automaticable

I’ve started another pet project for the summer, and I believe it’s ready for a stable release.  The program is called Pwdhash Sharp, and it’s a C#, Gtk-based desktop implementation of the PwdHash password-generator, written for Ubuntu.   We’ve written about PwdHash before, but if you’re not familiar:

PwdHash automatically replaces the contents of [site address and password] fields with a one-way hash of the pair (password, domain-name). As a result, the site only sees a domain-specific hash of the password, as opposed to the password itself. A break-in at a low security site exposes password hashes rather than an actual password. We emphasize that the hash function we use is public and can be computed on any machine which enables users to login to their web accounts from any machine in the world. Hashing is done using a Pseudo Random Function (PRF).

Now with Pwdhash Sharp, you get the same functionality integrated into your desktop.  When I first started writing this application, the PwdHash Firefox extention wasn’t compatible with Firefox 3 (although they’ve updated the addon since then), so that was another reason I needed an alternative.  Pwdhash Sharp is also convenient for non-browser applications which require a password– now you can easily use strong passwords for them as well.

Pwdhash Sharp 0.8.4 is the fourth version released, and is now relatively stable.  Some of the features include:

• Passwords exactly match those generated by PwdHash, so they are interchangable.
• Native GTK window and icons.
• Create and retrieve passwords for web- or desktop-based applications.
• Minimize to tray for convenient access when you need it.

There are two ways to download Pwdhash Sharp 0.8.4.  You can either download the .deb for your platform from the release page, or you can get uploads via my personal PPA.  The benefits of the PPA is that you will receive automatic updates of pwdhash-sharp as they occur, just like all other programs in Ubuntu.  To add it:

• In the panel, select System > Administration > Software Sources
• Select the “Third-Party Software” tab, and “Add…” to add a new entry.  In the popup, enter the line:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/swegner/ubuntu hardy main

• Close the software sources manager, and allow the repository cache to reload.  Now, you can install pwdhash-sharp from your favorite package manager.  On the command line:

sudo aptitude install pwdhash-sharp

Once installed, you can launch it from the “Accessories” submenu.  Use it just like the form on the pwdhash.com website.

I’m pretty happy with the project so far, but it’s by no means complete.  It’s been a learning experience in packaging for Ubuntu, as well as developing using Mono and GtkSharp.  There’s still a few bugs to work out, and some features that I’d like to add.  Namely:

• For some reason, Pwdhash Sharp can’t be launched from within Gnome Do.  Anybody have this issue?
• I’d like to add some preferences to automatically copy generated passwords to the clipboard.  Also, it might be useful to automatically minimize, and “forget” the previous site password, for security reasons.
• Also, “man” pages aren’t generated correctly, but this seems to be a packaging issue.
• It would also be nice to port to Windows, and should be relatively easy since it’s in C#.  I could either do a Gtk port, or use a native Windows interface.  Anybody interested in helping?

So, give Pwdhash Sharp a try, and let me know what you think.  I’m open to suggestions and feature requests.

PS: The PwdHash algorithm generates only pseudo-random passwords, which could be decrypted, given at least half of the key.  Can anybody figure out the password in the screenshot?

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Have you ever wanted to set up a subversion repository on your home computer? Whether it be for a new software project, versioning your personal documents, or any other reason, there are many benefits to using version control. Some free websites that will host your project for you, such as SourceForge or Google Code, but it’s often necessary to have a little bit more control.

I set up a subversion repository for a new project the other day, and the process was relatively painless. I’m using a standard Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 desktop setup, with OpenDNS and DD-WRT for port-forwarding, and without an Apache web server. Keep reading to host your own subversion repository server.

Continue reading “How To: Host a Subversion Repository in Ubuntu Hardy”

Many of us at automaticable downloaded the all-new Firefox 3 we helped to announce yesterday.  For those of you that haven’t, you can still install the fastest browser in the world by clicking here.  Anyone who did download on June 17th, however, has something to be proud of. You were 1 of more than 8 million downloads that occurred, easily placing Firefox in the Guinness Book of World Records for the single day download record.

Anyone who participated (ok, and wannabe’s too) can get an official personalized Firefox 3 download day certificate! As you can see, I’ve already downloaded mine and am proudly displaying it here on automaticable. Get yours now!

Happy Download day everyone! This is an exciting thing on all ends, because not only is this my first techy blog on good ole automaticable, but today is the Firefox 3 Download Day!! There’s many plans going on, the biggest of all, of course, is the ability to pledge to download the new update today, in the next 24 hours, to be apart of the Guinness Book Of World Records 2008! That’s right, with the new release of Mozilla Firefox is trying to have the most downloads in a 24 hour period. When I pledged, just moments ago, there were 1,683,932 other pledges just like mine! So head on over to www.spreadfirefox.com and make your pledge today! While you’re there check out some of the other cool things happening. You can plan an office or school Download Fest where you all meet up on your lunch breaks and download the new Firefox 3, join some of the great Download Day groups on Facebook, or Myspace, or become a campus rep for Firefox! All of these things are very exciting and I want to encourage ALL of our automaticable fans to head on over and make the pledge to download Firefox 3 today and be apart of the magic happening all around the world!

Do you have secure, domain-specific passwords generated by PwdHash? Well, the handy Firefox extension just got an update that brings support for the latest Firefox 3– you can grab it here. This is one of the last extensions that I’ve been waiting for on Firefox 3. What extensions are you still missing?

Well, it’s all but confirmed now.  With Firefox 3 download day set to hit any time this month, it looks like the Firefox developers are preparing.  As a result, it appears that the final release of Firefox 3 hit the hardy-proposed repository this morning.  I installed the update, and am running it now.  Check it out:

And you can see the version string through Synapic Package Manager:

The latest in hardy-updates is “3.0~rc1+nobinonly-0ubuntu1″, but this version string is “3.0+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.04.1″, clearly lacking any “release candidate” tag.  Could this be the real deal?  It was probably uploaded in an effort to make sure that Ubuntu users are able to access it in hardy-updates on release day, so they have a better chance at their world record.

If you want to download this pre-release for yourself, all you need to do is enable the hardy-proposed repository:

• Go to System > Administration > Sofware Sources
• Click on the “Updates” tab, and make sure the box for “Unsupported Updates” is checked
• Press “Close”, and let the package manager refresh.

Afterwards, you should see the update icon in your taskbar, with the latest Firefox 3 ready to go! Note, however, that the hardy-proposed repository does contain *unsupported* updates.  To be on the safe side, you should disable it after you install Firefox.

Has anyone else been running Firefox 3 yet?  Have you noticed any differences?  Mine feels a little faster, although that may be due to the fact that a few extensions are still incompatible.

While the majority of people browsing the internet use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari, these are not the only options available to surf the web. One browser I recently started testing that I have learned to love is Flock, a social web browser based on Mozilla’s Firefox web browser. A fusion of social networks, user generated media, and super-fast web browsing, Flock brings together the best parts of the web in an easy-to-use interface.

Above is a screen shot of Flock’s initial home screen. The only modifications I have made are to log in to a few of the social sites Flock supports, Twitter and Facebook. Flock also supports social sites such as Flickr, YouTube, and almost every blog platform you can imagine. Below I’ve outlined a few of the major functions of Flock, but with so many innate features it will be worth your while to check out the Getting Started page on Flock.com for additional information.

1. The Social Sidebar - After logging in to all of the sites Flock supports, tabs will be added to the People Sidebar for quick access. Here I have the “All” tab selected, which currently has a chronological time line of when all of my Facebook friends and Twitter contacts have updated. On top of simply knowing what their most recent update is, the Media button will be highlighted whenever new pictures have been added to one of your friend’s profiles. Also, if you have any private messages, pokes, or other notifications, each tab will highlight individually notifying you of the update. What provides the most convenience, though, is the ability to update your own status across all of your networks simply within the sidebar instead of visiting all of the different sites individually. As someone who recently joined Twitter and is getting back into the Facebook game, this saves me a ton of time throughout the day.
2. Media Streams - Flock makes it easy to find, access, and browse all different types of media in the integrated media bar. You can load up your own streams from any site that supports picture and video updates, as well as access automatic streams that come from the social networks you are a part of. An example of this is the stream I currently have running. Because I am logged in to Facebook, I can access pictures posted by my friends, any recent photos that are public, or just pictures of myself. In order to keep Facebook’s embarrassing photos from marring the reputations of any of my friends, I only have my photos across the top. If there is anything incriminating up there, ignore it. Thanks.
3. My World - My World is a unique homepage powered by Flock that integrates many of its best features in one place. As you can see, there are columns that show the most recent updates to your Favorite blog Feeds, your Friend Activity from any social networks you subscribe to, and your Favorite Media as defined through Flickr, YouTube, Picassa and more. There is also a Favorite Sites widget you can include to show a set of bookmarks you access frequently. All of this can be customized easily and works great as a snapshot of everything you define as important across all sections of the web.
4. Other Sidebars - Even though the only sidebar you can see is my People Sidebar, there are many more options available. Flock includes an integrated RSS feed reader, accessible through the Feeds Sidebar. Although I am a big fan of Google Reader for RSS, Flock’s integrated Feed Sidebar reminds me a lot of the Firefox extension Sage, which is super convenient as well. Another sidebar available is the Webmail bar, which allows you to get up to the minute updates from all of your webmail services at once. This is a great feature for someone like me who is forced to subscribe to Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Gmail for separate work groups. Other sidebars available are a Favorites (or bookmarks) Sidebar, a Web Clipboard manager, an integrated blog editor, and an amazingly convenient and efficient photo uploader.
5. Firefox Extension Compatible - Because Flock is built upon the open-source Firefox browser, almost all of your current Firefox extensions will work with Flock, though currently Flock doesn’t support additional themes. This is a saving grace for any diehard Firefox fans, as you get to keep all of the customization and work you have put in to Firefox while reaping the benefits of Flock at the same time. Pro-tip: Instead of reinstalling all of your Firefox extensions, you can copy and paste your current Firefox profile folder into the Flock profile folder. Make sure to name your new profile exactly like the original one. It should look something like: p61rvkbt.default.

These are just a few examples of the many benefits of Flock. If you are a frequent social networker, media-guru, or just want to add some power to your Firefox browsing, Flock is for you. Although I am currently testing Firefox 3 at work and at home, I spend the bulk of my time browsing, Twittering, and Facebook stalking through Flock. As I mentioned earlier, there are a huge amount of features available in Flock, so check out the Flock homepage for more information.

As an added bonus, Flock is not only Windows compatible, but runs seamlessly on Mac and Linux machines as well.

I know there are many other browsers than the few mentioned above, so if you have had success with any other lesser known browsers, leave some words on your experience in the comments.

[ get flock ]

If you usually read automaticable through an RSS reader and have wondered why we’ve been so quiet lately…well, we haven’t really! Wordpress recently upgraded their software which broke our RSS feed. To be specific, the Wordpress 2.5.1 update broke all of the links pointing to our RSS feed don’t work, except /feed. Unfortunately, we’d been forwarding this to FeedBurner and Pheedo for all sorts of RSS magic. For now we’ve just disabled the FeedSmith plugin, which seems to fix it.

In layman’s terms– we’re back! If you are wondering what you missed, the list is below.

• Kyle wrote an article listing the Top 12 SOE Firefox Extensions. Check it out, it’s not just for SEO.
• He followed that up with a post regarding letters written to a journalist posing as a little boy from convicted serial killers.
• Kyle also joined Twitter. Let us know if you are on Twitter too!
• Following that was a review of the Iron Man movie that just came out.
• Brian opened the blinds right before finals began.
• Kyle announced his new SEO project revolving around Gibson guitars.
• Scott finished finals and is happier than a clam.
• And finally, Kyle reviewed the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs.

So spend some time catching up. You know we missed you as much as you missed us!

Well, it’s finally here, the latest release from the Ubuntu team.  Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” is the second in the line of “long term releases”.  This means that Canonical and the Ubuntu team will continue with support and updates for 3 years on the desktop edition, and 5 years for the server.

If you’re ready to convert a new system today, the fastest way to get Ubuntu will be through torrents.  If you’re upgrading an Ubuntu system, simply open the Update Manager and it’ll show a new option to upgrade.  Make sure you’ve selected local repositories, because the servers are going to get hit hard today.

Be sure to check out the desktop feature tour.  And if you plan on burning some Ubuntu CDs, print off the CD album artwork for the cases.

About a month ago, I received a notice in the mail from my ISP, Insight, with news that they had been bought-out by Comcast.  They promised that there would be no changes in my service and the transition would be seemless.  Everything would work as it had, except they would charge a little bit more.  Great.

They’re in the midst of transferring services to Comcast, set to be complete sometime in April.  Everything was fine on our end until our internet went out a few days ago.  After a few hours of toying with it, I decided it had to be Comcast’s issue.  I tried rebooting the router, renewing the IP, and even connecting my computer directly to the modem– nothing worked.

Finally, I called Comcast and talked to one of their “specialists” from Indiana (better than India, right?).  He dialed into the modem, and was able to get a computer hooked up through the modem, but still not through the router.  We made an appointment to have somebody come out.

Two days later, somebody from Comcast came out and tinkered with things for about an hour.  With all of the toys in his magic bag, he still couldn’t get the router working.  Moreover, we were able to hook up a different router, and that one worked.  We chalked it up as a faulty router, and he was on his way.  But something was still fishy.

We bought the router about 5 months ago, and everything had been working on it perfectly.  I installed the DD-WRT firmwire for even more control.  Everything looked good on it, except we couldn’t get an IP from the modem.  After doing a little research, it seems that Comcast has some trouble with DD-WRT routers.  The solution was to change the router’s MAC address from the default DD-WRT address to something else.  Many users clone their laptop’s MAC, but I used one from an older router.  A quick reboot afterwards, and we’re back up.

It’s hard to say whether it’s an incompatibility issue, or Comcast is actively blocking this alternative firmware.  I’ve generally had bad experiences with Comcast, so I choose to believe the latter.  Anyway, I’m glad we got things worked out, because I wasn’t too excited about going through the warranty process with Linksys either.