Install FTP Server in Ubuntu for Cloud Computing

Use an old PC as an FTP server for Cloud

Do you have a desktop that is left on all 24/7? Do you have an old computer lying around with an outdated processor you think is useless? Are you looking for some way to repurpose your old outdated desktop or laptop? All you need is a desktop computer with available hard drive space and you can set up your own, personal and secure cloud server. There are a few IP protocols that can be used for this. In this post you will learn how to set up an FTP based cloud server using your old and outdated desktop or laptop. The reasons to use an outdated PC are numerous however, the main reason being that serving data to only a few users does not require nearly as many system resources as running applications as a single user with a GUI front-end.

--> File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a TCP protocol for uploading and downloading files between computers. FTP works on a client/server model. The server component is called an FTP daemon. It continuously listens for FTP requests from remote clients. When a request is received, it manages the login and sets up the connection. For the duration of the session it executes any of commands sent by the FTP client.

FTP Server Installation - VSFTPD

vsftpd is an FTP daemon available in Ubuntu. It is easy to install, set up, and maintain. To install vsftpd you can run the following command:

sudo apt-get install vsftpd

Anonymous FTP Configuration

By default vsftpd is configured to only allow anonymous download. During installation a ftp user is created with a home directory of /home/ftp. This is the default FTP directory. If you wish to change this location, to /srv/ftp for example, simply create a directory in another location and change the ftp user's home directory:

sudo mkdir /srv/ftp
sudo usermod -d /srv/ftp ftp

After making the change restart vsftpd:

sudo /etc/init.d/vsftpd restart

Finally, copy any files and directories you would like to make available through anonymous FTP to /srv/ftp.

Configure FTP Server

• FTP Server configuration is done by editing the /etc/vsftpd.conf file.
• To edit this file type the following command in Terminal:

gksu gedit /etc/vsftpd.conf

Disable Anonymous FTP

Change the line:

anonymous_enable=YES

to:

anonymous_enable=NO

Allow Local Users to Connect

Add:

local_enable=YES

Allow Users to Upload files

Add:

write_enable=YES

Open port on Router

Now all you need to do is open up port 21 in your router so that your ftp server will be available to users outside your local network. It can be accessed using the IP address assigned to you by your ISP.

iOS 7.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2 Security and Bug Fixes | iPhone 5c 5s improvements |

With the release of iOS 7 last month we have seen the best that Apple has to offer thus far. For some though, the many improvements to the popular iOS may be overshadowed by continuing bugs and security flaws, across the entire range of Apple's iOS compatible products. The iPhone 5S is having its newest feature, a fingerprint scanner, extremely criticized as being easily hackable. Apple does not completely agree with these claims but does agree that it is possible. The Touch ID scanner is reportedly able to be hacked with the installation of an exploiting application.

In only a few weeks after the release of iOS 7.0 two more versions have followed -- iOS 7.0.1 and 7.0.2. The 7.0.1 update was strictly meant for the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S, which contained various bug fixes and improvements as usual. iOS 7.0.2, released September 26th, contained major security fixes for the iPhone 4 and later devices. On these devices it was possible for a person with physical access to the device to be able to make calls to any number.

Description: A NULL dereference existed in the lock screen which would cause it to restart if the emergency call button was tapped repeatedly. While the lock screen was restarting, the call dialer could not get the lock screen state and assumed the device was unlocked, and so allowed non-emergency numbers to be dialed. This issue was addressed by avoiding the NULL dereference. -- Apple

Additionally someone with physical access to a device may also be able to see recently used applications, as well as see, edit, and share a users photos.

Description: The list of apps you opened could be accessed during some transitions while the device was locked, and the Camera app could be opened while the device was locked. -- Apple

These seem to be some rather serious flaws for a flagship operating system release although not uncommon for any OS release of this magnitude.  Apple reportedly sold over nine million new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C models in three days following the launch on September 20th. Additionally more than 200 million iOS devices are now running iOS 7, making it the fastest upgrade in history.

Leaked photos show iPad Mini 2 with fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint Scanner for iPad Mini 2 | Will iPad Mini have fingerprint scanner ? |

On September 27th 2013 DoNews, a Chinese News agency released leaked photos of Apple's iPad Mini 2. These photos show the new iPad model to have the same gold style backing as the new iPhone 5S. The "Home" button also appears to be very similar to that of the iPhone 5S. The same metallic ring around the button can be seen, indicating the iPad Mini 2 may come fully equipped with a fingerprint scanner.

It will be very interesting to see if Apple does choose to include a fingerprint scanner with Touch ID to enable users to now unlock their Apple iPad Mini 2, after much criticism about the tech giant openly sharing information with the United States National Security Agency (NSA).

The new security feature, Touch ID, for the iPhone is also receiving some criticism about being easily hackable. Some YouTube videos can show this security measure being hacked in under 30 hours. This would seem to contradict Apple's high thoughts of the security feature, claiming that there are only 1 in 50,000 odds that another print could be recognized instead of the real one. Also that this 1 in 50,000 is far better than the 1 in 10,000 odds of guessing a typical 4-digit passcode.

iPhone 5S Insecure Fingerprint Scanner | Hacking iPhone5S touchID | touchID as UserName not Password

Last month Apple unveiled and released yet another iPhone, complete with a fingerprint scanner for password access and a new classy clean look and feel. Some are suggesting that using a fingerprint as the password is a terrible idea, if anything a fingerprint may be used as a username or ID. Skeptics claim that we put our fingerprints everywhere, including all over the fingerprint protected iPhone 5S.

Also last month the Chaos Computer Club demonstrated in the video below just how insecure the Apple TouchID is.

If the absolute insecurity of biometric locks on your iPhone is not enough to discourage or prevent you from using this type of technology, you should be concerned about PRIVACY. Tim Richardson of Apple's North American Marketing team admitted that Apple will be sharing this data collected from their users with the NSA and possibly other security agencies.

 “Frankly, if a person is foolish enough to allow something as specific and criminally implicit as their fingerprints to be cataloged by faceless corporations and Government officials… Well, you can’t exactly blame us for capitalizing upon it, can you? Personally, I believe this effort will support a greater good. Some of the folks they’re hoping to apprehend are quite dangerous. Besides, it’s not like this is covered in the Constitution.”                     - Mr. Richardson

 The horrible truth of the entire thing is that users, Apple users, are readily volunteering this information under specific terms which grant  Apple permission to share personal data like fingerprints with government security agencies. These government agencies claim this type of technology could greatly help in apprehending criminals who have alluded the government for some time, by the creation of a special database, able to be merged with Apple's biometric database.

Juju and Charms for all Operating Systems | Openstack | Ubuntu Cloud

The latest development for Ubuntu Cloud services, tools and technologies is creatively called "Juju." It provides instant cloud solutions to build, integrate and scale services on any cloud in just seconds according to recent promotional texts. Probably the coolest feature of Juju is that it utilizes "Charms" to define applications as services. Currently there are 100's of Charms that have already been created by experts to help define infrastructure. Additionally users can easily create their own Charms to meet necessary infrastructure needs and requirements.

A few of the essential Charms to help you accomplish everything you need to include; WordPress, Hadoop, Cassandra, Ceph, MongoDB and MySQL.

With Apache Hadoop processing of large datasets can easily be spread out across a cluster of computers to accomplish that task much faster. MySQL is a fast and stable mulit-threaded SQL database server. By packaging these in Charm format they are highly scalable and can even be customized later.

Amazingly Juju is available for nearly any platform including; Ubuntu, Mac OS X, and Windows. To install on Mac OS X Homebrew is required. Juju has been packaged natively to install on Microsoft Windows 7 and 8.

Logic Pro for Ubuntu Linux ? | Best Music Production Apps for Ubuntu | DAW Software for Ubuntu

Is there software like Logic Pro for Mac available for Ubuntu?

Most avid hobbyist musicians out there have likely heard of, or used, Logic Pro for Mac. This is one of many industry standard application for music creation; in fact it is even required by some college music programs. So you may be wondering, Is there anything like this for Ubuntu?

Well, yes, and a huge, resounding No! There are various Linux applications for music production but, nothing comes close to matching Logic Pro.

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Alternatives for Logic Pro, Cubase, or ProTools for Ubuntu:

OS X 10.8.4 | i5 3570k | Gigabyte Z77-DS3H | 8 GB RAM | NVIDIA GT620 HDMI DVI VGA Working

Are you looking for a cheap, effective and most importantly, OS X compatible Hackintosh system build? Choosing a motherboard can be one of the most difficult tasks, as this is the most critical component that must be compatible with OS X. Arguably the best motherboards for building a Hackintosh are made by Gigabyte; having almost complete driver compatibility with OS X.

NZXT Source 210 ELITE Midtower Case

For this build the Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77-DS3H was used. Installation of OS X 10.8.3 (later 10.8.4) is nearly as simple as installing a Windows operating system. Changing SATA mode in bios to AHCI is the only bios preference that needs to be changed before beginning the installation.

When combined with an Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor this machine boasts phenomenal geek bench scores, handling many intense operations with ease. To further improve on this build without needing to modify the installation method an Intel Core i7-3770K Quad-Core Processor could be substituted for the 3570K. Both of these processor options permit the use of Intel HD4000 integrated graphics, however this is not recommended if you would like use of a VGA port, still common on many monitors.

All of the Nvidia GT 600 series graphics cards should be fully compatible out of the box; OS X already has these drivers! For a cost effective and balanced graphics card, the Gigabyte GeForce GT 620 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Cardis an excellent choice ($55.00). This card would not be recommended for transcoding/editing video, but it is a great choice for the everyday user or music production center. 

To harness the power of the i5 3570K or i7 3770K at least a Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz Memory Kit or for Logic Pro X users, a Corsair Vengeance  16GB (2x8GB)  DDR3 1600 MHz Desktop Memory Kit should be used to provide ample room for loading large virtual instruments or intense multi tasking.

We're almost done with this build except for a power supply. When choosing a power supply you want to be sure you think ahead for future expansions. Sure, 4 SATA power ports and one 6-Pin PCI may be enough now, but not when you want to add a few more hard drives or optical drives or maybe even two graphics cards bridged via SLI. It may seem like a waste of money to purchase a high end power supply but it will save you from many headaches in the future. I have found that some of the lower end power supplies do not even have a long enough CPU power cable to reach the motherboard if the case requires bottom mounting of the power supply (like this NZXT Case). Also an efficient power supply can drastically reduce system temperatures, mainly by reducing case temperatures, maintaining a cooler environment can be critical to prolonging system life and pushing a higher over-clock. 

This Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supply is an excellent choice. It provides 2 PCI-E, 6 SATA, and 4 4-Pin peripheral connectors, all while being rated 80+ Bronze efficiency. Also the modular cabling system allows you to connect only the cables you need so as not to interfere with airflow and reducing clutter inside the case.

A Look at Specifications:

A Look at Logic Pro X and Komplete 8 Ultimate Performance:

Multibeast Settings:

After completing the MultiBeast installation, while booting, the Apple boot screen would not go away, and the progress indicator would spin indefinitely. At this time I was using a VGA display which is not supported by the Apple HD4000 kernel extension. After switching to an HDMI display I was no longer haunted by the eternal Apple boot screen, but rather an astoundingly quick boot followed by a complete loss of signal to the HDMI display. After trying the go to troubleshooting technique of unplugging and re-inserting the HDMI cable in the motherboard to no avail, I realized that the computer had booted completely but left me with no video signal.

Using boot flag PCIRootUID=1, the system would boot completely, but the HD4000 graphics were not functioning as they should, and appeared to be using only basic generic drivers/kexts rendering the graphics flickering and laggy. I thought, at least now I will be able to test the audio, NOPE! No audio output or input options were available in System Preferences>>Audio.

After installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling various drivers for Intel HDA with only partial successes, cracking and popping, but now with available inputs and outputs displayed in Audio preferences, I reinstalled OS X Combo Update 10.8.4 to reset all audio kexts I had messed with. This time booting with PCIRootUID=0 and using a GeForce 8400 GS graphics card I was able to boot flawlessly  into OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.4 with adequate graphics performance and crystal clear audio!

It would seem to me that the Intel HD 4000 graphics may not be fully or properly supported on the Gigabyte Z77-DS3H motherboard or within OS X. For those considering a similar build I recommend ditching the integrated graphics and spending a few bucks on a well supported Nvidia graphics card. This will surely save you much head banging while installing your build.

OS X 10.8.4 on Gigabyte Z77 DS3H w/ Intel 3570K HD 4000: Hackintosh

Custom Mac's or Hackintosh computers; running OS X on non-Apple, PC hardware, is becoming easier and easier with new Gigabyte motherboards that boast Dual UEFI BIOS. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) provides a software interface between an operating system and the platform hardware, replacing the traditional basic input/output system (BIOS). This relieves hackintosh builders of the tedious task of creating a custom and/or unique Differentiated System Description Table (DSDT) to allow the operating system to utilize available platform hardware; audio, video, network, memory, etc.

Recently I assembled a "hackintosh" utilizing the Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77-DS3H and the Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor with Intel HD 4000 graphics. Installation via tonymacx86's UniBeast with OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3, later updated with Combo Update 10.8.4, was a walk in the park however, enabling HD 4000 graphics was not so much.

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The Build:
NZXT Source 210 Midtower Case

Corsair Builder Series CX 600 Watt ATX/EPS  80 PLUS (CX600)

Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77-DS3H

        Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core  LGA 1155

Kingston Technology HyperX 8 GB (2x4 GB Modules) 1600 MHz DDR3
EVGA GeForce GT 620 1024MB GDDR3, DVI, VGA and HDMI Graphics Card

OCZ Technology 128GB Vertex 4 Series SATA 6.0 GB/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive 

Below are the MultiBeast installation options used:

After completing the MultiBeast installation, while booting, the Apple boot screen would not go away, and the progress indicator would spin indefinitely. At this time I was using a VGA display which is not supported by the Apple HD4000 kernel extension. After switching to an HDMI display I was no longer haunted by the eternal Apple boot screen, but rather an astoundingly quick boot followed by a complete loss of signal to the HDMI display. After trying the go to troubleshooting technique of unplugging and re-inserting the HDMI cable in the motherboard to no avail, I realized that the computer had booted completely but left me with no video signal.

Using boot flag PCIRootUID=1, the system would boot completely, but the HD4000 graphics were not functioning as they should, and appeared to be using only basic generic drivers/kexts rendering the graphics flickering and laggy. I thought, at least now I will be able to test the audio, NOPE! No audio output or input options were available in System Preferences>>Audio.

After installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling various drivers for Intel HDA with only partial successes, cracking and popping, but now with available inputs and outputs displayed in Audio preferences, I reinstalled OS X Combo Update 10.8.4 to reset all audio kexts I had messed with. This time booting with PCIRootUID=0 and using a GeForce 8400 GS graphics card I was able to boot flawlessly  into OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.4 with adequate graphics performance and crystal clear audio!

It would seem to me that the Intel HD 4000 graphics may not be fully or properly supported on the Gigabyte Z77-DS3H motherboard or within OS X. For those considering a similar build I recommend ditching the integrated graphics and spending a few bucks on a well supported Nvidia graphics card. This will surely save you much head banging while installing your build.