HackNBlog @ Salamanteri Server

On IRCNet/#linux I saw so amusing and lousy (literally, I’m not saying because I’m annoyed, in fact he made me giggle) troll that I decided to make my latest post a log of his trollig… I have removed very few other peoples comments (only ones that I felt didn’t fit at all in the log) and most join/part/quit messages… So I hope you enjoy this as much as I did and wonder how weird it is that his actually let stay there :D Here goes:

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I feel like a short comment about having to use proprietary drivers in Linux, so if you’re here for three step easy installation of nVidia drivers, just bear with me for a moment – I will get to that, but just few words first:

Lack of official Linux drivers (read: included in kernel, which by definition means open source) for peripherals has always been a sad thing, sometimes even preventing someone from becoming Linux user.
Manufacturers that are unwilling to release sources of their drivers, or even specs of the hardware enabling FOSS community to create drivers on operating systems they don’t see worthy (while there are arguments to support former, latter is just foul behavior), some have had enough business sense to write drivers for Linux, even if releasing them as proprietary binary blob.
The problem is that because Linux kernel has no stable ABI (for a reason), a driver compiled against one version will very likely crash the kernel if forced to load the module (modprobe -f) for different version of kernel (or compiler). This means that the drivers are released with wrapper code and installer that compiles the wrapper against current kernel and links the binary blob with wrapper – wrapper providing stable ABI for binary blob.

Compared to some, ie. ATI or Matrox, nVidia has done good job with making their drivers easy as possible to install. Installing kernel header files and compiler (which I agree is too much to ask for average users) the driver is installed by running installer, which automatically compiles and installs the drivers. With Matrox I never found proper instructions to even try and install their drivers and had to do with open source drivers that lacked 3D acceleration when using Xinerame (two displays), and ATI drivers have been known to break with every other kernel upgrade, needing special magic to compile again.

The three step installation of nVidia proprietary drivers

Anyway, with nVidia you have 3 choices of drivers: nv (the old open source drivers with no 3D acceleration), nouveau (new open source driver project, works only partially) and if you actually want 3D acceleration, nvidia proprietary drivers – which I decided to install after switching from matrox to old nVidia with tradeoff of gaining power and losing my second display.
And I found instructions for recommended Debian way to install the drivers – it’s easy, uses APT package management and it’s more automated, which saves work if the kernel is changed. And it only takes three steps…

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Yesterday I faced an interesting situation with my friends computer – he could not log in to his Debian GNU/Linux install, not using his own nor root account. It complained of wrong password.

Luckily before I went and burned a live CD – so I could use it to mount his root partition, chroot in it and run passwd – I thought that, “hey, if I can boot it into single user mode, then I can run passwd there as root to re-set the passwords“. It’s also notable that unlike with regular Single User Mode, this guide includes a method to boot into Single User Mode without root password.

If your problem is Windows, then click here to read further. With physical access to Linux you won’t need a boot disk to fix your password(s) – even if it’s a root password.

Linux password reset via booting to single user mode

Unless you are using a distribution like Ubuntu, where root account is by default “disabled” (read: root has no password set) then you will be asked for root password.
Note! This is a problem only with the regular way to boot into single user mode. Also the system I fixed had no problem with this: even though it didn’t accept root password on normal login, it did on single user one!
But the real thing is that thee is also a method to log in as root in single user mode without password. As long as you have physical access of course.

Method 1 – the regular way to boot into Single User Mode

1. GRUB: when booting wait until you get to the GRUB menu.
   LILO: If you are using LILO without no delay set to pause for the boot prompt then the process is similar, except that you press and hold any of the following keys: Shift, Alt, Ctrl, ScrollLock, or CapsLock. (Thanks to “Single User Mode” guide at noah.org ^{[http://www.noah.org/wiki/Single_User_Mode]} for this information)
2. Select the boot image and press “e” to edit boot parameters
3. Choose the line starting with kernel and again press “e” to edit it (note! I believe you can edit entry lines without again selecting one with “e” with GRUB 2).
   The line should look like this:
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=3245c992-7f82-4d54-97eb-97da8f617ec5 ro
   Edit the line by adding “single” in the end: kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=3245c992-7f82-4d54-97eb-97da8f617ec5 ro single
4. After editing the line press “b” to boot.
5. It should boot into single user mode, but if you see this:
   Give root password for maintenance (or type Control-D to continue):
   …then you need to try the non-standard way to boot into single user mode bash shell (unless it accepts the root password, like it did, for whatever reason, in my case).

Method 2 – Single User Mode without password!

Following method will give you Single User Mode shell – without needing password, but with much more primitive environment:

1. Follow the same steps from 1st method, but when you get to editing to kernel line:
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=3245c992-7f82-4d54-97eb-97da8f617ec5 ro
   You need to edit that line to replace ro with rw and instead of single add init=/bin/bash. So the line should read something like this: kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=3245c992-7f82-4d54-97eb-97da8f617ec5 rw init=/bin/bash
2. Again, after editing press “b” to boot.

You should now be able to run passwd to set root password, or passwd [username] to set any user account password.

NOTE! If you have /usr as separate partition from / (root) partition…

…you may need to mount the partition, which should be simple as running:
mount /usr
This tip I found from comments of article How-To: Recover root password under linux with single user mode | Debian/Ubuntu Tips & Tricks.

Resetting Windows password with a special boot CD

To reset Windows password, when you don’t know Administrator password, local nor network, you will need a special boot disk to do this. Don’t worry, it’s actually quite easy.

Ironically the disk you will need is a specialized Linux Live USB/CD bootdisk. It’s called Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, and specially made for resetting and changing Windows password.
As the bootdisk can be installed on USB memory stick, you don’t have to burn this tool on a CD anymore – that is what I have once had to do. I haven’t used Windows on my own systems since ’02, but I had to reset a password on Windows XP system at school once (not for malicious purposes).

Credits for the info!

Thanks for information on this article for these blog entries, articles and sites:

• Single User Mode – noah.org
• xorg – How do I boot into single-user mode from GRUB? – Ask Ubuntu
• Debian/Ubuntu Tips & Tricks: How-To: Recover root password under linux with single user mode
• the Digital me – Reset the root password on a linux box
• And finally for the Windows password reset tool:
  Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

Any comments, corrections, thanks, etc.? Feel free to comment below!

Simple, yet good question – many are confused about it – especially people arguing about it, and not even only those arguing against Linux (Win- & Mac fanbois for example). There is a simple description in Linux-FAQ shipped with bash documentation package bash-doc file /usr/share/doc/FAQ/Linux-FAQ.gz.. Here be the section on subject on that FAQ:

General Information

Q: What Is Linux?

A: The name “Linux” is used to refer to three similar yet slightly different things, which can be confusing to all but the hardcore geek. The three usages vary by how much of a complete software system the speaker is talking about.

At the lowest level, every Linux system is based on the Linux kernel ?? the very low-level software that manages your computer hardware, multi-tasks the many programs that are running at any given time, and other such essential things. These low-level functions are used by other programs, so their authors can focus on the specific functionality they want to provide. Without the kernel, your computer is a very expensive doorstop. It has all of the features of a modern operating system: true multitasking, threads, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared, copy-on-write executables, proper memory management, loadable device driver modules, video frame buffering, and TCP/IP networking.

Most often, the name “Linux” is used to refer to the Linux Operating System. An OS includes the kernel, but also adds various utilities ?? the kinds of programs you need to get anything done. For example, it includes a shell (the program that provides a command prompt and lets you run programs), a program to copy files, a program to delete files, and many other odds and ends. Some people honor the request of Richard Stallman and the GNU Project, and call the Linux OS GNU/Linux, because a good number of these utility programs were written by the GNU folks.

Finally, software companies (and sometimes volunteer groups) add on lots of extra software, like the XFree86 X Window System, Gnome, KDE, games and many other applications. These software compilations which are based on the Linux OS are called Linux distributions.

So, there are three Linuxes: the Linux kernel, the Linux OS, and the various Linux distributions. Most people, however, refer to the operating system kernel, system software, and application software, collectively, as “Linux”, and that convention is used in this FAQ as well.

See also the Wikipedia articles on the Linux kernel and the Linux operating system.

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A “demand for Internet Traffic equality independently on what service is used” (aka net neutrality) was written into the law in Holland.
Apparently this already happened on end half of last month so it might be old news for you.
Nevertheless, the new law prohibits ISP’s from charging different prices for free services, like Skype or Instant Messaging – on any “service” (translation: Any data using certain protocol, I believe that my readers know what protocol means and to clarify, “service” was here 1st to explain the news to those who don’t know, as well the mentions of service examples like Skype).

It seems to mean that in Holland where VOID-calls used a lot in Holland have started to show on Holland ISP’s net revenue.

While in Finland net neutrality still works mostly as planned, I sure hope that it gets written here in the law too.

I will end with couple links, first one is in English and 2nd one is for my Finnish readers:

Links (outside of my site) for relevant information/news:

• Dutch Lawmakers Adopt Net Neutrality Law [www.nytimes.com]
• Internet-liikenteen tasa-arvo kirjattiin lakiin Hollannissa [fin.afterdawn.com, finnish text only!]

Have a nice day… Maybe you would like to have a opinion counting vote posted here? Did not happen, but if enough people ask for it on comments I might post one on top of this post ;)
DO YOU WANT A VOTE ON THIS SITE AND ISSUE!? Then make request in comments!

And a poll for your opinions about piracy and DRM:

Edit: Added link to old Linux Haters Blog entry disagreeing, see end of post for links. (May 27th).

Opinions about Linux needing fundamental change to succeed – my take on this:

The claimed “problem” and claims are from people who lack fundamental understanding of Linux, things that make Linux exceptional and why/how it differs from proprietary software companies so fundamentally that if such change were possible and actually happened it would be the death of Linux.

We all know that Linux has grown to yet another field of competition in last years extending it’s use to OS for various end user systems from smart phones to desktops (after long and passionate arguments about “year of desktop Linux”^*) of average users.
Even bigger than gaining foothold on OS competition for not only desktops but also on smart phones, Tablet PC’s (newest trend that I don’t understand) in my view has to things that resulted into this, the history of *nix desktop evolution as full and as final straws: coming of distributions specialized to bring linux to desktop of average users, organizations and communities targeting to polish linux on that field – and finally adoption of linux by commercial hardware manufacturers to provide pre-installed Linux variants along with more common proprietary systems. This has brought also loads loads of new users and some of them beg for Linux to change, that so many distributions, desktop environments and software packages provided for them varying a lot by not just in different DE’s but also in different distros shipping with them – they say that linux should, or needs, to change on this to succeed. I say that’s bullshit.

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As a short note, the linux distribution known as Debian (my personal favorite distro today*) is now 17 years old. Go visit Debian Appreciation Day page or bake a cake :)

* Being my favorite distribution does not mean I recommend it for everyone and for every use, it does not even mean I would personally choose it for everything (well, at least in theory there may be cases where I would choose something else).

Ok, last September (year 2009 for those too stoned, LOL) I made a poll about subject that every Linux blogger for some reason seems to be somehow mandated to do: about Year of Linux Desktop. I should have, by my original plan, closed the poll after other posts pushed it from main page, but, oh well, better now than newer – so the poll is closed now and I’m sure you rather read the results here than go there to see it.

My question was simply: “Has there been a year of Linux yet (this [2009] counting)?”. I will list the two most interesting results first (take in mind that this is a small blog and some bias towards Linux may be expected):

• 2nd option, “For me it has” gained 7 votes which is 33% of all votes
• 6th option, “Not for me, not for anyone else. That would be ridiculous!“, obviously an option not in my favor, gained 4 wotes (19% of all votes)

Note that these ones listed above were numbered as they appear in poll. 2nd option actually got most votes and 6th one came third. See the rest below, including my own choice, 1st option that only lost by one vote to 2nd, that is “Yes, most definitely, should be clear to everyone” :)

Though this site can be considered Linux biased it is now also clear that either lot’s of Win fanboys come here or like I think, all Linux users and supporters don’t sadly believe in triumph of desktop linux – or maybe they just don’t like to refer to anything as “year of desktop linux”.

I’ve *really* had a bad luck with this blogsite and my server this year. After I trashed my server hardware, got it finally replaced but had to move and switch ISP (which took a while) I was able to get this server back online in beginning of June (See post “HackNBlog is back online! So what happened!?“). Right, and then…

…my ADSL modem broke a little less than two weeks ago and there I was again, no access to internet at home and not having my server online – honestly the latter made me worry more even though this site is “only” a hobby of mine.

So anyway, yesterday I got a replacement for my ADSL-modem – no WLAN support but I only need it for my guests with laptops for now anyway. So last night I finally got to putting this server back online again. Almost makes me want to pray that no more troubles with my server will happen this year – I think I’ve had this server online less than offline this year!