Saturday, March 20, 2010

Linux Commando: Show progress during dd copy via LinuxComando Blog

Show progress during dd copy


http://linuxcommando.blogspot.com/2008/06/show-progress-during-dd-copy.html

dd is a popular, generic command-line tool for copying files from 1 location to another. It is often used to copy entire disk images.

Like many Linux command line tools, it operates silently unless something unexpected happens. Its lack of visual progress feedback is a nice feature for scripting. However, it can leave you wondering about its progress if you are interactively dd-copying a large disk.

To illustrate, you run the following (valid, but perhaps not very useful) dd copy:

$ dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/null bs=1K count=100

It will run for a few minutes as it copies (and immediately discards) 100 blocks of randomly generated data, each of size 1 KB. To get a progress report while dd is running, you need to open another virtual terminal, and then send a special USR1 signal to thedd process.

First, find out the process id of the dd process by running the following in the new virtual terminal.

$ pgrep -l '^dd$'
8789 dd
$

To send the USR1 signal to the dd prcoess:

$ kill -USR1 8789
$

Note that as soon as the USR1 signal is detected, dd will print out the current statistics to its STDERR.

$ dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/null bs=1K count=100
0+14 records in
0+14 records out
204 bytes (204 B) copied, 24.92 seconds, 0.0 kB/s

After reporting the status, dd will resume copying. You can repeat the above kill command any time you want to see the interim statistics. Alternatively, you can use the watch command to executekill at a set interval.

$ watch -n 10 kill -USR1 8789

Posted via email from mrgadgets's posterous
Find more from me @ http://mrgadgets.posterous.com

Monday, March 15, 2010

multicd.sh combine several CDs into one

http://multicd.tuxfamily.org/

multicd.sh
combine several CDs into one

multicd.sh is a shell script designed to build a multiboot CD image containing many different Linux distributions and/or utilities.

The avantages to making a CD with this script are:

  • You don't need to burn multiple CDs for small distributions.
  • If you already have the ISO images, it is not necessary to download them again.
  • When a new version of one of the distributions is released, you can simply download the new version and run the script again to build a new multiboot image.


Supported Distributions:
Note: with version 5.0 and up, these distributions will appear in alphabetical order. Change the filenames of the files in the plugins folder to change the order.
Ubuntu Live CD → ubuntu.iso
Linux Mintlinuxmint.iso (cannot be on the same DVD as Ubuntu)
PCLinuxOSpclos.iso*
PCLinuxOS LXDEpclx.iso*
Knoppixknoppix.iso (Versions 5 and 6 supported. If you use the DVD version, KNOPPIX2 will be dropped. You can also use the 5.3.1 Japanese Edition if you prefer KDE.)
*the two plugins can both be used for any other version of PCLinuxOS 2009 -customized-
Debian Livebinary.iso
-compilation-
Ultimate Boot CDubcd.iso
Slaxslax.iso
Tiny Core Linuxtinycore.iso
Puppypuppy.iso
Macpupmacpup.iso
Featherfeather.iso
SliTazslitaz.iso
Austrumial.iso
GeeXboXgbox.iso
DSLdsl.iso
Slax modules → *.lzm
DeLi Linuxdeli.iso
TinyMetimyme.iso
antiXantix.iso
Wolvixwolvix.iso
CDlinuxcdl.iso
-partitoning and specialized-
RIPLinuXriplinux.iso
SystemRescueCdsysrcd.iso
Trinity Rescue Kittrk.iso
INSERTinsert.iso
Parted Magicpmagic.iso
GParted Livegparted.iso (can't be on same CD as Debian Live)
Offline NT Password & Registry Editorntpasswd.iso
EASEUS Disk Copydiskcopy.iso
Clonezillaclonezilla.iso
PINGping.iso
Endian Firewallefw.iso
NetbootCDnetbootcd.iso
Ubuntu (hardy or jaunty) mini.iso → ubuntu-mini.iso
Debian (lenny, squeeze or sid) mini.iso → debian-mini.iso
Fedora 11 netinstfedora-boot.iso
openSUSE NET isoopensuse.iso
Mandriva boot.isomandriva-boot.iso
Arch Linux FTP or COREarch.iso
FreeDOS base or full CDfdbasecd.iso/fdfullcd.iso
Any floppy disk image → *.img or *.imz (could be Super Grub Disk, MS-DOS, etc.)
Any floppy disk image → games/*.img or games/*.imz (for bootable DOS disk images with games)
GRUB4DOS grub.exegrub.exe
DBAN iso imagedban.iso
Memtest86+automatic

Posted via email from mrgadgets's posterous
Find more from me @ http://mrgadgets.posterous.com

Dell Mini 5's (Streak) to be headache for the next iPod touch? | 9 to 5 Mac

Macmillan’s DynamicBooks Lets Professors Rewrite E-Textbooks - NYTimes.com

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Been to Banff for Blueberry Tea?

Watching Rick Steves on PBS this time in the Canadian Rockies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Steves

He mentions the Rundle Lounge and his sipping Blueberry Tea every time he visits Banff.

This sounds wonderful, but when I was in Banff I was:

A) Too Young
B) A Baptist... ;-)

As I am no longer encumbered with either limitation, this goes on the 2Do list...

http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/GuestServices/Restaurants/RundleLounge.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_Tea_%28cocktail%29

(Rundle Lounge serves the Earl Grey version.)

Posted via email from mrgadgets's posterous
Find more from me @ http://mrgadgets.posterous.com

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

SwitchResX - Apparently, this will fix the resolution issue on a MSI Wind Hackintosh... Enjoy ;-) http://www.madrau.com/indexSRX4.html

Windows 7 Tutorials | Genuine Help for Windows 7 via Tekzilla - When you absolutly HAVE to dabble in the Dark Side... ;-)

While there are several who will claim Windows 7 needs LOTS of help, @ least this will help us all who 'Cross the Line...' ;-)

http://www.7tutorials.com/

Posted via email from mrgadgets's posterous
Find more from me @ http://mrgadgets.posterous.com

Monday, March 01, 2010

Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference - http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/index_main.html