小棗對這個功能仍未有頭緒, 似乎是 Kies Air 在功能上的伸延, 但會否好像 iCloud 那種雲端服務就不得而知了. 不過, 可以理解到這種做法會針對無線存取時表現設計.

另外, 電腦端的操控介面亦有不同. 當開啟電腦端的操控介面, 都會詢問會否將 Kies Air [...]]]> Samsung 的 android 手機 / tablet 內置了 Kies Air, 令手機用家可無線傳輸資料, 無需將手機連接電腦或取出記憶卡. 理論上, 這個 app 只會在 Samsung Apps 軟件市場內出現, 小棗卻在 android market 內發現 Kies Air 的蹤影, 而且版本編號比 Samsung Apps 還新. 新版增加了搜尋 Kies Air 裝置方法, 將整部手機搖晃兩下便會自動搜尋 Kids Air 伺服器.

小棗對這個功能仍未有頭緒, 似乎是 Kies Air 在功能上的伸延, 但會否好像 iCloud 那種雲端服務就不得而知了. 不過, 可以理解到這種做法會針對無線存取時表現設計.

另外, 電腦端的操控介面亦有不同. 當開啟電腦端的操控介面, 都會詢問會否將 Kies Air 啟動圖示放入桌面.

除此之外, 新介面新增了行事曆及變更介面語言功能.

有網友反映新介面有未能反回主介面既情況. 其實在介面的右上方有個返回制, 只要按一下就可以返回主介面了.

與蘋果 iCloud 比較, iDrive 在支援平台數量上當然佔盡優勢, 卻因 dropbox 支援平台較廣泛 (支援 linux 及 blackberry) 而受用家喜愛. 但並不代表 iDrive 亳無用處, 相反小棗卻喜歡它的 “另類” 優點.

免費提供 5GB 儲存空間

首先, 它提供與 iCloud 相同容量既 5GB 儲存空間. 這個容量已較 dropbox 多一倍半了. 更大空間換來更大既使用彈性. 當然挑剔的是儲存空間仍有限制, 但天下間那有完全免費既午餐呢? 而且這份 “午餐” 還提供另外一個選擇, [...]]]> 自從蘋果教主 Steve Jobs 宣布將會推出含有網上備份服務 iCloud 後, 其他提供類似服務既公司為了鞏固自己既市場地位紛紛開始推廣旗下服務. 例如今次介紹既 iDrive. 這個容易被混淆既名稱, 是屬於 Pro Softnet Corporation 公司既產品. 它與最出名既 dropbox 一樣提供跨平台網上備份功能.

與蘋果 iCloud 比較, iDrive 在支援平台數量上當然佔盡優勢, 卻因 dropbox 支援平台較廣泛 (支援 linux 及 blackberry) 而受用家喜愛. 但並不代表 iDrive 亳無用處, 相反小棗卻喜歡它的 “另類” 優點.

免費提供 5GB 儲存空間

首先, 它提供與 iCloud 相同容量既 5GB 儲存空間. 這個容量已較 dropbox 多一倍半了. 更大空間換來更大既使用彈性. 當然挑剔的是儲存空間仍有限制, 但天下間那有完全免費既午餐呢? 而且這份 “午餐” 還提供另外一個選擇, 在 30 天內可享有無限儲存空間. 對於一時急於需要大量儲存空間的人仕提供了方便, 可是最終都有使用上既限制. 小棗認為儲存空間有容量限制未必是壞處, 始終互聯網傳輸有速度上既限制, 越大量檔案傳輸需時晚越長.

另類平台支援

小棗提過 dropbox 提供最廣泛既平台支援, 除了主流既電腦及流動平台, dropbox 還支援 Linux 及 Blackberry 系統, 差不多支援了整個電腦及高階流動平台. iDrive 雖然未及支持那些非主流平台, 但它卻支援 wordpress 資料備份功能. 它聲稱備份的不只是 blog 文而是整個後台資料庫. 但因小棗未及試用, 未知是怎樣運作. 可能是要用戶自行 export database 資料再傳至 iDrive, 或者直接將 wordpress 整個後台資料庫轉至 iDrive. 這方面等小棗試用後再向大家報告一下.

總結

作為 dropbox 以外既選擇 iDrive 的確屬首選. 不過, 這類網上備份服務有幾樣需要注意既地方. 最重要當然是方便性, 有否上載容易下載難既情況, 可透過其他人既意見或者直接試用. 另外要注意這些公司存放伺服器的地方, 因為香港連接每個國家既頻寬不同, 上傳或下載所需時間要視乎頻寬而定. 此外, 要留意資料有沒有分享功能以免個人資料被公開. 當然享用免費服務時要知道在甚麼情況下服務會被收費, 例如超過某個容量或過了某個限期後會變為收費模式, 無謂引起不必要既開支.

差不多個多月前, Google 推出了一個優化網頁速度的小工具, 它可針對網頁內容提出改善既建議, 如將圖片縮小. 當然還有其他建議, 不過現時網站已很少犯上 “找不到網頁” 或 “斷鏈” 這些低層次錯誤了. 因此在技術上可以優化的便是網頁載入的速度. 其實這個概念並不是第一次提出的, 以前只會針對 html coding, 但現在這個小工具注意的卻是更多細微既地方, 如網頁圖片,外部 javascript 檔案及 file caching, 還有一些前瞻性的建議.

小棗估計這個工具與最近 Google 改變搜尋運算法有關, 不過就算無關都無損網站運作.

各位有興趣既話可以到下列網址試用一下.

http://pagespeed.googlelabs.com/

作為一般家用伺服器, Slitaz 提供了與其他 distro 無異既軟件, php, apache, mysql, samba 等. 但它只需要 1GB 空間與最少 64mb RAM 甚至更少, 曾經網上討論過差不多 16mb RAM 仍可運作. 當 1GB RAM 已是標準配置既時代, 要運行暢順當然無問題. 其實作為伺服器, 主要就是為其他機器或人提供服務，對 RAM 及硬碟要求低正可將多出既資源回饋給所運行既服務提高負載率。

講返正題，因為 Slitaz 本身既 snort 並不支援 mysql，所以需要自行下載安裝程式。

先下載所需程式: (可在 Google 尋找) Snort 主程式及 Snort rules – http://www.snort.org jpgraph Adodb [...]]]> 有留意本欄既讀者都知道, Slitaz 是筆者喜愛既 distro 之一, 原因好簡單 — 硬件要求低.

作為一般家用伺服器, Slitaz 提供了與其他 distro 無異既軟件, php, apache, mysql, samba 等. 但它只需要 1GB 空間與最少 64mb RAM 甚至更少, 曾經網上討論過差不多 16mb RAM 仍可運作. 當 1GB RAM 已是標準配置既時代, 要運行暢順當然無問題. 其實作為伺服器, 主要就是為其他機器或人提供服務，對 RAM 及硬碟要求低正可將多出既資源回饋給所運行既服務提高負載率。

講返正題，因為 Slitaz 本身既 snort 並不支援 mysql，所以需要自行下載安裝程式。

先下載所需程式: (可在 Google 尋找)
Snort 主程式及 Snort rules – http://www.snort.org
jpgraph
Adodb
Base
Barnyard2 (可選擇安裝與否)

1. 先安裝 Slitaz, 步驟太簡單不重複了
2. 使用 tazpkg get-install 安裝下列套件
   - apache2
   - php, php-cli, php-apache, php-mysql, mysql
   - mysql-dev, libpcap, nmap, php-gd, php-pear, slitaz-toolschain
3. 解壓 jpgraph 並將檔案抄至 /var/www/jpgraph
   - tar -zxvf jpgraph.tar.gz
   - copy jpgraph/src /var/www/jpgraph
4. 解壓 barnyard2 並進行安裝
   - tar -xzvf barnyard2.tar.gz
   - cd barnyard2
   - ./configure withmysql
   - make
   - make install
   - cp etc/barnyard2.conf /usr/local/snort/etc
   - mkdir /var/log/barnyard2
   - 編輯 /usr/local/snort/etc/barnyard2.conf, 修改下列設定:
   config reference_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/reference.config
   config classification_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/classification.config
   config gen_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/genmsg.map
   config sid_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/sidmsg.map
   config hostname: localhost
   config interface: eth1
   output database: log, mysql, user=SNORT_USER password=SNORT_PASSWORD dbname=snort \ host=localhost
5. 解壓 snort 檔案, 並進行手動安裝, 最後將完成編譯後的 etc 及 rules 兩個目綠抄至 /opt
   - tar -zxvf snort.tar.gz
   - ./configurate -with-mysql –prefix=/opt
   - make
   - make install
   - copy etc rules folders into /opt
6. 建立獨立帳戶執行 snort
   - addgroup snort
   - adduse snort
7. 使用 mysql 建立資料庫儲存資料, 並將資料庫建立使用者權限
8. 修改 snort 設定檔
   - vi /opt/snort/etc/snort.conf
9. 將 snort rules 抄至 /opt
10. 測試 snort 設定
11. 解壓 adodb 檔案, 抄至網頁目綠內
12. 解壓 base 檔案, 抄至網頁目綠內

Please click the following link for English version
Compiling snort in Slitaz

With less than 1GB after installed in hard drive, it provides common server packages, including apache, php, mysql, samba, sure it contains [...]]]> I always like to use Slitaz running server, because of the benefit from it’s tiny size and low hardware requirement. More resources can be reserved for server service in compare with other distro.

With less than 1GB after installed in hard drive, it provides common server packages, including apache, php, mysql, samba, sure it contains a X windows. However, I need admit that it still missing some advanced features comparing with great distros like Ubuntu, Debian and Red Hat. One of the feature is IDS.

Although official package already provided snort, it just supports log file output instead of supporting database. To enjoy such advanced feature, we need download the tarball and install by ourselves. This article is to demonstrate the installation step-by-step. Please sit back and enjoy.

Pre-requirement: (Please prepare the following programs source)

• Snort
• jpgraph
• adodb
• Base
• Barnyard2 (Optional), by referring David Gullett’s setup guide, this tiny program can improve the efficiency of Snort

Step-by-step:

1. Install Slitaz, very simple
2. Install official packages by using tazpkg get-install
   - apache2
   - php, php-cli, php-apache, php-mysql, mysql
   - mysql-dev, libpcap, nmap, php-gd, php-pear, slitaz-toolschain
3. Untar jpgraph
   - tar -zxvf jpgraph.tar.gz
   - copy jpgraph/src /var/www/jpgraph
4. Untar barnyard2
   - tar -xzvf barnyard2.tar.gz
   - cd barnyard2
   - ./configure withmysql
   - make
   - make install
   - cp etc/barnyard2.conf /usr/local/snort/etc
   - mkdir /var/log/barnyard2
   - edit /usr/local/snort/etc/barnyard2.conf
   - change the following settings: 

   config reference_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/reference.config
   config classification_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/classification.config
   config gen_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/genmsg.map
   config sid_file: /usr/local/snort/etc/sidmsg.map
   config hostname: localhost
   config interface: eth1
   output database: log, mysql, user=SNORT_USER password=SNORT_PASSWORD dbname=snort \
   host=localhost

5. Untar snort tarball
   - tar -zxvf snort.tar.gz
   - ./configurate -with-mysql –prefix=/opt
   - make
   - make install
   - copy etc rules folders into /opt
6. Create user account for running snort
   - addgroup snort
   - adduse snort
7. Create mysql database
   - grant access right to snort account
8. Edit snort config file
   - vi /opt/snort/etc/snort.conf
9. Copy snort rules to /opt
10. Test snort config
11. Install adodb
    - untar downloaded file
    - copy file in web directory
12. Install base
    - untar downloaded file
    - copy file to web directory

中文版可到這裡 (Please click the following link for chinese version)
Slitaz 自己手動安裝 snort

ERROR: Failed to find LibVersion() function in … snort_dynamicrules/lib_sfdynamic_example_rule.so

原來解決方法很簡單, 只要將 snort_dynamicrules 目錄內包含 “example” 字眼既檔案移除就可解決.

To solve the above error, just remove all files named “example” in snort_dynamicrules.

PCWorld’s editors never stop scouring the Internet for the best and most [...]]]> You know all about Google’s smorgasbord of Web tools, but have you tried Measy, Topicfire, or Yammer? While a few big names seem to dominate the Internet, the Web continues to flourish with a never-ending stream of incredibly useful new sites and services.

PCWorld’s editors never stop scouring the Internet for the best and most creative new ideas we can find. Here are 52 phenomenally cool Web services that you may not have heard of, but definitely need to try.
For a more detailed look at our choices for the most useful sites on the Web, see the stories listed below.

• 16 Productivity-Enhancing Websites
• 13 Terrific Sites for Managing Media and Sharing Files
• 13 Top-Notch Web Services for Business and Communication
• 10 Great Shopping, Dining, and Travel Websites

Business

• GenBook: Allows clients to schedule appointments with your company
• Huddle: Helps your workgroup manage projects, and offers online storage
• JobSpice: Generates attractive online résumés
• Phonebooth: Provides phone services
• Stacks: Organizes tasks by person and project
• TextFlow: Simplifies document collaboration
• Yammer: Gives workgroups a private microblog
• Zoho: Offers a large variety of cloud-based apps

Communication

• FaxZero: Sends no-cost, ad-supported faxes
• Foursquare: Broadcasts the locations where you and your pals “check in”
• Meebo: Connects to multiple IM services
• Sobees: Coordinates various social networks
• Tatango: Distributes texts to small groups

Dining

• Nutrition Data: Details the content of food at restaurants and in recipes
• OpenTable: Makes reservations at restaurants

File Sharing and Storage

• Dropbox: Gives 2GB of storage and syncs files
• Drop.io: Creates anonymous drop boxes
• Humyo: Provides 10GB of free storage
• Livecage: Allows live audio and video streaming
• Live Mesh: Syncs files and gives remote access
• Qik: Streams video from your smartphone

Media

• Animoto: Assembles stunning slideshows
• Citrify: Supplies quick photo-editing tools
• CutMP3: Trims any song to ringtone length
• Eventful: Lists happenings in your area
• Grooveshark: Provides diverse music and social features in a slick interface
• Librophile.com: Offers downloadable audiobooks
• Pixorial: Presents easy-to-use video-editing tools

Productivity

• Bubbl.us: Offers simple mind-mapping tools
• Evernote: Captures ideas, notes, or audio
• LogMeIn: Gives you remote access to your PCs
• Mint: Syncs with your financial accounts to help you monitor your budget
• Passpack: Manages all of your online passwords
• PearBudget: Tracks your income and spending
• Proxify: Gives you anonymous access to regionally blocked content
• Smart.fm: Provides free online courses
• Speedtest.net: Assesses your Internet connection’s download and upload speeds
• Springpad: Supplies templates for organizing your personal data
• Stickybits: Links digital data to physical objects
• Teux Deux: Groups your weekly tasks by date
• Topicfire: Aggregates news in topics you choose
• TwitPay: Lets you raise funds via Twitter
• Wakerupper: Makes calls to rouse or remind you
• Zip Code Lookup: Shows the right code for mail

Shopping

• Droolr: Lists the hottest gadgets
• Filler Item Finder: Digs up useful but cheap items on Amazon for meeting the free-shipping amount
• Measy: Gives quizzes to narrow down choices
• RetailMeNot: Provides store coupon codes
• TheFind: Ferrets out obscure products

Travel

• GasBuddy.com: Reports current local fuel prices
• SeatExpert: Shows the best seats on any flight
• Sit or Squat: Indicates the closest clean restroom

To help you make a good first impression and to cement your reputation as a seasoned troubleshooting guru, I offer the following list of my top 10 must-have Windows utilities for PC support professionals. Some you probably already know. Others you may have heard of only in passing. But all deserve your [...]]]> 近日睇到一篇工具軟件推介, 當中所講的全是解決電腦問題既有用軟件, 唔知當中你用過幾多個呢?

To help you make a good first impression and to cement your reputation as a seasoned troubleshooting guru, I offer the following list of my top 10 must-have Windows utilities for PC support professionals. Some you probably already know. Others you may have heard of only in passing. But all deserve your consideration for a place in your PC support and diagnostics toolkit.

1. Sysinternals Suite

When Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell embarked on their quest to fill what they perceived to be glaring holes in Windows’ management and diagnostic capabilities, they couldn’t possibly have known the impact their suite of tools and utilities would have on the greater Windows IT community. Yet here we are, a short decade later, and it’s hard to imagine a world without Process Monitor, Autoruns, RootkitRevealer, and the rest of the Sysinternals Suite.

A lot has changed since those early days. Russinovich was eventually courted by Microsoft and now serves as a technical fellow overseeing the evolution of the Windows architecture (much to the benefit of users everywhere). Meanwhile, the Sysinternals Suite has been transformed from unofficial — yet highly prized and admired — collection of backdoor hacks into a must-have ensemble of fully sanctioned tools offered under the Microsoft TechNet banner.

There’s not much else to say about Sysinternals except that, like all of the tools I’ve highlighted here, it’s absolutely free. And no Windows professional should be without it. For shame!

2. HWiNFO32

What kind of CPU is in the PC you’re using? Does it support hardware virtualization so that it can run Virtual Windows XP Mode under Windows 7? How old is the BIOS? Are all of its core hardware components running within normal voltage parameters? Are any components overheating or otherwise misbehaving?

If you can’t answer these questions off the top of your head, you need a copy of HWiNFO32. A free, comprehensive hardware diagnostics and inventory tool, HWiNFO32 can tell you everything you need to know about the PC you’re trying to support. CPU and chip set type/revision/stepping levels; runtime capabilities (VT, SSE, etc.); disk drive S.M.A.R.T. support/health; and myriad other details — all are revealed when you run HWiNFO32.

To be sure, there are other hardware identification utilities. CPU-z, Everest, and SiSoftware Sandra all come to mind. However, none of them can match HWiNFO32′s breadth of reporting and rock-bottom pricing (it’s freeware). Next time you’re in the field and need to know what’s inside that flaky PC, don’t just guess at the specs. Run HWINFO32 and know exactly what you’re dealing with before you ever crack that case.

3. Crap Cleaner

Windows is an untidy beast. From orphaned registry entries to long-abandoned temporary files and folders, the process of running Windows makes a mess out of your PC’s file system and software configuration parameters. In fact, Windows’ tendency toward sloth has spawned an entire industry of tools designed specifically for cleaning up the detritus of daily life in a Microsoft world. And by far the best of the best is the appropriately named Crap Cleaner, aka CCleaner.

A combination registry and file system cleanup tool, Crap Cleaner makes quick work of those insidious configuration inconsistencies and accumulated temporary files and folders that can bog down system performance. It includes a variety of program-specific cleaning functions for common applications and directly supports cache maintenance functions for all major Web browsers. And for the truly paranoid among us, Crap Cleaner even offers a secure erase function to ensure that those deleted temporary files are gone for good.

Another must-have freebie, Crap Cleaner can breathe new life into what may have seemed like a terminally ill Windows patient. Before you reach for the Windows installation media to conduct a clean install, give Crap Cleaner a try.

4. Recuva

It’s the support call we all dread most. That guy in accounting, the one who always misplaces his data files, has accidentally deleted another critical workbook. Now he’s on the phone, screaming for help and expecting you to save the day.

Fortunately, there’s a red cape and tights lurking in your toolkit. With Recuva, you can recover deleted files from almost any Windows-compatible storage media, including removable disks and thumb drives. It works by scanning the disk for orphaned file data and giving you the option of recovering what it finds.

Recuva can operate in “quick” mode, where it checks for deleted files in the higher-level disk structures, or in deep “scan” mode where it searches your media block by block. If you later decide that the file in question was really better off dead, Recuva can perform a secure delete operation to make sure that nobody else can recover the data anytime soon.

You’ll want to keep a copy of Recuva handy for the inevitable panicked phone call from your accidental deleter. As with the other tools here, Recuva is completely free. There’s even a portable version that you can run off of a thumb drive, so there’s really no excuse to be caught unprepared when the inevitable occurs.

5. FileZilla

Spend any time supporting Windows PCs and you’ll find yourself becoming an expert at FTP. That’s because the File Transfer Protocol is the de facto way of distributing device driver updates and patches to Windows customers. And depending on the prevalence of specific makes and models, you’ll likely begin to learn the directory structure of your primary vendor’s FTP site like the back of your hand.

Fortunately, Windows users have access to one of the more powerful FTP clients available: FileZilla. Now in its third major generation, this capable if somewhat homely application makes transferring large quantities of files a snap. A capable queue management system helps keep the uploads and downloads humming along while a nearly endless selection of configuration options and protocol tweaks ensures that, whatever the situation, FileZilla will come through every time.

6. Virtual CloneDrive

Microsoft loves the ISO image format. From trialware versions of its OS products to its latest Patch Tuesday security fix collections, Microsoft distributes more software in the ISO format than any other vendor. So it comes as somewhat of a shock to learn that, as of Windows 7, the company still hasn’t integrated a basic ISO image mounting/drive-emulation capability into its core OS. Basically, if you want to use an ISO under Windows, you need to first burn it to a physical CD or DVD.

Fortunately, a variety of free third-party solutions fill this void. My personal favorite is Virtual CloneDrive, from Elaborate Bytes. Simple to use and highly compatible with all versions of Windows, VCD makes it easy to mount and access an ISO image. Just right-click the VCD tray icon, select Mount from the context menu, and point the ensuing file open dialog to the desired ISO file. The image then appears as a virtual CD-ROM drive in Explorer, allowing you to access its contents like a real disk.

Note: I used to be a Daemon Tools fan. However, recent versions have proven unstable under Windows 7 (I’ve traced several Blue Screens of Death to Daemon Tools’ kernel mode components), and the developer’s lackadaisical attitude toward supporting new Windows versions has turned me off from this once class-leading utility.

If you regularly need to mount and access ISO images, make sure you take along a copy of Virtual CloneDrive. It’s easy to use, installs in seconds (no reboot required), and provides the capability that Windows should be providing but doesn’t.

7. Defraggler

It’s a trend that many IT pros find disturbing: With each new release of Windows, the amount of control over and feedback from the built-in disk defragmentation utility has decreased to the point that now, with Windows 7, the process is almost entirely opaque. And while third-party defraggers have been available for Windows since the early NT days (Diskeeper qualifies as a national historical monument), they can be both costly and complex.

Enter Defraggler. Another freebie from the folks who brought you Crap Cleaner and Recuva, Defraggler is a Windows disk defragmentation utility that provides tremendous control over the entire defragmentation process. With Defraggler, you can defragment individual files, folders, or an entire disk. Need to speed up access to that massive database file? Defraggle it. Want to improve performance for newly created files? Defraggle your disk’s free space.

With Defraggler, you can even specify where specific files get stored on the disk, moving larger files that are accessed infrequently to the “end” of the disk media and smaller, frequently accessed files to the “front.” A scheduled, background execution option and portable version (so you can take it with you when you’re in the field) round out a surprisingly rich feature set for a free tool.

8. ImgBurn

Mounting ISO images is a great time saver. You get to save money on physical discs, and you don’t have to wait while they’re being prepared in your CD/DVD-write. But sometimes you just need to burn a physical CD/DVD — for example, when installing a new version of Windows or distributing a custom disc image. And while there are myriad commercial solutions to allow you to author your own media masterpiece, most are overkill when it comes to basic disc burning tasks.

Thankfully, there’s ImgBurn. The gold standard for freeware image burning tools, ImgBurn lets you transfer virtually any kind of ISO image to virtually any kind of writeable optical media. ImgBurn’s simple, straightforward interface makes quick work of most common burning tasks, while its more advanced modes let you handcraft your own disc image, including defining the disk format, directory structure, and numerous other custom parameters.

There are other free utilities out there for burning discs (Alcohol 52% comes to mind). But none of them provide the level of flexibility or control over the burning process that ImgBurn does. Definitely a must-have addition to your IT support toolkit.

9. 7-Zip

Zip archives are a fact of life. Whether you’re downloading an installation program from the Web or merely passing that bulky PowerPoint deck to your colleague in marketing, compressing files saves you time, space, and network bandwidth. Though Windows has included basic zip file support for years, its capabilities have proven anemic at best.

7-Zip is an open source archiving utility that improves upon Windows’ basic capabilities, adding support for additional formats — including its own, high-ratio compression algorithm — while remaining lean, mean, and true to its original purpose.

Unlike more elaborate utilities, like the shareware WinRAR archiver, 7-Zip doesn’t pretend to be all things to all people. You won’t find ISO extraction or other esoteric functionality in 7-Zip — just a basic archiving functionality that is secure, reliable, and fast. If you’re looking for a beefier alternative to Windows’ built-in zip capability, but don’t want the hassle of dealing with the overly complex, “nagware” behavior of the well-known commercial offerings, check out 7-Zip.

10. VirtualBox

Troubleshooting a complex OS like Windows can be a challenge. Sometimes the only way to effectively diagnose a problem is to reproduce the entire runtime environment. And the only real way to do that, short of building a new physical PC, is through virtualization.

In the IT support and help desk space, VMware Workstation has long ruled supreme. However, the combination of high per-seat costs and an increasingly complex feature set is causing many IT pros to gravitate to the simpler, yet deceptively powerful VirtualBox from Sun Microsystems. Even better, an open source version of VirtualBox is available free under the GPL; compared to the commercial version, it’s lacking only USB support and an RDP server that lets you connect to guests remotely.

Though not as full-featured as VMware Workstation — for example, there’s no equivalent to Workstation’s Easy Install feature for Windows guests — VirtualBox installs quickly, requires very little study, and includes all the essentials. It supports Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X hosts and guests (including 64-bit editions), Intel VT and AMD-V hardware virtualization extensions, OpenGL and DirectX 3D graphics acceleration, VMware and Microsoft virtual hard disk formats, and of course, stateful VM snapshots.

So while VirtualBox may seem less sophisticated than VMware Workstation on the surface, the truth is that VirtualBox 3.8 delivers tremendous virtualization power. And like all of the other utilities here, it’s available absolutely free.

參考文章: URL [...]]]> 在基本篇介紹了怎樣安裝及增加基本設定, 在這一篇則介紹如果進一步使用 regular expression 去增加一些進階既設定. 因為 privoxy 本身依賴 regular expressions, 所以要參考 squidguard 方法, 到 URL Blacklist.com 下載分類網址, 其實主要使用其中幾個分類內的 expressions 檔 — ads, malware, 及 porn. 可因應需要更改, 注意以下設定與 URL Blacklist.com 所提供的有少少分別.

1. 在 default.action 中將 Generic block patterns by path 段落 comment 為失效, 只保留 phpads(new)
2. 加入下列各行:
   /(ads/|ad/|banner/|sponsor/|event.ng/|Advertisement/|advertisement/|adverts/)
   /(cgi-bin/nph-adclick\.exe|ads/media/images/|smartbanner/|\.com/ads/banners/|apfbanners/|Realmedia/ads/|realmedia/ads/|event\.ng/)
   /(pics/banner/|viewcgi?pool=|clicktrack|hittrack|images\.go2net\.com/go2net/ads/|\.com/banners/|\.com/httpads/|\.com/advertising/|ads/adview\.php\?)
   /^(ads\.|ad\.|adserver\.|k5ads\.)
   /[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/search\?q=[0-9]
   /(adultos|adultsight|adultsite|adultsonly|adultweb|blow-job|bondage|centerfold|cumshot|cyberlust|cybercore|hardcore|incest|masturbat|obscene|pedophil|pedofil|playmate|pornstar|sexdream|showgirl|softcore|striptease|penis|vagina)
3. 重新啟動 privoxy 令新設定生效

參考文章:
URL Blacklist.com