Tag Archives: Linux

Execute Commands in Linux Before/After Suspend

In my never ending pursuit to make my HTPC into an “appliance,” I ran into issues with autofs (the automounter) after resuming from standby.  To correct this, I created a script that kills it prior to suspend and launches a … Continue reading

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Gmail on Postfix: Updating your Certificates

There are many guides on the web for setting up a postfix mail server to work with gmail, for example: http://www.marksanborn.net/linux/send-mail-postfix-through-gmails-smtp-on-a-ubuntu-lts-server/ I have a separate gmail account for sending server notifications, such as mdadm failures, SMART warnings, etc.  Step 4 … Continue reading

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Starting Conky with Gnome

Conky is an awesome way to add some nerd bling to your Linux desktop.  Conky can be started by adding it to System->Preferences->Startup Applications.  But in some cases, mine included, Conky won’t draw properly.  In my case, Conky was appearing … Continue reading

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libvirtd: Gracefully Shutting Down VMs

libvirtd – part of libvirt – is a daemon that manages virtual machines in Linux – including those running under KVM.  I recently made the move from controlling my virtual machines with scripts in /etc/init.d to libvirtd.  libvirt has a … Continue reading

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Resolution: Slow Printing of PDFs on Brother HL-2170w

I have been using a Brother HL-2170w as my printer for approximately a year now.  I have it setup as a shared printer, on my Linux server, through CUPS.  I print to it from an Ubuntu laptop.  I initially had … Continue reading

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How to Set XBMC to Auto Update the Library

It should come as no surprise that XBMC has great library functionality.  And its skinning ability has allowed third-party developers to display the myriad of information contained within the library with great effect.  Library management is fairly easy with one … Continue reading

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Linux KVM and VNC: Keep Your Pointer Straight

KVM allows you to run virtual machines on a Linux machine.  One of the great features is provided by the ‘-vnc’ flag, which allows you to run a virtual machine headless, i.e., without a graphics adapter, while still being able … Continue reading

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Seagate Barracuda Hard Drives: Upgrading to the SD1A Firmware

I am a bit behind on this issue, but essentially, Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard drives had some issues with certain firmwares bricking the drive.  When the error appeared, the drive would no longer be recognized by the BIOS, making subsequent … Continue reading

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DVD Playback Issues with XBMC

I typically archive my DVDs to MPEG files prior to playing them back in XBMC, so that they are displayed in my library.  And for some reason, I would use the DVD player on my surround receiver to playback DVD … Continue reading

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Check your Server's Pulse with Twitter

I had a problem – a remote server that I couldn’t check the status of.  It is located a friend’s house and I would occasionally lose contact with it.  Sometimes it would be down (he apparently doesn’t have reliable electricity) … Continue reading

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