Stefan Durand

My name is Stefan, I'm the admin of LinuxScrew. I am a full-time Linux/Unix sysadmin, a hobby Python programmer, and a part-time blogger. I post useful guides, tips, and tutorials on common Linux and Programming issues. Feel free to reach out in the comment section.

Home » Articles by: Stefan Durand

Mount remote filesystem via ssh protocol using sshfs and fuse [Fedora/RedHat/Debian/Ubuntu way]

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Imagine the following situation: you have to compile some Linux/Unix application or kernel module that requires kernel source present at your hard drive, say, in /usr/src/kernels/kernel-2.6.21-i386/ or elsewhere. But there is not enough disk space to copy these sources or install kernel-devel or linux-source packages (in Fedora/RedHat or Ubuntu/Debian distros respectively)… Sounds familiar? Believe me, sometimes it happens 🙂 As a solution you can mount the directory of some remote PC that contains needed kernel source. It can be done via several protocols like smb, … Read more

Home » Articles by: Stefan Durand

VMware server console keyboard problem in Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex

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Few days ago I have upgraded my Ubuntu to latest 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) and found that keyboard just doesn’t work in VMware Server Console. The problem was that I couldn’t use keyboard under guest operating system including Windows, Linux etc. After few hours of research I found simple solution which works for me:

$ setxkbmap
$ echo "xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true" >> ~/.vmware/config

After this restart vmware-server-console and see if it helps. If not you can see other solutions of the same problem at this site:
http://nthrbldyblg.blogspot.com/2008/06/vmware-and-fubar-keyboard-effect.html

I hope it helps!

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Home » Articles by: Stefan Durand

Use iTunes in Linux including Apple Music Store

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Quick Introduction to iTunes Apple iTunes is one of the most popular proprietary digital media players in the whole world. Using this no doubts outstanding application you can organize, play music/video files in very comfortable and user friendly way (it’s not an advertisement but real truth). Moreover iTunes is the only way to access Apple’s onilne music store and thus people often seeks the possibility to seamlessly access it after moving to Linux from Mac or Windows. Well, unfortunately Apple doesn’t believe in magic so … Read more

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Convert WMA to MP3 in Ubuntu

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In order to convert WMA file into MP3 format in Ubuntu (or Debian) you should install the following requirements first: 1. mplayer (sudo aptitude install mplayer) 2. lame (sudo aptitude install lame) 3. win32 codecs (sudo aptitude install ubuntu-restricted-extras) and then convert file.wma into file.mp3 using the following console command: mplayer -vo null -vc dummy -af resample=44100 -ao pcm:waveheader file.wma;lame -m s -V 3 audiodump.wav;mv audiodump.wav.mp3 file.mp3;rm audiodump.wav This also works for Fedora / Centos / Redhat family Linux distributions (requirements should be installed by … Read more

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FAQ: How to change Duplex and/or Auto-Negotiation NIC settings in Linux?

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Q: How to disable auto-negotiation option of my network interface card and set up half/full duplex mode manually from Linux command line (CLI)? By the way, how to see current settings? A: There are several Linux utilities coming with almost any distribution including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RedHat, Mandriva, Centos whatever. See details below. ethtool This is rather powerful utility can display and change settings of ethernet network interface card. You can easily disable/enable autonegotiation option for your NIC, also it’s possible to manually set up … Read more

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FAQ: How to scrollback in GNU SCREEN?

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Q: I was compiling kernel using GNU Screen utility but something happened during the compilation and I want to see full error’s output but I can’t just scrollback using Ctrl+PageUp. How to scrollback in GNU Screen? A: In GNU Screen press Ctrl + a + [ to enter Copy Mode, then scroll up/down using keys j or k. Below are some other navigation keys: h – Move the cursor left by one character j – Move the cursor down by one line k – Move … Read more

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Create .deb or .rpm from .tar.gz with checkinstall

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Checkinstall is extremely useful utility to create .deb packages for Debian, Ubuntu (or .rpm packages for Fedora, RedHat, CentOs) from .tar.gz (or .tgz) source tarball after it’s compiled at your Linux box. In other words you can prepare binary package for later usage without need to compile software from sources every time you need to get it installed on certain Linux box. Another application of checkinstall is software deinstallation that was compiled and installed from sources. As you might already noticed, not every programmer adds … Read more

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Why did Ubuntu become so popular? UbuntuCat’s point of view.

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Were you wondering why Ubuntu is Linux distribution #1 for new users (and not new) and how could it become so popular leaving behind such old-times like Mandriva, Linspire, Fedora and even Ubuntu’s ancestor Debian? I was. And as for me, I think that people stick to community rather than to technology… Do you agree? 🙂 Here is the nice article to read in which UbuntuCat (one of the most active writers at ubuntuforums.org) tries to find out how did Ubuntu end up so popular… … Read more

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FAQ: How to disable directory browsing in apache/httpd?

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Question: How can I disable building of directory index in apache/httpd? In other words, how to prevent users from seeing the contents of published directories? Answer: Actually you are totally right that you wish to disable this feature. One of the “must do’s” on setting a secure apache web server is to disable directory browsing. Usually apache comes with this feature enabled but its always a good idea to get it disabled unless you really need it. First of all find where is the main apache’s … Read more

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Solar + Tiny PC + Linux = Sweeeet

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[digg-me] Really interesting device was found today in the vast expanses of Internet. Company named Aleutia (established in London, 2006) sells extremely mini PC that consumes really small amount of energy (8 watts!!!), runs Linux and can be powered by sun! It’s named Aleutia E1 and is available starting at 180 £. See details below! Seller announces the following product specifications (see detailed specs here): Processor: 200MHz x86 CPU, Memory: 128MB SDRAM, Storage: 2GB (included Compact Flash card), Power Supply (US, UK, or EU). 3 … Read more