Whats That?

Tether Huawei U7519 Wind Mobile Linux

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:24:01 -0500

Recently I bought a Huawei U7519 phone on the Wind Mobile service. The phone tethers using Windows but what use is that to me? Here is how I made it work using Linux.

As root:

echo "option" >> /etc/modules

edit /etc/rc.local and add before exit 0: echo '12d1 101e' > /sys/bus/usb-serial/drivers/option1/new_id

Download and install the software as per the instructions at this link: http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/

You should be able to plugin your device and will have a /dev/ttyUSB0 (which you can confirm with ls /dev/ttyU*

Now you can right click your NetworkManager in the panel and edit connections > mobile broadband > add t-mobile internet then edit that profile like so: mobile broadband > apn = internet.windmobile.ca

also edit PPP and deselect allow bsd .. and deselect allow deflate

You can also select connect automatically on the mobile broadband tab.

Surfs up!

After Ontario LinuxFest 2009

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0400

We kicked off Friday night with a welcome party at the hotel. I had some great conversations with fellow speakers and attendees, sharing the cool things we are working on as well as a few drinks and some appetisers.opinions

Richard Weait, one of the event organisers, introduced himself to me and did a fine job of making me feel welcome and appreciated, as he did throughout the event. Hell, he even helped me load-in on Saturday morning!

Many attendees flocked to our OpenSolaris booth, where we were handing out the brand new ZFS Administration Guide, which went like hotcakes, OpenSolaris CDs and Getting Started Guide. Thanks to Teresa Giacomini and the great team at Sun. A number of people came by whom I helped with installs (bare metal & virtualbox). Questions abounded from both noobs and Solaris veterans. Of course the ubiquitous "How is the Oracle/Sun deal going to affect OpenSolaris?" came up many times .. too bad I didn't have a copy of this FAQ: http://www.oracle.com/us/sun/038563.pdf to elaborate, though my opinions answered similarly.

Later in the afternoon I gave my presentation "Why OpenSolaris?" to a full room (about 70 people). After my slides we engaged in a Q & A session, followed by some door prizes (provided by our great event organisers) for two questions I culled from my talk. They were both answered correctly and quickly. Glad to see everyone was paying attention! For those that came by our booth after, I gave the remaining OpenSolaris t-shirts.

A great dinner was put on for the speakers Saturday evening, with the Google sponsored party following (thanks for the GoogleBooze!), where we all had a chance to continue some great conversations.

This was an excellent experience and highly recommended .. can't wait for Ontario LinuxFest 2010!

SXCE to OpenSolaris Migration on Sparc

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:25:00 -0400

With SXCE EOL coming up fast and the AI not quite up to speed (for this instance at any rate), I've cobbled together and carried out a migration of a Sun e220r sparc box from SXCE.

I used quite abit from Edward Pilatowicz's blog and also Alex Eremin's blog . I altered/diverged to suit my needs as well due to things changing rapidly in OpenSolaris.

I built IPS from the gate, more details on IPS and the mercurial url here: http://opensolaris.org/os/project/pkg/ . With that installed proceeded to create an new root pool on a separate disk.

I utilized the following from Edward's blog, where I've diverged/changed I have commented out the original and noted beside my change:

# we're going to do our install in /a
PKG_IMAGE=/a; export PKG_IMAGE

# mount our zpool on /a
mkdir -p $PKG_IMAGE
mount -F zfs rpool/ROOT/opensolaris $PKG_IMAGE
mkdir -p $PKG_IMAGE/opt
mount -F zfs rpool/ROOT/opensolaris/opt $PKG_IMAGE/opt

# create the basic opensolaris install image.
#pkg image-create -F -a opensolaris.org=http://pkg.opensolaris.org $PKG_IMAGE
pkg image-create -f -F -a opensolaris.org=http://pkg.opensolaris.org/dev $PKG_IMAGE # Sparc requires the dev repos
#pkg refresh
pkg -R $PKG_IMAGE refresh --full # We're not clobbering our original or changing it so the next few are mine too
pkg -R $PKG_IMAGE install entire
pkg -R $PKG_IMAGE install SUNWcsd SUNWcs
pkg -R $PKG_IMAGE install babel_install

# seed the initial smf repository
cp $PKG_IMAGE/lib/svc/seed/global.db $PKG_IMAGE/etc/svc/repository.db
chmod 0600 $PKG_IMAGE/etc/svc/repository.db
chown root:sys $PKG_IMAGE/etc/svc/repository.db

# setup smf profiles
ln -s ns_files.xml $PKG_IMAGE/var/svc/profile/name_service.xml
ln -s generic_limited_net.xml $PKG_IMAGE/var/svc/profile/generic.xml
ln -s inetd_generic.xml $PKG_IMAGE/var/svc/profile/inetd_services.xml
ln -s platform_none.xml $PKG_IMAGE/var/svc/profile/platform.xml

After that I finished with:

echo "rpool/ROOT/opensolaris - / zfs - no -" >> $PKG_IMAGE/etc/vfstab

echo "rpool/ROOT/opensolaris/opt - /opt zfs - yes -" >> $PKG_IMAGE/etc/vfstab

devfsadm -r $PKG_IMAGE

bootadm update-archive -R $PKG_IMAGE

installboot -F zfs /platform/$(uname -i)/lib/fs/zfs/bootblk /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0s0

Copying relevant networking, passwd, ssh keys, etc. files from the running SXCE system to $PKG_IMAGE, I successfully booted to my OpenSolaris install and tweaked from there.

Presenting at Ontario GNU Linux Fest 2009

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:05:00 -0400

We just firmed up the plans and I will be speaking in Brian's stead , as Brian is already presenting at the Florida Linux Show on the same date:
http://www.floridalinuxshow.com/index.php?pr=Brian_Leonard

This is at the kick-off event of Open Source Week in Toronto . I'm looking forward to the event and the opportunity to speak on OpenSolaris!

Here's my speaker link: http://onlinux.ca/node/123

Everyone that can make it to the 'Fest should, very cool stuff.

Toronto Opensolaris @ Linux Fest

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:56:36 -0400

Hi all,

A heads up: Saturday, 24 October 2009 (plus additional fun stuff on the Friday night previous and Sunday following)
Check out: http://onlinux.ca ; check here: http://onlinux.ca/venue for the directions ; and here for about: http://onlinux.ca/about
Anyone that plans (or can) to attend this is a very cool event and we, <TOROSUG> will be there. I'd like anyone that has the cycles and can pitch in with us to rsvp me.
Looking forward to this!

--
Cheers,

Steven
-----------------------
Steven Acres
Toronto OpenSolaris User Group <TOROSUG>
Leader
http://opensolaris.org/os/project/torosug

Global OSUG Leaders Conference Call

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:45:00 -0400

We had a great conference call early this morning. For the OSUG leaders unaware of these calls, here's how it works: We set a date and have 2 calls at different times. We've been rotating these through various times of the day to give leaders in different timezones a chance to chime in. For example, we had today @ at 12am Friday, 2009-09-25 UTC and another at 7am UTC. The call-in numbers (toll-free) are provided by Sun via Teresa Giacomini. We had leaders from Australia, Japan, US, Germany and Canada present. We hold the calls simultaneously with our IRC channel irc://irc.freenode.net/#opensolaris-ugs (which translates to: #opensolaris-ugs on irc.freenode.net).
Discussions have included: topics for group meetings, live video linking between Adelaide and Japan group meetings, ways to promote & build groups, special events and more. Contact me for more info: Steven Acres, swa@opensolaris.org. Join in!

OpenSolaris Virtualbox Guest and NFS

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:47:37 -0400

I came up against an issue mounting via nfs from a Linux host to an OpenSolaris virtualbox guest (see this post for automounting nfs on OpenSolaris). Checking the host's logs revealed the issue: mountd: [...] refused mount request [..] illegal port.

This is seemingly caused due to the natted connection between guest and host. Adding (insecure) in the host's /etc/exports line for this export enabled the guest to successfully mount the nfs share.

Torosug and Swag .. more

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:05:00 -0400

More pics to come soon.

The 'Bible' that came with the shipment:

OpenSolaris b122 and ATI sb600/700 ahci

http://swattek.pip.verisignlabs.com/ — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:25:00 -0400

Upgrading to the b122 bits on my laptop resulted in a kernel panic and reboots upon boot attempt. See this bug: http://bugs.opensolaris.org/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=6875025

My work-around for this is to boot into my working BE (b121) and do the following:

beadm mount b122 /mnt

copy from /kernel to /mnt/kernel these bits:

/kernel/kmdb/amd64/sata
/kernel/kmdb/sata
/kernel/misc/sata
/kernel/misc/amd64/sata

and these:

/kernel/drv/amd64/ahci
/kernel/drv/ahci

then:

bootadm update-archive -R /mnt

My system then booted successfully to b122.

Google Calendar & Thunderbird 'Lightning'

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:05:00 -0400

I'm blogging on this since I use Thunderbird as my email/calendar client on OpenSolaris (it's the default anyway).

It's easy to enable bi-directional integration of Google Calendar within Thunderbird Lightning, so here it is.

1. I'll save you abit of a chase, download the Google Calendar Provider is here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/4631

2. Now that you have d/l'd the extension, open from Thunderbird: Tools > Add-ons > Extensions > (bottom left corner Install), which will provide you with a window to select the location you downloaded to, select it and you're done installing, other than the restart. On to step 3., the configuration.

3. Now you can add your Google Calendar by going to Calendar > Add new calendar > (select the On the Network radio button) > (select the Google Calendar radio button) and enter the location, which will be the ical link of your google calendar. You will be prompted for your login information.

You should be good to go, go ahead and make a test calendar entry from Lighting and check your Google Calendar via a browser for the test entry.

Who's First?

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:20:51 -0400

Together with Sun's Teresa Giacomini, a number of Global OpenSolaris User Group Leaders and myself we had our first simultaneous IRC/conference calls this last week. Really very rewarding, to see something we've been going back and forth on the OpenSolaris mail-lists come to fruition in a relatively short time.

So what, you may be thinking, it's a conference call .. big deal. Ah, if you notice above I said "Global". When I'm up others are asleep and so on. Yet after a number of back and forth and forth and back emails regarding the time of the call(s) we finalized the dates. Co-operation and community, can you dig it open sourcers!

Talking live to each other was great. We 'scribed from the call to those on IRC unable to call in (there's that co-operation again), vocalizing their written questions & comments back. Good ideas regarding our groups and the framework for our future calls .. even a few jokes. It flowed easily .. other than a recurring question, "Who's first?"

HP dv7 1245ca Bios Flash OpenSolaris

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:56:44 -0400

Before I proceed any further; flashing your bios incorrectly/incompletely CAN and most likely WILL render your machine useless. The information which I am providing worked/works on my specific machine.

Now to the task at hand. Having only OpenSolaris on this machine and wishing to update my bios firmware I had two choices:

use a recovery disc I made after purchase, which would entail installing Vista for the sole purpose of this procedure
use a usb stick with the needed bin on it and flash from that

I chose the latter and here's how I did it:

Download the spXXXXX.exe from hp site
unpack the .exe using cabextract
rename the extension from xxxx.FD to xxxx.BIN /* x = the alphanumeric string proceeding the extension */
insert USB key ; cp xxxx.BIN /media ; umount /media ; shutdown
Remove the battery from the unit
Unplug mains
Hold down 'Windows' and 'B' keys ; re-plug mains and press power button
After the flash completes and before the machine starts, remove the USB key
Done

Toronto OpenSolaris User Group Inaugural Meeting

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:01:40 -0400

The next meeting of Unix Unanimous will be held at 6:45 pm on Wednesday 12 August 2009, in room BA 5256 of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology at 40 St. George Street, on the University of Toronto campus. Map

More info may be found at http://tlug.ss.org/wiki/Unix_Unanimous.

Please direct any questions or concerns to our Mailing List.

Automount NFS OpenSolaris

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:21:04 -0400

Recently setting up a few Opensolaris NFS clients served from Linux exports, I encountered an error:

Jul 24 13:02:53 osolmobil.swatteksystems.com nfs: [ID 435675 kern.warning] 
WARNING: NFS server initial call to 192.168.0.64 failed: Not owner

To fix this, I added entries on the NFS clients like so within /etc/auto_master (unchanged) & /etc/auto_direct files:

_{/-  	/etc/auto_direct}

_{/data		-onosuid,vers=3	192.168.0.64:/data}

Trailer Park Boys Oshawa Show

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:13:23 -0400

The show was well attended and quite funny. The Trailer Park Boys is a hit Canadian tv show (see link). They are currently on tour with their live show under the premise of being sentenced to perform a show warning of the dangers of drug use.

There are a few audience participation portions in the show, one of which is a 'shredding' contest. I was in the front row and got picked for this. Below are some photos.

The show took place Thursday, April 16, 2009 at the GM Center, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada