Dial up from Debian GNU/Linux and USB Modem Claro ZTE

When I am far away from a wired connection to internet, a USB Modem turns out to be just acceptable. Because this is not so frequent for me I log it now for future references.

Here I describe the procedure to connect through Claro, a telecom company established in Chile.

The hardware is a HSDPA USB Modem MF626 and Compaq 6715s laptop running Debian GNU/Linux Squeeze.

First, we need the package(s) for wvdial.
You may need some dependencies... yep, it may turn out to be the hen and egg problem (I used another laptop with a colorful operating system).

#apt-get install wvdial

Second, you run the autoconfiguration utility:

#wvdialconf

Third, check the configuration file written in /etc/wvdial.conf:

#cat /etc/wvdial.conf

[Dialer Defaults]
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Modem Type = Analog Modem
ISDN = 0
New PPPD = yes
Phone = *99#
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB2
Username = claro
Password = claro
Baud = 112800

Verify the values, in my case the modem was not found in the place reported (/dev/ttyUSB1).

Fourth, run the dialer:

wvdial
--> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.60
--> Cannot get information for serial port.
--> Initializing modem.
--> Sending: ATZ
ATZ
OK
--> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
OK
--> Modem initialized.
--> Sending: ATDT*99#
--> Waiting for carrier.
ATDT*99#
CONNECT 3600000
--> Carrier detected.  Waiting for prompt.
--> Don't know what to do!  Starting pppd and hoping for the best.
--> Starting pppd at Sat Sep 17 18:03:22 2011
--> Pid of pppd: 11384
--> Using interface ppp0
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> local  IP address 186.172.53.253
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> remote IP address 10.64.64.64
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> primary   DNS address 8.8.8.8
--> pppd: �[7f]
--> secondary DNS address 8.8.4.4
--> pppd: �[7f]

If your connection is still not working, try bringing down any other network interface:

# ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1a:4b:77:59:eb 
          inet addr:192.168.0.29  Bcast:192.168.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:16

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback 
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:747 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:747 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:70604 (68.9 KiB)  TX bytes:70604 (68.9 KiB)

# route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface
10.64.64.64     0.0.0.0         255.255.255.255 UH    0      0        0 ppp0
192.168.0.0     0.0.0.0         255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
169.254.0.0     0.0.0.0         255.255.0.0     U     1000   0        0 eth0
0.0.0.0         192.168.0.1     0.0.0.0         UG    0      0        0 eth0

# ifdown eth0

Try again:

# elinks www.google.com

It worked.

# route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface
10.64.64.64     0.0.0.0         255.255.255.255 UH    0      0        0 ppp0
0.0.0.0         0.0.0.0         0.0.0.0         U     0      0        0 ppp0

# ifconfig
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback 
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:1149 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1149 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:266335 (260.0 KiB)  TX bytes:266335 (260.0 KiB)

ppp0      Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol 
          inet addr:186.172.53.253  P-t-P:10.64.64.64  Mask:255.255.255.255
          UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:5935 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:5673 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:3
          RX bytes:4872033 (4.6 MiB)  TX bytes:1055978 (1.0 MiB)

Installing Debian GNU/Linux 6 from network using a USB flash drive and HP firmware for HP DL380 G7

This is the easiest way to do the job (of course, it is not a new procedure but I need to register it).

This Debian webpage shows us the propietary firmware available and this webpage shows how to prepare you flash drive to install Debian GNU/Linux 6 in your server!

The procedure

First, download the image from the Debian's repository with propietary firmware.

Second, download the image to format the flash drive from here, in my case amd64 for the HP DL380 G7.

Third, prepare your flash drive in other Linux machine. Let /dev/sdX be the place where your flash drive is mounted.

zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdX
mkdir -p /mnt/pendrive
mount /dev/sdX /mnt/pendrive
cp firmware-6.0.2.1-amd64-netinst.iso /mnt/pendrive
umount /mnt/pendrive

Fourth, boot your server with the flash drive inserted to install the system from network. The firmware for the network card will be available (plus some others).

Enjoy!

Folding@Home in Debian GNU/Linux Squeeze amd64 as a service

I think distributed computing is fascinating, these days I have been learning about MPI, clusters and related stuff. The power of a lot of machines working collaboratively to solve a problem... amazing!, I love computing :-)

You know that a mayor part of time your CPU is not fully used because your processes are not all heavyweight all the time, lots of IO locks, dead times, etc. I mean, rarely ours CPUs are 100% used.


Folding@Home is a distributed computing project where protein folding is studied doing complex simulations, so complex and CPU demanding that the scientists turn to ask for help to the whole world. You can share some cycles of your CPU to the Science.

"Protein folding is linked to disease, such as Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers. Moreover, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. "misfold"), there can be serious consequences, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers and cancer-related syndromes."

I joined to help anonymously some years ago and I hope you can join us, create a team or just add yourself to the default group.

Check the webpage, they have been awarded and several results have been published.

I have installed the client in my dual boot machines (Windows/Linux) and in my home server.

I will show you how to install FAH in Debian GNU/Linux Lenny in a machine without X and in a service mode. Setting FAH as a service will allow it to start automatically every time the system boots up and you still are in charge because you can disable or even uninstall the service.

Log in as root or sudo as you like.

You should create a new user account by security reasons and according with the best practices suggested here (or here), the best place to put our client is /opt/fah.

# groupadd fah
# useradd -g fah fah --shell /bin/bash -d /opt/fah -m

From here you can download the installer, I chose FAH6.34-Linux64.tgz bacause my linux box is:

uname -a

Linux blogger 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Tue Jun 14 09:42:28 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux

wget http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/release/FAH6.34-Linux64.tgz

tar xzf FAH6.34-Linux64.tgz

chmod u+x fah6

After that we may configure the client, buy we should do this as the fah user (will create configuration files and data):

su fah 

Then, we run the executable:

$ ./fah6

Note: Please read the license agreement (fah6 -license). Further
use of this software requires that you have read and accepted this agreement.



--- Opening Log file [July 22 00:10:47 UTC]


# Linux Console Edition #######################################################
###############################################################################

                       Folding@Home Client Version 6.34

                          http://folding.stanford.edu

###############################################################################
###############################################################################

Launch directory: /opt/fah
Executable: ./fah6


[00:10:47] Configuring Folding@Home...

User name [Anonymous]? blogger (any username you like)
Team Number [0]? (The default team, create your team or join any one)
Passkey []?
Ask before fetching/sending work (no/yes) [no]? (this should be no as a service)
Use proxy (yes/no) [no]?
Acceptable size of work assignment and work result packets (bigger units
 may have large memory demands) -- 'small' is <5MB, 'normal' is <10MB, and
 'big' is >10MB (small/normal/big) [normal]?
Change advanced options (yes/no) [no]?

[00:12:18] - Ask before connecting: No
[00:12:18] - User name: blogger (Team 0)
[00:12:18] - User ID not found locally
[00:12:18] + Requesting User ID from server
[00:12:19] - Machine ID: 1
[00:12:19]
[00:12:19] Work directory not found. Creating...
[00:12:19] Could not open work queue, generating new queue...
[00:12:19] - Preparing to get new work unit...
[00:12:19] Cleaning up work directory
[00:12:19] + Attempting to get work packet
[00:12:19] - Connecting to assignment server
[00:12:21] - Successful: assigned to (171.67.108.52).
[00:12:21] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[00:12:21] Loaded queue successfully.
[00:12:26] + Closed connections
[00:12:26]
[00:12:26] + Processing work unit
[00:12:26] Core required: FahCore_78.exe
[00:12:26] Core not found.
[00:12:26] - Core is not present or corrupted.
[00:12:26] - Attempting to download new core...
[00:12:26] + Downloading new core: FahCore_78.exe
[00:12:28] + 10240 bytes downloaded
(many bytes downloaded here...)

[00:12:38] + 1134407 bytes downloaded
[00:12:38] Verifying core Core_78.fah...
[00:12:38] Signature is VALID
[00:12:38]
[00:12:38] Trying to unzip core FahCore_78.exe
[00:12:39] Decompressed FahCore_78.exe (3435296 bytes) successfully
[00:12:39] + Core successfully engaged
[00:12:45]
[00:12:45] + Processing work unit
[00:12:45] Core required: FahCore_78.exe
[00:12:45] Core found.
[00:12:45] Working on queue slot 01 [July 22 00:12:45 UTC]
[00:12:45] + Working ...
[00:12:45]
[00:12:45] *------------------------------*
[00:12:45] Folding@Home Gromacs Core
[00:12:45] Version 1.90 (March 8, 2006)
[00:12:45]
[00:12:45] Preparing to commence simulation
[00:12:45] - Looking at optimizations...
[00:12:45] - Created dyn
[00:12:45] - Files status OK
[00:12:46] - Expanded 374844 -> 1805564 (decompressed 481.6 percent)
[00:12:46] - Starting from initial work packet
[00:12:46]
[00:12:46] Project: 6888 (Run 876, Clone 0, Gen 3)
[00:12:46]
[00:12:46] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[00:12:46] Entering M.D.

  Gromacs is Copyright (c) 1991-2003, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
        This inclusion of Gromacs code in the Folding@Home Core is under
        a special license (see http://folding.stanford.edu/gromacs.html)
         specially granted to Stanford by the copyright holders. If you
          are interested in using Gromacs, visit www.gromacs.org where
                you can download a free version of Gromacs under
         the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) as published
       by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License,
                     or (at your option) any later version.

[00:12:52] Protein: ALZHEIMER DISEASE AMYLOID
[00:12:52]
[00:12:52] Writing local files
[00:13:01] Extra SSE boost OK.
[00:13:01] Writing local files
[00:13:01] Completed 0 out of 250000 steps  (0%)

Ok, here we break the download of unit works [CONTROL+C] because we should setup fah as a service. It will continue from here when the binary be executed again anyway.

As root again, let's create /etc/init.d/fah with this content:

#!/bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          Service script for Folding@Home.
# Required-Start:    $syslog
# Required-Stop:     $syslog
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: This manages the service for client of the distributed computing project Folding@Home.
# Description:       Service script for Folding@Home.
#
### END INIT INFO

check_config()
{
        if [ ! -e /opt/fah/client.cfg ]; then
                echo "FAH has not been configured!!!"
                exit 1
        fi
}

case "$1" in
        start)
                check_config
                echo -n "Starting FAH..."
                cd /opt/fah
                start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --chdir /opt/fah -b --chuid fah --exec /opt/fah/fah6
                echo "."
        ;;

        stop)
                echo -n "Stopping FAH..."
                start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --user fah
                echo "."                                                                                     
        ;;                                                                                                   
                                                                                                             
        *)                                                                                                   
                echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/fah {start|stop}"                                                   
                exit 1
esac

exit 0

We make it executable:

chmod u+x /etc/init.d/fah

And we setup the service but this is Squeeze so we use insserv instead of update-rc.d (check this).

insserv /etc/init.d/fah

Now, we start our new service for the first time:

invoke-rc.d fah start

We can see what is happening in the background using tail:

$ cd /op/fah
$ ls -ltr
total 3864
-rwx------ 1 fah fah  314840 Feb 23 20:33 fah6
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah  146345 Feb 23 20:33 FAH6.34-Linux64.tgz
-rwxr-x--- 1 fah fah     110 Jul 21 20:12 client.cfg
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah    5214 Jul 21 20:12 MyFolding.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah       8 Jul 21 20:12 machinedependent.dat
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah    7168 Jul 21 20:12 queue.dat
-rwxr-x--- 1 fah fah 3435296 Jul 21 20:12 FahCore_78.exe
drwxr-x--- 2 fah fah    4096 Jul 21 20:39 work
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah     163 Jul 21 20:39 unitinfo.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 fah fah    8527 Jul 21 20:39 FAHlog.txt
$ tail -f FAHlog.txt
[00:39:10] Project: 6888 (Run 876, Clone 0, Gen 3)
[00:39:10]
[00:39:10] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[00:39:10] Entering M.D.
[00:39:30] (Starting from checkpoint)
[00:39:30] Protein: ALZHEIMER DISEASE AMYLOID
[00:39:30]
[00:39:30] Writing local files
[00:39:39] Completed 2500 out of 250000 steps  (1%)
[00:39:39] Extra SSE boost OK.


(This continues... [CONTROL+C])

And that is all. Top will show you the process a FahCore using 100% of one of your cores but with the highest nice value, that is to say, with the lowest scheduling priority. So, if you don't use the CPU, FAH will do and you will be helping some scientist to find the cure to some ugly illness.























Take a look at this ranking, these papers (78!), these awards or these videos. Finally meet Vijay Pande!

So, Will you join Folding@Home?

Installing Debian GNU/Linux 6 from network using a USB flash drive and HP firmware for HP DL360 G7

UPDATE: A better way!

To install Debian GNU/Linux 6 in a server HP Proliant DL360 G7 using the network installer and a USB flash drive I wrote a shell script. Maybe you find it useful too.

You must know there is some proprietary firmware needed for the server to install (network at least).

After doing a little research, the know-how is in these sites:


http://wiki.debian.org/HP/ProLiant
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/NetbootFirmware

In my case, the target architecture was amd64 (x86-64), but you would need some little modifications for any other architecture.

Before to run the shell script you need:

1- the network installer image from http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/6.0.0/amd64/iso-cd/debian-6.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso

2- A USB flash drive (250 MB minimum).

3- A linux machine where you can run the shell script, I used a Debian GNU/Linux  Lenny.

The shell script is interactive, will download some files and write the USB flash drive. Be careful, data will be destroyed (after confirmation) because of formatting!

Remember to grant the needed permissions: chmod u+x script.sh


Use it on your own risk .



#!/bin/bash
function show
{
cat <<End-of-message
--------------------------------------------------
$0 TargetDevice TargetISO

Prepare a bootable pendrive with some HP Firmware!

Use it on your own risk.
-------------------------------------------------

End-of-message
}

##################################################################

show

# Validations

TARGET_DEVICE=$1
TARGET_ISO=$2
myPWD=$(pwd)

if [ $UID -ne 0 ]
then
    echo "You need to be root! (sudo?)"
    exit 3
fi

if [ -z "$TARGET_DEVICE" ]
then
    echo "You must specify the target device!"
    exit 1
fi

if [ -z "$TARGET_ISO" ]
then
        echo "You must specify the target iso!"
        exit 2
fi

echo "The current status of your device, beware any data will be destroyed!"

fdisk -l $TARGET_DEVICE

echo

ls -l $TARGET_ISO

echo

echo "Data will be destroyed!, press [Y] to continue"
read input

if [ "$input" != "Y" ]
then
    echo "Your answered [$input]"
    exit 0
fi

echo
echo "Creating bootable pendrive..."

if [ -n "$(mount | grep $TARGET_DEVICE)" ]
then
    echo "Unmounting $TARGET_DEVICE..."
    umount $TARGET_DEVICE

    if [ $? -ne 0 ]
    then
        echo "Error umounting the device!"
        exit 5
    fi
fi

if [ ! -e boot.img.gz ]
then
    echo
    echo "Downloading... boot.img.gz..."
    wget http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/squeeze/main/installer-amd64/current/images/hd-media/boot.img.gz
fi

echo
echo "Formatting..."

zcat boot.img.gz > $TARGET_DEVICE
rm -fr /mnt/pendrive.tmp
mkdir -p /mnt/pendrive.tmp
mount $TARGET_DEVICE /mnt/pendrive.tmp

echo
echo "Copying iso..."

cp $TARGET_ISO /mnt/pendrive.tmp/

ls -l /mnt/pendrive.tmp/*.iso

echo
echo "Updating the initrd.gz with HP firmware..."

# Make a temp dir and transform the firmware tarball into an firmware initramfs addon
FWTMP=$HOME/tmp/d-i_firmware
#rm -rf $FWTMP
mkdir  -p $FWTMP
cd $FWTMP

target=firmware.tar.gz

if [ ! -e $target ]
then
    wget http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/firmware/lenny/current/firmware.tar.gz
fi

tar -zxf firmware.tar.gz

if [ -z "$(which pax)" ]
then
    echo
    echo "Installing pax..."
    apt-get install pax
fi

for name in *.deb ; do
    ar -p $name data.tar.gz | tar -zxf -
done

pax -x sv4cpio -s '%lib%/lib%' -w lib | gzip -c >firmware.cpio.gz

# cd to the directory where you have your initrd
cd /mnt/pendrive.tmp

echo
echo "Backing up initrg.gz..."
[ -f initrd.gz.orig ] || cp -p initrd.gz initrd.gz.orig
cat $FWTMP/firmware.cpio.gz >> initrd.gz

ls -l initrd.gz*

cd $myPWD

echo
echo "Unmounting device..."

umount /mnt/pendrive.tmp

echo
echo "Done."


Ooops, I found this a little late :-|