If the file is not yet tracked by GIT:

You can easily ignore files if they have not been previously added to the GIT repository by adding it to the .git/info/exclude file. This is extremely useful when you want to exclude text editor specific files, windows thumbnail files but do not want to include it in the main repository .gitignore file.

# git ls-files --others --exclude-from=.git/info/exclude
# Lines that start with '#' are comments.
# For a project mostly in C, the following would be a good set of
# exclude patterns (uncomment them if you want to use them):
*.[oa]
*~
*.tmproj

If the file is already being tracked:

This method is useful for when you need to maintain local changes to a file but do not want to accidentally push those changes to the main GIT Repository.

mb2:~ mark$ git update-index --assume-unchanged loc/of/file

First dance photo.

For the wedding I built a photo booth using custom software, a small nettop computer, and an arduino to control the lighting and initiate picture taking.  I plan on making a few posts on how it was built.  But the results were great with lots of fun candid shots.

Click to see all photo booth pictures on Flickr!

FlexGet is a python based script that parses RSS feeds for torrents and downloads them to a directory. It automates torrent downloading when used in conjunction with a torrent application that supports watch directories such as Transmission or my favorite command line application rTorrent.

Install XCode

Put your MacOS X install disk and run the xcode.mpkg from the optional install folder.

Install MacPorts

Download the package from the MacPorts site and install the mpkg file.

Install Python (optional)

Depending on the state of your system you may need to install or update python.

sudo port install python

Install wget (optional)

sudo port install wget

Install the Python dependencies for FlexGet

sudo easy_install FeedParser && sudo easy_install SQLAlchemy && sudo easy_install PyYAML 
sudo easy_install BeautifulSoup && sudo easy_install html5lib && sudo easy_install pynzb
sudo easy_install progressbar && sudo easy_install flask && sudo easy_install cherrypy

Install FlexGet from source

We need to download the latest source to a directory and run the python setup.py with sudo privileges. The following is the latest source from the flexget website. In the end you should have a flexget binary to

/usr/local/bin/flexget

cd ~/Downloads
wget http://download.flexget.com/unstable/FlexGet-1.0r1862.tar.gz
tar xzf FlexGet-1.0r1862.tar.gz
cd FlexGet-1.0r1862
sudo python setup.py install

Configure FlexGet

Create a directory ~/.flexget and a config.yml

mkdir ~/.flexget
cd ~/.flexget
touch config.yml

Edit the file to contain the contents where RSS_URL and WATCH_DIR_LOCATION. For more configuration options check out the configuration page.

#feeds:
#  my_feed:
#    rss: http://example.com/rss.xml
#    patterns:
#      - something.rexexp
#    download: ~/downloads/

feeds:
  tv-shows:
    regexp:
      accept:
        - torrent
    rss: RSS_URL
    download: WATCH_DIR_LOCATION

Test out flexget. It should download the torrents from your specified

/usr/local/bin/flexget

Configure Cron: Now lets make it automatic!

Open your crontab. This may require some vi editing. Check out this vi tutorial.

crontab -e

The following will run flexget every 30 mins (as your current user).

*/30 * * * * /usr/local/bin/flexget --cron

Congrats! Everything should be working. Check console output if you are still having trouble. Often you will get a hint for a missing dependency when installing python packages. If flexget seems to install correctly check your configuration file.

photo credit: usnationalarchives

Its time to open the tip jar again. The command line is incredibly powerful but requires perfect typing of commands and paths. I did not know how to fix a command until I read the lifehacker article. It seems every time I consider myself an expert I see a simple tip that *quashes* my ego back to novice status.

The Carat (^) symbol in many terminal or command shell environments is a simple text substitution command. It follows an idea of '^stringtorelpace^replacementstring'. This is great for fixing errors or substituting commands.

Fix a typo

mb2:~ mark$ la -lh /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg
-bash: la: command not found
mb2:~ mark$ ^la^ls

This corrects the mistyped 'ls' command.

Change a command

Another interesting use is to change the command used. For example you may want to first list 'ls' the file to see if it exists, and if not, create it with 'nano'.

mb2:~ mark$ ls /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg
ls: /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg: No such file or directory
mb2:~ mark$ ^ls^nano

There are many time saving tricks that can be used with this simple command. Check out the source articles for more information.

Running SVN (or TortoiseSVN) on 64-bit Windows 7 can often cause errors reading "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility." This is caused by a known bug in the Windows 7 NTFS file system. A few months ago when I first researched this problem there were supposed reports that disabling indexing on the folder or disabling antivirus would fix this problem. This was not the case and I had to deal with the issue for over a year.

Microsoft plans to fix this in Windows 7 Service Pack 1. But there is a hotfix available.

This is a known regression in Windows 7 in the NTFS file system. It occurs when doing a superseding rename over a file that has an atomic oplock on it (atomic oplocks are a new feature in Windows 7). The indexer uses atomic oplocks which is why it helped when you disabled the indexer. Explorer also uses atomic oplocks which is why you are still seeing the issue. When this occurs STATUS_FILE_CORRUPT is incorrectly returned and the volume is marked "dirty" which is a signal to the system that chkdsk needs to be run. No actual corruption has occurred. - Via (Microsoft TechNet) Via (Subversion Community Beta)

Get the hotfix now!

Download the GIST

# Transform a YAML i18n local files into JSON object.
# suitable when using Rails YAML for javascript UI translations.
#
# This takes files DIR_ROOT/locale and outputs DIR_ROOT/js/locale
# filenames are determined by YAML filename.  
#
# Mark Young @zarzax http://www.zarzax.com Nov 2010
#
# Transforms YAML en.yml:
# en:
#   home:
#     link_name: 'testing'
# Into compressed JSON en.js:
# Ext.locale = {'home': {'home': {'link_name': 'testing'}}

require 'rubygems'
require 'json'
require 'yaml'

DIR_ROOT = File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))
YAML_ROOT = File.join(DIR_ROOT, 'locales')
JS_ROOT = File.join(DIR_ROOT, 'js', 'locales')

# locale javascript namespace
JS_NAMESPACE = 'Ext.locale = '

Dir[File.join(YAML_ROOT, '*.yml')].sort.each { |locale| 
  locale_yml = YAML::load(IO.read(locale))
  puts 'Filename: ' + locale
  puts 'Filename JSON: ' + locale_yml.to_json
  File.open(
    File.join(JS_ROOT, File.basename(locale, '.*') + '.js'), 'w') {
      |f| f.write(JS_NAMESPACE + locale_yml[File.basename(locale, '.*')].to_json)
  }
}

photo credit: spacesuitcatalyst

Rails provides a very useful current_page?(link) function but I needed a way to find if I was on the current_controller?(link) for adding a css class to menu links. This was useful for when I'm on a deeplink 'users/1/edit' but want to match a menu link to 'users/'. They share the same controller but not a the whole page link.

Download the GIST

#
# A rails helper snippet I find helpful for building main navigation
# when you want to highlight main pages (controllers) when browser
# requests a subpage.
#
# eg. current request '/users/1/edit' but we want to highlight
# the menu link to '/users'. current_page? will be false but
# the current_controller? function will be true
#

# Find if a link is uses the current controller.
# Used in building main navigation to include
# sublinks.
def current_controller?(link)
  url_for(link).include? @controller.controller_name
end

# Create list elements for building navigation
def menu_link_li(text, link, classes = "", include_separator = false, new_tab = false)
  begin
    if current_controller? link
   classes += " selected"
    end
  rescue Exception => e
    # deal with a potential error of not using the helper with a request first being made.
  end
  
  if new_tab
    link_text = link_to text, link, :target => "_blank"
  else
    link_text = link_to text, link
  end
  
  html = %{
#{link_text}
}
  if include_separator
    html += %{
}
  end
  return html
end

What happens when your hardrive fails in your 13-inch MacBook Pro? Crack it open and replace the drive!

photo credit: roadsidepictures

I have been working with CompassCSS/SASS for over a year now. I recently had the need to create an image sprite (or one image that contains many icons) from the silk icon sets for use in a large web interface. I created a SASS mixin to make working with the files very easy. If you use CSS and especially if you are using Compass CSS, SASS, or HAML check out my mixins.

• silk-sass-mixin
• mini-icon-sprite-sass-mixin
• SASS-mixins

ShowRSS rises in the in the wake of the sad demise of FeedMyTorrents (due in part to legal troubles). ShowRSS works much the same way as FeedMyTorrents. Where you are given the ability to create combined television show torrent RSS feeds or use any of the pre-existing feeds. These feeds are already pruned for duplicates and have the ability to filter Proper, Repacks, and HD torrents.

Overall showRSS works much better than FeedMyTorrents ever did. Creating a custom feed is simple, and the server response time is much improved! So load up your torrent client and give it a go.

Additional Resources

• ShowRSS
• TorrentFreak post on the demise of FeedMyTorrents

Additional Resources

• MakersShed MintyBoost 2.0
• Ladyada.net MintyBoost Instructions

The answer is simple. But of course there are different ways to do the same thing.

Using the find command

  find -name '*' -type d -exec chmod 0755 {} \;

  find . -type f -exec chmod 0644 {} \;

Using chmod with capital X

The capital X will cause directories and files that are executable (for user and group) to be set as executable. Other files will not be set as executable.

  chmod -R ug+rX .

Other uses of the find command

Modifying specific file types:

  find -name '*.pdf' -exec chmod 0755 {} \;

My common usage

I often setup new Wordpress installations. I like to get ownership and permission sorted out quickly. I'll use this as my example.

In your Wordpress root directory:

  chown your-username.www-data * -R
  find -name '*' -type d -exec chmod 2750 {} \;
  find . -type f -exec chmod 2640 {} \;

Now change so that the wp-content/{uploads,plugins,themes} directories are writable to the www-data group. This is so that the web server can upload photos and auto-update plugins/themes.

  cd wp-content
  mkdir uploads
  chown your-username.www-data uploads
  find -name '*' -type d -exec chmod 2770 {} \;
  find . -type f -exec chmod 2660 {} \;

Thursday, May 7^th

Get ready for another MinneDemo! MinneDemo is the Twin Cities’ premier technology demo and networking event. Come for the demos, stay for the beer and conversation. We will be back at Intermedia Arts, a cool art/performance space in Uptown’s Lyn-Lake neighborhood.

Date:	Thursday, May 7th
Time:	Demos start at 7pm
Location:	Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (map)

Free Beer & Soda

Since MinneDemo is not at a bar this time, we’re brining in kegs, and it’s all free. Be sure to tip your bartenders. If you need to go all night, there’s tons of bars in the area.

Demos

1. ShortJournal — an open source developer journal with a REST API (Zach Johnson)
2. Skimmer — a lifestreaming app created by Fallon and Sierra Bravo that brings together your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube streams (Chris Wiggins of Fallon and Chris Black of Sierra Bravo)
3. Zeplay — a kick-ass multi-channel HD instant replay video server for live sports events (John Reilly)
4. tinyEscrow — Source code escrow for programmers, not for lawyers. (Corey Thompson)
5. Extendr — one link to rule all links. (Joseph Rueter)
6. SightWare and SmartWatch — SightWare is an RFID inventory system that integrates with the SmartWatch web application to provide real-time inventory management (Harley Feldman)
7. Cloudquad — a web-based student information system designed to streamline the daily workflow of school administrators, faculty, parents, and students while connecting the school community through basic tools for social interaction. (Kevin Whinnery)
8. Pen Manufactory — design your own pen using an online CAD program, then have as many as you want custom manufactured using computer controlled milling equipment. (Joseph Hoover)
9. Adagogo — hyper-local mobile ad platform created by DoApp (Joe Sriver)
10. pitchR — control your presentations using your Android phone. (Vladimir Kelman)

Resources

• MinneDemo.org
• EventBrite RSVP

Production still from "Moon" (2009) via www.cinematical.com

I was able to catch “Moon” as well as a Q&A with the director the very interesting Duncan Jones at this year's Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Film Fest.

Duncan Jones is an interesting director. Being the son of David Bowie may be the first thing that comes up in conversation about Duncan (aka Zowie Bowie, aka Joey Bowie), but his work definitely stands alone. Through the Q&A he was smart, witty, and willing to discuss all.

This film was great, especially considering it was Duncan Jones' first feature film. The film's budget was around $5-million and filming took a period of about a month. The budget may seem like a lot for a independent film, but considering other independents with a $50-million budget it quickly is dwarfed. Duncan first took this to Sundance Film Festival in order to get a distributor. Which he gladly has found in Sony and is going to be released to theaters May 25th, 2009.

The Synopsis

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of his contract with Lunar. He's been a faithful employee for 3 long years. His home has been Selene, a moon base where he has spent his days alone, mining Helium 3. The precious gas holds the key to reversing the Earth's energy crisis. Isolated, determined and steadfast, Sam has followed the rulebook obediently and his time on the moon has been enlightening, but uneventful. The solitude has given him time to reflect on the mistakes of his past and work on his raging temper. He does his job mechanically, and spends most of his available time dreaming of his imminent return to Earth, to his wife, young daughter and an early retirement. But 2 weeks shy of his departure from Selene, Sam starts seeing things, hearing things and feeling strange. -- IMDB

The Technical Review

This film is an interesting homage to 70's and 80's sci-fi films past. And maintains that style in terms of set design, effects, and delightfully restrained screen writing. This is not some "Iron Man" special effects driven film. The most notable films referenced are “Alien” (Riley Scott, 1979) and “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) from which sets, characters, and effects are derived/distilled/borrowed. In terms of story telling I found it very close to "Alien" in its Film Noir, silent suspense which I love.

Duncan wrote this film with Sam Rockwell in mind. Gladly Sam decided to go along for the ride. His acting in this film was great. Being the only actor he WAS the entire film. He played a very psychologically intense character who finds himself going insane after nearing the end of his 3-year solo contract on the moon. [OR IS HE?]

In fact the “Alien” connection is even closer in that the set looks strikingly similar to the main spaceship set of “Alien” (the brightly lit white room of the dining room from the chest burster scene). Duncan didn’t stop with only taking from “Alien”, he also created a robot named Gerdy that plays the same role as Hal in “2001: A Space Odyssey”; for which I waited the whole film to only to find out the one difference in characters is that Gerdy does not try to kill the main character Sam. The tension between the similarities of Hal and Gerdy were played out in a peculiar way in that he was made to seem malevolent.

The cinematography was amazing. At times it felt much like the more static filming in “Alien” where the one camera would film the scene statically mixed with close-up and first-person point-of-view (in this case since Sam is mostly alone the first-person is him looking at his computer screen then the computer screen looking back at him). This mixes with modern filming techniques as computer tracking shots so the camera can follow the same track as many times as needed so that Sam can be filmed in multiples with the same actor.

From the Q&A I gained some unique insight. The film was made with a $5-million budget. He compared it to his advertising work where he had roughly 2/3 that budget for 30-second clip for a popular beer brand. I found this limitation impressive, as the quality of the film did not show any strains due to budget. The 70’s era effects and costumes were done really well in that they did not distract but instead certainly enhanced the overall film. Most of the effects were done on a 30x30-foot sound-stage with minimal digital work (mostly as digital set extension to make the set seem moon sized).

This is Duncan’s first feature movie. He is a very young directory, out of a small film school in London. I enjoyed this film. I view it as an impressive first feature for Duncan Jones. Though if it weren’t for Sam Rockwell’s excellent acting the film could have been an unwatchable disaster. I look forward to a hopefully new feature from Duncan. I will be watching this film again when it comes back to Minneapolis at The Lagoon Theater in the end of June.

Additional Resources

• BoingBoing.net Interview with Duncan
• Bloody-Disgusting.com "Moon" Production Stills
• Sony Film's "Moon" site

photo credit: irina slutsky

I had some interesting requirements for my Bittorrent needs. First I wanted to move everything to my linux mediaserver/fileserver. So I needed a way to work with bittorrent files without traditional access to the machine. eg. No screen or windowing system. This led me to TorrentFlux-b4rt, which is a php based web interface to Transmission client meant to be run on apache servers. Second I wanted to ability to download torrents automatically from RSS sources using scripting. This is where the original TorrentFlux had failed me and I went searching. The following is a gathering of scripts I have found and tested. Most scripts require that you have access to Cron scheduling and the python scripting language. And, of course, a bittorrent client that scans a directory looking for torrent files. I am using these scripts in conjunction with rTorrent (a commandline bittorrent client) as well as TorrentFlux-b4rt on various servers.

FlexGet

FlexGet is a program aimed to automate downloading content (torrents, podcasts, etc.) from various sources like RSS-feeds, html-pages, various sites and more. It's most often used to download torrent-files from RSS-feeds and works very well in that environment, but there are additional modules for other kind of situations as well. FlexGet is extremely useful in conjunction with applications and clients which have watch directory support. - http://flexget.com/

I've been using flexget over the last few weeks and it is my top pick for script to use.

rsstorrent

rsstorrent is a very simple RSS torrent downloading script. It does as advertised and is still being developed. Though it lacks the nice documentation of FlexGet.

tvrss member script

This is the script that I had been using for about a year to automate the torrent downloading. It scans the tvrss.net website using an easy to understand configuration file. It worked like a charm for me but I found a new charm with more sparkle.

TED - Torrent Episode Downloader

This is a different way to download torrent episodes. This is not a script. It is a fully functional cross-platform program dedicated RSS Torrents. It is way to heavy for my use. But interesting none the less.

ted can find episodes of any TV show you like to watch. Just add your favorite shows to ted and he will search for the newest episodes and downloads them for you. ted uses bittorrent and RSS technology to get you the newest episodes as fast as possible! http://www.ted.nu/

What is Torrentflux-b4rt?

My bill increased this month...

DenyHosts is a Python based security tool for SSH servers.

DenyHosts is a python script that is run on any Linux or BSD based system to help block SSH based attacks. It works to prevent both "dictionary based" and "brute force" attacks. Also provided is a system to synchronize block lists between other users of DenyHosts.

It works by scanning the SSHD log files (/var/log/auth.log or /var/log/secure) and discovering failed login attempts. Attacks are triggered by number of failed attempts or invalid username login attempts. After it discovers an attack it inserts the IP address into the /etc/hosts.deny file which will block that IP from connecting to your system in the future. Check out the features page for a full set of features. I started using DenyHosts after I noticed a surprising number of failed login attempts in my sshd logs. After I installed DenyHosts it discovered over 50 IPs that were attempting to gain access to my system and started blocking them. I quickly discovered the synchronization features and have not looked back. Now I maintain a blocklist near 9000 IPs long.

Base System

I am going to describe how to setup a basic server firewall with this base system as the example:

• Ubuntu Server 8.04 LTS (hardy)
• basic apt sources. (hardy main, hardy-updates main, hardy-security main)

Installation

  sudo apt-get install denyhosts

Configuration

Modify the configuration file /etc/denyhosts.conf to include these settings.

  SECURE_LOG = /var/log/auth.log
  HOSTS_DENY = /etc/hosts.deny
  PURGE_DENY = 			# When set to blank system will never purge block list.
  BLOCK_SERVICE  = sshd		# When set to SSHD the ssh server will be blocked,
  				# when set to ALL the IP will be blocked for all services.
  DENY_THRESHOLD_INVALID = 5
  DENY_THRESHOLD_VALID = 10
  DENY_THRESHOLD_ROOT = 5
  DENY_THRESHOLD_RESTRICTED = 5
  WORK_DIR = /var/lib/denyhosts
  SUSPICIOUS_LOGIN_REPORT_ALLOWED_HOSTS=YES
  HOSTNAME_LOOKUP=YES		# This will do a hostname lookup.  Set to NO for improved performance.
  LOCK_FILE = /var/run/denyhosts.pid

         ############ THESE SETTINGS ARE OPTIONAL ############
  ADMIN_EMAIL = 			# Leave Blank or use your email address for reports on blocked IPs.
  SMTP_HOST = localhost           # localhost if you are running your own email server or set to an external server
  SMTP_PORT = 25
  SMTP_FROM = DenyHosts
  SMTP_SUBJECT = DenyHosts Report
  SMTP_DATE_FORMAT = %a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z
  AGE_RESET_VALID=5d
  AGE_RESET_ROOT=25d
  AGE_RESET_RESTRICTED=25d
  AGE_RESET_INVALID=10d

     ######### THESE SETTINGS ARE SPECIFIC TO DAEMON MODE  ##########
  DAEMON_LOG = /var/log/denyhosts
  DAEMON_SLEEP = 30s
  DAEMON_PURGE = 1h

     #########   THESE SETTINGS ARE SPECIFIC TO     ##########
     #########       DAEMON SYNCHRONIZATION         ##########
  SYNC_SERVER = http://xmlrpc.denyhosts.net:9911
  SYNC_INTERVAL = 1h
  SYNC_UPLOAD = yes
  SYNC_DOWNLOAD = yes
  SYNC_DOWNLOAD_THRESHOLD = 3

Start the Service

  sudo /etc/init.d/denyhosts restart

Other Resources

• DenyHosts Homepage
• HowToForge Article on DenyHosts Configuration
• Fail2ban - Similar to DenyHosts except that it scans other logs such as Apache, Postfix, SSHD and creates its ban lists using iptables or netfilter's deny.hosts file.

I started using LaTeX for its ease of writing mathematical equations and expression. Anyone who has tried fooling with Microsoft Word's equation editor realizes that it is time consuming, looks terrible, and will agree that there must be an easier way. That way is LaTeX.

LaTeX is a typesetting tool that excels with many types of documents such as academic journals, books, and complex mathematical formulas. One thing that it is great with is keeping track of references and bibliographies.

One thing to understand is that LaTeX is not for everyone. It will be confusing and complex to most users. There are tools that make it easier, but at its base you will be writing in a type of markdown language that is part of the barrier to entry.

photo credit: basheertome

What is LaTeX?

LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents. LaTeX is available as free software. - http://www.latex-project.org/

LaTeX Features

• Typesetting journal articles, technical reports, books, and slide presentations.
• Control over large documents containing sectioning, cross-references, tables and figures.
• Typesetting of complex mathematical formulas.
• Advanced typesetting of mathematics with AMS-LaTeX.
• Automatic generation of bibliographies and indexes.
• Multi-lingual typesetting.
• Inclusion of artwork, and process or spot colour.
• Using PostScript or Metafont fonts.

-- LaTeX Project

What I Use

I work with LaTeX on both Mac OSX and Linux systems. Most Linux distributions make it simple to install LaTeX either being included or simply from package managers. Mac OSX is a bit different.

To make my life easier I use the MacTeX LaTeX Distribution with Macromates TextMate OSX text editor. By installing the MacTeX distribution you will be given all the command line tools, fonts, and converters you will need. TextMate will give you syntax highlighting and access to other tools that will make you life easier. But all you really need is a text editor and the command line.

Good luck with your journey into the LaTeX world.

LaTeX Resources

Here is a list of resources so both you and I can remember them in the future! :) Enjoy!

• LaTeX Project
• MacTeX OSX LaTeX Distribution
• A Quick & Dirty Guide to LaTeX
• LaTeX Math Symbols
• LaTeX Reference
• Including Graphics in a LaTeX Document

IPKungFu is an iptables-based Linux firewall. It aims to simplify the configuration of Internet connection sharing, port forwarding, and packet filtering. -- http://freshmeat.net/projects/ipkungfu/

IPKungFu better described as being a smart script that eases creation complex firewall rules. Creating a gateway firewall, internet sharing, or simply setting up a basic firewall are all simple tasks. By default it includes advanced logging, syn-flood protection, and port scanning protection.

photo credit: masochismtango

I am going to describe how to setup a basic server firewall with this base system as the example:

• Ubuntu Server 8.04 LTS (hardy)
• basic apt sources. (hardy main, hardy-updates main, hardy-security main)

Install

  user@server# sudo apt-get install ipkungfu

Configure

open '/etc/ipkungfu/ipkungfu.conf' and change these settings:

  GATEWAY=0
  BLOCK_PINGS=1  #keep the ICMP port open for Nagios!!
  SUSPECT="DROP"	#'DROP' is the same as Stealth on consumer routers
  KNOWN_BAD="DROP"
  PORT_SCAN="DROP"
  GET_IP="AUTO"
  DISALLOW_PRIVATE=1  #for servers to reject private IPs as spoofs
  FAILSAFE=1

open '/etc/ipkungfu/services.conf' and add 'ACCEPT' to the services you want:

  # The defaults.  I set SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS services to 'ACCEPT'
  ftp-data:20:tcp
  ftp:21:tcp
  ssh:22:tcp:ACCEPT
  telnet:23:tcp
  smtp:25:tcp
  domain:53:tcp
  bootps:63:tcp
  http:80:tcp:ACCEPT
  pop3:110:tcp
  auth:113:tcp
  ntp:123:tcp
  imap:143:tcp
  https:443:tcp:ACCEPT
  imaps:993:tcp
  pop3s:995:tcp
  socks:1080:tcp

  # Custom Services
  # form: ServiceName:ServicePort:Protocol[:ACCEPT|DROP|REJECT|or any valid target)]
  splunk:8000:tcp:ACCEPT

You can add custom IPTABLES rules to the '/etc/ipkungfu/custom.conf'. For example:

  ### Custom MAC address to be Accepted for full access to machine.
  $IPTABLES -A INPUT -m mac --mac-source xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx -j ACCEPT

Test Configuration

user@server# sudo ipkungfu --test

Should display something similar:

  Checking integrity: ..	PASSED
  Checking configuration...
   TTL support detected!
   MARK support detected!
  Clearing old chains and tables...
  Implementing custom rules...
  Handling Services On The Following Ports...
  -------------------------------
   Port  Protocol  Name   Target
  -------------------------------
   22    tcp       ssh    ACCEPT
   80    tcp       http   ACCEPT
   443   tcp       https  ACCEPT
  -------------------------------
  Creating proc settings cache:	OK
  Creating iptables rules cache:	OK

Enable On Reboot

Edit '/etc/default/ipkungfu':

  IPKFSTART=1

Start the Service

  user@server# sudo ipkungfu

Other Resources

• http://www.linuxkungfu.org/ -- Authors Site
• http://freshmeat.net/projects/ipkungfu/ -- Freshmeat Tracker
• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/firewall/ipkungfu -- Ubuntu Community Documentation

photo credit: seanosh

zarzax blog engine moved to Wordpress:

Over the last few weeks I decided to move from Drupal to Wordpress. I've always liked Wordpress and is near impossible to beat as an Open Source blogging platform.

Some plugins of interest::

MobilePress

MobilePress is a WordPress plugin that will render your WordPress blog on mobile handsets, with the ability to use customized themes. The plugin also allows specific themes for specific devices / mobile browsers, such as iPhone, Opera Mini, Windows CE Mobile and other generic handset browsers. - http://mobilepress.co.za

Google XML Sitemaps

Creating custom xml sitemaps by hand is a pain. This plugin will create them dynamically and create a static xml page as well as a zipped version for lower bandwidth.

Twitter Tools

Twitter Tools integrates with Twitter by giving you the following functionality:

• Archive your Twitter tweets (downloaded every 10 minutes)
• Create a blog post from each of your tweets
• Create a daily or weekly digest post of your tweets
• Create a tweet on Twitter whenever you post in your blog, with a link to the blog post
• Post a tweet from your sidebar
• Post a tweet from the WP Admin screens
• Pass your tweets along to another service (via API hook)

- http://alexking.org/projects/wordpress

More of my favorite plugins:

• Google Analyticator - an easy way to deal with the google analytics javascript code
• Google XML Sitemaps - generate xml sitemaps with minimal effort
• LifeStream - share you life with the internet. Track all you social network activity in one place.
• MobilePress - Beautiful themes automagically applied to mobile browsers.
• Photo Dropper - Finds creative commons flickr photos to use in your posts.
• Twitter Tools - Integrates your wordpress install with twitter
• Wordpress Gravatars
• WP-Syntax - Syntax highlighting for source code snippets