sikor linux blog

You hear it all the time from writers and your geek friends: “You should back up your computers.” Well, here’s one more geek to bug you about it again, but also to give some help.

This article describes the method that I use to back up my home Linux systems. It’s an easy method for a non-technical Linux user to back up her important data. We’ll discuss the decisions you have to make in order to do a thorough backup.

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via linuxjournal.com

It’s a given that all disks eventually die, and it’s easy to see why. The platters in a modern disk drive rotate more than a hundred times per second, maintaining submicron tolerances between the disk heads and the magnetic media that store data. Often they run 24/7 in dusty, overheated environments, thrashing on heavily loaded or poorly managed machines. So, it’s not surprising that experienced users are all too familiar with the symptoms of a dying disk. Strange things start happening. Inscrutable kernel error messages cover the console and then the system becomes unstable and locks up. Often, entire days are lost repeating recent work, re-installing the OS and trying to recover data. Even if you have a recent backup, sudden disk failure is a minor catastrophe.
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via pcworld.com

External hard drives aren’t as fast as internal models, but they are great for backups and are easy to install. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

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via pcworld.com

Need more storage? The top-ranked internal hard drives will fill the bill. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

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via lifehacker.com

Whether you want to watch a movie on your iPod or back up your too-easily-scratched DVDs, DVD ripping is a mysterious realm for many. Even those in-the-know find it difficult to keep up with the best tools for the job, especially in the face of increased copy protection.

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• “Discover python” series
• “Charming python” series
• Python for system administrators

more on python.org

via siltala.net

I have been using p3nfs to mount my Nokia 9300 and later the E70, and it has worked pretty well. However, all this time the fuse and bluez hackers and Nokia’s open source team have been busy behind my back and provide a couple of alternative solutions.

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In July and August 2007  109 learning professionals shared their Top 10 favourite tools for learning (both for their personal learning as well as for creating learning) From these lists we compiled this Top 100 Tools for Learning 2007.  100 Tools received 3 or more mentions and a further 50 Tools received 2 mentions.  Follow a Tool link to read why contributors chose the tool.

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LPIC – Linux Professional Institute Certification – http://www.lpi.org

• http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/lpi/
• http://www.happy-monkey.net/LPI/
• http://www.nongnu.org/lpi-manuals/
• http://www.examnotes.net/LPI-certification.html
• http://gnosis.cx/publish/programming/exam101.html
• http://gnosis.cx/publish/programming/exam102.html
• http://www.linux-praxis.de/lpisim/lpi.html
• Google Books – LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell By Steven Pritchard

via cb.vu

This document is a collection of Unix/Linux/BSD commands and tasks which are useful for IT work or for advanced users. This is a practical guide with concise explanations, however the reader is supposed to know what s/he is doing.

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via insidecrm.com

A webmaster’s work is never done. What may have worked a few years ago when could be outdated today, so it’s important to constantly improve your Web site. However, a massive overhaul is just too much work to undertake at one time. Instead, tackle these quick fixes over time, and you’ll be able to improve your Web site with minimal pain.

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This website provides tutorials and sample course content so CS students and educators can learn more about current computing technologies and paradigms. In particular, this content is Creative Commons licensed which makes it easy for CS educators to use in their own classes.

• AJAX Programming
• Distributed Systems
• Web Security
• Languages (C++, Java, Python)
• Tools 101 (mysql, scm)

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via sixrevisions.com

There comes a point in time where we want to improve our website’s interface or provide a captivating experience that our users will remember.
We have three main options (from hardest to easiest): write the scripts ourselves, use a JavaScript framework such as jQuery or mootools (which will make coding easier), use a pre-made script that works with existing JavaScript frameworks or that the author has developed from scratch. This article’s for the individuals who chooses to make things a bit easier and those who don’t want to re-invent the wheel.
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via enterprisenetworkingplanet.com

Last week we covered what Linux software RAID is good for and not good for, and hardware RAID vs. software RAID. In a nutshell it’s about getting good performance for just the cost of ordinary inexpensive drives and controllers, and either increasing uptimes or speeding up performance, or a bit of both. It is not a substitute for the usual sensible failsafes like regular backups, power protection, and terrorizing users into following … I mean “enforcing sane security policies.”

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via linux.com

Perhaps the number one reason why people neglect to back up their desktops is the lack of workable solution. It can be difficult to find a method configurable enough to suite everyone’s needs. One promising answer may be Restore, an application for enterprise and data center backup for Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix/Linux systems. It is GPLv2-licensed and freely available to download as a set of Debian/Ubuntu packages, virtual machine, or 455MB installable live CD.

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via linux-watch.com

Opinion — If you need to repair PCs, even if you don’t use Linux as a rule, you should have a Linux repair CD. These self-booting Linux distributions give you all the software tools you need to bring all but the deadest computers back to life. The best of these distributions is, hands-down, SystemRescueCd.
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via news.com 

If you travel across national borders, it’s time to customs-proof your laptop.

Customs officials have been stepping up electronic searches of laptops at the border, where travelers enjoy little privacy and have no legal grounds to object. Laptops and other electronic devices can be seized without reason, their contents copied, and the hardware returned hours or even weeks later.

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via linux.com

The /proc directory is a strange beast. It doesn’t really exist, yet you can explore it. Its zero-length files are neither binary nor text, yet you can examine and display them. This special directory holds all the details about your Linux system, including its kernel, processes, and configuration parameters. By studying the /proc directory, you can learn how Linux commands work, and you can even do some administrative tasks.

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via linux.com

There comes a time, right after you burn your 137th MP3 CD, when you start feeling the need to establish a system for finding all the songs you treasure so much. It’s the same with movies, application kits, books, and music — you need software that lets you index your media quickly and output detailed search results. Here’s a selection of Linux applications you can use to ease your work.

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via sixrevisions.com

As a web developer, if you’re to be successful, you have to have a constant yearning for learning new things. In an industry that evolves rapidly, you’ve got to keep up or you risk being obsolete and outdated. Keeping up with trends, weeding out the fads, and adopting new techniques to your web-building arsenal is an essential part of being a web developer.

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