Category Archives: Computing

This category predominantly contains stuff about my computing classes, but I might post general stuff in here about computing from time to time.

Geeking it up together

After working on Summer09 all day (that’s its working title), I’ve decided to take a break now that the hours can now be called “small”.

I was Vimeo stumbling, happy that I have high speed internet access to watching videos in HD, when I found this.

If you’re too lazy to watch the video, basically what it is is a person once in a while opening their home/office/space to random workers, typically freelancers from the looks of things, in a really casual working session. I guess it’s a lot like a hackspace, but solely for laptop work. I love that there are places like this, and I really wish there were more of them.

I’ve looked through the workatjelly wiki for places in the UK that do these, but it doens’t look like there are any set up at the moment. For the moment I’ll stick with the hackspace stuff.

There’s a meeting on Saturday which I’ve nabbed a ticket for, and am definitely going. I’m just planning on taking my laptop so far, but if I can find the money to, I think I’ll hunt down a Maplins and get a arduino board (which I’m not even sure what it is) and generally geek out. I’m hugely excited if not slightly nervous about meeting a group of strangers.

Access your uni drive from anywhere

This is mostly for DMU students, but this might actually turn into a WinSCP tutorial.

Turns out some people didn’t know they have access to their H drive from outside of the lab, so lemme explain how.

Your H drive is actually stored on a Linux server, where you have your own user. I doubt that means much to you if you have to be reading this, but it’s cool. It’s basically having your own account on the operating system, and you can do a lot more than just host files on there, but that’s all we’re bothered about at the moment.

You’ll need to download WinSCP. Install that with the Norton Commander view when prompted for it. Open it up when it’s installed, you’ll get this screen. Fill it up with your information!

WinSCP login screen with my DMU information in it

WinSCP login screen with my DMU information in it

The host name is sftp.cse.dmu.ac.uk, and your username is your P number, with the password you use to log into lab computers. Make sure the file protocol is SFTP.

Then press login, and it’ll take a few seconds to connect. Then you’ll get an window like this:

This is what it looks like when I log in

This is what it looks like when I log in

On the left is the machine that you’re working on now (known as the local machine). They’re all your files and folders on your computer. On the right is your harddrive on DMU’s servers (the remote machine). You can drag and drop files and folders from one computer to the other however you like from then on.

Remember though, don’t delete any of the .whatever files. They’re all configuration files for Linux. To be honest, unless you use PuTTY to access the server command line styles you’ll never be affected by them.

I'd RTFM if I could find it

Tonight’s adventure is going to be understanding how to encrypt stuff using my public key, and then how to unencrypt it.

Here’s my RSA public key:

PuTTY-User-Key-File-2: ssh-rsa
Encryption: aes256-cbc
Comment: My first key
Public-Lines: 4
AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAIBv67wL6ms9S2VKS7FzAKzkU7ikhcbA/W8G7mas
OLT50qFCyPdoh1hlK18Vg/3okbhVybqQmXFKT6jH6+gzRc6yZvUw7rqjAk+j8BMR
nAOVJSr2+YXeJk3OHbcdao83mOKDN/QfV2IsoAYdbEyVtCLRII47tflA/kKDdflH
OfZQbw==

I generated that with puttygen. I use it fine on my server, but I’ve no idea how to use it for anything else. Nor even if I should be.

From there, I’ve really no idea what to do next…

Turns out, ssh-rsa might not be what I want, but I’m going to stick with it. I found an article on public key encryption that looks helpful, but still a bit over my head. I’m tired now though, so I’m going to bed. I’ll look into it again tomorrow.

Just stumbled upon the manual for GPG, which I guess I should be using, maybe? I’ll read it later.

Linux systems get it built into gedit. Pfft.

Hokay! So, that was the wrong key. I’ve made a new one:

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32)

mQGiBEk4LOwRBACLWXX5sPiOB+siESXP4yrqkxXRiaI0B+7i2hbdhhgOEWuhIWHX
ZoU/DkbcqoECBNX5gsrPxuMugtLwG7wuQqHAMhOpvxmKp3JiJu9VRp5FTE3bKOOy
UP/FsqQcIPb2Ja2pVZYphTZKqzRHubbks/FQj82W6tRKvAlRzOkT8QnYGwCg+yhb
GRzwotgkTSgbdTbx9mU5+pMD/jRQqvdDQKwD7Ggidx07q62l+Kp26v7AelnCn9Gk
FQXbPUDF6jYwjkhuFySGQE5yTxaEN/kKYLcdLFQua+gT+trJglD5bbGUVWozLP47
CM1rCqGB+onD8i95CS0xzLOECpE8FinYHNlYMNHfMvLCEtDWD/1i4JDZYG904Sxh
tKBlBACFURBqSvN7XoLWkpmQzpoRaGQMSsTn6ADtN4PMKfiq2GnBqFUvIDmwK0uY
Gyq70Z0q0FUIiBS/jk/PIdv3cC+tHGrIXOE3Pu7onV0czjLMs57j7rMlSdYbFpSZ
vLX+fyufugHbl/2GLDQz43b+OncdXnzbYIEgcO4qN72KCbIOQbQ8U2hhbmUgUHJl
ZWNlIChGaXJzdCBEU0EgYW5kIEVsZ2FtYWwga2V5KSA8c2hhbWVzc0BnbWFpbC5j
b20+iGAEExECACAFAkk4LOwCGwMGCwkIBwMCBBUCCAMEFgIDAQIeAQIXgAAKCRAt
8a+vr0tSdZz8AJwOmIaasZDgxI78U41YAP5GVSDuAwCfUPNVdjdWVada3p0wOGN2
2Nx1gIq5Ag0ESTgs7BAIAKdUDwhjVZjhYr9jWctbSaOUzMAgJCckMeuZANHLj8ZQ
zUXYdM7UvrQFBSMEMINKs2kgrhVIBwQyNDtfHlhGemLMY+LupUD8G3o1K1oMFPE6
fJKtV4YN1c8FiBoQs32aIvtmu6HrlPwSLSGjoCI4VjZM1Uf7yZyO6qMk5Blqh/U5
CicDtbGSHirnAy4hHIsMB+Isph7gegz6bmbDXw0poHeZTepey6IqFTiEZW690IYT
ykbVjx62RzP3mqQbL6LPW79V7lbXEMzRzSg9X0SSjHxgA3GF+IQm/VIp7Ryfbbd+
BjZUiaHVLSTcKMMWXLo5wvEXGrm750MkKiPyLC2UTvsAAwUH/0bAJZNtt6WLwdsh
uALOeT8/USAYig3EEFE9u/Q1My7e9MprPbWkaJQOgVjlR3azZvu41rHUfVmsfJMF
2OhTV/qA5R/tz+TK5W08RRZCqWRuy8+ywSYAk0U16MIO58HoXZ6U50zS0EviyBVY
z/8OgBgHFEJNcZwdf/lC7oZd49XGFTRwCp/bIcpv5sLTxrrMPqed9LuSP6HmhiZk
4rm+6+BY5MWvLhs4Dq6ZbpAgEuabT90J2Ry6QgBGKP6yj8il/eD0ASXDe2RdseGz
RRoGPWWCpd50zZBdpSNP67S5esGKnJXiEe35hkxPwIiasaz0G6j/ftTiCW/35JiI
mXkSsnSISQQYEQIACQUCSTgs7AIbDAAKCRAt8a+vr0tSdWnyAJ91k7o7nZ1pCiwZ
nQF9po9GTctfbACfRIH9OV1qxBfaG4lxBEC3XdZtcvc=
=sYo5
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

Now, I’m working out how to encrypt something.

Huzzah! Done it! So, I have a text file I want to encrypt, textfile.txt which just has “Hi there” in it. Do this to encrypt it, with my own public key:

C:\>gpg --armor --encrypt --recipitent shamess@gmail.com textfile.txt

That should output the encrypted text in ASCII to STDOUT, which for my key is:

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32)
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=tGrq
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----

To decrypt use:

C:\>gpg --decrypt

And then just paste the ASCII.

Today has been productive

Don’t be fooled into believe that I love to tell you all what I’m doing every second of the day, I’m actually only here because World Of Warcraft is doing for maintenance. Why do they take off every realm at the same time? I thought I’d play my dwarf (PVP server) whilst my main is down, but that goes down too. Sucks. So now I’m here.

I still have the problems with graphics on both WoW and GW, with no idea what the problem is. I’ve updated drivers and everything. WoW support have told me to do a memory test, which could take hours so I might do it for when I got to bed. A small part of me wants the memory test to find an error, so I can get it fixed. But at the same time, I don’t want Toshiba to take him again…

I’ve actually done a lot of revision today. That makes me even less nervous. I was shocked to see that my first exam is Friday though… it’s a computing resit. I haven’t actually looked at it at all, to be honest… Tomorrow I shall though, and make sure that I understand all the terms in the specification. As all exams, you only need to learn what they want you to learn, even if it’s not relavant.

What else have I done today… Oh, I’ve started reading a C++ book, which my computing teacher lent me. It’s… huge. I got bored at first, where it’s teaching about variable types and stuff, which I already know. I’m reading it though, since I may miss something C++ specific that’ll confuse me later on in the book.

I suppose I’ll go to sleep now. Wake me up at 1100, when the server is back up.

Why noone gets any work done on these computers

I’m using a college computer, since Niimo is busy with his being fixed and all. These computers are terrible. Really, they’re horrible.

I’m having to adjust to using a mouse again. Once you’ve had the precision of using a tracer pad for a year or so, then you’re given a mouse which doesn’t seem to be able to move in increments of a pixel (it prefers to move in ten pixel chunks), it’s really annoying.

It’s not just that which is annoying. The computer just doesn’t fracking work.

They’ve disabled right click. Who disables right click? I managed to get at my flash drive, and it’s installed start.exe, which I’m sure is a lovely programme. And I can’t install the 2007 patch for Word, so I can do zero work.

Oh right, I could convert it online. But I wouldn’t be able to download the converted file. Joy.

(I’ll fix this post when I get to a computer that works.)

Examiners should stay away from HTML, or get someone who knows it.

Question 7 is disgusting. In fact, take a few moments to read through the question paper and point out a lot of the errors. But it’s the badly form HTML that bothers me most. Why does the exam board want to teach us incorrect information?

I expect that that web page in newer browsers would just break, or it’d be outraged and refuse to show the page. The other HTML questions are awful too. I only got a few marks in one question because I used <p style=”text-align:center;”>, rather than <center>. The thing is, depending on how well the person marking my exam knew HTML, I would have gotten full marks for that bit.

Okay, I guess I was intentionally using CSS because I knew they were looking for <center>, but still, my point’s still valid. AQA shouldn’t be teaching us invalid code.

Exams I'm taking

As a token of how unorganised I am, I wanted to make a post saying what exams I’m taking.

May

In May, I should be (at least, I think I am) retaking computing, unit 2 (CPT2) and law, unit 2 (LAW2). Both of these are AS resits because I failed them last year, which is always fun.

June

A2 exams I’m taking in June are law, unit 6 (LAW6) and unit 4 (LAW4), computing, units 4 (CPT4) and 5 (CPT5), and business studies, unit 11 (BUS11).

I’m resitting law, unit 5 (LAW5).

Jolly good, only seven eight exams. Plus three sets of coursework. Before July. Joy.