Success -how hard you should try before you give up?

The answer is until you succeed!

Abraham Lincoln had faced numerous failures before he became president. His story inspires us to not give-up no matter how many times we fail... with the right effort, success will be ours!

A list of Abraham Lincoln’s Failures:

• Lost job, 1832
• Defeated for legislature, 1832
• Failed in business, 1833
• Elected to legislature, 1834
• Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
• Had nervous breakdown, 1836
• Defeated for Speaker, 1838
• Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
• Elected to Congress, 1846
• Lost renomination, 1848
• Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
• Defeated for Senate, 1854
• Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
• Again defeated for Senate, 1858
• Elected President, 1860
  
  

success quote -Winston Churchill

The Ass and The Charger

I came across an Aesop's fable, thought of sharing ... nothing new, we all have read/heard it in our childhood...

Once, there lived an Ass and a Charger. The Ass was leading a very hard life. Everyday, it had to carry heavy load from dawn to dusk. Still it wouldn't get much to eat. It was beaten when it was tired or lazy. There was also a Charger who lived in the same house. It was living a sweet life. The horse was fed healthy food. There were servants to take care of it. The owner would take a ride on the majestic horse in the morning. The horse was leading nothing less than a royal life. The Ass envied the Charger very much. Its only duty was just to stay there beautifully, or so the Ass thought.

The war broke out and the charger was taken to the battlefield. It was wounded and died. Then, the Ass thought... Even though I am leading a hard life, even though I am not regarded by my owners, at least I am safe...

Moral: Be not hasty to envy the condition of others.

Aesop's fables

Persistence is the key!

Do not give up! It might be a long journey, but victory will definitely be yours. You do not fail even if you dont win, but you do if you quit. Hang in there, it can't take so long...

DIY comb holder from cookie box

             Don't you just hate it when you can not find your comb when you are running late for work? Here is a cute comb holder that will cost you nothing... If there is an empty cookie carton lying around you can start right away!!

Step 1: Find the cookie carton, cut it as shown below:

Step 2: Cover the box by pasting some paper on it. I used plain white paper so that I can draw something on it. You can use some colored decoration paper too! It is enough to cover the side of the box which will be seen outside. I am so lazy that I covered one side only :D

Step 3: Now paint or write something cute on it! Place a double sided tape to the back side. (The words on the paper: "Experience is the comb nature gives men when they are bald -Chinese proverb)...
Aren't my comb and frog cute?!...

Step 4: Your comb holder is ready! Stick it on a wall or cupboard near your mirror!

 

101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings

Topic 101: System Architecture

101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to determine and configure fundamental system hardware.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Enable and disable integrated peripherals.
  BIOS(Basic Input/Output System): It is the firmware located in a PC, which is responsible for bringing all of the system hardware to a state at which it is ready to boot an operating system. When the PC starts up, the first job for the BIOS is the power-on self-test  (POST), which initializes and identifies system devices such as the CPU, RAM, video display card, keyboard and mouse, hard disk drive, optical disc drive and other hardware. The BIOS then locates boot loader software held on a peripheral device (designated as a 'boot device') and loads and executes that software, giving it control of the PC. This process is known as booting. A BIOS has a user interface (UI), typically a menu system accessed by pressing a certain key on the keyboard when the PC starts. In the BIOS UI, a user can:
  
  • configure hardware
  • set the system (h/w) clock, which will provide time to OS on startup. #hwclock synchronize
  • enable or disable system components
  • select which devices are eligible to be a potential boot device
  • set various password prompts, such as a password for securing access to the BIOS user interface functions itself and preventing malicious users from booting the system from unauthorized peripheral devices.

• Configure systems with or without external peripherals such as keyboards.
• Differentiate between the various types of mass storage devices. Attachment interfaces :
  
• IDE/ATA (Integrated Drive Electronics / Advanced Technology Attachment) 
• SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)
• PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment)
  all use the ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) standard to communicate with the device.
  The SCSI family of attachment interfaces is not hardware-compatible with the ATA family.

• Set the correct hardware ID for different devices, especially the boot device.
• Know the differences between coldplug and hotplug devices.
• Determine hardware resources for devices.
  /proc kernel.org
  /proc  /proc is a pseudo-filesystem(contain virtual files, size zero) which is used as an interface to kernel data structures. The numbered directories in /proc represent processes running on the system(number = process id number from ps command).
  
  The proc files, interrupts, dma, and ioports, show how system resources are currently utilized.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  # /proc/interrupts

          CPU0          
    0:   80448940          XT-PIC  timer 

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The first column refers to the IRQ number(interrupt request priority, 1-15). Each CPU in the system has its own column and its own number of interrupts per IRQ. The next column reports the type of interrupt(XT-PIC , IO-APIC-edge,IO-APIC-level) , and the last column contains the name of the device that is located at that IRQ.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  # /proc/dma

   4: cascade

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This file contains a list of the registered ISA direct memory access (DMA) channels in use.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  

  # /proc/ioports
  0000-001f : dma1
  0020-003f : pic1
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  a list of currently registered port regions, used for input or output communication with a device.
  The first column gives the I/O port address range reserved for the device listed in the second column.
  



• Tools and utilities to list various hardware information
  
  Report hardware => lsmod, lsdev, and lspci.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  #lsmod
  Module Size      Used by         Not tainted
  vfat       12844   0 (autoclean)
  fat         38328   0 (autoclean)   [vfat]
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The lsmod command displays all the information available about currently loaded modules. The output of lsmod is a series of columns identifying the module name, its size, its use number(number of modules referring it), and its status(name of referring modules).
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  

  # lspci
  00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82815 815 (contd.)
  00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82815 (contd.)
  00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 03)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  The lspci command displays information about your system’s PCI(Peripheral Component Interconnect) buses and your installed PCI devices. This information is found primarily within /proc.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  #lsdev
  Device    DMA  IRQ  I/O Ports
  ------------------------------
  ATI                             c800-c8ff
  bttv                     10
  Creative                       e800-e81f ec00-ec07
  dma                              0080-008f
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The lsdev command displays information about your system’s hardware, such as interrupt addresses
  and I/O ports. The command is useful for obtaining information prior to installing devices that may have hardware addressing conflicts, such as ISA (Industry Standard Architecture is a computer bus standard) devices. This command uses DMA files in /proc to also report I/O addresses and IRQ and DMA channel information. There are no options for lsdev. The output lists information in four columns: device name, DMA address, IRQ address, and I/O ports.
  
  Manipulating Modules=> lsmod, insmod, rmmod, modinfo, modprobe. (to list, insert, remove and query modules)
  
  insmod
  #insmod [options -s, -v] modulename
  Insert a module into the running kernel.(has to be superuser) Exist status 1 indicate error(dependency error of prerequisite modules, use modeprob)
  
  rmmod
  #rmmod [options -s, -a] modulename
  The rmmod command is used to remove modules from the running kernel.(superuser, no referring modules)
  
  modinfo
  #modinfo [options -a, -d, -p] module_object_file
  Display information about a module from its module_object_file
  eg: modinfo -d /lib/modules/2.2.5-15smp/misc/zftape.o
  
  modprob
  #modprobe [options -a, -c, -l, -s, -r, -t] module [symbol=value ...]
  In addition to loading single modules, modprobe has the ability to load modules along with their prerequisites or all modules stored in a specific directory. The modprobe command can also remove modules when combined with the -r option. (-t moduletype : Attempt to load multiple modules found in the directory moduletype until a module succeeds or all modules in moduletype are exhausted. Attempt to load available network modules until one succeeds: # modprobe -t net .Attempt to load all available network modules: # modprobe -at net)

• Tools and utilities to manipulate USB devices
  
• Conceptual understanding of sysfs, udev, hald, dbus

Terms and Utilities

• /sys
• /proc
• /dev
• modprobe
• lsmod
• lspci
• lsusb 

=================================================================

LPIC 1

LPIC 1 syllabus as seen in the official site:

To pass Level 1 you should be able to:

• Work at the Linux command line
• Perform easy maintenance tasks: help out users, add users to a larger system, backup & restore, shutdown & reboot
• Install and configure a workstation (including X) and connect it to a LAN, or a stand-alone PC via modem to the Internet.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Topic 101 System Architecture
Topic 102 Linux Installation and Package Management
Topic 103 GNU and Unix Commands
Topic 104 Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Topic 101: System Architecture

101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to determine and configure fundamental system hardware.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Enable and disable integrated peripherals.
• Configure systems with or without external peripherals such as keyboards.
• Differentiate between the various types of mass storage devices.
• Set the correct hardware ID for different devices, especially the boot device.
• Know the differences between coldplug and hotplug devices.
• Determine hardware resources for devices.
• Tools and utilities to list various hardware information (e.g. lsusb, lspci, etc.)
• Tools and utilities to manipulate USB devices
• Conceptual understanding of sysfs, udev, hald, dbus

Terms and Utilities

• /sys
• /proc
• /dev
• modprobe
• lsmod
• lspci
• lsusb

---

101.2 Boot the system

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to guide the system through the booting process.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Provide common commands to the boot loader and options to the kernel at boot time.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the boot sequence from BIOS to boot completion.
• Check boot events in the log files.

Terms and Utilities

• /var/log/messages
• dmesg
• BIOS
• bootloader
• kernel
• init

---

101.3 Change runlevels and shutdown or reboot system

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to manage the runlevel of the system. This objective includes changing to single user mode, shutdown or rebooting the system. Candidates should be able to alert users before switching runlevel and properly terminate processes. This objective also includes setting the default runlevel..

Key Knowledge Areas

• Set the default runlevel.
• Change between run levels including single user mode.
• Shutdown and reboot from the command line.
• Alert users before switching runlevels or other major system event.
• Properly terminate processes.

Terms and Utilities

• /etc/inittab
• shutdown
• init
• /etc/init.d
• telinit

---

Topic 102: Linux Installation and Package Management

102.1 Design hard disk layout

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to design a disk partitioning scheme for a Linux system.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Allocate filesystems and swap space to separate partitions or disks.
• Tailor the design to the intended use of the system.
• Ensure the /boot partition conforms to the hardware architecture requirements for booting.

Terms and Utilities

• / (root) filesystem
• /var filesystem
• /home filesystem
• swap space
• mount points
• partitions

---

102.2 Install a boot manager

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to select, install and configure a boot manager.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Providing alternative boot locations and backup boot options.
• Install and configure a boot loader such as GRUB.
• Interact with the boot loader.

Terms and Utilities

• /boot/grub/menu.lst
• grub-install
• MBR
• superblock
• /etc/lilo.conf
• lilo

---

102.3 Manage shared libraries

• Weight: 1
• Description: Candidates should be able to determine the shared libraries that executable programs depend on and install them when necessary.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Identify shared libraries.
• Identify the typical locations of system libraries.
• Load shared libraries.

Terms and Utilities

• ldd
• ldconfig
• /etc/ld.so.conf
• LD_LIBRARY_PATH

---

102.4 Use Debian package management

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to perform package management using the Debian package tools.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Install, upgrade and uninstall Debian binary packages.
• Find packages containing specific files or libraries which may or may not be installed.
• Obtain package information like version, content, dependencies, package integrity and installation status (whether or not the package is installed).

Terms and Utilities

• /etc/apt/sources.list
• dpkg
• dpkg-reconfigure
• apt-get
• apt-cache
• aptitude

---

102.5 Use RPM and YUM package management

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to perform package management using RPM and YUM tools.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Install, re-install, upgrade and remove packages using RPM and YUM.
• Obtain information on RPM packages such as version, status, dependencies, integrity and signatures.
• Determine what files a package provides, as well as find which package a specific file comes from.

Terms and Utilities

• rpm
• rpm2cpio
• /etc/yum.conf
• /etc/yum.repos.d/
• yum
• yumdownloader

---

Topic 103: GNU and Unix Commands

103.1 Work on the command line

• Weight: 4
• Description: Candidates should be able to interact with shells and commands using the command line. The objective assumes the bash shell.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Use single shell commands and one line command sequences to perform basic tasks on the command line.
• Use and modify the shell environment including defining, referencing and exporting environment variables.
• Use and edit command history.
• Invoke commands inside and outside the defined path.

Terms and Utilities

• .
• bash
• echo
• env
• exec
• export
• pwd
• set
• unset
• man
• uname
• history

---

103.2 Process text streams using filters

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should should be able to apply filters to text streams.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Send text files and output streams through text utility filters to modify the output using standard UNIX commands found in the GNU textutils package.

Terms and Utilities

• cat
• cut
• expand
• fmt
• head
• od
• join
• nl
• paste
• pr
• sed
• sort
• split
• tail
• tr
• unexpand
• uniq
• wc

---

103.3 Perform basic file management

• Weight: 4
• Description: Candidates should be able to use the basic Linux commands to manage files and directories.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Copy, move and remove files and directories individually.
• Copy multiple files and directories recursively.
• Remove files and directories recursively.
• Use simple and advanced wildcard specifications in commands.
• Using find to locate and act on files based on type, size, or time.
• Usage of tar, cpio and dd.

Terms and Utilities

• cp
• find
• mkdir
• mv
• ls
• rm
• rmdir
• touch
• tar
• cpio
• dd
• file
• gzip
• gunzip
• bzip2
• file globbing

---

103.4 Use streams, pipes and redirects

• Weight: 4
• Description: Candidates should be able to redirect streams and connect them in order to efficiently process textual data. Tasks include redirecting standard input, standard output and standard error, piping the output of one command to the input of another command, using the output of one command as arguments to another command and sending output to both stdout and a file..

Key Knowledge Areas

• Redirecting standard input, standard output and standard error.
• Pipe the output of one command to the input of another command.
• Use the output of one command as arguments to another command.
• Send output to both stdout and a file.

Terms and Utilities

• tee
• xargs

---

103.5 Create, monitor and kill processes

• Weight: 4
• Description: Candidates should be able to perform basic process management.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Run jobs in the foreground and background.
• Signal a program to continue running after logout.
• Monitor active processes.
• Select and sort processes for display.
• Send signals to processes.

Terms and Utilities

• &
• bg
• fg
• jobs
• kill
• nohup
• ps
• top
• free
• uptime
• killall

---

103.6 Modify process execution priorities

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should should be able to manage process execution priorities.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Know the default priority of a job that is created.
• Run a program with higher or lower priority than the default..
• Change the priority of a running process.

Terms and Utilities

• nice
• ps
• renice
• top

---

103.7 Search text files using regular expressions

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to manipulate files and text data using regular expressions. This objective includes creating simple regular expressions containing several notational elements. It also includes using regular expression tools to perform searches through a filesystem or file content.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Create simple regular expressions containing several notational elements.
• Use regular expression tools to perform searches through a filesystem or file content.

Terms and Utilities

• grep
• egrep
• fgrep
• sed
• regex(7)

---

103.8 Perform basic file editing operations using vi

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to edit text files using vi. This objective includes vi navigation, basic vi modes, inserting, editing, deleting, copying and finding text.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Navigate a document using vi.
• Use basic vi modes.
• Insert, edit, delete, copy and find text.

Terms and Utilities

• vi
• /, ?
• h,j,k,l
• i, o, a
• c, d, p, y, dd, yy
• ZZ, :w!, :q!, :e!

---

Topic 104: Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

104.1 Create partitions and filesystems

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to configure disk partitions and then create filesystems on media such as hard disks. This includes the handling of swap partitions.

Key Knowledge Areas

• ext2
• ext3
• xfs
• reiserfs v3
• vfat

Terms and Utilities

• fdisk
• mkfs
• mkswap

---

104.2 Maintain the integrity of filesystems

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to maintain a standard filesystem, as well as the extra data associated with a journaling filesystem.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Verify the integrity of filesystems.
• Monitor free space and inodes.
• Repair simple filesystem problems.

Terms and Utilities

• du
• df
• fsck
• e2fsck
• mke2fs
• debugfs
• dumpe2fs
• tune2fs
• xfs tools

---

104.3 Control mounting and unmounting of filesystems

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to configure the mounting of a filesystem.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Manually mount and unmount filesystems.
• Configure filesystem mounting on bootup.
• Configure user mountable removeable filesystems.

Terms and Utilities

• /etc/fstab
• /media
• mount
• umount

---

104.4 Manage disk quotas

• Weight: 1
• Description: Candidates should be able to manage disk quotas for users.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Set up a disk quota for a filesystem.
• Edit, check and generate user quota reports.

Terms and Utilities

• quota
• edquota
• repquota
• quotaon

---

104.5 Manage file permissions and ownership

• Weight: 3
• Description: Candidates should be able to control file access through the proper use of permissions and ownerships.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Manage access permissions on regular and special files as well as directories.
• Use access modes such as suid, sgid and the sticky bit to maintain security.
• Know how to change the file creation mask.
• Use the group field to grant file access to group members.

Terms and Utilities

• chmod
• umask
• chown
• chgrp

---

104.6 Create and change hard and symbolic links

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be able to create and manage hard and symbolic links to a file.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Create links.
• Identify hard and/or softlinks.
• Copying versus linking files.
• Use links to support system administration tasks.

Terms and Utilities

• ln

---

104.7 Find system files and place files in the correct location

• Weight: 2
• Description: Candidates should be thouroughly familiar with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), including typical file locations and directory classifications.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Understand the correct locations of files under the FHS.
• Find files and commands on a Linux system.
• Know the location and purpose of important file and directories as defined in the FHS.

Terms and Utilities

• find
• locate
• updatedb
• whereis
• which
• type
• /etc/updatedb.conf

DIY wall decor

These days I am so lazy and opt for home delivered food a lot. Hence I have a lot of those containers in which pasta and such are delivered. So I thought, why not try to make some sort of wall decor using them.

You will need, any kind of container with a transparent lid, knife, scissor, glue, sellotape, both side glued tape and most important of all, a painting/photo/collage of magazine cutouts, anything you would like to see on your wall.

Step 1: Find the container, cut out the painting/photo/paper to fit the size of the container.

Step 2: If you are using a painting or a photo skip to step 3.

If you are doing a collage with magazine cut-outs, paste your cut-outs on the paper. Add some words. Colour the free space. Use some glitter here and there. I found only a wedding magazine around, so I cut out a few which looked good to me. I wrote "Two souls, one heart."  (French saying used on poesy rings). I used pink and blue color pencils on the empty space too.

I didn't really put a lot of effort in making it, maybe you can do a better job. There could be many themes like pets, your religion, food and drinks, beauty and cosmetics etc depending upon where you are planning to hang it...

Step3: Now we need to stick the paper to the container. Stick the sellotape to the paper and the container as shown:

Cover the container with the paper and put sellotape to the other end of the paper too:

Cover the container with its transparent lid:

Step 4: Stick the double sided tape to the bottom of the container, this part goes to the wall:

Remove the paper and stick it to the wall!! That is all!!

I hope you try it too... Have a nice day <3

Pressure makes Diamond!

(contd from Gratitude prayer...) It is difficult to not to complain about the problems in life and you are asking me to thank for it?! Yes, with out challenges you won't grow or learn. There is a beautiful metaphor, Butterfly struggle story. Read it here.

You know how a caterpillar has to break out of its cocoon with its young tender wings before transforming to the beautiful butterfly. Why does poor caterpillar have to go through all these struggles? The cocoon should crack open on its own right? The caterpillar's struggle to crack open the cocoon with its tender wings gives its wings the strength to fly out, else it would remain a worm with weak wings.

Tell me, do you want to escape all challenges and be weak or go through it and be strong? Let us endure all the struggles and be the tough person who can tell difficulties that I am too difficult for you! When it seems too tough, remember... you have faced struggles before... you have survived all those and you are still here... These too shall pass...

Do you pray everyday?

Do believe in God? Are you sure God exists? Do you trust God or Do you doubt that God may abandon you on times of difficulty? Do you pray? Does your prayer contain anything other than your needs and complaints?

Even if your answer to the above questions are no, I recommend that you pray everyday before going to bed. It does not have to be related to your religion. If you at least believe that you and the world you live in has a creator, Is it too much thank that creator for what you have received and receiving daily? Gratitude is an important value. If you remember and appreciate every little thing in your life that make your life easy, you can lead a content life - rather than fussing over what you don't have always :-P

Okay, If you think this makes sense, take a minute before sleeping to silently pray or just talk to your creator. Thank for everything, everrryyyything. I pray something like this, You can come up with your own.

We seldom think about the nature, right? Imagine a day with out sun, clean air and water! Yes, those are gifts we are receiving since ever. Let us thank for it. Food, clothes and shelter... what would we do with out these? Let us not forget to thank. We should be thanking for being alive itself, for our healthy mind and body as well. How can we not thank for our loving family and friends? <3....

It is difficult to not to complain about the problems in life and you are asking me to thank for it?! (contd to Pressure makes diamond....) ;-)

And most of all, we should thank God for the unconditional Love. I think It is the greatest blessing of all. Whatever you do, God will still love you. (Not that you are licensed to do anything :-P, be a good child and don't hurt others... and be true to your conscience...) God keeps you in the middle of palm and watches over you 24*7. You will never know what it is like to be abandoned by God. Let us love our God too...

Gold N' Pink Glittery Nails!!!

Golden at the top of the nails, merging to the pink at the bottom - coated with silver glitter polishes.

You will need!!

Base coat, Pink nail polish, Golden color polish, Silver glitter polish.

Apply the base coat. After it dries, apply pink nail polish at the bottom 1/4 of the nail. Wait for it to dry. Then take a little of the pink polish and apply small light stokes from the bottom of the nails to 1/2 way up to create a smudging effect. 

Like wise apply the Golden on the top half. Apply the silver glitter on the pink portion.. yeay!!