Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2008 September 9

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

September 9

Linus without login

Which Linux variants allow you to define a single user environment, where no logon is required ? Is the single user environment the default in any of them ? 68.74.2.210 (talk) 00:51, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

It's pretty easy to change the default runstate from multiuser to single-user in any Linux distro that I'm aware of. In SuSE Linux (for example) you can use the "Yast" setup tool - go to "System Services - hit the "Expert Mode" and select which runstate the system starts up in - and which services run in each state.

If you want to do it "old school" - you can change the default runlevel by editing the file "/etc/inittab" in any system based on Linux (or even UNIX for that matter).

init:5:initdefault

The '5' is the default runlevel - changing that to a '1' would start the system in single-user mode.

The following lines specify which program is run to start the system in each 'runlevel'.

Be really careful though - any error in this file will probably prevent Linux from booting! Make sure you make a safe copy of the original file and have a "Live CD" that you can boot from, mount your hard drive and then restore the default if you screw up!

SteveBaker (talk) 06:13, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. As per the following post, does this start in a Windows-like mode or as a command line interface ? 68.74.2.210 (talk) 16:09, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

what you want to do is probably NOT "single user mode" in the sense that many linux experts use it (i.e. you're dropped to a root command line with no GUI) - it sounds like what you're looking for is more like auto-login, which I think you can set up through the control center in either gnome or kde. --Random832 (contribs) 15:38, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

I do want a Windows-type user interface, but want to have full access without having to switch to "root" or "admin" or whatever. I also don't want to have to enter a username and password. 68.74.2.210 (talk) 16:07, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

Installation went wrong, it stopped halfway, now I have only 50 % of the files installed and it is impossible both to uninstall AND re-install !

Hey, I was gonna install a game on my computer - but something went wrong during installation, when I was gonna swap from cd 1 to cd 2 to continue the last half of the installation.

WHen i put in cd 2 it did not start up again and the whole installation thingy crashed and stopped as a message came up; "Program does not answer". And then when the game was only halfway installed, with only half of the files, it seems the install/uninstall program following with the game was among the files not installed(or i don't really know) and now it is impossible to uninstall the game again or to continue installation. And ofcourse, I can't start from scratch either when half of the gamefiles are still lying in the computers filelist in "controlpanel" and on the harddisk. when trying to uninstall, it says the uninstall-file are corrupted or not valid, so...

What must I do??

I really want to get to install the game properly and get to playing but now it seems this computer vs. the game is "locked", and only way for me to play the game would be on another computer. But of course, I have only one computer ...

AND I DO KNOW FOR 100% SURE THAT THE GAME IS COMPLETELY COMPATIBLE WITH THE COMPUTER'S SYSTEM, and vice versa so that really isn't any problem at all. It was simply really bad luck that the program stopped working during installation. Baddest possible timing :S

Must I turn on "safemodus" or whatever it is called on my computer and delete the whole thing from there?? I don't even know how to start "safemodus"... I've only seen it the few times my computer has crashed and when it restarts it asks if I wanna start windows in "safemodus" or in normal modus. I've never been on safemodus before though, don't know if its a complicated thing. ANd I have no idea how to MANUALLY do this or if this is even the right thing that i need to do to fix this. I'm sure you know of what i speak even though i might not use the correct words...

Any kind of help and guidance about how I can clear up the mess, clear up the files and get to start a new installation from scratch again would be GREAT. I really hope to manage to fix this.

Thank you, hoping for help :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.49.179.208 (talk) 01:19, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

If you can find the files on your hard drive, you could delete them manually, then try to reinstall the game. What sort of computer do you have? If it's a Windows, I could try to help you find the files... I'm hopeless with Macs, though. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 01:45, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Ok i'll do as you say, simply deleting the folder with all the files in and then return to see what you have in mind. although, the file/program-list in contropanle for sure still have the name of the game in the list there. that's not good i think.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.49.179.208 (talk) 01:54, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

In terms of knowing in advance whether the game will work with your computer...No, it's essentially impossible to know for sure. There are hundreds of graphics cards, hundreds of sound cards, hundreds of network cards, dozens of CPU's many amounts of RAM you might have...joysticks, mice, operating systems and revision levels, plugins, disk capacities and configurations, virus checkers...the number of possible combinations is astronomical. The possible interactions between those things is enormous and it's quite beyond the ability of any game manufacturer to actually GUARANTEE that the game will work on any particular combination. We check the most common things - but there can't EVER be a rock solid guarantee. That's why games manufacturers like game consoles. They are certainly slower and harder to program than PC's but because all Xbox360's are one of about four possibilities and all PS-3's are of just a few kinds - and there is really only one Wii, NDS, PSP, etc - it's fairly easy to test exhaustively on all of them and know for absolute certain that your game will work. But with the PC (and increasingly, the Mac) it's just a nightmare. SteveBaker (talk) 02:05, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

To answer you Steve Baker, I know for sure because I have had this exact game installed on this exact computer before, and then uninstalled it again. But I appreciate that you take time to answer me nontheless :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.49.179.208 (talk) 02:12, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

1. Go to Start, then Run..., then type installer.
2. Go to View and click Details.
3. Go to View and click Choose Details.
4. Check Subject.
5. Click on the Subject column.
6. Find the name of the game and double-click on the file. That will run the installer.
7. Go to Start, then Run..., then type regedit.
8. Press CTRL + F and type the name of the game.
9. Delete anything with the game's name in it and keep pressing F3 until regedit can't find any more.
10. Go to My Computer, then Tools, then Folder Options...
11. Click the View tab, then check the option to show hidden files.
12. Go to My Computer, then Documents and Settings, then your user folder, then Local Settings, then Application Data.
13. Delete any folder belonging to the game if there is one.
14. Restart your computer.--Birdsusing nnn (talk) 02:18, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Anon proxy with POST & HTTPS

Can you recommend a free anonymous proxy on the web that supports POST form submissions and cookies, and supports connecting to HTTPS websites? --71.141.145.85 (talk) 01:51, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Isn't that impossible? Cookies (for example) are there precisely to identify your computer to the server. If you put them on some proxy - then it's not going to remember you as you travel around their site. I presume that similar issues arise with HTTPS. SteveBaker (talk) 01:55, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Why couldn't the proxy keep track of which cookie belongs to which session? It's easy to find anon proxies that claim to support POST and cookies if you have a paid account. (Example : [1] ) APL (talk) 02:22, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

However I strongly suspect that you will have a very hard time finding proxies that offer free POST support. That would attract spammers like moths to a porch light. APL (talk) 02:30, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh. Possibly I'm an idiot. These two both seem to support POST. : [2] [3] APL (talk) 02:33, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Proxying HTTPS is not possible: there's no difference between an HTTPS proxy and a man-in-the-middle attack. --Carnildo (talk) 21:03, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Proxying HTTPS is possible: there's no difference between an HTTPS proxy and a port forwarder --tcsetattr (talk / contribs) 22:06, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Encyclopedia Dramatica hosts file entry

I was just in Windows command prompt where I used the "ipconfig /displaydns" command. It looks clean, except that I noticed an entry for encyclopediadramatica that somehow referred to 127.0.0.1 (localhosts) - see image. I then found it listed in my "hosts" file. Only once or twice a long while ago, did I ever visit that site to see what it was about. I regret ever going there. Anyway, how did this ever get added? Aside from the hosts file, are there other such issues with encyclopediadramatica, in terms of malicious spyware or changes to computer settings? --Aude (talk) 02:34, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Setting the IP address to 127.0.0.1 is a technique to keep you from connecting to the site. I know Spybot Search and Destroy's Immunize feature does this. That's not your complete hosts file, just the part loaded into the Resolver Cache. Take a look at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts for the whole story. Sometimes malware will set the IP address of a site to another malicious site inside your hosts file. In that case you'd have a site like Google being resolved to a computer in Russia, for example. But it wouldn't be set to your own computer (127.0.0.1).--Birdsusing nnn (talk) 02:40, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for the answer. It makes sense that Spybot is doing its job and probably added it. --Aude (talk) 12:53, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

You're welcome.--Birdsusing nnn (talk) 16:39, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Isn't 127.0.0.1 a loopback address? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Schwarzes Nacht (talk • contribs) 01:52, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

That's the trick. Bad sites that you want to block will be directed to your machine...which doesn't go anywhere =) --mboverload@ 07:10, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Plain text in Eudora

I am using Eudora v7.1. I subscribe to a mailing list which supports only plain-text messages (they try to convert HTML, but the moderator tells me it's broken and I really need to send plain text to this recipient). I am unable to find anything about how to do this either under Options or in the program's online help. Ma^t_chups 04:22, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Tools -> Options -> Styled Text -> "Send plain text" and/or "Ask me each time". Saintrain (talk) 12:05, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Computer Lock (physical)

I don't know if this belongs here or in Misc: My computer case (PC tower, specifically a Thermaltake) locks closed. Unfortunately, my case lock seems to have jammed, and I cannot now open it using the key. I can put the key in, but it won't budge. Any ideas on what to do?

• There are no accessible screws in the case door where the lock is nested.
• The case panels cannot be removed without being damaged; they are locked to the case (requiring this lock to open first).

What are my options (apart from sawing through the case)? The Jade Knight (talk) 05:40, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Well, if the lock is useless anyway - you could drill out the lock mechanism. That's not going to damage the case panels. However, I'd be very nervous about getting metal shavings inside the case. I guess I'd try to prop the case between a couple of chairs or something - with the lock facing downwards so I could drill upwards and make sure the shavings fall downwards - away from the circuitry, drives, fans and other bits and pieces. You'd want to put a collar onto the drill bit to limit how deep you could drill - you don't want the bit going through the case and embedding itself in the CPU or something! SteveBaker (talk) 05:58, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

What kind of a drill would I need for this? The Jade Knight (talk) 09:05, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

I would suggest an electric drill with a bit suitable for drilling steel and that is a few millimetres smaller than the lock barrel. However, before drilling the lock out you might want to try lubricating the lock first - something like WD-40 might do the trick. Astronaut (talk) 13:01, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Not sure where I'd find such a drill; I don't own anything of that size, myself. Anyway, how does one go about lubricating a lock (and what does it do)? In case it's relevant: I can access one side of the lock (there's a small hole in the case next to it). It appears as solid metal on the outside, however, and I'm not sure what good it does me. The Jade Knight (talk) 13:59, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Given the cost of a mistake and your lack of experience with the required tools, I would suggest finding a locksmith. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:13, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Can you take the key back out? If so, try a very small squirt of WD-40 into the actual key hole. Matt Deres (talk) 16:56, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh - yes indeed - if you haven't already tried lubricating the lock (sorry - I assumed you would have) - then do so. However, don't use oil (even WD-40). It attracts and retains dust and you end up with a gummy mess that'll make it even worse the next time around! To properly lubricate a lock, you need a dry graphite lubricant. Check your local DIY store - they'll have the right stuff. SteveBaker (talk) 17:39, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Next time ? If I ever had a lock that froze up on me, I'd never lock it again, as it might very well freeze up again, no matter what lubricant is used. 68.74.2.210 (talk) 16:18, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

I'll try that; thanks. The Jade Knight (talk) 23:53, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

When using the lubricant, hopefully it comes with a little red tube, which inserts into the spray nozzle. Push the other end inside the lock in all available holes, and spray for a couple seconds. I'd also position the computer so the lock is down for this, so oil won't drip into the "works". Put some newspapers underneath to catch drips, and wear goggles, or at least glasses, so you don't get any spray in your eyes. Open some windows to get rid of the fumes. Once the lock is sprayed with oil, put the key back in and work it back and forth. Also try pulling the key slightly out before turning, as some locks "catch" if you push the key all the way in. 68.74.2.210 (talk) 16:29, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

Need advice buying on a laptop

Hey guys its the same guy who posted a question on 3rd Sep. I've spent a few days searching around for the best deal and I believe I've found it. Just wondering what you in the know think of this laptop's graphics card - most importantly is it good enough to play CSS on? Here's the link

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-4693.aspx

Many thanks in advance —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.10.188.98 (talk) 10:54, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Most computers nowadays will run Counter-strike: Source fine, and that one will run it great. 193.194.132.78 (talk) 12:54, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

thanks a lot :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.18.176.84 (talk) 20:10, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Image search

Resolved

Does something like this exists -- A search engine that will take an image as input, instead of keywords, and search the web for exactly same or similar pictures. No, I'm not talking about this. I must be able to upload a picture from my computer and it will look for similar or same picture on the web. Does this exist, or is someone planning to make this? (Google?) -59.95.115.73 (talk) 14:23, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

See Visual Search Engine; I think TinEye (in the links) is supposed to do something like what you want (for the purpose of finding copyright violations). -- Coneslayer (talk) 14:31, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! And that was damn quick Coneslayer. -59.95.115.73 (talk) 14:44, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Technicolor Effect

Is it possible to replicate the technicolor "effect" using say, video recorded via iphone? If so, what programs would I look into? What processes? Etc... Preferably something that can work within the iphone,without me having to transfer video into my computer, but I'm easy. This was previously asked at the humanities desk, and I was informed I'd probably have better luck here. Thanks!

Kenjibeast (talk) 23:37, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

No. Not very well anyway. The iPhone's camera, along with pretty much every single other camera phone, is crappy. It has low dynamic range and a very small sensor size, which means you will not get anywhere near the shallow DOF effect and will have half your video turned into white whenever the sky is involved, neither of which is (easily) fixable in software. If you have something shot in for example the Nikon D90, which has a sensor size very similar to 35mm film and a dynamic range that's lightyears better than camera phones, it might work with some careful twiddling with levels etc., but what you're trying to do is basically trying to make a bicycle sound like a supercar. --antilived^{T | C | G} 23:53, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Also see filmizing, "Footage that has been shot with the knowledge that it will be subsequently electronically filmized is usually shot in a very different way, with film-style lighting and framing. Regardless, there have been several attempts to process ordinary videotape to look like film, usually with little success.". To look like film is not an "effect", it's superiority. --antilived^{T | C | G} 00:00, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Squeezing the last from a dying HD

I have a 110 GB HD that is edging towards failure. It's already lost some files due to corruption. Everything has been transferred to a new drive, but since the old one is still more or less functional, I thought I could keep it in service and save my other HD from some wear and tear by copying (not moving) all my music to it and playing it from that drive. That's what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks (after reformatting). What are the likely outcomes when this drive finally croaks? Will it matter? ----Seans Potato Business 15:21, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

You're probably not saving the other HD from wear and tear - google released a survey they'd done a while ago (of their enormous population of disks) and they saw little to no correlation between use and failure. Failure is generally either a snowballing degradation of the drive's surfaces or weird electrical failures (due to weird chemical things happening on chips, wiring, glues, and solders). The drive will either take longer and longer to read (and may eventually time out a given read) or (if it has a smarter drive controller) just give up and power itself off ("spindown"). Nice OSes (and drive adapters) take this in their stride (hello Solaris), but some are jerks about it (Windows Explorer has a tiresome habit of saying "that unimportant disk isn't responding; I'm going to jam up in synchronous-io-hell for ages"). I'd bin the drive now. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:30, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Before you bin it, I highly recommend a product called SpinRite. I've had a bunch of drives that I thought was dying, and when I used SpinRite on them, almost all of them continued functioning for a significant amount of time (I'm talking 6 months to a year longer than they would have otherwise). I realise I sound like a commercial, but it is almost supernatural how good it is. It's not entirely cheap, but it's worth it in the long run from the money you save on new harddrives. 195.58.125.46 (talk) 18:09, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Old hard drives, unless being used for unimportant backups, should be wiped with something like Darik's Boot and Nuke or physically destroyed. They are a waste of power, add heat to your computer, and are unreliable. Once a hard drive starts going bad you need to get off it ASAP. I say this from experience dealing with supporting computers at the end of their life that have bad sectors, unreadable parts of the disk, etc. Even if I/we repair the bad sectors the hard drives usually come back a few weeks later from the field...dead.

However painful it may seem, one day you will realize that 1 $100 hard drive will replace four (4) 120 gig drives or eight (8) 80 gigabyte drives and be MUCH more reliable and MUCH faster. I have been though this, as I currently have an assortment of 80 gig and 120 gig drives that I've removed from my computer...replaced by 1 drive that is faster and more robust than anything before it.

However, I am not going to discount 195.*'s recommendations, if you are tight for cash and already have the data backed up. Just realize your hard drive is going to die and it's taking your data with it.--mboverload@ 02:18, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Strong agree - at the first sign of weakness, cull it from the herd. Put it out of its misery - tell your kids it's living on a farm in Iowa. Buy a new one that's ten times cuter and a third the price. (or whatever it is this week). SteveBaker (talk) 20:52, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Showing owner's name on photo shooting info

There is a field in the shooting info that shows up with my photos for "owner's name". Right now this appears blank on all my photos. I would like to know how to make my name show up in this field, but have been unable to find any setting in either my photo software or the camera itself, to do this. I am wondering if anyone can tell me how it's done. I use a Canon Rebel XT (digital), in case this is relevant. Thanks for any help you can offer. 66.183.142.226 (talk) 16:50, 9 September 2008 (UTC)LMacB

Are you looking at JPG files or RAW files? What software are you using? --LarryMac | Talk 18:03, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Following up myself - ExifTool looks like it can write just about any metadata tags you want. It doesn't have a pretty GUI though. --LarryMac | Talk 18:14, 9 September 2008 (UTC)