Convert Your Old Computer to a Linux Server

By Jan Pascal

Linux is a very popular platform. Not just because it is free but also because it is reliable and supports anything you can imagine. A popular setup is a Linux server without any graphical user interface. It can be used for web hosting, as a file server, as a database server, or for anything you need. Most people comfortable with Windows operating system are afraid to start thinking in a different way. In fact, installing and using Linux is pretty simple.

Once you decide to go for it you have already made the first step. The next step is to get some basic information about installing Linux. There are many Linux distributions. One that is very popular is Ubuntu. Simply Google for “ubuntu server” and learn about what do you need to install Linux. In general, things are pretty simple. You can install Linux on almost any machine. Your old computer that was replaced some time ago is a perfect choice for Linux. You only need some space on the hard drive, a CD or DVD drive, a network card and a lot of patience.

The first step is to make a bootable CD with the latest Ubuntu server image. Download the image file and burn it on a CD. Then you boot your computer with this CD and start installing Linux. It is a good idea to do this installation next to your main computer with internet accesses. This way you will be able to browse for any problem you may encounter. The most important thing you should know is that for every question you may have, there is an answer on some web page waiting for you. You only have to find it.

The installation process is pretty straight-forward. If you don’t understand what the installer is asking you then simply select the default option. Of course, you can also ask Google for it and then choose appropriate option. You should understand that the Linux principle is very different from the Windows one. But once you become familiar with Linux shell and basic commands it will be very easy to work with Linux and to install and configure new software.

Having a Linux server is a great upgrade to your home network. This server will be your reliable storage for large peer-to-peer files, web server for website development or a computer to play with. And remember, sooner or later you will encounter a problem. Something will not work or you will not know how to change some setting. All you have to do is to search for the answer on the web. Web pages offer a giant encyclopedia on Linux.

The author is a big Linux fan and all his websites were developed on a home Linux server. One such project is http://hydronicfloorheating.org/ which offers some basic information on Hydronic Floor Heating.

What Is Ubuntu?

By Roharme D

Ubuntu is an easy version of Linux. It is not windows,but it is almost user friendly like windows. No all applications have graphical interface. Many applications force users to use commands to run them.Commands are mandatory to work with Linux and Ubuntu is not an exception.

Useful Commands:

* apt-get – Call Advanced Packaging Tool.

* clear – Clears terminal screen

* cat [filename] – Opens the file in terminal

* cat > [filename] – Createsa file with name mentioned

* chmod – Change the mode of a file to read, write, execute, extract etc.

* gedit – Opens gnome editor

* gksudo [program name] – Open graphic interface of an application with administrator

* install – Install a package or a component

* pon – Trigger a dsl-connection

* poff – Turn of a dsl-connection

* plog -PPPOE Log file.

* sudo -To become an administration for that particular transaction / terminal session alone.

* privileges.

* synaptic – Open package installer

* vi – Opens VI editor

Installing a software:

Ubuntu does not support direct executable files. You will either be provided with a compiled object that can be installed as such or the complete source code itself. In case of source code, it must be compiled first to proceed with the installation. There is no fixed way to compile the code. It depends upon the language in which the software has been written.

Fully compiled software will have standard extensions which Ubuntu understands by their extension.Some standard file type are

*.run – These files types must be executed with shell command as

* sh.run

*.deb – Deb is the abbreviated form of Debian packages. These packages can be installed right away by double clicking.It opens itself in package installer.

*.bin – These are standard binary files. They might be locked sometimes. They must be provided privileges before executing. The privileges can be changed by the command chmod with the switch +x.To install the software, use the command./[FILENAME].bin (note the dot in the beginning)

There are many other ways of installing a software.

Synaptic Manager:

This is a built-in Ubuntu installer. Ubuntu, keeps track of many useful and popular packages. They are indexed in the synaptic manager. You can install the software using the synaptic manager, if the software is listed in it.

To start synaptic manager, use the command sudo synaptic

Application Package Tool:

APT is one of the typical features of Ubuntu. There are plenty of software and utilities that can directly be installed in your system without having a downloaded soft copy. Just naming the package would suffice. Some famous package that can be installed with APT are

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-sdk sudo apt-get install xmms sudo apt-get install vlc sudo apt-get install mvn sudo apt-get install ant sudo apt-get install svn

Almost all applications can be opened using a command line. Command line version of software are faster than graphic interface as they occupy less memory.This could be a handy guide for beginners. But this is just a piece of Ubuntu. There are many things are there to be learnt to play with Ubuntu.

By Sophia Carcia

Web Hosting Checklist

While there are a large number of web hosting providers all over the world, if you are new to web hosting industry, you may be confused about finding a low cost yet reliable one. In this article, I will give you a brief checklist which you must truly consider when you are shopping around.

1. Disk space

2. Bandwidth

3. Domains

4. Programming language

5. Email accounts

6. E-commerce features

7. A good control Panel

8. A good technical support

9. Flexibility

10. Additional service

11. A robust infrastructure

Disk space

The disk space is space used to hold the files that make up your website, including html files, graphics, scripts and multimedia content. Every hosting account has a certain allotment of disk space. When you are looking for a web host, you need to find a provider, who can offer you more disk space so that you will free of worry about overuse. Especially, if your website including things like download files, pictures, music and video, you will require more disk space.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth (also known as data transfer), refers to the total amount of data that downloaded or uploaded from a particular website or web hosting account during a given time (usually a month). A web hosting account is restricted to stay under its monthly bandwidth allotment just like the water traffic limited by the pipe. If you are going to have a lot of visitors or to host large files, video or photo, then you need a high bandwidth plan.

Domain names

What is a domain name? Domain name is the address on the internet. If you are going to start any kind of online business, you need to get a unique domain name (address) so that your website can be reach by people from all over the world. For example, the domain name www.Hostease.com identifies the location where this web site is hosted. Many of you may wonder you need to register a domain with domain register; this is not always the case, many web hosting company offer you free domain name if you hired their web host. This will save you money. Just like, the company hostease offers free domain name for life and multiple sub-domain.

Programming languages

Many newbie may ask question on forum likes “Which is the best programming language? Is it PHP, ASP, CGI or any other? ” There is not really the best language to use. It really depends on what you are trying to do, on what platform. If you are going to using a Linux shared host, then PHP is probably the best. If you are on a windows hosting, then.asp might be a good choice. Personally, Linux web hosting with PHP and MySQL is my favorite.

PHP is short for “Hypertext Pre-processor” and becoming increasing popular for creating dynamic web pages. It can replace Microsoft Active Server Pages (.asp) technology on Linux/Unix server. PHP enjoy great popularity due to the open source root, which means you can use it freely. As a conjunction with PHP, MySQL is well known for its quick processing, proven reliability and ease of use. MySQL is an essential part of almost every open source PHP application. Of course, it would better if the hosting company provides all the scripts, PHP5, CGI, fast CGI, Perl, Python, and SSI for you.

Email accounts

This is another important feature for your online business. You need to check out that your hosting solution includes email accounts for your staff. Email features, such as unlimited email account, POP3 account, web mail, mailing lists, auto responders, catchalls, spam filter, and mail forwarding etc should be support for the ease and security of your business.

E-commerce features

The purpose of hosting your website on the internet is to make business and profits. Except that you will definitely only focus on blogging instead of online business, you need to get a shopping cart for your website so that your customers to order and buy your products. Check out with the web hosting to make sure they offer shopping carts for your current or future business requirements.

A good control Panel

A control panel in web hosting refers to the interface provided by the hosting company for the maintenance and monitoring of the hosted website. You get administrative control over your domains, email accounts, database and web stats among other features. The main purpose of a control panel is to enrich user experience by providing a number of tools that dramatically reduce administrative challenges. One of the most widely used control panels on the market is cPanel, which allows you to control various aspects of your hosting account and even provides details on bandwidth and other statistics.

A good technical support

It is important to make sure that your web hosting company provides you professional customer support. Their responses should be fast and make to the point. There are many web hosting companies that can very quickly identify the problem, but take a lot of time to solve the problem. It is extremely important that you can access to their support via different ways, email, tickets, knowledge-base, phone, forums. If you really want to make profits with whatever online business you have, you should select a web host that has excellent customer care and technical staff that is professionally trained to handle all sorts of problems.

Flexibility

In the initial days, a business may not require a large space and rich feature to support the website, as the business expanding, you may need new applications and service, therefore you need to upgrade your package. You need to find a hosting company who can offer you various hosting plan according to your business requirements.

Additional service

A reputed company will also provide additional service, such as, Security Socket Layer certificates, domain registering, website designing to ensure that the customer can enjoy a one-stop solution.

A robust infrastructure

Last but not least is the up-time issue. Although most web hosting services will offer you at least 99% up time, there are still a few out there offering less than that. Do not settle for a hosting service that cannot offer 99% up time guarantee. Only with high quality services that backed by powerful data center and cooling systems, you will not be interrupt by the performance issues of the server. Try to make sure that the servers are monitored 24/7 to avoid any possible external threats.

Free online tips about web hosting, online business, SEO marketing, domian, blogging. Hostease which offers rich features and excellent customer service and also guarantees. With 99.9% uptime and the 24/7 customer service (Live chat, toll-free phone) unlimited space and bandwidth, you will find the best service to meet your needs.

How to Choose a Mini Laptop Or Netbook Computer

By Ian E. Wright

Mini laptops or netbooks are the new category of laptops, they are designed as a secondary system that you can carry anywhere you go. Their size is a little bigger than a paperback book, they weigh less than 3 pounds and have battery-saving features. Mini laptop displays are about 7 to 10 inches together with about 512MB to 1GB of RAM and a traditional hard drive. Unlike other laptops, netbooks have slower energy saving processors, so games won’t run as well.

If you are in the market for a netbook here are some things to look for and watch out for:

• First you have to know what you want to use it for and what your budget it. If you are looking for a full featured laptop computer then don’t buy a mini laptop or netbook. The processor of a netbook is less powerful than a common laptop, this is to provide longer battery life. Mini laptops are good for doing homework on a word processing program, surfing the internet, working on spreadsheets or other office work and presentations.
• Buy a netbook with a screen size of 8.9 inch or larger, because if your screen is small the disadvantage is you won’t be able to read an entire web page. This is less of a problem if you have a larger screen.
• Get a 6 cell battery for it will offer you a whole lot more running time compared to the standard 3 cell batter. Aside from the additional cost you may find it a little heavier, but I think the trade-offs are worth it.
• Try out the keypad first, and see if you’re comfortable with it.
• Also check the software that comes pre-installed. Is it everything you need?
• Shop around, list all the prices you find and compare them.

Do not load heavy applications on your mini laptop, since they are mini they do not have as much memory compared to normal laptops. It is also important for you to know which operating system is best for your mini laptop. Here is some information of the two most commonly used operating systems on mini laptops.

Linux: It considerably lessens the chance of a malware attack because of its smaller user base. The makers also designed its interface to be as easy as windows. There is just one disadvantage, you might have a hard time installing new programs and may need to do some tinkering in the command line. On the whole Linux is getting easier to use all the time, but I would still say only more computer savvy people should choose it for now.

Windows: This is mainly the most common operating system for mini laptops. This OS is compatible with almost every accessory or software program in the market. But because of their massive market share, they are targeted by malware attacks. So you have to have a strong security program.

Mini laptops are much cheaper compared to a normal laptops. So it is easier for you top find a cheap mini laptop deal online. Today there are lots of trustworthy sites online, and if you are not sure if they can be trusted you could always check reviews of them online.

Ian Wright can help you find cheap netbooks. Just visit his cheap new laptops website.

Introduction to Virtualization For the Home and Small Business User

By David Wank

Introduction

In a nutshell, virtualization allows you to run a “virtual computer” as an application on your desktop alongside your other applications. A virtualization program will allow you to run an instance of an entire operating system such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Linux as a individual program – just as Word, Excel and Firefox are individual programs.

The easiest way to explain this concept is with an example. Let’s say you are running Windows XP and you’d like to see if one of your commonly used applications would run on Windows Vista. You could purchase a computer with Windows Vista installed, and then test the software. If it works – great. If not, you’ve spent a lot of money for nothing.

Let’s now do the same thing with virtualization. By installing a virtualization program and a Windows Vista image (we will discuss both of these topics later) you can run an instance of the Windows Vista operating system right on your Windows XP desktop – without having to purchase additional software. You can install the application on the virtual version of Windows Vista, and now evaluate your software without having to purchase new hardware.

To clarify, Microsoft Virtual PC is the virtualization software that is running in this example, and virtual pc is, in turn, running a Windows XP image.

II. Terminology

Virtualization Software – an application that allows you to run a virtual operating system on your computer. Examples of virtualization software programs are Virtual PC, VMware Player, and VirtualBox. Think of the virtualization software as a brand-new computer that has no operating system installed on it.

Virtual Image or Virtual Machine – in order to use virtualization software, you need to install an operating system such as Windows XP or Linux. Virtual Images are pre-fabricated operating system images. You would download, for example, a Linux image for Vmware Player, and use the Vmware Player software to run the Linux image. You can think of the virtual image as the actual operating system software.

So to run a virtual operating system, you would install a virtualization program such as Virtual PC, you would then install a virtual image (e.g. a Windows XP image), and then you would install any applications you need on the XP image.

III. Advantages

1. Because a virtualization software work as if it were in it’s own “container” you can freely test software such as alpha and beta releases without worrying about affecting your actual operating system.
2. Running virtualization software and virtual images can save a significant amount money because you do not need to worry about additional hardware costs to run the virtual operating systems. Note that you still need to follow appropriate licensing laws for OS software where applicable. Microsoft, however, does provide time-limited Virtual PC-compatible image for Windows XP.
3. You can easily delete and reinstall a virtual image. If you install programs on your Virtual PC Windows XP installation, and accidentally corrupt the system, you only have to quickly re-setup the image, and not have to spend hours reinstalling the operating system.

IV. Disadvantages

1. A reasonably powered computer is required for virtualization. If you use an underpowered machine to run a virtual machine, you will find the performance sluggish and it will be frustrating.
2. If you do allow your virtual machine to have access to the internet, (and especially if you allow the virtual machine to also access your actual operating system) you MUST take the normal security precautions by installing the appropriate anti-virus and anti-malware software.

Get Started.

I encourage you to test out virtualization software for yourself to see if it’s right for you. Once of the easiest ways to get started is with the free Microsoft Virtual PC and one of the free time-limited Windows XP or Windows Vista virtual images (also known as VHD’s or Virtual Hard Disks).

Remember that this article only covers the basic introduction to the concept of virtualization. In the enterprise environment, virtualization technology can be extremely powerful in leveraging and maximizing use of resources, servers, and remote access among other things.

David Wank is the founder of the HelpSpa, a free computer tutorial and computer video tutorial website. At the HelpSpa you can request a free computer or computer video tutorial to be created that answers your specific question. Request your free tutorial now.

Understanding Virtualization

By Bob Matharoo

Emerging Technologies

“Virtualization”

Our world is changing at a very fast pace and the main reason behind it is vomputers. Since their invention, the technology behind them has been continuously improving and changing. Every year some new technology replaces the old one which is better and more advanced. Computers have transformed from a big machine (equal to the size of room) to small and compact like Pocket PCs. With the passage of time many new software and applications were also being developed to help increase their output. Today we see that in every field computers are becoming a big necessity and that is why there is a boom in the industry of technology.

One of the hottest technology these days is Virtualization, which basically means creating virtual environment with the help of software to run different applications like operating systems, software but using the common hardware resource. It can also be defined as combining software and hardware to create a Virtual machine which makes the single system to act as group of systems.

A few years ago when virtualization was not invented yet, we used to have different systems with different OS as they cannot be installed on same systems. However, this problem was solved as people started installing different OS on different hard disk partitions. So during the boot time there were options asking which OS to run. With this the person was able to run only one OS at a time.

Then Virtualization was invented which allow user to run user more than one OS at a time. This was made possible through software generally called hypervisors. They allowed users to install a new OS just like a new program is installed. For example- A person can run Windows Server 2003 over Windows XP in a new window just like a program is running on XP, all this on a common system.

The main requirement of virtualization is a powerful host computer because it has to share the system resources with the virtual machines. Therefore the computer should have enough RAM, Processing capability, etc to support the virtually formed machines.

Today Virtualization is of many types like Platform Virtualization, Application Virtualization, Memory Virtualization, Network Virtualization, etc. The concept of virtualization is based on forming an environment which acts as base for running other applications over it.

In Platform Virtualization, the virtualization is done on host computer by installing control programs which simulated a physical computer system. Now the user can install guest software over the virtual environment. The control program allows the user to assign the memory, processor, restricted access to peripherals.

Application virtualization allows applications to run in environments that do not suit the native application. We can run incompatible applications on an OS easily. For example, we can run Windows applications in Linux with help of virtualization software. Hence there is no need to install other OS with which the application is compatible. There are some limitations of this type of virtualization i.e. not all the applications can be virtualized, so that they can run on the target OS. Some of the software which help in application virtualization includes Microsoft Application Virtualization, Wine,etc.

Virtualization also plays an important role in managing memory in Network servers. This is done with the help of Memory Virtualization. It helps in arranging the memory of different servers on network in such a way that they act as one entity. Thus they help in sharing the memory of servers. This helps in building the combined virtual server with large amount of memory available. It also helps in improving the performance of applications on server as there is sufficient amount of memory available to them.

With the help Network Virtualization networks can also be virtualized. It helps in combining the hardware and software resource over network in to a virtual network. The network hardware like Network Interface Cards (NIC) and software like Virtual Machines are used in forming a Virtual Network. For example, Microsoft Virtual Server can be used for running different OS like Windows and Linux over the network. It allows the administrator to control the bandwidth and resources to be shared among the network.

The most common software used these days for Virtualization on Windows is Virtual Box. This application can be easily installed on Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and the latest Windows 7 too. After installing you can install any operating system over the installed one. You do not have to install the operating on any separate partition. It is installed just like an application is installed on your system. There is no need to restart the computer to run the new OS as it runs in a new window in your OS. For example, if you want to run some programs which are not compatible with Windows Vista which is already installed on your computer then you can install Virtual Box Software and install Windows XP on Windows Vista.

There are many other programs available which help you run specific programs not compatible with your OS. One such program is DosBox. This program simulates the MS Dos which help you run old Dos application over new OS like Windows 7. This program helps in running even the 8 bit color applications which are not supported in new Windows.

Now many companies have started including virtualization feature in their applications like the latest Microsoft Windows 7. In Windows 7 user can set the compatibility mode of a program with Windows XP, Windows 98, etc so that the program can run without any errors. We can also install Virtual PC in Windows 7 and run Windows XP which is available as freeware from Microsoft.

Virtualization has many advantages in IT some of which are listed below:

1. One of the biggest advantages is cost savings because with Virtualization a single system is enough for many operations therefore the cost of hardware is reduced to much extent.

2. With virtualization the computer resources are used in better way and to the maximum.

3. It has helped reduce the server costs in networking.

4. It has helped in software development as the developer can test the applications on multiple platforms on the same hardware.

5. The power consumption is also reduced drastically.

In the end it can be concluded that Virtualization has a very bright future in information technology as it helps to make the best use of the available system resources and get the maximum out them.

Author- Bob Matharoo

@ dreadbob.blogspot.com

I am a Blogger who loves to write and share whatever I learn in this world on my Cute lil’ Blog called $ Secret Money Blog $. You can find Blogging Tips, Tech Reviews and some assorted randomness from the web on my blog.

You can visit me at http://dreadbob.blogspot.com

Bob Matharoo

Tips on Installing Linux on PS3

By Scott Ace

Did you know that underneath the hood of your PS3 are 8 (Yes eight) CPU cores powering your console? While home computers are still languishing in the realm of double cores, Sony has taken a huge step forward in the technology stakes. So why not take advantage of all this processing power and turn our humble PS3 into a “Super Computer.” Previously this was impossible and we had to be contempt with leaving our console playing First Person Shooters all day. Nowadays however, Sony has allowed Linux platforms to be installed onto the PS3, turning your once gaming console into a fully functional home computer.

However before you go in a mad dash to install Linux on your PS3, there is a few things to note. Much like the infamous PSP or iPhone, you can “brick” your PS3 if you are not careful. Here are some tips when going about installing Linux on a PS3.

1: One of the most crucial points missed when installing, is that your game controllers will not function throughout the Linux installation procedure. It really sucks to be half way through the install, but have no way of completing it. Make sure you have a regular USB keyboard and mouse plugged into your PS3 while installing. After the install, you still won’t be able to use your PS3 controller on the Linux platform, but you will be able to use it just like normal in the PlayStation OS.

2: Make sure that if there is anything on your PlayStation harddrive that you want to keep, that you have it fully backed up. When you install Linux you will be forced to create a new harddrive partition. To do this you will need to wipe all existing data to essentially start from scratch. Any data that is on the harddisk at the time of install will be lost forever. I cannot stress this enough! Backup all your data!

3: Closely related to the above. When you take a backup, make sure it’s on something like a large pen drive or even an iPod. (I have heard of people using their 40 GB iPod’s purely for backup drives). Not only will your data be lost when you try to install Linux. If Linux completely stuffs up and you can’t install it, you will want to get all your old data back as easy as possible.

4: Make sure you choose the right version of Linux for you and your PS3. Not all distributions of Linux can be run on the PS3, and all need to be ported to take full advantage of the 8 CPU cores. At the time of writing, only Ubuntu and Yellow Dog are full available to be installed on the console. You can use distro’s like Fedora, but they aren’t fully compatible with the PS3′s hardware and only cause headaches.

If you follow the above tips you should be in for an easy install. It may sound daunting at first but once you have all the preparation ready, its just matter of inserting the disk and following the wizard. Good Luck!

Want to learn more about installing Linux on your PS3?
Visit us at Linux 4 PS3

Computer Operating Systems – Which One is Right For You?

By Kristen T White

Computer operating systems are a lot like food in that tastes in them vary greatly. They also are similar to food in that not everyone needs the same types, nor wants the same thing. The majority of personal computers owned by average Joe’s and Jane’s are most likely to feature a version of Microsoft’s Windows while businesses might run either Windows or some version of Linux. Every individual and every business uses computers for different reasons and as the operating system is the backbone of every computer it’s important to make sure you’re using the operating system that you can benefit from the most.

For the majority of users Windows is going to be the logical or even default choice. Windows has been the dominant operating system for well roughly 20 years and is compatible with upwards of 98% of software. Many Windows users don’t actually choose Windows as their system but since it’s packaged in with the vast majority of new PC’s these users are unaware that there are alternatives. For those who are aware of alternative operating systems they often choose Windows as their primary operating system for compatibility reasons. Some even go so far as to install Windows side by side another operating system such as Linux. Windows users enjoy being part of a group that has very few compatibility issues, plenty of regular updates, as well as regular major releases every couple of years. Windows is a great operating system for those individuals and businesses who want to use their computers for every day activities like conducting business, building websites, putting reports together, and surfing the Internet, among many others. Windows users also have the easiest time finding Orange County computer support when they encounter problems with their PC’s.

The most popular alternative to Microsoft’s Windows is Linux. Though regular updates are provided to Windows users free of charge, Windows upgrades are released on average, every couple years and in order to maintain the ability to run the latest hardware and software users will be asked to pay a fairly steep price for new versions of Windows, which often includes nothing more than an enhanced/revamped graphical user interface and sometimes becomes more complicated for the average user. Depending on the version, Linux is generally free of charge. There still exists a stigma that only tech geeks will understand and be capable of using one of the many versions of Linux, but with the release of Linux systems like Ubuntu, Xubuntu, and even Kubuntu, the learning curve for Linux has been brought way down. Not only do most modern versions of Linux now resemble Windows making them easier to use for individuals with little technical savvy but Linux is now much more compatible with programs that once ran only under Windows. Many people who have become frustrated with the price of Windows, the operating system’s vulnerability to attacks, it’s proprietary tendencies, and closed system have turned to Linux.

The few Windows based programs that don’t have a Linux alternative can be run through Wine, a program designed specifically to run Windows applications on a Linux operating system. Though some businesses may run a Linux server operating system it remains mainly an alternative for users who want a richer and more secure experience on a computer. It used to be that in order to get support or technical assistance for a Linux operating system you had to know someone who possessed a high level of technical ability but these days even many Orange County PC repair companies have begun offering services for help with the many different versions of Linux.

With Windows having the largest penetration rate amongst individual and business users and Linux quickly gaining ground in the compatibility and popularity departments, you might think that there’s no other operating system to consider. Apple’s Macintosh however is what some in the computer world refer to as a sleeping giant. Mac’s utilize Unix, which Linux is based off of and is as solid and reliable as Linux. In the past compatibility issues have kept a great many people from choosing a Mac over a PC though in more recent times Wine for Mac’s, much like the version found in Linux has become a powerful tool with which to run Windows based programs.

As Wine improves Mac’s will undoubtedly become more popular among home users. Business wise however Mac’s have long been the operating system/computers of choice for those whom render movies, graphics, and record music. In time however expect to see Mac’s share the spotlight with Windows and Linux based PC’s as the operating systems becomes more compatible with commercial and popular software. Many Orange County computer support specialists now offer services that can help owners with their Mac’s should they have any issues with the operating system. This is another indication that the popularity of Mac’s is steadily growing.

Kristen White is the owner of TH2 Technologies, an Orange County computer support firm offering the most comprehensive computer repair and maintenance services available.

Linux and Unix Data Recovery

By Nahar Dijla

Forty years ago there was only one type of computer system. Today, the variety of computer systems has grown into its own world of complexities. Technological advances have been extraordinary in the hardware side of the industry. Yet while we marvel at ever-faster storage devices and greater processing power, it’s good to remind ourselves that we also need amazing new operating systems and file systems to manage the hardware and data.

True, there are many machines using Microsoft file systems, but it is a widely accepted fact that UNIX file systems survived stronger and much longer. UNIX operating systems have definitely established itself as a stable environment for most companies. In fact, most of the servers that are part of the infrastructure of the Internet are running a variant of the UNIX operating system. Recently, Linux has proved to be a stable alternative for companies running database servers or other business applications.

The Linux operating system placed great emphasis and focus towards the server environment, and increasingly the environment that is crucial to every professional, namely the desktop environment. Linux remained constant and been true to its UNIX roots. No wonder, it continues to grow by virtue of its ‘Open-Source’ status. The good thing about being Open-Source is that no single company gets to control the operating system. Some of the smartest minds in computer science established and devoted their careers to developing the operating system and file systems for the UNIX and Linux platforms.

Before the Seventies, the custom designed operating system was meant for for the hardware of the machine. The UNIX operating system had been designed in the late Sixties and was implemented in the early Seventies.

The amazing thing about UNIX was that it allowed hardware companies to concentrate design efforts on hardware without having to design a custom operating system to go with it. When UNIX started out, it wasn’t even marketed as a new operating system yet UNIX emerged further as an operating system and a strong alternative to mainframes.

With great focus on the file system point of view, UNIX brought a number of improvements to the design of file systems.

Most professionals for data recovery focus on the evaluation and recovery of one of these types of file systems. The stages of recovery are partition and volume verification, logical file system scan, error investigation, and repair, and volume reports.

However, there are situations where the quality of the recovery cannot be verified. One of these situations is when a file system repair utility has made permanent changes to the file system. When the tools of professionals fail to undo these changes because specific data has been changed, it is a difficult situation. Most of the UNIX file system variants also permanently remove inode entries when data is deleted.

Situations where files have been overwritten present the same problem; specific information that points to the data has been overwritten. All is not lost in circumstances like this. There are professional data recover engineers who have tools that will bypass the file system and look for specific file types – sometimes known as the magic number or unique identifier of a file. In these cases, the file names may be unrecoverable, however the file data may be readable.

No doubt, data recovery is a science-a great, emerging discipline that requires the best of trained experts. By opting for a company that claims to specialize in data recovery yet uses off-the-shelf recovery tools doesn’t guarantee efficient data recovery success.

You must opt for a company or a professional that researches and studies these file systems and then designs a suite of tools to facilitate Linux and Unix data recovery. Remember, automated tools provided by several data recovery companies don’t provide a good answer to complete the data recovery process/ This requires the professional services of experienced data recovery engineers who work till data is recovered. So remember to opt for the best solution providers so that quality is never compromised.

Data Recovery
RAID Data Recovery

Linux Mobile Powers the Vodafone 360 M1

By Simon Drew

The Vodafone 360 M1 is a Linux Mobile smart phone with amazing capabilities; this is the product of Samsung’s manufacturing and the Vodafone service. When three major industry giants with different specializations get together for a single device, you know it is going to be amazing. Still, the 360 M1 is the little brother of the even more powerful 360 H1 Linux Mobile smart phone. Frankly speaking, if the H1 is well within your budget, then you should get that phone instead.

The M1 on its own is an amazing mobile device. It does not have the highest rated specs available, but it has a very sound, functional and practical set of functions that you will be hard pressed to find another mobile phone that delivers this much functionality. The Linux mobile interface, 360 services and a whole host of other interesting features makes the M1 the practical smart phone for people on a budget.

The 360 Service at its Best

Vodafone is launching its 360 service for these two mobile phones. It’s a smart move considering how much functionality and connectivity the 360 is going to offer. First of all, the Vodafone 360 combines the information from your mobile device such as contact information, messages, and other relevant data with your online accounts in social networking sites (such as FaceBook) and contact information in messenger services (such as Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk). With the 360 service you will be able to track message and conversation history, profile and status updates, share media such as video and even geo-tagged images. The 360 service will also hook up with your desktop PC or Mac to create a truly comprehensive connectivity experience.

360 M1 Specifications

As we said earlier, the Vodafone 360 M1 is a Lite version of the original Vodafone 360 H1, so if you are hungry for the original H1 specs, you will be disappointed with this model. Otherwise, the M1 presents users with an alternative device that provides some excellent functionality. The loss of the AMOLED touch screen and the reduction of screen size is probably the biggest change from the H1 to the M1.

The 360 M1 has a 3.2 inch touch screen display as compared to the original 3.5 AMOLED HD touch screen used for the 360 H1. We have yet to confirm if the 16GB internal storage has been reduced but we expect it to fall around 8GB; hopefully we will be delightfully mistaken and the M1 will be retaining all 16GB. Wi-Fi is not present and instead of having a 5 mega pixel camera, it has been reduced to 3.2 mega pixels. The source of the price drop is pretty obvious once you break down the different changes made.

The Overall Score

Is the 360 M1 a great mobile phone? With excellent features and the 360 service, it definitely is. The only problem the 360 M1 has is the fact that it is overshadowed by the giant of the phone that is the Vodafone 360 H1.

If the Vodafone 360 M1 takes your fancy, then you should check out Best Mobile Contracts who are the UK’s leading mobile phone price comparison website.