Jim Smart / weblog

1and1 Root Server / Plesk online resources

jimsmart — Wed, 16 May 2007 18:13:01 +0000

I run a Linux server which is physically located at a 1and1 Data Centre in Germany. It runs Fedora Linux and SWsoft’s Plesk management software. I’ve had it a few years and I’m happy enough with it.

Here’s a bunch of resources I’ve found to be useful whilst doing various admin tasks on this system:

Virus: I-Worm/Bagle

jimsmart — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 10:11:26 +0000

I’ve decided to start (b)logging some of the PC problems that I fix, especially the viruses and trojans and suchlike.

A client’s WindowsXP PC was brought in to me yesterday because it was behaving oddly—amongst other things I noted that:

The firewall wasn’t running (neither XP’s own firewall nor ZoneAlarm)—ZoneAlarm wouldn’t run even when started manually, it seemed broken or disabled
The anti-virus software wasn’t running (AVG)—again, this wouldn’t run properly even when started manually
I was unable to bring up Task Manager using the taskbar’s right-click menu
Hitting ctrl-alt-del merely brought up an hourglass pointer for a brief moment
The system was regularly showing a dialog saying ‘Connect to av2026.comex.ru’ and requesting a user password

Using a bit of software by Sysinternals called Autoruns I stopped the system from executing files ‘C:\WINDOWS\system32\anti_troj.exe’ and ‘C:\WINDOWS\system32\antiav_exe.exe’ on boot. This then allowed me to successfully re-install the broken software (AVG and ZoneAlarm) and get the system running ok again.

After re-installing AVG and updating its definition files, I scanned the system and found ‘Virus: I-Worm/Bagle’ and successfully cleaned it up. The system seemed to have no other viruses or spyware on it.

I believe the users of this PC surf exclusively with Firefox, so my theory is that the virus came as an email attachment, or it was possibly transmitted via instant messaging.

Speedometer—funk

jimsmart — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:03:41 +0000

I was digging through the archives at WeFunk when I discovered a deeply funky UK band called Speedometer. They’ve done a couple of albums, one of which was released earlier this year.

You can check out some audio clips on their website, and at their record company’s site too.

Awesome.

(Oh yeah… I found them in WeFunk show number 373)

Virus and spyware removal

jimsmart — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 18:40:57 +0000

Firstly: know your enemy!

Basic wash cycle to clean icky Windows:-

Scan and clean with CWShredder (download + homepage)
Scan, clean and immunise with Spybot-S&D (download, homepage)
Scan and clean with Ad-Aware (download, homepage)
Scan and clean with AVG Anti-Virus (download, homepage)
Immunise with SpywareBlaster (download, homepage)

…and rinse

For grime that proves harder to shift:-

CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller (direct download)
HijackThis (download, homepage)

For persistent problem stains, try a different angle:-

Startup Control Panel (homepage)
StartupMonitor (homepage)
Microsoft AntiSpyware (download, homepage)

…and repeat

Firefox, extensions and plugins

jimsmart — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:32:43 +0000

On Windows PCs, it is necessary—for a number of reasons—to replace IE. I do it with these:-

…again… and again… and again…

JCB song

jimsmart — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 19:12:28 +0000

I’ve been forwarded a link to a fantastic song and accompanying video animation—the song is entitled JCB, and it’s by a band called Nizlopi.

Truly awesome.

Nizlopi are two guys; Luke, who plays guitar and sings, and John, who plays double-bass—and does the beat-box too!

Check out live footage at Nizlopi’s Media Page.

A band I’d really like to see, if I get the chance.

Sometimes it’s like this…

jimsmart — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 16:29:12 +0000

So a guy calls up a mechanic, because his car is acting all funny, running like crap, belching blue smoke, the works.

The mechanic looks at the car for a few seconds, rummages around in his tool box, pulls out a nut and a washer, crawls under the car with a spanner, and comes out a minute later without the nut and washer.

Then he leans in and starts the car, which runs perfectly.

Then he goes into his office and returns with a bill for £500. The customer goes nuts, screams rants yells, “You just put on ONE nut! And you’re going to charge me £500 for ONE NUT?”

The mechanic shrugs, goes back into his office, and returns with a new bill.

It reads:

Nut: 50 pence
Knowing where to put the nut: £499.50

Total: £500.00

Long live the NES!

jimsmart — Mon, 23 May 2005 18:29:44 +0000

Some years ago I programmed a few projects for the NES (Nintendo’s 8-bit games console, famed for the original Mario Bros games)—since then, things have moved on a long way in the world of games consoles…

…which is why I was so impressed when I discovered Grand Theftendo.

Grand Theftendo is a new homebrew game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is a tribute to Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto III running on the 8 bit, 256×240 resolution, 2 bit colour x 2 bit palette, 1.79 Mhz system, written entirely in 6502 Assembly Language!

It’s truly amazing what some people will do in their spare time—he’s even written his own 6502 assembler!

PostSecret

jimsmart — Tue, 17 May 2005 02:50:12 +0000

I found this some weeks back, and have enjoyed revisiting it:

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

Scapegoat Kelly band website

jimsmart — Fri, 13 May 2005 10:29:33 +0000

Today, in the early hours of the morning, the new Scapegoat Kelly website went live!

All aboard the funk train!

For those of you who’ve been attending gigs: it would be great if you would go along to the website and leave some comments.