From Scott Miller:

Nice way to enable the internal pdf viewer in Firefox 15 Good bye Acrobat!

Wayno

It’s a Blue World. Thanks to this awesome flashplayer bug!

I am running 64 bit Debian Squeeze. And well, when I went to watch an episode of hak5 I had smurf vision!

Darren and Shannon from Hak5.org as Smurfs

Hey guys. I didn’t know you drank too much blueberry juice. Who knew?

This is what’s currently installed:


dpkg -l | grep flashplugin


output look like:

ii flashplugin-nonfree 1:2.8.2 Adobe Flash Player – browser plugin

Yes, that’s in the Debian 64 bit multimedia repo.

EASY FIX!

1. This is from VirtualNexus (comments below)

For videos with reversed colors in youtube

Using the editor of your choice, add a file called /etc/adobe/mms.cfg and insert the following line:


EnableLinuxHWVideoDecode = 1


2. Restart your browser.

Darren and Shannon magically de-smurfed

Hey guys. Glad to see you’re off the blueberry juice!

Thanks Loni, for the title! Thanks VirtualNexus for this easy fix!

Wayno

Let’s face it. Rebranded software (Icedove for Thunderbird and Iceweasel for Firefox) on Debian works, but they are UBER old. And if you are trying to get 64 bit versions of Firefox and Thunderbird. Good luck!

IceWeasel (rebranded Firefox Version 3!) is pre-installed. However Icedove does NOT come pre-installed.

The programmes on the mozilla site, are 32 bit critters. Which don’t always work in a 64 bit environment.

As a minimum, if you want to use the 32 bit Firefox or Thunderbird off the mozilla site, you will need to have at least the following 32 bit libraries installed on your 64 bit system:


sudo apt-get install ia32-libs
sudo apt-get install ia32-libs-gtk


Fortunately, I ran into Diopter on #debian on freenode.org

Here is where the latest stable 64 bit version are stored:

NOTE: IF YOU GET A 404 NOT FOUND, IT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN THE SITE OFFLINE FOR AWHILE. TRY AGAIN LATER.

For the latest stable 64 bit Firefox

For the latest stable 64 bit Thunderbird

I have had some issues with the stable releases. So I use the nightly builds.

Nightly build for 64 bit Firefox (unstable)

Nightly build for 64 bit Thunderbird (unstable)

1. Once you have them downloaded, lets untar them to the right directory.


cd /usr/local


2. Now untar:


sudo tar -xjvf ~/Downloads/(name of file goes here)


-x says we want to extract the tar
-j says it is a bzip2 file
-v says we want verbose (lots of) output
-f says use archive mode

3. Rename the old “firefox” (icedove) in /usr/bin
NOTE that the # and anything that follows is a comment and does not need to be coded.


cd /usr/bin # go to /usr/bin directory
sudo mv firefox firefox.icedove


4. Now create a link to the new Firefox we just installed. I want it system wide so we need to create a symlink in /usr/bin to where the files are stored.

As always the octothorpe (# is a comment and need NOT be coded)

For Firefox:


cd /usr/bin #change to the usr/bin director
sudo ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox .


or /usr/local/thunderbird/thunderbird

NOTE: THE PERIOD AT THE END IS SIGNIFICANT. IT SAYS PLACE THE PROGRAM (SYMLINK) RIGHT HERE!

5. to confirm that you have everything right:


which firefox


and you will get output that looks like:

/usr/bin/firefox

(or thunderbird)

If you go to /usr/bin and do an ls -l you will see:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 26 May 5 19:01 firefox -> /usr/local/firefox/firefox

(or thunderbird)

Thanks Joe and Loni!

Wayno

How to convert from Ubuntu to Debian

This article will encompass a LOT of previous posts. This is NOT recommended for n00bs.

1. While you are downloading the Debian iso, it would be a good first step to backup /home/ and /etc/.

2. You can find simple rsync backup/restore scripts here.

3. Once the debian iso is downloaded, you should md5sum check it first. You can find the debian cd iso image checksums here.

4. Burn the iso (not copy to a cd – why this is NOT for n00bs) to a cd or dvd, depending on what you downloaded.

5. Installing from the DVD is quite different then Ubuntu. This is NOT a live cd, so you can’t experiment first.

The rest of this article will ass/u/me that you were able to install Debian sucessfully. Configuring Debian, requires some work!

1. The first thing that bit me in the buttocks (can we say that here?) – is rebranded software. You won’t find Firefox or Thunderbird. Instead you will find re-branded software. So icedove instead of Thunderbird, and IceWeasel instead of Firefox. Those are in the Debian Repositories. The problem with re-branded software, is that it is NOT upstream compatible. You can always choose to install the branded stuff (Firefox/Thunderbird) from the Mozilla site. If you need 64 bit Firefox or Thunderbird you can get find that here.

NOTE: the following code block assumes sudo (#3 below is fixed:)

As always anything with an octothorpe (#) is a comment and need not be coded.


sudo apt-get install icedove # get the re-branded thunderbird
sudo apt-get install iceweasel # get the re-branded firefox


2. The second thing is .profile so you will want to deal with that next.

3. Next, was how to easily do sudo in debian

By default – sudo does NOT work in Debian. And as you know, you get sort of used to using sudo in Ubuntu. There are some crazy ideas on how to fix this, but this is pretty easy and straight forward.

4. You probably need java run time

Guess what? That does NOT come pre-installed on Debian! You can easily add the java runtime environment (jre) for Debian.

5. if you need to restart the gdm in Debian, it’s gdm3 NOT gdm as in Ubuntu. So


sudo service gdm3 restart


6. By default, /usr/sbin is NOT in your path in Debian, but is in Ubuntu. How to fix? This was a little more complicated then I thought. But Joe had a neat fix! (so none of the system tasks are available – things like I dunno gparted, vsftpd, useradd, etc — are not accessible.)

By default, when Linux comes up, it executes /etc/profile. Within /etc/profile it sources /etc/profile.d/bashrc.local.sh

What do I mean by “sources?” Joe explains:

Executing a script is the normal way to do it. The script executes, then it exits, and it’s environment is gone forever.

When you source a script, you execute all the commands in the script and (it) remain(s) in the environment – keeping all changes made to same.

execute: /path/to/script.sh

source: source /path/to/script or more succinctly:

. /path/to/script

And that is what the following script does/ It uses a function called pathmunge to add the missing paths:


# /etc/bashrc.local.sh for Linux
#
# Local environment variables
#
export ORGANIZATION="Mirai Consulting"

#fi


7. If you have Skype you will probably need to fix that as well.

This is just a first cut draft on the differences I noted between Ubuntu and Debian.

Thanks always to Joe and Loni.

Many apps, applets, games, and more are written in, or use Java to run. Java is very important, and widely-used. With this article, I will show you how to install the latest JRE/JDK (1.7.0) on Ubuntu/Debian, and Fedora.

original article here:
and 64 bit java install directions from Oracle

Ubuntu:

1. Download the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) / JDK (Java Development Kit) 7 from here:

The file type for Ubuntu is the .tar.gz
Note: The JDK is for developers. Do not download unless you plan on programming in Java.

2. Unpack (or untar, or extract) the .tar.gz file in the desired directory. Type:


tar -zxvf filename


3. Install Java 1.7 to alternatives. Type:


sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /your/java/directory/jre/bin/java 3


Note: Replace /your/java/directory/, with the directory where you extracted the .tar.gz

4. Choose your Java version using alternatives. Type:


sudo update-alternatives –config java


Then choose the option that points to your Java 7 directory.

Note: If you have chosen the JDK, your javac will not be updated. Typing the javac -version command will return the previous Java’s version javac. I do not know how to fix this.

5. Configure the Java browser plugin.

You will have to use a symbolic link to configure the plugin.

Type:


ln -s /your/java/directory/jre/lib/your system architecture/libnpjp.so /your/brower/plugins/directory


Note: /your/java/directory/ is wherever you extracted the .tar.gz

Also, /your system architecture/ is the architecture type of the Java .tar.gz file you downloaded. This will either be i386, or amd64. If you are unsure which, open a file manager, go to your Java directory, and go to the jre/lib/ directory. If a folder entitled amd64 is there, you have the x64-bit version. If not, you have the x32-bit.

Another thing to note, the /your/browser/plugins/directory/ is your browser’s plugins directory. Example: if you are using Mozilla’s Firefox, your plugins directory is /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

6. Test the plugin. Restart your browser, and go to

Java Tester

Click the Java Version button. If the pink box says Java 1.7.0 from Oracle, you have configured the plugin correctly.

Installing Java 1.7 goodness for Ubuntu. Enjoy 🙂

Fedora:

1. Download the .rpm installer from Oracle here:

2. Install. You can do this by:

A) Using the Open With feature of your browser

B) Going to the directory of the download in a file browser, right-clicking the file, and selecting the Open with Software Install option

C) Typing (as root)


rpm -ivh filename


The browser plugin should be configured by the installer.

Java 1.7 goodness for Fedora. Enjoy 🙂

Jack

This requires an intermediate skill level.

Installing unstable software, can cause your system to crash. This is NOT recommended for n00bs. The how to add the ppa’s are contained in the link below. But again, if you don’t know what this is: DON’T DO THIS, unless you are sure.

PPA for Firefox / Thunderbird Versions 5/6/7/8

Version 3.X of Firefox kills my Ubuntu 10.10 (AMD 64) System. But version 6 and beyond run fine.

This is what Thunderbird V 5 looks like:

Thanks again, Joe.

Wayno

First I will show you the easy way to id a web server. Then I’ll show you how the magic works.

1. first the easy way (Linux):

You may need to install curl first.


sudo apt-get install curl


2. Then it’s easy!


curl -I www.old.pkill-9.com


(that’s a capital I (eye))

and you will get output that looks like:

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:33:35 GMT
Server: Apache
X-Powered-By: PHP/5.2.14
X-Pingback: http://www.pkill-9.com/xmlrpc.php
Location: http://www.pkill-9.com/
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8

so we know that old.pkill-9.com uses an Apache Server. (Thank you, Jeremy!)

3. Now the magic. First telnet to the web server address, port 80 This will work in Linux OR Windows. You can use the Putty Client in Windows.


telnet www.old.pkill-9.com 80


Next enter:


HEAD / HTTP/1.0
[enter] [enter]


Note the query MUST be capitalised, and you MUST hit enter TWICE.

You will get output that looks like:

nwayno@Homer:~$ telnet www.old.pkill-9.com 80
Trying 72.167.232.233…
Connected to old.pkill-9.com.
Escape character is ‘^]’.
HEAD / HTTP/1.0

HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:39:31 GMT
Server: Apache
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1

Connection closed by foreign host.
nwayno@Homer:~$

And again, we know it’s Apache (Linux).

If it says Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5

as does www.usatoday.com then it’s a Microsoft’s Internet Information Server.

Thanks Joe. I couldn’t remember the http goodness method!

Wayno

I was having a dickens of a time, trying to force a browser make the user save the file, instead of trying to stream it. Here’s how to do it.

The original article is here.

1. in the directory where the file is located, we need to create a .htaccess file. So using the editor of your choice, create a filed name .htaccess (yes the period in front is important! It’s a hidden file.)


AddType application/octet-stream .wma


2. Now change the permissions on the file. Read and Write for the owner, and Read access for everyone else.


sudo chmod 640 .htaccess


it should like like:

-rw-rw—- 1 nwayno nwayno 38 2010-07-25 20:48 .htaccess

3. Restart the ftp server. If it’s standalone mode:


sudo service vsftpd restart


If vsftpd runs under xinetd (like I do), it will get the changes automatically since each new ftp session is a new process. (thanks Joe!)

4. Now when you try to ftp the file, such as:

ftp://servername/directory/filename.ext
(substitute your own information)

You will be prompted to save the file, instead of trying to stream it.

Thanks Loni

Sorting Bookmarks (alphabetically) in Firefox

I knew there had to be a way to do this!

Wayno

The Flash that comes packaged from Ubuntu with Firefox – is the 32 bit guy, because the developers refuse to use an alpha release of anything.

The problem is, this creates a huge instability in Firefox.

Here’s how I did it – this is NOT optimal, but it works!

1. Go to:

Adobe 64 Bit Flash Plugin
and get the 64 bit plugin.

Currently (July 20, 2010) the Alpha plugin is no longer available.

2. Close all open browers.

3. Go into Synaptic Package Manager – and type in the word “flashplugin”

what ever it comes up with, you definitely want to remove. It’s all 32 bit.

4. Untar it if you got it from the adobe site, otherwise copy it from the download area.

for Firefox:

cd /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins

sudo tar -xvf ~/Downloads/libflashplayer-10.0.42.34.linux-x86_64.so.tar.gz # or wherever you downloaded it too

=====================================

For Opera:

cd /usr/lib/opera/plugins

sudo tar -xvf ~/Downloads/libflashplayer-10.0.42.34.linux-x86_64.so.tar.gz # or wherever you downloaded it too

You could install it once to say /usr/lib/adobe-flash and symlink it….

This is more brute force.

Wayno