HoW To ~ tIpZz

How to Schedule Tasks on Linux: An Introduction to Crontab Files

2011-12-25T16:52:00.001+06:00

The cron daemon on Linux runs tasks in the background at specific times; it’s like the Task Scheduler on Windows. Add tasks to your system’s crontab files using the appropriate syntax and cron will automatically run them for you.
Crontab files can be used to automate backups, system maintenance and other repetitive tasks. The syntax is powerful and flexible, so you can have a task run every fifteen minutes or at a specific minute on a specific day every year.

Opening Crontab

First, open a terminal window from your Linux desktop’s applications menu. You can click the Dash icon, type Terminal and press Enter to open one if you’re using Ubuntu.

Use the crontab -e command to open your user account’s crontab file. Commands in this file run with your user account’s permissions. If you want a command to run with system permissions, use the sudo crontab -e command to open the root account’s crontab file. Use the su -c “crontab -e” command instead if your Linux distribution doesn’t use sudo.

You may be asked to select an editor. Select Nano if it’s available by typing its number and pressing Enter. Vi and other more advanced editors may be preferred by advanced users, but Nano is an easy editor to get started with.

You’ll see the Nano text editor, identified by the “GNU nano” header at the top of your terminal window. If you don’t, crontab probably opened in the vi text editor.

If you’re not comfortable using vi, you can type :quit into vi and press Enter to close it. Run the export EDITOR=nano command, then run crontab -e again to open the crontab file in Nano.

Adding New Tasks

Use the arrow keys or the page down key to scroll to the bottom of the crontab file in Nano. The lines starting with # are comment lines, which means that cron ignores them. Comments just provide information to people editing the file.

Lines in the crontab file are written in the following sequence, with the following acceptable values:

minute(0-59) hour(0-23) day(1-31) month(1-12) weekday(0-6) command

You can use an asterisk (*) character to match any value. For example, using a asterisk for the month would cause the command to run every month.

For example, let’s say we want to run the command /usr/bin/example at 12:30 a.m. every day. We’d type:

29 0 * * * /usr/bin/example

We use 29 for the 30-minute mark and 0 for 12 a.m. because the minute, hour and weekday values start at 0. Note that the day and month values start at 1 instead of 0.

Multiple Values and Ranges

Use comma-separated values to specific multiple times. For example, the line

0,14,29,44 * * * * /usr/bin/example2

runs /usr/bin/example2 at the 15-minute mark on every hour, every day. Make sure you add each new task on a new line.

Use dash-separated values to specify a range of values. For example, the line

0 11 * 1-6 * /usr/bin/example3

runs /usr/bin/example3 at noon every day, but only in the first six months of the year.

Saving the File

Press Ctrl-O and press Enter to save the crontab file in Nano. Use the Ctrl-X shortcut to close Nano after you’ve saved the file.

You’ll see the “crontab: installing new crontab” message, indicating that your new crontab file was installed successfully.

How To Install Programs in Ubuntu in the Command-Line ?

2011-05-20T00:12:00.002+06:00

Ubuntu has a lot of GUI-based methods for installing applications, but they take some time to search and find. Since the keyboard is usually faster than the mouse, managing your software via the command-line can be a real time-saver.

APT

Linux manages software through packages, individual units of software that contain user interfaces, modules, and libraries. Most applications link several co-dependent packages together, and still others allow you to choose which packages to install and which to leave out at your own discretion. This can get confusing, so there’s a package manager at your disposal to help

Each Linux distribution has its own package management system. For our own near and dear Ubuntu, it’s the Advanced Packaging Tool. It has a family of commands that allows you to add repositories; search for, install, and remove packages; and even simulate upgrades and such. The commands are fairly easily to remember and use, so you’ll be managing your system’s software in no time at all!

APT requires super-user permissions, as it deals with core aspects of the system, so in Ubuntu you’ll need to preface most commands with “sudo.”

Searching for Packages

The command to search for software is:

apt-cache search [search term 1] [search term 2] … [search term n]

Replace [search terms] but don’t use brackets. You’ll get an output like this:

You can search for terms in the description of packages, say for a solitaire game, or by package name. Some searches may yield a tone of results, so you can scroll through the list with the following command:

apt-cache search [search terms] | less

That’s a pipe there in the middle (it shares a key with \). The less command will allow you to scroll through your list with the arrow keys, page up/down keys, and space, b, and enter. Hit q to exit the list and go back to the prompt.

Adding Repositories

You can find more software in repositories found online. Take, for instance, Ubuntu Tweak, a program that lets you change some hidden or otherwise difficult-to-change settings for your system. It’s hosted at another repository. If you add the repository instead of downloading and installing just the package, the system will notify you of updates and automatically keep it up-to-date for you. You can manually add and change repositories with by editing APT’s sources file:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

But Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala changed that. There’s an easier way!

sudo add-apt-repository [repository name here]

Let’s look at Ubuntu Tweak’s repo to see what it’ll look like in practice:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/ppa

Voila!

Updating Sources

After adding repositories, you have to update your package list.

sudo apt-get update

That will update the package lists from all repositories in one go. Remember to do this after every added repository!

Installation

Now that you’ve added your software repo and updated your package list, and found the package name you need, you can install it.

sudo apt-get install [package name 1] [package name 2] … [package name n]

This will download and install all of the packages listed. If there are dependencies – other prerequisite packages – they will also be installed. Sometimes you’ll also see a list of recommended but optional packages to go along with your selection. Sometimes, you’ll also see a confirmation prompt, though not always.

Often, you’ll see a core package with other linked packages, so installing this one will automatically install the dependencies and sometimes its associated packages, too.

Removing Packages

If you want to get rid of a program, you can uninstall its associated packages.

sudo apt-get remove [package name 1] [package name 2] … [package name n]

If you want to get rid of the configuration files and associated directories (usually in the user’s home directory), you’ll want to add the purge option:

sudo apt-get remove –purge [package name 1] [package name 2] … [package name n]

There are two dashes there. This will come in handy if a program isn’t working properly. By purging upon removal, you’ll can have a “clean” install.

Most of the time, you can just choose the core package and the associated ones will be removed as well. If it doesn’t, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get autoremove

This will automatically remove any packages that aren’t used or associated with any installed program. For example, if you got rid of a core package, autoremove will get rid of it’s associated packages and any dependencies it had, so long as no other program is using them. It’s a great way to clean up any unused libraries and packages you don’t need.

Upgrading Software

So, what if your packages need upgrading? You can upgrade individual programs with the following command:

sudo apt-get upgrade [package name 1] [package name 2] … [package name n]

Or, you can upgrade all packages by having no further arguments:

sudo apt-get upgrade

This will tell you how many and which packages need updating and will ask for a confirmation before it continues.

Remember, you may need to update first. Upgrade will replace older versions of programs with their newer versions. This is a replacement process; the same package name is required and the older version is replaced with a newer version. No completely new packages are installed and no packages are uninstalled.

Some programs don’t quite work that way. They require a package with a slightly different name to be removed and a new one with a different name to be installed. Sometimes a program’s new version has a new required package. In these cases, you’ll need to use dist-upgrade.

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade [package name 1] [package name 2] … [package name n]
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Now, all of the dependencies will be satisfied no matter what. If you aren’t into micro-managing your packages, then this is the command you’re going to use.

If you only want to see which packages will be upgraded if you were to hypothetically run the command, you can simulate an upgrade with the –s option.

sudo apt-get –s upgrade

This is really useful if you aren’t sure if upgrading one package will mess up other programs, which happens occasionally with things like PHP and mail server libraries.

Cleaning

When you download packages, Ubuntu caches them in case it needs to refer to them further. You can delete this cache and get back some hard drive space with the following command:

sudo apt-get clean

If you want to get rid of your cache, but save the newest versions of what packages you have, then use this instead:

sudo apt-get autoclean

This will get rid of the older versions which are pretty much useless, but still leave you with a cache.

Checking What’s Installed

You can see a list of all your installed packages with dpkg.

sudo dpkg –list

You can also use less to scroll through this list.

sudo dpkg –list | less

You can also search through the list with the grep command.

dpkg –list | grep [search term]

If something is installed, you’ll see a package name and a description.

You can also search through a more compact method:

dpkg –l ‘search term’

That option is a lowercase letter L, and your search term must be inside single quotes. You can use wildcard characters to search better as well.

Easter Egg

APT has an interesting easter egg.

sudo apt-get moo

Enjoy your super cow powers!

Being able to manage packages and installed software via command-line can save you some time. Ubuntu’s Software Updater is often laggy on my system and it can really be a pain to have to add software repos and install packages through the Software Center, especially if you know the package names already. It’s also great for managing your system remotely via SSH. You don’t need to have a GUI running
at all or deal with VNC.

There are a lot of things to learn when getting comfortable with the command-line, so you may want to check out The Beginner’s Guide to Nano, Linux Command-Line Text Editor. There’s more to come!

The Beginner’s Guide to Nano, Linux Command-Line Text Editor

2011-05-19T23:55:00.002+06:00

New to the Linux command-line? Confused by all of the other advanced text
editors? How-To Geek’s got your back with this tutorial to Nano, a simple
text-editor that’s very newbie-friendly.

When getting used to the command-line, Linux novices are often put off by
other, more advanced text editors such as vim and emacs. While they are
excellent programs, they do have a bit of a learning curve. Enter Nano, an
easy-to-use text editor that proves itself versatile and simple. Nano is installed
by default in Ubuntu and many other Linux distros and works well in
conjunction with sudo, which is why we love it so much.

Running Nano

You can run nano in two ways. To open nano with an empty buffer, just type in “nano” at the command prompt.

You can also use the following syntax:

nano /path/to/filename

Nano will follow the path and open that file if it exists. If it does not exist, it’ll
start a new buffer with that filename in that directory.

Let’s take a look at the default nano screen.

At the top, you’ll see the name of the program and version number, the name
of the file you’re editing, and whether the file has been modified since it was
last saved. If you have a new file that isn’t saved yet, you’ll see “New Buffer.
” Next, you’ll see the contents of your document, a body of text. The third-line
from the bottom is a “system message” line that displays information relevant to
the program executing a function. Here, you can see that it says “New File.” Lastly, the final two rows at the bottom are what make this program very user-friendly:
the shortcut lines.

It’s a WYSIWYG editor; “what you see is what you get.” What you type directly
goes into the text input, unless you modify it with a key like Control or Meta.
It’s pretty simple, so type some text out, or copy something and paste it into
your terminal so we have something to play with.

Shortcuts

Program functions are referred to as “shortcuts” in nano, such as saving, quitting, justifying, etc. The most common ones are listed at the bottom of the screen,
but there are many more that aren’t. Note that nano does not use the Shift key
in shortcuts. All shortcuts use lowercase letters and unmodified number keys,
so Ctrl+G is NOT Ctrl+Shift+G.

Hit Ctrl+G to bring up the Help documentation and scroll down to see a list of
valid shortcuts.

When you’re done looking at the list, hit Ctrl+X to exit help.

Let’s say you’re working on a new text file, or “buffer,” and you want to save it.
This is called “writing out” and is executed by hitting Ctrl+O. You’ll be prompted
for a filename to use, and the shortcuts at the bottom will change to reflect what you can enter to complete this particular command.

If you want to insert the contents of another file into your current buffer, you’d
type Ctrl+R.

You can cancel both of the previous commands by typing Ctrl+C.

You can hit Escape twice instead of holding down the Control key, if you have
trouble doing that. There are also some commands that require use of the Meta
key. On most keyboard layouts, Meta equates to the Alt button.

When you want to quit nano, you just hit Ctrl+X. Nano will politely ask you if
you want to save your buffer, and you can cancel this action as well.

Navigation

Now that we’ve got a hang of shortcuts, let’s get used to moving around a text
file very quickly. Of course, you can always use the Home, End, Page Up, Page
Down, and the arrow keys to get around, but that requires moving your fingers
from the letters that we all love so much.

To move the cursor forward or backward, you can type Ctrl+F and Ctrl+B. To
move up and down one line at a time, you can type Ctrl+P and Ctrl+N. In other words, you can use those keys instead of the Right, Left, Up, and Down arrows, respectively. Missing the Home and End keys? You can use Ctrl+A and Ctrl+E.
Want to move pages at a time instead? Ctrl+V moves down a page, and Ctrl+Y moves up a page.

But wait, there’s more! To move forward and backward one word at a time, you
can use Ctrl+Space and Meta+Space (remember, that’s Alt+Space). And, if
you’re really in a rush, you can hit Ctrl+_ and then type in the line number,
a comma, and the column number to jump straight there.

If you want to see where your cursor currently is, sort of like nano-GPS,
hit Ctrl+C.

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting

When we want to copy text in graphical environment, we highlight it with the
cursor. Similarly, in nano we “mark” it by using the Ctrl+^ command. You
simply move the cursor to where you want to start marking, and then you hit
Ctrl+^ to “set” it. This will mark everything between the starting point up to
and NOT including the cursor.

Note that the cursor is on the empty space, and copying/cutting will not include
this space. You can also mark backwards from your “set” point. Be careful,
however, as you can edit text while your marking. If you messed up, just hit
Ctrl+^ again to unset the marker and you can start over.

To copy the marked text, hit Meta+^. If, instead, you want to cut the text,
hit Ctrl+K.

To Paste your text, move the cursor to a suitable position and hit Ctrl+U.

If you want to remove an entire line of text, simply hit Ctrl+K without
highlighting anything. This sometimes comes in handy when editing
configuration files.

Some Extra Shortcuts

You know how in notepad, you can force long lines of text to wrap-around
into what look like paragraphs? You can toggle that feature in nano with the
Meta+L shortcut. Since line wrapping is set to “on” by default, this usually
comes in handy in the opposite way; for example, you’re writing a config file
and want to disable line-wrapping.

You can see that the line the cursor is on has a “$” at both the beginning and
end. This signifies that there’s more text both before and after the portion
being displayed on screen.

If you want to search for a text string, hit Ctrl+W, and enter your search term.
This search can then be cancelled mid-execution by hitting Ctrl+C without
destroying your buffer.

The previous search term appears in the square brackets, and leaving the line
blank and hitting Enter will repeat that last search.

And after you get really comfortable, you can turn that helpful section at the
bottom off by hitting Meta+X to get more screen space for editing!

Some History

Nano was designed to be similar in look and feel to another program called Pico.
Pico was the default text editor of Pine, an email program from back in the day
that wasn’t distributed with a GPL-friendly license. This meant that redistribution was somewhat of a fuzzy area, and so the TIP project was born. “TIP Isn’t Pico” added some functionality that Pico lacked and was licensed for free distribution,
and over time, became the nano we love to use today.

The How To tIpZz Basic Noise Remova Guide to Audio Editing.

2011-05-10T03:49:00.005+06:00

Laying down some vocals? Starting your own podcast? Here’s how to remove noise from a messy audio track in Audacity quickly and easily.

This is the second part in our series covering how to edit audio and create music using your PC. Be sure to check out the first part in the series, where we covered the basics of using Audacity.

Removing Noise in Audacity

Open up your file in Audacity, and find the largest contiguous silence in the track. What we’re going to do is find a baseline for the “noise” so that Audacity knows what to look for. You can play through the audio to find some silence, but once you do, hit the “Stop” button, and highlight the silence by left-clicking and dragging. It’s just like selecting anything else, really.

Next, go to Effect > Noise Removal.

You’ll see a window pop up like so:

Click on the “Get Noise Profile” button and the window will go away. Now, select the portion of the track you want to remove noise from. For me, it was everything, so I hit CTRL+A to select all.

Again, go to Effect > Noise Removal. By moving the slider for noise reduction, you’re telling Audacity how much to filter out. Higher values will be more aggressive removal, while lower values will be more subtle.

You can click the “Preview” button if you want to listen to a small snippet of your track. You can leave the other two sliders alone, and hit OK when you’re done.

Give your track a listen, and if you need to tweak, you can always hit CTRL+Z to undo and start over. If you reduce by too much, the track will noticeably sound a little off. It’s best to be more subtle, that way the audio still sounds natural.

The changes may not be so obvious on the waveform, so I zoomed in to illustrate the smoothing of the waveform. Here’s what it looks like before and after the effect is processed:

Enjoy your noise-free audio.

The How To tIpZz Basic Guide to Audio Editing.

2011-05-10T03:45:00.003+06:00

Ever get the urge to edit some audio but you’re not sure where to start? Settle in with this HTG guide to the free audio editor Audacity that’s written for beginners but caters to geeks of all levels.

Note: this is the first article in a multi-part series that we’ll be covering over the next few weeks.

Oh, the Audacity!

In this series, we’ve chosen to highlight a particular application, Audacity, because of a few important reasons. It’s free, which is always optimal. It’s open source, and that’s always appreciated by geeks like us. It’s cross-platform, so even though our guide is done in Windows, OS X and Linux users can play, too. It’s got great plug-ins and amazing effects right out of the box.

Perhaps most importantly, though, while more advanced apps like Adobe’s Soundbooth or Apple’s GarageBand get the job done, they’re designed for more experienced users and for more involved projects. Audacity can help you understand simpler concepts of audio editing that can be transferred to those more powerful programs.

Hop on over to the Audacity download page, and be sure to choose the 1.3 series, as that’s the most compatible with the latest OS releases. If you use Linux, you can just grab it from your repository. We’ll leave the extra add-ons for another day.

User Interface

There’s a lot of options in the main window, but it breaks down pretty simply. Let’s take a look.

Audio controls: The standard controls – pause, play, stop, skip backward, skip forward, and record – for the project as a whole.
Toolbar: In order, from top-left to bottom-right: Selection, Envelope, Draw, Zoom, Time Shift, and Multi-Tool Mode.
Level meters: The left one is for output, and the right is for input. Clicking on the the input meter will actively monitor audio levels, and right clicking will give you options to change the refresh rate.
Level sliders: Change the volume level for both output and input, and the drop-down menu to the immediate right is to select an input.
Shortcut bar: Shortcuts to quick actions – such as cut, paste, insert silence, etc – and for zooming.
Audio tracks: The top of this area has the timeline, and any audio tracks will appear here. More on that in a bit.
Selection tools: Here, you can choose where to start selection by time, and then choose to put in an end time, or a length of selection.

There’s a lot here, but we’ll go into more depth in future articles in this series.

Recording a Track

Let’s get a track recorded to illustrate some basic editing. Audacity uses Windows audio defaults for recording and playback with few exceptions, so go down to your system tray, right-click your volume control, and go to “Recording Devices”.

Make sure your microphone is set to be the default device. Then, in Audacity, just click the “Record” button up top. It’s the one that has a small red circle in the center.

You’ll see something like this appear:

Audio Tracks

Let’s take a closer look at the audio track and it’s associated stuff.

Timeline: Here you can see the lengths of your audio tracks.
Audio Track Properties: The pertinent audio properties can be found here and changed. Tracks can also be removed by clicking on the tiny “X” in the upper-right corner. Volume and balance can be adjusted by moving the sliders.
Scrubber: This green arrow usually has a line running down the screen as well. It appears when you hit “Play” and marks the location of the waveform that is currently output through your speakers.
Left Channel Audio Waveform
Right Channel Audio Waveform

As you can see, there’s a wealth of information displayed here. Any added tracks will stack vertically in this portion of the screen so you can see the information from all of them.

Saving Your Project

When you’ve made some edits but you’re not quite done with your project, you can save it for later. Go to File > Save Project As…

You’ll see a warning pop up, reminding you that this just for use with Audacity itself. Following that, you’ll get a normal save prompt. That’s it!

Exporting Audio

If you want to get your audio track, with all of its layers and effects, into a single finished file, you’re going to want to export it. Go to File > Export…

You’ll see a different save dialog pop up.

After giving it a name, you can change the type of audio file you’d like to encode it as. There are more than a few options.

After you choose your type, you can click on the “Options…” button to change things like the bitrate. I left mine as a “WAV” file for now. You may need additional codecs to be able to use other options, but that’s something we’ll cover in a future article.

As you can see, we’re just touching on the basics of using Audacity, but rest assured, we’ve got some interesting articles coming up soon. We’ll cover the tools you’ll use, filters, effects, and even some extra fun stuff, so stay tuned!

The How To TIpZz Guide to Audio Editing: Cutting, Trimming & Arranging.

2011-05-10T03:40:00.002+06:00

Audacity novices often start with lofty project ideas, but sometimes they lack the basics. Knowing how to cut and trim tracks is basic audio editing and is a fundamental starting point for making more elaborate arrangements.

For this exercise, I’ll be making a ringtone from a Castlevania: Symphony of the Night track. I have the original CD and used that so I started with better quality audio than an MP3. You can follow along with any file you like, just so you get a feel for cutting, trimming, and arranging sound clips for yourself.

I know which parts I want to edit in the track, but a quick play-through will help me look for those areas visually.

The scrubber in the above screenshot is pointing to a lull in the music, where the audio drops low or fades out. These areas are ideal spots to work with.

First, let’s make sure the Selection tool is active.

Next, let’s make a selection in an area of the track where we want to make an edit. Click and drag your mouse, and you’ll see that the background changes to a darker shade of gray.

I know that the song changes somewhere in here. You can hit CTRL+1 to Zoom In, or click on the icon that’s a magnifying glass with a plus. This will help us identify more precisely where to end our selection.

That’s much better, isn’t it? You can see that on the right side of the selection area, there’s a spike in amplitude. That’s where I want my selection to end, but it’s not properly aligned. If you move your mouse close to that area, you’ll see the cursor change to a hand that’s pointing.

Clicking and dragging while this cursor is shown will allow you to change that particular selection boundary. You can see mine is much better now.

Repeat the same process with the left boundary. You can see my selection encompasses a quiet beginning point and a quiet ending point, which makes it sound clean and natural.

What I want to do is cut this section and move it to another area. I can just click the Cut button or hit CTRL+X.

You can see that the rest of the track after my selection got pushed up to where the selection started.

While it’s possible to paste that clip in the same track at a different point, it’s much easier to make arrangements using multiple tracks. Go to Tracks > Add New > Stereo Track.

Using different tracks can help keep things straight, so you can think of it like using Layers in an image editor. Sometimes, it’s more work to use multiple tracks, and sometimes it’s a necessity, but it’s process you should familiarize yourself with if you plan to do audio editing.

Two tracks ending up being too tall for good screenshots, so I clicked on the bottom of each track area and dragged up to resize them vertically. This has no effect on the audio, it just makes it easier to see things.

And now, click where you want to paste the clip in the second track and click on the Paste button or hit CTRL+V.

Note that the bottom track has an active selection. The dark background is not in the top track at all, despite being visible in the timeline. Now, I want to change its linear placement, or in other words, move it in time. To do that, we use the Time Shift Tool.

Now you can click and drag anywhere in your selection and the whole thing will slide side-to-side. You can also have it snap to other locations, like the beginning or end.

Alright, I have it where I want it in relation to another section of the track. When you hit play, however, Audacity will play both tracks over each other. This works well for mixing different tracks, but not here. Let’s insert some silence in the first track. Click on the selection tool and highlight the portion of the first track that’s directly above the second. You’ll see that you can snap to that area.

Next, click on the Insert Silence tool, located next to the Undo button.

This converts our selection to silence. Instead of cutting and having the latter part of the track jump forward, this will keep it as-is because the silence acts as a placeholder. Next, I decided to cut some of the audio after the pasted clip.

Finally, the portions of the track I wanted to align are properly done.

But wait, I only want the middle sections of this track! Instead of cutting out areas of the track before and after, we can use the trim tool to make this easier. Use the selection tool to highlight what you want to keep.

Adjust your start and end points, but be sure to drag your mouse down into the second track while making your selection. Notice how the dark gray background appears on both tracks in the above screenshot. When you’re ready, click on the Trim Tool, which is right next to the Paste button.

You can see that the Trim Tool acts just like a Crop Tool does in image editors. The Trim Tool leaves the audio where it is, but that’s not particularly useful in our case. Use the Time Shift Tool to move this so it aligns with 0 on the timeline. All done!

Since this is a ringtone for me, I went to File > Export and saved it as an MP3.

If you chose not to follow along, here are a few important points to take away from this procedure:

Your audio selections can be changed by dragging from as close to the original boundary as possible.
The Cut Tool removes sections from the timeline, leaving no gap.
The Insert Silence Tool removes audio but leaves a gap.
Pasting clips inserts them where ever the scrubber is, i.e. where you clicked last.
The Trim Tool acts as a Crop Tool, leaving the audio where it is in the timeline.
You can add multiple tracks and use them like layers to better arrange your audio piece.

Hopefully this exercise will give you a feel for the really basic edits you can make to tracks. They’re the foundation of all of the more advanced stuff you’ll be doing, so executing them quickly and efficiently will save loads of time later on.

How To Use Crossfade in Audacity for Seamless Transitions Between Audio Tracks ?

2011-05-10T03:26:00.002+06:00

Switching tracks suddenly in your audio/video projects can be really jarring for the audience. Crossfades can help make natural-sounding transitions between audio tracks, and you can really take advantage of them if you know a little about how sound works.

What is a Crossfade?

Odds are you know what a fade is, though maybe not by name. When an audio track starts with silence and the volume rises up out of nowhere, that’s called a “fade-in.” When a track slowly lowers its volume until it’s nothing but silence, it’s called a “fade-out.” How “sharp” a fade is directly involves how much volume is lost or gained over what period of time. Sharper fades happen quickly while duller or steadier fades take a long time. This is what a fade-out looks like visually:

A fade-in looks similar.

A crossfade is essentially doing both simultaneously to two separate tracks. The first track slowly fades out and the second fades in, but instead of there being silence in between, it happens concurrently. It usually sounds like you opened the door to another room with different music, then went through it and closed the door behind you.

Why is it Useful?

Many songs use fading techniques to great effect when starting or ending, or at particular parts in the song. The same goes for video; it’s useful to be able to fade in to a crowd’s cheer, or fade out of an original audio source in favor of narration of some kind. Crossfading is valuable because it allows these changes to happen quickly without being jarring, without introducing silence, and while sounding smooth and more natural. DJs often use this technique while matching beats of two different songs to produce a continuum of sound, while editors often use crossfades (as well as fade-ins and fade-outs) to make the introductions of different sound components sound less “sudden” and more natural.

You can group crossfades into three vague categories, and each sounds very different from the others.

Mid: Each track is linearly faded. You can download a short sample track here: mid crossfade. Visually, it looks like this:

You can see that the volume increase/decrease looks steady. Depending on the volume of the original tracks, this sounds more or less even.

High: The faded-out track starts fading slowly, then picks up speed as time goes on. The faded-in track, on the other hand, picks up volume fairly quickly and that increase of volume slows down over a period of time. You can download a short sample track here: high crossfade. Visually, it looks like this:

The volume changes look like bulges here, with the effect that the both tracks have a high volume through the duration of the fade, and there is still some abruptness to it.

Low: The faded-out track drops its volume pretty quickly and the speed of this drop slows down over a period of time. The fade-in track starts gaining volume slowly but it picks up speed as time goes on. You can download a short sample track here: low crossfade. Visually, it looks like this:

The changes here look like concave cuts. For the duration of the fade, both tracks have a reduced volume until the original track is almost completely gone. The effect feels almost like a lull (but lacking complete silence) and the volume then builds up quickly again after, almost like a swoop.

When the two tracks crossover, their volume builds. For mid-level crossfades, at halfway through the transition the volume of each track is half. Low-level crossfades are below half volume halfway through the transition, and high-level crossfades are above half-volume halfway through the transition.

Sound Differences in Crossfades

Sound is measured in Bels, or more commonly, as fraction of that unit: decibels. Human hearing is very sensitive to acute changes in sound. Just like how we can hear very low frequencies (like 20 Hz) and very high frequencies (like 20,000 Hz), we can hear very soft sound and very loud sounds. In fact, our ears have a sensitivity from 1 to 130 decibels, which is to say that the loudest sound you can hear is roughly 10 trillion times loader than the softest sound you can hear! As such, what appears to be a “linear” change in volume is actually logarithmic. In crossfades, if you want to mess with the rate of change of volume, you need to more aggressively change it. It helps to see things visually.

Linear Crossfades in Audacity

In Audacity, it’s easy to add linear crossfades. Align the two tracks you want to crossfade in the timeline, either by editing or by using the time shift tool. When you’re lined up, select a portion of the track you want to fade out. Go to Effect > Cross Fade Out.

Then, in the next track, select the portion you want to fade in. Go to Effect > Cross Fade In.

You can delete the rest of the first track if you’re done with it. Be careful with the track that you’re fading in, though, as deleting it will move it back to the beginning. You can either use the time shift tool to bring it back to where it needs to be, or better yet, just convert the first part of the track to silence.

Crossfading High or Low

Making high or low crossfades isn’t automated in Audacity. One way to easily do it requires the use of the Envelope Tool.

The Envelope Tool will allow you to change the volume of any track without actually changing the amplitude. As the actual sound wave isn’t changed, the source file will remain untouched. You can add multiple points to further shape the necessary change. After selecting this tool, click on your track, and drag to change the level of volume.

Each click will add a new handle in the form of a white dot that you can move. Just manually shape the curve to about what we described above. Of course, your track may have different needs. If your track’s volume itself changes, then you can compensate or ignore it. As always, do what sounds right.

Crossfading has a variety of uses for both audio and video editing. Depending on what type of crossfade you do, you’ll be able to achieve a variety of effects for different purposes. Now that you know how crossfades work, you can choose which one works best in your projects. After all, it’s all about choice isn’t it?

Note: The music used in the sample tracks is by Talvin Singh; “Traveller” and “Butterfly” from the album OK

How To Use Linux Commands in Windows with Cygwin?

2011-05-09T00:27:00.029+06:00

Windows command-line tools have advanced a lot with PowerShell, but Linux has had a much more usable terminal for many years. Here’s how you can get the best of both worlds with Cygwin, a ‘nix-style terminal for Windows PCs.

In today’s lesson, we’ll explain how to get Cygwin running, but stay tuned for future articles where we’ll explain how to use it for all sorts of different things.

Install Cygwin

Cygwin comes with a normal setup.exe to install in Windows, but there are a couple steps you will need to pay attention to, so we will walk you through the installation.

To keep the installation small while saving bandwidth for you and Cygwin, the default installer will download only the files you need from the internet.

The default install path is C:\Cygwin but if you don’t like to have programs installed on the root of your C: drive you can change the path or make a symbolic link from C:\Cygwin to your program files.

Click next until you come to a download mirror selection. Unfortunately, the installer does not say where the mirrors are located so in most cases you might as well just guess which mirror works best.

After you have selected a mirror, the installer will download a list of available packages for you to install. Here is where things get a bit more intimidating.

There will be hundreds of packages available separated by multiple different categories. If you don’t know what the package is you can leave the default selection and install additional packages later by running the installer again.

If you know what package you need, you can search for it and the results will be automatically filtered.

Once you click next, it will take a little while to download all the selected tools and then finish the installation.

Add Cygwin Path to Windows Environment Variable

After the installation you will have a Cygwin icon on your desktop that you can launch to open the Cygwin terminal.

How to Use Linux Commands in Windows with Cygwin

In today’s lesson, we’ll explain how to get Cygwin running, but stay tuned for future articles where we’ll explain how to use it for all sorts of different things.

Install Cygwin

Cygwin comes with a normal setup.exe to install in Windows, but there are a couple steps you will need to pay attention to, so we will walk you through the installation.

To keep the installation small while saving bandwidth for you and Cygwin, the default installer will download only the files you need from the internet.

After you have selected a mirror, the installer will download a list of available packages for you to install. Here is where things get a bit more intimidating.

If you know what package you need, you can search for it and the results will be automatically filtered.

Once you click next, it will take a little while to download all the selected tools and then finish the installation.

Add Cygwin Path to Windows Environment Variable

After the installation you will have a Cygwin icon on your desktop that you can launch to open the Cygwin terminal.

This terminal starts in the C:\Cygwin\home\<user> folder but that isn’t particularly useful because you probably don’t have any files stored there. You can use all of the basic Linux commands but if you want to get back to your C: drive you have to change directory to /cygdrive/c.

To make Cygwin work in your normal Windows command prompt you need to add Cygwin to your Windows Environment Variables.

Start by opening your system properties with either Win+Pause/Break or right click on computer and select properties.

In the left column click on advanced system settings to open the system properties window we are looking for.

From the advanced tab, click on environment variables at the bottom.

Then in the system variables, locate the path variable and click edit.

At the end of the variable value option, add the Cygwin bin location like so.

;C:\Cygwin\bin

Note: Make sure you add a semicolon to separate it from the other values.

Click OK to close out of the window and then open a command prompt to test out a few Linux commands.

As you can see from the below picture both pwd and ls work in the normal Windows command prompt. You can also see that /cygdrive/c is automatically added to the location.

There is a lot more you can do with Cygwin installed and we will show you some more of the useful tools in future articles.

How To Sync Your Pidgin Profile Across Multiple PCs by Dropbox?

2011-05-06T03:07:00.034+06:00

Pidgin is definitely our favorite universal chat client, but adding all of your chat accounts to multiple computers can be frustrating. Here’s how you can easily transfer your Pidgin settings to other computers and keep them in sync using Dropbox.

Getting Started

Make sure you have both Pidgin and Dropbox installed on any computers you want to sync. To sync Pidgin, you need to:

Move your Pidgin profile folder on your first computer to Dropbox
Create a symbolic link from the new folder in Dropbox to your old profile location
Delete the default pidgin profile on your other computer, and create a symbolic link from your Dropbox Pidgin profile to the default Pidgin profile location

This sounds difficult, but it’s actually easy if you follow these steps. Here we already had all of our accounts setup in Pidgin in Windows 7, and then synced this profile with an Ubuntu and a XP computer with fresh Pidgin installs. Our instructions for each OS are based on this, but just swap the sync order if your main Pidgin install is in XP or Ubuntu.

Please Note: Please make sure Pidgin isn’t running on your computer while you are making the changes!

Sync Your Pidgin Profile from Windows 7

Here is Pidgin with our accounts already setup. Our Pidgin profile has a Gtalk, MSN Messenger, and Facebook Chat account, and lots of log files.

Let’s move this profile to Dropbox to keep it synced. Exit Pidgin, and then enter %appdata% in the address bar in Explorer or press Win+R and enter %appdata%. Select the .purple folder, which is your Pidgin profiles and settings folder, and press Ctrl+X to cut it.

Browse to your Dropbox folder, and press Ctrl+V to paste the .purple folder there.

Now we need to create the symbolic link. Enter “command” in your Start menu search, right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut, and select “Run as administrator”.

We can now use the mklink command to create a symbolic link to the .purple folder. In Command Prompt, enter the following and substitute username for your own username.

mklink /D “C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\.purple” “C:\Users\username\Documents\My Dropbox\.purple”

And that’s it! You can open Pidgin now to make sure it still works as before, with your files being synced with Dropbox.

Please Note: These instructions work the same for Windows Vista. Also, if you are syncing settings from another computer to Windows 7, then delete the .purple folder instead of cutting and pasting it, and reverse the order of the file paths when creating the symbolic link.

Add your Pidgin Profile to Ubuntu

Our Ubuntu computer had a clean install of Pidgin, so we didn’t need any of the information in its settings. If you’ve run Pidgin, even without creating an account, you will need to first remove its settings folder. Open your home folder, and click View, and then “Show Hidden Files” to see your settings folders.

Select the .purple folder, and delete it.

Now, to create the symbolic link, open Terminal and enter the following, substituting username for your username:

ln –s /home/username/Dropbox/.purple /home/username/

Open Pidgin, and you will see all of your accounts that were on your other computer. No usernames or passwords needed; everything is setup and ready to go. Even your status is synced; we had our status set to Away in Windows 7, and it automatically came up the same in Ubuntu.

Please Note: If your primary Pidgin account is in Ubuntu, then cut your .purple folder and paste it into your Dropbox folder instead. Then, when creating the symbolic link, reverse the order of the folder paths.

Add your Pidgin Profile to Windows XP

In XP we also had a clean install of Pidgin. If you’ve run Pidgin, even without creating an account, you will need to first remove its settings folder. Click Start, the Run, and enter %appdata%.

Delete your .purple folder.

XP does not include a way to create a symbolic link, so we will use the free Junction tool from Sysinternals. Download Junction (link below) and unzip the folder.

Open Command Prompt (click Start, select All Programs, then Accessories, and select Command Prompt), and enter cd followed by the path of the folder where you saved Junction.

Now, to create the symbolic link, enter the following in Command Prompt, substituting username with your username.

junction “C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\.purple” “C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Dropbox\.purple”

Open Pidgin, and you will see all of your settings just as they were on your other computer. Everything’s ready to go.

Please Note: If your primary Pidgin account is in Windows XP, then cut your .purple folder and paste it into your Dropbox folder instead. Then, when creating the symbolic link, reverse the order of the folder paths.

Conclusion

This is a great way to keep all of your chat and IM accounts available from all of your computers. You can easily access logs from chats you had on your desktop from your laptop, or if you add a chat account on your work computer you can use it seamlessly from your home computer that evening. Now Pidgin is the universal chat client that is always ready whenever and wherever you need it!

Links

Downlaod Pidgin

Download and signup for Dropbox

Download Junction for XP

What kind of liabrary feature Windows 7 got?

2011-05-06T02:53:00.044+06:00

The new libraries feature in Windows 7 makes it easier to manage your files and folders. Today we take a look at how to access libraries, how to use them, and how to include network locations to the libraries as well.

The libraries feature in Windows 7 provides a central place to manage files that are located in multiple locations throughout your computer. Instead of clicking through a bunch of directories to find the files you need, including them in a library makes for quicker access.

Access Libraries

To access the libraries in Windows 7, type libraries into the search box in the Start Menu and hit Enter.

The default libraries in Windows 7 will open up in Explorer which are Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos.

Anytime you’re in Windows Explorer, you’ll be able to access libraries from the Navigation Pane.

Using Libraries

In these examples we’ll take a look at the Documents Library, but the procedures will work for any library you want to add locations to. If you’ve been working in Windows 7 for a while and storing documents to the My Documents folder, when you open the Documents Library, you’ll see those documents. Some applications install folders in the My Documents folder by default and you’ll see those as well.

What if you have documents stored in a folder other than My Documents? You need to add it to the Documents Library. There are a couple of ways you can go about it. Right-click on a folder and select Include in library from the context menu, then choose the Documents Library. Keep in mind that when you add a folder to a library, that folder is still in it’s original location.

Or when you have the folder containing your documents open, select Include in library and choose the library to put them in from the dropdown.

Here we take a look at the Documents library that contains files that are located in different places throughout the hard drive, including some on another partition.

You can also remove items from libraries as well. When you’re in a library click on the locations link.

The Documents Library Locations window opens up and from here you can add or remove locations.

Create New Libraries

The default libraries are all well and good, but if you really want to take advantage of this feature, you’ll want to create your own. While in the libraries directory click on the New library button and give it a name.

In this example we made a new library called Work Projects. The first time you open it you’ll be prompted to include a folder.

Browse to the location with the files you want to add then click Include folder.

Now the files included in that folder will show up in the new library.

After you’ve created some libraries they’ll be added to the list to select from.

Add Network Locations

While libraries are a handy new feature, it’s not perfect. Not all folders can be added to libraries as Microsoft has stuck some rules on them. You can pretty much add anything from a local drive, including other volumes or partitions. External USB drives formatted as NTFS or Fat32 can be added as well. Things get kind of weird when you’re trying to add network and non-indexed locations.

Thankfully there’s a handy free utility you can use that makes adding network locations a lot easier. Win7 Library Tool is small and straight forward to use. Just click on the Create a new library button.

Then add the network location you want included in the library. Notice this tool will also allow you to easily change the library icon which is a neat additional feature.

In this example we’ve added a home network share that contains music files to a library named MP3 library.

Conclusion

This should help get you started using Libraries in Windows 7, which at first might take some getting used to. Once you understand how they work and start creating your own, you’ll find they’re actually pretty useful. Once you get going, you’ll find the Win7 Library Tool makes adding network locations a snap. How about you? Do you use libraries in Windows 7? Leave a comment and let us know what you like or don’t like about the feature.

Complete Guide to Symbolic Links (symlinks) on Windows or Linux

2011-05-06T02:49:00.004+06:00

Want to easily access folders and files from different folders without maintaining duplicate copies? Here’s how you can use Symbolic Links to link anything in Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Ubuntu.

So What Are Symbolic Links Anyway?

Symbolic links, otherwise known as symlinks, are basically advanced shortcuts. You can create symbolic links to individual files or folders, and then these will appear like they are stored in the folder with the symbolic link even though the symbolic link only points to their real location.

There are two types of symbolic links: hard and soft. Soft symbolic links work essentially the same as a standard shortcut. When you open a soft link, you will be redirected to the folder where the files are stored. However, a hard link makes it appear as though the file or folder actually exists at the location of the symbolic link, and your applications won’t know any different. Thus, hard links are of the most interest in this article.

Why should I use Symbolic Links?

There are many things we use symbolic links for, so here’s some of the top uses we can think of:

Sync any folder with Dropbox – say, sync your Pidgin Profile Across Computers
Move the settings folder for any program from its original location
Store your Music/Pictures/Videos on a second hard drive, but make them show up in your standard Music/Pictures/Videos folders so they’ll be detected my your media programs (Windows 7 Libraries can also be good for this)
Keep important files accessible from multiple locations
And more!

If you want to move files to a different drive or folder and then symbolically link them, follow these steps:

Close any programs that may be accessing that file or folder
Move the file or folder to the new desired location
Follow the correct instructions below for your operating system to create the symbolic link.

Caution: Make sure to never create a symbolic link inside of a symbolic link. For instance, don’t create a symbolic link to a file that’s contained in a symbolic linked folder. This can create a loop, which can cause millions of problems you don’t want to deal with. Seriously.

Create Symlinks in Any Edition of Windows in Explorer

Creating symlinks is usually difficult, but thanks to the free Link Shell Extension, you can create symbolic links in all modern version of Windows pain-free. You need to download both Visual Studio 2005 redistributable, which contains the necessary prerequisites, and Link Shell Extension itself (links below). Download the correct version (32 bit or 64 bit) for your computer.

Run and install the Visual Studio 2005 Redistributable installer first.

Then install the Link Shell Extension on your computer. Your taskbar will temporally disappear during the install, but will quickly come back.

Now you’re ready to start creating symbolic links. Browse to the folder or file you want to create a symbolic link from. Right-click the folder or file and select Pick Link Source.

To create your symlink, right-click in the folder you wish to save the symbolic link, select “Drop as…”, and then choose the type of link you want. You can choose from several different options here; we chose the Hardlink Clone. This will create a hard link to the file or folder we selected. The Symbolic link option creates a soft link, while the smart copy will fully copy a folder containing symbolic links without breaking them. These options can be useful as well.

Here’s our hard-linked folder on our desktop. Notice that the folder looks like its contents are stored in Desktop\Downloads, when they are actually stored in C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Downloads. Also, when links are created with the Link Shell Extension, they have a red arrow on them so you can still differentiate them.

And, this works the same way in XP as well.

Symlinks via Command Prompt

Or, for geeks who prefer working via command line, here’s how you can create symlinks in Command Prompt in Windows 7/Vista and XP.

In Windows 7/Vista

In Windows Vista and 7, we’ll use the mklink command to create symbolic links. To use it, we have to open an administrator Command Prompt. Enter “command” in your start menu search, right-click on Command Prompt, and select “Run as administrator”.

To create a symbolic link, we need to enter the following in command prompt:

mklink /prefix link_path file/folder_path

First, choose the correct prefix. Mklink can create several types of links, including the following:

/D – creates a soft symbolic link, which is similar to a standard folder or file shortcut in Windows. This is the default option, and mklink will use it if you do not enter a prefix.
/H – creates a hard link to a file
/J – creates a hard link to a directory or folder

So, once you’ve chosen the correct prefix, you need to enter the path you want for the symbolic link, and the path to the original file or folder. For example, if I wanted a folder in my Dropbox folder to appear like it was also stored in my desktop, I would enter the following:

mklink /J C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Dropbox C:\Users\Matthew\Documents\Dropbox

Note that the first path was to the symbolic folder I wanted to create, while the second path was to the real folder.

Here, in this command prompt screenshot, you can see that I created a symbolic link of my Music folder to my desktop.

And here’s how it looks in Explorer. Note that all of my music is “really” stored in C:\Users\Matthew\Music, but here it looks like it is stored in C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Music.

If your path has any spaces in it, you need to place quotes around it. Note also that the link can have a different name than the file it links to. For example, here I’m going to create a symbolic link to a document on my desktop:

mklink /H “C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\ebook.pdf” “C:\Users\Matthew\Downloads\Before You Call Tech Support.pdf”

Don’t forget the syntax:

mklink /prefix link_path Target_file/folder_path

In Windows XP

Windows XP doesn’t include built-in command prompt support for symbolic links, but we can use the free Junction tool instead. Download Junction (link below), and unzip the folder. Now open Command Prompt (click Start, select All Programs, then Accessories, and select Command Prompt), and enter cd followed by the path of the folder where you saved Junction.

Junction only creates hard symbolic links, since you can use shortcuts for soft ones. To create a hard symlink, we need to enter the following in command prompt:

junction –s link_path file/folder_path

As with mklink in Windows 7 or Vista, if your file/folder path has spaces in it make sure to put quotes around your paths. Also, as usual, your symlink can have a different name that the file/folder it points to.

Here, we’re going to create a symbolic link to our My Music folder on the desktop. We entered:

junction -s “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Music” “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Music”

And here’s the contents of our symlink. Note that the path looks like these files are stored in a Music folder directly on the Desktop, when they are actually stored in My Documents\My Music. Once again, this works with both folders and individual files.

Please Note: Junction would work the same in Windows 7 or Vista, but since they include a built-in symbolic link tool we found it better to use it on those versions of Windows.

Symlinks in Ubuntu

Unix-based operating systems have supported symbolic links since their inception, so it is straightforward to create symbolic links in Linux distros such as Ubuntu. There’s no graphical way to create them like the Link Shell Extension for Windows, so we’ll just do it in Terminal.

Open terminal (open the Applications menu, select Accessories, and then click Terminal), and enter the following:

ln –s file/folder_path link_path

Note that this is opposite of the Windows commands; you put the source for the link first, and then the path second.

For example, let’s create a symbolic link of our Pictures folder in our Desktop. To do this, we entered:

ln -s /home/maguay/Pictures /home/maguay/Desktop

Once again, here is the contents of our symlink folder. The pictures look as if they’re stored directly in a Pictures folder on the Desktop, but they are actually stored in maguay\Pictures.

Delete Symlinks

Removing symbolic links is very simple – just delete the link! Most of the command line utilities offer a way to delete a symbolic link via command prompt, but you don’t need to go to the trouble.

Conclusion

Symbolic links can be very handy, and we use them constantly to help us stay organized and keep our hard drives from overflowing. Let us know how you use symbolic links on your computers!

Download Link Shell Extension for Windows 7, Vista, and XP

Download Junction for XP

How To Upgrade Ubuntu ISO Without Re-downloading?

2011-05-02T01:15:00.000+06:00

Ubuntu 11.04 is finally here and you can’t wait to download it, but as is typical on any Ubuntu release day, the mirrors are crawling. Luckily if you have an old Ubuntu .iso you can update it easily with zsync.

Zsync is a Linux command that allows you to compare an existing .iso with an up-to-date zsync meta file to download only the missing or out of date parts. Combine those parts with your existing file and what you are left with is a completely up to date iso without spending the time to download the entire file.

Just how much bandwidth can this save? In our testing, upgrading an iso from Ubuntu 10.04.2 to 11.04 Beta 2 needed to download about 89% of the original file and 10.10 to 11.04 Beta 2 needed 84%. Obviously the more current the original file is, the less you will need to download.

Install zsync

Although zsync is a native Linux command it still works just as well under Windows with the help of Cygwin. If you need help installing Cygwin in Windows,in my another post.

While you are installing Cygwin you will want to make sure you search for zsync on the select packages step.

Zsync is available in the universe repo all the way back to Karmic Koala. So if you are currently using Ubuntu you can install zsync with the normal apt-get command.

sudo apt-get install zsync

Update ISO image

To update your old Ubuntu .iso image, open a command prompt and issue the following command with similar options.

zsync -i /path/to/old/ubuntu.iso http://Path-to-Ubuntu.iso.zsync

This will compare your existing file with the new iso available online, download the missing parts from your current iso, and give you a fully up-to-date new file. Here is an example that lets us update our Ubuntu 10.04.2 image to the latest Ubuntu 11.04.

Note: Using the below command will keep your original Ubuntu 10.04.2 .iso in tact and will create a new Ubuntu 11.04 .iso file.

zsync -i ./ubuntu-10.04.2-desktop-i386.iso http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-desktop-i386.iso.zsync

As you can see from the screenshot below, the file we updated with zsync (left) is exactly the same as the original file we downloaded directly (right).

Use the links below for the different zsync files available.

Ubuntu live desktop (with installer) x86 and x86_64

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-desktop-i386.iso.zsync

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync

Ubuntu alternate installer x86 and x86_64

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-alternate-i386.iso.zsync

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync

Ubuntu server x86 and x86_64

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-server-i386.iso.zsync

http://releases.ubuntu.com/natty/ubuntu-11.04-server-amd64.iso.zsync

You can also use zsync to change between Ubuntu distributions. Use any of these links for the popular downloads of different Ubuntu flavors.

From our testing, changing from Ubuntu 10.10 to Xubuntu 10.10 required us to download less than half (42%) of the full Xubuntu file.

Kubuntu live desktop (with installer) x86

Note: Kubuntu is only available in DVD form so you will be downloading a significant portion of the DVD image.

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/11.04/release/kubuntu-11.04-dvd-i386.iso.zsync

Xubuntu live desktop (with installer) x86

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/11.04/release/xubuntu-11.04-desktop-i386.iso.zsync

Ubuntu Studio live desktop (with installer) x86

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/11.04/release/ubuntustudio-11.04-desktop-i386.iso.zsync

Ask the Readers: How Do You Keep Track of Your Passwords?

2011-04-30T04:20:00.000+06:00

If you’ve been online for more than a day or two you’ve already amassed a pile of passwords. How to you keep track of them, organize them, and ensure you’re always using strong and unique passwords? We want to hear all about your password tricks.

Photo by Taki Steve.

Employing a wide array of passwords that are suitably long yet easy enough to remember (or stored efficiently so you don’t have to remember them) isn’t always easy—and a significant number of people simply fail to vary their passwords or make them strong enough in order to avoid the hassle. This week we’re interested in hearing how you manage, track, and otherwise organize your passwords. What tips, tricks, and/or tools make your password scheme functional and user friendly? Whether you use an ivory cipher or a digital key ring, we want to hear about it.

Sound off in the comments below—the more detail the better—and then check back on Friday for the What You Said roundup where we showcase all the great reader tips and tricks you’ve shared.

How To Create and Run Your Own Audio Podcast...

2011-04-27T13:01:00.087+06:00

Ever feel like taking your voice to the web, literally? Podcasts are a great way to interact with people and supplement a blog. Here’s what you need to know, from buying a mic to hosting it on your site.

(Image by notfrancois)

Step 1: Premise and Dedication

An audio podcast – netcast, if you really want to be brand impartial – is a great way to start a communicative repertoire with people over the internet. It’s also a great supplement to a blog, for readers who don’t have time or for more in-depth analysis. Before you do anything, though, you really have to nail down a premise. How is your podcast going to work for you? What is it supposed to do for your readers? How long will it run? How many people will host, and will you have guests? Is it straight-forward like a talk-show, or a sound-scape with effects and background music? Planning a general outline is a good idea, too, so you can fill it in for each episode. Organization makes podcasts much easier to listen to and understand, and if you have to put in ads you’ll know where to break.

Whether you’re doing a small-time podcast or a fully-professional one, dedication is key. Unlike blog posts, where a momentary tangent can set you off and you can churn post after post out at your leisure, podcasts are more structured. There’s less time for tangents, and you need to have source material for your talk at your disposal. Even if you’re only doing a monthly podcast, there’s still a lot of preparation to go through, and this is all before you consider the physical equipment and bandwidth you’ll need. You shouldn’t be discouraged, but you need to realize that it takes time, effort, and a lot of dedication to be able to finish episodes. It’s definitely a responsibility, but there’s plenty of it that’s fun and entertaining, too.

Step 2: Equipment

(Image by themaccraic-david)

Here’s a list of equipment you will probably need in some form:

Microphone
Preamp/Condenser/Hardware EQ
Computer
Audio Editor
Headphones
Stands for Mic(s)

Since you’re recording audio, the most important piece of equipment is your microphone. This is where most people will probably spend most of their money, and rightfully so. If you don’t capture good audio, there’s little you can do to bring the quality up. As the adage goes, Garbage In = Garbage Out. There are two types of microphones that are relevant here, dynamic and condenser. Dynamic mics are usually more expensive, but they do a great job of isolating the voice so you can get rid of background noise. Condenser mics are cheaper and make your voice sound more “natural,” but they’re more vulnerable to background noise. The Heil PR 40, at $320, is a unanimously recommended dynamic mic that still sounds very warm and natural, and there’s even a shockmount available for it.

Ultimately, it depends on your setup. If you’ve got more professional means, you can afford better equipment or hire someone to man the mic who knows good technique. If you’re on a lower budget, though, it makes sense to spend more for a dynamic mic with a good stand. Check to see if your mic requires a preamp to boost its signal; some do and some don’t, but it’s an additional cost to factor in. USB mics are an option as well, the advantage being that they don’t require an audio interface, but if you step up later on to more professional equipment, you’ll have to replace it. The Samson Meteor Mic is a great choice for $100.

If you’re running a podcast, odds are you’ll have a computer that can handle audio processing and the like. The benefit of having a real preamp, a hardware compressor, or hardware EQ, is that you’re getting a really good signal from the mic. Some mics (especially the XLR type) require preamps or a proper audio interface to add gain and allow your computer to work with them. The M-Audio Fast Track Pro is a 4×4 USB audio interface with preamps built in. It works and sounds great, is pretty portable, and can be found cheaply for about $170. If you’re on a low budget and using a USB mic, you can probably skip the preamp and use good recording software.

As far as software goes, Audacity is a great, free, cross-platform sound editor that also records really well. If you don’t mind spending some money, Adobe’s Soundbooth is good, and Mac users have GarageBand, and both make editing audio much easier.

Good stands are important because they can dampen ambient feedback and keep your hands free to use your computer. They’re also really important because they take strain off of your neck and back. This is key when you’re trying to speak clearly, enunciate, and project. Slipping a thick sock over your mic works pretty well in place of a pop filter if you’re on a budget, and this is important because it allows you to keep the mic close to you when recording.

Lastly, you’ll want a good pair of headphones. You need to hear what everyone – whether remotely on Skype, from the mic right next to you, or just you – are saying, and you need to do it without it feeding back into the mic. In-ear monitors work really well, or over-the-ear cans, but whichever you choose, make sure they’re decent quality. Those old iPod headphones you have laying around probably won’t cut it.

Step 3: Setup and Recording

(Image by theunabonger)

Once you’ve decided on your equipment, you need to designate your setup. You need a professional sound studio, just a clear room where people can move, sit, and talk without much background noise. If you’re in a more public setting, you’ll need better equipment, but it can be done. Mic stands are optimal because you want to be free – free to move your arms and free to keep a good posture. Get a good recording level from close to the mic, and hopefully that sock will keep the spikes in volume down. Compressors are good for this reason, but like previously stated, aren’t completely necessary.

Once everyone’s comfortable, record. Try to speak slowly and enunciate. This isn’t just for the listeners; you can edit much better if you can hear things clearly and your voice has a steady pace. You’re going to mess up here and there, and that’s fine. Just say that you need to cut/edit it (so you can remember to do so when you go through it again), and keep talking. Leave some breaks when you can, and if you need, you can always record in different sessions. And lastly, don’t forget to keep sipping water. Talking is a thirsty business!

Step 4: Editing and Polishing the Audio

If you started with good audio like you should have, then you just need to make edits and cut out the errors. You may want to add breaks and put ads in. Luckily, we’ve got a article that’ll tell you just how to go about making these kinds of edits using Audacity!

Basic Audio Guide.

Basic Noise Removal Guide to Audio Editing.

Guide to Cutting, Trimming & Arranging.

How to use Audacity for seamless Transitions Between Audio Tracks ?

In general, you want the audio to be clear, so you can use some noise removal if your mic or recording settings didn’t filter everything out. It should also have an even volume throughout the track. The compressor effect in Audacity is easy to use if you know how it works. When all is said and done, you can export everything into a .mp3 or .aac file. You can raise the quality if you’re adding music and have multiple speakers, but if it’s just you and you have a good quality recording, you might be able to compress it down without a lot of negative effects and you can probably get away with mono audio. Plain voice tracks aren’t really complicated, and unless you tried to make it more “interesting,” a 64 kbps .mp3 in mono is fine. If you’ve got more going on, you can go with a 128 or 160 kbps file in stereo. Keep in mind your bandwidth limitations.

Step 5: To the Web!

(Image by Bert Heymans)

Finally, you’ve bought the equipment, talked and talked, and edited it down to a nice organized piece of discussionary art. How are you going to get people to listen? There’s two parts to that: the hosting and the feed. Hosting is where the podcast is coming from, whether it’s your website, or a higher-bandwidth storage space. Feeds are how they’re accessed by a reader/aggregator, like iTunes.

If you have your own blog, you can host your own podcast and design your own feed. There are plenty of web resources on how to create your own iTunes-compliant podcast RSS feed. Podcast Generator is a great PHP script that lets you easily publish a proper RSS feed for your podcasts. It’s open source, so if you have your own hosting, you should check it out.

If you’re running your podcast independently of a website, you may want to consider third-party hosting. Often, these websites will not only host your podcasts, but will make the proper RSS for you as well. You can advertise/publicize it as you need and the feed’s URL will go back to the host. The downside to this approach is that there are often limitations, either to length, file size, or bandwidth, or the amount you have to pay per month to expand them. Here’s a short list of a few podcast hosts:

How to Save Fillable Form Data in PDFs?

2011-04-27T03:18:00.009+06:00

**> Fillable PDF forms are much more convenient than filling out pieces of paper by hand, but wouldn’t it be nice to save the forms that you’ve filled out? Nothing would be worse than having to fill out the same boring paperwork twice!

Having a filled out copy of the form isn’t just good “for your records,” it’s also useful if you notice a typo or small mistake after printing out the form. If you accidentally close Adobe Reader, then you’ll have to type in all that information again!

Fortunately there is a free PDF viewing program that allows you fill out fillable forms and save the changes, to be edited later if need be: PDF-XChange Viewer.

After you install PDF-XChange Viewer, open your fillable PDF form (right-click and choose Open With… if PDF-XChange Viewer isn’t the default for opening PDFs).

Fill out the form.

Click on File > Save, or just press Ctrl+S.

Close the file. If you open it again, you will see that your changes are still intact! In fact, even if you open this file with Adobe Reader, you will find that your changes are still there.

That’s all you need to do!

We did run into a few cases where the filled out form didn’t open quite right in Adobe Reader, even though it still looked fine in PDF-XChange Viewer. You should keep Adobe Reader around just to confirm that your filled out forms look right if you have to send them digitally.

PDF-XChange Viewer is a great all-purpose PDF viewer, and the ability to save filled out PDF forms makes it even better!

Download the free version of PDF-XChange Viewer

How to Quickly Add Captions to Your Graphics in Word 2007?

2011-04-27T03:16:00.016+06:00

When your documents include pictures, charts, or other graphics it’s nice to add a caption to describe more to the reader.
Select the picture or graphic you want to add your caption to. Click the References tab on the Ribbon, Choose Insert Caption, click the New Label button and type in your caption.

This will bring you back to the Caption box and as you can see the Caption and Label fields are populated. Click OK one more time.

Word applies the caption to the image which I highlighted in green. You can use this for any type of image in your Word document.

How to Crop, Edit, and Print Photos in Windows 7 Media Center?

2011-04-27T03:09:00.044+06:00

Windows Media Center is a nice application for managing and displaying your personal photos, but you may occasionally need to make some basic edits to your pictures. Today we’ll take a look at how to crop, edit, and print photos right from Windows 7 Media Center.

From within the Picture Library in Windows Media Center, choose a photo to work with, right-click and select Picture Details. You can also access this option with a Media Center remote by clicking the “i” button. Note: You’ll notice you have the option to rotate the picture from this menu. It is also available on the next screen.

Rotate a picture

Now you’ll see more options on the Picture Details screen. From here you can rotate, Print, or Touch Up, Delete, or Burn a CD/DVD. To rotate the picture, simple select Rotate. Note: If you want your photo saved with the new orientation, you’ll need to select Save from the Touch Up screen that we will look at later in the article.

Each click will rotate the picture 90 degrees clockwise. You’ll see the new orientation of the picture displayed on the Picture Details screen after you have clicked Rotate.

Print a picture

From the Picture Details screen, select Print.

Click Print again. Media Center automatically prints to your default printer, so make sure your desired target printer is set as default.

Crop and Edit Photos
To edit or crop your photo, select Touch Up.

Touch Up options includes, Crop, Contrast, and Red Eye removal. First, we’ll select the Crop button to crop our photo.

You will see a cropping area overlay appear on your photo.

Select one of the buttons below to adjust the location, size, and orientation of the area to be cropped.

When you’re happy with your selection, click Save.

You’ll be prompted to confirm your save. Click Yes to permanently save your edits.

You can also apply Contrast or Red Eye adjustments to your photos. There aren’t any advanced settings for these options. You merely toggle the Contrast or Red Eye on or off by selecting the option.

Be sure to click Save before exiting to if you’ve made any changes you wish to permanently apply to the photos. This includes rotating the images.

While this method is not likely to be replace your favorite image editing software, it does give you the ability to make basic edits and print photos directly from Windows Media Center. With a Media Center remote, you can even do all your edits from the comfort of your recliner.

How To Rip a Music CD in Windows 7 Media Center ?

2011-04-27T03:07:00.032+06:00

If you’re a Media Center user, you already know that it can play and manage your digital music collection. But, did you know you can also rip a music CD in Windows 7 Media Center and have it automatically added to your music library?

Rip a CD in Windows 7 Media Center

Place your CD into your optical drive. From within Windows Media Center, open the Music Library and select the CD.

If you haven’t previously ripped a CD in Windows 7 with either Windows Media Center or Windows Media Player, you’ll be prompted to select whether or not you’d like to add copy protection. Click Next.

By default, your CD will be ripped to .WMA format. The rip settings for Windows Media Center are pulled from Windows Media Player. So to change the rip settings, we’ll need to do so in Media Player. Click Finish.

From within Windows Media Player, click on Tools from Menu bar, and select Options.

Select the Rip Music tab and choose your output format from the Format drop down list. You can also select the Audio quality (bit rate) by moving the slider bar under Audio quality. Click OK when you are finished.

Now, you are ready to rip your CD. Click on Rip CD.

Click Yes to confirm you want to rip the CD.

You can follow the progress as each track is being converted.

When the CD is finished you’re ready to start enjoying your music any time you wish in Windows 7 Media Center.

Looking for some more tasks you can perform in Media Center with just a remote? Check out our earlier post on How to Crop, Edit, and Print Photos in Windows 7 Media Center?

How to Embed True Type Fonts in Word and PowerPoint 2007 Documents?

2011-04-27T03:02:00.006+06:00

If you are the creative type that likes to use custom fonts in your documents or PowerPoint presentations, here is a cool tip to ensure that the readers of your document see the document with the fonts intact, just the way you want it to.

In this example I will use Word, but you can follow the same steps for PowerPoint also.

First, click on the Microsoft Office Button in the upper left hand corner and choose “Word Options”. Select the Save tab on the left.

Under the “Preserve fidelity when sharing this document” section, first choose your document.

Then check the box for “Embed fonts in the file”, and “Embed only the characters used in the document”. Now when you save that document, the fonts will be embedded for everyone to see.

How to Save Paper by Highlighting and Commenting on PDFs ?

2011-04-27T03:01:00.013+06:00

Here’s a little-known fact: There are applications that let you annotate and modify PDF files for free, with no watermarks. This way you can review a document and make your comments without wasting any paper in the process.

Foxit Reader

The application we’ll be using for this quick tutorial is Foxit Reader. This is an alternative PDF reader (alternative to Adobe Reader, that is). It’s fast, lightweight, and free. And most importantly for us, it lets you annotate documents.

For starters, download and install Foxit Reader. Then use it to open a PDF document you’d like to annotate. If installing Foxit Reader doesn’t make it the default application for opening PDF files on your system, you can right click the PDF and select Foxit Reader under Open With:

Once the file is open, click View > Toolbars > Commenting Tools.

The commenting toolbar lets you annotate the document in seven different ways:

You can underline words, highlight them, underline with squiggly lines (possibly to mark typos), cross text out, add a “replace” mark for text you wish to change and add floating sticky notes.

You can also double-click any such marking (underline, squiggly line, etc.) to open up a note where you can type a longer explanation. This is optional, so if the other side would understand what you’re trying to communicate even without a verbose note, you might want to omit it.

By clicking the Options link on each note you can set its status, mark it with a checkmark and more. You can also change its color by clicking Open Properties.

The comments you make in the documents are readable with Adobe’s own Reader – the other side does not need to have Foxit Reader installed to read them (though they would need Foxit Reader or Adobe Reader Professional if they wish to reply).

How to Secure Your Private Word 2007 Documents?

2011-04-27T02:59:00.008+06:00

If you are worried about sensitive data in your Microsoft Word document you can both encrypt and password protect the document to keep it secure. This feature is very useful if you have to store your documents in a shared location, such as a network folder or home computer.

To encrypt your document, click on the Microsoft Office Button in the upper left hand corner, select Prepare from the left-hand menu and then choose Encrypt Document.

In the Encrypt Document dialog window type in your password for this document.

You will then need to enter in your password again for verification and click OK. You will not receive any type of confirmation message, this window will simply disappear.

By default Windows Office Word 2007 will save your document with 128-bit advanced encryption. Now when anyone goes to open the document it will automatically ask for the password.

That’s all there is to it.

How to Add Security to Your Important Documents in Office 2010?

2011-04-27T02:58:00.043+06:00

Sometimes you need to keep your important documents secure so only certain individuals can read and edit them. Here we take a look at how to restrict editing and encrypt your documents in Office 2010.

With the ability to share MS Office documents online via Web Apps, you might want to make sure and add extra security to them. Even if you’re sharing them through your companies network, it might be prudent to add security to documents that only certain department heads need to access.

In this example we’re using a Word document, but the process of encryption is the same in Excel and PowerPoint. However, enabling Restricted Editing is only available in Word & Excel.

Restrict Editing Access

If you’re document needs to be in a certain format and you don’t want people making incorrect edits, you can control the types of changes people can make. Open your document and click on the file tab to access Backstage View, click on Info, Protect Document, and select Restrict Editing.

The Restrict Formatting and Editing menu will display on the right side of the document and here you can limit formatting and selection types.

Click on the Settings link to really drill down exactly what can and can’t be edited in the document.

Now you can select the users on your domain who can edit the document.

After you’ve selected your editing restrictions click on Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

Now enter in an optional password for the editing enforcements.

We set restrictions to the point where if a user wants to access the document online it’s essentially “read only”. If they try to edit it in their browser…

They’ll be presented with the following message and need to open it in their local Word app.

When the restricted document is opened, only the options you allowed will be available from the Ribbon…everything else will be grayed out.

If a user tries to stop the editing protection, they’ll be prompted for the password you created when you started enforcing protection.

Encrypt Your Documents

Now we’ll take a look at how to encrypt a Word document with a password. Click on the file tab to access Backstage View, click on Info, Protect Document, and select Encrypt with Password.

Enter in a password to encrypt the document…

Then confirm the password making sure they match then click OK.

After the encryption password has been entered, you’ll see a Permissions message that a password is required to open the document.

Now when you or someone else tries to open the document, the correct password will need to be entered to access it.

Also, encrypted documents cannot be opened in Web Apps. They will need to be opened in a local version of Word and the correct password entered in.

Conclusion

If you have important documents that you don’t want just anyone to be able to edit or access, combining both Editing Enforcement and Encryption are nice tools that will let you protect them.

How to Add a Sleep Timer to Windows 7 Media Center?

2011-04-27T02:52:00.013+06:00

Do you make it a habit of falling asleep at night while watching Windows Media Center? Today we are going to take a look at the MC7 Sleep Timer for Windows 7 Media Center. This simple little plugin allows you to schedule an automatic shutdown time in Media Center.

Note: At this point MC7 Sleep Timer doesn’t work with extenders. If you’re using ClamAV or Panda it may detect this plugin as a virus, we’ve tested it and this is a false positive for these two antivirus apps.

Installation and Usage

Download and install MC7 Sleep Timer. (See download below)

After the installation is finished, you will find MC7 Sleep Timer located in the Media Center Extras Library. Click on the tile to open the timer and configure your settings.

The MC7 Sleep Timer will open in full screen mode. You can choose to shutdown the PC after 30 or 60 minutes, create a custom length shutdown timer at any 5 minute interval, or select the exact time you want the PC to shutdown. After setting your PC to shutdown, you’ll get an audio confirmation.

To set a custom timer length, scroll to the “Custom timer” option and click right or left on your Media Center remote or, the right or left arrow keys, to choose how many minutes before shutdown.

To schedule a shutdown for a certain time, browse to the “Shutdown at time” button, and scroll right or left with the arrow keys on the keyboard or remote. When you’ve chosen your time, hit “Enter” on the keyboard or “OK” on the remote.

Clicking the “Monitor Off” button will turn off only the monitor and “Cancel Timer” will cancel your shutdown request.

Conclusion

If you often find yourself falling asleep every night watching Media Center and then fumbling and stumbling in the middle of the night to shutdown your computer, MC7 Sleep timer might just be a perfect addition to your Media Center setup.

How to Enable Editing for All Office 2010 Documents by Disabling Protected View?

2011-04-27T02:32:00.002+06:00

Protected View can stop viruses from installing onto your computer but comes at the price of clicking a button every time you want to edit a document. Here’s how to permanently disable Protected View for all documents in Microsoft Office.

Microsoft added many usability and security features to Office 2010 that help protect end users from embedded plugins and viruses that can crash Office or even install viruses. These features go a long way to keep your computer running smoothly, but there are still options you can tweak to disable Protected View for specific files. To fine tune your Protected View options have a look below.

Disable Protected View for Specific Documents

To get to the protected view options, open Microsoft Word 2010 and then go to file and options.

On the left column click Trust Center and then click Trust Center Settings.

Now on the left column click Protected View and uncheck any documents you would like to open automatically with Protected View disabled. This will allow you to edit the documents without needing to enable editing but may also make your computer an easy target for zero day virus exploits.

Once you check or un-check the settings you want you can close the windows. Repeat these steps for Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint if you want to disable Protected View there too.

Modify Safe Locations

To add more locations that are marked as safe for Protected View go back to the Trust Center Settings and click Trusted locations on the left.

Click add new locations at the bottom and browse to the location you would like to add to the trusted locations list.

Any documents in the new location will now be marked as safe.

Disable Protected View from Registry

Like most options in Windows there is a way to disable these settings via the registry too. If for some reason the options in Office do not work or you want to be able to automate this setting for multiple computers you can try setting one or more of these registry values below.

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Security\ProtectedView

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Security\ProtectedView

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\PowerPoint\Security\ProtectedView

The three values you would want to set are:

DisableAttachementsInPV

DisableInternetFilesInPV

DisableUnsafeLocationsInPV

By setting each value to 1 you will disable Protected View for that file location.

How to Make Your Own Custom Ethernet Cables ...

2011-04-27T02:19:00.049+06:00

Ever set up a router, only to find out you need two short Ethernet cables, and you’ve only got one long one? With a few tools and a little DIY geekery, you can start making all your own network cables.While buying bulk cable might not be for everybody, the ability to repair and split long cables is an essential geek skill. Keep reading to see the tools and techniques you’ll need to know to customize the cables for your home network.

Tools and Materials

	Wire Cutters or Wire Strippers: For the self-explanatory task of cutting and stripping wires. They ordinarily retail for anywhere around $5 to $25 and can be found at any tool supply store or online. Wire Cutters (Amazon)
	RJ45 Data Plugs: These can be found at many computer stores, Radioshack, or some hardware or home supply stores in the electrical/wiring section. Some are labeled specifically Cat 6 or Cat 5e—buy specific ones if your network needs one or the other, or if you have a preference. (Author’s Note: I can’t seem to find any difference between one plug or another.) Data Plugs 25 Pack (Amazon)
	RJ45 Cable Crimping Tool: In order to make your cable’s data plug a permanent part of your new cable, you’ll need a set of these. These retail for varying prices, averaging around $10 to $15, depending on the brand or store you buy from. RJ45 Crimping Tool (Amazon)
	An Ordinary Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat6 cable: Assuming you’re going to turn one long cable into two (or three or four…) you can start with any working ethernet cable you have lying around. You can swap out existing data plugs this way, if you have long, expensive cables with broken clips.

Author’s Note: All links are provided for the convenience of the reader. This isn’t an endorsement of the linked brands of plugs, cutters, or crimpers. They are merely an example of the correct tools.

Other Tools and Materials

This toolkit was available at common home supply store (like Home Depot or Lowes) and contained many of the tools used in this how to, including the crimper and a set of RJ45 data plugs. If you think you’ll get a lot of use out of the set, you might save a few dollars buying the bundle, and getting the whole set of tools, along with the helpful carrying case.

Networking cable can also be bought in bulk, in huge spools of hundreds or thousands of feet. A standard cable retails in an office supply store for around $20 per 6ft, and 1000 ft of Cat 5e cable costs about $80. With that price difference, you can network all your neighbors computers with bulk cable for less than the cost of retail cables for a half dozen computers inside your own home.

While very few of us will ever use 1000ft of networking cable, if you ever need excessively long cables in odd lengths, this is going to be one of your best bets.

Make Your Custom Networking Cable

Measure your cable to the length you desire, then add an inch or two, as you’ll end up losing a bit of cable during the process. The carpenter’s motto “measure twice, cut once” is very apt in this case, so make sure your cable is the correct length before cutting.

Your original cable is now in two pieces, Now you have to remove the shielding from the wiring inside the cable.

Cut away the outside shielding with a hobby knife, a wirestripping tool like the one shown above, or your wire cutters. Leave an inch to an inch and a half of wire if you’re doing this for the first time, as the wires can be frustrating to work with.

Untwist the wires from each other so you can work with them. Do not strip them. If there is any insulation inside your cable, do not pull it out. You can, however, cut away the excess from the end of your cable.

Orient the wires to this specific order. This can be easier for first-timers to do with longer wires, but you’ll shortly be trimming the excess away. Remember that this order is critical. If your cable has different colors (rare, except with very old cables), you’ll have to copy the order of the clip on the other end. This order, however, is the correct wiring for most ethernet cables.

Once your wires are in the correct order, trim the excess away. Your goal is to leave slightly less wire than will fit inside the RJ45 clip.

Bending the wires to stiffen them up can be helpful to keeping them in the right place. It can be frustrating to get the wires to stay in place and line up correctly with the pins, but it is far easier to do this than try and feed in the wires one at a time.

Hold the wires in place with your fingers and insert them all at once into the data plug, as shown, with the clip facing downward. Once they are seated in the pins, check to make sure none of them have changed position. If you go on to the next step and crimp your data plug without checking your wires, you may have to cut if off and do it again.

Once you’re sure your cable is wired correctly, with all wires seated to the appropriate pins, place your data plug into your crimping tool and give it a firm squeeze. If you have strong hands, don’t get overzealous and crush your data plug—it is only made of plastic, after all.

And there you have it, a complete ethernet cable, made from a segment of an existing cable. Repeat the steps to add as many data plugs and make as many cables as you need, in any length you need.

Cables can be as long (or as short!) as you can make them, and will work as well as any ordinary retail ethernet cable. Enjoy your new geek skill, and have fun wiring your network with your own custom-made cables.