October 2nd, 2010 / No Comments » / by Sean
So there isn’t any straightforward documents on the web as to how to configure a Ubuntu Server to setup SNMP so the device can be monitored in Zenoss Core using the LinuxMonitor zenpack. I tested this on systems running Ubuntu 10.04 and Zenoss 3.0.1.
sudo apt-get install snmpd snmp
sudo vi /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf
Delete everything replace for following line, this is read only of everything and restrict access so that only systems within you IP subnet can access this.
rocommunity public 192.168.0.0/24
sudo vi /etc/default/snmpd
Change the line ending with 127.0.0.1 and change it to 0.0.0.0, so it should read
SNMPDOPTS=’-Lsd -Lf /dev/null -u snmp -g snmp -I -smux -p /var/run/snmpd.pid 0.0.0.0′
sudo /etc/init.d/snmpd restart
Add the system to your Zenoss console under Server/Linux
If you add the system to your Zenoss console and you get a SNMP timeout error make sure you check your /etc/default/snmpd file. The default configuration is somewhat broken and you need to make the change in order to open up SNMP to anything other than localhost.
Posted in: OSS, Technology
Tags: monitoring, OSS, SNMP, ubuntu, zenoss
September 22nd, 2010 / No Comments » / by Sean
So a friend of mine just went live with a site Nitrohawk.com. While I generally avoid such websites I do give him a lot of credit for building up a working Penny Auction site from scratch. And I do know him and I know he is doing everything on the up and up. And this isn’t some internet friend junk I know him in person, and he’s not paying me to post this.
Nitrohawk.com
Coupon code b2ft3d for 20 free bid credits when purchasing any credits.
I actually made up some graphics for him and I built the design for his current faviocn.ico. I’m hoping he uses more of my designs in the future.
Posted in: biz
Tags: biz, business, penny auction
September 22nd, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Sean
Ran into this issue last night. Took me about 2 hours to figure out the simple mistake. I was migrating a Zencart website from one host to another. I was editing the includes/configure.php file to change up the database configuration.
Class ‘notifier’ not found
I kept hitting my head against a wall after seeing this error in the cache/myCONFIG file (applicable in 1.3.9 and newer). And after much searching around you’ll find that references saying that the includes file was perhaps not fully uploaded correctly. However, I finally found my error. In the includes/configure.php…
define(‘DIR_FS_CATALOG’, ‘/var/www/abc123.com/web/’);
The trailing slash at the end of this variable IS REQUIRED. If you get the notifier error check this variable first.
Posted in: Technology
May 24th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Sean
So I’ve encountered an odd problem as of late. I’ve seen this on two Macbooks whom use Clear WiMAX on a regular basis.
Problem
Clear connection manager refuses to connect. Recycling between connection, disconnected and occasionally “An authentication error has occurred”. If you check the Event History Manager you may see the “Connection Error: 67”.
Resolution
Turn off Bluetooth and re-activate it. I can’t really explain it but it would appear Clear Connection Manager has some conflict with Bluetooth on the Macbook. It appears once this is done it should work normally.
Posted in: Blogging, Technology
Tags: bluetooth, Clear, mac os x, wimax
April 25th, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by Sean
So I got my refurbished Dell Vosto V13 Friday. And I have to admit it is a very impressive machine. I have been eyeing this machine ever since it was announced. However, I’m a cheapskate and at least for Dell you can always get a machine cheaper on their outlet site. So I just bided by time until I found the right deal. Low and behold I find the deal on Tuesday and I ordered.
So I wish I took pictures of the machine as I got it. But I have to admit I was rather annoyed. It was sold as “Refurbished” however it really should have been sold as “Scratch & Dent”. There are some significant scratches on the case, and it appears the tech whom refurbishes this particular machine should be fired or given some serious training in quality control. So I booted it up went through the Windows 7 setup and the Wifi wouldn’t connect. So I decided to open up the case. And these are the issues.
- Scratches all over the case, and some looks like a careless tech since it was scratches that originated from the screw holes (i.e. the tech had the screwdriver in place and slipped).
- Wifi antennas were not connected to the card!
- The bottom case was bulging out this was due to the fact that the clips on the back retainer were put on the wrong side.
- 2 of the screws were put in the wrong place. The screws on the back have a smaller head and the fact that there were put on the bottom vs. the back caused slight cracking of the surrounding plastic.
I have purchased several refurbished machines before and I’ve overall been fairly impressed. Occasionally I’ve seen a scratch here and there. But this machine by far was done very badly. I wish I had the foresight to take pictures of the issue before fixing it all (which sum total only took 20 minutes).
Posted in: biz
Tags: customer service, dell, dell outlet
March 25th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Sean
Launching vmpros forum for Virtualization professionals. It’s kind of a stub right now but this will be an ongoing project. So if your interested join the forum and let’s chat.
Posted in: Blogging
Tags: vmpros
March 25th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Sean
Ok while I love the performance of the Ubee PXU1900 modem the entire Clear logo lights up and flashes based on traffic and in a dark room this is incredibly annoying. So I decided to make a little vinyl cover to lessen the brand self awareness and not get seizures.
Before:
After:
Product
Buy here
Posted in: Technology
Tags: cargfx, Clear, ubee oxu1900, vinyl, wimax
March 24th, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Sean
I’ll get a full review up in a couple days but just a quick rundown.
Hardware
Not bad build quality about on par with the Motorola w25100 Modem. The built in USB port with the rotating USB port is something that was badly needed on the Motorola modem. LED lit Clear logo, solid red when not connected, flashes green (based on traffic) when connected. The flashing logo is extremely obnoxious and visually disturbing. The Motorola modem as a tiny LED compared to the Ubee and it did not disturb me have it sit off the notebook. I do have the Performance Dock on order but for the moment I only have the modem itself.
Connection
Just ran a couple tests of the Motorola modem side by side with the Ubee modem. The tested throughput speed on speedtest.com are really not any faster. Ping times are about 20ms faster on the Ubee PXU1900. The CINR and Tx Power values are drastically better than the Motorola modem. So I would expect this to give a better connection in low signal areas than the Motorola modem.
Is it worth $10 more?
At this point I would say yes. Especially for the added benefit of adding the performance dock in the future if needed.
Added 3/25/10
Clear Spot aka Cradlepoint PHS300
I am happy to report that the Clear Spot (aka Cradlepoint PHS300) is in fact compatible. No modification needed, simply plug it in like you did with the Motorola modem. You may have to flash up to the latest modem file + firmware (I did this months ago already). Also you may plug in the Performance Dock + modem into the Clear Spot if you so choose (however this is not at all portable). So if you are hesitant to upgrade due to already having the Clear Spot no need to worry. It is rather odd in that the LED pattern changes while connected to the Clear Spot. Once connected the LED remains lit green constantly which is not nearly as distracting as the flashing business while directly connected to the computer.
Posted in: Reviews, Technology
Tags: Clear, Reviews, ubee pxu1900, wimax
March 23rd, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by Sean
So I had a friend looking to buy a Clear WiMax device based on my review. I had to call tech support because on of my modems is overheating and intermittently working. On their tech support line it keeps repeating “Refer a friend to Clear and get a $25 American Express Gift Card”. So apparent me being the naive consumer thinking I can actually take them up on this offer check my online account and eventually use their online chat support.
Brandy Foulke: Thank you Sean, I do apologize you were mis-informed we
currently do not have the refer a friend promotion, currently for our Clear
customers
Sean: That's crap
Sean: Your phone system keeps repeating the message that I can
Sean: I was on the phone with your support TODAY
Brandy Foulke: That is for Clearwire Customers not Clear, my apologies
Sean: Is there a different support number for Clear?
(It goes on but the conversation goes nowhere)
So what ever happened to customer service? You would think any company would want a new customer and be willing to give an existing customer something for the referral. And if what the customer support rep tells me is correct then why do they keep playing these “refer a friend” messages on their support phone line even right now.
Posted in: Blogging
Tags: Clear, customer service, wimax
March 23rd, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Sean
So when netbooks first came out I was really excited about them. Back in December 2007 the Asus EEE was a super cheap netbook that could run linux and check email and a device you give to schoolchildren and have them learn computers in a relatively safe closed environment. Netbook’s unfortunately have been anything but…
The Dream
Netbooks were originally sold as these niffty cheap computers that would run on Linux and you give to your mother and it does a dozen tasks easily. Nothing more nothing less, a device cheap for the masses to do simple tasks. I think many Linux enthusiasts (myself included) were hoping they would take off and be an entry point for the masses to start using Linux in a real way.
The Reality
Initially Dell, Acer, Asus made Netbooks available in two flavors the Linux variants (to which there was not a unified standard), and the Windows XP machines. Much to the distain of Microsoft OEMs were packing XP on this low end hardware because well Vista was too much for most netbook hardware to run smoothly. The brutal reality is that the Windows Netbooks sold, the Linux ones did not. And the few Linux machines sold largely got snatched up and got Windows loaded on (without a valid license). So much for the Linux dream.
Who is to blame? The hardware?
I love the Intel Atom CPU, and it’s great that is it cheap. I love it like I love the Toyota Yaris. It gets you from point A to B, it does a decent job at it. But, it’s slow, its no fun to drive, and why would you buy it when you can buy a used Subaru WRX for the same money? This requires a chart to fully explain. I know I am picking an arbitrary benchmark however this illustrates how badly the Intel Atom compares to well just about anything sold in the last 6 years! So what is the Atom good for? Embedded solutions, Linux, and platform with a very closed hardware system, but NOT WINDOWS! Sure the Atom is cheap, but on a performance per dollar it sucks! On a performance per watt it still sucks! The Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 is the exact same wattage as all of the N450.
The performance gap compared to modern chips is just a canyon, when a i7 mobile now over TEN times faster than the Atom there is something wrong. I know the i7 isn’t in cheap systems, however netbooks are not priced ten times cheaper.
As a side note I find it hilarious when these snobby people on forums act all elitist stating that they are so much better since they have a N450 CPU vs. N270. Or the Core 2 Solo SU3500 vs. Celeron 743, the actual benchmark difference is actually very low.
| Processor |
ALU (Gflops) |
Year Released |
| Intel Core i7 920QM @ 1.6Ghz |
40.12 |
2009 |
| Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53Ghz |
22.44 |
2008 |
| Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 @ 2.0Ghz |
14.01 |
2008 |
| Intel Core Duo T2300 @ 1.66Ghz |
11.29 |
2006 |
| Intel Pentium M 760 @ 2.0Ghz |
8.65 |
2004 |
| Intel Celeron M 360 @ 1.3Ghz |
5.60 |
2006 |
| Intel Atom N270 @ 1.6Ghz |
3.97 |
2008 |
| Intel Atom N280 @ 1.66Ghz |
4.16 |
2009 |
| Intel Atom N450 @ 1.66Ghz |
4.08 |
2010 |
| Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 @ 1.3Ghz |
11.68 |
2009 |
| Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 @ 1.4Ghz |
5.76 |
2009 |
| Intel Celeron 743 @ 1.3Ghz |
5.61 |
2009 |
Who is to blame? The software?
Partially yes, unfortunately most of the Linux netbooks have had some one off variant of Linux. There wasn’t much consistency (but the whole Linux community is pretty much the same). Yes there are some compelling Linux distributions for Netbooks, such ad Ubuntu Remix, Jolicloud, Eeebuntu, and Moblin. However, none of these have hardware partners willing to ship their products (at least no in large quantities), to retailers. They got burned on that deal once so perhaps never again. The problem is these OS’s appeal to geeks and require a decent understanding of computers to even get installed.
Who is to blame? The consumers?
I’m always hesitant to blame the consumers. How can the consumers be at blame? Well first of all they didn’t buy the Linux loaded Netbooks in mass. They aren’t willing to drop their affliction to Windows. And perhaps they are not educated enough to load up their own Linux OS. Sure the consumers could do better, but ultimately they aren’t totally at fault.
What netbooks have become:
Two words: Cheap computers!
Why Netbooks suck
So the hardware performance leaves a lot to be desired. They have small screens and small keyboards. The battery life is decent, but if it takes longer to do things due to the poor performance what is the point?
Why OEM’s hate netbooks
So OEM’s don’t make nearly the margin on netbooks as other machines. Consumers are often disappointed by the poor performance, and it doesn’t really add anything to their brand image. So you will see a push from OEM’s to dump the Netbooks and forget this whole chapter in computing. The dream was a nice one too bad it didn’t work out.
Ultra portable computers, what consumers actually want
I’m really quite interested in these ultra portable computers coming out of OEM’s. They pack in low voltage CPU’s have decent battery life. And their performance is at least acceptable. Examples are, Dell Vostro V13, Acer Timeline 14, Dell Adamo, Alienware M11x.
iPad
The iPad is perhaps the encapsulation of what the dream of what Netbooks should have been. It remains to be seen if Apple will blow this out of the park but by all indications it looks like Apple is going to accomplish what a dozen OEM’s couldn’t with the netbook.
The netbook hardware is only so fast so it always made sense to have a fairly structured OS that only allowed you to run a collection of applications. The fact that people are trying to play Hulu in HD is simply beyond most Netbook’s capabilities so don’t let the users do it. Manage the expectations of customers and say here are a the 2,000 apps you can run. Sometimes having choice isn’t a good thing. The iPad is a closed hardware and software platform that structures exactly what the user can do. Apple simply managed expectations on the iPhone, so I’m sure they will do the same with the iPad.
Posted in: biz, Reviews, Technology
Tags: acer, atom, dell, netbook