Noticed that an SVCHost process was taking up 50% CPU on my 2-core Windows XP machine. This behaviour started around a week back. Killed the process, ran Trend Micro's House call online anti-virus, did not detect anything. If I directly kill the SVCHost process itself, sometimes it disables audio - that thread is also on that process. Googling for solutions, got one way to do it using process explorer.
https://gsuiteupdates.
Right-clicking the process and going to properties, in the threads tab, we see that Windows Update Agent is the culprit - killing or suspending it stops the high CPU usage.
There are some posts about solutions, like
but apparently this particular problem was fixed already,
"The problem that the "Symptoms" section describes was corrected in Windows Update Agent 3.0 and in update 927891. These updates were distributed through Microsoft Update in June and July, 2007. If you are still experiencing a problem that resembles the one that this article describes, it may be a different problem. To troubleshoot similar problems, please see the "Similar problems and resolutions" section later in this article."
So, currently I will just live with suspending the thread.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
allowing smtp access to gmail for a GSuite account
The (admin of the domain or user?) would need to do the following:
1. log on to your account
3. turn the option from OFF to ON (allow less secure apps ON).
This is from
Saturday, February 24, 2018
removing a recent audio file
Got a request to remove a recently played program from our downloadable content. So, deleted from local server ~/audio folder, also deleted from dl.radiosai.org so that old saved download links will not work, and have edited the remote database so that it shows - as description and does not show a download option. That seemed to be the easy way to delete the entry which is linked to a recently played file, without having to go into all the other linked tables. Similarly have edited local database, and have put "cannot play" flag on.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
MAT types in OpenCV
From http://ninghang.blogspot.in/
A Mapping of Type to Numbers in OpenCV
| C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | |
| CV_8U | 0 | 8 | 16 | 24 |
| CV_8S | 1 | 9 | 17 | 25 |
| CV_16U | 2 | 10 | 18 | 26 |
| CV_16S | 3 | 11 | 19 | 27 |
| CV_32S | 4 | 12 | 20 | 28 |
| CV_32F | 5 | 13 | 21 | 29 |
| CV_64F | 6 | 14 | 22 | 30 |
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Sunday, February 11, 2018
easy way to save Octave figures as EPS
Exporting figures for scientific papers - EPS or other vector formats are much preferred. An easy way is mentioned at https://stackoverflow.com/
- prints current figure to test.eps - the c at the end indicates it will be in colour.
print -depsc test.eps- prints current figure to test.eps - the c at the end indicates it will be in colour.
opencv and 3D
Looking at options for incorporating 3D data into opencv, and whether some other tool is better for that job -
export google charts as svg
Saw this post,
http://www.osmanoglu.org/computing/89-how-to-export-google-spreadsheet-charts-as-svg
but it doesn't seem to work that way any more.
Friday, February 09, 2018
using an old 1st generation iPad
Some tips on using an old 1st generation iPad.
How to install apps - from
https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/135060/how-to-install-apps-which-require-a-newer-version-of-ios-on-a-1st-gen-ipad
1. On your old iPhone/iPad, go to Settings -> Store -> set Apps to Off.
2. Go onto your computer (it doesn't matter if it's a PC or a Mac) and open the iTunes app. Then go to the iTunes store and download all the apps you want to be on your iPad/iPhone.
3. If the iTunes on the computer and your iPad are both signed into the same Apple ID, and the iPad is connected to the internet, then go on your iPad/iPhone to App Store -> Purchased -> tap on an individual app you want to install.
4. You'll get a message that says "The current version requires iOS 6.1 or later, but you can download the last compatible version," just hit Download.
This method should at least allow you to have most apps on your outdated device. Most of them will work, but sometimes even once you have the app installed on your it still won't run correctly. That's just tough luck. But in my experience that's not too common; apps usually work just fine.
How to get ebooks on the ipad:
1. Using Amazon Kindle Store and Kindle App
2. Using direct links to pdfs, or email attachments - when opened in safari, they show a "Open in" button on the top. You can open pdf and epub in Freading, mobi in Kindle.
3. Using gutenberg.org
4. https://www.thebalance.com/places-to-get-free-kindle-books-1357954
5. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/ebooks.php?forumid=128
How to install apps - from
https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/135060/how-to-install-apps-which-require-a-newer-version-of-ios-on-a-1st-gen-ipad
1. On your old iPhone/iPad, go to Settings -> Store -> set Apps to Off.
2. Go onto your computer (it doesn't matter if it's a PC or a Mac) and open the iTunes app. Then go to the iTunes store and download all the apps you want to be on your iPad/iPhone.
3. If the iTunes on the computer and your iPad are both signed into the same Apple ID, and the iPad is connected to the internet, then go on your iPad/iPhone to App Store -> Purchased -> tap on an individual app you want to install.
4. You'll get a message that says "The current version requires iOS 6.1 or later, but you can download the last compatible version," just hit Download.
This method should at least allow you to have most apps on your outdated device. Most of them will work, but sometimes even once you have the app installed on your it still won't run correctly. That's just tough luck. But in my experience that's not too common; apps usually work just fine.
How to get ebooks on the ipad:
1. Using Amazon Kindle Store and Kindle App
2. Using direct links to pdfs, or email attachments - when opened in safari, they show a "Open in" button on the top. You can open pdf and epub in Freading, mobi in Kindle.
3. Using gutenberg.org
4. https://www.thebalance.com/places-to-get-free-kindle-books-1357954
5. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/ebooks.php?forumid=128
Thursday, February 08, 2018
converting csv files in google drive to google sheets
This stackoverflow answer seems to be good. Either download and re-upload after enabling "convert uploads" in Drive settings, or use an Apps script.
Wednesday, February 07, 2018
prevent emails from going to spam
Adapted from https://www.booklending.com/
For Windows Live and MSN Hotmail users:
1. Go to the "Options" page.
2. Under the "Junk E-mail" section, click on "Safe and blocked senders".
3. Click on "Safe senders".
4. In the "Sender or domain to mark as safe:" field, type "@radiosai.org", and click on the "Add to list" button.
For Google Gmail users:
1. Click Contacts along the left side of any page.
2. Click the New Contact button in the top-left corner of the Contact Manager.
3. Type "noreply@radiosai.org" in the "Email" field.
4. Click "Save" to add your contact.
For Yahoo! mail users:
1. Click on "Contacts".
2. Click on "Add Contact".
3. Type "noreply@radiosai.org" in the "Email" field.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Save".
For AOL mail users:
1. Click on the drop down arrow to the right of 'Mail Options', then click on 'Address Book'.
2. Click on "Add Contact".
3. Type "noreply@radiosai.org" in the "Screen Name" block.
4. Click the "Save" button.
For Microsoft Outlook users:
1. Go to "Tools" and click on "Address Book".
2. Go to "File" and click on "New Entry".
3. Select "New Contact" and click on "OK".
4. Type "noreply@radiosai.org" in the "Email" field.
5. Click "Save and close".
For Verizon Users:
1. Go to your Verizon Inbox.
2. Click Options.
3. Select the Block Senders tab (near the top of the screen).
4. On the Block Senders screen, you'll see both a "Block Sender List" and a "Safe List". In the space where it says, "Enter e-mail address or sub domain to always accept even if the domain is blocked", enter noreply@radiosai.org
For Comcast Users
1. Sign in to Comcast Webmail, and select ‘Preferences’ from the left menu
2. Select ‘Restrict Incoming Email’ from the ‘Preferences’ list
3. Select ‘Yes’ to Enable Email Controls
4. Select ‘Allow email from addresses listed below’
5. Enter "noreply@radiosai.org" and click “Add”
Tuesday, February 06, 2018
signing out of google account on Android
This link has the details for Android 5.0+
On Android 5.0+, Settings -> Accounts -> Google -> Choose the account you wish to sign out of -> Menu with 3 dots on top right -> Remove account
On the LG Q6 running Android 8.1, there is a search field in settings where I can enter Accounts, and directly get listings of the Google accounts. Clicking on an account brings up a page with Remove account also listed.
creating a dashboard
One way of creating a dashboard for an organisation spread over different campuses, who have disparate IT setups - creating a google site with google docs or charts embedded from each campus - each campus can modify their charts separately, and the modified charts are reflected in the main site.
An example is atMonday, February 05, 2018
New Google sites has support for custom urls with HTTPS
Looks like New Google Sites automatically provisions SSL certs after domain validation, but the cert takes 24 hours or so.
https://gsuiteupdates.
Friday, January 19, 2018
2G reception issue for refurbished mobile
I bought a refurbished Xiaomi Redmi Mi 4i Duos phone on ebay. Unfortunately, when I tried it out, I found that I was not getting coverage indoors. Checking signal levels, found that 3G and 4G signal levels were OK, but the new phone was having a 20dB loss in signal for 2G signals. Ebay made the seller accept the item back, and refunded me (though I would have preferred a replacement.)
Edit - added the screenshot of an Mi3 at the same location, with better signal, below. -81 dBm as against -101 dBm for the refurbished phone above. 20 dB greater.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
accessing archived emails from old CPanel server
A server with WHM and CPanel was being migrated, and I got the query
Can you tell me how to copy the old emails from the old server before they shut it down?
Inside the cpbackups folder, there are the backups of each site. So, if you want the emails from sitename site for example, you can open the folder
/backup/cpbackup/weekly/sitename/homedir/mail
The archived emails will be in the archive subfolder. They are likely to be in the maildir format -
Wikipedia has a list of e-mail readers that can directly read e-mail in that format -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maildir#Mail_readers
Friday, January 12, 2018
wavelab loudness normalization - recommended settings
I had earlier given the recommended settings for SoundForge. A request from A, if I could send him recommended settings for wavelab -
I read up about loudness units LUFS and then replied,
I would recommend the following (this is for radio broadcast):
1. Save each section which has a specific loudness as a separate file - for example announcements with music as a separate file, parts with only talking as a separate file, song as a separate file.
2. Normalize each file with the settings below, and then stitch them together to make the final file.
3. Settings -
Loudness to achieve = -12 LUFS
Reference: Loudness of entire file
Remove DC offset (checked)
Max peak level = -0.1 dB
Softness 0
Other values no change from the screenshot.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
bulk deleting emails in horde
An easy way to delete a lot of emails in Horde - https://pc.net/helpcenter/answers/deleting_mass_emails_with_horde
cd /home/username/mail
rm -rf cur
rm -rf new
cd /home/username/mail
rm -rf cur
rm -rf new
Friday, December 22, 2017
some notes on rkhunter
A security tool to prevent rootkits, rkhunter - some notes, made for a server I help to administer -
1. I will now change the rkhunter configuration file so that the emails will come to me instead of coming to you. vim /etc/sysconfig/rkhunter
2. the hidden file warning message is about /etc/.brand which just says hostgator - it is just a branding file from hostgator. Totally harmless.
3. I will prevent ssh login without keys. That is, password-based ssh login using terminal will be disabled. This is a good security feature, since the ssh is routinely hit with brute force attacks.
4. It looks like rkhunter does not play nice with user-compiled or modified files. I will set up rkhunter to ignore all the currently available files, and only give warnings for new files. Basically by editing the whitelist, and running
sudo rkhunter --update
sudo rkhunter --propupd
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-security-4/rkhunter-package-manager-fail-warnings-on-centos-5-running-whm-11-a-871791/
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-rkhunter-to-guard-against-rootkits-on-an-ubuntu-vps
1. I will now change the rkhunter configuration file so that the emails will come to me instead of coming to you. vim /etc/sysconfig/rkhunter
2. the hidden file warning message is about /etc/.brand which just says hostgator - it is just a branding file from hostgator. Totally harmless.
3. I will prevent ssh login without keys. That is, password-based ssh login using terminal will be disabled. This is a good security feature, since the ssh is routinely hit with brute force attacks.
4. It looks like rkhunter does not play nice with user-compiled or modified files. I will set up rkhunter to ignore all the currently available files, and only give warnings for new files. Basically by editing the whitelist, and running
sudo rkhunter --update
sudo rkhunter --propupd
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-security-4/rkhunter-package-manager-fail-warnings-on-centos-5-running-whm-11-a-871791/
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-rkhunter-to-guard-against-rootkits-on-an-ubuntu-vps
Sunday, December 17, 2017
AutoSSL feature of WHM
Found that WHM has an AutoSSL feature, which will automatically configure SSL for selected (or all) users. The AutoSSL feature can be used with LetsEncrypt.org also, by running the shell script /scripts/install_lets_encrypt_autossl_provider
as root, as mentioned in the documentation.
So, no need of going through the painful process of WHM SSL certificate installation.
And if we want to redirect all users using http to https, we can use the htaccess file, as given here.
as root, as mentioned in the documentation.
So, no need of going through the painful process of WHM SSL certificate installation.
And if we want to redirect all users using http to https, we can use the htaccess file, as given here.
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