TechSource: Best System Benchmarking Tools For Linux

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Best System Benchmarking Tools For Linux Posted: 30 May 2012 06:58 PM PDT Whether you want to overclock your PC or flaunt its computing prowess to your tech-crazy buddies, benchmarking is something that has interested tinkerers and newbies alike. The simple process lets users understand the limits of their system, thus making it easier for them to overclock it to the maximum. Furthermore, tech bloggers and reviewers often use benchmarking tools to compare various hardware and gadgets. And though, there are plethora of benchmarking software for Windows and Mac OS X, our beloved Linux is somewhat lacking in this department. It's not like the penguinland doesn't have any benchmarking tools, in fact, there are a dozen or more of them just waiting to be installed. The problem is, however, that many of them are not that user-friendly, and only few of them can be recommended to new users. Today, we have compiled a small list of all the benchmarking tools out there for Linux so that you would know the true powers of your beloved computer. Phoronix Test Suite Popular tech site Phoronix is quite famous for its comprehensive benchmarks and gadget reviews. Along with the support of many hardware and software vendors, the team developed an extensive testing tool called the Phoronix Test Suite. Licensed under GNU GPL v3, the cross-platform benchmarking tool comes with 130+ test profiles and 60+ test suites. The suite also supports PNG, JPG, GIF, Adobe SWF, and SVG Graph Rendering support. With a nice-looking GTK2 GUI, the free tool provides a global database for result uploads and benchmark comparisons. That said, if you're a little worried about your system getting messed up during the benchmarks (which is quite unlikely), you can download the Linux-based Live DVD/USB Testing distribution called PTS Desktop Live. The free distribution is a great way to test any computer for stability problems and for measuring performance in general. LMbench LMbench is a suite of simple, portable benchmarks to measure performance of UNIX systems. Though not as easy-to-use as the other tools on this list, LMbench is great for bandwidth benchmarks like memory copy, memory read, for latency benchmarks, and for processor clock rate calculation. Geekbench Though not FOSS, Geekbench does provide comprehensive benchmarking resources for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux users alike. One of the prominent features of this tool is its support for multicore computers, that is, Geekbench measures the performance of all cores of the system (even works for a 12-core MacBook Pro!). Also compatible with 64-bit computers, Geekbench comes with a very easy-to-use feature called one-click benchmark that eliminates the need for tweaking with any complex settings. Though cross-platform, Geekbench is neither free nor open-source. You are needed to 'pay and unlock' the software for use. Iozone Iozone is an award-winning benchmarking tool for filesystems. The free and open-source tools generate and measure a variety of file operations on almost every major platform. Iozone checks the file I/O performance for the following operations: Read, write, re-read, re-write, read backwards, read strided, fread, fwrite, random read, pread, mmap, aio_read, aio_write. Written in C, Iozone is one of the best tools for benchmarking your operating system's filesystem. Bonnie++ Bonnie++ is a benchmarking suite designed for performing a number of simple tests of hard drive and file system performance. The free software tests database type access to a single file (or a set of files if you wish to test more than 1GB of storage), along with running tests for creation, reading, and deleting of small files that can simulate the usage of programs such as Squid, INN, or Maildir format email. Though not the best tool for new users, Bonnie++ does prove to be a great benchmarking tool for Linux. Further reading: If you're interested in learning about Linux-based benchmarking in general, an interesting guide that walks you through all the little nitty-gritty of the process can be found HERE. Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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[HowtoForge] Newsletter 05/31/2012

HowtoForge Newsletter 05/31/2012
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*** Version 1.3 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
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The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4; Date: 10/25/2011).

Version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4 (Date: 10/25/2011)
Author: Falko Timme
333 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


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ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
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With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
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For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


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New HOWTOs:
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* The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 13 (Maya)
* Installing Lighttpd With PHP5 (PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support On Ubuntu 12.04
* Virtual Hosting With PureFTPd And MySQL (Incl. Quota And Bandwidth Management) On Debian Squeeze
* High-Availability Storage With GlusterFS 3.0.x On Debian Squeeze - Automatic File Replication Across Two Storage Servers

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The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 13 (Maya)
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This tutorial shows how you can set up a Linux Mint 13 (Maya) desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge.

You can find the document here:
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http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-13-maya




Installing Lighttpd With PHP5 (PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support On Ubuntu 12.04
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Lighttpd is a secure, fast, standards-compliant web server designed for speed-critical environments. This tutorial shows how you can install Lighttpd on an Ubuntu 12.04 server with PHP5 support (through PHP-FPM) and MySQL support. PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) is an alternative PHP FastCGI implementation with some additional features useful for sites of any size, especially busier sites. I use PHP-FPM in this tutorial instead of Lighttpd's spawn-fcgi.

You can find the document here:
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http://www.howtoforge.com/installing-lighttpd-with-php5-php-fpm-and-mysql-support-on-ubuntu-12.04




Virtual Hosting With PureFTPd And MySQL (Incl. Quota And Bandwidth Management) On Debian Squeeze
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This document describes how to install a PureFTPd server that uses virtual users from a MySQL database instead of real system users. This is much more performant and allows to have thousands of ftp users on a single machine. In addition to that I will show the use of quota and upload/download bandwidth limits with this setup. Passwords will be stored encrypted as MD5 strings in the database.

You can find the document here:
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http://www.howtoforge.com/virtual-hosting-with-pureftpd-and-mysql-incl-quota-and-bandwidth-management-on-debian-squeeze




High-Availability Storage With GlusterFS 3.0.x On Debian Squeeze - Automatic File Replication Across Two Storage Servers
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This tutorial shows how to set up a high-availability storage with two storage servers (Debian Squeeze) that use GlusterFS. Each storage server will be a mirror of the other storage server, and files will be replicated automatically across both storage servers. The client system (Debian Squeeze as well) will be able to access the storage as if it was a local filesystem. GlusterFS is a clustered file-system capable of scaling to several peta-bytes. It aggregates various storage bricks over Infiniband RDMA or TCP/IP interconnect into one large parallel network file system. Storage bricks can be made of any commodity hardware such as x86_64 servers with SATA-II RAID and Infiniband HBA.

You can find the document here:
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http://www.howtoforge.com/high-availability-storage-with-glusterfs-3.0.x-on-debian-squeeze-automatic-file-replication-across-two-storage-servers


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TechSource: Top Password Manager Apps for Android

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Top Password Manager Apps for Android Posted: 28 May 2012 06:58 PM PDT As more and more people are moving their personal life into their pocket-sized mobile phones, data security is something that has started gaining importance. Earlier, people used to store their credit card data, bank account numbers, their passwords, and other personal details on a piece of paper, and perhaps many people still do that. But now, thanks to the growing tendency of human beings to treat their smartphones as their personal assistants, the pen and paper method has become obsolete and insecure. These days, people store all their confidential data either on their computer or on their mobile devices; whichever feels more comfortable for them. When compared, storing data on mobile phones seems much more convenient as you can carry the device along with you without having to worry about forgetting your important key codes and combinations. So, if you're an Android user looking for some great password management solutions that you can rely on, read on as we discuss some of the best applications in the genre. aWallet Password Manager aWallet is one of the most popular password management applications for Android. Once installed, the app lets you securely store passwords, credit card information, e-banking credentials, and web accounts. aWallet is quite simple to use. Just open the editor and punch in your credentials, let's say your bank account number, and then once you're done, save it with a little icon that helps you identify it. Once stored, the data can be encrypted using AES, Blowfish or 3DES ciphers thus letting you sleep peacefully at night. Compared to the other apps on the list, aWallet is one of the most reliable ones. The reason for this is the fact that the app doesn't ask for any single permission from the user, not even permissions to use the Internet. This makes sure that the app itself won't misbehave at any point in the future. What's more, the app is completely free and without any ads. I don't think you would have much trouble choosing the app you need. DOWNLOAD HERE Universal Password Manager Universal Password Manager is a simple password management app for Android. Equipped with AES encryption, you can secure the app itself with a master password. You can store your usernames, passwords, and URLs in the app without having to give the app exclusive access to the Internet. DOWNLOAD HERE Keeper Password & Data Vault With military-grade encryption, Keeper lets you store all your passwords on your mobile device. The app allows full text searching along with syncing support thus making it really convenient to use. All your data is backed up to the cloud with full protection. If, in case, your phone falls in the wrong hands, Keeper comes with a self-destruct trigger that erases all personal data in case of unauthorized access. The app can sync to other devices like Mac, PC, iPhone, and even to our beloved Linux. More like LastPass, Keeper is a great app to have if you prefer frequent cloud-based backup and a much more organized service. DOWNLOAD HERE Password Safe Pro Password Safe Pro allows users to store their web logins, credit card numbers, and insurance documents safely. The app uses 128 and 256 bit AES encryption and allows you to wipe the data remotely using SMS. One of the most interesting features of the app is its ability to backup data to Dropbox or SD card, thus making it easier for people who frequently switch their phones. DOWNLOAD HERE mSecure Equipped with 256-bit Blowfish encryption, mSecure is a cloud-based password management application for Android and iOS. The app has seventeen templates along with 250 personalized icons to keep the data as organized as possible. The app lets you backup your data and also provide a secure wipe facility just in case the phone falls in the wrong hands. mSecure also provides optional Dropbox backup and its Windows and Mac apps can be purchased at a small price. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, mSecure is freely available for download from the Play Store. DOWNLOAD HERE

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TechSource: How to Backup Linux Applications

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How to Backup Linux Applications Posted: 26 May 2012 08:08 PM PDT We've already talked about the best backup software for Linux. These applications save you from losing all your data in case of some unforeseen incident. Moreover, if you're using the latest version of Ubuntu, you'll find a backup software (Deja Dup) already installed and ready to be used. So, one cannot stress more on the importance of backing up your data and staying on the safer side. That said, not everything can be backed up so easily. In other words, backing up music, videos, documents, and even saved games can be quite easily achieved with the help of some popular tools. Or even you can copy all the data manually to some external hard drive, thus making the process even simpler. However, backing up applications, especially the ones on Linux, is not something many people go for. Distro-hoppers like me just punch in a string of commands and all my favorite applications get installed without any problems. But for new users, who are formatting their hard drive for some reason or the other, and are tired of reinstalling everything again, there's finally a simple solution to their woes. Here's a small how-to article on backing up your favorite applications on Linux: APTonCD APTonCD, as the name suggests, is a free tool that lets you backup all your installed applications onto a CD or DVD. Once installed, the application lists all your packages and lets you burn them on a CD or DVD. You can, of course, choose which ones to burn and which not to burn. To get started with it, simply type in or paste the following command in your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) if you're using Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install aptoncd If you're on any other distribution, feel free to download the tool from their website. Once installed, open it by searching for APTonCD in the launcher (Super key). The application is very easy to use and you can backup all your apps in 3 simple steps. Step 1: From the Welcome screen, hit the Create button. Step 2: Choose the packages you want to backup. If there are more packages you want to add, click on the Add button to include more deb files. Finally, once you're done, hit the Burn button. Step 3: Select the medium (CD or DVD) and the destination of the image file and then hit Apply. Once you've created your backup CD, open up APTonCD on that computer and just hit the Restore button from the Welcome screen (refer to Step 1). A simple command list If APTonCD isn't your cup of tea then a simple list of commands will help you backup almost all your important applications. Firstly, make a list of all the important applications that you use on a daily basis. If you can't find the package names, simply hit the following command: sudo dpkg --list Then once you've made a list, write out the whole command like this on a text file: sudo apt-get install vlc python firefox ….. Then, save that text file to your Dropbox or Ubuntu One folder and relax. Also, if you use software from repositories, write down the command for adding the repos to the same text file. For example, you can write: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cooperjona/nitrotasks && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install nitrotasks Then finally, after formatting your hard drive and reinstalling Ubuntu, just paste in these commands into your terminal and enjoy. Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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TechSource: Running Windows with Linux: Virtualization or Dual Boot?

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Running Windows with Linux: Virtualization or Dual Boot? Posted: 24 May 2012 06:58 PM PDT Whether you're a seasoned Linux user or a fledgling penguin, we all have to admit that there are some things you can't do without Windows. Redmond's monopoly and software consumerism have made Windows one of the most indispensable relics in the world of technology. Be it games, office tools, animation software, or drawing suites, Microsoft's dominating platform offer it all. This dominance has, in turn, restricted the growth of Linux and even Mac OS, thus forcing people from using Windows for one job or the other. If you too are a Linux user in need of Windows to get some small jobs done, there's absolutely no need for you to switch over to the dark side. You can, instead, install Windows side-by-side and switch to it whenever needed. Or, if that doesn't suit your needs, you can virtualize Windows right from your Linux desktop and get your job done without making any drastic changes to your system. Now, the question for many users is, which path should he or she choose? Virtualization or Dual boot? To solve that dilemma, we've compiled a list of pros and cons you'll encounter while switching to either of those options. Dual boot or Virtualize -- A simple test to choose the best First of all, before you pick up that rusting copy of Windows, it's better to know the purpose for using Windows. What do you need it for? -For games, work, or simply to get some small jobs done? A simple way to determine whether to dual boot or to virtualize is to ask yourself this question -- is what I do on Windows really resource-intensive? That is, does it put too much load on the system? If the answer is yes, then by all means go for dual boot. If the answer is no, you're better off running Windows on a virtual machine. Dual Booting -- Some tips To dual boot is to run both Windows and Linux side by side. It is not exactly rocket science and you don't need any special skills to boot both the operating systems side by side. More user-friendly operating systems like Ubuntu automatically detect the other operating systems that are installed and ask you whether you want to install both of them side by side. To ensure that things go as smoothly as possible here are some basic tips you need to remember before dual booting: 1. Always ensure that there's enough hard disk space 2. If you're dual booting Windows and Linux, always install Windows first then go for Linux. This installs the Linux bootloader (GRUB2) on top of Windows thus letting you switch easily between either of the systems. Dual booting -- Pros and Cons Pros: 1. Both the operating systems coexist in peace. That is, data or resources from one operating system never interfere with the other. 2. Switching between either of the operating systems is as easy as rebooting your computer, a process which almost all Windows users is quite familiar with already. ;-) 3. Dual booting can be done on any computer, even if it has a really low-end processor and limited RAM. All you need is a good amount of hard disk space. Cons: 1. When you install Windows, it takes much more space than Linux. Also dividing space between the two operating systems limits the disk space a lot. 2. Although you can access Windows data from Linux without trouble, you can't access Linux files from Windows easily. 3. Sometimes, if we make some changes to Linux that affects the bootloader, Windows might refuse to boot. Errors like 'NTLDR missing' are quite frequent in these cases. Virtualization -- Some tips Virtualization is, in simple terms, one operating system running on top of another. We've already talked at great length about the process. In our earlier article, we've covered the best virtualization software for Linux. Also, for Ubuntu users, we've compiled a list of the best virtualization tools compatible with Ubuntu. Virtualization -- Pros and Cons Pros: 1. While virtualizing, unlike dual booting, you don't end up wasting valuable disk space. 2. If you're on the more adventurous side of life, feel free to tinker with the virtual OS as any changes you make won't screw things up as bad as you do while dual booting. Cons: 1. While you can dual boot safely on a Pentium-II machine, virtualization does require you to have a computer with a fast processor along with an ample amount of RAM. 2. As easy as virtualization is, some new users might not be that comfortable with the idea of running one OS on top of another. There are many users who find virtualization a tad uncomfortable. 3. You cannot do everything on a virtualized machine. A virtual machine is good enough for MS Office and other less resource-intensive tasks; however, if you want to play video games or edit movies, there's no substitute for dual booting. There it is, we've given you a tour of both sides of the game. It's up to you to choose the path that suits you best. ;-) Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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