February, 2007
Re-evaluating my priorities
Submitted by jmarki on 4 February 2007 - 6:09amIt's the time of the year again, when everything starts rolling. Things will be more hectic from now on, at least till the end of the semester. I need to re-evaluate my priorities, especially since I want to graduate this semester. Grr...
Okay, so here are the things on my plate right now
- Studies: statistical physics, database, algorithms, network applications
- linuxNUS: sourcing for speakers, Linux awareness talk for startups, security talk, "fire-fighting", "helpdesk", career/networking night for graduating students (KIV, I think)
- LUGS: nothing major
- System administration: migrating of linuxNUS website to another server, migration of emails to new server, migration of mailing lists to the new server, maintaining the Opensource@NUS server
- Wushu: ensuring a smooth change of schedule, coaching, training
- Running: should find time to run, getting fat
- Buddhism: the daily usual (more? =/ )
- Others: keeping up to date with technology, FOSS and Linux
Oh man, this is a freakingly long list, geez.. Time to throw stuff at others or drop them altogether.
Trackback URL for this post:
- jmarki's blog
- 262 reads
airo350 + wpa_supplicant + ndiswrapper
Submitted by jmarki on 12 February 2007 - 9:32pmAfter struggling to get my PCMCIA airo350 wireless card to work with PEAP in NUS for years, I finally caved in and used ndiswrapper. I know, I know, kernel 2.6.17 and above is supposed to support it, but that is for cards with firmware version 5.30.17 "or later". My card is 5.60.x, which is too much later, I guess.
Grabbing the files from Windows XP
So, no choice but to use ndiswrapper. So I boot to Windows, and checked out the files used by the Aironet 350 device (driver properties -> files), and grabbed the files c:\windows\inf\netx500.inf and c:\windows\system32\drivers\pcx500.sys. Just FYI, pcx500mp.sys is for the Aironet 350 Mini-PCI card.
Installing the Windows drivers
Then I boot into Linux, and installed ndiswrapper(1.33), and wpa_supplicant (v0.5.7).
Next, I have to install the drivers. This was easy. First make sure the 2 files are in the same directory, then install the driver.
# install the driver
root $ /sbin/ndiswrapper -i /path/to/netx500.inf
# check the driver is installed
root $ /sbin/ndiswrapper -l
netx500 : driver installed
# insert the pcmcia card, then load ndiswrapper
root $ modprobe ndiswrapper
# check ndiswrapper is loaded
root $ lsmod
Module Size Used by
ndiswrapper 195284 0
root $ dmesg
[...]
ndiswrapper version 1.33 loaded
usbcore: registered new interface driver ndiswrapper
There's a problem. Ndiswrapper is not able to automatically create the PCMCIA configuration. I have to do this by manually. I wrote one using the configuration it has already generated (14B9:0350.5.conf) as a guide.
# save this as /path/to/ndiswrapper/netx500/14B9:929B.8.conf (e.g /etc/ndiswrapper/netx500/14B9\:929B.8.conf)
# the '8' in the filename is because CardBus is device type 8.
NdisVersion|0x50001
Environment|1
class_guid|4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318
NetworkAddress|XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
driver_version|,07/01/2001,7.29.0.0
BusType|8
FormFactor|PCMCIA
InfrastructureMode|1
LowerRange|ethernet
MediaDisconnectDamper|10
NodeName|
PowerSaveMode|0
RadioName|PC3500
Service|PCX500
SSID1|
SupportedRates|0
UpperRange|ndis5
Now we have to link the Cardbus PCMCIA slot to this configuration. As Cardbus slots are detected as PCI devices, we can use lspci.
# this is the CardBus device we have to take note of
root $ lspci
[...]
01:0b.0 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems ToPIC95 (rev 07)
# Get the manufacturer's device ID (xxxx:xxxx)
root $ lspci -n
[...]
01:0b.0 0607: 1179:060a (rev 07)
# create a symlink for the configuration to this device
# Note the capital letters
root $ cd /directory/of/14B9:929B.8.conf
root $ ln -s 14B9:929B.8.conf 1179\:060A.5.conf
root $ ls -al
1179:060A.5.conf -> 14B9:929B.8.conf
14B9:0340.5.conf
14B9:0350.5.conf
14B9:4800.5.conf
14B9:929B.8.conf
netx500.inf
pcx500.sys
The kernel might already have the opensource driver running. To prevent it from loading these modules (aka drivers) instead, we need to black list them in /etc/modprobe.conf
# blacklist the modules
blacklist airo_cs
blacklist airo
# alias the interface to eth1 (or wlan0 if that's your
alias eth1 ndiswrapper
So now we have installed and setup ndiswrapper for this PCMCIA card.
Starting the card
Restart the system!!! Okay, there's no need to do that, but I'm lazy...
Besides, I just upgraded a ton of other stuff too...
root $ modprobe ndiswrapper
root $ lsmod
Using WPA Supplicant
Since I'm using PEAP (yes, I know it's not secure. NUS doesn't care.... It's their newly installed "secure" wireless system.), I have to get wpa_supplicant to work too.
Hmm... I'm getting tired of typing. I'll just plonk my wpa_supplicant configuration here then... 
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ctrl_interface_group=wheel
ap_scan=2 # seem to work only if set to 2
eapol_version=2
network={
disabled=0
priority=1
ssid="NUS"
scan_ssid=1
key_mgmt=IEEE8021X
eap=PEAP
phase2="auth=MSCHAPV2"
identity="user@nus.edu.sg"
password="password"
ca_cert="/path/to/ase1.pem"
}
network={
disabled=1
ssid="NUSOPEN"
scan_ssid=1
key_mgmt=NONE
priority=2
}
network={
disabled=1
key_mgmt=NONE
priority=-9999999
}
Okok... I won't leave you in the berth. Here's a howto on NUS PEAP configuration
- Printer-friendly version
- 1446 reads
I want to graduate!!!
Submitted by jmarki on 14 February 2007 - 3:55am- jmarki's blog
- 231 reads
Basket: A free-style note taking KDE application
Submitted by jmarki on 19 February 2007 - 3:19amBasket 1.0 is out. And it looks better than ever. Instead of just to-do lists, clipboard stacks, and checklists, there's now a new freestyle basket!
Some other new features include import (text, HTML, "basket", Knotes, Sticky Notes, etc) and export (HTML or "basket" formats), password protection, integration with Kontact, and a lot more. It's looking more full featured now. Yeah... 
[Screenshot hosted on Flickr]
- Printer-friendly version
- 386 reads
Sometimes it's alright to steal
Submitted by jmarki on 19 February 2007 - 4:02amI was looking at an advertisement for Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition in the Straits Times, and guess what? It costs a freaking SG$789!!! Whoa, almost $800! Ridiculous, isn't it? I can buy a low-mid range computer with this sum of money.
I wonder how parents will react when kids come home saying they need Microsoft Office to do their homework "because my teacher wants me to hand in using Microsoft Word format". A single look at the price tag will make most parents blanche. And most will immediately turn to pirated software.
Isn't this contradictory? On one hand, we tell the kids that "stealing is bad", on the other hand, we buy stolen stuff for them. How confused will the kids be?
What sad times we are living in. We download music and movies from the Internet without paying the artists a single cent (yes yes, I know the RIAA/MPAA issue is way out of hand), buy pirated software to save a few bucks, and then lie to our kids that stealing is bad. Sigh...
There are always alternatives, you know? Listening to internet radio, renting movies to watch, and using Open Office instead of Microsoft Office. At the very least, teaching the kids how to look for ethical alternatives will help develop their problem solving skills.
Trackback URL for this post:
- jmarki's blog
- 290 reads
Youtube threadmill dancing video
Submitted by jmarki on 21 February 2007 - 3:02amOk Go's Here It Goes Again MTV!! Wee... Threadmill dance. Found this on Sieghart's blog.
Their website is at http://okgo.net/
Trackback URL for this post:
- jmarki's blog
- 271 reads
Happy Chinese New Year!!
Submitted by jmarki on 21 February 2007 - 4:56amHAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Yes, it's 初二, so I'm late by 4 days.
Went house visiting yesterday with my wushu clique today.

This is what we guys do when the gals abandoned us to go gaga over a hamster.

And we have one tiny orange in the pile of big oranges.
Okay, okay, I was feeling bored watching a lame TV show then, so this is what comes out of my under-stimulated mind.
Anyway, I have uploaded several of the photos I took these few months into my Flickr Gallery, so you can go enjoy. Hmm, maybe I should do a photo essay, or at least put up some decent Chinese New Year photos. Whahah
Trackback URL for this post:
- jmarki's blog
- 250 reads
The Thinker
Submitted by jmarki on 27 February 2007 - 6:33pmFrom Deepak Sarda's blog. Image hosted on Flickr.
Trackback URL for this post:
- jmarki's blog
- 296 reads





