Archive for the ‘Projects’ Category
If your like me and ran ‘apt-get upgrade’ while running Backtrack 4, you may have noticed that it breaks KDE. When you restart, you are taken to the X screen, where your only options are basically to open an X terminal. After doing some research, I have found a simple fix. You can run the following commands:
cd /etc/alternatives/
mv x-session-manager x-session-manager-broke
ln -s /opt/kde3/bin/startkde x-session-manager
cd /opt/kde3/share/
mv applications borked-applications
mv pixmaps borked-pixmaps
mkdir -p /usr/local/share/applications/kde
cp borked-applications/kde/ksnapshot.desktop /usr/local/share/applications/kde
ln -s /usr/local/share/pixmaps pixmaps
ln -s /usr/local/share/applications applications
cd /opt/kde3/share/icons/crystalsvg/16x16/apps/
ln -s cache.png preferences-web-browser-cache.png
cd /opt/kde3/share/applications/kde
cat ksnapshot.desktop |grep -v ^GenericName > ksnapshot.desktop1
mv ksnapshot.desktop1 ksnapshot.desktop
Alternatively, you can download a script with the same commands and run it:
wget www.offensive-security.com/fix-kde.sh
cat fix-kde.sh
bash fix-kde.sh
There is a note saying that this fix is temporary, however, it appears to be perminate for me.
Taken from: http://backtrack4.blogspot.com/2009/03/apt-get-upgrade-breaks-backtrack-4-beta.html
Tags: Apt-Get, Backtrack, Beta, Kde, Upgrade
Here is a quick update on the Gadsden Wifi project.
- Aquired Gadsdenwifi.org (thanks http://www.brandonrome.net for the logo)
- The database structure is complete and the import software is 70% complete.
- The backend programming will begin after the database is complete.
Few things I have learned:
- Binary Searching
- Minimizing database calls (atleast on SELECT statements)
- Basics of Multi-Threading applications.
- Basics of Google Maps API
Tags: .NET, database, Gadsden, Projects, Wifi
For an update, I have posted a screenshot of the program I wrote (few hours of sitting down and punching the good ol’ keyboard). The program takes a Wifi Scan text document and converts it into a Google Earth KML file. If you click the image below, you can see the full screen shot of what my program looks like, the tree structure listed in google earth and the information that pops up when you click on said point.
By doing this little project, i’ve learned about writing XML documents and how easy it can be and how big of a pain it could be. Also this project stresses the way I used to code. For example, a 750 KB file with 6,000 data points works flawlessly. Toss in a 10 meg file with 54,000 data points and you will see real quick that handling data is alot different.
Things I’ve Learned:
- Redim Preserve statement is a bad bad bad idea if called once per loop. It basically creates an array thats bigger (or smaller), copies the old array to the new array (2x memeory consumption), then destroys the old array.
- Better to Add items all at once vs one at a time on List View Boxes (still learning to program this one).
- Google Earth is picky when it comes to <document> and <Document> …
This program for the most part is complete, once I fine tune it and get everything running smoothly, I will see about the website side of this project.
Tags: Gadsden, Google Earth, Programming, Projects, Wifi
I finally got my QStarz bluetooth GPS receiver in friday. Since I was heading to Birmingham saturday, I thought I would test this thing out. Combined with NetStumbler and a D-Link 7db antenna with a magnetic mount, I rode to Birmingham collecting wifi data with GPS coords. Then I started thinking about mapping wifi around the gadsden area. One good weekend of driving with this setup should take care of the downtown area and slowly work my way around the smaller areas. It is just an idea at the moment.
Below is what I picked up for just the gadsden area. The data was thrown into Google Earth, and needs to be cleaned up as there are probably 5-10 Access Point data per spot and it gets confusing.
A red X is a secure Access Point, a green check is an open wifi hot spot.
Gadsden Wifi
Tags: Gadsden, Google Earth, Wifi
I have been working on a anti-spam filter for comments to use on my website arthurwinters.net. This filter takes as string of text, analyzes it and returns either a 0 (not spam) or a 1 (spam). The spam filter is based on a scoring system which judges the following:
- Word Count and Character Count.
- How many URLs are in the post.
- How many bad domain keywords, and path keywords in the post.
- How many bad keywords are in the post.
- How many constant characters are in a row.
Depending on the situation it could be given a positive score or a negative score. This combined with an overall score will give the post a percentage, based on that percentage and a threshold determined, it is then marked as spam or not spam.
Feel free to try it out at http://www.arthurwinters.net/beta
Tags: Filter, PHP, Spam
I finally have a photo gallery started you can view it by clicking the link above that says ‘Gallery’ or click here for the lazy people.
Check it out, let me know how it looks. I am still adding pictures to it, going to polish it up some more.
Tags: Gallery, Photos, PHP, Pictures
I’ve decided to start a project on creating a homebrew DVR (Digital Video Recorder). I’m going to start this project using spare computer parts laying around the house. Once everything is setup and running, I’m going to invest in a dedicated machine (probably around 300 bucks). Once I start building the real thing I will post pictures.
Tags: DVR, Homebrew, Projects
I decided to start a Legend of the Green Dragon server. It is basically a text base MMORPG, based on BBS Door game. You can find the address at http://www.jinanrealm.com/LoGD.
It is a pretty cool game to play, if you have nothing else to do.
Tags: Legend of the Green Dragon, LoTGD, MMO, PHP
I had a stuck pixel (Yellow pixel that wouldnt change) on my LCD monitor. If you have a dead or stuck pixel it is kind of a depressing moment, knowing you spent hundreds of dollars on a LCD monitor and there is just 1 pixel that is dead or stuck. Luckily my pixel was a stuck pixel (which there is a good chance to fix by flashing colors really fast on the area).
I did some research on the internet and found that the PSP had some problems when it was first released having numerous reports of dead or stuck pixels. So after a little research on a PSP forum (I want one!!) I found out that there was a way to fix the stuck pixel by flashing colors (Mainly Red, Green, Blue – The 3 colors pixels are made of) on the screen and that has a chance of fixing it.
So, being a Do it yourselfer I created 3 videos that flash Red, Green, Blue for 37 seconds at 20 frames per second. Needless to say that my Yellow stuck pixel was one of those pixels that just needed a fast flash of colors for it to get unstuck.
I have decided to put these videos up for everyone to take a look at. These are MPEG (Layer 1) videos and I have converted them to 3 different ratios. You will need to run these videos in full screen or drag them over the area that has the stuck pixel.
4:3 Ratio (Normal Size LCD’s) ~470KB
16:9 Ratio (Widescreen LCD’s) ~550KB
16:10 Ratio (Widescreen LCD’s) ~550KB
WARNING: If you have epilepsy, or have sensitivity to fast flashing colors DO NOT download or play these videos. These videos flash RED, GREEN, BLUE at 20 frames per second (Normal Video is 24 frames per second).
Also, these videos will NOT work on a dead pixel and may or may not work on a stuck pixel. My yellow pixel happened to just need quick flashing colors to fix it. This is not a guaranteed method of unsticking a pixel but in many cases a stuck pixel just needs to be exposed to quick flashing colors.
Tags: Fix, Flashing, Pixel, Stuc, Videos
