Thursday, January 20, 2011

CloneZilla on Ubuntu 10.10

Install Ubuntu Base
Install Ubuntu Server AMD64 as a virtual machine in VMware ESXi. Take default options and when get to the software selection screen only choose 'OpenSSH Server'

References following are some of the sites I pulled ideas and info from. None of these sites had all the information I needed in one step by step formula plus I setup in virtual environment with 2 network cards.

Network Configuration
When completed type [sudo ifconfig] and discover IP address. The default of getting IP address from DHCP server is acceptable. Write down MAC address and IP address of eth0. I wanted to assign a specif IP address from my router, so I made the entry there then ran the following commands to renew IP address
  • [sudo dhclient -r]
  • [sudo dhclient]
  • or I could have used [sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart
In VMware I had provisioned 2 Ethernet cards. Eth0 is setup to access my main office network using the default setup. Eth1 is setup to manage the DRBL environment as DHCP server. First, I add the following lines to the network setup configuration file.
  • [sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces] then add the following:
    • #eth1 used for DRBL / Clonezilla environment
    • auto eth1
    • iface eth1 inet static
    • address 172.30.40.1
    • network 172.30.40.0
    • netmask 255.255.255.0
    • broadcast 172.30.40.255
  • ctrl-O to save, ctrl-X to exit
  • [sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart] to restart networking
  • [sudo ifconfig eth1] to verify changes

DHCP Server
Now to setup the DHCP server on eth1
  • [sudo apt-get install dhcp3-server] installs DHCP server
  • [sudo nano /etc/default/dhcp3-server] edits the server config file
  • change interface line to read 'INTERFACES="eth1"'
  • save and exit
Now configure DHCP server to dole out addresses from an address pool for any computer connecting to it.
  • [sudo cp /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf.bak] creates backup of configuration files just in case
  • [sudo nano /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf] opens configuration file for editing
  • uncomment the 'authoritative;' ine
  • add the following lines
  • option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
  • option broadcast-address 172.30.40.255;
  • option routers 172.30.40.1;
  • subnet 172.30.40.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
  • range 172.30.40.10 172.30.40.100;
  • }
  • save and exit
Well, now that I am reading ahead, I find out that Clonezilla automatically installs DHCP server.... oh well.. the above may not have been needed, let's see what happens.

Install DRBL
  • [sudo -i] allows me to stay as super user without retyping sudo each time
  • [nano /etc/apt/sources.list] edit the sources to add the clonezilla repository to it via addition of the following two lines to the file
  • # needed for clonezilla
  • deb http://drbl.sourceforge.net/drbl-core drbl stable
  • then save (ctrl-o) and exit (ctrl-x)
  • [wget http://drbl.sourceforge.net/GPG-KEY-DRBL] downloads the GPG key for the clonezilla source
  • [apt-key add GPG-KEY-DRBL] adds the key
  • [apt-get update] updates the available packages list
  • [apt-get install drbl] installs DRBL
  • [apt-get upgrade] updates all packages
Setup drbl
[/opt/drbl/sbin/drblsrv -i] starts the setup process, then answer the following questions
  • [n] network installation boot images? [n] since I intend to only suck up and spit out pre-configured machines
  • [n] serial console output on client computers?
  • [n] upgrade the OS? [n] since I just did that

Configure Clonezilla
[/opt/drbl/sbin/drblpush -i] starts the clonezilla configuration, then answer the folowing questions
  • defaults used for the first several questions
  • Clonezilla determined (or guessed) correctly that my Internet connection was through eth0
  • for the eth1 DRBL environment, I received a warning that my IP address was a class A or B private network. It wanted me to use the class C private network of 192.168.*.* and warned me that performance of multicasting clone "will be terribly worse!" with current configuration. ... interesting.... I'll leave it alone for now and see what happens or read up a bit more.
  • Collect MAC addresses of clients? No
  • Offer same IP address? No since this is related to last question
  • Initial number in the last digit set? 11
  • number of clients? 20
  • accept setup? y
  • Diskless Linux service? 2, since we are only using DRBL for cloning, not for providing diskless linux services to client computers
  • Clonezilla mode? 1 [box mode] since it uses less server resources and is adequate for cloning
  • default directory to store your images? /clonezilla --since this is easier to remember than /home/partimag
  • pxelinux password? no
  • boot prompt for clients? no
  • graphic background for PXE menu when boot? yes
  • DRBL server as NAT server? no, since clients do not need to access the Internet through the DRBL server... just using for cloning and not for live usage
  • ready to deploy? yes
  • I now get a message that "The config file is saved as /etc/drbl/drblpush.conf. Therefore if you want to run drblpush with the same config again, you may run it as: /opt/drbl/sbin/drblpush -c /etc/drbl/drblpush.conf"
Starting Clonezilla
[sudo /opt/drbl/sbin/dcs] this starts clonezilla
  • 1st screen: select All
  • 2nd screen (switch the mode): select clonezilla-start
  • 3rd screen (mode): select Beginner mode as I am doing normal system cloning
  • 4th screen(clonezilla mode): select select-in-client which allows choosing of save or restore from client.
  • 5th screen: leave default
  • 6th screen: choose poweroff - shut down client when the clone finishes
Results
  • Working... able to PXE boot on computers connected to second NIC
  • Problems... cannot PXE boot computers which don't support x64
  • Resolution... reinstall 32 bit server to be backward compatible with the older computers I need to image
FOG Server
  • Decided to try FOG server as well, so install on Ubuntu server image 32 bit
  • Generally following these two guides but without the GUI:
  • http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/373
  • http://www.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ubuntu_10.04
  • I had a bit of a challenge setting up a seperate lan on eth1 as I did for Clonezilla, so abandoning for now.
  • I think I will even consider setting up FOG on the same network. There are a couple ways of having FOG coexist with your current DHCP server and network. The preferred method is to have your existing DHCP server forward PXE requests to the FOG server. An alternate method is to setup FOG as a DHCP proxy server which pickups on PXE requests.
  • I'll leave this for another project for now, but go back to the more familiar clonezilla with easy dual NIC setup. FOG does look otherwise polished and promising so definitely worth a revisit.

Clonezilla on 32 bit Ubuntu server

    • Again based on Ubuntu 10.10, but 32 bit version.
    • Follow similar steps for Installation as listed above
    • while setting up the DRBL server was also asked which archetecture to install, I chose i486 (instead of i386 or same as DRBL server options)
      • Add second ethernet settings
      • [sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces] then add the following:
        • #eth1 used for DRBL / Clonezilla environment
        • auto eth1
        • iface eth1 inet static
          • address 172.30.45.1
          • network 172.30.45.0
          • netmask 255.255.255.0
          • broadcast 172.30.45.255
        • ctrl-O to save, ctrl-X to exit
        • [sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart] to restart networking
        • [sudo ifconfig eth1] to verify changes
  • Needed to perform steps under network configuration (above)
  • But did not need to perform steps listed in DHCP server configuration (above), this was setup automatically during the DRBL and Clonezilla server setup
  • SUCCESS


  • Wednesday, January 5, 2011

    Offline Encyclopedia Content - Spanish

    For the last couple years I've been looking for a good source of encyclopedia content in Spanish for Linux with pictures included. In the past I've used downloaded wikipedia dumps, but these did not include photos and did not include smart searching functionality.

    I then stumbled across CDPedia in Spanish. I downloaded CDPedia project and found it worked well on Win XP machines, but did not work on the Ubuntu or Linux Mint machines I had. Additionally, it took days to download the CD version and weeks for the DVD version as there were limited torrent seeders with limited bandwidth.

    Most recently a couple new programs with a lot of promise have shown up: Kiwix and Okawix. Both of these are opensource with free content. Both are relative newcomers.

    Kiwix
    Kiwix uses the open source ZIM format. It can be installed in Ubuntu derivative OS's natively from a personal package archive as follows.
    • sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kiwixteam/ppa
    • sudo apt-get update
    • sudo apt-get install kiwix
    • download ZIM file from http://www.kiwix.org/index.php/Main_Page
    • Open ZIM file after moving to desired location.
    • Before performing first search the system will ask you to index the file which will take a while.
    Kiwix shows a lot of promise and seems to be quite stable and simple to use. Tested version is 0.9 alpha. After opening the Spanish wikipedia for the first time, it reopened the same file then next time it was launched. I am excited to see how this will progress. The one drawback is that there seems to be limited zim files created for Spanish content. There is the Spanish Wikipedia, but none of the other wiki content that I have yet found, but I imagine that is just a matter of time. This is definitely a strong contender for inclusion on my remastered DVD.

    Okawix
    Okawix is similar to Kiwix. I tested version 0.7. You need to download then run its executable. If you want to access this program from the menu you need to manually make make the entries which makes setup more labor intensive and not for the novice. However, adding content is easier than Kiwix since it is literally point and click first language then type of content desired. This is a huge feature and there is much broader Spanish language content available. Also you actively choose whether to include photos or not and the files include indexes so the indexing step of installation is not required. Once a okawix wiki is included (by downloading or linking ot local source) it is included in the list of available corpus and switching between the installed wikis is simply point and click. In my last test, Okawix froze up a couple times over several days for unexplained reasons.

    Leanings
    I'm excited to watch both of these. For Kiwix I like that is installs easily with a menu entry, seems quite stable, and has slightly simpler controls when only a single corpus is desired. For Okawix I like the broader content available. Since Wikipedia is the principal content desired, for now, I will be moving forward with Kiwix and watching Okawix waiting for a little further development.

    Tuesday, January 4, 2011

    Games not chosen for Spanish Distro

    Here is my list of games that had good reviews or seemed promising but I decided not to include in my distribution for Spanish kids. I am including names and reasons so I don't have to revisit my work here again.

    Games
    • einstein - logic game quite challenging, but perhaps too much so
    • flight of the amazon queen - very dos like cheesy game
    • freecol - like colonizatioBulleted Listn but was more complicated than other similar turn based strategy games included
    • freedink - all English and not very entertaining
    • micropolis - city sim but complex and no Spanish language
    • singularity - too complex
    • widelands - not the best rts available... currently not polished enough
    • teeworlds - not sure how to setup LAN server otherwise fast, cartoon like multi-player shooter
    • yofrankie - very processor intensive

    Programs

    Saturday, December 25, 2010

    Linux Mint 10 setup for Spanish Educational Use

    This is an old post:  See this post for my latest build notes see the following...
    http://techtips-tom.blogspot.com/2012/06/xfce-desktop-for-spanish-education.html

    I decided on Linux Mint 10 Gnome 64 bit for the base distribution to use in formatting better caliber used computers for donation to orphanages in Honduras and elsewhere. I chose computers with over 2 GHz processor, 1 Gig RAM, 128 Mb Video RAM and 40Gb Hard drive as the target of this compilation. For anything under these specs, I will install my LXDE compilation.

    Installation:
    Install using the 64 bit LM10 Gnome Install CD. Set the user to Maestra
    Upgrade to the DVD edition by clicking on the link after setup is complete. Not all packages downloaded the first time and the upgrade failed, so needed to do this a second time after rebooting. Installed all updates.

    Users:
    Maestra is installed as the principal user with Admin privileges.
    Listo will be used as the non privileged child user.

    General Changes:
    ScreenSaver = change screensaver options so it doesn't lock screen on screensaver
    Auto Login = modify system so login happens automatically. From Administration - Login Screen choose to login automatically as the desired user. For setup the Admin user was used. This is changed to the child user after setup is complete.

    Number of Desktops = change the number of destops as multiple desktops easily confuse novice linux users
    • Open Administration - Simple CompizConfig Settings
    • Set both Desktop columns and rows to 1
    Tricky Programs Installed:


    Childsplay: A current problem with Childsplay is loading it to run other language sounds. First step to download the Spanish Language sounds for Childsplay. Open Synaptic manager and select/install the the package "childsplay-alphabet-sounds-es". You need to modify the menu to run the command "LANGUAGE=es childsplay" (caps lock are important) or "childsplay --language=es" to run it with Spanish as the spoken language. Gnome menu items where command options must be run are a bit tricky to create and requires configuration file manipulation since the GUI does not enable this modification.
    1. [sudo mkdir /usr/local/share/applications] creates this directory. This is needed to make shared non-standard menu items. The normal location for menu items is /user/share/applications (without the local). Changing the menu item in the default location does not work well.
    2. [sudo cp /usr/share/applications/childsplay.desktop /usr/local/share/applications/childsplayes.desktop] This copies the menu item file to the local/share directory structure. "something.desktop" files are the configuration files used to launch menu items. The file was copied and renamed to keep the configuration files distinguished.
    3. [sudo nano /usr/local/share/applications/childsplayes.desktop] This opens the new menu item. The following changes are made:
      • Change the name and GenericName to ChildsplayES. This allows quick identification of the correct menu item.
      • Change the Exec line to be one of the above examples. I used "Exec=childsplay --language=es".
      • ctrl-O to write out (save) then ctrl-x to exit.
    4. Logout and log back on for the menu changes to take effect.
    5. Enter the Preferences/Main Menu program and deselect showing the original childsplay.


    Dosbox: For playing old dos games and programs. For now, not installing any old DOS games, but am including this program for possible future inclusion of old DOS programs on older computers.

    iTalc: classroom computer management software
    For now I just installed iTalc client. To use it correctly I would need to setup public and private keys. I will do this for the next remaster. (can be done to each computer after installing as well, just takes more time :)

    see my instructions in another blog for iTalc install including public and private key distribution.

    Kiwix: I debated whether to include Kiwix or Okawix in this remaster, but decided on Kiwix based mostly on current stability. Both options show promise, but for now Kiwix is a great option for offline Spanish Wikipedia. See my other blog comparing the two.
    To Install:
    • [sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kiwixteam/ppa]
    • [sudo apt-get update]
    • [sudo apt-get install kiwix]
    Because of the size of the zim file, I am not including it in the remastered image, but will add it to the cloned image.
    • login as itadmin
    • download the Spanish Wikipedia zim from the kiwix web page.
    • move to the /share/wiki directory
    • set owner as follows [sudo chown -R itadmin.users /share/wiki/]
    • give read permission at the group level
    • log in as each user, open the Wikipedia zim file and choose to index it, which must be done for each user and takes some time. This way it will be ready to use on each computer.
    • (from home I am transferring this file from one computer to another using the following command): sudo scp chenier@172.30.30.91:/home/chenier/share/wikipedia_es_all_09_2010_beta1.zim /share/wiki/
    • then change permissions as above

    Play on Linux: Installed this package to make it easier in case there are Windows programs that are seen as a must have without a good Linux counterpart. They can then be installed afterwards as needed.

    Khelpcenter: Install this package so the KDE applications installed have access to their help files. Otherwise Klavaro, et all produce an error when clicking on help.

    BibleTime: Need to download books and references after installing.
    The first step is to create a shared directory for common media shared between users. See above to complete this.
    • create shared directory as described above
    • open BibleTime then open its book administrator
    • click on the tool to edit installation directories and add /share/bible directories to the install directories
    • Login as all users to add this directory to the installed directories
    • Selected a few bibles from the CrossWire list and installed them to the /share/biblia directory. I did this as itadmin so I did not need to change user ownership rights and with the sticky bits only the itadmin would be able to delete these files.
    • This was giving some trouble, so also logged in as maestra and listo and downloaded bibles and commentaries for each user separately into the default directory of each user.
    • Included the GLOSSARY Ergane "Spanish to English Glossary" This give a quick translation from Spanish to English.

    PROGRAMS
    Accessorios
    • installado mas
    • furious ISO mount
    • Filelight
    Educational Programs Installed
    • Atomix - game for constructing molecules
    • BibleTime - see install notes above
    • Childsplay - see install notes above
    • El Pequeno Mago (little wizard) - introduction to programming using actions to move a clown... Great program with decent Spanish translation
    • JFraction Lab -
    • KAlgebra -
    • KBruch - practice exercises with fractions
    • KTurtle - introduction to programming using scripts to move a turtle
    • Kalzium - periodic table of elements
    • Kiwix - see install notes above
    • Klavaro - typing tutorial with good Spanish support
    • KmPlot - graphing program
    • Marble - simple off line globe showing countries, capitals and major cities
    • Setllarium - real time star chart
    • Tux Paint - painting program for young chidren
    • Tux Typing - fun typing practice game
    • TuxMath -fun math practice game
    Drawing Programs Installed
    • GIMP Image Editor - advanced drawing program
    • Inkscape - vector drawing
    • OpenOffice.org Dibujos - OpenOffice drawing program
    • Picasa -
    • Scribus - Desktop publishing
    System Tools / Internet
    • Oracle VM Virtualbox -
    • Chromium -
    Multimedia Programs Installed
    • Picasa - popular photo editing & viewing program
    • Brasero -
    • VLC -
    • the default programs for the rest

    Office Programs Installed
    • Chromium - a fast Web browser
    • FreeMind - mind mapping program
    • OpenOffice - full open office suite
    Internet Programs Installed
    • included programs: chestnut Dialer
    • Chromium web browser
    Games Installed
    • Aisleroit Solitaire - a group of solitaire card games under a common interface
    • Atomix - educational puzzle creating molecules from elements
    • BZFlag - Multiplayer Tank battle game works on somewhat older macines
    • Berusky - Ladybug puzzle game
    • BurgerSpace - classic arcade game
    • Chess (glchess) - faster chess game for slower computer
    • Childsplay (also under Educaton)
    • Emulator DOSBox - see notes above - for running old DOS games
    • Enigma - puzzle game controlling marble with the mouse
    • FloboPuyo - clone of puyopuyo, similar to tetris
    • Freeciv - Civilization game for Linux (installed gtk client)
    • Frozen-Bubble - entertaining marble matching game
    • Gamine - Game for VERY young children teaching mouse usage by sounds and colors
    • gbrainy - logic game in English (prior version was translated) but very good game
    • Gweled - like Diamond Mine
    • glTron - Tron bike game
    • gPlanarity - game of untangling lines
    • LBreakout2 - breakout clone
    • Maelstrom - arcade game like Asteroids
    • Mahjongg (gnome-mahjongg) - classic
    • Mastermind - similar to the classic logic testing board game
    • Mines - just like Mines for other platforms
    • Monsterz - arcade puzzle like Bejeweled
    • Moon-lander - ship landing game
    • Nibbles (gnibbles) - simple worm game my daughter loves
    • OpenTTD - transport tycoon with good Spanish translation
    • Pingus - game like lemmings but with penguins - great Spanish translation
    • Play on Linux - see separate section
    • Quadrapassel - falling block game like Tetris
    • Ri-li - toy train simulator with fun game play and excellent translation
    • Secret Maryo Chronicles (SMC) - platform Super Mario clone
    • Sudoku (gnome-sudoku) - numbers & logic game
    • Suite educativa GCompris - educational games for young children
    • SuperTux-stable - Mario like platform (older version for older hardware)
    • Tremulous - combination RTS & FPS with great reviews and works on older hardware
    • Warzone 2100 - real time strategy with decent translation and works on somewhat dated hardware
    • Wessnoth 1.8 - Turn based strategy (under La Batalla por Wesnoth) translated very nicely and great gameplay on older machines
    • ZaZ - arcade marble game
    Young Children - Games and Educational
    • Gamine - a mouse interaction game for very young children
    • gCompris - an educational suite for young children
    • Tuxpaint - an child friendly painting program


    Other Programs Installed - Educational & Office
    • Atomix - game for constructing molecules
    • Stellarium - a star viewing application
    • Tuxmath - a child oriented math game
    • Tuxtype - a child oriented typing game -- installed program, then opened program and changed the language option to Spanish
    Other Programs Installed - Games
    • Ballz - simple Indy platform game
    • Frozen-Bubble - a fun to play matching marble game

    Monday, November 15, 2010

    Configure Netgear FSM7352S for VLAN

    Reset Switch [Linux]
    The switch I received had an unknown admin password so I needed to hard reset. I decided to upgrade the firmware at the same time.
    • downloaded firmware file from website: fsm73xxs_7.3.1.7.stk
    • plugged null modem cable into switch and computer serial port
    • discover serial port information [dmesg | grep tty]
    • install Minicom [sudo apt-get install minicom]
    • configure Minicom [sudo minicom -s -c on], which opens a color minicom window
      • Enter Serial port setup menu
      • Change serial device (option A) to that discovered above
      • Change option E to rate, parity and bits to match switch: 9600 8N1

      • Save Minicom configuration by "save setup as dfl" on main menu
      • Choose Exit from menu
      • If you exit all the way out of Minicom, you can restart with [minicom -c on]
    • Plug switch in, wait for it to autoboot, then choose option 2 for Utility menu
    • Utility Menu for the switch:
    • Choose "Erase Current Configuration" or "Erase Permanent Storage" depending on how drastic you want to be. I chose the latter after which the switch is missing its stack code for operation, so is dead till reloaded.
    • To update the firmware, choose option 2 "Load stack code update package". Follow the prompts to select Zmodem.
    • Start file upload *** tricky in Minicom *** need to press Ctrl-A then S in sequence which opens a file upload dialogue box from which you select the file you
      • Help for Minicom special keys is found by pressing Ctrl-A then Z in sequence
      • Quitting Minicom is via Ctrl-A then Q
    • Firmware upload takes quite some time at that speed!
    • When done and rebooted, I noticed the utility menu is different: (password recovery exists instead of erase permanent storage option)
    • I'm also noticing that I could have changed serial speed and significantly reduced the time I had to wait for firmware upload!
    Reset Switch [Windows]

    Configure Switch - Basic Config
    • Enter switch console and allow the FSM73xxS Application to start
    • enter User name "admin" and blank password
    • Helpful commands:
      • show hardware = displays hardware version and info
      • show network = displays network info including existing IP address
      • reload = reboots system
      • logout = logs out current user
      • ezconfig = starts ezconfig utility to set basic configuration
    • Run [ezconfig]
      • choose Y to change password
      • choose N to assign IP address if you want DHCP assigned address
      • Assign switch name and location as desired
      • choose Y to save changes
    • run [show network] to get IP address to connect to Http Interface
    Configure Switch - VLAN Config
    • Point browser at switch IP address and login
    • to be continued

    Friday, October 15, 2010

    Zentyal phone config - Grandstream GXP285

    Grandstream GXP285 telephone config for Zentyal server
    (settings almost identical for Grandstream BT-200)

    Connecting - for DHCP assigned addressing
    Connect phone to network and find IP address on phone or server.
    Connect to web interface using IP address. Default password is "admin"

    Basic Settings
    1. Change time zone settings
    Advanced Settings
    1. Change password as desired
    2. Change "no key entry timeout" from 4 seconds to 2. Since these phones do not have good dial plan settings so you can have them dial immediately after a qualified extension is entered, this keeps the user from needing to wait 4 seconds after last number dialed before the call is sent.
    3. Change time server to local if desired. Otherwise make sure Internet is open to us.pool.ntp.org for the phone to get correct time and date.
    Account Settings
    1. SIP Server: enter either "[server IP Address]:5060" or "[Server Name]" (if DNS server is configured properly)
    2. SIP User ID: Enter Zentyal User (or extension if different from user)
    3. Authenticate ID: Enter Zentyal User
    4. Authenticate Password: Enter Zentyal User password
    5. Name and Account name are not required. Name is used for displaying name of caller (versus number)
    6. Use DNS server: check as appropriate based on SIP server addressing above
    7. Unregister on reboot: check yes if you will be moving phones around to different subnets, otherwise IP addressing may be sticky.

    Tuesday, September 14, 2010

    Zentyal Phone config - Grandstream HT-502

    Grandstream HT-502 dual FXS port telephone gateway

    Network Setup - Basic Settings
    Connect computer to LAN port, device will act as a DHCP server before being configured and will dish out IP address to your computer.
    1. Change device Mode from "NAT Router" to "Bridge" (This allows you to connect Ethernet to either side, receive IP address from DHCP server and connect a computer or another device to the other)
    2. Save settings & Reset box
    FXS Port 1 settings
    1. Primary SIP Server: [IPaddress]:5060
    2. SIP User ID: Zentyal User name or extension
    3. Authenticate ID: Zentyal User name
    4. Password: Zentyal password
    5. Unregister on Reboot: check yes (important when moving phones between subnets)
    6. Transfer on conference hangup: check yes (keeps conference alive when caller hangs up)
    7. No Key Entry Timeout: change to 2 seconds from 4 seconds. This is to keep the wait time between finishing marking the number to the actual connection down.
    8. Call Plan: added entry for immediate dialing of our extensions. Added 2xxx as another or option.