Eko Wahyudiharto :: It's All About Works

This article below purposed for those who still doesn’t know how to combining & merge multiple Postscript files into single PDF file from old-fashioned way ~ Distiller product from Adobe. If you in high-needed situation to create PDF from many source of document but there is no 3rd party software except an existing Adobe Distiller, you may need this trick.

First of all, the very required thing is all the Postscript files you need to combine & Adobe Distiller installed properly in your machine. Locate all the .ps files into a specified folder (ex: file1.ps & file2.ps). Then, create a file contain the source below & named with any kind of name you want with .ps extension (ex: merge.ps). Store it in the same folder where the multiple source existed:

/prun { /mysave save def
dup = flush
RunFile
clear cleardictstack
mysave restore
} def

% Change the path/to/filex depend on OS platform you used by
(path/to/file1.ps) prun
(path/to/file2.ps) prun

Use the pathname syntax appropriate for the platform running Adobe Distiller just like example below:

Macintosh pathname syntax: (Macintosh HD:path:to:filex.ps) prun+
Windows pathname syntax: (x:/path/to/filex.ps) prun
UNIX pathname syntax: (./path/to/filex.ps) prun



Note that it will more easier when there is no space character in your current path & Postscript files name. The last thing to do is, distill the file on the machine running Acrobat Distiller by double-clicking the merge.ps file. If nothing goes wrong, there should be created a file named merge.pdf automatically in a moment. Have a try & good luck.

Labels: Tips Trik

Recently, I got a loan from my friend a Macbook laptop with Windows XP installed already. Just a day chance to investigate what is beneath under a pure of Macintosh PowerPC architecture machine inside & no doubt… I was impressed. The shiny-white Macbook case has elegance looks, even with it’s 13” wide screen display. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 512MB of RAM & 60GB storage – it’s a standard tech spec of value notebook of the day. Anyway, I’d like to test the behaviors of the VirtualBox environment under Windows XP since it’s interesting me too much. The VirtualBox under Mac OSX article you can also find here.



By the way, the dual boot Mac OS & Windows XP on her machine didn’t handled by other 3rd party software such as Parallel Desktop or Apple Bootcamp but natively an Option key pressed in a boot sequence which showing up the menu what OS will run - CMIIW. By then, It seems pretty difficult to understand why Apple machine doesn’t have an interactive BIOS module but a static one called EMI. For more, there is no differences when Windows XP loaded in Macbook machine rather than common PC. I though that the Apple designer had great succeeded to bunch the Intel processor & other things inside.



The minimal installation of Fedora Core 5 Linux guest OS set up with 3.5GB storage space in VirtualBox (2.3GB of Ext3 main partition & the rest is swap partition). Nothing weird things happened during installation until it’s finished for about less than an hour.



The hardware detection are smooth since it’s treat the same way as Intel machine & so on including the sound board also detected properly.



A weird fact explains that Apple built-in keyboard using USB link connected through the notebook. The question is, is that true? Didn’t have any idea why it so.



I didn’t have much time to test both OS interconnection with networking but I guess it will work 100%. Read here for the reverse side (Windows XP Guest with Fedora 7 Host). Anyway, thank’s to Mira Ferulia for her tested Macbook & the photograph she had taken also.

Labels: VirtualBox

Until the latest version of VirtualBox (1.4.1) released for Mac, there are still no support for the Host Interface networking option enabled yet. Moreover, you even could not see the NIC card got working on Mac OSX running in some Intel Machine (Jas 10.4.8) since it didn’t recognized properly with the built-in driver. So, is there anyway to get a simple networking between both OS? Sure it does.

FYI, file transfer in a Shared Folders option allow you to access files of your Mac OSX system from within the Windows XP guest system, much like ordinary shares on Windows networks would – except that shared folders do not need a networking setup. Sharing is accomplished using a special service on the host and a file system driver for the guest, both of which are – fortunately - provided by VirtualBox. In order to use this feature, the VirtualBox Guest Additions have to be installed in guest OS. Currently, Shared Folders are limited to Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Linux 2.4 and 2.6 guests. To share a folder with a virtual machine in VirtualBox, you must specify the path of the folder to be shared on the host and chose a “share name” that the guest can use to access it.



Then, you can mount the shared folder from inside a VM the same way as you would mount an ordinary network share.
In Windows XP guest, use the following formula command:

net use x: \\vboxsvr\sharename

While vboxsvr is a fixed name, replace “x:“ with the drive letter that you want to use for the share, and sharename with the share name specified before.

To simplify this, I used to create a batch file which can executed manually to mount all of the 4 shared folder name (1 NTFS partition for Windows XP, 2 FAT32 partition for data & 1 HFS Mac OSX partition) specified before after the guest OS shows up. For example, named it with vboxsvr.bat and the picture below is the values:



You can also create a link for the batch file & move it to on a someplace you like for example in a quick launch panel.



To test the script, simply click the shortcut file until it processed completely. If it succeeded, the script will create new networking drives available assigned next to the drive letter defined before on the batch file.



However, I still don’t understand why it marked with Disconnected Network Drive label although files & folders on both OS is accessible as you may seen on ordinary full permission shared drives.

Labels: VirtualBox

Couple months ago, I’d write an article about how to create Windows XP live in a USB storage disk. Then someone asking me in existing blog comment whether is it possible to create a Windows 98 live CD? The answer is YES. I’m not sure for the legit of use, just pick Hiren boot CD to see that Windows 98 live CD or even Windows 3.11 live CD will boot for you.



Search for Hiren application image from the website or from somewhere from the internet & burn it to a blank CD. Try the bootable CD & let it boot from the computer. Some built-in powertoys – a must have CD – are also available to give you a hand to fix some miscellaneous problem likes killing viruses, data life saver, returning administrator password for Windows XP & DOS based file manager similar to Norton Commander with NTFS support. All are available on a small CD!



I got tested on my Travelmate laptop & it just working fine.



Even the Windows 3.11 live CD are also booted greatly. What an awesome toolkit!

Labels: Windows 98

For a months, I’ve been included to join a latest research on a team about an application written from PowerBuilder & MySQL. After struggling hard with it, so many incompatibility found through out PowerBuilder 7 within MySQL 5 backend connection. I don’t have any idea why it’s happened since I though they both is a robust already application. I’d choose MySQL 5 since it has sub query features enabled whether than previous version which it so helping us a big hand to make a high-level query. I’ll describe some of the problems we had face:

1. Error Resulted with Select Sum, Count, Max or Min Query
At first, we’re confused with this since the query resulted an error. However, this could be solved by adding an option=135168 in dbparm string connection.

ConnectString(e.g.,sqlca.dbparm="ConnectString='DSN=mysql;UID=root;PWD=123456;OPTION=135168',PBUseProcOwner="NO"")

2. Error Resulted in Query Select Where on DataWindow
Filtering record with select where query resulting truncated selected row (ODBC error no.#01004).



This also weird things happened around since we didn’t playing with string truncation except just a plain simple query. The answer is simply to turn on the Disabled Bind option check box in Database Profile Setup



3. Very Uncomfortable Development Environment – In My Opinion
Again – in my opinion – the RAD environment of PowerBuilder to modifying the database are too difficult. There are no MySQL front-end application better than MySQLFront. The PowerBuilder it self concept are persistent to define the final tables before it start to proceed the development process. Once you make a mistake to define the length of a field, you have to rebuild the table from PowerBuilder & then re-compile the program. Very weird – In my opinion… as I said before.

4. Fault on Numeric Type Data in PowerBuilder (Very Significant Problem!)
A crucial matter happened when having a row transaction with decimal or numeric data type. A decimal data type which exist in MySQL wouldn’t recognized properly from PowerBuilder since it will display an empty string on Data Type column in Database Connection window. And so on eventually happened also in numeric data type.





However, as we have much troubles & complicated within it, we temporary solved to downgrade the MySQL into version 4 as the quick trick. The potential problem as described as no #4 above are suddenly lost. Now, we are waiting for any future severe that we don’t hope actually. We just only need a grips of lucky strike…

Labels: PowerBuilder, Programming

For some reasons, I was too attracted with this such of gadget: a hand phone with analog TV technology equipped. At first, I don’t even had a dream to buy a new cell phone again since I already has. But, I though it’s too worthless for me to have an iPod or something else similar multimedia gadgets with it’s near same price because they offering just the same old features: MP3 or MP4 with FM radio functionality. So, I decided to try pick this one TV with phone kit replacing my old multimedia box.



A month ago, I just found 2 alternative brand name of it around me such as Hi-Tech H38 & MyG 678. Both supplied with analog TV feature in addition with its standard multimedia entertainment like 2 MPx camera, MP3, MP4, radio FM functionality, Bluetooth, touch screen feature & 256MB external miniSD storage. The Hi-Tech H38 has an odd keypad layout with its black dominant color surrounding to the case. Anyway, I prefer to buy MyG 678 product since it has a standard phone keypad layout with its elegance shiny silver color case.



After using it for couple weeks, I concluded that my MyG succeed impressing me out of the box (even it comes from China product). The battery life is more longer than I expected before (however there are 2 batteries in box package included). The GSM frequency also strength to receive from it’s internal antenna, it was a test & I didn’t use the GSM function to communicate from this cell phone. The LCD displayed more brightly than my PDA. The speaker comes out more loud & clear to produce audio out from the FM radio & multimedia player.



Sending or receiving files from the phone are easy with Bluetooth, anyway there are also data cables available with the USB connection. I don’t know about the Bluetooth stack used by, but it’s paired fine from my PDA & my Travelmate. The built-in TV receiver signal also good. It can stored 20 channels & displayed out more clear than my TV, even with 2.5” display LCD available. The things I don’t too much like was it’s tiny hard pressed keypad, maybe it’s a compensation of the mini form factor where they can’t plugged in more toning down to soften the pad. Overall, I like it very much enjoying the multimedia from it, especially the television features.

Labels: Gadget, Multimedia

Setting up wireless networking on Linux is not so easy than Windows. In this first part article, I’d like to share about how to setting up wifi manually in LAN environment ~ eg: at office ~, at least it’s worked for me on my Acer Travelmate 6291 running Fedora 7. As we know, most of wireless LAN is configured more protected by the network administrator as they will not share the connection to everybody like public hot spot access area. The LAN wireless access line oftenly locked by some string parameters such as private key.

First, let assumed that the wireless device has been setup correctly on your system (On my system, the wireless device using its native built-in driver from Fedora 7). Then, collect the wireless information completely from your local network administrator. These information including the wireless ESSID, the access point hexa-decimal address, the private key (password), the network topology wether the connection established in static or automatic (DHCP) & some others required parameters regarding to each administrator policy.

If both above pre-condition is sufficient, then you are ready to enter the next step configuration. To simplyfy the process, create a bash executable script & write down commands below to it. Note that the commands are depend on your existing environment. Below script is a simple example which working in my test environment (wlan0 is my wireless device file):

iwconfig wlan0 essid the_name_of_the_essid
iwconfig wlan0 ap 00:0a:79:75:eb:60
# which channel? (optional)
iwconfig wlan0 channel 11
# the rate? (optional)
iwconfig wlan0 rate 24M
# un-checked below if it managed
# iwconfig ath0 mode managed
# the rts? (optional)
iwconfig wlan0 rts 1792
# the frag? (optional)
iwconfig wlan0 frag 1792
# what is the passphrase key?
iwconfig wlan0 key open the_passphrase_key
# un-checked 2 below if it a static IP addressing
# ifconfig ath0 up
#ifconfig ath0 192.168.10.27/24 up
# checked below if it a DHCP IP addressing
dhclient wlan0
# un-checked below if the kwifimanager is exist to validate the existing configuration
# kwifimanager

Test to run the script to check that the configuration is valid or not, then ping to others system in LAN wether your logged in succesfully or not. If you are using laptop, make sure to switch-on the wifi button. That’s all, hope this article will benefit to you & please share me about your experience about this article.

Labels: Linux, Wifi