How to install Virtualbox Guest Addition for Linux Mint 8 (as guest) on Ubuntu 9.10 (as host)

1. go to VirtualBox screen.. go to Devices > Install Guest Addition..

2. immediately u will see an ISO being mounted on your Ubuntu desktop..

3. go to Terminal.. and run this..

cd /media/cdrom
sudo bash ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run

Note: x86 here coz my guest OS ie. Linux Mint 8 is of x86.

Virtio drivers from Red Hat for their RHEV product

https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2009-1624.html

A new package, virtio-win, which adds signed, para-virtalized Windows
drivers for fully-virtualized 32-bit and 64-bit Windows guests is now
available.

Para-virtualized drivers are virtualization-aware drivers used by fully
virtualized guests running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Fully-virtualized
guests using the para-virtualized drivers gain significantly better I/O
performance than fully-virtualized guests running without the drivers.

This new package provides signed, para-virtualized network drivers for the
following guest operating systems:

Windows XP, 32-bit
Windows Server 2003, 32-bit
Windows Server 2003, 64-bit
Windows Server 2008, 32-bit
Windows Server 2008, 64-bit
Windows Server 2008 R2

This new package also provides signed, para-virtualized disk (block)
drivers for the following guest operating systems:

Windows Server 2003, 32-bit
Windows Server 2003, 64-bit
Windows Server 2008, 32-bit
Windows Server 2008, 64-bit
Windows Server 2008 R2

These drivers are provided as four Windows Installer (.msi) files on a
mountable .iso file installed to /usr/share/virtio-win/virtio-win-1.0.0.iso
on the host machine. (BZ#529617)

Note: when the disk drivers for the 32-bit version of Windows Server 2008
are installed using RHEV-Block.msi, the drivers for 32-bit Windows Server
2003 may, incorrectly, be installed. The recommended way to install the
32-bit Windows Server 2008 disk drivers is to attach the included virtual
floppy disk file, /usr/share/virtio-win/virtio-drivers-1.0.0.vfd, to the
guest and install from there.

All users running fully-virtualized instances of Windows on Red Hat
Enterprise Linux-based KVM hosts should install these new packages which
significantly improve I/O performance.

Restore GRUB settings after Windows XP re-installation

my winxp screwed up. need to do fresh re-install. post installation, winxp wipes GRUB settings at MBR - so i need to restore it back.


thx to this link..

http://themoth.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/reinstall-grub-after-windows-install-on-dual-boot-system/

Auto capture CSV file to Excel w/ Auto Refresh Feature

My EDMI energy meter giving me CSV based output file. I need to "push" it to OPC and/or PI system for further "processing".

Optimist vs Pessimist

nice article.. :)

DataPID and DataSim problem w/ OPC Datahub

somehow i got this strange problem..

USB problem w/ Virtualbox 3.0.8 + Ubuntu 9.04 as host

if u have a problem w/ accessing your USB device ie. u're seeing a greyed area when u try to select any of your USB device..

try this first.. go to System > Administration > Users and Groups

OPC Datahub DataSim & DataPID connection error

i got an error while playing around with my OPC Datahub in my virtual machine. DataSim and DataPID simulate OPC data so that u can toy around. if u look at the status - it either shows "Fail to Connect" or "ECONNREFUSED"

thanks to the folk at Software Toolbox - the problem solved. it's so simple. both program requires tunneling feature of OPC Datahub to be enabled.

cheers

using Excel as datasource for OPC server with OPC Datahub

i asked myself how to get rid of manual report using MS Word currently being used by Operation team. i figured out that using Excel - we can export the data live to OPC server using OPC Datahub.

Datahub uses DDE feature of Excel and export it to OPC format.

Dell R200 w/ Redhat Enterprise Linux 5.3 + Virtualbox

fyi, this is my kernel on RHEL 5..

[root@anwar ~]# cd /usr/src/kernels

[root@anwar kernels]# ls

2.6.18-128.el5-x86_64

- i downloaded RPM from Sun website.. for latest Vbox 3.0.6 r51260
- either extract the RPM by double clicking or using rpm -ivh command
- u get error asking u to re-run vboxdrv setup

no problem

- update kernel headers first

yum install SDL kernel-devel kernel-headers

- just accept whatever being installed / asked to be installed

yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

- make sure all ok

yum groupinstall "Development Libraries"

- make sure all ok

yum install unifdef rpm-build

- make sure all ok

now can start recompile Vbox kernel module...

[root@anwar dindon]# /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Stopping VirtualBox kernel module                          [  OK  ]

Recompiling VirtualBox kernel module                       [  OK  ]

Starting VirtualBox kernel module                          [  OK  ]

now Virtualbox ready w/ your solid Redhat Enterprise 5.3 :)

Samba SMB config file for 172.20.200 NAS

Dell tower AMD server powered by Ubuntu 8.04 Server edition..

location = /etc/samba/smb.conf

[share-admin]
path = /home/share
browsable = yes
public = yes
writable = yes
guest ok = yes
guest only = yes
security = share
guest account = nobody
hosts allow = 172.20.1.7

[share-public]
path = /home/share
browsable = yes
public = yes
guest ok = yes
guest only = yes
security = share
guest account = nobody
writable = no

Samba SMB config file for 172.20.202 NAS

powered by Ubuntu Server 8.04

this is the settings i use for /etc/samba/smb.conf

[share-admin]
path = /media/hdd2/share
browsable = yes
public = yes
writable = yes
guest ok = yes
guest only = yes
hosts allow = 192.168.0.100, 172.20.1.7, 172.20.1.91, 172.20.1.203
security = share
guest account = nobody

[share-public]
path = /media/hdd2/share
browsable = yes
public = yes
guest ok = yes
guest only = yes
security = share
guest account = nobody

Problem with PI Performance Equation calculated tag

it seems that i forgot the very basic of PI tag attribute - Location1.

Thanks to Stephen from Osisoft who highlighted this issue, from the ICU the ID is set to 5 - therefore any tag getting the data from this PI-PE interface must have Location1 = 5.

Mark V - IO_CFG.LST Change Detection for SOE

in IO_CFG.LST u can check under TCDA card definition (just search for TCDA) u can see that the Chg Det is set to 1 (which is ENABLED).

Having this turned on for that particular card / contact input will enable Change Detection for SOE purposes.

On the other hand, u can check CONFIG.DAT to see whether SOE will be printed or not. Having SOE enabled does not necessarily required it to be printed (at least this is the case at PPSB Power Plant).

Creating a calculated PI tag using PI Performance Equation

So now, DOE requested for a reading from our CEMS system. They wanted a 30 mins average tag for NOx and CO reading.

PI Performance Equation can be used to provide average reading for CEMS_NOX and store it using new tag name.

In this case, we use a new tag called CEMS_NOX_2.

the most important part is to correctly specify the calculation formula under ExDesc attribute.

this is what i used.

TagAvg('CEMS_NOX','*-30m','*')

the format is actually...

TagAvg(tagname,start time, end time)

using PI Processbook, u can verify the tag's attribute..

Cloning VirtualBox VDI file

before cloning, make sure detach VDI file from its VM.

i need to periodically backup my precious VDI file (my VM) under VirtualBox. copy and paste the VDI will NOT work.

the correct way is to use vBoxManage tools.

vboxmanage clonevdi "e:\master.vdi" "e:\clone.vdi"

this is the command assuming your host is Windows. should ur VirtualBox is running on Linux - just remove the "

for example, 

vboxmanage clonevdi /usr/dindon/master.vdi /usr/dindon/clone.vdi