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Rick Bowers | 15 Jun 2013 17:02
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Re: OT: Tracer/routing question

Thanks for your reply, David.

I don't know what may lie between the last accessible IP (74.202.159.238) and my target IP (168.244.164.134). Isn't that the purpose behind (dynamic) routing? An end user doesn't need to know the route to their destination.

I assume a "real" OS == linux. I'll try tcptraceroute on my linux box when I get home Sunday evening.

When you say I need a baseline to go from. what do you mean?

The only real information I have is that I need to connect my browser to www.myloweslife.com and that attempt fails.  I tried tracert in order to try to determine what was going on behind the scenes. Obviously, that form of troubleshooting is (no longer) reasonable.

Do you have any suggestions on how to figure out why I may not be able to browse to that site? HR tells me there shouldn't be a problem and claims nobody else has connection problems. I'm stumped.

~Rick

At 6/14/2013 11:53 PM, you wrote:
Hey Rick,

This depends.  Do you know where the IP is you're trying to reach in relation to the last IP shown?

It is common today for clueless admins to block ping packets (M$ uses ping vice UDP packets for tracing).  You might also be hitting transit routes for the last hop or two.  These transit routes are private IPs that can't respond back to you, but do pass packets through (those that haven't reached their TTL/hop limit).

So there may be no "block" to get past.  You really do need to have a baseline to go from.  Try using a tcp trace (a la tcptraceroute), they usually have less problems, but you'll need a real OS for that.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel


On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 10:41 PM, Rick Bowers <rwbowers <at> gmail.com> wrote:
Off-topic question, but I know there is expertise here on this list.

I've been trying to connect to www.myloweslife.com but the site
continually times out.  I've tried multiple times over the past week
with no success.

I tried running a tracert (Windows version of traceroute) several
times and seem to always time out at the same point. (output below)

I'm not sure exactly what this means, or who to contact to get past
the "block".

- Does this indicate a broken route? Down system?
- Can I contact someone to help? Who? My ISP (Verizon
FIOS)?  twtelecom.net (Time Warner)?

C:\>tracert myloweslife.com

Tracing route to myloweslife.com [168.244.164.134]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

   1     2 ms     3 ms     3
ms  Wireless_Broadband_Router.somewhereunknown.net [192.168.1.1]
   2     5 ms     5 ms     5 ms  L100.BSTNMA-VFTTP-77.verizon-gni.net
[98.110.224.1]
   3     8 ms    10 ms     9
ms  G0-14-2-6.BSTNMA-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net [130.81.217.110]
   4     6 ms     5 ms     6 ms  ae0-0.BOS-BB-RTR2.verizon-gni.net
[130.81.209.94]
   5    22 ms    22 ms    22 ms  0.xe-10-0-0.XL2.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.7.61]
   6    22 ms    22 ms    22 ms  0.xe-11-1-0.GW12.IAD8.ALTER.NET
[152.63.35.126]
   7    23 ms    22 ms    24 ms  twtelecom-gw.customer.alter.net
[152.179.50.186]
   8    41 ms    40 ms    42 ms  gso1-ar1-xe-2-0-0-0.us.twtelecom.net
[66.192.241.46]
   9    42 ms    42 ms    43 ms  74-202-159-238.static.twtelecom.net
[74.202.159.238]
  10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  11     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  12     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  13     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  14     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  15     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  16     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  17     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  18     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  19     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  20     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  21     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  22     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  23     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  24     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  25     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  26     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  27     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  28     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  29     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  30     *        *        *     Request timed out.

Trace complete.

C:\>

_______________________________________________
Linux-users mailing list
Linux-users <at> linux-sxs.org
http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users




--
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. -- Albert Einstein
Visit my web page at: http://david.bandel.us/
_______________________________________________
Linux-users mailing list
Linux-users <at> linux-sxs.org
http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users 
<div>
Thanks for your reply, David.<br><br>
I don't know what may lie between the last accessible IP (74.202.159.238)
and my target IP (168.244.164.134). Isn't that the purpose behind
(dynamic) routing? An end user doesn't need to know the route to their
destination.<br><br>
I assume a "real" OS == linux. I'll try tcptraceroute on my
linux box when I get home Sunday evening.<br><br>
When you say I need a baseline to go from. what do you mean?<br><br>
The only real information I have is that I need to connect my browser to
<a href="http://www.myloweslife.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.myloweslife.com</a> and that attempt fails.&nbsp; I tried tracert in
order to try to determine what was going on behind the scenes. Obviously,
that form of troubleshooting is (no longer) reasonable.<br><br>
Do you have any suggestions on how to figure out why I may not be able to
browse to that site? HR tells me there shouldn't be a problem and claims
nobody else has connection problems. I'm stumped.<br><br>
~Rick<br><br>
At 6/14/2013 11:53 PM, you wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite" class="cite" cite="">Hey Rick,<br><br>
This depends.&nbsp; Do you know where the IP is you're trying to reach in
relation to the last IP shown?<br><br>
It is common today for clueless admins to block ping packets (M$ uses
ping vice UDP packets for tracing).&nbsp; You might also be hitting
transit routes for the last hop or two.&nbsp; These transit routes are
private IPs that can't respond back to you, but do pass packets through
(those that haven't reached their TTL/hop limit).<br><br>
So there may be no "block" to get past.&nbsp; You really do
need to have a baseline to go from.&nbsp; Try using a tcp trace (a la
tcptraceroute), they usually have less problems, but you'll need a real
OS for that.<br><br>
Ciao,<br><br>
David A. Bandel<br><br><br>
On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 10:41 PM, Rick Bowers
&lt;<a href="mailto:rwbowers <at> gmail.com">rwbowers <at> gmail.com</a>&gt;
wrote:<br>Off-topic question, but I know there is expertise here on this
list.<br><br>I've been trying to connect to
<a href="http://www.myloweslife.com">www.myloweslife.com</a> but the
site<br>continually times out.&nbsp; I've tried multiple times over the past
week<br>with no success.<br><br>I tried running a tracert (Windows version of traceroute)
several<br>times and seem to always time out at the same point. (output
below)<br><br>I'm not sure exactly what this means, or who to contact to get
past<br>the "block".<br><br>- Does this indicate a broken route? Down system?<br>- Can I contact someone to help? Who? My ISP (Verizon<br>FIOS)?&nbsp; <a href="http://twtelecom.net">twtelecom.net</a> (Time
Warner)?<br><br>C:\&gt;tracert
<a href="http://myloweslife.com">myloweslife.com</a><br><br>Tracing route to <a href="http://myloweslife.com">myloweslife.com</a>
[168.244.164.134]<br>over a maximum of 30 hops:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3<br>ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://Wireless_Broadband_Router.somewhereunknown.net">
Wireless_Broadband_Router.somewhereunknown.net</a> [192.168.1.1]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://L100.BSTNMA-VFTTP-77.verizon-gni.net">
L100.BSTNMA-VFTTP-77.verizon-gni.net</a><br>[98.110.224.1]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 8 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 10
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 9<br>ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://G0-14-2-6.BSTNMA-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net">
G0-14-2-6.BSTNMA-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net</a> [130.81.217.110]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 6 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 6 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://ae0-0.BOS-BB-RTR2.verizon-gni.net">
ae0-0.BOS-BB-RTR2.verizon-gni.net</a><br>[130.81.209.94]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://0.xe-10-0-0.XL2.IAD8.ALTER.NET">
0.xe-10-0-0.XL2.IAD8.ALTER.NET</a> [152.63.7.61]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://0.xe-11-1-0.GW12.IAD8.ALTER.NET">
0.xe-11-1-0.GW12.IAD8.ALTER.NET</a><br>[152.63.35.126]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 23 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 24 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://twtelecom-gw.customer.alter.net">
twtelecom-gw.customer.alter.net</a><br>[152.179.50.186]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 41 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 40
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 42 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://gso1-ar1-xe-2-0-0-0.us.twtelecom.net">
gso1-ar1-xe-2-0-0-0.us.twtelecom.net</a><br>[66.192.241.46]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 42 ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 42
ms&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 43 ms&nbsp;
<a href="http://74-202-159-238.static.twtelecom.net">
74-202-159-238.static.twtelecom.net</a><br>[74.202.159.238]<br>&nbsp; 10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 18&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 26&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 27&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 28&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 29&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br>&nbsp; 30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Request timed out.<br><br>Trace complete.<br><br>C:\&gt;<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Linux-users mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Linux-users <at> linux-sxs.org">
Linux-users <at> linux-sxs.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users" eudora="autourl">
http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users</a><br><br><br><br><br>
-- <br>
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not
sure about the the universe. -- Albert Einstein<br>
Visit my web page at:
<a href="http://david.bandel.us/">http://david.bandel.us/</a> <br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Linux-users mailing list<br>
Linux-users <at> linux-sxs.org<br><a href="http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users" eudora="autourl">
http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
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Rick Bowers | 15 Jun 2013 05:41
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OT: Tracer/routing question

Off-topic question, but I know there is expertise here on this list.

I've been trying to connect to www.myloweslife.com but the site 
continually times out.  I've tried multiple times over the past week 
with no success.

I tried running a tracert (Windows version of traceroute) several 
times and seem to always time out at the same point. (output below)

I'm not sure exactly what this means, or who to contact to get past 
the "block".

- Does this indicate a broken route? Down system?
- Can I contact someone to help? Who? My ISP (Verizon 
FIOS)?  twtelecom.net (Time Warner)?

C:\>tracert myloweslife.com

Tracing route to myloweslife.com [168.244.164.134]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

   1     2 ms     3 ms     3 
ms  Wireless_Broadband_Router.somewhereunknown.net [192.168.1.1]
   2     5 ms     5 ms     5 ms  L100.BSTNMA-VFTTP-77.verizon-gni.net 
[98.110.224.1]
   3     8 ms    10 ms     9 
ms  G0-14-2-6.BSTNMA-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net [130.81.217.110]
   4     6 ms     5 ms     6 ms  ae0-0.BOS-BB-RTR2.verizon-gni.net 
[130.81.209.94]
   5    22 ms    22 ms    22 ms  0.xe-10-0-0.XL2.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.7.61]
   6    22 ms    22 ms    22 ms  0.xe-11-1-0.GW12.IAD8.ALTER.NET 
[152.63.35.126]
   7    23 ms    22 ms    24 ms  twtelecom-gw.customer.alter.net 
[152.179.50.186]
   8    41 ms    40 ms    42 ms  gso1-ar1-xe-2-0-0-0.us.twtelecom.net 
[66.192.241.46]
   9    42 ms    42 ms    43 ms  74-202-159-238.static.twtelecom.net 
[74.202.159.238]
  10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  11     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  12     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  13     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  14     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  15     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  16     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  17     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  18     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  19     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  20     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  21     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  22     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  23     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  24     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  25     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  26     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  27     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  28     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  29     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  30     *        *        *     Request timed out.

Trace complete.

C:\>
Permalink | Reply | 1 comment |
headers
David A. Bandel | 19 May 2013 03:55
Picon
Gravatar

Linux and EFI

I guess the biggest challenge I've faced lately is the EFI boot on my notebook.  It may be possible to backup to a BIOS boot, but as this seems to be another "trend" M$ is railroading manufacturers into, I decided to set it all up.

At first I tried GRUB.  That didn't go so well.  grub-efi is definitely not ready for prime time.  At least, all I can ever seem to get is a grub-rescue screen with grub-efi.  Not really a problem, I run lilo on all my servers (despite LPI's decision to dump it on exams and only test GRUB).

So I am running elilo on my laptop and it works OK.  But I can't remote boot it as I seem to have to walk it through the bootup (but at least it does boot up).

Guess my question is, anyone know if there's going to be a way to get a certified boot kernel that the EFI stuff will be happy with? Or a way to create one (that would be even better)?

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
--
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. -- Albert Einstein
Visit my web page at: http://david.bandel.us/ 
<div><div dir="ltr">I guess the biggest challenge I've faced lately is the EFI boot on my notebook. &nbsp;It may be possible to backup to a BIOS boot, but as this seems to be another "trend" M$ is railroading manufacturers into, I decided to set it all up.<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>At first I tried GRUB. &nbsp;That didn't go so well. &nbsp;grub-efi is definitely not ready for prime time. &nbsp;At least, all I can ever seem to get is a grub-rescue screen with grub-efi. &nbsp;Not really a problem, I run lilo on all my servers (despite LPI's decision to dump it on exams and only test GRUB).</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>So I am running elilo on my laptop and it works OK. &nbsp;But I can't remote boot it as I seem to have to walk it through the bootup (but at least it does boot up).<br clear="all"><div><br></div>
<div>
Guess my question is, anyone know if there's going to be a way to get a certified boot kernel that the EFI stuff will be happy with? Or a way to create one (that would be even better)?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
Ciao,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>David A. Bandel</div>-- <br>Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. -- Albert Einstein<br>Visit my web page at: <a href="http://david.bandel.us/" target="_blank">http://david.bandel.us/</a>
</div>
</div></div>
Permalink | Reply | 5 comments |
headers
Rick Bowers | 18 May 2013 19:50
Picon

OT: Questions about installing an SSD into my laptop

Hi all,

I'm looking to possibly replace my existing hard drive with an SSD 
drive. In spite of googling for information, I'm still confused 
regarding suitability. Folks on this list seem knowledgeable in these 
matters so I'm asking for some guidance here.

I have an HP G60-642NR laptop. It came with the following Hitachi drive:
http://reviews.cnet.com/internal-hard-drives/hitachi-travelstar-7k500-hts725032a9a364/4507-9998_7-33875493.html

I am considering this Samsung drive:
http://www.adorama.com/SSG7TD500BW.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Shopping%20Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=pgrabl

My basic questions are:
- Are these drives compatible? HP.Com gives me no guidance wrt 
upgrading the drive in my laptop
- Should I look at other drives? Which ones?
- Price in a big consideration -- is this price reasonable for a 
500GB drive (I've looked at Pricewatch.com and it seems to be in line.
- What other considerations should I evaluate?

I'm currently running Windows 7 but am looking to upgrade this to 
Windows 8 (or, possibly, linux -- I know the consensus of this group on that)

Thanks,

~Rick
Permalink | Reply | 7 comments |
headers
Andrew Gould | 26 Apr 2013 16:16
Picon

[OT]: creating cheat sheets

My least favorite tasks at work are those that require visual appeal - presentation slides, charts, etc.  I now have a need to create a cheat sheet for basic Python.  (I asked NoStarch Press for a "mug of python", but they said "no, but here's a coupon code".)

What are the best ways to create cheat sheets?  Are there tools available that would make it easy?  Would a tool like Scribus be much better than a word processor?

Thanks,

Andrew
<div><div dir="ltr">My least favorite tasks at work are those that require visual appeal - presentation slides, charts, etc. &nbsp;I now have a need to create a cheat sheet for basic Python. &nbsp;(I asked NoStarch Press for a "mug of python", but they said "no, but here's a coupon code".)<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>What are the best ways to create cheat sheets? &nbsp;Are there tools available that would make it easy? &nbsp;Would a tool like Scribus be much better than a word processor?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
Thanks,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Andrew</div>
</div></div>
Permalink | Reply | 5 comments |
headers
Lonni J Friedman | 11 Apr 2013 01:03
Picon

any perl performance experts awake?

I've got a perl script that is used to parse data from one format into
another format.  It works fairly well 99% of the time, however when
the data that its parsing is large, the performance of the script gets
awful.  Unfortunately, my perl skills are marginal at best, so I'm
lost on how to debug this problem.

For example, for 99% of the cases, there are less than 1k rows of data
to parse, and it completes in less than 10 seconds.  However, for the
remaining 1%, there are over 150k rows, and the script takes hours
(3+) to finish.  I'm hoping that this is due to something inefficient
in my perl, that can be fixed easily, but I'm not sure what that might
be.

The slow part of the script is this subroutine:
######
sub sqlInsert {
    my ($fh, $app, $status, $entry, $table_testlist_csv_path,%hash_values) =  <at> _;
    my $now=strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", localtime) ;
    my $entryVals = join(',', map { "\"$$entry{$_}\""} qw(suiteid
regressionCL cl os arch build_type branch gpu subtest osversion));
    my $testid = $hash_values{$app} ;

    # we need to add an escape character in front of all double quotes
in a testname, or the dquotes will be stripped out when the SQL COPY
occurs
    $app =~ s/"/~"/g ;
    print $fh <<END;
"$now","$app","$status","$testid",$entryVals
END
}

########

The perl process spikes the CPU at 100% while its running.  If I
strace the perl process while its chugging away, the output looks like
this:
########
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
write(6, "ource/Dst_Offset11\",\"PASSED\",\"58"..., 4096) = 4096
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
write(6, "C3R_Tests/OrC_16u_C3R_Test/Sourc"..., 4096) = 4096
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=2819, ...}) = 0
########

So for some crazy reason its polling /etc/localtime repeatedly, in
between writing out rows of data that have been parsed.  I have no
clue why its behaving this way.  I'm guessing that  maybe querying the
hash is the bottleneck?  Is there a better data structure to use?  Is
there some way that I can profile this stuff?

thanks
Permalink | Reply | 14 comments |
headers
Andrew Gould | 27 Mar 2013 19:21
Picon

OT: ergonomics and vertical mice

Does anyone out there use vertical mice to prevent or alleviate wrist
pain?  I was wondering whether keeping the hand in the "handshake"
position matters, ergonomically speaking.

Thanks,

Andrew
Permalink | Reply | 6 comments |
headers
Steve Jardine | 16 Feb 2013 23:02
Picon
Favicon

Simple DNS


   I have a small network I run at my house. It has maybe 4 systems, plus up to 4 more from time to time (kids
Xbox/game servers). Since the IP numbers are local only, I need to have a local DNS that will server up the
local domain only.

   Bottom line, I would like a DNS that responds to local system queries only, and only replies with the local
domain information. if is not the local Domain, I want the DNS server to failover to the remote DNS servers
at my provider's network. 

   I have bind 9 running now, but it does not fail over. Instead it acts as the DNS server for the LAN, serving up
responses for any DNS query made to it by my LAN systems. I do not like the huge traffic is has over my meager
connection. I also do not like the fact that it opens a lot of connections at one time through my LAN router
(up to 200 at some times). 

   I am not married to BIND, but the system running the DNS is old. PIII, 1 GB ram, 100BaseT.

  Steve
--

-- 
Steve Jardine <sjardine <at> acm.org>
Permalink | Reply | 5 comments |
headers
Michael Hipp | 16 Feb 2013 17:30
Gravatar

RIP Seagate hard drives

For years Seagate has been my go-to brand for hard drives. But lately I 
had read rumors that Seagate hard drives above 500GB have severe quality 
problems.

I just bought 3 of these:
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840

#1: DOA
#2: Starts showing sector errors within 48 hours of first installation
#3: Seems ok, but Seagate Seatools fails it on SMART and Short DST

So they're all going back to Newegg.

I guess I'll order Western Digital to replace them. (Ye Gods! I can't 
believe I just wrote that. Next I'll be driving a Ford Pinto.)

And all the hate toward Ubuntu's server installers the last few days was 
probably due to Seagate's crappy hard drives instead. I repent.

Just wish I could get the last couple of days of my life back.

Michael
Permalink | Reply | 16 comments |
headers
Michael Hipp | 16 Feb 2013 01:35
Gravatar

Re: I need a new server distro

On 2013-02-15 5:13 PM, David A. Bandel wrote:
> The most difficult part of the install is the "Partition Disks" step.
> This is where you'll likely get confused.  Basically, you go through
> the steps twice.  The first time you set up raid (no messing with
> mdadm). But when you continue, it will tell you you haven't selected a
> root partition (true).  So you go back through the same steps again,
> but this time you'll see md0 and md1, etc., as well as the raw sda#
> and sdb# etc.  Just make sure you choose the mdX slices for your root,
> swap, and other partitions.
>
> First time through may confuse you a little.  Just take a deep breath
> and choose what you think is correct (it probably will be).  Don't
> worry about the nagging from the installer.
>
> Partition, set up raid, go back and select root partition (et. al.),
> format, continue install.  The installer will tell you after the raid
> setup you goofed.  It's wrong, you didn't.
>
> Caveats:  I always choose expert install, I always partition the disk
> manually (not guided setup).
>
> Debian installs are the worst until you get used to them.  Just relax
> and read the screens and you'll be fine.
>
> Ask here if you run into trouble.

Thanks. I just finished doing a test install in a VM using the netinstaller. 
The installer is virtually identical to the ubuntu installer. The partitioning 
no longer seems confusing, just tedious - every detail of every partition must 
be set manually and then every detail of the layer of raid over the top of it 
must also be specified one step at a time.. Thankfully it is nothing like the 
non-installer I remember of Debian a few years ago. Think I'll try a desktop 
install next just to see what it ends up looking like.

Thanks,
Michael
Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Michael Hipp | 15 Feb 2013 19:13
Gravatar

I need a new server distro

Can anyone recommend a distro suitable for use in a small server:

1) Simple easy-to-use installer
2) Server install has no GUI anywhere, everything can be done by ssh cli
3) Knows how to configure software RAID in the installer and boot 
degraded afterwards and I never have to touch an mdadm command unless I 
just want to
4) Fairly up-to-date server software stack (e.g. samba, postgresql, 
postfix, rsync, etc.)

Thanks,
Michael
Permalink | Reply | 13 comments |

Gmane