Category: software

Link: Car Mp3-Player with the Raspberry PI

Everyone likes the Raspberry PI because you can do so much interesting things with it really easy. I ever wanted a own Mp3-Player with a nice display for my car and i tought that the Raspberry would be a good solution to start with. So i bought a Raspberry PI and some other parts to start with my project. After a bit of soldering, getting into the GPIO stuff and wiring all the components together i got the first problems with my project. I overcame all issues and have Listed you a complete tutorial do make this player so if you want to copy it of make a better version of it 🙂 you wont have the same issues i had to build my geek device here.

Full article here:
Car Mp3-Player with the Raspberry PI (Sentcool`s Projects)

Link: Securing Your Asterisk VoIP Server with IPTables

Now that you have set up your personal Asterisk® server, it’s time to secure it. I can’t overstate the importance of this step. Without it, you could be leaving your server’s VoIP and SSH ports open for anyone on the Internet, which is a very bad idea and may cost you a lot of money.

Full article here:
Securing Your Asterisk VoIP Server with IPTables (Lin’s Tech Blog)

Link: Understanding the Linux df And du Commands

Although it is possible to get information about disk usage from within the various Linux desktops, those who are comfortable with the command line can get much greater detail using the df and du commands. With these two commands, not only can you discover details about the free space on the mounted file systems, but you can also see the amount of space used by individual directories.

Full article here:
Understanding the Linux df And du Commands (Make Tech Easier)

If you tried upgrading XBMC under OS X, run a MythTV backend, and get the error “No PVR Client has been started yet”, see this thread

This thread contains information on the buggy XBMC version 12.3 for OS X, and a couple of suggestions for reverting back to XBMC 12.2, which will fix the problem for now.  This issue does NOT appear to be present in Linux versions of XBMC 12.3.

Link: 30 Linux TOP Command Examples With Screenshots

The top command in Linux displays the running processes on the system. One of the most important tools for a system administrator. It is used extensively for monitoring the load on a server. In this article, we explore the top command in detail. The top command is an interactive command. Many commands are available when top is running. We will explore these commands as well.

Full article here:
Unbelievable ! 30 Linux TOP Command Examples With Screenshots (LinOxide)

Link: Do More, Faster In The Linux Terminal With Midnight Commander

This is the program we always install first in any new Linux-based installation, and if for some reason we can’t install it, that system tends to get blown away and replaced by a different version of Linux (or whatever) almost immediately. Not being able to install Midnight Commander is kind of a deal-breaker around here.

File browsing in a Linux terminal is alright, but it could be so much better. Midnight Commander is the program you’re looking for –  it gives you a two-paned file browser that makes working in the terminal so much easier. And the best part? It’s simple to get and use.

Full article here:
Do More, Faster In The Linux Terminal With Midnight Commander (MakeUseOf)

We’ll just add that even some Mac OS X users are apparently lost without Midnight Commander, since an older article on installing it under OS X is still one of the most popular on this site, even though for day-to-day use, we would think that most OS X users would be happier with the more recent versions of XtraFinder, which now includes dual pane functionality (and it’s free!). As for Windows users, there is always the venerable Total Commander.

Link: Raspberry Pi: Tweet My IP (and, how to enable a Raspberry Pi to send tweets)

I intend to put my Raspberry Pies to work as intelligent controllers. As long as they stay at home I can easily keep track of the IP addresses they get from my modem. However as soon as my Pies start roaming the world and get connected to strange networks it is not as simple any more.

This little script will help you determine the IP address the Raspberry Pi has received. As soon as the Raspberry Pi receives an IP address from the network’s DHCP server it will send a Tweet, telling what IP address it has received. It can even tell you with what IP address it is now connected to the internet if you want to.

Full article here:
Tweet My IP (SB-Projects On Line)

Related article from same site: Send Twitter messages (from your Raspberry Pi)

Alternatives to the OS X “Time Machine” program for Ubuntu and other Linux users

Make Tech Easier has a few articles online that mention programs that Ubuntu users (and possibly users of other varieties of Linux) can install that more or less emulate the “Time Machine” feature of Mac OS X. The first article is from back in 2008:

Time machine For Ubuntu? Try Timevault and Flyback

The problem with the software mentioned in that article is that neither has been updated in years. However there is a much newer option, that would probably be the best choice for many users:

Automate Your System Backup With Back In Time

That one backs up your entire system, or anything you tell it to. The is one additional newer option:

Restore Your Linux System to Earlier Date with TimeShift

The problem with that one is that as the article explains, it will “…only backup and protect system files and settings. It doesn’t handle your data and document…” and apparently that’s by design. So if that’s what you’re looking for – and it could be useful, particularly if you like to try the latest and greatest versions of your system software – then go for it.

And yes, we are aware that some experienced Linux users will skip the GUI’s and just create their own backup schedules using rsync, but the problem with that is that a lot of newer Linux users just can’t seem to grasp rsync, nor do they want to. They just want a convenient backup program that’s at least somewhat akin to Time Machine on the Mac. And we’ve previously posted articles or links related to Grsync : Graphical rsync backup tool on Ubuntu (12.10 / 13.04 / 13.10), Redo Backup and GPartEd Live to backup a working system and restore it to a new (possibly larger) drive, and Disaster recovery with MondoRescue. So, there are many options out there for Linux users, and if you have a favorite one that we’ve missed (non-commercial only, please), feel free to leave a comment and let us know!

EDIT: Some additional links we’ve created or come across since this article was originally published:

Easy Linux backup software with Time Machine like functionality | Nuxified.org (TechNotes)
Link: Time Machine for every Unix out there (TechNotes)
Attic – Deduplicating backup program (Ubuntu Geek)
Backing Up on Linux with Duplicity (Linux.com)
Disk ARchive (dar) – “dar is a shell command that backs up directory trees and files, taking care of hard links, Extended Attributes, sparse files, MacOS’s file forks, any inode type (including Solaris Door inodes), etc. It has been tested under Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, MacOS X and several other systems, it is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).”
Relax-and-Recover – “Relax-and-Recover is a setup-and-forget Linux bare metal disaster recovery solution. It is easy to set up and requires no maintenance so there is no excuse for not using it.”
Rsnapshot (Rsync Based) – A Local/Remote File System Backup Utility for Linux (Tecmint)
Time rsYnc Machine (tym) – “A backup utility with the approach popularized by the Time Machine of Apple.”

Link: Raspberry Pi Multi-Room Audio (Mobile/Tablet/PC Controlled)

I have been lurking on Instructables for a few years but have never posted one myself. Now I have bought a home of my own it’s time to undergo some projects and share them with the community.

In my first project I’m going to show you how I setup multi-room audio that can be controlled by any device with a web browser or an app on your Android and/or iOS device.

Full article here:
Raspberry Pi Multi-Room Audio (Mobile/Tablet/PC Controlled) (Instructables)
Be sure to read the comments under the main article because they provide some additional suggestions and insights.