This is part two of a three part series covering Dnsmasq’s uses regarding:
In my previous post I covered using Dnsmasq locally to bring some organization to local web development. Now I’d like to cover Dnsmasq’s use on a Local Area Network (LAN), you don’t need to be a developer to appreciate Dnsmasq as we kick it up a notch and spread the love across the network.
Using Dnsmasq locally is nice and all, but what if you have a home network with multiple computers, each serving different purposes? You probably want them to inter-operate smoothly, and it’s nice to reference things by name rather than having to remember IP addresses.
If you have a computer/server on your network that is on most of the time, this would be an appropriate candidate to run Dnsmasq on. Or, you can do it my preferred way, which is to buy a wireless router that supports OpenWrt (an open-source router firmware) – it includes Dnsmasq. If you decide to use an existing Mac or Unix box on your network to run Dnsmasq, see my first post regarding Dnsmasq installation and configuration, and read the documentation on Dnsmasq’s DHCP options.
For those that go the OpenWrt route, here are some tips on configuring Dnsmasq on OpenWrt Backfire (10.03.1 – latest stable as of 2012). Once your router has the OpenWrt firmware installed and you’ve logged into the web interface, navigate to the DHCP and DNS tab under Network:
The premise behind Dnsmasq is that it not only includes a DNS Server, it also includes a DHCP server. When DCHP is enabled, Dnsmasq will automagically create a DNS name for each computer that connects to the network, based on it’s hostname.
The Server Settings that determine the Top Level Domain (TLD) are Local server and Local domain, set to “lan” in my case. Every host that connects will get a “.lan” domain name. If you look at the list of Active Leases you can imagine each one getting a domain name like lappy64.lan (a play on Strongbad’s Lappy 486), printer.lan, mythtv.lan, etc. In fact, the “.lan” extension is not even needed, hosts can be address simply by their hostname – how easy is that?
For some stubborn devices, which do not report a hostname when asking for an IP address (see those with hostname of “?” in the Active Leases box), the Static Leases section can help out. Once the device is connected, click Add in the Static Leases box, then select the device’s MAC-Address from the list. Under Hostname, type in the name you’d like it to be referenced as, such as “printer.” Give the device a static IP address (something that’s not in the DHCP range specified on the Network > Interfaces > Lan tab – below .50 is probably safe). Save & Apply your changes – you might have to force the device to reconnect in order for it to get the new address.
If you’ve got computers/devices that report a hostname just fine but you’d still like to assign a static IP to, use the Static Leases section in the same way, but leave the hostname field blank.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is arguably the best (and most used) service that the internet has spawned. Why leave all the fun Top Level Domain (TLD) stuff to ICANN & your registrar? You can have your own TLD using Dnsmasq.
This is part one of a three part series covering Dnsmasq’s uses regarding:
The only prerequisites for running Dnsmasq is a Unix-based operating system (including Mac OSX). The only prerequisite for reading this article in the series is interest in doing any sort of web development locally. I’m going to cover a simple example using WordPress, but the principle is the same for any web site or service software written in any language. Basically, if your normal local development addresses look something like http://localhost/~me/bobscountrybunker/ then Dnsmasq is for you.
I’m going to cover installation & configuration for Ubuntu 12.04, but over time I haven’t seen a lot of changes in the way Dnsmasq is configured. So configuration should apply to OSX and other Linux distros.
To install on a Debian-based system:
$ sudo apt-get install dnsmasq
Dnsmasq will probably start automatically the next time you boot, but to start it now execute:
$ sudo service dnsmasq start
Systems that don’t use upstart will probably start it like this
$ sudo /etc/init.d/dnsmasq start
Even with no configuration changes, your computer still should work as normal, but if you inspect your /etc/resolv.conf it probably now has a line like this:
nameserver 127.0.0.1
Dnsmasq is already up and running, taking in DNS requests from your computer and at this point just forwarding most of them to your upstream DNS provider. Nothing groundbreaking, but now we can control DNS ourselves and have a little fun.
The configuration files will be in /etc/dnsmasq.conf and/or /etc/dnsmasq.d. The addition of the /etc/dnsmasq.d directory is new to Ubuntu 12.04 (not sure which Dnsmasq version it corresponds to), and it’s a welcome addition because you can put your customized files in there without worrying about /etc/dnsmasq.conf getting overwritten during the next release upgrade.
The files in /etc/dnsmasq.d are executed by the order of their filename, so it would be wise to number your most important configuration with a `01` prefix, such as /etc/dnsmasq.d/01_localhost
You can invent a new Top Level Domain for use on your local system. On some distributions the convention is to use ‘.lan’ but you could name it what ever you’d like. I don’t recommend anything too long or the ‘.local’ extension which is used by multicast dns. Here’s a simple /etc/dnsmasq.d/01_localhost configuration file:
address=/lan/127.0.0.1
Now every address that ends in ‘.lan’ will belong to your local IP. After (re)starting Dnsmasq, try it out:
$ ping wordpress.lan PING wordpress.lan (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data. 64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_req=1 ttl=64 time=0.021 ms
Now let’s combine this with some Apache configuration for a real-world development example. I don’t want to get into the specifics of Apache configurations amongst different OSes and distributions, but on Ubuntu I put a config file in /etc/apache2/sites-available and symlink it to /etc/apache2/sites-enabled, however it can really go anywhere that Apache will read it:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName wordpress.lan
ServerAlias *.wordpress.lan
DocumentRoot /home/justin/wordpress
<Directory /home/justin/wordpress/>
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
allow from all
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>
Once I’ve restarted/reloaded Apache, I can visit http://wordpress.lan in my browser on my local system to bring up an instance of WordPress. You may have noticed the ServerAlias *.wordpress.lan line in the configuration. With mod_rewrite enabled in Apache, I can take the set up a step further and turn this single WordPress installation into a subdomain network installation. This is a great set up if you are working on several sites but want to maintain a single main codebase for your content management software.
At my age, it’s not often that I get to say this anymore:
I’m too young to remember but… Bike shops back in the day had a mechanic who was also versed in welding and brazing. He may not have been a bike builder by trade, but knew how to add accoutrements to an average bicycle such as eyelets for racks, fenders, bottles, etc. Today that person doesn’t exist in the bike shop, but s/he does still exist, in the form of your local bicycle builder.
My need was for a bike which could tote a human child. While in Belgium, Jessi and I rode bikes with kid seats mounted over the back wheel, which my son and I had enjoyed:
A friend of mine recommended getting a Chariot Carrier – he said other trailers he tried were cheap (quality wise) – Chariot’s are definitely not cheap. But I quite enjoyed our Belgium ride set up, and I found the Topeak BabySeat which mounted atop a rack that could be used for other things, and it was 25% the cost of a Chariot without any fixin’s.
Unfortunately my bicycle did not have any provisions for a rack. I could have sold my bike or frame and got another with mounts pre-installed. Or I could have just got the Chariot Carrier. Both of those options were going to cost a pretty penny. My favorite local bike shop recommended me to Erik Noren at Peacock Groove, suggesting he could simply add some rack mounts to my frame. Having Erik add mounts was going to still keep it cheaper than the other options, plus I get to keep my bike which I’ve grown attached to. Erik’s bread and butter is building complete bikes, not doing bike mods, but if you can fit your modification needs into his busy schedule, he can surely do it – he can pretty much do anything with a bicycle.
Erik gave me the “star” treatment with these water bottle mounts acting as rack mounts on the seat stays:
Forgive my shoddy paintwork, it’s meant to be cheap and functional, not a show bike.
Then Erik added a super-beefy mount to the dropout for the rack to thread into:
Erik does amazing work and I would trust him with my son’s life.
Finding the right bike shop is like finding the right doctor, or auto mechanic, or plumber. The list goes on, but really you want to feel like you can talk to them openly (read: ask stupid questions), and trust them.
Also, regardless of where your very favorite shop is, you should get to know the one that is closest to your home. You may have a couple near your home, so pick whatever you like best as you’ll probably be there when you need a new chain, get a flat, etc. If your very favorite shop happens to also be the one closest to your home, it’s a win-win.
In life, my “favorite-ing” decision process is much more influenced by what I clearly don’t like than what I do like – because often I don’t know what I’m looking for. Conversely, I can clearly sense when something bothers me.
Case in point: One On One Bicycle Studio & Go Coffee. I’ve only been One On One once, the coffee was great, but I have no reason whatsoever to go back. I pretty much agree with everything this reviewer had to say about One On One:
Rude, poor service, over-priced, and not a place for novices and/or women. These people are not interested in getting more people into biking; they’re more interested in its elitism.
When you first walk into the store, it has a pleasant ambiance. But as you move towards the back of the store, and you check out the price tags and the clientele, you realize this place is only for what I imagine as wealthy, hipster biker bros. Even for my boyfriend, who is not a pro, but a seasoned and knowledgeable rider, the staff were rude and condescending. This is not a friendly space for women who are looking to get into biking.
When I finally reached the back of the store with my boyfriend, we were asked curtly if we needed help, and when we said we were looking for second hand bikes, we were directed to the basement, to their “junk shop”.
We read a really condescending rule sheet, which included having to pay for any service down there, before descending into the junk shop. Most of it is indeed junk, which includes a heap of usable and destroyed bikes mangled together. Why would one do that to perfectly usable bikes? When we finally reached the bikes that were half way decent and my size, we asked one of the employees how much it would cost. Less than my budget and it was a great ride, but not worth it. It was obvious they had done no work on it, and were not about to. They asked if I wanted it, and I said thanks but no thanks and left. I will never enter that store again.
I met “Geno,” the owner of One On One, briefly at ARTCRANK. He contributes a great amount to the cycling “scene” in Minneapolis, and has some interesting ideas like how the Hmong and Somali are markets waiting to be tapped. Somehow I doubt (m)any Hmong or Somalis will be wandering near Sexworld, and happen upon One On One. Seeking refuge from the smut shops, they’ll wander in, only to be ignored by the staff.
The reviewer had mentioned Freewheel Bike Shop which is a great local shop that appeals to a wide audience. I happen to like The Hub Bike Co-op. It’s got a little more hippie flair than Freewheel, probably due to the fact that it’s a co-op. For those into saving the earth etc., they maintain the most comprehensive recycling list I’ve ever seen – highlighting where to recycle just about anything in the Twin Cities. Their smart, friendly, and empowered employees are eager to help. Rather than being dissuaded by bike-snobbery you’re more likely to instead be intrigued by the woman mechanic in a sleeveless dress with full armpit hair. Well, at least it intrigues me.
So if the barista at your bike shop(?!) provides better service than the actual bicycle staff, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your core business.
The last time I marched drum corps if I wanted to call someone, I had to wait in line for a payphone. Payphone?!? What’s that? And remember calling cards? They were all just part of the 90’s. Back then I tried to modernize my Drum Corps experience by bringing a laptop on tour, sending emails through a modem (wha?!?).
So I thought I should try to enhance my current drum corps experience with some newfangled geekery.
Continue reading →
Drill charts traditionally are complete pictures where you have to locate your spot. I now get a Personal Drill Book PDF care of Pyware, tailored to my spot, that looks like this:
It’s pretty amazing: shows where you came from, where you’re going to, how many counts the move is, etc. Rather than printing and cutting this, or manually transposing the coordinates into a traditional dot book, I thought I’d try to load these images on to my Kindle. The e-ink doesn’t take any power to run, and I can annotate notes on each page.
To get it ready for the Kindle I wrote a Python filter for the GIMP. You can check it out here: https://github.com/jrfoell/dot-book It’s ironic that I was making fun of Python, and now I’m using it.
The py-dot-book.py file should go in your $HOME/.gimp-2.6/plug-ins/ folder. Windows users may have to jump through some hoops to get Python scripts working in GIMP for Windows.
The idea is to put each image (normally four to a page in the PDF) to one-per-page on the Kindle, and do so in order, and in a semi-automated way.
Open your Personal Drill Book PDF in GIMP and have it import the pages as layers.
Optionally rotate the image 90 degrees clockwise. The Kindle firmware version 5.1.0 and above has a landscape mode which will do the rotation for you. Add two grid-lines (click in the ruler area, then drag onto the image area): one vertical and one horizontal, splitting the image into four even quadrants.
You can optionally crop the whole thing to reduce the outer margins if you’d like.
Under Filter → Web you should have a “Dot Book…” menu item. If you’ve got the image divided into 4 using grid-lines, it will split the images, re-size them, and put them in a single HTML file suitable for import into calibre. The plug-in has modes for landscape and portrait modes. If you don’t have this feature on your e-reader, set landscape to “No” and adjust the width and height restrictions accordingly – and remember to rotate your image before running the Dot Book filter.
I use calibre to convert my dot-book.html file to a .mobi file for the Kindle. I don’t do much in calibre, except to set the margins to zero while converting it. The GIMP output HTML is specifically geared to be input into calibre, so it should be able to format nicely for any e-reader – although you probably want to experiment with the image sizes.
21st Century Dot Book:
While you’re at it, put your music on there to have as a reference:
I put my Kindle in a travel passport & money holder during practice. My only beef with the setup at the moment is with the Kindle Touch itself. The touch screen is an infrared (IR) type, rather than a capacitance type like an iPhone/iPad. This means that anything that touches the screen can turn the pages. So you can flip through pages with your gloves on, but it also means that it will probably change pages unintentionally while it’s going in & out of the case. Turning it off will prevent this, but the whole point was to have your charts readily available. Also I have not come up with a solution for rainy days. Putting it in a ziplock bag sort of works, but page changes will occur at random as well. Maybe a regular Kindle would be better suited, but I hate to think about typing in notes without a touchscreen or a keyboard.
The Kindle Keyboard, the OG – Original Gangsta of Kindles might be the best tool for this job.