Sharing media on Ubuntu (to PS3 and probably Wii and XBox as well)

Last week my PC blew up, this ended up a big excuse for me to attempt to change most of my computing to Linux. Anyone that has switched to Linux knows that it needs to be a gradual process, unfortunately I had to spend C$100 on a Windows 7 license because I still need it. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but paying for my OS actually hurts me. Anyway, today I want to share some of my videos and music on my network, the idea is to play my files on my PS3 and I'm wondering how to do that outside of Windows (which was not all that great via Windows Vista anyway).

I started by downloading an app from the repositories called Mediatomb which you can also get via the terminal by typing:

$ sudo apt-get install mediatomb

First thing you have to do is enable sharing to your system, which in my case is a PS3. This is done via the command:

$ sudo gedit ~/.mediatomb/config.xml

There you will want to find a line with:

<protocolInfo extend="no"/>

...now change that "no" to a "yes"... now look for a line saying

<mappings> <extension-mimetype ignore-unknown="no">

and add these two lines into the section below it, there will be a suggestion to just uncomment it but you can just add them:

<map from="avi" to="video/x-divx"/>

<map from="divx" to="video/x-divx"/>

Then you actually need to run it from the terminal by typing:

$ sudo mediatomb

This should give you an ip address with a port number (like http://192.168.1.101:49155/), so copy this and access it through your browser. Now you can navigate through your files and folders (filessystem), and anything you would like to share with your PS3, simply click on the + sign. Once you have done that to all the files you want to share you may go back to the "database" option and see what you are sharing over you LAN.

For some reason I get 2 options for Mediatomb on my PS3, and the second one tends to have a "Directories" folder that I can access and use my media. I hope this helps.

Occupy Toronto

I think there is still a lot of confusion to what the Occupy Toronto protests are about, so here is a brief overview of what people are trying to get accross:

        OccupyTO is a movement that will start on October 15th, 2011 that intends to show our solidarity with the Occupy Wall St. movement and stand in unity with the rest of the world to seek and work towards drastic changes to economic systems that are destroying our economy, social fiber, and environment. We are, through entirely non-violent means, sending a message to the financial sector worldwide that banks exist to serve us, not the other way around, that the practices of speculation and fractional reserve lending have created a massive inequality and are no longer valid systems.
        Current monetary policies, whether they are enacted under the idea of globalization and privatization, or some other guise, are unacceptably hurting the people that have propped them up, the very people they were created to help. Our target is to change these systems to help the 99% of the population, instead of just the elite 1% that they currently benefit. Everyone is encouraged to join the movement, this movement affects us all.
       We are the 99%. You are the 99%. And THEY don’t want you to know how powerful WE are.

TeamViewer - remote access application

Listening to a podcast I enjoy, I discovered a great little program for accessing computers remotely over the interwebs. This is TeamViewer I'm talking about. After installing a copy on your machine (client) and on the machine you are trying to access (server), it allows you to access one computer from the other without having to bother with port forwarding or anything else like that. It is still fairly safe, as you have the option of giving out a randomly generated numbers every time you want to allow access to your computer. There is an option of a permanent number as well, however that does come with a bit less security of course. If you go that route, just make sure to make a complex password for it.

You may download this gem here: http://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/index.aspx

It worked well with my Windows Vista and Ubuntu 11.04, but it is supposed to work on Macs are well.

Vim - what's so special about this text editor?

I've heard about Vi and Vim a few hundred times since I've started my exploration of the Linux world. Up until today, I thought the only real reason people like using Vim is because of the ease of use when programming and features that apparently allow technical text editing at a different level. At this point I can't say I will ever understand what is so special about Vim, but I definitely found a use for it.

I have been looking for ways to safely store my passwords electronically. I have moved away from the basic text file with all the info for a while, but I do miss having that kind of accessibility. Well, I found out Vim may offer an interesting option for me, which is to read and edit encrypted text files. So I may be able to go back to my simple text password storage, and still be safe. If you are interested in this topic here is some more info for you:

Downloading Vim is pretty simple, especially if you are using ubuntu (or any other ?buntu). Vim is easily found in the Ubuntu Software Centre, you can get it through Synaptic Package Manager as well. As I'm not 100% familiar with Vim yet, I can't explain what the add-ons do yet. Getting Vim via the terminal is also pretty easy, and that's how I got it for my laptop:

$ sudo apt-get install vim

This however will only get you the terminal version of Vim, which is a bit tricky to get started with. There are some useful tutorials out there for anyone interested in how to work with Vim on a terminal. It certainly seems full featured, but the learning curve is there for new users. Alternatively there is also a GNOME GUI version of Vim that may interest you more (this is called gvim in Ubuntu). To install such application you may use the terminal by typing:

$ sudo apt-get install vim-gnome

The  interesting use I have been talking about for Vim, is the ability to encrypt files using Vim very easily. Just to get you started on how to work with Vim, you can use this URL to help you getting a grasp of the basics.

Once you know how to create, open and save a file, as well as how to insert text you can use the following command in the terminal to create an encrypted file, which will require a password to be opened. Very handy! If this file does end up in the wrong hands somehow, it can be opened with any text editor, but it will simply look like gibberish.

$ vim -x filename.txt

Once you create your file you will be prompted for a password, just make sure you don't forget this password of course. I'm not sure how you go about creating this encrypted file using the GUI version of Vim (gvim), however once you create this file using the terminal version of Vim, you can open and edit the file via the GUI Vim.

Anonymous Message - OIWS

After nearly one week of protesting in Wall Street and other areas of the US, it seems that the media is finally unable to ignore the slowly growing movement happening right in their own backyards. The Occupy Wall Street protests have been happening, and including quite a bit of police abusing their power and in some cases even brutality to silence the emerging movement, which seeks to awake America to corporate greed and social injustice that has occurred for a while now, causing the 2008 recession and everything that followed. Personally I've been very frustrated with the lack of repercussion to the disgusting practices of financial institutions, and the seeming nonexistent response from Americans to white collar crimes happening right in front of their eyes. Well, it seems that we may finally see something happen, as broadcasting stations are beginning to show what has been happening and celebrities like Michael Moore have started to get involved. I'm not a big fan of Michael Moore, but I am happy to see support from people of influence. Just now I have also discovered that the hacking group ANONYMOUS will also be launching an attack on Wall Street on Oct 10th, here is their message to the people:

This should be interesting.

They have also sent the following message to the media:

Greetings, Institutions of the Media.
We are Anonymous.
The events transpiring within Wall Street have caught our eye.

It seems that the government and Federal agencies enjoy enforcing the law a little bit too much. They instate unjust laws as mindless automatons, blindly following orders with soulless precision.
We witness the Government enforcing the laws that punish the 99% while allowing the 1% to escape justice, unharmed, for their crimes against the people.
We have observed this same Government failing to enforce even the minimal legal restraints of Wall Street's abuses. This Government who has willingly ignored the greed at Wall Street has even bailed out the perpetrators that have caused our crisis.
We will not stand by and watch the system take over our way of life.
We the people shall stand against the government's inaction.
We the people will not be witnesses to your corruption and ill gotten profits.
We will not labor for your leisure.
We will not assist you in any way.

This is why we choose to declare our war against the New York Stock Exchange. We can no longer stay silent as the population is being exploited and forced to make sacrifices in the name of profit.
We will show the world that we are true to our word. On October 10th, NYSE shall be erased from the Internet. On October 10th, expect a day that will never, ever, be forgotten.

Vox Populi, Vox Anon.
The Voice of The People is The Voice of Anonymous.
We are Legion. We are the 99%.
We do not forgive. We do not forget.
Wall Street: Expect us.

Canadians for net neutrality

Here is a message from a group fighting for something I feel quite strongly about, Net Neutrality. If you are not sure what net neutrality is, here is a definition:

"Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the internet. Specifically, network neutrality would prevent restrictions on content, sites, platforms, types of equipment that may be attached, and modes of communication."

They have a facebook group as well where you can get more information, but here is a message from the OpenMedia.ca team:

Big Telecom has decided to fight their customers instead of working to make the Internet more open and affordable, but together we can turn Canada from a digital laggard to a leader in connectivity and innovation.


Big phone and cable companies are losing control but they are not giving up without a fight—in fact they’re doubling down on greed. These companies are raising prices across the board while they still can, and trying to cozy up to policymakers: Bell has just appointed former Industry Minister Jim Prentice as a board member, and Telus has done the same with former Conservative MP Stockwell Day.


The Internet impacts every aspect of our lives, and we all deserve a say in its future. Take a moment to provide OpenMedia.ca with key input here: http://openmedia.ca/engage


Thanks to you, our petitions saw viral growth this year, and we gained national media coverage and caught the the attention of the Prime Minister’s office. You forced a CRTC review on Internet metering, and OpenMedia.ca testified at the subsequent public hearing this summer. The stakes were high and the pressure was on at the CRTC’s landmark hearing, but we held our own against the Big Telecom lobby. By the end of the two-week proceeding, nearly everyone was shunning usage-based pricing schemes, but we’re not done yet. Now, more than ever, we have to keep up the pressure so that the decision makers know Canadians want an open, affordable Internet.


We’ve gained momentum and Ottawa is starting to listen. Let’s keep up the charge.


Here are a few easy ways you can help right now:


1. If you haven’t already, fill out our pro-Internet survey: http://openmedia.ca/engage


2. Make a donation (http://openmedia.ca/donate, or help us continue to bring your voice to Ottawa by becoming a monthly donor (http://openmedia.ca/sustainer).


Your support has allowed us to get this far. Thank you so much for your ongoing efforts to champion the open and affordable Internet.


Onward,


Lindsey, Steve, Reilly, and the OpenMedia.ca Team

Germany and their inflation phobia

We are and have been in the middle of a period of economic uncertainty. A lot of experts have warned that a double dip recession is a possibility and the ones that don't believe that, still agree that economic recovery in the industrialized world has been very slow since 2008.

The US was the main focus of the recession that started in 2008, despite the involvement of many other nations in its development. While the US is still a very similar country in terms of economic policies to what it was in 2008, this time around economists have indicated that economic instability for the next recession is likely to come from the EU. Countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal are some of the main problem nations, but there are a lot of other trouble makers as well. However, not all countries in the EU are in trouble, which may be the only reason their economy hasn't collapsed yet. Germany has had a strong economy for many decades, and despite the economic events in recent years, the nation still boasts of fiscal responsibility and economy stability.

Recently, as expected, a lot of the troubled nations have been approaching Germany for loans and other forms of help. Not only that but they have also been asking for help from the European Central Bank. One interesting bit of information about this central bank is the conditions in which it was created. Back when European nations decided a centralized bank would be a good idea, Germans were very hesitant, so in order to go ahead with the creation of the ECB, a clause in the contract said that the ECB could not engage in quantitative easing. This was a main condition in order to keep Germans comfortable with this unification.

The European systemic instability that we have been seeing has led some countries to ask the ECB for help, even though the help they are asking for is prohibited. The other interesting aspect of this story is the reason why Germany is so reluctant to allowing the central bank to print money.

This goes back to the 1920's and it has everything to do with inflation. After WWI the german government was in a lot of debt, so they had to borrow a lot of money from the rest of the world and often that wasn't enough. This led the government to issue an order to their central bank to print as much money as they needed. This obviously led to a massive loss in value of the Deutsche Marks (German currency), which is another way to say high levels of inflation ensued. The following decade of high inflation is thought to have enabled the Nazi party to gain popular support. Social distress caused by hyperinflation in Germany was not very different from the social distress in Italy that allowed for the rise of Fascism in that country. So it isn't hard to understand why Germans are so hesitant to break these rules established during the institution of the ECB. This is aside from the obvious fact that printing money to pay debt seems like a shortsighted solution to anyone with half a brain.