Is it possible to extract data from rar archives without having (some) last volume(s)?

On Yahoo! Answers I found the answer is no. But I think it must be yes. With the unrar tool, for example:

$ unrar x -kb Top.Gun.1986.DUAL.HDRip.XviD.AC3.-HQ-ViDEO.part01.rar

Version for Windows can be found. But you need to type the full path, or add the path to environmental variables. You know how :).

Printing from Linux to Windows(R). Part I Window(R) 98

Yes, maybe I'm suprising you, but it is my real history. At the (chemistry) laboratory, where I'm working we have an old machine with pre-installed Windows(R) 98, to which is connected a Xerox 3121 through parallel port (parport or LPT). At work I've just installed Kubuntu 8.04 to check how people made it popular (Debian Lenny works perfectly on my home desktop). In my opinion, Kubuntu, in particular, and Ubuntu, in general, are worth to be desktop distrib. But it is another history.


1. My attempt to print from Kubuntu box to Windows(R) 98 by CUPS/Samba was fail. But I going to describe it here:

1.1. Share printer on Windows(R) 98 host:
Open Control Panel -> Network Settings -> Access to Files and Printers (or similar, I use Russian Version of Windows(R) 98). Open Printers Setting -> Share (under a simple name, for example, XEROX).

1.2. Make sure you have cupsys, splix packages installed, because Xerox 3121 uses splix driver, then open in a web browsers CUPS administration interface at http://127.0.0.1:631. Add printer via device URI smb://192.168.8.210/XEROX, and choose driver (manufacturer Xerox, model Xerox 3121 with locale version of driver, en and some others available). Finally, give root as username and its password to add new printer. At the end, you can configure the new added printer.

Attention: Ubuntu users must give their name (not root). I think they know better than me :).

But when printing to new printer I got this error message in the Printer tab of CUPS administration web interface: "Unable to connect to CIFS host". And:

$ smbclient -L 192.168.8.210
session request to 192.168.8.210 failed (Called name not present)
session request to 192 failed (Called name not present)
session request to *SMBSERVER failed (Called name not present)

I'm not a super user, but I guest Windows 98 does not support printer sharing via Samba, or that feature is not working the right way, because of this concret Windows(R) distribution. Although, files sharing (read & write) works well.

2. I've resolved this problem in the other way. Search a bit, I've found an article about LPD Win (developed by G. Zander) - a LPD service for Windows(R) before 2000. Download it, extract the archive, and configure this small program (setup spool, allowed hosts, add to registry to run as service, add new printer, configure this printer as local one), that all we need to do on the server side. I don't tell you where to download because I don't know under which license LPD Win is released. I even didn't found it (the license) at all.

Configuration the client side (Ubuntu box) remains the same. Only different is the device URI (use lpd://192.168.8.210/XEROX, insteed).

Read more: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_print_winserver
http://www.penmachine.com/techie/lpdprinting_2003-08.html

Install Mustek BearPaw 1200CU Plus Scanner on Debian Lenny

First, we need sane backend, that is what works with your scanner on the apparatus level, include driver, firmware, etc and some utilities, which very help us in configuration and diagnostics. As root:

# apt-get install libsane sane-utils

Then go to get firmware. I have a Mustek BearPaw 1200CU Plus and as shown on SANE home page it uses gt68xx backend. Thus, I went to get firmware from http://www.meier-geinitz.de/sane/gt68xx-backend/, put in /usr/share/sane/gt68xx/, and make sure it is readable for everyone:

# chown root.scanner /usr/share/sane/gt68xx/PS1Dfw.usb
# chmod 755 /usr/share/sane/gt68xx/PS1Dfw.usb

The sane-utils package contain two tools we need. First we use sane-find-scanner to check if kernel support USB scanner:

$ sane-find-scanner
found USB scanner (vendor=0x055f, product=0x021c [USB Scanner], chip=GT-6816) at libusb:003:002

It's seem OK. Let's check if scanimage works:

$ scanimage -L
No scanners were identified. If you were expecting something different,
check that the scanner is plugged in, turned on and detected by the
sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate). Please read the documentation
which came with this software (README, FAQ, manpages).

But under root, scanimage gives a positive answer:

# scanimage -L
device `gt68xx:libusb:003:003' is a Mustek Bearpaw 1200 CU Plus flatbed scanner

Yes, you guess right. We have permission problem, programs works successfully under root and not as user. Although, Debian Lenny uses UDEV, all we need is to add appreciated users to scanner group, you know how :). Don't forget to logout and login again after that.

Mustek BearPaw 1200 CU Plus doesn't need any manual settings, so editing is no-needed, but take a look at /etc/sane.d/gt68xx.conf or your scanner backend's configuration file.

Now, when scanner is ready, scan your documents, images, etc by:

$ scanimage --device-name gt68xx:libusb:003:003 --resolution 300 --format png > test.png

Or, better, get a GUI frontend like Xsane:

# apt-get install xsane

Additional steps: Here, when configured the hotplug subsystem I needed to get sane-backends source from http://www.sane-project.org/, untar & copy hotplug files in subdir tools/hotplug into /etc/hotplug/usb then restart UDEV:

# /etc/init.d/udev restart

Note: If you have other scanner, just look for other sane backend.
Read more:
1. SANE home page (especially documentations section).
2. http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Installing_USB_Scanner
3. Script and configuration files (/etc/hotplug/usb/*, /etc/sane.d/*)

Install HP LaserJet 1018 printer on Debian systems. Part III. Sharing with Windows system

Printer sharing is something common now. Because even at home we can have more than one computers, which in the most cases are connected to a local network (LAN). Now, when you've got your HP LJ 1018 be configured and works well on Linux system, it's time to make printer shared by CUPS. CUPS has client/server model, it means we must configure CUPS server on Linux to accept client requests from other machines. It requires you know how to install printer on Windows(R) systems. Trust me, it is not such easy in cases with Vista ;).

Open web interface (http://localhost:631/) to configure the server side. At this web page, choose Administration tab, in Basic Server Settings: tick Share published printers connected to this system, then update by click Change settings. Don't forget to open port 631 in your firewall's setting and check Allowed users setting of the shared printer.

Client side configuration here applies for Windows(R) 2000/XP/Vista. I prefer installing drivers before from the CD with printer. Then just open printer setting in Control Panel, click add printer, choose network printer and adding by yourself. Then type the address of printer, something like this:

http://192.168.0.22:631/printers/HP

where HP is the printer name. After that, install correct driver, etc. That's all. Additionally, you can configure new printer and print the test page. Everything is simple, but you need to be lucky, at least because Windows(R) system are unpredictable :).

Note: when you add new printer to your new purchased Vista box, some strange things can happen. Just ignore them. Restart Vista. Hope printer will be ready.

Read more:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CUPS_Setup#Printer_Sharing
cupsd.conf(5) -- a short man page.

Install HP LaserJet 1018 printer on Debian systems. Part II. About hotplug.

Now, when printer was configured and work for you, you may want the hotplug system loads firmware to your device instead of typing command cat /usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl > /dev/usb/lp0 every cycle turn of/on.

To configure hotplug, you can use the instruction on foo2zjs homepage. See Part I for that link. But then you must download source of foo2zjs, make it and then make install-hotplug. Be sure to read /etc/hotplug/usb/hplj1000 (a bash script) and in this file clearly show the place of your device (/dev/usb/lp0).

Instead, you can take that file from my system. Put it in /etc/hotplug/usb/. Give it executable properties and make link(s):

# mv hplj1000 /etc/hotplug/usb/
# chmod a+x /etc/hotplug/usb/hplj1000
# cd /etc/hotplug/usb
# ln -s hplj1000 hplj1018

Maybe, you need to restart cupsys service. And then turn on printer. It should work now.

Install HP LaserJet 1018 printer on Debian systems. Part I. Quick start.

This shows how to install this USB printer in 4 steps:
Step 1. Installing CUPS:
# apt-get install cupsys

Step 2. Installing foo2zjs driver
# apt-get install foo2zjs

Step 3. Turn on the printer and get the firmware to take its power
# getweb 1018

gunzip: stdin: not in gzip format
Error: Can't open '/usr/share/foo2zjs/tmp/sihp1018.img'

(c) Copyright Hewlett-Packard 2005

# file /usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl
/usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl: empty

No!!! But, OK, we will get the firmware directly from website:

# wget http://foo2zjs.rkkda.com/firmware/sihp1018.tar.gz
# tar xzvf sihp1018.tar.gz

gzip: stdin: not in gzip format
tar: Child returned status 1
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

Oh, it seems that file is not in gzip format. So we need to check:
# file sihp1018.tar.gz
sihp1018.tar.gz: POSIX tar archive
# tar xf sihp1018.tar.gz
# arm2hpdl sihp1018.img > sihp1018.dl
# mv sihp1018.dl /usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl
# file /usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl
/usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl: HP Printer Job Language data
# cat /usr/share/foo2zjs/firmware/sihp1018.dl > /dev/usb/lp0

Step 4. Add new printer by CUPS's interface at http://localhost:631/. That all, let's go print your documents, e-mail, poems, etc.

Note: my Debian system is Lenny, but I think the instruction works for other. If have troubles, you may want to install foo2zjs from the source (newer version, than the one in Lenny). In that case please read how to do at http://foo2zjs.rkkda.com/. If still have problems, you can ask on forums for supports.

Manchester United Champion!!!

Yes, they did it tonight in Moscow. The game was beautiful, maybe better say, wonderful. Two commands gave us the atmosphere, which we don't have for a long time. Thanks them for that. And thanks MU for their play, their victory.

Friends, wait for another game, European Football Championship 2008!

My first TV interview

The interview was taken at photo exhibition in Voronezh city, Russia, where I'm living now. Edited a bit (trim) by Kino. I put it on video.google.com. Audio is in Russian.

A successful history with Creative Sound Blaster Connect

Yesterday I purchased a new external (USB) sound card from Creative - Sound Blaster Connect (SB Connect). I didn't get it work immediately and search on Google about its supporting under Linux. ALSA project site showed that it seems not have driver for SB Connect although the card is there in the list.



But today I have other working sound system just after ...reboot. My Debian unstable with ALSA v1.0.13 recognized sound card as SB MP3+. In this case we have so call Plug-and-Play device under Linux :). I don't know if other features like recording are working or not. For now I just have no need of them.

See more pictures and info about card from creative site.

Extraction with freezing-out - new techniques and application

Extraction with freezing-out was used in the past in analytical chemistry for sample preparations. Not long ago, in 2007, a Russian scientist-chemist Victor N. Bekhterev published new techniques of this method, which resolved many problems of the old usage and as the result, extraction with freezing-out is renew. It is a genius idea.

In the new techniques, solvable in matrix solution solvents are used instead of insolvable (the old technique). For example, acetonitrile is added to extract organic compounds from aqueous samples. The mixture then freeze in a normal fridge under temperature -15 degree Celsius. In this condition a liquid phase is located on surface of solid water - ice. The acetonitrile liquid phase then separate from solid by decantation and can be analyzed.

Read more about these techniques in Victor Bekhterev's publication and patent (Russian Federation):

1. Bekhterev V.N. // Mendeleev Communication. 2007. V. 17. p.241. Doi: 10.1016/j.mencom.2007.06.021
   Theory and compare with other separation techniques (in English).
2. Patent Russian Federation N2303476 Method of isolating from aqueous media via extraction combined with freezing.
   Details of techniques (in Russian).

MC get a transparent background with GNOME Terminal

Quiet right answer to the question "What is the most popular file manager on Linux system?" is mc -- Midnight Commander (one of my friend gave another name Midnight Condom :) ). mc is powerful tool for users, works both in console and graphical user interface. mc supports transparent effect in GNOME Terminal. See screenshot bellow (click on image to see it in full size):

Just add the [Colors] code section in my ini to your $HOME$/.mc/ini and be aware that text is on only one line. Also change GNOME-Terminal's profile to have transparent background. You may can (need) to correct the values to fit your desktop appearance. From mc(1):

In the Colors section, the default color map is loaded from the base_color variable. You can specify an alternate color map for a terminal by using the terminal name as the key in this section. Example:

[Colors]
base_color=
xterm=menu=magenta:marked=,magenta:markselect=,red

The format for the color definition is:

keyword=foregroundcolor,backgroundcolor:keyword= ...

The colors are optional, and the keywords are: normal, selected,marked, markselect, errors, input, reverse, gauge. Menu colors are: menu, menusel, menuhot, menuhotsel. Dialog colors are: dnormal, dfocus, dhotnormal, dhotfocus. Help colors are: helpnormal, helpitalic, helpbold, helplink, helpslink. Viewer color is: viewunderline. Special highlighting colors are: executable, directory, link, stalelink, device, special, core. Editor colors are: editnormal, editbold, editmarked.

The possible colors are: black, gray, red, brightred, green, brightgreen, brown, yellow, blue, brightblue, magenta, brightmagenta, cyan, brightcyan, lightgray and white. And there is a special keyword for transparent background. It is ’default’. The ’default’ can only be used for background color. Example:

[Colors]
base_color=normal=white,default:marked=magenta,default

Here is full view of my Debian desktop with Ubuntu background image :). Thanks Ubuntu community for that beautiful and other images.

Some, maybe useful, information about this GNOME theme:

• gdesklets applets
• Controls = Clearlooks
• Colors: Windows = 787878, ffffff
  
• Window Border = Correcamins
• Icons = Rodent
  

Secret Maryo Chronicles - the game for your kids and not only :)

Secret Maryo Chronicles is an Open Source two-dimensional platform game with a style designed similar to classic sidescroller games - Super Mario. Any one of us can't forget this wonderful game with perfect game atmosphere, which won popular in the last (but not very far) century.

Try Secret Maryo Chronicles!

"Fatal error: can't create i686/soundtest.o: Not a directory" fix while compiling Cinelerra

Yes, I searched everywhere by Google how to fix this error. In fact, many people got this error while compiling Cinelerra version 2. Some asked on the forums, some even went to official #cinelerra IRC chanel. But as I see they did not get the answer. Me too. Installation some dev packages as suggested did not help. And then I found the solution myself. Very simple :).

$ mkdir i868

That all!

P.S. 1. Interesting that my search results on Google show the ubuntuforum.org first. And almost questions are from this forum. This show that Ubuntu is (or was) becoming the most popular Linux distribution. I am using Debian at now. But certainly will take a look at Hardy Heron (8.04) when I'll receive the disks from shipit.ubuntu.com.

2. When compiling you can see the same errors' messages. For me, I got "Fatal error: can't create i686/encore50/bitstream.o: No such file or directory". Solve problem the same way!

Linux distribution for LPI exams' preparation

From distrowatch.com: "The elpicx live DVD is a Knoppix and Centos-based live Linux system with a single goal - to help students to prepare for the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certification exam by providing several test emulators as well as a number of LPI reference cards, study notes, preparation guides and exercises. Available in English and German."

Download and read more about this distro at elearnit.de.

Are you Google user? Try gOS then...

gOS is based on Linux, uses Enlightenment or Gnome as desktop. The main goal is support for Google services, like Google Docs, MySpace, etc. Interesting is that, PCs with gOS can be purchased at Walmart.com. The first party of these PCs was sold out after one week.

gOS Enlightenment desktop

Lomonosov-2008 finished successfully!

It was very pleasure for me to participate in this conference. I met many interesting people - scientists from other cities, even from other countries outside Russia. Also got a diploma for the oral contribution in subsection analytical chemistry.

The illustration material can be found in LaTeX Beamer file archives with 3 themes files (in a tar ball).

Fig. 1. Title page of the presentation.


Fig. 2. Three fields theme.

Cognitive Technologies opened their OCR product!

From their site:

"CUNEIFORM V.12. In our modern world you can hardly think about simply retyping documents into a computer, because they usually have images and other elements of decoration which you you will not be able to copy into your computer without scanning. And only such modern and perfect system as CuneiForm V.12 can reproduce an original document form, including images, tables, columns, paragraphs, indentions, font styles and sizes.

Support of 20 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Mixed Russian-English, Ukrainian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Serbian, Croatian, Polish and others. "

I think this is important and (maybe) principal solution for Linux users. Of course, other systems' users have benefit, too.

Links for downloading binary and source code of CuneiForm can take from Cognitive Technologies' site (in English).

Second and third reffered articles

1. Rudakov O.B., Chorochordina E. A., Phan Vinh Thinh, Podolina E.A., Rudakova L.V. Determination of capsaicinoids and ionol (BHT) in pepper plasters by microcolumn HPLC // Sorption and chromatographical processes, volume 8, issue 2, pp. 332-338.

Abstract

Liquid extraction of capsaicinoids and ionol from water-salting liquids of sulphate of ammonium is investigated by isopropanol. Conditions of extraction of these analyts from a pepper plaster are optimized. The technique microcolumn HPLC definitions of capsaicinoids and ionol in extracts are offered.

2. Horohordina E. A., Phan Vinh Thinh, Rudakov O.B., Podolina E.A. Influence of structure of phenols on interfacial tension in extraction systems hexane - chloroform - water-salting solution // Sorption and chromatographical processes, volume 8, issue 2, pp. 339-345.

Abstract

Definitely interfacial energy in systems hexane - chloroform – an alkyl phenol - water-salting solution. Influence of structure on character of isotherms of interfacial tension and partition coefficients of phenols in the investigated extraction systems is considered.

See also other publications on my web page.

Photo competition at my university

In the period of February and March a photo competition was organized at my university (Voronezh State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Russia) for (post-graduate) students. In the end of the activity, authors with selected works will be awarded and their photos will have places in exhibition room of Voronezh union of artists.

Three of my photos had been choose:

1. Pigeons
2. Late walk
3. We and trees

The exhibition room (on Kirova street near the shop "Optica") will be opened on April 15th. 2008.

My baby is six weeks

Yes, doctor said that, (s)he is only six weeks. And I'm waiting for him (her).
The first release ... :).

Participant on International Conference "Lomonosov 2008"

Lomonosov International Conference opens every year for young scientists - (post-graduate) students in Russia and outside countries. The main organizer is Lomonosov Moscow State University. Reports are choice by subsection's committee.

In this year, Lomonosov 2008 Conference will be held on April 8th-12th. Read more in English http://lomonosov-msu.ru/Lomonosov_eng.pdf .

I have 2 accepted reports:

1. Extraction of phenolic compounds from hydrophobic mediums and analysis by HPLC. (Coauthors - Tran Thi Hoang Quyen)
   
2. Determination of capsaicinoids in pepper plasters by HPLC (Coauthors - Horohordina E. A.)

The first one is oral contribution on April 9th.

Перевод Российских дипломов на Европейские

http://incorvuz.ru/44.shtml
Реальные возможность?

I have first referred article

Yes, I knew I have it a month a go, but today it is really published.

Rudakov O.B, Phan Vinh Thinh, Podolina E.A., Charitonova L.A. Application of microcolumn HPLC to control ionol (BHT) in transformer oil // Sorption and chromatographical processes, volume 8, issue 1, pp. 141-146.

Abstract

The technique of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol extraction from transformer oil and its chromatographical determination by reversed-phase microcolumn HPLC are developed. The extraction system includes 2-propanol, liquid solution of ammonia and sulfate ammonia (for salting). Method provides definition of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol in circuit-breaker oil in the interval of 1000-5000 mg/kg.

Thanks my supervisor, Oleg Borisovich and all people, who supports me!

See also other publications on my web page.

An arsenic biosensor suitable for field use

You'll find it in the middle of the following page
http://www.eawag.ch/forschung/chemikalien_effekte/index_EN

Chemistry conference in Belgorod, Russia on September 22-26th 2008

Registration is opened.

Information (language: Russian)
Registration card (language: Russian)