Awk & sed Snippets for SysAdmins

Testing SSH Connectivity to Multiple Servers

Imagine a hypothetical scenario: you support hundreds of remote servers and you need to check which server you can access via SSH and which servers are not letting you log in. Doing this manually is a tedious process that many sysadmins choose to skip. The inevitable outcome is inability to quickly access a system when it really counts.

Quick Review: Boxee Box

Some of the technical issues with Boxee Box could have been fixed if the dev team was paying more attention to addressing the bugs rather than adding “features” of dubious value. In the final analysis, for the price and ease of use, Boxee Box is the best in its class and price range. You just need to be mindful of its limitations and buy it in hope of future improvements to its usability.

Be a HERO and Help STOP SOPA Now!!

Photo Fun with iPhone 4S

As an avid amateur photographer I would like to have my dSLR with me at all times. And my collection of lenses. And filters. And tripods. But even if this was possible, I don’t really want to be, say, sitting at a bar, looking like I just returned from a Serengeti safari. My iPhone will have to suffice and I’ll just have to get more creative with the photos apps to fill in for the fancy equipment.

Disable Usage Information Sharing on iPhone

Carrier IQ is software installed on your iPhone by Apple at the request of the service providers. This system utility collect detailed usage and location data on your phone and sends it to the service providers. Supposedly, this was done to improve quality of service. In reality, however, if any such improvement actually occurred, it was only a side-effect.

Writing a Linux Startup Script

As basic as the task of creating a startup script may sound, even experienced sysadmins sometimes run into problems with having services start at the right time during the boot process or stop during the shutdown. Two major reasons for this: the procedure is a bit convoluted due to linking. Also, writing startup scripts is not something you have to do very often these days.

Photo Noise Reduction Apps for iPhone

In digital cameras, image noise (grain) is most pronounced in photos taken in low-light conditions without a flash. For such situations, the camera sets high ISO (light sensitivity of the image sensor) and a long exposure. A number of apps are available for the iPhone to reduce the appearance of grain. None of these apps are particularly impressive, especially when compared to specialized PC software. There is a good reason for this: digital noise reduction is a very CPU-intensive process that also requires a large amount of memory.