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Archive for June, 2008

How-To: Time Machine Backup on a Network Storage

Saturday, 28 Jun 08 irrashai 2 comments

Again, I’m writing for convenience here (i.e. for personal reference in the future). There’s a bunch of more helpful posts on the topic out in the information jungle (the Internet). This post is a summary of the command that worked for me based on this macosxhints discussion.

It’s been a while, yes. But now I’m jumping into the bandwagon.

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To configure your machine to use Time Machine, go to System Preferences -> System -> Time Machine. Click on the slider to turn it on.

Then select the Disk to be used for backup. Normally, it will only detect local drives. If you are going to use network storage, like what i will do, make sure to issue this command. Time Machine should now list your network storage along with local disks.
defaults write com.apple.systempreferences TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1

Now this is the usual error i get. This is the culprit why i did not continue setting up Time Machine before. If like me, you encounter the message “The backup disk image could not be mounted” after a few minutes of “preparing”, then issue the ff. command:
hdiutil create -size $SIZEg -fs HFS+J -type SPARSEBUNDLE -volname "Backup of $HOSTNAME" $HOSTNAME_$MACADDR.sparsebundle

$SIZE is the size of the backup volume; the appending g is for GB, m for MB and so on..
$HOSTNAME is the computer name
$MACADDR is well, the mac address of the machine, without the colons. This is the same mac address of the ethernet card. To check, go to System Profiler -> Network -> Ethernet, then copy the mac address field.

Mount your network storage (as AFP in my case).  Then copy the file created above.

cp -r $HOSTNAME_$MACADDR.sparsebundle /Volumes/Backup/

Open Time Machine settings from System Preferences. Select the NAS Volumes as backup disk. Set Options to select which folders not to backup. Then you’re all set.

So that’s it. You’re done.

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UPDATE

Commands to use after changing the Logic Board:

cd /Volumes/Time Machine/Backups.backupdb
xattr -p com.apple.backupd.BackupMachineAddress MyMac

$ sudo fsaclctl -p /Volumes/Time Machine -d
$ sudo mv .00f9e8d7c6b5 .001a2b3c4f56
$ sudo xattr -w com.apple.backupd.BackupMachineAddress 00:1a:2b:3c:4f:56 Backups.backupdb/MyMac
$ sudo fsaclctl -p /Volumes/Time Machine -e

Note: This doesn’t seem to work for NAS. One reason probably is the mac address of the Sparse Bundle. I’ll give it another go sometime.

Be Still My Soul

Tuesday, 17 Jun 08 irrashai 1 comment

Here’s a treasure i dug up from Youtube tonight.

One of the nicest Church hymns. I can’t believe an American Idol finalist – and a fellow LDS – David Archuleta sang this on a fireside just recently (accdg. to the uploader). Amazing!

Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side.
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide,
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul, thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake.
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul, the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul, when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.


Gosh! Thanks Archuleta!

Categories: Entertainment, Faith Tags: , ,

About Elvendork and Drumsticks

Wednesday, 11 Jun 08 irrashai Leave a comment

Yay! The Harry Potter prequel written by JKR for a Compilation (for a certain charity) is now viewable at the Waterstone’s website.

I’m not sure if it’s ok, but i did post a copy here. This i saved so i can zoom in to read. Please visit Waterstone’s website. It’s a cool site where you can read the rest of the stories by other writers in the compilation.

I also re-typed the whole story while reading coz it’s a bit difficult to read! Might as well share with everyone.

—————
The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted ‘Whoa!’ Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail light, vanished up the narrow side street.

‘We’ve got ‘em now!’ cried PC Anderson excitedly. ‘That’s a dead end!’

Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.

There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour’s chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brick wall and the police car, which was now crawling towards them like some growling, luminous-eyed predator.

There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.

‘Get off the bike!’ he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.

They did as they were told. Finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair; his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter’s guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.

‘No helmets!’ Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. ‘Exceeding the speed limit by – by a considerable amount!’ (In fact the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) ‘Failing to stop for the police!’

‘We’d have loved to stop for a chat,’ said the boy in glasses, ‘only we were trying —’

‘Don’t get smart – you two are in a heap of trouble!’ snarled Anderson. ‘Names!’

‘Names?’ repeated the long-haired driver. ‘Er – well, let’s see. There’s Wilberforce … Bathsheba … Elvendork … ‘

‘And what’s nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy or a girl,’ said the boy in glasses.

‘Oh, our names, did you mean?’ asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage. ‘You should’ve said! This here is James Potter, and I’m Sirius Black!’

‘Things’ll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little — ‘

But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical, fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.

For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than –

‘Drumsticks?’ jeered Anderson. ‘Right pair of jokers, aren’t you? Right, we’re arresting you on a charge of — ‘

But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.

The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying – actually flying – up the alley on broomsticks- and at the same moment, the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.

Fisher’s knees bucked; he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher’s legs and fell on top of him, as flump – bang – crunch – they heard the men on brooms slam into the upended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.

The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.

‘Thanks very much!’ called Sirius over the throb of the engine. ‘We owe you one!’

‘Yeah, nice meeting you!’ said James. ‘And don’t forget: Elvendork! It’s unisex!’

There was an earth-shaking crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle’s turn to rear. Before the policemen’s disbelieving eyes, it took off into the air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like vanishing ruby.

From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!

JKRowling
2008

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I’m really not sure if it’s alright to post. If it’s not, just drop me a message. Lots of thanks to the author. Loved it. Fred and George, I mean James and Sirius are a pair of mischievous teens.