Walker News » Open Source

Is there A Reliable Cracked Software? Why Use Genuine Software?

Walker — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:53:34 +0000

Why using pirated software?

About 10 years ago, I spent all money on my first DIY computer, but almost zero cost on all Windows software installed onto it.

Obviously, I used pirated program, with installers borrowed from friends or bought them myself from pirated software booth at a flat price of 3 – 5 buck per CD.

Why I did that?

First, I was about to start the 1st semester of computer study in college on my own limited finance. As you may know, the hardware was not cheap at that time, so I couldn’t afford to spent additional on genuine software.

Second, none of the people I knew in college or friends were using Linux or open source software. As a novice at that time, learning Linux on my own could be a great challenge. In order to learn from peer and “masters” around me, I had no choice to go for Windows. Since all of them were using pirated Windows and also my limited finance disallowed me to have genuine software, I just followed the “culture”.

Why using Genuine software now?

Before Windows XP released, most of the pirated software were actually “cracked” by using a genuine product key or serial number.

By using this method, there is no worry of Trojan or virus, so long as you install the software with a genuine installer and activate it with “pirated” product key that is actually a genuine license key shared by millions of people around the world.

However, software activation changes after Microsoft introduced Microsoft Product Activation or Windows Product Activation, started with Windows XP.

Many other software follow the way of Microsoft licensing Windows XP, i.e. to install the software with a valid product key and then activate it within grace period, by connecting to the software vendor server or phone the call center to get an activation key for this purpose.

Therefore, most of the pirated software nowadays are not simply a result of cracking with genuine product key. Indeed, these are really “cracked” software that done by repackaging genuinely installed and activated software, fooling the software with a locally installed activator, etc.

I don’t kinda like these kind of “cracked” software as I am worry about risk of Trojan or virus that might have built into the activator or repackaged installer.

How Easy To Access Web Search Engine In Google Chrome

Walker — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:11:07 +0000

No one will be happier if there are no web search engines available to locate pieces of information from billions of web pages virtually stored in World Wide Web.

Thus, Google Chrome user interface presents easier way to access a user’s default Web search engine, be it Google Search, Microsoft Live Search, Yahoo! Search, Wikia Search, etc.

Access web search engine in Google Chrome Address bar

This first method is the simplest and fastest way to access user’s default Web search engine:

While Google Chrome window is active, press CTRL+T (to open a tabbed window) OR CTRL+D (to set input cursor to Address bar or to highlight text in Address bar) AND type your search term (in Address bar, of course) follow by pressing ENTER key.

In this way, you can access the default Web search engine with one hot key (CTRL+D or CTRL+T, depend on you expectation) and start typing the keywords followed by ENTER key.

^{Access to web search engine service is easy in Google Chrome.}

If the default Web search engine is set to Google Search, all Google Search features are available in Google Chrome Address bar, e.g. typing either one of these double-quoted search terms (without including the double-quotation mark) in Address bar: “pi” (reference tool), “3ft in m” (calculator / converter), “time london” (local time), “define:addict” (dictionary), etc.

Access web search engine with the highlighted keywords

This second method is not faster than the first, but it’s faster and convenient in its nature. For example, if you would like to search the web for this “friendly” botanical name “Centella asiatica” or a even “weird” scientific name “Callorhinchus milii”, do you think it’s easier to type the keywords manually or to copy and paste?

If the keyword is found on a web page open in Google Chrome, you can easily find out more relevant online information of this keyword, by just highlighting the text and right click, there is a Search For ““ option in the Context menu (i.e. no need to go through extra steps – copy & paste).

How to set default web search engine in Google Chrome?

To configure the default search engine used by Google Chrome, click the spanner button (tooltips as Customize and Control Google Chrome) on top-right corner and select Options from the drop down menu.

In the Google Chrome Options dialog box, go to Basic tab (default tab shown), select your favourite web search engine as the default of Google Chrome.

If your favourite is not there, click Manage button to add in more web search engines to the list, or select one from the list and click Make Default.

An additional note, Google Chrome is smart as it can detect any web search services that you’ve used in a web page and automatically add them to the list.

For example, if you’ve used the Google Custom Search box in this page, WalkerNews.net is automatically included in Google Chrome Search Engines list:

^{Google Chrome automatically detects web search services on a page and automatically add it to the list.}

So, you might no need to worry about the Add button. In most cases, just select the listed search engines and set it as default by pressing Make Default button.

How To Copy Or Backup File That Is Open In Another Program?

Walker — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:18:59 +0000

When you are about to copy a file but Windows rejects you with a “File In Use” message, saying that “The action can’t be completed because the file is open in another program. Close the file and try again.”

Agree or not, that message box is a little bit informative but useless. It will be good by directly list out programs or Windows services that open or lock the file and provide an alternative option to copy the open file with API functions that already built into some latest Windows systems.

^{How to copy cache files from Google Chrome cache folder?}

Sometime, it’s just impossible to close the program in order to copy the open file in question – you either can’t tell which particular program or Windows service is locking the file (unless using process viewer tool) or the program that open or lock the file can’t be closed by all means.

For example, if you want to copy the flash video cached by Flash Player plugin of Google Chrome, you’ve to copy the FLV file while the web browser remains open (i.e. the page that finish playback the flash video cannot be closed, otherwise the cached FLV file will be deleted immediately).

How to copy or backup an open file (i.e. a file locked by another process)?

So, you need VSS, short for Volume Snapshot Service! It’s also known as Volume Shadow Copy Service, Shadow Copy, Previous Version (in Windows Vista).

VSS was introduced in Windows XP SP1 and made available on all releases of Windows OS thereafter, is a set of COM interfaces that implements a framework to allow volume backups to be performed while applications on a system continue to write to the volumes. – cf Microsoft MSDN

If you’re using Windows XP SP1 and above or that VSS feature is available, a VSS-aware application will work to copy the open file from shadow copy rather than asking you to close the program that lock the file.

For example, I use HoboCopy to copy FLV files cached by Google Chrome’s Flash Player plugin, before I came to know a specific freeware called VideoCacheView.

Google Chrome Has More Efficient Flash Video Cache Technique Than IE7 and Firefox 3

Walker — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:54:35 +0000

First, I would like to say thank you to Nirsofer, a developer of many useful, standalone freeware that I really like to keep along in USB thumb drive.

I left a comment on his ChromeCacheView freeware, suggested him to include flash video cache location used by Google Chrome.

However, his reply really surprise my earlier finding – I said Google Chrome cache folder is defensive! But, it’s not true (I’m sorry).

Indeed, now I believe Google Chrome has more efficient Flash video cache technique than Internet Explorer and Firefox.

After using VideoCacheView (another great standalone freeware of Nirsofer) and verification on the Windows Vista directories, I found that Google Chrome doesn’t have double cache situation as in IE 7 and Firefox 3.

Google Chrome doesn’t cache the flash video, but rely on flash player plugin that automatically caching the flash video in Windows temp folder of user account, with file name appears in flaxxxx.tmp pattern (where xxxx is alpha-numeric).

With IE 7 and Firefox 3 running on Windows Vista Ultimate machine, however, these two web browsers are actually perform double cache!

While the flash player plugin cache a copy in Windows temp folder of user account (Firefox 3) or top-level Low integrity folder (IE 7 running in Protected Mode in Windows Vista), the web browser also keep a copy of the flash video in their legacy TIF folder (a.k.a. Temporarily Internet Files folder or cache folder).

Obviously, IE7 and Firefox 3 take 2x disk space to play a flash video. If the flash video size is 100MB, the IE7 or Firefox 3 takes 200MB of disk space for caching.

Of course, the 200MB used disk space is set to free upon caching period expired, web browser is closed, or user forcibly empties the cache. However, that additional 100MB of I/O could be expensive to CPU utilization and disk defragmentation problem, especially when user actively watching several lengthy flash videos hosted at YouTube, MetaCafe, FLURL, etc.

Although I’ve been actively using Google Chrome for my web activities, I would like to remind myself (and my friends, and you) to watch YouTube / flash movie with Google Chrome (at least for the time being)!

How To Copy YouTube Video or FLV File From Google Chrome Cache Folder?

Walker — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:59:14 +0000

If you’ve read my earlier post about the defensive Google Chrome cache folder (or from the splog/copycat), you should have known that Google Chrome doesn’t keeps all caches (temporarily Internet file) in the explicit cache folder.

I’ve been trying playback Flash videos hosted at YouTube and some less famous video hosting sites, and found that the FLV files are not kept in the Google Chrome master cache folder. Indeed, Google Chrome cache those large Flash video in the Windows temp folder of my user account.
And to be frank, I’m testing this with Google Chrome v0.2.149.30 on Windows Vista SP1. If you’re using other version than what I’ve tested, please be kind to share what you’ve found?

How to copy YouTube video or Flash video from Google Chrome cache folder?

Now, knowing that the large YouTube video or Flash video files are cached in Windows temp folder, do you able to directly copy them to other places for “safe-keeping” – either for offline playback or share with your mom and dad who only know how to operate their classic video player and TV set?

Answer: You can copy them BUT NOT with a direct method or the Windows default copy function/command!

Google Chrome cache files technique is defensive!

Why it’s defensive? Let me explain in points form:

You can’t close page (Tab window or Chrome browser) that contains the video you’ve playback completely. If you do, Google Chrome automatically delete the cached FLV video files in Windows temp folder, immediately.
While the page is open, the Windows default copy command or Windows Explorer function can’t copy the cached Flash videos – it’ll failed with a “File In Use” error message, saying that “The action can’t be completed because the file is open in another program. Close the file and try again!”

But, you can’t close the Google Chrome or have the cached video deleted automatically, as soon as you close the browser!

So, you’ve to download an open source program called HoboCopy to copy the Google Chrome cache files that are opened (and thus disallow the default Windows copy function/command to function properly)!

For example, I’ve used HoboCopy to duplicate/copy that 72.27 MB flash video cached by Google Chrome in Window temp folder to E: drive:

C:\Users\Walker\AppData\Local>hobocopy Temp\ E:\FLV-Backup\ fla7049.tmp
HoboCopy (c) 2006 Wangdera Corporation. hobocopy@wangdera.com

Starting a full copy from C:\Users\Walker\AppData\Local\Temp\ to E:\FLV-Backup\
Copied directory
Backup successfully completed.
Backup started at 2008-09-18 00:10:43, completed at 2008-09-18 00:11:09.
1 files (72.27 MB, 1 directories) copied, 45 files skipped

If you’re using Windows Vista, make sure you’re using an elevated Command Prompt window (i.e. Command Prompt process with real Administrator privilege) to run the Hobocopy command.

If you find this troublesome or difficult, then just try to Google some freeware or the simple YouTube Downloader of my friend. But, what about other video files hosted on other video hosting sites?

Google Chrome: Browser Cache Folder Is Defensive!

Walker — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:25:09 +0000

Google Chrome is an open source web browser. And, I’m currently using Google Chrome version 0.2.149.30 (official build 2200) for this topic.

By the time you read this post, most likely you’ve a latest version that reflects code changes made for enhancements. So, some or all of the Google Chrome cache folder facts written here might become invalid…

First question: Where is Google Chrome cache folder?

I believe there is no super-hidden cache folder or “low integrity” cache folder introduced by IE 7.

The Google Chrome cache folder name is exactly called “cache” and it’s not a hidden folder.

In my Vista Ultimate SP1 machine, the Chrome cache folder is exactly in this path:

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache

As you locating it in Windows Explorer, remember to replace

with your Windows user name.

However, this explicit cache folder is not the only one location used by Google Chrome to keep the temporarily Internet files, i.e. the “caches” that speed up web browsing experience.

Where does Google Chrome cache temporarily Internet files?

Unlike IE7 or Firefox, Google Chrome doesn’t cache or keep temporarily Internet files in master cache folder that is either with or without sub-folders.

While running in Windows Vista SP1, Google Chrome caches or keeps the temporarily Internet files in two locations (as far as I notice now), i.e.

the explicit Google Chrome cache folder that I said just now,
the Windows Vista “temp folder” in respective user’s directory, i.e.
```
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp\
```

What kind of temporarily Internet files are kept in Google Chrome cache folder and Windows temp folder?

I didn’t go into detail on this question. If you do, please comment to share.

In brief, I found some Javascripts, web pages, pictures, etc, are kept in the explicit Google Chrome cache folder, but appears with a different file name and there is no file extension given to identify their file type.

Most of the “files” in this explicit Google Chrome cache folder are of small file size. It seems to me that only temporarily Internet files lesser than 4MB will be kept here.

So, those large YouTube video or FLV file contents are not likely in this folder.
Then, where does Google Chrome keeps the large YouTube video or FLV files?

Yes, they are kept in the Windows temp folder! And I find that Google Chrome consistently caches the FLV (Flash Video) files in Windows temp folder as fla409A.tmp kind of file name (where the initial file name is fla, followed by alpha-numeric characters and ended with .tmp file extension.

For your testing, try to watch a lengthy YouTube video (probably 4 minutes or longer) in Google Chrome. For example, this LockerGnome “super lengthy” video that last for 52 minutes (about 72.2 MB).

While the video is playback, press F5 to refresh the Windows temp folder that list files sorted by “date created” option – in Google Chrome version 0.2.149.30, you could see the YouTube video being cached in Windows temp folder (not that explicit Google Chrome cache folder) is gradually taking up disk space. And, the cached YouTube video is not named as “get_video”, “get_video[1]“, etc.

Last question: Could you retrieve or copy the YouTube video or any FLV files cached by Google Chrome in Windows temp folder?

I tried to copy but failed with an error message “The action can’t be completed because the file is open in another program”.

So, I thought to close the Google Chrome and back here to copy. But, the cached FLV files are automatically “housekeep”, almost as soon as I close the Google Chrome!

Google Chrome cache technique is defensive!

Although you could use YouTube downloader program or manually retrieve the YouTube video direct download link to keep a copy of the video for your mom who only like to watch them on the classic TV + player set, you might need to use non-Google Chrome web browsers to retrieve the FLV files on some less popular video hosting sites, via the web browser cache folder technique.

GNU Coreutils: GNU Date Is Easier For Date Time Calculation In Linux Shell Script

Walker — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:47:21 +0000

I mentioned about date time calculation shell script in an earlier post. Though, the GNU date examples related to Unix Epoch time (a.k.a. Unix time, POSIX time, Julian time) in that post aren’t really successful (so as the Julian time calculation in C program code) :-(

(Time is not an easy-to-understand topic, especially people who keen on “A Brief History Of Time” that written by Stephen Hawking).

OK, put aside that Physics topic about time. Back to the question: How easy is to do date time calculation in Linux shell script (and not about Windows Vista Date Time Matter)?

First of all, GNU date is one of the many Linux programs that grouped in a great package, with a given name GNU Coreutils.

GNU Coreutils is bundled with Red Hat Linux distribution, and is believed being a ubiquitous GNU package among Linux distributions.

For example, in my RHEL4 machine, ls -laSh /bin/date shows it’s only 47KB in size and the rpm -qf /bin/date shows it’s part of the coreutils-5.2.1-31 package.

This GNU date can either set or change the current system date/time or to display date/time format according to user queries. For those serious programmers who use Julian time, you should happy to know that GNU date understands UNIX Epoch time too!

What is that Epoch Time exactly?

The computer times are represented as a count of seconds since an epoch, i.e. a well-defined point of time (hence, it’s called Epoch time).

On GNU and POSIX systems, the epoch time is defined as 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. Thus, it’s also known as UNIX time, POSIX time, or some simply calls it Julian time.

Here are some GNU date arithmetic and time calculation examples, which I’ve referred to the official GNU date documentation (also appears in info date):

walker@walkernews.net # date
Thu Aug 28 17:10:38 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "3 hours ago"
Thu Aug 28 14:10:41 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+3 hours"
Thu Aug 28 20:12:01 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "last month"
Mon Jul 28 17:13:11 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "next month"
Sun Sep 28 17:14:15 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+2 months"
Tue Oct 28 17:14:56 GMT 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2 months ago"
Sat Jun 28 17:16:44 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "yesterday"
Wed Aug 27 17:13:35 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "tomorrow"
Fri Aug 29 17:13:55 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "3 days ago"
Mon Aug 25 17:22:42 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+3 days"
Sun Aug 31 17:23:08 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "last friday"
Fri Aug 22 00:00:00 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-22 +3 days"
Mon Aug 25 00:00:00 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-22 -5 days"
Sun Aug 17 00:00:00 BST 2008

How to format the GNU date output format? For example, to get the day, weekday, month, year of 23 days ago can be coded as such:

walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago"
Tue Aug  5 18:23:24 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%e
 5
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%d
05
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%m
08
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%-m
8
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%b
Aug
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%B
August
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +"%e-%-m-%Y, %B"
 5-8-2008, August
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +"%e-%m-%Y, %B"
 5-08-2008, August

You may refer to man date for detail list of GNU date output format modifiers. Also, take note the difference of +%m and +%-m is that the later remove the zero padding.

The zero-padding looks neatly when display in string format. However, zero-padded numeric is not valid in Bash shell script arithmetic interpretation, i.e. 08 – 05 will fail as the valid syntax is 8 – 5.

Unix Epoch time calculation examples with GNU date

The +%s is another GNU date output modifier, i.e. to output number of seconds since Unix Epoch. And, the date/time format for -d option switch is close to ISO 8601 date/time format, i.e. YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (it’s not a strict ISO 8601 Date/Time format, but close to it).

For example, the UNIX time of 25th of December 2008 at 12:25PM 08 seconds is given as this:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-12-25 12:25:08" +%s
1230207908

So, the Julian time of 2008-08-08 20:08:08 (the date and time of Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony) is as such:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218226088

That’s 1218226088 seconds elapsed since Unix Epoch time at 2008-08-08 20:08:08.

To convert UNIX Epoch time or Julian time to human readable date/time format:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 20:08:08 UTC 2008