Akom's Tech Ruminations

Continue reading "Jenkins Windows Slaves cannot install JDK"

1. Using openjdk 7 (although I have 7 and 8 installed, 8 is default, and I removed oracle java - but the browser plugin still runs 7)
2. Follow Option 1 from http://askubuntu.com/a/623397/238077
3. If you are missing libxmu6, install the 32 bit version: sudo apt-get install libxmu6:i386 (this is actually mentioned in the answer, but I missed it)
4. Firefox should now support webex

1. Clear out your ~/.mozilla ... True, you may not need to, but I did. Start firefox once, then exit.
2. Install pipelight
3. Enable flash in pipelight (I wound up doing this globally and for current user, not sure which one did it
4. Install the VMware client integration plugin (if you did before, uninstall and reinstall). That's the download you get on the bottom of the vSphere login page
5. Start firefox and see if it works. If not, fiddle with the plugins (under extensions). You may see two versions of flash. I was not able to disable 11.2 from the UI without also disabling version 18 from pipelight - so I wound up deleting /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so (but you can also apt-get remove flashplugin-installer)
6. Explicitly go to extensions again and switch all VMware items to "Always Activate"
7. Restart firefox over and over throughout the process

1. Create a puppet custom fact with installed tool info
2. Use it from a puppet template

Continue reading "Maven toolchains and puppet"

xdg-mime default vlc.desktop x-scheme-handler/mms

xdg-mime default totem.desktop x-scheme-handler/mms

class my_alternatives {


  # Manipulates alternatives using update-alternatives.
  # Supports RHEL, Centos and Suse.
  # Ubuntu not tested (yet).
  #
  # If multiple matches are available, picks the first one.
  #
  # There is rudimentary alternatives support in the java class,
  # but it's rather limited and doesn't support most platforms and java versions.
  define update (
    $item = $title,   # the item to manage, ie "java"
    $versiongrep,     # string to pass to grep to select an alternative, ie '1.8' (1.8.*openjdk would also work)
    $optional = true,  # if false, execution will fail if the version is not found
    $altcmd   = 'update-alternatives' # command to use
  ) {

    case $::osfamily {
      'RedHat','SuSE': {


        if ! $optional {
          # verify that we have exactly 1 matching alternatives, unless it's optional
          exec { "check alternatives for ${item}":
            path    => ['/sbin','/bin','/usr/bin','/usr/sbin'],
            command => "echo Alternative for ${item} version containing ${versiongrep} was not found, or multiple found ; false",
            unless  => "test $(${altcmd} --display ${item} | grep '^/' | grep -- '$versiongrep' | wc -l) -eq 1",
            before  => Exec["update alternatives for ${item} to ${versiongrep}"],
          }
        }

        # Runs the update alternatives command
        #  - unless it reports that it's already set to that version
        #  - unless that version is not found via grep
        exec { "update alternatives for ${item} to ${versiongrep}":
          path    => ['/sbin','/bin','/usr/bin','/usr/sbin'],
          command => "${altcmd} --set ${item} $( ${altcmd} --display ${item} | grep '^/' | grep -- '$versiongrep' | head -n 1 | sed 's/ .*$//' ) ",
          unless  => "test -x \"$(${altcmd} --display ${item} | grep 'currently points' | grep -- '$versiongrep' | awk '{print \$NF}')\"",
          onlyif  => "${altcmd} --display ${item} | grep '^/' | grep -- '$versiongrep' ", # check that there is one (if optional and not found, this won't run)
        }

      }

      # Leave Ubuntu alone, this probably won't work there anyway


    }
  }

}
 

[Service]
Type=simple
User=some_user
# Process the normal environment files for this user by starting a login shell
# and outputting it all in a temp file.  This makes it compatible
# with the non-systemd init scripts that still rely on .bashrc
ExecStartPre=/bin/bash --login -c 'env > /tmp/.magic-environment-file'
ExecStart=SERVICE_COMMAND
EnvironmentFile=-/tmp/.magic-environment-file
 

Continue reading "Getting a systemd unit to read your .bashrc file for its environment"

1. Set the upload bandwidth (Traffic Shaper->By Interface->WAN). This may be optional if using the default PRIQ mode
2. Create a rule to match Google Hangouts traffic. According to this helpful post, the UDP ports hangouts uses are 19302-19309 (I'm assuming that outbound UDP is open). Therefore we create a new "match" type firewall rule with these ports as destination and assign them to the voip queue. Here is an example of a Floating rule to do that:
   

   Example Floating Rule
3. For SIP (if you have SIP devices or softphones), you can make a Layer 7 rule (Traffic Shaper -> Layer 7) that assigns sip traffic to the voip queue

nmcli r wifi off
nmcli r wifi on

Continue reading "Wifi doesn't work after resume from suspend in Ubuntu 15.04 (Dell Latitude E4310)"

Although I wrote a somewhat harsh review of the PetSafe Simply Clean Litterbox on Amazon, I still felt that there was some potential to this thing. What I wanted most from it was a very low maintenance experience, and having to empty the waste bin every 3 days simply didn't seem to qualify. When I go on vacation (and please don't start a neglect flame war over this) I leave the cats alone - monitored by 4 cameras, auto feeder, 5 gallon water dispenser and many litter boxes. I don't want to bother relatives with the long drive to come over just to clean cat poo, and my cats do not take well to being moved. Or to strangers. Or to basically anything besides the quiet at-home life that is exactly like yesterday.

Therefore, what I'm looking for is a larger waste bin. The litterbox doesn't handle capacity problems well - it backs up, jamming up against the chute cover, making a mess and eventually just shutting itself off. What I need to do is to create a jam-resistant path for the waste to go, somewhat like this patent here. The idea is good but it seems a bit too complex for my taste, and of course it is intended for a rectangular raking box like the LitterMaid. So, I chose to do the simplest and most reliable thing I could think of.

Continue reading "Increasing capacity of the PetSafe Simply Clean Litter box"

Running rpm_check_debug
ERROR with rpm_check_debug vs depsolve:
rpmlib(FileDigests) is needed by my-rpm-1.0.x86_64
rpmlib(PayloadIsXz) is needed by my-rpm-1.0.x86_64

                <plugin>
                    <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                    <artifactId>rpm-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                    <version>2.1-alpha-3</version>
                    <configuration>

                      <!-- skipping irrelevant items -->

                        <defineStatements>
                            <!-- don't strip jar files, it takes forever and is useless -->
                            <defineStatement>__os_install_post %{nil}</defineStatement>
                            <!-- for Centos6 -> Centos5 forwards compatibility -->
                            <defineStatement>_source_filedigest_algorithm md5</defineStatement>
                            <defineStatement>_binary_filedigest_algorithm md5</defineStatement>
                            <defineStatement>_source_payload w9.bzdio</defineStatement>
                            <defineStatement>_binary_payload w9.bzdio</defineStatement>
                        </defineStatements>

                   </configuration>
                </plugin>
 

1. Files
2. Databases and email forwarders

1. FTP account using recursive wget (create an FTP account with required access and teach an ftp client of your choice to recursively transfer everything. Hopefully this client skips unchanged files)
2. WebDAV using rsync (this is what I'm using). Just mount, back up, unmount

1. Submit your login to the log-in page and save cookies
2. Parse the resulting file, find the backup link which includes your session name in the URL and hit that
3. Only accept .gz files (DB backups and email stuff), but avoid hitting /logout, and don't start spidering the entire website

Continue reading "Backing up cPanel 11 hosted account with wget and dav/rsync"

alias1: host host host
alias2: host host host

Continue reading "mssh Bash completion "

Lawmowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, generators, trimmers (even motorcycles) ... I have all of these, but, obviously, they are used seasonally. That means that they spend a fair amount of time sitting around. While most preventative maintenance advice tends to focus on the maintenance of frequently used engines, I find that it is the stored machines that get overlooked. Therefore:

Preventing In-Storage Problems in just 2 steps

1. Stabilize Your Fuel

   While people will tell you that gasoline doesn't usually break down, that's not true in my experience. After sitting around in your carburetor for a few months, the fuel does and will separate. The issue here is that one part of it will literally varnish the surfaces, either sticking moving parts together, or restricting flow. The result? Popping, backfiring, or an engine that will only run with the choke on (if it runs at all). The only solution is to take the carb apart and clean everything - perhaps even changing the seals and needle seat. In the ideal world you'd have no fuel in the carburetor at all during storage, but since you're unlikely to get it all out, this is the next best thing.
   
   

   In other words:

   • Simply add fuel stabilizer of your choice (eg Stabil) to gasoline the day you buy gasoline, and use only treated gas in seasonally used engines.
   • When you shut off the engine before storage (or any time), let it run out of fuel - either shut off the valve, or use up what's in the tank if you have no valve.
   
   
   

2. End-of-season Oil Change

   Oil absorbs byproducts of combustion, which are acidic. The more the engine runs, the more acidic the oil becomes. This acidic medium, coupled with 6 months in storage means corrosion risk to all the lubricated engine surfaces.
   
   

   In other words:

   • Simply change the oil when the season is over - spring for snowblowers, fall for lawnmowers, etc.
     Warm up the engine, let it run out of fuel (see above), then change the oil. Don't start it again before storage.

That's it - you'll have years of reliable service from your engines. It's amazing how many people overlook these two steps that can and do prevent so many issues. I used a trashed lawnmower for 8 more seasons after I found it by following these steps. I've had my snowblower 12 years and it always starts on the first pull. Speaking of snowblowers, see also how to change oil without making a mess.

But wait, what about spark plugs? Air filters?

In my experience, on occasionally used engines, spark plugs never actually wear out. They can get fouled from improper carburetor adjustment or over-priming, but when the system is functioning properly - a good quality plug might outlast the engine. Go ahead and change it if it makes you feel better, but I've run my lawnmower weekly on the same plug for 8 seasons and it still looks and works just fine. As for air filters - that's another story, but their maintenance has nothing to do with seasonal use. Every once in a while it's good to check that the filter is clean enough to let some air through and that it's not torn so it's not letting dirt into the carb. Otherwise, I tend to leave them alone.

1. Download and install the same version as what you're running on the larger card
2. Restore your config.xml backup onto the new instance of pfSense. You can do this through webconfigurator, or if you are (like me) running on a temporary rig without multiple NIC's, you can scp it over manually
3. Confirm that the system boots, but don't make any changes (to the interfaces, for instance). Put the card into your real system
4. Now you can use the auto-updater as normal, and your old config.xml will be upconverted