GNOME Shell Extensions and Chromium

 Posted on October 1, 2016  |  2 minutes  |  233 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

Most GNOME users may be using one or more extensions for the GNOME Shell. These extensions allow extending functionality for the shell, or modify default behavior, to suit the taste of many users, who may want more than the default. Having flexibility to customize the desktop to ones personal need is a great feature, and the extensions help achieve them. The GNOME Shell Extensions distribution mechanism is primarily through the web. [Read More]
GNOME Shell Extensions  Chromium  Chrome  Browser 

User Mode Linux

 Posted on July 31, 2016  (Last modified on August 1, 2016)  |  4 minutes  |  825 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

Recently, we had the User-Mode Linux suite out of Debian, which included user- mode-linux, user-mode-linux-doc and uml-utilities package. We are happy that we were able to bring it back into the archvie quick, and hope to maintain it active. For many who may not know about UML, here’s a discription from its website: User-Mode Linux is a safe, secure way of running Linux versions and Linux processes. Run buggy software, experiment with new Linux kernels or distributions, and poke around in the internals of Linux, all without risking your main Linux setup. [Read More]
UML  User Mode Linux  debian 

Fully SSL for my website

 Posted on July 15, 2016  |  1 minutes  |  64 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

I finally made full switch to SSL for my website. Thanks to [this](https://hblok.net/blog/posts/2016/02/24/lets-encrypt-tls-certificate- setup-for-apache-on-debian-7/) simple howto on Let’s Encrypt. I had to use the upstream git repo though. The Debian packaged tool, letsencrypt.sh, did not have enough documentation/pointers in place. And finally, thanks to the Let’s Encrypt project as a whole.

PS: http is now redirected to https. I hope nothing really breaks externally.

SSL  https  let's encrypt  eff 

apt-offline backports for Debian Jessie

 Posted on April 14, 2016  |  1 minutes  |  46 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

For Debian Jessie, the version of apt-offline available is: 1.5.1. This version has had some [issues](https://bugs.debian.org/cgi- bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=apt-offline;dist=unstable).

My very 1st backports is available in the form of [apt-offline 1.7 for ](https://packages.debian.org/source/jessie-backports/apt- offline)[Debian](https://packages.debian.org/source/jessie-backports/apt- offline) Jessie Backports. For Debian Jessie users, this should fix most of the issues.

apt-offline  Jessie  Stable  Backports  debian 

Laptop Mode Tools 1.69 Released

 Posted on March 7, 2016  |  3 minutes  |  474 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

Today is an auspicious day. For those who know (or follow) the Hindu religion will be familiar; Today is Maha Shivaratri![](/images/LMT-Maha- Shivaratri.jpeg) On this day, It is great delight for me to be able to release Laptop Mode Tools, version 1.69 This release adds on many bug fixes and some enhancements. There is a new module (disabled by default) for cpuhotplug. The release tarball also includes a basic PolicyKit file for convenience, that packagers can use for the Laptop Mode Tools Graphical Configuration Interface. [Read More]
laptop-mode-tools  shiva  Laptop Mode Tools 

Linux Power Savings 2016

 Posted on March 1, 2016  |  7 minutes  |  1356 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

Having moved to a new place, now at times, I also have to deal with power outages. As heat increases, the power outages will be much longer and more frequent. So much, that UPS and Power Inverters run out. Such are ideal times to measure idle power consumption for my laptop. Here’s what my default (and idle) OS looks like. It should be standard to most “typical” users. Some minor odds could be apport, dnsmasq, and maybe, tor. [Read More]
power saving  laptop-mode-tools  laptop  battery 

Linux IO + Memory + CPU Contention

 Posted on February 26, 2016  |  1 minutes  |  165 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

I very recently met someone, and we had a good productive discussion on the features and (long standing) bugs of the Linux kernel. No doubt, Linux is the most featureful kernel in the market. Is also a lot appealing given its breadth of platform support. Of that discussion we had, it led about Linux’s behavior in tighter stressed scenarios where there is a lot of contention among the core subsystems. From the conversation, I got the feedback that perhaps the issue is no more valid. [Read More]
linux  memory  block  cpu  contention 

Micro DD meetup

 Posted on July 20, 2015  |  3 minutes  |  621 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

A couple of us DDs met here on the weekend. It is always a fun time, being part of these meetings. We talked briefly about the status of Cross Compilation in Debian, on the tools that simplify the process. Next we touched upon licensing, discussing the benefits of particular licenses (BSD, Apache, GPL) from the point of view of the consumer. The consumer being an individual just wanting to use/improve software, to a consumer who’s building a (free / non-free) product on top of it. [Read More]
linux containers  lxc  systemd  systemd-nspawn  machinectl 

Apport Integration with Debian - GSoC Update

 Posted on July 6, 2015  |  1 minutes  |  199 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

For this year’s Google Summer of Code, I have been mentoring Yuru Roy Shao, on Integrating Apport with Debian. Yuru is a CS student studying at University of Michigan, USA completing his PhD. For around 2+ years, Apport was packaged for Debian, but remained in Experimental. While we did have a separate (Debian BTS aware) crashdb, the general concerns (bug spam, too many duplicates etc) were the reason we held its inclusion. [Read More]
GSoC  Google Summer of Code  apport  debian 

Lenovo Yoga 2 13 with Debian

 Posted on May 19, 2015  (Last modified on May 24, 2015)  |  21 minutes  |  4386 words  |  Ritesh Raj Sarraf

I recently acquired a [Lenovo Yoga 2 13](http://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo- yoga-2-13-inch/). While, at the time, the Yoga 3 was available, I decided to go for Yoga 2 13. The Yoga 3 comes with the newer Core M Broadwell family, which, in my opinion, [doesn’t really bring any astounding benefits](http://www.digitalversus.com/laptop/lenovo-ideapad- yoga-2-13-3-p18512/test.html). The Yoga 2 13 comes in mulitple variants worldwide. Infact these hardware variations have different effets when run under Linux. My varaint of Yoga 2 13 is: [Read More]
Lenovo  Yoga  Yoga 2 13  debian