Module 13 - Ch.13 Linux

Alright, for today’s assignment, I attempt to answer questions from a book - Specifically 6 questions from Chapter 13 of “A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux” in 3, 2, 1..

Chapter 13 Questions

1) Why would you use HTTP or FTP instead of BitTorrent for downloading large files? 

Normally, HTTP and FTP usually generate much faster connection speeds than P2P or Torrent programs because you are receiving file(s) from a direct source/server via FTP/HTTP without downloading random “chunks” from unzipped or unrared files via torrents.  Torrents are greatly vary in speeds depending on the users; not to mention they are unstable and unsecure leaving the leecher(s)  and seeder(s) connections open to crap like Trojans and unwanted trackers from unknowns in both directions in some cases.

2) Which command would you give to perform a complete upgrade?

 Regarding linux OS’s like ubuntu, redhat, debian, etc– I’d suggest aptitude, aptget, up2date, RPMS,  or just mount a whole new ISO on a virtual drive, install drivers, and call it a day..

3) Why would you build a package from its source code when a (binary) deb file is available?

You can do what you will with it if you have a source code. You have full access to it's original shell in terms of rebuilding/configuration/etc with a source where as binary is very limited regarding access.

4) Suggest two advantages that deb files have over source distributions.

They normally have a much cleaner/condensed code that executes faster and are overall more user-friendly to install than other distros.

5) When you compile a package yourself, rather than from a deb file, which directory hierarchy should you put it in?

“/usr/local”.

6) Which steps should you take before performing an upgrade on a mission- critical server?

  I’d use another system with an identical setup as a guinea pig to run diagnostic tests on, check/repair any issues, repeat successful steps on primary, rinse.  

Open Sourced Prosthetics.

For this weeks module, we discuss a man named Jonathan Kuniholm - an industrial designer, USMC vet, a prosthetic revolutionary, and an all around good guy.

It goes like this - Kuniholm, a USMC vet, goes back to school to get a degree in industrial design, works after a brief stent as a tackle designer, became bored with civilian life, and re-enlisted to regain that challenge in his life he had years back because he's a BAMF.  During New Years day in 2005, Kuniholm was ambushed by Iraqi insurgents who initiated an attack by setting off an IED which injured the majorty of his platoon and caused Kuniholm to lose his right arm. After a few muscle surgery's and  five months of rehabilitation, Kuniholm was fitted with a few prosthetic arms and began his re-entry into "civi life".

So, instead of just collecting his early medical discharge retirement. John, being the educated man he is, decides to use his smarts in order to make these outdated prosthetic better. This is when he joined a DARPA project called Revolutionizing Prosthetics in which Kuniholm utilized his diverse military and industrial designing backgrounds to helped in making these outdated prosthetics up to modern technological standards.Thus, The Open Prosthetics Project was born.

The Open Prosthetics Project, with the help of Kuniholm, are currently working on a variety of advancements for prosthetic technology. The first is a myoelectric, or "myo", prosthesis converts the movements of the muscles remaining in his arm into motorized hand and wrist movements. The second, is a body-powered prosthesis with cables and bands that allow him to shrug his shoulder and extend his arm. The third is a shorter arm useful for work and fun, allowing s person to hold a drawing pen or a guitar pick. There are currently a number of different improvements being worked on in this project from technologically advanced hybrid rubber materials to future nano-instrumentation's within the protheitics itself.

Cool huh.

 Open Prosthetics Project
www.openprosthetics.org

In Neutral.

In today's post, I will briefly explain the term "Network Neutrality", why it is important to you, and why Comcast services suck in general.

Alright, so here we have the modern day high-speed internet - a super-happy fun place where you can do about anything information and entertainment wise from watching stupid videos to posting how big your last BM was on some social network for the whole world to see. Cool right? All of these pieces of data are considered equal and are permitted through a principle called network neutrality - or better known as a part of that junk you would see in the first amendment.

Ok, what if some of that content was blocked or "capped". That would suck and people would (and do) complain because this violates net neutrality. This is something that has come up in recent years as the FCC wants to help take control of what traffic and content is allowed through major internet providers seemingly one at a time. Comcast, one of the first providers partially affected by the FCC wave, prevents its users from complete net neutrality by denying full permissions to access certain peer 2 peer (P2P) traffic and particular streaming websites such as Netflix without paying an extra fee to the provider itself.
 
I understand that conglomerate Internet/Phone/Cable companies don't want your computer to turn into a free Cable/Phone/Entertainment machine because they'd lose money on there other services, but that doesn't give them the right to censor certain aspects of the internet that we pay a solid 80+ bucks a month for because they monopolized other sensible providers.. 

.. oh yeah -
http://comcastsucksballs.blogspot.com/
http://comcastsucks.org/

- free speech at its finest.

Jobs + Linux = $

For today's Halloween special episode, I will attempt to talk about job fields in Linux, what they pay, and how such type of jobs are normally acquired without the assistance of a parent.

Anyway, computer based jobs have been on the rise for at least the past 10+ years. This being said, this includes a variety of different fields being opened up to the masses including working with open source development. From doing 80k/yr. Administrative engineering to working sub $10/hr data entry/ tech "specialists", I will list a few of the more recent common jobs that have to do with Linux.


Linux Systems Administrator -

Pay: $75k - $85k/year
Requirements -
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field
3+ years of professional experience.
Knowledge of Linux operating system and Linux system administration: OS installation, Java, C++, monitoring, etc. Job description -
A person in this field is responsible for installing, configuring and maintaining operating systems on workstations and a variety of servers, in support of scientific and business processing. They recognize and trouble shoots problems with server hardware, operating system and applications software and regularly performs software installations and upgrades to operating systems and layered software packages, and schedules installations and upgrades and maintains them in accordance with established IT policies and procedures.

 Android Software/Application Developer
Pay rate: $60 - $70K/year
Requirements -
B.S. in Computer Science or related discipline and 1+ years experience in Application development on Android and 3+ years in Java/C++
Job description - 
A person in this field deals with mobile operating systems based upon Linux 2.6 +. This includes working with various mobile platforms such as Android, IOS, and there hardware respectively.  They must be able to troubleshoot issues with different types of hardware and must be comfortable with pair or team programming.

Embedded Linux "C" Developer
Pay rate: 100k- 105k /year
Requirements -

4 Year Degree, preferably Computer Science degree, 5 year experience working with Linux and embedded systems. Strong Linux skills, including kernel modification experience and experience with low level Linux device drivers Strong 'C' programming skills

Job description -
A person in this field is required to work in a team of Linux software engineers to design and implement diagnostic software intended to test and validate hardware systems and components for the client security appliances. The code must support several operational environments, from prototype bench testing to high volume manufacturing. The diagnostic software is intended to fully exercise state of the art circuit boards and their components (e.g. processor support chips, memory systems, I/O components and their mutual interconnections). In other words, must be a complete nerd.


Support Associate Desk Technician
Pay rate: $30k - $40k /year
Requirements -

2 year BS or equivalent(usually), able to work in different OS environments, able to pass urine analysis ..

Job description -
A person in this field is responsible for being able to read scripts and able to help customers with various technical issues over the phone. This includes working with customers via Virtual Private Network (VPN) to solve computer related issues depending on the employer/company. (Currently doing one these of positions.)


 Overall, there are a slew of Linux and Linux related jobs that are not only hiring in masses, but pay extremely well and for good reason.. Looks like a few more years of school for me..

Oh well. Happy Halloween, then.

Brazil + Linux = $

This blog is based upon an older podcast from NPR regarding the Brazilian governments stance on open sourced software.

Link - http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=3919175&m=3919176

The podcast shows how the Brazilian government is continually shifting away from Microsoft through an alternative software program to not only save hundreds of thousands of dollars of software expenses, but to also liberate themselves from them in the process. Brazil has spent over a billion dollars in software licenses since 1999. Because of this, many Brazilian companies have alternatively pirated software in order to save money.

Through recent years, their government has made a stance by making a switch to open sourced (or free) programs, along with the increasingly user friendly virus free Linux OS platform as their default software. This movement also includes custom Linux Brazilian desktop versions for casual users as well. 

I find this not a big surprise as a large community of independent developers of open source software are located in South America and Brazil in particular. It was only a matter of time before this would come to pass. This movement is something that many countries, including first world countries, could learn from. It's funny how much money can be saved just by looking for alternatives - even more funny that alternatives might even work better in the long run..

Open Sourced Software - Do eet.

Alright, for this school blog, I have to explain in a brief memo to a boss in a such and such corporation that I supposedly work for how open source licensing is cool and basically show how it can be beneficial financially. K?

--

Dear Mr./Mrs. Boss,

It has come to my attention through TPS reports that our company is seemingly hemorrhaging money due to the fact that our current systems rely heavily on expensive commercial software. Although our new software gets the job done accordingly, I find that using more open ended software could greatly reduce many of our company’s unnecessary software expenditures. 

Our current versions of Microsoft Office cost $150 apiece. The Windows OS alone is $250 plus the Microsoft licensing for each terminal.. Both of these can be easily replaced by identical and heavily supported open ended programs such as Open Office and current free licensed revisions of Linux like Debian or Ubuntu.  This could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars a year saved on just software upgrades alone per building.

These replacements would not cost you or the company nearly anything. Open source software is mostly free but some programs do require licensing which isn’t nearly as costly or hassle in comparison to our current order. A Linux OS license for Ubuntu would be completely free in this case and could easily be loaded into every computer along with equally free compatible software within a day.

I would be more than willing to assist putting in a week’s worth of work installing the new software in each system if you were willing to accept open sourced software.

Thanks,

Chris O

-- 

Anyway, that's how I'd say it without sounding too complicated. I get a raise, right..?

How Linux kernels are numbered and why I can't spell today.

Welcome back my 2.5 viewers -

In this weeks post, we talk about how Linux will be integrated into oxygen to make odd people even and obsessive compulsive's happier.

..

According to the internets, Linux kernel distribution names are named according to there "stability". Odd numbers and even numbers in this case. Even numbered releases such as 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 etc. are categorized as more concrete builds that have been through alpha and beta stages. The less complete and/or alpha/beta kernel releases are usually categorized into odd numbers such as 2.5, 2.7, 2.9. The even/odd system for kernels came around march of 1994 with vers 1.0 then in 1996 with 2.0 and so on with major and minor revision in between. In 2004, they seemed to ditch the system idea in favor of a shorter release cycle system adding extra numbers instead such as 2.5.943 leaving the third set of numbers as the revision type.

The advantages of favoring the even/odd system is that you obviously know if a version is stable or not. The disadvantage of this is that it can be very limiting to devs as every other release of a kernel should be stable/unstable accordingly. Although a number and letter system would be a quick fix for this issue, (i.e 2.4.28a - 2.4.28z) it would still be limited and most likely be more confusing in the long run.

..  I honestly can't spell today - had to rewrite about every other sentence in this weeks post..