You must check out this chase for cool computing

I considered making it into a desktop instead of mini-tower form factor (and probably should have). Given the same number of fans with much higher RPM, I’m sure I could have made it hover…

Hug a developer : I’m one among them

10 tips to keep your Tux safe

Linux itself is secure.. but, here is the caution for keeping it more secure

1. Locking the screen and logging out is important
Most people forget that the Linux desktop is a multi-user environment. Because of this, you can log out of your desktop and others can log in. Not only does that mean that others could be using your desktop, it also means you can, and should, log out when you’re finished working.

If you are the only user on your system, you can lock your screen instead. Locking your screen simply means that a password will be required to get back into the desktop. The difference here is that you can leave applications running and lock the desktop. When you unlock the desktop, those same programs will still be running.

2. Hiding files and folders is a quick fix
In ‘Linux land’, files and folders are hidden by adding a ‘.’ before the name; so, for example, the file ‘test’ will appear in a file browser, whereas ‘.test’ will not. Most people don’t know that running the command ‘ls-a’ will show hidden files and folders.

So, if you have folders or files you don’t want your co-workers to see, simply add the dot to the beginning of the file or folder name. You can do this from the command line like so: mv test .test.

3. A good password is a must
Your password on a Linux PC is your golden key. If you give that password out or if you use a weak password, your golden key could become everyone’s golden key.

And if you’re using a distribution like Ubuntu, that password will give users much more access than, say, Fedora. To that end, make sure your password is strong. There are many password generators you can use, such as Automated Password Generator.

4. Installing file-sharing applications is a slippery slope
I know many Linux users are prone to file-sharing. If you want to run that risk at home, that’s your call. But, when at work, you not only open yourself, or your company, up to lawsuits, you open your desktop machine up to other users who might have access to sensitive data on your work PC. So, as a rule, do not install file-sharing tools.

5. Updating your machine regularly is wise
Linux isn’t Windows. With Windows, you get security updates when Microsoft releases them, which could be many months away. With Linux, a security update can come minutes or hours after a security flaw is detected. With both KDE and Gnome, there are update applets for the panel. I always recommend having them up and running so you know when updates are made available. Don’t put off security updates. There is a reason they come out.

6. Installing virus protection is actually useful in Linux
Believe it or not, virus protection in Linux has its place. Of course, the chances of a virus causing problems on your Linux machine are slim to none. But those emails you forward to others’ Windows machines could cause problems. With a good virus-protection tool, such as ClamAV, you can ensure that email going out of your machine doesn’t contain anything nasty that could come back to haunt you or your company.

7. SELinux is there for a reason
SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) was created by the US National Security Agency. It helps lock down access control to applications, and does so very well.

Certainly, SELinux can sometimes be a pain. In some cases, it might take a hit out of your system performance, or you might find some applications a struggle to install. However, the security comfort you gain by using SELinux (or AppArmor) far outweighs the negatives. During the Fedora installation, you get the chance to enable SELinux.

8. Creating /home in a separate partition is safer
The default Linux installation places your /home directory right in the root of your system. This is fine but, firstly, it is standard, so anyone gaining access to your machine knows right where your data is; and, secondly, if your machine goes down for good, your data might be gone.

To solve this problem, you can place /home on a different hard drive or partition altogether (making it a partition in and of itself). This is not a task for the weak of heart, but it is one worth undertaking if you’re very concerned about your data.

9. Using a non-standard desktop is worth its weight in gold
Not only do the alternative desktops (Enlightenment, Blackbox, Fluxbox, etc) give you a whole new look and feel for your PC, they offer simple security from prying eyes you may never have considered.

I have deployed Fluxbox on kiosk machines when I wanted a machine that could do one thing: Browse the network. This can be easily achieved. Create a single mouse menu (or desktop icon) for the application you want to use. Unless the user knows how to get back to the command line (by logging out or hitting ctrl-alt-f*, where * is a desktop other than the one you are using), they will not be able to start up any application other than the one offered.

Since most users have no idea how to move around in these desktops anyway, they aren’t going to have the slightest idea how to get to your files. It is simple pseudo-security.

10. Stopping services is best
This is a desktop machine. It’s not a server. So why are you running services like httpd, ftpd, and sshd? You shouldn’t need them and they only pose a security risk, unless you know how to lock them down. So don’t run them. Check your /etc/inetd.conf file and make sure that all unnecessary services are commented out. It is a simple but effective method.

Software testing isnt cake walk

Every one thinks in software industry, Software testing division is a cursed one. But I feel interesting when I happened to test a Website.
But Website testing differs from Software testing. Though I’m doing testing now, I share my experience later. Lets review on the different kind of Software testing.

• ACCEPTANCE TESTING. Testing to verify a product meets customer specified requirements. A customer usually does this type of testing on a product that is developed externally.
• BLACK BOX TESTING. Testing without knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested. Tests are usually functional.
• COMPATIBILITY TESTING. Testing to ensure compatibility of an application or Web site with different browsers, OSs, and hardware platforms. Compatibility testing can be performed manually or can be driven by an automated functional or regression test suite.
• CONFORMANCE TESTING. Verifying implementation conformance to industry standards. Producing tests for the behavior of an implementation to be sure it provides the portability, interoperability, and/or compatibility a standard defines.
• FUNCTIONAL TESTING. Validating an application or Web site conforms to its specifications and correctly performs all its required functions. This entails a series of tests which perform a feature by feature validation of behavior, using a wide range of normal and erroneous input data. This can involve testing of the product’s user interface, APIs, database management, security, installation, networking, etcF testing can be performed on an automated or manual basis using black box or white box methodologies.
• INTEGRATION TESTING. Testing in which modules are combined and tested as a group. Modules are typically code modules, individual applications, client and server applications on a network, etc. Integration Testing follows unit testing and precedes system testing.
• LOAD TESTING. Load testing is a generic term covering Performance Testing and Stress Testing.
• PERFORMANCE TESTING. Performance testing can be applied to understand your application or WWW site’s scalability, or to benchmark the performance in an environment of third party products such as servers and middleware for potential purchase. This sort of testing is particularly useful to identify performance bottlenecks in high use applications. Performance testing generally involves an automated test suite as this allows easy simulation of a variety of normal, peak, and exceptional load conditions.
• REGRESSION TESTING. Similar in scope to a functional test, a regression test allows a consistent, repeatable validation of each new release of a product or Web site. Such testing ensures reported product defects have been corrected for each new release and that no new quality problems were introduced in the maintenance process. Though regression testing can be performed manually an automated test suite is often used to reduce the time and resources needed to perform the required testing.
• SMOKE TESTING. A quick-and-dirty test that the major functions of a piece of software work without bothering with finer details. Originated in the hardware testing practice of turning on a new piece of hardware for the first time and considering it a success if it does not catch on fire.
• STRESS TESTING. Testing conducted to evaluate a system or component at or beyond the limits of its specified requirements to determine the load under which it fails and how. A graceful degradation under load leading to non-catastrophic failure is the desired result. Often Stress Testing is performed using the same process as Performance Testing but employing a very high level of simulated load.
• SYSTEM TESTING. Testing conducted on a complete, integrated system to evaluate the system’s compliance with its specified requirements. System testing falls within the scope of black box testing, and as such, should require no knowledge of the inner design of the code or logic.
• UNIT TESTING. Functional and reliability testing in an Engineering environment. Producing tests for the behavior of components of a product to ensure their correct behavior prior to system integration.
• WHITE BOX TESTING. Testing based on an analysis of internal workings and structure of a piece of software. Includes techniques such as Branch Testing and Path Testing. Also known as Structural Testing and Glass Box Testing.