Mason Cloud (.com)

VirtualBox 3.2.8 Has Been Released!

mason — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:16:28 +0000

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). See “About VirtualBox” for an introduction.

Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh and OpenSolaris hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4 and 2.6), Solaris and OpenSolaris, and OpenBSD.

VirtualBox is being actively developed with frequent releases and has an ever growing list of features, supported guest operating systems and platforms it runs on. VirtualBox is a community effort backed by a dedicated company: everyone is encouraged to contribute while Sun ensures the product always meets professional quality criteria.

Install VirtualBox for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS

You will first need to edit /etc/apt/sources.list file from command line:

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid non-free

Update source list

sudo apt-get update

Now install virtualbox 3.2.8

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-3.2

5 Reasons to Choose WordPress for Your Business

mason — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:03:30 +0000

Multiple Users: Do your clients want to make changes to their own websites? If so, WordPress allows you to create individual user accounts, which have their own passwords. You decide the status level for each client’s account. Each level (i.e., Administrator, Editor, Contributor, Author) has different permission settings, providing you with maximum flexibility, and minimizing potential damage caused by inexperienced users.
Showcase Your Work: Are you really proud of the website you’ve created using WordPress? We encourage you to submit your site to the WordPress showcase! If selected, you’ll receive instant credibility as a designer, and your clients will love the publicity.
Cut Costs: Creating custom designs from scratch takes time, and the cost of building a website increases as a result. By utilizing one of the many WordPress themes, you’ll minimize site-building time, allowing you to offer customers lower prices. Offering lower prices will ultimately help you bring in more clients.
Community: New to designing with WordPress? Take advantage of one of the most active site developer communities on the Internet. Engage in WordPress forums that cover a range of topics, including “How-To,” “Troubleshooting,” and “Advanced WordPress.” Also, feel free to leave feedback and offer advice.
Social Media: Getting connected through social media networks is one of the best ways to create buzz about your websites. The WordPress interface allows for tight integration with Facebook and Twitter, as well as other up-and-coming social networks. You’ll also have access to plugins, such as BuddyPress, which allow you to build social networks for your clients.

Ten Signs That Your Company Needs a Server

mason — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:22:58 +0000

If you’re a small or medium business owner with more than one computer, it’s time to consider investing in a server. A server will keep your data secure and organized and will help you run your business more efficiently and professionally. If you’ve reached one of the 10 thresholds below, a server could do your business a world of good:

1. You Have More Than Two Business Computers

The bottom line is, if you need two or more computers in your business, then it’s time for a server. By storing and organizing data in a core location, you’ll be able to access and share files easily and manage business information more efficiently.

2. You Have More Than One Employee

A server enables your employees to share software tools and access company databases on-site and off-site. As your business grows, you’ll be able to better manage additional computers and software applications and better control which employees and devices have access to certain information.

3. Your Customers Think Your Business Is Owned by Go Daddy

If you’re still using a Web site hosting company like Go Daddy®, then it’s time to upgrade to your own server. Hosting your own Web site and email system presents a more professional image and enables you to conduct business more easily by consolidating email accounts.

4. You or Your Employees Conduct Business Outside the Office

If you work from home, travel frequently or have a mobile workforce, a server will allow you and your employees to remotely connect to your company network and access information and resources no matter where you are.

5. You’re Tripping Over Cords

If you have two or more computers that share access to peripherals, such as printers and fax machines, it’s time for a server. Not only will a server help you eliminate the mess of excess cords, it’ll also help you save the cost of buying them.

6. You Can Never Find That Master Document When You Need It

If you share documents between multiple computers, you run the risk of losing important files and of having multiple versions of vital documents. A server will help you manage your files and provide a centralized location for you to store and organize important documents, so that you always have access to what you need, when you need it.

7. Your PCs Are Old and Grumpy

Whether you want to replace your old PCs or help them function better, a server can help you. A server makes the migration of files from an old PC to a new one a cinch, and freeing up memory and storage offers a welcome break to older PCs that are loaded down with data.

8. Your Computer Crashed and You Lost Critical Data

If you have valuable files and data that can’t be replaced, a server will help protect them from loss and corruption. You’ll be able to back up information easily and restore files that were accidentally deleted or misplaced. You’ll almost never have to worry about a crashed hard drive wiping out your system again.

9. You Want to Protect Information from Unauthorized Users

A server will allow you to restrict access to sensitive information, such as financial records and personnel information, by storing it away from prying eyes. It will also allow you to better manage firewalls and virus protection, especially when you have a mobile workforce.

10. You Want to Improve Communication with Employees and Customers

A server enables you to easily add platforms — such as customer relationship management (CRM) software and accounting programs — which allow you to schedule group meetings, share information, and manage clients and vendors. It also allows your employees to send group emails and faxes, and organize customer contacts and customer data in one location.

Questions? Contact Mason Cloud today

Mason Cloud | (323) 207-6036 (Business)
Michael Mason | Cloud Computing Specialist
http://masoncloud.com | michael@masoncloud.com

Facebook <> Linked in <> @MasonCloud9 (Twitter!)

Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS (Lucid Lynx) Is Here!

mason — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:43:31 +0000

Ubuntu is a complete desktop Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. “Ubuntu” is an ancient African word, meaning “humanity to others”. The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

Download Distribution Release: Ubuntu 10.04.1 << from here.

How2 Launch Firefox (Safe Mode) via Ubuntu’s CLI

mason — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:54:03 +0000

firefox -safe-mode

Manually Update Your Verizon Droid To Android 2.2

mason — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:30:03 +0000

We’ve got all the details on how to manually update your Droid to the official blessed, Android v2.2!

Here’s how to do it:

Download the update package from here. Don’t unzip it! If your browser automatically unzips things (like Safari on Mac, for example), use a different browser. It MUST stay zipped.
Take the microSD card from your phone, plug it into a microSD card reader. (Or simply use your USB cable and plug it into your machine and use it as an external hard drive by mounting it.)
Drag and drop the “update.zip” file into the main folder (otherwise known as the root folder) of your microSD card. Don’t go looking for a folder called “main” or “root” – we’re referring to the folder on your microSD card that holds all the other folders.
Turn your Droid off, and put the microSD card back in.
Hold down the letter “X” on the keyboard. While still holding it, turn your Droid back on. You should see an exclamation point icon appear on your screen.
Push the volume up button and the camera button at the exact same time. If nothing happens, do it again. When you get to the bootloader screen, you know it worked. (Some folks are reporting that you need to hold the volume up button and then tap the camera button right after. It’s a bit tricky, but it’ll work eventually.)
Use the d-pad to navigate to the “apply: update.zip” option, and choose the file you just dragged onto your microSD card.

Bam! As soon as the upgrade process finishes, you’ll be Android v2.2′d up and ready to go.

Enjoy!

Upgrading to WordPress v3.0.X via Command-Line

mason — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:51:34 +0000

Preparing your WordPress Upgrade

From time to time you may want to update your WordPress installation to the latest version. You might want to do this because you’ve seen a message at the top of your Dashboard telling you that a new release is available, because you’ve been made aware of some useful new functionality, or because a security fix has been released.

Check Requirements

Whatever the reason for updating, before getting started it is best to check the current minimum requirements page first to make sure that your web host has the required versions of PHP and MySQL. (If you are not sure, then your hosting provider should be able to tell you.)

Take a Backup

The next thing to do is to take a backup of your database. All your posts and Pages are held in the database, so you will need to have a copy of it in case, for whatever reason, you change your mind after upgrading and need to go back. If you are not sure how to backup your database, then complete instructions can be found in the WordPress Backups section of the Codex.

Disable Plugins

The final preperation step is to disable plugins. Now, you don’t have to do this, but every now and again a plugin hasn’t been updated to work with the latest version of WordPress, and causes a problem after the upgrade. So, it’s best to try and avoid that, yes? You can easily disable your plugins by heading to the Manage Plugins page in the Dashboard, changing the “Bulk Actions” pull down menu to “Deactivate” and clicking “Apply”.

Ready to Update

Now that you’ve checked that you’re ready to update, you’ve turned off your plugins and you’ve got your backup, it’s time to get started.

Step 1: Download & unzip the WordPress package from:

http://wordpress.org/download/

If you will be uploading WordPress to a remote web server, download the WordPress package to your computer with a web browser and unzip the package.
If you will be using FTP, skip to the next step – uploading files is covered later.
If you have shell access to your web server, and are comfortable using console-based tools, you may wish to download WordPress directly to your web server using wget (or lynx or another console-based web browser) if you want to avoid FTPing:
- wget http://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
- Then unzip the package using:
- tar -xzvf latest.tar.gzThe WordPress package will extract into a folder called wordpress in the same directory that you downloaded latest.tar.gz.
- Delete the old wp-includes and wp-admin directories on your web host (through your FTP or shell access).

Then, run the following commands to unpack and copy the contents into your web directory.

tar -xzvf latest.tar.gz
sudo cp -R wordpress/* /var/www/

If you do not have shell access to your web server, or you are not comfortable using console-based tools, you may wish to deploy WordPress directly to your web server using ZipDeploy.

Step 2: Update your installation files

This will update your database to be compatible with the latest code

Visit your main WordPress admin page at /wp-admin. You may be asked to login again. If a database upgrade is necessary at this point, WordPress will detect it and give you a link to a URL like http://example.com/wordpress/wp-admin/upgrade.php. Follow that link and follow the instructions. You should do this as soon as possible after step 1.

That’s it, you’re complete!

BurbankLUG, Coming Soon! (An Unofficial LUG…)

mason — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:18:34 +0000

Our meetings will consist of a group of Linux enthusiast wanting to gain or trade their expertise to talk about the latest news and software releases related to Debian/Ubuntu (Client & Server). Together, we will assist each other in setting up labs for hands-on exercises with migrating to Debian/Ubuntu client software as their primary operating system, to running their own home-based Debian/Ubuntu servers.

Email: blug@masoncloud.com
Website: masoncloud.com/blug

Launch Date, Coming Soon!

7-Ways In Keeping Your Computer Safe

mason — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:48:09 +0000

# 1. Strong Passwords
# 2. Give a separate user account to each person
# 3. Keep your software up to date
# 4. Lock your screen while away
# 5. Set up a firewall
# 6. Avoid Internet nuisances and crime
# 7. Make backup copies of your files

Fix Missing Network Manager In Ubuntu 10.04

mason — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:02:07 +0000

Problem

Missing Network Manager ‘Applet’ in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS

Solutions

Method 1

Open the terminal type “sudo edit /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf”

change the “managed=false” to “managed=true” and then save it.

then in the terminal type “killall nm-system-settings”

and then reboot.

Method 2

right click panel>add to panel>Notification Area

Bug reported here

Source from here