What was fixed today?: 2012

Partition 3ware 9650SE-4LPML RAID on XenServer 6 with ext

3ware 9650-4LPML SATA II RAID card is currently not listed on the Citrix Hardware Compatibility List - http://hcl.xensource.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductType=HBA&ProductName=9650SE%20SATA-II%20RAID

However, the Citrix XenCenter 6 Linux Kernel includes inbuilt drivers for this RAID card. Click here for this card on Amazon - AMCC 3ware 9650-4LPML SATA

You can locate and mount a RAID partition with a 3ware card on XenCenter 6 console as follows:

df -h
Shows only mounted / and .iso partitions

fdisk -l

This shows two disks - /dev/sda with 1000.2 GB disk containing the XenCenter installation and /dev/sdb with 999.9 - containing Raid10 configured on the 3ware 9650SE-4LPML card

cat /proc/partitions

I need to partition the /dev/sda3 to ext3 partition - this is the free space on the local Xen server installation disk - can be used to store backups or other test virtual machines which do not require RAID

The second partition will be /dev/sdb1 - this will be the RAID partition containing the Virtual Machine instances running on the server

ls -alt /dev/disk/by-id

This command shows me the Local disk ID, RAID card ID as well as the partitions

/dev/sda3 - shows the scsi-SATA_ST31000 local disk
/dev/sdb1 - shows the scsi-1AMCC - this is the AMCC 3ware 9650SE-4LPML card - however the AMCC organization is now taken over by LSI corporation and LSI has not provided any drivers for these cards for the newer operating systems

Note: To get the AMCC 3ware 9650SE-4LPML card working on Windows Server 2012 - download the Complete Code Set 9.5.4 ISO file, burn this ISO on a disk, boot from this disk and update the firmware of the RAID card. After reboot, the card and your RAID disk set will work in Windows Server 2012. ISO available here - http://www.lsi.com/products/storagecomponents/Pages/3ware9650SE-4LPML.aspx

The Xen support forum gives the following command to create an ext partition:

xe sr-create content-type=user device-config:device=/dev/disk/by-id/<scsi-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> host-uuid=<host-uuid> name-label=”Local Storage 2” shared=false type=ext

However, using following commands, I was able to create first - the local /dev/sda3 partition for test VM's - there was no need to specify /disk/by-id/ or host-uuid

xe sr-create content-type=user name-label=xen_os_1tb shared=false device-config:device=/dev/sda3 type=ext

And the second command to create a partition on the AMCC 3ware 9650SE-4LPML card partition

xe sr-create content-type=user name-label=3ware_raid10_1tb shared=false device-config:device=/dev/sdb1 type=ext

df -h will then show me the new created partitions along with the available free space of 863GB and 870GB usable disk space

Creating the ext partition as opposed to LVM allows me to transfer the VM disks in and out of the server either through ssh or using WinSCP from a Windows computer.

Get more Citrix XenServer help here -> Citrix XenServer Book

Image resizer for Windows 7

Resize multiple photographs

Taking pictures on new digital cameras with 10+ megapixels can result on very large images. The image size needs to be reduced if you want to send them over email - either because of attachment limit or because of your slow internet bandwidth speed.

Photo resizing was very easy in Windows XP using the Image resizer powertoy. Still available here for Windows XP - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows/downloads/windows-xp?T1=PT

This is an extremely lightweight and free app from Microsoft for Windows XP

In Windows 7, this is not available - although the smart thing from Microsoft would have been to integrate this lovely tool into Windows 7 itself

Check current Windows XP Price at Amazon here -> Windows XP
Check current Windows 7 Price at Amazon here -> Windows 7

This is a similar lightweight software for Windows 7 - adionSoft Fast Image Resizer

Download from the website here - http://adionsoft.net/fastimageresize/

Download

Install

Run

Set required details in "options" such as resize folder path, jpg quality, etc.

Drag files - supported input formats are JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF and HD Photo (.wdp, .hdp) files

Supported output save extensions are JPG, BMP or PNG files

License: Freeware

TortoiseSVN Checkout Error Authorization failed

Getting an Error - Authorization failed message during checkout of project code from svn server using TortoiseSVN on windows computer

To resolve this, login to your linux svn server and make sure the svn server daemon process is running in the background - provide the path of svn repositories:

svnserve -d -r /home/svn

Check the config file under your repository configuration:

/home/svn/svnrepo/conf/svnserve.conf

Uncomment the password-db = passwd to use the password file authentication

for svn repository

Make sure the passwd file contains the username and password authentication

details of the repository

Checkout the repository again through TortoiseSVN

This time it will ask you for authentication and start working with at Revision

number.

Create a test file in the folder and commit your code back to svn for testing.

Works now.

Get more Tortoise SVN help here - Tortoise SVN

We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one

Windows 8 installation gets stuck at the disk and drive partition prompt with the message - We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one. For more information, see the Setup log files.

If I select an existing partition and select Next then it prompts - Windows can't be installed on this drive

Fix - Delete the old partitions (make sure your data has been backed up on other location)

Select partition - Delete - This partition might contain important files or applications from your computer manufacturer. If you delete this partition, any data stored on it will be lost.

OK. Any other option for me here? Only deleting the current partitions seems to take me further.

Just deleting an old System Partition - System Reserved of 128 MB and selecting Next also didn't work - Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style. Incidentally Drive 0 was the old Hackintosh Lion installation disk.

Erasing all Drive 0 and other EFI partitions as well.

Drive 0 Unallocated Space 298.1 GB - all partitions removed from this disk. The secondary disk containing the data was kept intact.

Select Next to start the Windows Installation and the Copying Files dialogue will appear.

The new Windows 8 box logo during the installation process.

Getting devices ready.

The PC name and color personalization screen.

Express settings

You can customize the following settings or choose express settings. If you choose express settings, your PC will occasionally send info to Microsoft and will;

- Automatically install important and recommended updates.
- Help protect your PC from unsafe files and websites.
- Turn on Do Not Track in Internet Explorer.
- Help improve Microsoft software, services, and location services by sending us info.
- Check online for solutions to problems.
- Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC's location, name, and account picture.
- Turn on sharing and connect to devices on this Network.

It's your first time on this network. Do you want to turn on sharing between PC's and connect to devices on this network?

I select yes because I'm on my office network - Yes turn on sharing and connect to devices - For home or work networks

Help protect and update your PC - the Windows Automatic Update dialogue, Windows and IE SmartScreen Filter and Internet Explorer Do Not Track selection buttons.

Send Microsoft info to help make Windows and apps better

Are you on a limited Broadband bandwidth plan? Off - Next

Check online for solutions to problems.
Share info with apps.

Incidentally, the setup indicates the core integration of Microsoft App Store with the OS right from the installation steps.

Sign in to your PC

There are two options for signing in:

Microsoft Account - This option will let you log in using your @live or @hotmail account and core integration with SkyDrive will ensure all your important files or documents can be saved onto the cloud.

Local Account

I choose - Local Account

If you want a password, choose something that will be easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. Yeah Right.

"if you want a password" - does this also let you create an account without a password - I'm not trying that. Better set a password right from the start.

Guide mode? Move your mouse into any corner

This was very brief and seems like an incomplete introduction wizard. They could have set a learning video with an option to Skip.

Finally. Metro is now the Windows 8 UI.

The new desktop will need take time to get used to but work speed on this UI will increase after getting some hands-on with upcoming touch devices and Surface Tablets.

This also seems like a good time to wait for the Samsung or LG - Windows 8 Certified Touch Monitors - then directly upgrade my 22" LCD to the touch monitor instead of going in for a new LED in the near future.

Check current Windows 8 price at Amazon - Windows 8
Learn more about Windows 8 Operating System - Windows 8

New Windows 8 installation with CD / DVD ROM in not working condition

Just download the Win8 Enterprise ISO from MSDN website - en_windows_8_enterprise_x64_dvd_917522.iso - to find out that the DVD ROM was misbehaving. Maybe because it has not been used since a while.

Fix - get the tool - Windows7-USB-DVD-tool.exe - directly from Microsoft website and this will create a bootable USB Disk for any OS installation. You will need a 4GB or greater USB disk drive.

Download the free utility from Microsoft Store website here -http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

This utility has been tested with Win7 and Win8 .iso files but it should also work with Ubuntu or MAC if it's an .iso file.

Install and run the utility and you will be prompted for the .iso file

Select .iso file and click Next to proceed

Choose your inserted USB disk - you will be prompted that the USB disk will be formatted and data erased (take any backup from USB disk if required before proceeding from this point)

After erasing USB disk and copying files from the .iso file, the USB disk will be ready for boot and you can select the USB disk as first boot device in BIOS to start the Windows 8 installation.

Setting a reminder for recurring Network Support tasks

The support ticket system of AdventNet ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus features a "Preventive Maintenance Tasks" section in the Admin area.

This section allows you to set reminders for your recurring maintenance and support tasks - much as the same which you would set using a Task Scheduler on your Windows machine or Microsoft Outlook, or your Android mobile phone.

The reminders can generally be set for the Technicians and Administrators for daily, weekly, monthly reminders for tasks such as - periodic backups, system updates, asset & inventory updates, etc.

At the scheduled time of task and event, the system will open a ticket for the task and auto assign to the designated Technician, remind via email or even forward a reminder on his mobile phone, if it is configured with the system.

perl: warning: Setting locale failed

locale error starts to pop up when I restart the mysql server - Debian Linux distribution

/etc/init.d/mysql stop
/etc/init.d/mysql start

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:
    LANGUAGE = (unset),
    LC_ALL = (unset),
    LC_CTYPE = "UTF-8",
    LANG = "en_IN"
    are supported and installed on your system.
perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C")

To resolve this:

debian:~# export LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8
debian:~# export LANG=en_US.UTF-8
debian:~# export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
debian:~# locale-gen en_US.UTF-8
Generating locales (this might take a while)...
en_IN.UTF-8... done
Generation complete.

debian:~# apt-get install locales
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
libc6 libc6-i686 tzdata
Suggested packages:
glibc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
libc6 libc6-i686 locales tzdata
4 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 172 not upgraded.
Need to get 10.9MB of archives.
After unpacking 1909kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y

After completion:

debian:~# dpkg-reconfigure locales
perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:
    LANGUAGE = "en_US.UTF-8",
    LC_ALL = "en_US.UTF-8",
    LC_CTYPE = "UTF-8",
    LANG = "en_US.UTF-8"
    are supported and installed on your system.
perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").
locale: Cannot set LC_CTYPE to default locale: No such file or directory
locale: Cannot set LC_MESSAGES to default locale: No such file or directory
locale: Cannot set LC_ALL to default locale: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/locale: Cannot set LC_CTYPE to default locale: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/locale: Cannot set LC_MESSAGES to default locale: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/locale: Cannot set LC_ALL to default locale: No such file or directory

Generating locales (this might take a while)...
en_US.UTF-8... done
Generation complete.
debian:~# /etc/init.d/mysql stop
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld.
debian:~# /etc/init.d/mysql start
Starting MySQL database server: mysqld.
Checking for corrupt, not cleanly closed and upgrade needing tables..

Fixed.

Microsoft Windows Software Installation and UnInstallation Log Script

The purpose is to clear all traces of software installation and uninstallation logs of various software from my local computer.

Newer versions of Microsoft Windows have a command - wevtutil

This program retrieves information from various log files on the computer about any program or publisher. It is also useful to clear all the log files from a computer.

More information and syntax about this command can be located on the Microsoft Technet site here - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732848%28v=ws.10%29.aspx

A batch file .bat is attached here using this utility to clear all the various logs from the computer - this is specially helpful if you want to clear a program installation or uninstallation log - for example clear logs for publisher "microsoft" or "adobe"

A second .vbs script along with this file is used to generate a report for the logs in an excel sheet format.
To see the difference, run the .vbs file first and check the generated log in excel sheet format - then run the .bat file to clear all event logs and then run the .vbs file second time again to see the new generated excel sheet and compare with the old one.

There are two .vbs script files with "Microsoft" and "Adobe" respectively - both are configured to generate the output in the default drive path "d:\" - this path can be changed in the script to another local path - such as the desktop or even a network share such as - "\\dell25\shared" - just make sure the shared folder has full permissions - also, for Win7 - keep the default path to "d:\" or "e:\" drive - because "c:\" will again raise permission issues for non-admin users.

The batch file can be edited and vendor (publisher or software company) name can be changed - such as "Microsoft", "Corel", "Adobe", "Zend" etc.

Download Link

Clean an Adobe Installation from MAC or Windows computer

Removal instructions of Adobe Photoshop CS5 from a MAC computer on the internet only tell you to delete the respective folders from the path and remove the program from the Applications folder.

However, the Applications folder also contains an "Adobe Uninstaller" utility - which was not found in the earlier versions - and removes the installation from your computer.

Adobe also provides a Creative Suite Cleaner tool on it's own website - http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

This tool is available for the Windows version as well. For windows, Revo Uninstaller works quite nicely as well.