to cycle between states or just a hotkey for that one particular state (for instance, I would want one hotkey for the “im in a meeting” state which has to be fast and easy to set, but when I’m back at my desk I have more time so I can go through the GUI to change it back to “regular work”).

3) BreakTimer has a setting called “Polite Mode”. …

I use polite mode every so often but I find it frustrating: it is too polite, sometimes I don’t even see it. Plus, the “Break Needed” window is borderless (again, too polite), so the multi-desktop program that I use is unable to copy it to all my desktops (I have four desktops that I switch between with a keyboard shortcut, using a tool like Dexpot).

In polite mode, “Break Needed” should just be popup notification just above the system tray, like other prorgrams do, such as Outlook, Local Area Connection, etc, OR just be a new icon in the system tray, like various updaters use such as Java Update, Windows Update, etc.

I just noticed that when break time is needed, the RSIGuard tray icon blinks. This would be sufficient, and the borderless window could just be removed (provide that as an option in the settings). If you added the right-click to the blinking RSIGuard icon in tray so delay can be set (as per my reply to your item 1) or “activity state” set (as per my reply to your item 1), it may no longer be an issue.

RSI management software

I have used RSIGuard over a few months period with good success: it helped significantly decrease the amount of pain I felt when typing and mousing. RSIGuard is a good program with many good features and configuration options.

One thing that really annoys me though is its lack of configurability for how it reminds you of your break: if I’m using my laptop for a presentation, or I’m in a meeting, or I’m having a discussion with colleagues at my cubicle, I don’t want the darn thing to pop up and start playing a video!

Admittedly, it is not an easy problem to solve: if it is not sufficiently obvious, you just ignore it; if it is too obvious, it becomes obnoxious. But it seems to me that a couple simple things would help:

• it should be possible to configure the reminder window to only show video on demand. Ie separate the reminder from “what to do during the break”, because sometimes I just want to get up and do stuff.
• the reminder should allow for the user to press a key that indicates “wait till I’m done this meeting”. It could be automatically reset every day or half day (since we all need sleep!) to keep us honest.
  • Yes, it is possible that a user could press it at the first reminder every day, but that could easily be logged as part of the extensive stats that the program computes and makes available to user or therapist.
  • So maybe a better solution would be that the key plus the number would be the number of hours expected for meeting, but then sometimes I’d only want 20 minutes no more because in an hour I’ll be in another meeting.
  • So maybe a key that you can press several times to increment or decrement the delay. For instance windows-B and shift-windows-B to increment and decrement, resp, first in blocks of 20 minutes up to an hour, then in blocks of an hour up to 4 hours.
• it should be possible to turn off the reminder for the whole day if necessary, for cases where you will be in a working group or long meeting; you don’t want to change all the settings, just suspend the reminders for a day or two.
• the reminder should appear on all desktop if you use a multi-desktop program like deskpot.

So I searched for other alternatives, and could only come up with 2 that comes close:

• OMNIQUAD’s ErgoSense: but doesn’t seem as advanced as RSIGuard and doesn’t seem to address the above issues so there is no point in changing (eventhough cheaper, $10)
• Break Pal: quite expensive ($10/month) and again, doesn’t seem to address the above issues, and I don’t see myself doing kung fu exercises (which I otherwise would very much like) at my desk

I have not tried either of those two applications so there is a small possibility that they in fact address the issues I raise above but I would be really surprised. Looks like I might have to develop my own…

Quest for Offline WordPress Blog Tool

I’m looking for an application that will speedup editing of WordPress blog on wordpress.com. Something that will show my hierarchy of categories, make it easy to include links to images from other sites, and supports templates.

Currently looking at the tools recommended by sixrevisions:

• Thingamablog: it *is* a blog; ie doesn’t support WordPress offline
• BlogDesk: quite good but a few annoying quirks and limitations (category hierarchy and images)
• Windows Live Writer: excellent in every way, despite lack of support for creating new post from template.
• Bleezer: doesn’t seem to be maintained.
• Post2Blog: unsupported (tech or devel)
• W.bloggar: not maintained (last release was late 2007)
• Flock: this is actually a web-browser with blog-support. Not interested in new browser, very happy with Chrome and Firefox.
• ScribeFire: have to start Firefox (slow — though in practice only minor issue since use Firefox a lot). It had problems finding my blogs from my one WordPress.com account. Not as polished as WLW but probably similar to BlogDesk in its maturity.
• Quamana: it couldn’t find my blog (probably same problem that ScribeFire had).
• Zoundry: better than ScribeFire and BlogDesk, but only second to WLW because a bit more difficult to navigate, couple issues with finding blogs in multi-blog WordPress.com account, etc.

So:

1. 1st place: WLW
2. 2nd place: Zoundry
3. 3rd place: BlogDesk and ScribeFire

Will work with WLW and see how that goes.

Test offline blog editor: Zoundry

Looks like Zoundry will displace the second-positioners (BlogDesk and ScribeFire). The Zoundry interface seems quite polished.

Here is link to an image:

Width/height can be set but not as easily as with WLW.

Issues:

• Category hierarchy flattened.
• Not able to find all my blogs in my WordPress.com account.

Was able to import WLW blog settings! This allowed it to find the blog that couldn’t be found via the wizard.