Handy for the terminal prompt.

sudo scutil –set HostName yourname.local

(Note the TWO dashes before –set).

This is handy as it will show your current directory as a prompt like this:

yourname:~ yourname$ cd Desktop
yourname:Desktop yourname$

No need to use ‘pwd’ again.

This is an obvious one but stumped me for a while. I have the WordPress Automatic Upgrade plugin and it was erroring out with ‘fopen’ permissions, as were all the automatic upgrades on plugins themselves.

You need to set PHP safe mode to OFF. You’ll do this via your domain’s hosting panel normally.

Dead simple, and now all the automatic upgrades work fine.

There is quite a bit of discussion about what Software Engineers do, and so in some cases they do have some engineering coursework or a degree, in other cases, a software engineer is more rightly called a software developer, and does not have a degree from the field of engineering. He is not any less talented, but has approached learning through a different field or discipline.

Software engineering is not classically defined engineering. The development of computer software is regarded by some to actually be an art rather than a science. To people with that mind set it is pointless to try to instill engineering disciplines to the design of software. The counter argument to that idea is that if you blend the art and science of engineering you meet practical guidelines for making computer software.

To answer the initial question about degrees for software engineers, we have to look around the globe. Qualifications and certifications vary from place to place, country to country.

In the United Kingdom, the British Computer Society is the source for computer engineering licensing. If a software engineer is a member of the British Computer Society, and has a license from that society, he then also can acquire the appellation of Chartered Engineer. By contrast, in some parts of Canada, software engineers may also hold the title of Professional Engineer, or Information Systems Professional. These are not legal requirements to work in the field though.

Guides have been published that help define the field of software engineering. These are outgrowths of the two main software engineering professional organizations. These guides set forth by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) describe what a software engineer is expected to know and be able to do. They even have a suggested Code of Ethics for Software Engineers.

So the answer to the question of college degrees in engineering for software engineers is both “yes” and “no”. It is a good idea for the person planning to embark upon a career in the field of software engineering to target an investigation of jobs in the field. That will then allow them to determine how much engineering education is required to meet career goals. The classes they need to take will help them in determining the college or University they need to attend and which courses they will select.

The world and profession of software engineers is changing almost everyday. Requirements that do not exist today may be strongly founded by the time a software engineering candidate finishes a four year college degree. It is recommended that the most extensive course of study be pursued so that the title of Software Engineer can be held with pride and security. Professional credentials are a great addition to a portfolio. Even though at this time Software Engineers do not have to hold Engineering degrees there could easily come a time when that will be part of the professional standard of excellence in the field of Software Engineering.

Before we delve into the mechanics of how we program this parsing exercise, let’s look at the ultimate result first. Unusual I know, but if you’re in the domain business, you’ll realise how important this article could be for you once you’ve seen what can be simply achieved.

Take a look at this small subset (all engineering domains) now, or download the zipped files:

Engineering domains in the .com zone: View in text format | Download zip
Engineering domains in the .net zone: View in text format | Download zip

Let’s make a start on explaining how this was done.

First, you need to enter into an agreement with Verisign that will allow you to download the raw zone files. We’ll look further into that later.

Okay. Now I’m going to show you the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ of a .com zone file. The ‘head’ in this instance is arbitrarily the first 100 lines, and the ‘tail’ the last 100 lines of the file.

Head:

;File start: 99411
; The use of the Data contained in Verisign Inc.’s aggregated
; .com, and .net top-level domain zone files (including the checksum
; files) is subject to the restrictions described in the access Agreement
; with Verisign Inc.

$ORIGIN COM.
@ IN SOA A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET. NSTLD.VERISIGN-GRS (
1267765805 ;serial
1800 ;refresh every 30 min
900 ;retry every 15 min
604800 ;expire after a week
900 ;minimum of 15 min
)
$TTL 518400
NS A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS G.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS H.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS C.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS I.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS B.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS D.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS L.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS F.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS K.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS E.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
NS M.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
$TTL 172800
ENERCONTECHNOLOGIES NS NS1.BIZ.RR
ENERCONTECHNOLOGIES NS NS2.BIZ.RR
SELF-DRIVE-CAR-RENTAL NS NS3.IZP
SELF-DRIVE-CAR-RENTAL NS NS6.IZP
SELF-DRIVE-CAR-RENTAL NS NS7.IZP
SELF-DRIVE-CAR-RENTAL NS IZA.HOSTING.DIGIWEB.IE.
SELF-DRIVE-CAR-RENTAL NS NS4.IZP
NANCYVRAINE NS NS1.IMCONLINE.NET.
NANCYVRAINE NS NS2.IMCONLINE.NET.
SELFDRIVECARRENTAL NS NS3.IZP
SELFDRIVECARRENTAL NS NS6.IZP
SELFDRIVECARRENTAL NS NS7.IZP
SELFDRIVECARRENTAL NS IZA.HOSTING.DIGIWEB.IE.
SELFDRIVECARRENTAL NS NS4.IZP
WORLDDATASOURCE NS NS1.AS3000.NET.
WORLDDATASOURCE NS NS2.AS3000.NET.
SAUDIPHOTOGRAPHERS NS NS1.R4L
SAUDIPHOTOGRAPHERS NS NS2.R4L
MERCKCHOICE NS CBRU.BR.NS.ELS-GMS.ATT.NET.
MERCKCHOICE NS CMTU.MT.NS.ELS-GMS.ATT.NET.
ENVIRONMENTALSCHOOLS NS PSNS01.PAULSMITHS.EDU.
ENVIRONMENTALSCHOOLS NS PSNS02.PAULSMITHS.EDU.
EASTHAMPTONHOMES NS NS1.TRAFFICZ
EASTHAMPTONHOMES NS NS2.TRAFFICZ
AMERICASHOMEBUILDER NS NS1.TRAFFICZ
AMERICASHOMEBUILDER NS NS2.TRAFFICZ
BOVINUS NS C3P0.CBFENTERPRISES
BOVINUS NS R2D2.CBFENTERPRISES
CONSTELLATIONCOLLEGE NS NS1.STORESONLINE
CONSTELLATIONCOLLEGE NS NS2.STORESONLINE
DOCHERTYCONSULTING NS NS1.VERINOTE.NET.
DOCHERTYCONSULTING NS NS3.VERINOTE.NET.
SONOMETRICS NS NS35.WORLDNIC
SONOMETRICS NS NS36.WORLDNIC
UNLIMITEDDISCOUNTPHONECALLS NS DNS1.NAME-SERVICES
UNLIMITEDDISCOUNTPHONECALLS NS DNS2.NAME-SERVICES
UNLIMITEDDISCOUNTPHONECALLS NS DNS3.NAME-SERVICES
UNLIMITEDDISCOUNTPHONECALLS NS DNS4.NAME-SERVICES
UNLIMITEDDISCOUNTPHONECALLS NS DNS5.NAME-SERVICES
FREILAND NS NS1.FABULOUS
FREILAND NS NS2.FABULOUS
KUMA-NET NS UNS01.LOLIPOP.JP.
KUMA-NET NS UNS02.LOLIPOP.JP.
SANGYOSHIEN NS NS55.WORLDNIC
SANGYOSHIEN NS NS56.WORLDNIC
JONATHANCHARLESNOVAK NS DNS077.A.REGISTER
JONATHANCHARLESNOVAK NS DNS030.B.REGISTER
JONATHANCHARLESNOVAK NS DNS030.C.REGISTER
JONATHANCHARLESNOVAK NS DNS010.D.REGISTER
HQSINGAPORE NS NS.BUYDOMAINS
HQSINGAPORE NS THIS-DOMAIN-FOR-SALE
LGCSYS NS NS2.DOMAIN
LGCSYS NS NS1.DOMAIN
LGCSYS NS NS3.DOMAIN
PANASOURCE NS NS1.DNSPOD.NET.
PANASOURCE NS NS2.DNSPOD.NET.
PRIVATESAUNAS NS NS.BUYDOMAINS
PRIVATESAUNAS NS THIS-DOMAIN-FOR-SALE
BARBARA-STREISAND NS NS1.LAMEDELEGATION.NET.
BARBARA-STREISAND NS NS2.LAMEDELEGATION.NET.
GLASTONBURYDENTALCARE NS DNS1.NAME-SERVICES
GLASTONBURYDENTALCARE NS DNS2.NAME-SERVICES
GLASTONBURYDENTALCARE NS DNS3.NAME-SERVICES
GLASTONBURYDENTALCARE NS DNS4.NAME-SERVICES
GLASTONBURYDENTALCARE NS DNS5.NAME-SERVICES
MONICAMAGNETTI NS NS21.DOMAINCONTROL
MONICAMAGNETTI NS NS22.DOMAINCONTROL
POTREROVALLEYHOMEVALUES NS NS15.DOMAINCONTROL
POTREROVALLEYHOMEVALUES NS NS16.DOMAINCONTROL
IGUANA-WORLD NS DNS1.TNIB.DE.
IGUANA-WORLD NS DNS2.TNIB.DE.

Tail:

NS2.CALZADORIGONE A 70.47.49.236
NS.KYOUSHINSEMINAR A 210.172.105.215
NS2.RSR-WEB-ACCOUNTS A 207.58.130.69
NS2.TOPIMS A 173.160.32.164
NS1.LUCKDRAGON A 72.233.77.146
NS2.LUCKDRAGON A 72.233.77.147
NS1.TOPIMS A 173.160.32.163
NS1.SKEMASA A 70.47.49.235
NS2.SKEMASA A 70.47.49.236
NS1.VASTWEBHOSTING A 64.20.44.133
NS2.VASTWEBHOSTING A 69.10.62.46
NS.DIVEINMARGARITA A 69.73.152.147
NS1.2RNEY A 75.101.158.93
NS2.2RNEY A 75.101.158.93
NS1.ONLYONEHOST A 207.58.135.27
NS2.ONLYONEHOST A 207.58.135.28
NS.IWAKI-RADIATOR A 210.198.7.104
NS1.BEHNAMALAEE A 74.81.166.176
NS2.IWAKI-RADIATOR A 210.198.7.104
NS.FORELAKES A 208.109.248.128
NS2.BEHNAMALAEE A 74.81.166.177
NS1.FORELAKES A 208.109.248.129
NS1.DICECHEATS A 208.43.173.108
NS0.DICECHEATS A 208.43.173.108
NS1.ZAPIXONLINE A 98.184.130.155
NS2.ZAPIXONLINE A 98.184.130.155
NS1.EASTHAMILTONSTRINGS A 209.202.252.20
NS2.EASTHAMILTONSTRINGS A 209.202.254.20
DNS.EEC-INDEX A 219.84.190.40
NS1.EEC-INDEX A 219.84.190.40
NS1.GEFETTA A 67.231.98.21
NS2.GEFETTA A 67.231.98.22
NS1.SOLARBLACKLIGHTING A 98.126.223.2
NS2.SOLARBLACKLIGHTING A 98.126.223.3
A.ONETOONEENGLISH A 78.47.168.52
B.ONETOONEENGLISH A 78.47.168.53
C.ONETOONEENGLISH A 78.47.168.54
VPS1.JAMESBERWICK A 64.120.209.34
VPS2.JAMESBERWICK A 64.120.209.28
NS1.GESHIN A 204.246.47.49
NS2.GESHIN A 204.246.47.50
NS1.OURHOMELIGHTING A 98.126.223.2
NS2.OURHOMELIGHTING A 98.126.223.3
NS1.SANAPO A 74.126.19.221
NS1.GOOLBET A 212.95.47.191
NS2.SANAPO A 74.126.19.236
NS2.GOOLBET A 212.95.47.191
NS1.PESISIRHOST A 173.212.241.90
NS2.PESISIRHOST A 173.212.241.91
NS1.LEDLIGHTINGSYS A 98.126.223.2
NS2.LEDLIGHTINGSYS A 98.126.223.3
NS.FIVE-SOLID A 210.150.124.170
NS1.NEWERTHLEAGUE A 174.121.112.165
NS2.NEWERTHLEAGUE A 174.121.112.166
NS3.TEALFIN A 208.80.126.4
NS4.TEALFIN A 208.80.125.4
NS5.TEALFIN A 208.80.127.4
NS6.TEALFIN A 208.94.149.4
NS1.MAFIOSODECIVILIANO A 209.212.156.193
NS1.EMERGENCYUNIX A 205.134.161.122
NS2.EMERGENCYUNIX A 205.134.161.122
NS1.GCADMARKETING A 74.117.56.244
NS2.GCADMARKETING A 74.117.56.245
NS1.JORGECAAMANOTAS A 209.202.252.20
NS2.JORGECAAMANOTAS A 209.202.254.20
NS1.MYLIGHTINGWORLD A 98.126.223.2
NS2.MYLIGHTINGWORLD A 98.126.223.3
NS1.SECRET-KISS1 A 38.99.91.250
NS2.SECRET-KISS1 A 38.99.91.250
NS1.ALPHAVILLEUSA A 74.54.49.66
NS2.ALPHAVILLEUSA A 74.54.49.67
NS1.SECRET-KISS3 A 38.99.91.250
NS2.SECRET-KISS3 A 38.99.91.250
NS1.HIT-NETWORKS A 76.225.20.206
NS1.SECRET-KISS4 A 38.99.91.250
NS2.SECRET-KISS4 A 38.99.91.250
NS1.SECRET-KISS5 A 38.99.91.250
NS2.SECRET-KISS5 A 38.99.91.250
NS1.CASEPOST A 208.96.2.2
NS1.INFOSHOULDBEFREE A 174.34.131.62
NS0.INFOSHOULDBEFREE A 174.34.131.63
NS2.CASEPOST A 66.43.118.67
NS1.FINDITEAZY A 173.45.90.210
NS0.FINDITEAZY A 173.45.90.211
NS1.LANKA-WEBHOST A 69.175.85.58
NS2.LANKA-WEBHOST A 69.175.85.59
NS3.UKCLOUDDNS A 213.175.215.150
NS4.UKCLOUDDNS A 213.175.203.116
NS1.THEJOURNALWIKI A 67.223.244.92
NS1.BLINSTEY A 147.202.121.142
NS0.BLINSTEY A 147.202.121.141
NS1.UP2UHOSTING A 61.19.249.88
NS2.UP2UHOSTING A 61.19.249.88
NS1.EVERNSET A 147.202.121.144
NS0.EVERNSET A 147.202.121.143
NS1.SHERLEN A 147.202.121.146
NS0.SHERLEN A 147.202.121.145
VRSN-END-OF-ZONE-MARKER-DUMMY-RECORD.com. TXT plenus
;File end: -99411
;End of file: 1267765805

We’re not bothered with the technicalities of all this information, our only concern is how this file is structured. The complete file contains all of the domains in the .com zone together with their associated nameservers. Our task is to strip out all the stuff that we don’t need. If you search the net for commercial software, you’ll find that you can fork out hundreds of dollars for utilities that parse and compare zone files (comparisons are used to establish dropping domains) but we’re going to do this with a few simple commands using the bash shell (command line) that ships with all versions of Linux. I’ll be explaining every command that you use, so don’t navigate away yet if you’re under the assumption that this is going to get too technical.

TBC…

The first answer to this proposed question might appear to be a little obvious. Software engineers work in industries that produce software. That is not the entire story, however. Software engineers do work to produce software, but they also are involved in the design, planning and manufacture of software.

The software a software engineer might develop could have applications in business. Software is becoming more and more crucial in office management. Software runs our communications industries and software is part of the medical field. It is difficult to name an industry in these days that does not involve software and software engineers.

Software allows us to use mobile phones, and computers. Software is often part of security systems both physically on buildings and intellectually through computers. Software allows companies to honor customer preferences in many areas of their lives. It might be easier to find an industry that does not employ software engineers.

Some software engineering jobs require that the candidate have creativity and good decision making skills, such as those related to the visual entertainment industry. Software engineers have been responsible for the development and improvement of medical technologies that are used in both diagnosis and treatment of disease.

A software engineer need only do a search to find thousands of jobs in various industries across the United States and around the world. A list of industries will include home entertainment, wide screen entertainment, music performance, music enhancement, video games, medicine, office management, computer development and very many more industries. A software engineer can find employment in manufacturing industries, designing and setting up equipment and production lines. The field of software engineering is wide open and any industry will likely have a place that the unique training and skills of a software engineer will be necessary.

Most people of course are familiar with the use of software in the information technology field, and therefore are also aware of that being a field for a software engineer. A software engineer can also help provide integrated solutions to systems that are connected at various levels in industrial technology. In a manufacturing industry a software engineer can control production levels and also develop programs that will aid in expediting the logistics of product movement. Software will function at providing inventory control both of raw materials and of completed product.

There appears to be a need for software engineers in almost every industry or field. It is up to the software engineer to seek out the niche that will fit his interests along with his expertise. Software engineers can design tiny microchips, huge ocean liners and magnificent building systems. They participate in communication, security and innovation. In business they develop methods and software that improve efficiency. In the field of medicine they develop applications that enhance our abilities and improve our accuracy both for diagnosis and for treatment. A software engineer has the capacity to work in almost any industry to make a better world for all of us.

As the world becomes more technologically oriented it is easy to see that there is a broad range of employment for software engineers. Perhaps one of the most visible areas that we experience open employment fields for soft ware engineers is in the entertainment industry. There are projects for home entertainment and projects for the movie sector, and music as well.

The entertainment industry is actually a very broad field. There is the segment of the entertainment industry that deals with entertainment at home. In that venue we have video game consoles, video game systems, and the actual video games. We also have televisions and music systems that have been designed by software engineers. Software engineering is everywhere in the home. The move to digital sound and digital pictures has been a great source of employment for software engineers. It is hard to imagine a home without some video game entertainment options that take advantage of these options.

Another field of employment for software engineers is the design of phone apps. At first it might be assumed that the cell phone is a utilitarian device, but many people today rely on it for entertainment as well. They surf the internet, chat with friends, play games and listen to music, all because of new software applications. We would not have these advantages without the employment of software engineers who design and sometimes sell these ideas to the producers of consumer products. There are a lot of people who would never want to be without their phone.

Think really big when you think of software engineers in the Entertainment Industry. Consider movies seen on the wide screen. Special effects sell movies and carry plots. These are often designed by software engineers. The motion picture studio will have a concept that they want included in a movie, or video. The software engineer will be responsible for planning how the concept or the effect is produced, and will work as the go between for management and programmers to produce the desired effects. A lot of work goes on in the background of the entertainment packages that we see as consumers. The software engineer makes sure that that work happens.

Software engineers have a part in music production and blending as well. Synthesized instruments and balanced mixes of tracks are all the result of new software that improves almost daily. Ask a disc jockey or someone who hosts karaoke and they will tell you that well designed software is essential to the smooth operation of their business. Software engineers are in the business of developing new fields and helping explore them, giving us the tools to be entertained and to make our hearts sing. Entertainment certainly needs software engineers.

Whether it relates to home audio or visual equipment, or video games, or whether it is a song in production or a movie on the wide screen, the entertainment field provides many jobs for people who hold software engineering degrees.

[Note: Contribution WIP]

A software engineer is a specially trained computer technologist that often will have a Bachelors of Science degree. Not only will a software engineer be well versed in the theory and languages of computers, but he will also have training in business management skills. A software engineer will be able to communicate both with the programmers on the technical end of a project and with the business managers who deal with the bottom line as far as deadlines and profits go.

One might ask if a software engineer is able to work from home. The answer will be yes, there are opportunities for software engineering projects that can be done from remote locations, as independent contractors to businesses who are developing new computer technology related projects. Depending on the specialization required, these telecommute projects may pay somewhat less than in house jobs, but they also allow independent scheduling as well as savings on office wear, work lunches and the expense of commuting.

One approach to finding work at home for a software engineer would be to become established with a company and demonstrate his skills and abilities working from their site. The next step would be to approach management about the possibility of doing part, or most of the work at home. This should be an easy transition, once the software engineer has demonstrated his skill.

The software engineer who has a well maintained portfolio can search online for work at home opportunities. These positions may take one of three forms. One type of opportunity would be to search data bases for freelance projects that require a software engineer. This approach will appeal to the person who wants adventure, or who gets bored working on the same project all of the time. The second approach would be to look for a company who wants a long term software engineer on payroll full time, but is desirous to not have to provide office and workspace. Computer based work obviously can be transmitted by computer. Either position, freelancing, or long term remote engineering possibly will require scheduled in house meetings to help clarify projects. The third option for a software engineer is to become a consultant. It is a little more detailed job than working on various freelance projects. A consultant will often have the opportunity to develop the concept that leads to the project, and then will be able to implement the project himself, from his own work space.

In this time of job shortages, flexibility is the key for maintaining employment. Telecommuting or working remotely may be the answer to finding work for a software engineer. Because of his skills both in business and in computer software development and maintenance he will remain marketable in a variety of situations or in combination. Keeping work options open allows maximum employability for software engineers, from their home or from a fully integrated office. A software engineer may want to work from home on additional opportunities, even when employed by a company where he is in office staff.

[Note: Contribution WIP]

PowerBasic PBCC source.

Here’s the PBCC source code for the Nominet DAC bulk domain name checker.

This will require the PB Console Compiler to run, or you can of course hack the code and convert to your favourite language.

'Nominet DAC Automaton Query Tool
'Copyright (C) 2006, 2009 Dale & Simon Hubbard
'=================================
$tcphost = "dac.nic.uk"
%tcpport = 3043  ' Using the Real Time DAC
'%tcpport = 2043 ' Use this port for the Time Delay DAC
'==================================
FUNCTION PBMAIN() AS LONG

LOCAL tcp_buffer_out AS STRING
LOCAL COUNT AS STRING

'-------------------Start DAC Querying--------------
?"Opening input file and TCP connection to the DAC on port 3043..."
?"Counting input lines... ";
TCP OPEN PORT %tcpport AT $tcphost AS #2
log_file$ = DATE$ & "-" & TIME$ & "-results.csv"
REPLACE ":" WITH "-" IN log_file$ 'filename is then valid
OPEN log_file$ FOR OUTPUT AS #10
'-------------------------------------------------

OPEN "input.txt" FOR INPUT AS #1
DO UNTIL EOF(1)
LINE INPUT #1, COUNT
INCR totcount&
LOOP
?STR$(totcount&)
?"Output filname: ";log_file$
CLOSE #1
?"Press any key to start..."
WAITKEY$

OPEN "input.txt" FOR INPUT AS #1
DO UNTIL EOF(1)
LINE INPUT #1, COUNT
INCR number&

STDOUT STR$(number&)& " of " & STR$(totcount&)
SLEEP 190 '190 milliseconds
TCP PRINT #2, COUNT
again:
TCP RECV #2, 128, tcp_buffer_out
IF tcp_buffer_out = "" THEN GOTO again
x$ = REMOVE$(tcp_buffer_out, $CRLF)
PRINT #10, x$
PRINT x$ '= tcp_buffer_out
LOOP
TCP PRINT #2, "#exit" 'Say goodbye to Nominet nicely
CLOSE

done:
STDOUT
STDOUT "All done. Press a key..."
WAITKEY$

END FUNCTION

This utility will check for registered domains - DAC access is required...

Here’s the file:

DAC Checker

Should run under any version of Windows and Windows virtual machines etc.

Instructions (included in download file):

DAC Research Tool v1.1b BETA.
Copyright 2006, 2009 Dale & Simon Hubbard

IMPORTANT!

If you do not have a Nominet DAC account, this will NOT work.

Please note that this software will also NOT work unless you follow these instructions.

Installation and invocation is discussed later, but there are three tasks that you have to perform before the software will work, EACH TIME that you run it:

1. Go to http://www.whatismyipaddress.com to check your external IP address. It’s the dotted quad number at the top and will look something like this:

123.234.124.86 (This is only an example – yours will not be the same).

Now copy that IP address by selecting it and copying.

2. Go to your secure Nominet Control Panel on the web, here:

https://secure.nominet.org.uk/dac/ip-addresses.html

Click on the “Add New…” button and paste the IP address you copied in step 1 above.

You may now exit Nominet’s Control Panel.

3. If you are running ANY DAC software, e.g. an hosted account with DropSystem.co.uk, please QUIT/STOP those other sessions! If you don’t do this, you will go over quota with your DAC usage. Once you have finished using this software, you can switch your other sessions back on again.

Installing the software:

Place the DACRT.zip file on your Desktop, and unzip it there. You will then see a new folder: “DACRT”. Double click on this folder to view the contents.

That’s the end of the ‘installation’ for this beta version.

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAM

1. Composing your research list

Use Windows Notepad and enter the list of domains which you wish the DAC to query. Using Notepad will ensure that each entry is followed by a CR/LF — if you don’t know what that means, don’t worry about it.

Save the file as “input.txt” in the same directory. A very short “input.txt” is provided in the .zip file if you’d like to just test with that. Don’t worry if you’ve just overwritten it; it’s still in the original .zip file.

2. Run the program

Double-click on the dacrt-2.exe program icon. The program will run and save the output to a file with a name that consists of date+time+.csv which may be loaded into Excel.

That’s it. A few points to note:

1. This is BETA software and has no error trapping. The release candidate will have external IP and error checking.

2. This version does *not* have a limit of 50 queries per session.

3. When the release candidate is available, it will be available for purchase.

4. If you didn’t get this software directly from Dale or Simon Hubbard, or via a download from DropSystem.co.uk or Engineers.net, then please don’t use it as it may be tampered with.

Contact: This is maintained by Dale Hubbard: mail@dalehubbard.com

11th August, 2009

30th April 2010: Update – the source code is here.

Quick boot ISO CD didn't recognise the card.

I took an old laptop out of the drawer to see what files were on it. It’s an Advent machine that gave me years of service but kept getting too hot and shutting down. I couldn’t re-install Windows at all.

So, cutting a long story short, I searched for a bootable ISO of a small Linux distribution and found Damn Small Linux; burned it on my Mac, and booted the Advent with it. Impressive!

I had inserted a ten-year-old 5MB PCMCIA memory card, but it didn’t mount. Looking through ‘dmesg’, I found the entry that had detected it as ‘hde1′.

I knew the card was last used in a Pocket PC, and this worked for me:

sudo su
mkdir /card
mount -t msdos /dev/hde1 /card
cd /card
ls

So now I could access the files on the card. But this machine has no net connection; CD writer or working FDD, so I stuck a 128GB USB memory stick with an ext2 format FS and rebooted the lot. As the system was working from RAM drive, I had to go through the steps above again to recreate the mount point and get the card working. Looking again through dmesg (dmesg |less), I saw the USB stick found as ‘sda1′.

So:

sudo su
mkdir /card
mount -t msdos /dev/hde1 /card
mkdir /128gb
mount -t ext2 /dev/sda1 /128gb
cd /card
cp -R * /128gb

Voila – all my files copied to my USB stick which I can now read on my larger Ubuntu installation on another machine.

I’m enjoying playing with DSL. It’ll fit on any bootable storage (including those tiny ‘business card’ CDs) and weighs in at a mere 50MB. I just need to get an Orinoco PCMCIA wi-fi card working now, and I’ll have a useful Linux setup on a machine I was about to throw out.