January 2016 - Talk - lists.gtalug.org

another little computer: the kangaroo
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 07 May '16

07 May '16

I bought one of these little computers: <http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msca/en_CA/pdp/InFocus-Kangaroo-Signatu…> If you are a student you an get 10% off of the $149. I bought mine at newegg for $130 but the price changes regularly. I'm typing this from a live Fedora stick on this processor. The screen is 3840x2160@30 -- the best mode for this display and pretty good for an Atom. The CPU is an Intel Atom x5-z8500. I don't really understand the naming scheme. Scott pointed out that the Intel specs for this processor don't mention the VT-I feature. That scared me. <http://ark.intel.com/products/85474/Intel-Atom-x5-Z8500-Processor-2M-Cache-…> Here are the flags from /proc/cpuinfo: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes rdrand lahf_lm 3dnowprefetch ida arat epb dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid tsc_adjust smep erm As I understand it, vmx means it supports VT-I. Some of the other flags have to do with virtualization too. BTW, note that it supports AES-NI, something that the Haswell Celeron and Pentium don't do. Although this doesn't have ethernet, it has a single USB 3.0 port. I've used a USB 3.0 hub to connect a gigabit ethernet dongle and the Fedora live stick.

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distro support for 32-bit UEFI
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 12 Apr '16

12 Apr '16

I have a couple of devices with 64-bit Atom CPUs, built to be cheap Windows devices, that have 32-bit UEFI firmware. With no old-fashioned BIOS or emulation thereof. This seems to be intentional crippling by Intel: they only provide power management firmware in 32-bit mode. The devices I have are an Asus TF100 "convertible" (tablet with detachable keyboard) and a Dell Venue 8 Pro. The Intel / Microsoft idea seemed to be: build very inexpensive devices to compete with ARM / Android. But be careful to limit the damage to the market for full-fledged Windows systems. It worked to some extent. The Hugh idea was: cheap computers that should run Linux! Close, but no cigar yet. What I want is a 64-bit distro that can boot from 32-bit UEFI. That could be managed but it doesn't seem to be available now. (The 64-bit Linux kernel knows how to call 32-bit UEFI functions. This feature is not always enabled.) Almost as good would be a 32-bit distro that can boot from UEFI. After all, these cheap boxes are limited to 2G of RAM anyway (crippled: see above). Scott informed me that 32-bit Debian Jessie (8.0) does support UEFI. Wonderful! But I'm chicken: there is no 32-bit UEFI live image and I don't want to install without trying. After all, there may well be unsupported bits on these screwy devices. (Sadly Linux distros seem to be weak on touch, one of the strengths of these little devices.) These cheap devices come with very little "disk". Mine each have 32G; some have 16G; a few have more. That's not really enough space for both Linux and Windows. I have a netbook built in the same style, but with 64-bit UEFI. I've found 32G quite reasonable for Fedora Linux. <https://wiki.debian.org/UEFI> Another bit of news from Scott: the next generation of Atoms, or at least some of them, drop support for virtualization! What jerks.

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Headless laptop - controlling X settings
by Giles Orr 06 Feb '16

06 Feb '16

I have an old laptop (an Acer Travelmate 270 to be exact) that has no screen. The screen busted years ago, and I simply removed it. This wasn't a big problem until a couple days ago: I'd hook it up to an external screen via the VGA out, and everything was fine. But a couple days ago, I upgraded from Debian wheezy to Debian jessie, and after the upgrade the external monitor now claims the provided signal is "Out of Range." This doesn't appear to be the same as "No signal" because after several minutes it switches off (about when the screen blanking would kick in) and pressing a keyboard button brings back the "Out of Range" signal. I can ssh into the machine, so there's an option to fix it. I could potentially install Ubuntu or re-install wheezy, but I'd prefer to fix this if possible. How do I tell X to detect and use the monitor over the external VGA connector - and only that connector, ignoring the now-missing internal screen candidate? And failing that, how can I force 1024x768 (which is what was working fine with wheezy) with mirroring across both outputs? Thanks. P.S. I was clever enough to try ssh with X-forwarding and then running arandr and eventually xrandr, but they work with the X server they can talk to ... which is your local machine, not the remote you've sshed into. Even had that worked, I wouldn't know what settings to put into what file: it was bad enough back in the days of editing /etc/X11/Xorg.conf by hand, but it's now been replaced by a twisty maze of start-up scripts that are supposed to detect everything for you that mostly work but which have remained stubbornly opaque to me when they fail ... -- Giles http://www.gilesorr.com/ gilesorr(a)gmail.com

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Linux Conference at Conestoga College, 30 Jan 2016
by Bob Jonkman 05 Feb '16

05 Feb '16

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi Everyone: Colin Mills has organized a Linux Conference at Conestoga College on 30 January 2016 from 9:00am to 4:00pm Map: http://osm.org/go/ZXnnGeOx-?m= (yes, the arrow points right at the correct room in the building!) - -------- Forwarded Message -------- Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:33:23 -0500 From: Colin Mills <colin.j.mills96(a)gmail.com> To: KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc(a)kwlug.org> Subject: [kwlug-disc] Linux Conference... List-Subscribe: <http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org> Hi Everyone, Just wanted to remind you about the Linux Conference coming up on January 30th 2016. The conference will be held at Conestoga College Doon campus in room 1E05. If you have any questions please feel free to talk to me about it. Cost: $5.00 at the door Schedule: 9:30->10:40: Bob Jonkman :: What is Free Software? 10:40->12:00: Randy Kolenko 12:00->1:00: Lunch (Pizza and Coffee :: A programmer's favorite meal) 1:00->2:10: Ed Barsalou :: IOT Talk 2:10-3:20: Colin J. Mills :: LFS Educational? 3:20-4:00: Unscheduled. (Anyone is more then welcome to apply just talk to me. If we cant get someone Bob volunteered to do his GNU Social workshop). 4:00-4:20: Closing remarks. Colin J. Mills (cjm) Conestoga College, Kitchener Ontario Canada. 2nd Year Software Engineer. "Don't patch bad code - rewrite it" -- P. J. Plauger - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -- Bob Jonkman <bjonkman(a)sobac.com> Phone: +1-519-635-9413 SOBAC Microcomputer Services http://sobac.com/sobac/ Software --- Office & Business Automation --- Consulting GnuPG Fngrprnt:04F7 742B 8F54 C40A E115 26C2 B912 89B0 D2CC E5EA -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.20 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Ensure confidentiality, authenticity, non-repudiability iEYEARECAAYFAlacYqkACgkQuRKJsNLM5eqV1wCgtX60gxA3beimL/bM4MLILMSK fFAAn3TNupmycN1Fu+gsSSXG3rzP+eb4 =+1Cx -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Postfix question
by William Witteman 31 Jan '16

31 Jan '16

I am running a mailserver (Postfix, Dovecot, Spamassassin), and I have some virtual alias maps that send some email to gmail addresses. My question is, is there a way to see if postfix is forwarding the email to the alias list *before* it runs the spam checking? Because I think it might be, which means that I am trying to send spam to gmail, which they take a dim view of (refusing all connections an gumming up my queue). If this is happening, can I get postfix to weed out the spam before running the virtual aliases? Thanks!

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little Android set-top boxes with HDMI in
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 28 Jan '16

28 Jan '16

Scott brought his Tronsmart Pavo M9 to the last GTALUG meeting. <http://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-pavo-m9> This looks like one of many Android TV boxes. But it has a unique feature: it has HDMI-in as well as out. So, Scott, how's the hacking going? I ask because there seems to be a very good deal on these for the next 3.666 days: <http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Tronsmart-Pavo-M9-4K-TV-BOX-Android-4-4-2-Ms…> US$49.99. Free shipping (slowly, from China). This is based on the MSTAR MSO9180D1R chip. There is a theoretically better box based on this chip (and also with HDMI in), the Zido X9. It has 2G of RAM (vs 1G) and might have better I/O (I haven't checked). But it seems to be ~US$120.00. I guess (without making any attempt) that hacking on these cheap Android boxes is more trouble than it is worth. Especially since hacking on cheap Windows boxes is so much easier (at least the ones with 64-bit UEFI). But nothing else that I know of has HDMI in. Scott: can you summarize what you've learned about the box and how you feel about it so far?

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[GTALUG-Announce] Meeting on 9th February at 7:30pm
by Myles Braithwaite 27 Jan '16

27 Jan '16

<http://gtalug.org/meeting/2016-02/> # Raspberry Pi Projects and Lighting Talks To start off the meeting we have two ten minute talks about using the Raspberry Pi in interesting ways: * Alex Volkov's Over-Enginerring of a Flower Pot using a Raspberry Pi. * Mike Kalles's using a Raspberry Pi for Intrusion Detection. After Alex's and Mike's talk there will be a bunch of audience organised short talks. If you would like to give a talk, all you have to do is write your name on a post-it and stick it on the whiteboard in the front of the room. When your talk get's picked you will have five minutes of uninterrupted time for you to present, then five minutes of audience questions/concerns. ## Location George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre 245 Church Street, Room 203 Ryerson University <http://goo.gl/maps/16oJ2> <http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/23447525> ## Schedule * 6:00 pm - Please discuss on the general mailing list (i.e. <talk(a)gtalug.org>) where you want to go for dinner. * 7:30 pm - Meeting and presentation. * 9:00 pm - After each meeting a group of GTALUGers move to the The Imperial Pub (54 Dundas St East) for refreshments and more socializing. # Upcoming Meetings * 8th March: systemd with Bill Thanis and another 30 minute talk. * 12th April: Vector Graphics Panel with Trent, Stewart, and Myles. # Code of Conduct We want a productive happy community that can welcome new ideas, improve every process every year, and foster collaboration between individuals with differing needs, interests and skills. We gain strength from diversity, and actively seek participation from those who enhance it. This code of conduct exists to ensure that diverse groups collaborate to mutual advantage and enjoyment. We will challenge prejudice that could jeopardize the participation of any person in the community. The Code of Conduct governs how we behave in public or in private whenever the Linux community will be judged by our actions. We expect it to be honored by everyone who represents the community officially or informally, claims affiliation, or participates directly. It applies to activities online or offline. We invite anybody to participate. Our community is open. Please read more about the GTALUG Code of Conduct here: <http://gtalug.org/about/code-of-conduct/>. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the GTALUG Code of Conduct please contact the GTALUG Board @ <board(a)gtalug.org>. --- GTALUG Announce mailing list announce(a)gtalug.org https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/announce

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PHD-VRX2 Linux-based PVR to scrap
by phiscock＠ee.ryerson.ca 25 Jan '16

25 Jan '16

I have a PHD-VRX2 Linux-based PVR that is misbehaving and I've replaced it with a ChannelMaster unit, so the PHD is being scrapped. It boots up (the display says 'boot') and then after a few seconds, it reboots itself again. If you're handy, you might want to have a go at fixing it. Or check with the company if they can fix it for a reasonable price. Or reprogram it with Myth TV ;). PrimeDTV Technologies, Inc. Anaheim, CA 92807 Tel: (714) 630 630- -6899 www.primedtv.com I have the user manual and can send it on request. Or you can get it here: http://www.epvision.com/HDTVSTB/phdvrx2main.htm Anyone want to take this away? Peter -- Peter Hiscocks Syscomp Electronic Design Limited, Toronto http://www.syscompdesign.com USB Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator 647-839-0325

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First Impression: KDE Connect
by Scott Sullivan 23 Jan '16

23 Jan '16

I've recently started settling into my newest laptop that has become my daily driver. When I do this I tend to install the latest Fedora and see what a fresh experience reveals. Fedora 23 see a lot of new KDE developments. Especially work done after very constructive criticism in comparison to Gnome 3. https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=gnome-week-editorial But, unrelated to the above, is a branch off in to the world of mulit-device computing, an area that I find fascinating. What is KDE Connect? ===================== KDE Connect is a project that aims to communicate all your devices. For example, with KDE Connect you can receive your phone notifications on your computer, or just use your phone as a remote control for your desktop. To achieve this, KDE Connect implements a secure communication protocol over the network, and allows any developer to create plugins on top of it. From: https://community.kde.org/KDEConnect Getting KDE Setup ================= Under Fedora 23, finding this feature was rather easy. It kind of stands out in the KDE systems settings interface. [1]:http://revident.net/images/KDE-Connect-01-systems-settings.png [2]:http://revident.net/images/KDE-Connect-02-systems-settings.png Next I installed the KDE Connect app on my Android phone. This is where I hit my first rub. I couldn't get the two devices to see each other on the network. The Devs are at least helpful here, with trouble shooting information right on the Community website which the link to from the systems settings interface. The Fedora Packagers are great here as well, as a service definition for Firewalld is ready to go. The command line to enable a server is convoluted. But the GUI is slick and easy. [5]:http://revident.net/images/KDE-Connect-05-firewall.png After the ports were open, and a quick pairing procedure I was up and running. [3]:http://revident.net/images/KDE-Connect-03-systems-settings.png Experience So Far ================= File Navigation --------------- I've tried bluetooth in the past and I've all sort of timeouts. USB would stop working if the screen locked. With KDE Connect doing it's access over the network, in comparison it is very slick. Desktop Notifications --------------------- My Phone was on another table. I hear the new SMS bing, and there, in the notifications center of KDE is the message. I didn't have to walk over to who it was and the first bit of the message. Battery Life ------------ Again, good to be able to see this at a glance. [4]:http://revident.net/images/KDE-Connect-04-taskbar-icon.png Remote Input ------------ I can use the touch screen of the phone as a remote mouse. Works surprisingly well. This sentence was written from the phone while behind my deskchair, into Thunderbird on the laptop. Media Controls -------------- A quick test with Amarok showed that the basics work. Not sure what it will take to get it working with your media player of choice. Summary ======= A nice addition with some real conveniences. It's nice to see KDE Community Devs pushing boundaries where other desktops have yet to tread. -- Scott Sullivan

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Emails from a JIRA Service Desk
by Myles Braithwaite 23 Jan '16

23 Jan '16

A subscriber to the <talk(a)gtalug.org> email was being used to forward support tickets to a JIRA instances (you might have received an email from "Service Desk" or "Advanced Service Desk". If I don't receive an email from this message the problem should be fixed. Please don't turn this into the Salem witch trials as it looks to be an honest mistake. Have an awesome day, and happy open-sourcing :-).

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