Recover a Quick erased CD RW

 Procedure used to recover data from a quick-erased CD-RW disc

1. Make a file of exactly the size of the cdrw disc's capacity (650MB in my case).

(this step may not be needed)

2. With Nero I created a new project and added the file to it so that I have the disc filled. I gues you can also fill up the disc with other files.

The reason why I fill the disc is because I want Nero to make a session that uses the entire disc. Like I wrote earlier in this thread I experienced that my CD-Drive refuses to read off the disc beyond the session's boundaries. When you quick-erase a disc there is no session anymore so the drive will not read at all. Burning a new session will overwrite the data and burning only a small session will NOT make the drive read the other data that is still on the disc.

The reason why I used the one big file is so that I could later on recognize which part of the disc was overwritten by this file because this file contained all zeros (0x00).

3. I pressed burn and selected disc-at-once. Then while Nero was burning the leadin I pressed cancel. My CD-Drive finished writing the lead-in and Nero reported an error.

This is what was accomplished however: Now the disc contains a session that says that the used disc size is the complete disc. Nero did not get to writing file because I cancelled it. Good thing because I don't want Nero to write any files because my old data will get overwritten!

I gues it works the same with different writing software. Another method that I used during a test was simply press the reset button of the computer when the burning software was done with writing the lead-in and started with the files.

4. I had to restart the computer after cancelling burning.

With the cdrw disc inserted I saw in "my computer" that windows recognized that the disc was 650MB, clicking on it gave an error. Good so far!

Now with IsoBuster you can extract the sectors from a disc to a file. This is what I did.

I gues that if you have data-recovery software at this point it will be usefull because now (if all went well;)) the CD-Drive WILL read data from the entire disc. Anyway, I used ISO-Buster because the files that I needed to recover where a bit odd for nowadays (.XM, .S3M, .MP3):

In IsoBuster I had to do several steps:

Step 1: Find out from and to which sector the drive will read

By choosing "Sector View" you can look at any given sector.

Here I found out what the first and the last sectors where that are readable. (Hint I used the method for the old game: "Gues a number below 100, I'll tell if it is higher or lower than what you gues")

Step 2: Extract the actual sectors

By choosing "Extract From-To" you can extract any given range of sectors to a file. My disc was a data-disc so I choose the first extraction type "User data, 2048 bytes/block...".

In the end I got a .tao file which was about 650MB. I ran several programs on it to look for files inside a file by searching for file-header-paterns:

1. Multi Ripper 2.80 (for DOS, for the .XM files. It does many other file formats as well (jpg,png, bmp,wav,etc,etc +100). Try google with this query: Multi Ripper 2.80. I still had the file from good old days but I saw several good search results)

2. Winamp for mp3.

Winamp will scan any file when you give it the extension .mp3 and play it as one big song (so I renamed the .tao file to .mp3). I used the discwriter to get a .wav and the Adobe Audition to manually cut and save my songs. I looked at the MP3 file format and it is hard to find an mp3 file in a big file because it has no clear header just a bunch of mpeg-frames in most cases for me . A lot of my files had no ID3v2 or ID3v1 tags... But after a couple of hours I recovered everything.

Finally a list of used stuff:

Software:

- IsoBuster v1.5

- Nero 6.3.0.3

- Multi Ripper 2.80

- WinAmp v5.02

- Windows XP Pro NL (patched up)

Hardware:

- NEC DVDRW ND1300A 1.06

Disc:

- some old 4 speed cdrw

5:41 PM | 0 comments | Read More

All About Movie Tags

Original Sources

CAM -
A cam is a theater rip usually done with a digital video camera. A mini tripod is sometimes used, but a lot of the time this wont be possible, so the camera make shake. Also seating placement isn't always idle, and it might be filmed from an angle. If cropped properly, this is hard to tell unless there's text on the screen, but a lot of times these are left with triangular borders on the top and bottom of the screen. Sound is taken from the onboard microphone of the camera, and especially in comedies, laughter can often be heard during the film. Due to these factors picture and sound quality are usually quite poor, but sometimes we're lucky, and the theater will be fairly empty and a fairly clear signal will be heard.

TELESYNC (TS) - A telesync is the same spec as a CAM except it uses an external audio source (most likely an audio jack in the chair for hard of hearing people). A direct audio source does not ensure a good quality audio source, as a lot of background noise can interfere. A lot of the times a telesync is filmed in an empty cinema or from the projection booth with a professional camera, giving a better picture quality. Quality ranges drastically, check the sample before downloading the full release. A high percentage of Telesyncs are CAMs that have been mislabeled.



TELECINE (TC) -
A telecine machine copies the film digitally from the reels. Sound and picture should be very good, but due to the equipment involved and cost telecines are fairly uncommon. Generally the film will be in correct aspect ratio, although 4:3 telecines have existed. A great example is the JURASSIC PARK 3 TC done last year. TC should not be confused with TimeCode , which is a visible counter on screen throughout the film.



SCREENER (SCR) -
A pre VHS tape, sent to rental stores, and various other places for promotional use. A screener is supplied on a VHS tape, and is usually in a 4:3 (full screen) a/r, although letterboxed screeners are sometimes found. The main draw back is a "ticker" (a message that scrolls past at the bottom of the screen, with the copyright and anti-copy telephone number). Also, if the tape contains any serial numbers, or any other markings that could lead to the source of the tape, these will have to be blocked, usually with a black mark over the section. This is sometimes only for a few seconds, but unfortunately on some copies this will last for the entire film, and some can be quite big. Depending on the equipment used, screener quality can range from excellent if done from a MASTER copy, to very poor if done on an old VHS recorder thru poor capture equipment on a copied tape. Most screeners are transferred to VCD, but a few attempts at SVCD have occurred, some looking better than others.



DVD-SCREENER (DVDscr) -Same premise as a screener, but transferred off a DVD. Usually letterbox , but without the extras that a DVD retail would contain. The ticker is not usually in the black bars, and will disrupt the viewing. If the ripper has any skill, a DVDscr should be very good. Usually transferred to SVCD or DivX/XviD.



DVDRip - A copy of the final released DVD. If possible this is released PRE retail (for example, Star Wars episode 2) again, should be excellent quality. DVDrips are released in SVCD and DivX/XviD.



VHSRip -Transferred off a retail VHS, mainly skating/sports videos and XXX releases.



TVRip -TV episode that is either from Network (capped using digital cable/satellite boxes are preferable) or PRE-AIR from satellite feeds sending the program around to networks a few days earlier (do not contain "dogs" but sometimes have flickers etc) Some programs such as WWF Raw Is War contain extra parts, and the "dark matches" and camera/commentary tests are included on the rips. PDTV is capped from a digital TV PCI card, generally giving the best results, and groups tend to release in SVCD for these. VCD/SVCD/DivX/XviD rips are all supported by the TV scene.



WORKPRINT (WP) -A workprint is a copy of the film that has not been finished. It can be missing scenes, music, and quality can range from excellent to very poor. Some WPs are very different from the final print (Men In Black is missing all the aliens, and has actors in their places) and others can contain extra scenes (Jay and Silent Bob) . WPs can be nice additions to the collection once a good quality final has been obtained.



DivX Re-Enc -A DivX re-enc is a film that has been taken from its original VCD source, and re-encoded into a small DivX file. Most commonly found on file sharers, these are usually labeled something like Film.Name.Group(1of2) etc. Common groups are SMR and TND. These aren't really worth downloading, unless you're that unsure about a film u only want a 200mb copy of it. Generally avoid.



Watermarks -
A lot of films come from Asian Silvers/PDVD (see below) and these are tagged by the people responsible. Usually with a letter/initials or a little logo, generally in one of the corners. Most famous are the "Z" "A" and "Globe" watermarks.



Asian Silvers / PDVD -
These are films put out by eastern bootleggers, and these are usually bought by some groups to put out as their own. Silvers are very cheap and easily available in a lot of countries, and its easy to put out a release, which is why there are so many in the scene at the moment, mainly from smaller groups who don't last more than a few releases. PDVDs are the same thing pressed onto a DVD. They have removable subtitles, and the quality is usually better than the silvers. These are ripped like a normal DVD, but usually released as VCD.






Formats

VCD -
VCD is an mpeg1 based format, with a constant bitrate of 1150kbit at a resolution of 352x240 (NTCS). VCDs are generally used for lower quality transfers (CAM/TS/TC/Screener(VHS)/TVrip(analogue) in order to make smaller file sizes, and fit as much on a single disc as possible. Both VCDs and SVCDs are timed in minutes, rather than MB, so when looking at an mpeg, it may appear larger than the disc capacity, and in reality u can fit 74min on a CDR74.



SVCD -
SVCD is an mpeg2 based (same as DVD) which allows variable bit-rates of up to 2500kbits at a resolution of 480x480 (NTSC) which is then decompressed into a 4:3 aspect ratio when played back. Due to the variable bit-rate, the length you can fit on a single CDR is not fixed, but generally between 35-60 Mins are the most common. To get a better SVCD encode using variable bit-rates, it is important to use multiple "passes". this takes a lot longer, but the results are far clearer.



XVCD/XSVCD -
These are basically VCD/SVCD that don't obey the "rules". They are both capable of much higher resolutions and bit-rates, but it all depends on the player to whether the disc can be played. X(S)VCD are total non-standards, and are usually for home-ripping by people who don't intend to release them.



KVCD Thanks for lardo4life for the info
KVCD is a modification to the standard MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 GOP structure and Quantization Matrix. It enables you to create over 120 minutes of near DVD quality video, depending on your material, on a single 80 minute CD-R/CD-RW. We have published these specifications as KVCDx3, our official resolution, which produce 528x480 (NTSC) and 528x576 (PAL) MPEG-1 variable bit rate video, from 64Kbps to 3,000Kbps. Using a resolution of 352x240 (NTSC) or 352x288 (PAL), it's possible to encode video up to ~360 minutes of near VCD quality on a single 80 minute CD-R. The mpeg files created will play back in most modern standalone DVD players. You must burn the KVCD MPEG files as non-standard VCD or non-standard SVCD (depends on your player) with Nero or VCDEasy.



DivX / XviD -
DivX is a format designed for multimedia platforms. It uses two codecs, one low motion, one high motion. most older films were encoded in low motion only, and they have problems with high motion too. A method known as SBC (Smart Bit-rate Control) was developed which switches codecs at the encoding stage, making a much better print. The format is Ana orphic and the bit-rate/resolution are interchangeable. Due to the higher processing power required, and the different codecs for playback, its unlikely we'll see a DVD player capable of play DivX for quite a while, if at all. There have been players in development which are supposedly capable, but nothing has ever arisen. The majority of PROPER DivX rips (not Re-Encs) are taken from DVDs, and generally up to 2hours in good quality is possible per disc. Various codecs exist, most popular being the original Divx3.11a and the new XviD codecs.



CVD -
CVD is a combination of VCD and SVCD formats, and is generally supported by a majority of DVD players. It supports MPEG2 bit-rates of SVCD, but uses a resolution of 352x480(ntsc) as the horizontal resolution is generally less important. Currently no groups release in CVD.



DVD-R -
Is the recordable DVD solution that seems to be the most popular (out of DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD+R). it holds 4.7gb of data per side, and double sided discs are available, so discs can hold nearly 10gb in some circumstances. SVCD mpeg2 images must be converted before they can be burnt to DVD-R and played successfully. DVD>DVDR copies are possible, but sometimes extras/languages have to be removed to stick within the available 4.7gb.



MiniDVD -
MiniDVD/cDVD is the same format as DVD but on a standard CDR/CDRW. Because of the high resolution/bit-rates, its only possible to fit about 18-21 mins of footage per disc, and the format is only compatible with a few players.






Misc Info

Regional Coding -
This was designed to stop people buying American DVDs and watching them earlier in other countries, or for older films where world distribution is handled by different companies. A lot of players can either be hacked with a chip, or via a remote to disable this.



RCE -
RCE (Regional Coding Enhancement) was designed to overcome "Multiregion" players, but it had a lot of faults and was overcome. Very few titles are RCE encoded now, and it was very unpopular.



Macrovision -
Macrovision is the copy protection employed on most commercial DVDs. Its a system that will display lines and darken the images of copies that are made by sending the VHS signals it can't understand. Certain DVD players (for example the Dansai 852 from Tescos) have a secret menu where you can disable the macrovision, or a "video stabaliser" costs about 30UKP from Maplin (www.maplin.co.uk)



NTSC/PAL -
NTSC and PAL are the two main standards used across the world. NTSC has a higher frame rate than pal (29fps compared to 25fps) but PAL has an increased resolution, and gives off a generally sharper picture. Playing NTSC discs on PAL systems seems a lot easier than vice-versa, which is good news for the Brits An RGB enabled scart lead will play an NTSC picture in full colour on most modern tv sets, but to record this to a VHS tape, you will need to convert it to PAL50 (not PAL60 as the majority of DVD players do.) This is either achieved by an expensive converter box (in the regions of £200+) an onboard converter (such as the Dansai 852 / certain Daewoos / Samsung 709 ) or using a World Standards VCR which can record in any format.



News Sites -
There are generally 2 news sites for film release for p2p and they are:

nforce - VCD Help
Code:
http://www.vcdhelp.com/

Code:
http://www.nforce.nl.




About Release Files

RARset -
The movies are all supplied in RAR form, whether its v2 (rar>.rxx) or v3 (part01.rar > partxx.rar) form.



BIN/CUE -
VCD and SVCD films will extract to give a BIN/CUE. Load the .CUE into notepad and make sure the first line contains only a filename, and no path information. Then load the cue into Nero/CDRWin etc and this will burn the VCD/SVCD correctly. TV rips are released as MPEG. DivX files are just the plain DivX - .AVI



NFO -
An NFO file is supplied with each movie to promote the group, and give general iNFOrmation about the release, such as format, source, size, and any notes that may be of use. They are also used to recruit members and acquire hardware for the group.

SFV -
Also supplied for each disc is an SFV file. These are mainly used on site level to check each file has been uploaded correctly, but are also handy for people downloading to check they have all the files, and the CRC is correct. A program such as pdSFV or hkSFV is required to use these files.






Usenet Information

Access -
To get onto newsgroups, you will need a news server. Most ISPs supply one, but this is usually of poor retention (the amount of time the files are on server for) and poor completition (the amount of files that make it there). For the best service, a premium news server should be paid for, and these will often have bandwidth restrictions in place.



Software -
You will need a newsreader to access the files in the binary newsgroups. There are many different readers, and its usually down to personal opinion which is best. Xnews / Forte Agent / BNR 1 / BNR 2 are amongst the popular choices. Outlook has the ability to read newsgroups, but its recommended to not use that.



Format -
Usenet posts are often the same as those listed on VCDQUALiTY (i.e., untouched group releases) but you have to check the filenames and the description to make sure you get what you think you are getting. Generally releases should come down in .RAR sets. Posts will usually take more than one day to be uploaded, and can be spread out as far as a week.



PAR files -
As well as the .rxx files, you will also see files listed as .pxx/.par . These are PARITY files. Parity files are common in usenet posts, as a lot of times, there will be at least one or two damaged files on some servers. A parity file can be used to replace ANY ONE file that is missing from the rar set. The more PAR files you have, the more files you can replace. You will need a program called SMARTPAR for this.






Scene Tags

PROPER -
Due to scene rules, whoever releases the first Telesync has won that race (for example). But if the quality of that release is fairly poor, if another group has another telesync (or the same source in higher quality) then the tag PROPER is added to the folder to avoid being duped. PROPER is the most subjective tag in the scene, and a lot of people will generally argue whether the PROPER is better than the original release. A lot of groups release PROPERS just out of desperation due to losing the race. A reason for the PROPER should always be included in the NFO.



SUBBED -
In the case of a VCD, if a release is subbed, it usually means it has hard encoded subtitles burnt throughout the movie. These are generally in malaysian/chinese/thai etc, and sometimes there are two different languages, which can take up quite a large amount of the screen. SVCD supports switch able subtitles, so some DVDRips are released with switch able subs. This will be mentioned in the NFO file if included.



UNSUBBED -
When a film has had a subbed release in the past, an Unsubbed release may be released

LIMITED -
A limited movie means it has had a limited theater run, generally opening in less than 250 theaters, generally smaller films (such as art house films) are released as limited.



INTERNAL -
An internal release is done for several reasons. Classic DVD groups do a lot of .INTERNAL. releases, as they wont be dupe'd on it. Also lower quality theater rips are done INTERNAL so not to lower the reputation of the group, or due to the amount of rips done already. An INTERNAL release is available as normal on the groups affiliate sites, but they can't be traded to other sites without request from the site ops. Some INTERNAL releases still trickle down to IRC/Newsgroups, it usually depends on the title and the popularity. Earlier in the year people referred to Centropy going "internal". This meant the group were only releasing the movies to their members and site ops. This is in a different context to the usual definition.



STV -
Straight To Video. Was never released in theaters, and therefore a lot of sites do not allow these.



OTHER TAGS -

*WS* for widescreen (letterbox)
*FS* for Fullscreen.



RECODE -
A recode is a previously released version, usually filtered through TMPGenc to remove subtitles, fix color etc. Whilst they can look better, its not looked upon highly as groups are expected to obtain their own sources.



REPACK -
If a group releases a bad rip, they will release a Repack which will fix the problems.



NUKED -
A film can be nuked for various reasons. Individual sites will nuke for breaking their rules (such as "No Telesyncs") but if the film has something extremely wrong with it (no soundtrack for 20mins, CD2 is incorrect film/game etc) then a global nuke will occur, and people trading it across sites will lose their credits. Nuked films can still reach other sources such as p2p/usenet, but its a good idea to check why it was nuked first in case. If a group realize there is something wrong, they can request a nuke.

NUKE REASONS :: this is a list of common reasons a film can be nuked for (generally DVDRip)

** BAD A/R ** :: bad aspect ratio, ie people appear too fat/thin
** BAD IVTC ** :: bad inverse internecine. process of converting frame rates was incorrect.
** INTERLACED ** :: black lines on movement as the field order is incorrect.



DUPE -
Dupe is quite simply, if something exists already, then there no reason for it to exist again without proper reason.

5:33 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Getting started with Linux for nOObs!

I. What is Linux?
II. Trying it out
III. Installing
IV. What to do now
V. The Console

Intro:
This tutorial is written with the total Linux n00b in mind. I've seen too many n00bs get totally left in the dark by asking what the best distro is. They seem to only get flooded with too many answers in so short a time. I'm a little bit of a n00b too, so I know how it feels. I will cover a grand total of two basic distros. You may
learn to strongly prefer other ones (I do!) but this is just to get you started. I touch on a number of topics that would be impossible to go into in depth in one tutorial, so I encourage you to actively seek out more about the concepts I make reference to.

I. What is Linux?

Linux is basically an operating system (OS for short). The Windows machine you're (probably) using now uses the Mcft Windows operating system.

Ok, so what's so different about Linux?

Linux is part of a revolutionary movement called the open-source movement. The history and intricacies of that movement are well beyond the scope of this tutorial, but I'll try and explain it simply. Open source means that the developers release the source code for all their
customers to view and alter to fit what they need the software to do,
what they want the software to do, and what they feel software should
do. Linux is a programmer?s dream come true, it has the best compilers,
libraries, and tools in addition to its being open-source. A programmer's only limit then, is his knowledge, skill, time, and resolve.

What is a distro?

A distro is short for a distribution. It's someone's personal modification or recreation of Linux.

What do you mean by distros? I just want Linux!

Since Linux is open source, every developer can write his own version. Most of those developers release their modifications, or entire creations as free and open source. A few don't and try to profit from
their product, which is a topic of moral debate in the Linux world. The actual Linux is just a kernel that serves as a node of communication between various points of the system (such as the CPU, the mouse, the hard drive etc.). In order to use this kernel, we must find a way to communicate with it. The way we communicate is with a shell. Shells will let us enter commands in ways that make sense to us, and send those commands to the kernel in ways that makes sense to it. The shell most Linux's use it the BASH shell (Bourne Again SHell). The kernel by itself will not do, and just a shell on top of the kernel won?t either for most users; we are then forced to use a distribution.

What distro is best?

This is not the question you want to ask a large number of people at  one time. This is very much like asking what kind of shoe is best, you'll get answers anywhere from running shoes, hiking boots, cleats, to wingtips. You need to be specific about what you plan on using Linux for, what system you want to use it on, and many other things. I will cover two that are quick and easy to get running. They may not be the best, or the quickest, or the easiest, or the most powerful, but this is a guide for getting started, and everyone has to start
somewhere.

How much does it cost?

computer + electricity + internet + CD burner and CDs = Linux I'll let you do your own math.
Note however that a few do charge for their distros, but they aren't all that common, and can be worked around. Also, if you lack internet access or a CD burner or CDs or you just want to, you can normally
order CDs of the distro for a few dollars apiece.



II. Trying it out.

Wouldn't it stink if you decide to wipe out your hard drive and install Linux as the sole operating system only to learn that you don't know how to do anything and hate it? Wouldn?t it be better to take a test drive? 95 out of a 100 of you know where I'm heading with this section and can therefore skip it. For those of you who don't know, read on.

There are many distros, and most distros try to have something that makes them stand out. Knoppix was the first live-CD distro. Although most of the other main distros have formed their own live-CDs, Knoppix
is still the most famous and I will be covering how to acquire it.

A live-CD distro is a distribution of Linux in which the entire OS can be run off of the CD-ROM and your RAM. This means that no installation is required and the distro will not touch your hard disk or current OS
(unless you tell it to). On bootup, the CD will automatically detect your hardware and launch you into Linux. To get back to Windows, just reboot and take the CD out.

Go to the Knoppix website (www.knoppix.com). Look around some to get more of an idea on what Knoppix is. When you're ready, click Download. You'll be presented with a large amount of mirrors, some of which have ftp and some of which have http also.

note: the speed of the mirrors vary greatly, and you may want to change mirrors should your download be significantly slow.

Choose a mirror. Read the agreement and choose accept. You'll probably want to download the newest version and in your native language (I'll assume English in this tutorial). So choose the newest file ending in
-EN.iso

note: you might want to also verify the md5 checksums after the download, if you don't understand this, don't worry too much. You just might have to download it again should the file get corrupted (you'll have to anyway with the md5). Also, a lot of times a burn can be botched for who-knows what reason. If the disk doesn?t work at all, try a reburn.

Once the .iso file is done downloading, fire up your favorite CD-burning software. Find the option to burn a CD image (for Nero, this is under copy and backup) and burn it to a disk. Make sure you don't just copy the .iso, you have to burn the image, which will unpack all the files onto the CD.

Once the disk is done, put it in the CD-ROM drive and reboot the computer. While your computer is booting, enter CMOS (how to get to CMOS varies for each computer, some get to it by F1 or F2 or F3, etc.) Go to the bootup configuration and place CD-ROM above hard disk. Save changes and exit. Now, Knoppix will automatically start. You will be presented with a boot prompt. Here you can input specific boot
parameters (called cheatcodes), or just wait and let it boot up using the default.

note: Sometimes USB keyboards do not work until the OS has somewhat booted up. Once you?re actually in Knoppix, your USB keyboard should
work, but you may not be able to use cheatcodes. If you need to,
attach a PS/2 keyboard temporarily. Also, if a particular aspect of
hardware detection does not work, look for a cheatcode to disable it.
Cheatcodes can be found on the Knoppix website in text format (or in
HTML at www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/CheatCodes).

Upon entering the KDE desktop environment, spend some time exploring around. Surf the web, get on IM, play some games, explore the filesystem, and whatever else seems interesting. When your done, open
up the console (also called terminal, xterm, konsole, or even shell) and get ready for the real Linux. See section V for what to do from here.

note: to function as root (or the superuser) type su.


It's not entirely necessary that you are a console wizard at this point (although you will need to be sooner or later), but a little messing around wont hurt. Just as there are many Linux distros, so there are also many types of Knoppix. I won?t go into using any of them, but they should all be somewhat similar. Some of them include: Gnoppix, Knoppix STD, Morphix, and PHLAK. Other distros also have live-CDs.

III. Installing

I will guide you through the installation of Fedora Core 2. The reason I chose Fedora is because it contains the Anaconda installer, which is a very easy installer.

Download the discs from here:
http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedo...ore/2/i386/iso/
If the link doesn?t work, then go to www.redhat.com and navigate your way to downloading Fedora (odds are your architecture is i386). You will want to download the FC2-i386-disc1.iso and burn it using the
method for Knoppix. Do the same for all the discs.

Note: do NOT download the FC2-i386-SRPMS-disc1.iso files.

Now, once you?re ready, insert disc 1 into the drive and reboot.

The installer should come up automatically (if not, then see the Knoppix section on CMOS).

Note: installer may vary depending on version. Follow directions best
you can using your best judgement.

1. Language: choose English and hit enter
2. Keyboard: choose us (probably) and hit enter
3. Installation media: choose local CDROM (probably) and hit enter
4. CD test: you can choose to test or skip
5. Intro: click next
6. Monitor: choose your monitor to the best of your ability, if you?re unsure, choose on of the generic ones
7. Installation type: choose which ever you want (default should be fine)
8. Partition: choose to automatically partition (unless you know what you?re doing)
9. Partition: the default partitions should suffice
10. Boot loader: choose your boot loader (grub for default)
11. Network settings: choose the correct settings for your network (generally, don?t mess with anything unless you know what you?re doing)
12. Firewall: you can choose a firewall if you want to
13. Language support: choose any additional language support you want
14. Time zone: pick your time zone
15. Root password: set your root password (root is the admin, or superuser; you want it to be very secure)
16. Packages: choose which packages you want to install. For hard drives over 10 gigs, you can go ahead and choose all
packages (depending on how much disk space you plan on taking up later, note that most everything you?ll need is a package: the exception
being large media files). You will generally want to install all the packages you think you?ll ever need. Two desktop environments aren?t necessary.
Make sure you have at least one and the X window system! (if you want a GUI that is). I suggest you get all the servers too.

Note: Knoppix uses the KDE Desktop environment

17. Make sure everything is all right, and install 18. You can create a boot disk if you want

Note: Desktop environments might have a set-up once you enter them

IV What to do now

Now that you have a Linux set-up and running, there are many paths you can head down. First, you should explore your GUI and menus. Browse the web with Mozilla, get on IM with GAIM, play games, add/delete
users, check out OpenOffice, and anyt hing else that might be part of your daily use. Also, set up a few servers on your computer to play around with, specifically SMTP (*wink*wink*), FTP (vsftp is a good
one), and either telnet or SSH (OpenSSH is a good one). The setup and use of these are beyond the scope of this tutorial, but researching them could prove to be very educational.

The filesystem
The Linux (and Unix) filesystem is different from the normal Windows that you?re used to. In Windows, your hard drive is denoted ?C:\? (or whatever). In Linux, it is called the root directory and is denoted
?/?. In the / directory, there are several default folders, including dev (device drivers) mnt (mount) bin (binaries) usr (Unix System Resources) home, etc, and others. I encourage you to explore around the whole file system (see section V) and research more.

Once you are well situated, it?s time to get into the heart and power of Linux: the console. The next session will guide you through it and set you on the path to finding out how to do stuff for yourself. You will (probably) want to start learning to rely less and less on the GUI and figure out how to do everything through the console (try launching all your programs from the console, for example).

V. The Console

The Console might look familiar to DOS if you?ve ever used it. The prompt should look something like the following:

AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$

With the blinking _ following it. This can vary greatly as it is fully customizable. Let?s get started with the commands.

First, let?s explore the file system. The command ls will "list" the files in the current directory. Here?s an example:

AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ ls

It should then display the contents of the current directory if there are any. Almost all commands have options attached to them. For example, using the -l option, which is short for "long" will display more information about the files listed.

AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ ls -l

We will get into how to find out the options for commands and what they do later.

The second command to learn will be the cd command, or "change directory". To use it, you type cd followed by a space and the directory name you wish to go into. In Linux, the top directory is / (as opposed to C:\ in Windows). Let?s get there by using this command:

AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd /
AvatharTri@localhost /$

Now, we are in the top directory. Use the ls command you learned earlier to see everything that?s here. You should see several items, which are directories. Now, let?s go into the home directory:

AvatharTri@localhost /$ cd home
AvatharTri@localhost home$

And you can now ls and see what?s around. In Linux there are some special symbol shortcuts for specific folders. You can use these symbols with cd, ls, or several other commands. The symbol ~ stands for your home folder. One period . represents the directory your currently in. Two periods .. represent the directory immediately above your own. Here?s an example of the commands:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ cd ~
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$

This moved us to our user?s personal directory.

AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd .
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd ..
AvatharTri@localhost home$

The cd .. moved us up to the home directory. As you?ve probably noticed by now, the section behind the prompt changes as you change folders, although it might not always be the case as it?s up to the personal configuration.

You can use these symbols with the ls command also to view what is in different folders:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls ~
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls ..

And you can view what is in a folder by specifying its path:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls /
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls /home

The last command we will cover as far as finding your way around the filesystem is the cat command. The cat command will show the contents of a file. Find a file by using the cd and ls commands and then view
its contents with the cat command.

AvatharTri@localhost home$ cd [directory]
AvatharTri@localhost [directory]$ ls
AvatharTri@localhost [directory]$ cat [filename]

Where [directory] is the directory you want to view and [filename] is the name of the file you want to view. Omit the brackets. Now, if the file you viewed was a text file, you should see text, but if it wasn?t, you might just see jumbled garbage, but this is ok. If the file goes by too fast and goes off the screen, don?t worry, we will get to how to scroll through it later.

One of the most useful commands is the man command, which displays the "manual" for the command you want to know more about. To learn more about the ls command:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ man ls

And you will see the manual page for ls. It displays the syntax, a description, options, and other useful tidbits of information. Use the up and down arrows to scroll and press q to exit. You can view the manual pages for any command that has one (most commands do). Try this out with all the commands that you know so far:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ man cd
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man cat
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man man

One very crucial option to the man command is the -k option. This will search the descriptions of manual pages for the word you specify. You can use this to find out what command to do what you need to do. For
example, let?s say we want to use a text editor:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ man -k editor

And you should see a list of apps with a short description and the word "editor" in the description.

With a blank prompt, you can hit tab twice for Linux to display all the possible commands. For Linux to display all the commands beginning with a certain letter or series of letters, type those letters and hit
tab twice.

Note: This is actually a function of BASH and not Linux, but BASH is the default Linux shell.

Now that you know a little about moving around the filesystem and viewing manual pages, there is one more trick that we will cover to help you out. Remember how the man pages were scrollable as in you could use the arrow keys to scroll up and down? That is because the man pages use something called the less pager. We?re not going to go into what this does exactly and how it works, but that?s definitely something that you will want to look up. Here?s how to use the less pager with a file:

AvatharTri@localhost home$ cat [filename] | less

That uses something called a pipe. The line is the vertical line above enter on your keyboard. Briefly, what this does is take the output from the cat command, and stick it in the less pager. By doing this, you can view files that would normally run off the screen and scroll up and down.

Some final commands to check out:

mkdir - make directories
cp - copy file
mv - move file
rm - remove file
rmdir - remove directory
grep - search a file for a keyword
pwd - display current working directory
top - display system resources usage (kill the program with control + c)

5:27 PM | 0 comments | Read More

How To Set Up Direct Connect?

 Things you will need before we start:

CODE
DC++ http://dcplusplus.sourceforge.net/


Your Brain (some of you might have to dig it out and dust it off)

Note: This tutorial was written while using DC++ v0.241. Some things might change as versions progress

1. Installation

Ok, first, install the program. It should be awfully simple. There are 2 different types of installs: The Installer, and the Zip file. If you get the installer, simply run it and install DC++. If you get a zip, you'll have to create a program directory, and extract all the files in there. Then, for ease, place a shortcut to DCPlusPlus.exe on your Desktop or Start menu or wherever.

Then, double click DCPlusPlus.exe to start it up.

2. The First Thing You See
You'll be greeted with a window with all sorts of icons and windows and crap. Here is where I make sense of all this nonsense.

1. Public Hubs: This brings up the Public Hubs list, listing all the hubs that have registered (not all hubs have to register, there are likely to be hundreds not on the list. These are private hubs. DC++ used to host its own Hub lists, but due to bandwidth, it stopped. In order to receive the hub lists again, I suggest you go to
CODE
http://www.imperialnet.org
and sign up for their Public Hub list. I will tell you what to do with this later.

A Note about Hubs: Think of Hubs as P2P chat rooms. Connecting to a hub allows you to chat and download files from other users connected to that hub. It is completely decentralized, with downloads dependant upon the users, and not the hub. So if for any reason, a hub closes, your download will not be affected. Certain features, however, are dependant upon the hub, like searching and chatting.

2. Reconnect: This reconnects you to the hub you are currently connected to. If you are connected to multiple hubs, it will only reconnect to the one that is up front. Note that when you get disconnected from a hub, the program will automatically attempt to reconnect every 10 minutes or so. This button is so that you can force a reconnect, to reconnect earlier, or sometimes re-enter the hub for whatever reason.

3. Follow Last Redirect: Hub Operators have the ability to redirect any and all users. What the redirect function does, is it disconnects you from your current hub, and connects you to a different one. Redirects are often used when a hub you try to connect to is full, so the owner/op sends you to his friends hub. Redirects are also used to send you away if you do not share enough, or do not have enough open slots. I will talk more on Redirects, Shares, and Slots later.

4. Favorite Hubs: Think of this as your Favorites list in your Internet Browser. This brings up a window which stores all your Favorite Hubs. If you happen across a hub you really like and want to add it to your Favorites, the easiest way is to simply type /fav .

5. Download Queue: This displays your Download list. Files that you choose to download are displayed in this list. Along with information such as the User you are downloading from, the filesize, download status, download priority, and so-on.

6. Finished Downloads: This opens a window which displays all of your completed downloads. Note that the list is erased (but not your files) each time you close DC++.

7. Finished Uploads: Same as Finished Downloads, except, for Uploads. (The door swings both ways)

8. Search: This is what most of you will be using while connected to a Hub. Clicking this icon will bring up a search dialog, allowing you to select all kinds of variables to fine-tune your search. Keep in mind that sometimes, on slower hubs, searches might take some time. Don't be impatient, or you might not find what you are looking for.

Note on Searching: Many users make the mistake of entering a hub and asking in the chat if a anyone has a file. This is wrong. People will often times not respond, and if they do, they will suggest you use the search function.

9. ADL Search: Stands for Automatic Directory Listing. Using this function automatically lists files that you are looking for when you download a users filelist. This feature is very unreliable, and I do not recommend using it. It is not as effective as a regular search.

10. Settings: The takes you straight to the Settings window.

11. Notepad: DC++ has its own built in notepad where you can add snippets of information... a web address.. anything. Think of it as a little memo pad. Information is automatically saved once the notepad is closed.

12. Download Queue File Tree: This is the file tree for the download queue. Each time you open it, you must click your way to the directory you wish to save files to. It eventually leads to the default Download folder, and in my opinion, is nothing but a pain in the rear. You can toggle the use of the File tree by clicking the Check Mark below the field.

13. Download Queue Main: This is the main field where added downloads will appear.

14. Active Transfers: This area displays all of the running Downloads and Uploads. This is where you look to see what percentage a transfer is at, what speed it is downloading at, and any status it might be in.

15. Tabs: This area displays quick tabs of all open windows. Simply click a tab, and the window is brought to the front.

16. Status Bar: This displays various statistical information about your current DC++ session. It shows how many Slots are open/total. Your total bytes Downloaded and Uploaded. As well as the current Download/Upload speed, with the amount of Downloads and Uploads in Parenthesis. ( )


3. Configuring the Options

With a mild understanding of the icon bar, let's venture into the program options. Here I will further explain some of the finer things of Direct Connect.

General Tab

Personal Information

Nick (Required) : This is where you would type in your nickname. Think of this as your screenname. Pretty self-explanatory.
Email: Obviously, you could type your email in this field. You are not required to fill in this field, and many users do not. Chances are, if it's even filled in, it is not valid.
Description: Type in a description of the files you offer. If you plan upon sharing a bunch of games, type in Games, or something else easy to understand. Limit of 35 Characters.
Connection: Select the Speed of your Internet Connection. Do NOT Lie.

Connection Settings

Select the proper connection settings depending upon your connection. Here is some help:

Active: The usual connection mode, you can specify your IP if detection fails and a port of your choice if you need to. This mode will use a random port between 1025 and 32000 chosen anew on restart if you do not specify one.

Passive: Compatibility connection mode for users behind Firewalls they can't change to let DC++ connections through.
Only use this if Active is not working.

Note on Passive: A Passive user CANNOT connect or download to another Passive user.

Note on Routers: If you use a router, getting active mode to work can be a pain, but it is possible. First, discover your true IP by visiting /http://www.whatismyip.com. Take your IP address and paste it into the Active Mode IP Field. Then, set it to port 412 or 1412. Open your Router configuration and set the Router to forward TCP and UDP port 412 or 1412
(Thanks to Mannerheim, A.K.A. Pac-Girl, for the info)

Downloads Tab

Directories

Default Download Directory: This is where downloads will be placed by default.
Unfinished Downloads Directory: This is where files that have not yet completed will be temporarily stored. Once the file is complete, it will be moved to the Default Download Directory. This field is optional. If you leave it blank, all files are stored in the Default Download Directory.

Limits

Maximum Simultaneous Downloads: How many files you can be downloading at once. Set to 0 for No Limit.
Maximum Download Speed to Start New Downloads: Unfortunately, I don't understand what this setting affects. I simply leave it disabled. Sorry

Public Hubs List

Public Hubs List URL: Like I mentioned earlier. the list of public hubs the program retrieves is downloaded from a site. Here is where you specify the address. DC++ used to host the list, but has since stopped. I suggest you go to ttp://www.imperialnet.org and sign up for a personal public hub list. The link will be sent to you via email. You place the link in this field.
HTTP Proxy: If you wish to use a proxy when downloading the hub list.

Sharing Tab

Shared Directories

Here is where you specify what directories you want to share. 98% of Hubs on the Direct Connect network require you to share a certain amount of data. If you do not have at least 5gb or more or data to share, There is a good chance you will not get access to any hubs. Most good hubs require 10gb or more. Also, most hubs will kick you if you share certain files. These files include VOB files, WAV files, DLLs, and DATs. There are many other types of files hubs do not want you sharing. You might want to consult the hub rules when you enter, to make sure you are not sharing any of those files. Note that cannot share individual files, but only the folders that they are in.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT share your Windows Directory, your Program Files directory, or any other installed application/games directories. These directories house files that are useless to other users on the hub, and may get you promptly kicked and banned on the hub.

Automatically Open an Extra Slot if Speed is Below __kB/s: By default, this is disabled. If for any reason, your total upload speed drops below the specified kB/s, the program will automatically open another slot.
Upload Slots: This field is very important. This sets how many files may be downloaded from you at once. If you have 3 slots open, and a user starts downloading from you, you will only have 2 slots open. Many hubs require you have a total of 3 slots open, plus 1 slot per additional hub you are connected to. So, if you are connected to 3 hubs, and each one requires 3 slots, plus 1 per hub. You would end up requiring a total of 5 slots to be open. 3 for the first hub, and then plus 2 for the 2 other hubs. You need only have slots available. In the event all the slots fill up with downloaders, you are not required to open more. Some hubs have limits as to how many slots you can have open, so don't crank it up really high.

Appearance Tab

Colors

Select Window Color: Simple. Click the button to select the window color, for your background text. Preview is displayed in the window.
Select Text Style: Click this button to choose the Text Font, Color, Size, and Style that will be used when displaying text.

Options

Full Row Select in Lists: When viewing File Lists, this will highlight the entire row, instead of just the filename. Simply a personal preference, and does not affect performance in any way.
Filter Kick and NMDC Debug Messages: This option chooses whether or not to display the Kick messages and other minor messages displayed by the Neo-Modus Direct Connect Client. I prefer to have this option off.
Minimize to Tray: DC++ will minimize to the system tray as an icon, instead of the Task Bar
Show Timestamps in Chat by Default: This will make all chat entries appear with the time they were posted in front of them.
Confirm Application Exit: Asks if you really want to close DC++ when you Exit.
View Status Messages in Main Chat: Whether or not to view Status messages in the chat, or in PM (Sometimes not at all)
Show Joins / Parts in Chat by Default: This displays when users join and leave the hub you are connected to. On large hubs, this can get annoying.
Use System Icons when Browsing files: When you browse a users files, this will use you own system icons to display certain files. This slows down the process a little, but you hardly notice it. If you turn this off, DC++ uses its own custom icons for files.
Set Finished Manager(s) Tab to Bold when an Entry is added: If you have the Finished Downloads/Uploads Windows open, this will make the tab display bold text when such a transfer is completed.

Default Away Message

By Default, the DC++ client sets you to Away Mode when you minimize, and Back when you restore the window. This is the default message displayed.

Language File

DC++ can be configured with an XML file to display text in your preferred Language. Visit the DC++ website to download Language files, and set the path in this field.

Logs and Sounds Tab

Logging

Set the Directory in which logs will be saved to, and Check the aspects you wish you keep logs of. Do not type anything in the fields, simply check the option.

Sounds

Make an annoying sound every time a private message is received: Makes a sound every time someone sends you a private message
Make an annoying sound when a private message window is opened: Makes a sound every time a private message window is opened... duh

The annoying sound they are referring to is simply the Default System Beep. To change the sound, change your Default Beep in Windows.

Advanced Tab

Advanced Settings

Rollback: This is the amount of bytes that are rolled back and redownloaded when you resume a download. Useful for preventing File Inconsistencies in the event of a system crash or stupid firewall,but doesn't always work. Default is 4096.
Write Buffer Size: Anti-fragmentation feature, DC++ saves every X bytes to keep fragmentation low.
Client Version: What version number to report to hubs and users. I highly recommend you leave this blank.
Max Tab Rows: How many rows of window tabs to display before refusing to add more.
Auto Away on Minimize: Here is where you change whether or not DC++ should automatically set you to away when you minimize the window. If you do not turn this on, you will have to type /away and /back in the main chat to activate the away feature.
Automatically Follow Redirects: If an op or hub redirects you to another hub, having this checked will automatically redirect you. If not, you will be disconnected from the hub, and forced to press the "Follow Last Redirect" button to be redirected.
Clear Search Box after each search: This will clear the search box after you search for something.
Open the Public hubs window at startup: This will make the Public Hubs window appear automatically when DC++ is started.
Open the Download Queue Window at startup: Opens the Download Queue Window at Startup.
Automatically Search for Alternative Download Locations: When a download is added, it will automatically search for other results, depending upon filename and filesize. if it matches, it will automatically add the user as an alternative source. Using this feature sometimes causes problems, but often does more good than bad.
Popup Private Messages: Brings new PMs to the front, as opposed to leaving them in the background.
Ignore messages from users that are not online: Prevents you from receiving messages from offline users, like bots for instance. Turning this on is highly discouraged, as bots often send you important information.
Popup Messages from users that are not online: If you choose not to ignore the offline users, you can choose to simply have their message displayed in the main chat, instead of in a PM.
Remove Dupes completely from your share: In the event you share 2 of the exact same file, one of the files will be completely removed from your share (but not your hard drive). Regardless, DC++ will not count duplicate files towards your share.
Install URL Handler on Startup: With this checked, clicking on dchub:// links will open the hub in DC++
Use Small Send Buffer: In case Uploads slow your downloads a lot Mainly for dialup users, but some broadbanders might find it useful.
Don't Delete File Lists When Exiting: When you download someone's file list, it is temporarily stored in the DC++ folder until you exit the application. By default, the program deletes these files when you exit. Check this to keep those filelists. Keeping a file list might prevent you from seeing new files from that user. Keeping the lists is discouraged.
Automatically Disconnect users who leave the hub: When a user downloads a file from you and then leaves the hub he found you at, it is generally considered a bad thing, as it prevents you and anyone else in the hub from downloading off him (think Leecher). This feature disconnects users that are no longer in the hub once they download. This option is highly encouraged.
Show Progress Bars for Transfers: This displays a colored bar showing the progress of a transfer. Uses some CPU power, but most of you won't notice it.
Enable Automatic SFV checking: This option is very cool, although rarely used. If this option is enabled. DC++ will automatically check a downloaded file's CRC with the supplied SFV. If the file fails the check, the file is redownloaded. If it fails a second time, the current user is removed as a source and the program searches for alternatives. SFVs are only checked if they are in the same folder as the files you are downloading.
Automatically Refresh Share List Every Hour: When you start DC++, it creates a file list of all the files you are sharing. Sometimes, you can add or remove files from shared directories without the list being updated, and then your share amount isn't updated, nor are the files reported in your file list. This re-builds the file list every hour to ensure that it is current. To manually update your file list, type /refresh in the main chat.
Use antifragmentation method for downloads: Prevents files from being fragmented, avoiding file errors. This usually isn't a problem.

Go ahead and Click OK, and restart DC++.

4. Hub Lists, Connecting, and Favorites

With your DC++ properly configured, we are ready to rock. First, I hope you signed up and configured the url for the hub list, if not, scroll up and learn how. Go ahead and click the Public Hubs Icon and it will bring up the Public Hubs window. Give it a minute (depending upon your connection) and it will populate a huge list of hubs. These are all the Public hubs that the list you downloaded have responded to. You can use the Filter option to filter out key words in a hub's title or description. Let's connect to the Official AWB hub. To the lower right, you will find a Manual Connect Address field. In that field, type awb.no-ip.org:8888 and press connect. If you did not connect, it could be for a number of reasons:

1. The hub is down. Wait a few minutes and try again.
2. Your firewall is restricting access. Make sure you allow the DC++ program to bypass your firewall, or if you cannot set such a setting, you use the Passive mode.

Soon after, you will be connected to the hub, and the main chat will appear and display the Rules and News. I highly suggest you read over the information, as it will inform you about the Rules for users, and Recent News, as well as some Hub-Using information. Once you are done getting a quick feel, type /fav into the main chat. That will add this hub to your favorites. Now, to view your favorites, click the Favorite Hubs icon above. The window will open, and you will see the AWB Hub in the list. Notice the check mark next to the title. Checking a hub in the list means you will automatically connect to it when you start DC++. You may also right click on an entry and edit its information, as well as set a specific Nick and password that will be used when you connect to the hub. The password is only used for Registered users and Ops. Chances are, you are neither. Leave it blank.

5. The Main Chat Window

Now, sit back and stare at the main chat. Depending upon your settings, you might see users Joining and Parting. Sometimes the hub gets busy with chatter. Feel free to participate by adding your own input, but as always, don't be an ass.

Take a look to the right of the chat area. You should see a list with a bunch of names. This is the user list. you can scroll up and down, and left and right to view how much each user is sharing, their description, their connection type, and email. DC++ users will also have a <++ tag in their description. This tells you that they are using DC++, and also gives you a little information on their settings. Reading the <++ tag is as follows:

In order of appearance:
V: Client version
M: Mode, A = Active, P = Passive
H: Number of opened hub windows where they are not a registered member
S: Number of slots open.

You can hide the User list by unchecking the box below the field.

The user icons also play an important role. Normal users have a standard, green icon. Most users will have this icon. A DC++ user's icon changes to Blue on the first direct connection to that user. Passive users icons have a brick wall displayed on their icon, also showed on the first direct connection. Operators have a key in their icon.

Go ahead and right-click on a user in the user list. Notice how you can perform certain actions, like sending a private message, downloading that users file list, and granting them an extra slot. If for any reason that user tries to download something off you, and you don't have any free slots, you can temporarily grant that user an extra slot if you wish. Also note that you can right click on a name in the main chat to access the same options.

DC++ also allows certain commands to be typed in the main chat. Here is a list of all the commands:

/grant Grants a slot to the user of the pm window you type it in
/close Closes the current window
/help Displays a short help message
/refresh Refreshes your list of shared files
/away <message> Specifies a message to auto-respond in PM's while you're AFK. If you do not specify a message, it displays the default one you set in your settings.
/back Turn away message off
/slots <#> Changes your number of slots to <#>
/clear Clears the main chat windows
/ts Switches timestamps in chat windows on and off
/showjoins Toggles joins/parts messages for the current hub
/search <string> Searches for <string>
/join <hub> Joins <hub>
/dc++ Gives a comment about DC++ and shows the URL where
you can get it
/fav or /favorite Adds hub to favorites (also works in pm's from that user, to add the user to your favorites)

The status area at the bottom of the main chat window is used to display various information, like The last hub message you recieved, The total amount of users in a hub, and total share amount that all users are sharing.

6. Searching, Downloading, and File Lists

Ok. Now lets start searching for something. Searching is simple, and effective. Go ahead and click on the Search icon above the main chat, and that will bring up the Search window. Here you can type in what you want to search for, the file size, the type, and whether or not to display only results from users with free slots. Trying to download a file from users without free slots forces you to wait in line until a slot becomes available. It is best to turn on this feature.

Go ahead and search for something. For testing, lets search for Red Faction 2. Type Red Faction 2 into the search, and press enter. You don't have to specify the file size, or type, those are usually if you are looking for a specific filename.

Depending upon your connection speed, you should get a few results. The results are categorized by User, Filename, Type, Size, Path of that file in the users share, Slots, Connection Type of that user, Hub the user is connected to, and Exact size in bytes.

To download a file, simply double click on it, or right click on it and choose Download. It is automatically downloaded to your default Download Directory. If you wish to download it to a different directory, you can Right click and choose Download to... The Download to... function is also useful when adding a source of a current download, but the filename is different, and the Auto-Find Sources function doesn't pull it up.

Now, if for any reason the file doesn't download, there are a few things to check:

A. Is the user still connected to the hub? If they aren't, the download will stop.
B. Does the user have free slots? If not, you will see "No Slots Available" in the status area.
C. If you see "All Download Slots Taken" that means you have filled up your download slots. To increase the limit, change your Maximum Simultaneous Downloads in your settings.
D. Are you in Passive mode? If so, the user you are downloading from might also be in Passive mode. A Passive mode user CANNOT download from another passive mode user. See why getting active mode to work is so useful?
E. In some situations, the file might become corrupted during transfer. Check the Download Queue and look at the Errors column of a download, to see any errors.
F. Your Router isnt configured properly

While you are on the Download Queue window, lets go over its functions. Like I mentioned earlier, this window lists all the downloads you have attempted. It displays the Filename, the Status, Size, Download Priority, the Users that are sharing the file (sources), and any errors during transfer.

The Download Priority is an interesting feature, allowing you to pause a download, as well as set a Priority in which to download a file. Obviously, Highest Priority files will be downloaded first. To Pause a download, right click on the download, and change the Priority to Pause. Then right click on the file and Close the Connection. If you close the connection without Setting the Priority to Pause, the Download will resume within a few minutes. To cancel a download, simply delete its entry in the Download Queue, and Close the Connection.

Ok. now, lets say you want to see all the files a certain user is sharing. You simply download that users file list. Right click on the users name in the userlist, Main Chat, or a search result from that user, and choose Get File List. It'll start downloading that users file list.

Note on File Lists: Certain small files can be transferred even when no slots are available. Since the makers of DC++ think it is stupid to have to fight for a slot when you are only downloading a small txt file, they allowed such files to bypass the slot limit, and transfer even when all slots are taken. Usually, the File Lists are one of these small files.

Once the file list is downloaded, it will automatically display. You can then navigate through the users shared files much like that on a normal windows machine. Double click a file to download it, or right-click to view extra functions.

7. Extras

There are a few extra features that DC++ offers, that really aren't important, but I'll discuss them anyway

First, click the file manu. you'll notice entries for all the Icons on the main window, and a few others. I'll Explain them.

Favorite Users: Displays your favorite users. Pretty simple. To add a user to your favorites, right click on their username, and choose Add to Favorites.
Search Spy: Lets you see all the search strings that users are sendind to your computer, as well as how many times it has occurred. Useful or spying.. not much else.
Open File List: In the event you have a saved file list, you can open it here. It is usually easier and much better to download it anew, in case it has become outdated.
Import Queue from NMDC: This is in case you previously used the Neo Modus Direct Connect client. This will import all your queued items, instead of you adding them manually.

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Warez Definitions

0-Day - Latest software releases.

0-Sec - Same as above, although the period of time between ripping a game or application and it appearing on a warez site is even shorter.

Ace File - The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once).

Active List - Similar to a mailing list, but uses ICQ to send instant messages to subscribers.

Alpha - Software receives this label when it is in the very early stages of development. Usually full of bugs, so don't touch it with a barge pole.

Anti-Leech - A system which uses cgi scripts to prevent people stealing links and then taking the credit for uploading the files.

Appz - Short for applications. For example Flash 5 or GoLie 5.5.

ASF File - The worst quality movie file format (still pretty good though), much smaller in size than dat or mpg.

Banner Site - Password and username restricted FTP site. To get the correct login details you must click on several banners.

Beta - Refers to an almost finished piece of software that is released to the public for bug testing.

BSA - An acronym for Business Software Alliance, an organisation who are responsible for enforcing anti-piracy litigation. Similar groups in charge of controlling software "theft" include the SIIA, SPA and ELSPA.

BSOD - Many people read about BSODs on bulletin boards and think that they're being insulted, but there is no need to get paranoid. It is actually an acronym for "Blue Screen Of Death". These can occur for a multitude of reasons (old Bill likes to keep us guessing!) and are the bane of PC user's lives.

Bulletin Board - A virtual meeting place on the web similar to a chat room except that it isn't in real time. One person leaves a message then others come along, read it and add a reply. Each new discussion is called a new topic or thread and has it's own link. Whenever a new topic is created the older topics are pushed one place downwards in the list. When someone replies to an older topic it is brought back to the top of the list.

C?? File - File extension that indicates that a file is part of an .ace or .rar series of compressed files.

Cgi Scripts - These are referrers which are used in url’s. When you click on a link with a ?cgi reference you are directed to a sponsor’s website or an anti-leech protected file.

Cookie - A tiny text file (usually less than 1kb), which is stored on your hard drive when you visit a web site. These are used to remember who you are so that you can access members only areas on the site without having to type in a password every time or to retain your personalised settings so that they are available the next time you visit.

Courier - Someone who is involved in the logistics of delivering new releases directly from the release groups themselves to FTP sites.

Crack - A tiny executable file that is used to transform a shareware program into the full version. Also used to remove any copy protection from the main executable of games (this will already have been done in "ripped" warez games).

CRC Error - These can occur when you try to decompress a file that has become corrupt during the downloading process, usually as a result of too much resuming.

Credits - The amount of data you are permitted to download from a ratio site. The more credits you have the more software you are allowed to download.

DAP - A quick way of referring to "Download Accelerator Plus", a free download manager that claims to speed up file transfers by up to three hundred per cent. It works by making multiple connections to the same file and is paid for by revolving advertising banners.Also supports resume.

DAT File - File format used for movies, identical in quality and size to mpg as far as I can tell.

DC - The lazy way of referring to the Dreamcast, Sega's latest console incarnation.

Decompression - Unpacking many files that have been stored in a single archive.

Distro - A concise means of referring to a distribution FTP site. These are huge storage areas which act as a springboard for the transfer of new releases. Their whereabouts are never public disclosed to aid their survival rate. You can think of them as the initial source from which warez emanates.

Direct Downloads - Links to actual files rather than other warez sites or pages. These are usually gathered together from many different sites and put on one page for your convenience.

DivX - Movies ripped from a DVD using the DivX video codecs. Can be played back using Media Player.

DIZ File - Short for description. Very brief text file found in warez archives stating the title of the software, the number of files that makes up the set and the group who released it.

Download (or DL) - Copying files from a web server or FTP site to your computer using a modem.

Emulator - An application that simulates another computer system or console using your PC.

FAQ - Stands for Frequently Asked Questions.

FAW - Abbreviation for "Files Anywhere", a popular, free web storage service.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - The method used to transfer files from one computer to another using a modem.

Filler - Refers to a person who uploads stuff to pub for others to download.

Flaming - A general net term for "verbally" attacking someone. This can be done via email, bulletin board, chat room or any medium which involves communication across the web.

Freedrive - Virtual hard drive storage area on the web. Free to join and anything and everything can be uploaded or downloaded.

Freeware - Unrestricted software that is downloaded from the net and is completely free to use. Often paid for using advertising.

FTP Client / Browser - A program used to access, upload and download data from FTP sites.

FXP - File eXchange Protocol - This refers to server to server transfer. You can transfer files from one pub to another using very little of your own bandwidth. This is by far the best means for distributing large files, only problem is that a very limited number of FXP capable pubs exist.

Gamez - Pretty self-explanatory this one.

Getright - One of the best download managers available.

Gold - A piece of software is said to have gone gold when the final version is complete and it is ready to ship to the public.

Gozilla - Another excellent download manager.

Hacking - Gaining access to a remote computer without the authorisation to do so. Usually for the purposes of stealing confidential information or the malicious destruction of data.

Hammering - Repeatedly trying to access an FTP site using an FTP client or download manager.

HTTP - Stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol". The method you use to view a web page. Always comes before the address of a website in your Url bar.

ICQ - Derives from the term "I Seek You" and is used for real time chat and transferring files over the internet.

IP - 32 bit binary number identifying the position of a computer on the Internet - similar to the URL. The URL is usually easier to remember as it is alpha based rather than numerical.

IP Range - usually referred to when talking about scanning a particular range of ip addresses. They can be broken down into A, B, and C ranges - AAA.BBB.CCC.xxx. Usually an entire B range will be scanned at a time.

IRC - Stands for "Instant Relay Chat". Used for real time chat and transferring files over the Internet.

ISO - An exact copy of an original CD, all the multimedia bits and pieces are uncut and therefore they are extremely large and awkward to download.

Java - Html scripts used to add functionality to or bring web pages alive. These include animation (such as the title graphic on my main page), menus, chat rooms, buttons, pop ups and so on.

KBps - Kilobytes per second - This is what most transfer speed are referring to. One Byte is comprised of 8 Bits.

Kbps - Kilobits per second - This is what most modem speeds are referring to. Why? Probably to make them look faster. Divide by 8 to get KBps.

Key Generator - A tiny executable program that is capable of creating a serial number from a specified username. These are specific to particular applications or utilities, so a serial number created with one key generator will only work for the program for which the key generator was developed.

Lamer - An annoying and overused general derogatory term used to insult/put down anyone and everything.

Leeching - Downloading files without giving anything back in return or copying other people’s links.

Mirror - An exact copy of a web site that is stored on a different server. Using multiple locations for warez sites allows the site to be accessed using a different address if the main site is deleted.

Modchip - Very common website sponsor found on warez sites. They don’t mind their banners being used on illegal software sites because their products are one of the “grey areas” of the law. Modchips are small pieces of electronic circuitry which allow copied games to be played on your Playstation. If a Playstation has been fitted with a Modchip it is said to have been "chipped".

MP3 File - Compressed music file format. Average track size is between 3 and 4 meg compared to 40-ish meg in wav format.

MPG File - The best quality and largest movie file format.

Multi Web Space Faker - A tool used to create lots of free web space accounts simultaneously.

Name Zero - An organisation that offers free website domain names. The main drawbacks are that you have to put up with a very bulky banner residing at the bottom of your page and the fact that you never actually own your chosen address.

NFO File - Short for info or information. Basic text file containing all the important details relating to a particular release, such as number of files, release date, copy protection system, installation instructions etc.

Nuked - A release is said to be nuked if it is completely unplayable. Usually when this happens another group re-releases the particular game, although fixes do sometimes follow on to rescue the game from trash can.

OEM - An acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM software products are repackaged versions of the full retail product. They are often re-branded to suit the needs of the particular vender and are much more reasonable priced because they lack excessive packaging and a hard copy of the manual.

OST - Not strictly a warez term this one, but one that you are likely to come across while searching for MP3 music. It stands for original soundtrack (movie music).

Patch - We all know games and applications aren't perfect. When they are released we would hope that they have been thoroughly tested for bugs and incompatibility problems, but you can guarantee that many of these will still slip through the quality control net. Once the program is released to the general public, the bug reports start to flood in. A patch is a downloadable executive file which takes these reports into account and attempts to incorporate all the fixes for these known problems. A patch can resolve incompatibility problems, prevent crashes or improve the performance of a piece of software.

Piracy - The replication and distribution of videos or computer software.

Pop-ups - Irritating browser windows that open automatically when you visit a warez site. Usually contain voting portals or porn sites.

Port - A port is a term used when referring to FTP sites and is an essential extension of the address used to access them. If the port number of an FTP site isn't specified the default setting of 21 will automatically be used.

Pron - A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away someone posted a request for porn on a bulletin board, only, because of a typing error what he ended up asking for was "pron". Since then this has become a bit of a running joke and so it is now deliberately misspelt.

Proxy - A third party server which acts as an anonymous go between whenever you request a web page or contact a remote server. The message from your computer is first sent through the proxy server before being relayed to the final destination so that it appears as though the request has come from the IP address of the proxy server rather than you. Used when you wish to maintain your privacy on the net or speed up your connection (much more detailed info on this subject in the "more tips" section).

Psx - A quick way of referring to the Sony Playstation.

Pub - A free for all FTP site where anonymous access is permitted. They are usually used for transferring large files to many people because of their high speeds.

Pub Scanner - Someone who scours the net for anonymous access FTP sites which permit the creation and deletion of files. These are then exploited by uploading software for others to share.

Pub Stealer - Someone who posts the IP address of a public FTP site which they themselves have not built. Some pub stealers justify this by claiming that the elitism of private FXP groups discriminates against those people who do not have access, yet others simply post other people's work to try to claim the credit for themselves. Either way though, pub stealers are despised by the FXP groups and praised by those who would otherwise not have access to them.

Rar File - The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once). Usually decompressed using a program called Winrar.

Release Groups - A group of people who are involved in cracking and / or ripping software and then repackaging it into easily downloadable segments.

Ratio - Two numbers separated by a semi-colon. Indicates how much data you must upload to an FTP site before you are permitted to download anything.

Reg File - Tiny file that adds essential configuration details into the registry.

Resume - The ability to stop and start downloading / uploading a file whenever you choose without having to start from the beginning again.

Rip - Software that has had all the non-essential gubbins removed to reduce its size. Videos and music are always the first casualties.

Raped - A release is branded with this term if it has been damaged beyond repair during the ripping process.

RM File - Shorthand for Real Media, a file format used to encode video sequences, which can only be played back using the "Real Player". Video clips produced using this format are not of the highest quality, but do have the advantage of a small file size.

ROM - Games which are designed for other platforms, but are played on the PC using an emulator.

Serial - A valid username and password that is saved as a basic text file and is used to register a shareware program and therefore remove all the restrictions.

Shareware - Try before you buy software downloaded from the net.

Spam - Unsolicited junk e-mail. Supposedly stands for "Stupid Person's Annoying Message".

Sponsor - To make some money webmasters can place adverts on their sites. Each time you click on these adverts or banners they get paid a few cents for bringing potential customers to the sponsors website.

Surfer Friendly (SF) - Surfer friendly sites supposedly have no blind links, pop-ups or porn banners. Don't be fooled by this label though as some sites will tell you fibs to get you to visit them.

Sys Op - The person who has the responsibility for running the computer from which an FTP site has been established. When warez is uploaded to public FTP sites and then suddenly goes "Missing In Action" you can often lay the blame at the door of the Sys Op who has an obligation to make sure his/her server stays within the boundaries of the law (i.e. warez free).

Tag / Tagged - This generally refers to the tagging of a pub. A FXP group uses a directory structure to claim it as their own. A general rule is that if a tag is 2 weeks old and not in use it has been abandoned.

Top List - Chart which lists in rank order the best warez sites. Worked out on the basis of votes.

Trading - Swapping warez, file for file via FTP, ICQ etc. Not usually approved of by the real warez community who believe that warez should be freely distributed. To put it simply, it is not the "warez way".

Trainer - A small, executable program which sits in your taskbar while you play a game. Hotkeys are associated with cheat commands so that when they are pressed you are given extra ammo, weapons, lives or the ability to toggle between invincible/mortal modes etc etc.

Trojans - Nasty virus like attachments which can be merged with executable files. These are tiny so are unlikely to arouse suspicion. When run they allow a hacker to access your computer and wreak havoc. Can occasionally be found in warez files.

UBB - Shorthand for Ultimate Bulletin Board, currently the most popular script used for creating warez bulletin boards.

UBB Hacks - This term falsely gives the impression that something destructive or malicious is involved, but when you hear people talking about a hack in the context of bulletin boards they are simply referring to code which helps to improve the functionality of a board. For example a "thread hack" would effect the way in which individual threads look and operate.

Undeletable Pub - An anonymous access, public FTP site where the permission attributes are set to allow uploads and downloads, but do not permit deletion.

Unzip - Unpacking or decompressing many files that have been stored in a single archive. Technically only used when talking about zip files.

Upload - Copying files from your computer to a web server or FTP site using a modem.

URL - Stands for "Uniform Resource Locator". The web site address you type into your browser.

VCD - Stands for Video Compact Disc. Basically these are huge movie files which can be viewed with the latest version of Media Player.

Voting - Members of the warez scene are very keen to reach the number one slot of top lists such as Voodoo, Top 60 etc. and will therefore encourage you to vote for their site to improve their position and get the credit they deserve (or not as the case may be!).

Warez - "Pirated" Full version software that is uploaded to the internet and is available for free download.

Warez Board - Bulletin board used by the warez community to share links and discuss anything related to warez.

Winace - Another utility used for decompressing all the common archive formats. Not great in my opinion. See below for a better one.

Wingate - Similar to a proxy in that they are used to hide your identity, except all information actually passes through the Wingate, if you have a slow Wingate you get slow download/upload speeds. Wingates are also used to force FXP transfer on pubs that do not normally accept FXP, again all data passes through the Wingate so you need one that is fast for it to be useful.

Winrar - Utility used for decompressing .rar files and much more.

Winzip - An essential tool used to decompress warez files.

Zip - A common compression format used to store warez.

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Unused space on hard drives recovered

Unused space on hard drives recovered?

READER WILEY SLIER has sent us a method which he said was discovered by Scott Komblue and documented by himself which they claim can recover unused areas of the hard drive in the form of hidden partitions.
We haven't tried this here at the INQUIRER, and would caution readers that messing with your hard drive is done at your own peril and very likely breaches your warranty. Here is what Wiley and Scott did. µ

* UPDATE Does this work? We're not going to try it on our own machine thank you very much. Instead, we're waiting for a call from a hard drive company so we can get its take on these claims.

** UPDATE II A representative for large hard drive distributor Bell Micro said: "This is NOT undocumented and we have done this in the past to load an image of the original installation of the software. When the client corrupted the o/s we had a boot floppy thatopened the unseen partition and copied it to the active or seen partition. It is a not a new feature or discovery. We use it ourselves without any qualms".

*** UPDATE III See the letters column today, here.

Required items
Ghost 2003 Build 2003.775 (Be sure not to allow patching of this software) 2 X Hard Drives (OS must be installed on both.) For sake of clarity we will call the drive we are trying to expand (T) in this document (means Target for partition recover). The drive you use every day, I assume you have one that you want to keep as mater with your current OS and data, will be the last dive we install in this process and will be called (X) as it is your original drive.

1. Install the HDD you wish to recover the hidden partitions (hard drive T) on as the master drive in your system with a second drive as a slave (you can use Hard Drive X if you want to). Any drive will do as a slave since we will not be writing data to it. However, Ghost must see a second drive in order to complete the following steps. Also, be sure hard drive T has an OS installed on it You must ensure that the file system type is the same on both drive (NTFS to NTFS or FAT32 to FAT32, etc)

2. Install Ghost 2003 build 2003.775 to hard drive T with standard settings. Reboot if required.

3. Open Ghost and select Ghost Basic. Select Backup from the shown list of options. Select C:\ (this is the drive we want to free partition on on hard drive T) as our source for the backup. Select our second drive as the target. (no data will be written so worry not). Use any name when requested as it will not matter. Press OK, Continue, or Next until you are asked to reboot.

Critical step
4. Once reboot begins, you must shutdown the PC prior to the loading of DOS or any drivers. The best method is to power down the PC manually the moment you see the BIOS load and your HDDs show as detected.

5. Now that you have shutdown prior to allowing Ghost to do its backup, you must remove the HDD we are attempting to expand (hard drive T which we had installed as master) and replace it with a drive that has an OS installed on it. (This is where having hard drive X is useful. You can use your old hard drive to complete the process.) Place hard drive T as a secondary drive in the system. Hard drive X should now be the master and you should be able to boot into the OS on it. The best method for this assuming you need to keep data from and old drive is:

Once you boot into the OS, you will see that the second drive in the system is the one we are attempting to expand (hard drive T). Go to Computer Management -> Disk Management

You should see an 8 meg partition labeled VPSGHBOOT or similar on the slave HDD (hard drive T) along with a large section of unallocated space that did not show before. DO NOT DELETE VPSGHBOOT yet.

6. Select the unallocated space on our drive T and create a new primary or extended partition. Select the file system type you prefer and format with quick format (if available). Once formatting completes, you can delete the VPSGHBOOT partition from the drive.

7. Here is what you should now see on your T drive.

a. Original partition from when the drive still had hidden partitions
b. New partition of space we just recovered.
c. 8 meg unallocated partitions.

8. Do you want to place drive T back in a PC and run it as the primary HDD? Go to Disk Management and set the original partition on T (not the new one we just formatted) to and Active Partition. It should be bootable again if no data corruption has occurred.

Caution
Do not try to delete both partitions on the drive so you can create one large partition. This will not work. You have to leave the two partitions separate in order to use them. Windows disk management will have erroneous data in that it will say drive size = manus stated drive size and then available size will equal ALL the available space with recovered partitions included.

This process can cause a loss of data on the drive that is having its partitions recovered so it is best to make sure the HDD you use is not your current working HDD that has important data. If you do this on your everyday drive and not a new drive with just junk on it, you do so at your own risk. It has worked completely fine with no loss before and it has also lost the data on the drive before. Since the idea is to yield a huge storage drive, it should not matter.

Interesting results to date:
Western Digital 200GB SATA
Yield after recovery: 510GB of space

IBM Deskstar 80GB EIDE
Yield after recovery: 150GB of space

Maxtor 40GB EIDE
Yield after recovery: 80GB

Seagate 20GB EIDE
Yield after recovery: 30GB

Unknown laptop 80GB HDD
Yield: 120GB

12:08 PM | 0 comments | Read More