Automating translation of software using the Microsoft Translator and Python

January 25, 2013 at 07:40 AM | categories: Sysadmin, Tips, Unix, Linux | View Comments
The Microsoft translator provides an API that you can use for automated translation. It currently supports about 39 languages. True to the nature of open source i found that someone had already written a python wrapper to the API. I...

Boot into single user mode on various unixes

January 24, 2013 at 07:40 AM | categories: Sysadmin, Tips, Unix, Linux | View Comments
Press a to append to the boot options then add single grub append> ro root=LABEL=/ single Press L1+a or STOP+a to enter OpenBoot PROM then type boot -s Select maintanance mode from the boot menu...

How to update man keywords database

January 16, 2013 at 07:40 AM | categories: Centos, Ubuntu, Sysadmin, Unix, RHEL, Linux, Tips | View Comments
Man keywords database allow you to search for man pages using keywords, the database needs to be updated when ever man pages are added or removed. This is how you do it for various *nix types. mandb ...

Strongswan now supports PAM authentication

November 07, 2012 at 07:40 AM | categories: Centos, Sysadmin, RHEL, Linux, Tips, Security, IPSEC | View Comments
Strongswan release 5.0.1 includes a XAuth PAM plugin which requests username/password XAuth credentials and verifies them against Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This plugin is not enabled by default to enable it you need to add the following to your ./configure...

Strongswan now supports Cisco unity extensions

November 07, 2012 at 07:40 AM | categories: Centos, Sysadmin, RHEL, Linux, Tips, Security, IPSEC | View Comments
I previously wrote about setting up split tunneling on Strongswan using the attr-sql plugin With the release of Strongswan 5.0.1 it is no longer the only way to support split tunneling. Strongswan 5.0.1 introduces the unity plugin which allows for...

Mac OSX IPSEC VPN via command line using builtin Racoon client

September 19, 2012 at 07:30 AM | categories: Mac OS X, Howto, Sysadmin, Linux, Tips, Security, IPSEC | View Comments
The Mac OSX IPSEC VPN client setup via "System preferences" only supports IPSEC/XAUTH and IPSEC/L2TP both of which give you a different IP address for your tunnel interface. System preferences on the backend uses Racoon so it is possible...

MailScanner Ubuntu and Debian packages

September 10, 2012 at 07:39 AM | categories: Sysadmin, Security, Email, Linux | View Comments
The Debian and Ubuntu MailScanner packages have not been maintained for a long time. Recently both distributions dropped support for MailScanner within their repo's. The Baruwa project provides up to date deb packages for both distributions. Packages are available for:...

IPSEC split tunneling VPN with Mac OSX and Strongswan 5 on Centos/RHEL 6

September 01, 2012 at 10:08 AM | categories: Centos, Mac OS X, Howto, Sysadmin, RHEL, Linux, Tips, Security, IPSEC | View Comments
In my previous post i described how to setup an IPSEC VPN for use with Iphone, Ipad and Mac OSX IPSEC VPN clients. This post describes how to enable split tunneling which is supported by the Mac OSX IPSEC...

Iphone/Ipad/Mac OSX IPSEC VPN with Strongswan 5 on Centos/RHEL 6

August 23, 2012 at 10:21 AM | categories: Centos, Mac OS X, Howto, Sysadmin, RHEL, Linux, Tips, Security, IPSEC | View Comments
This howto describes setting up an IPSEC VPN for use with the Iphone, Ipad and Mac OSX VPN clients on Centos/RHEL 6. I am using the 5.x branch of Strongswan which is now the mainline actively maintained branch. At...

Fix Bind error (broken trust chain) resolving

August 22, 2012 at 08:21 PM | categories: Tips, RHEL, Centos, DNS, Linux | View Comments
This Bind named issue results in queries failing and log messages such as the following being logged error (no valid KEY) resolving 'dlv.isc.org/DNSKEY/IN': 156.154.101.23#53 error (broken trust chain) resolving './NS/IN': 193.0.14.129#53 The issue is caused by the date on...

Block Spam from domains on the South Africa ISPA Spam Hall of Shame using DNSBL Part2

May 11, 2012 at 07:30 AM | categories: Postfix, Tips, Exim, Email, Linux | View Comments
I previously wrote about how to block domains named in the ISPA Spam Hall of Shame using DNSBL at SMTP time, these domains have now resorted to using 3rd party senders to try and get their Junk through. Because they...

MailScanner book now free

May 01, 2012 at 12:39 PM | categories: Sysadmin, Security, Email, Linux | View Comments
Julian Field the author of MailScanner and the of the MailScanner book has just announced that the MailScanner Book is now available for free. So head off and get your copy....