Unison – File Synchronizer

Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other.

Unison shares a number of features with tools such as configuration management packages (CVS, PRCS, Subversion, BitKeeper, etc.), distributed filesystems (Coda, etc.), uni-directional mirroring utilities (rsync, etc.), and other synchronizers (Intellisync, Reconcile, etc). However, there are several points where it differs:

• Unison runs on both Windows and many flavors of Unix (Solaris, Linux, OS X, etc.) systems. Moreover, Unison works across platforms, allowing you to synchronize a Windows laptop with a Unix server, for example.
• Unlike simple mirroring or backup utilities, Unison can deal with updates to both replicas of a distributed directory structure. Updates that do not conflict are propagated automatically. Conflicting updates are detected and displayed.
• Unlike a distributed filesystem, Unison is a user-level program: there is no need to modify the kernel or to have superuser privileges on either host.
• Unison works between any pair of machines connected to the internet, communicating over either a direct socket link or tunneling over an encrypted ssh connection. It is careful with network bandwidth, and runs well over slow links such as PPP connections. Transfers of small updates to large files are optimized using a compression protocol similar to rsync.
• Unison is resilient to failure. It is careful to leave the replicas and its own private structures in a sensible state at all times, even in case of abnormal termination or communication failures.
• Unison has a clear and precise specification.
• Unison is free; full source code is available under the GNU Public License.

More @ Unison

Fast Artificial Neural Network Library (FANN)

Fast Artificial Neural Network Library is a free open source neural network library, which implements multilayer artificial neural networks in C with support for both fully connected and sparsely connected networks. Cross-platform execution in both fixed and floating point are supported. It includes a framework for easy handling of training data sets. It is easy to use, versatile, well documented, and fast. PHP, C++, .NET, Python, Delphi, Octave, Ruby, Pure Data and Mathematica bindings are available. A reference manual accompanies the library with examples and recommendations on how to use the library. A graphical user interface is also available for the library.

More @ FANN

Fontifier

Fontifier lets you use your own handwriting for the text you write on your computer. It turns a scanned sample of your handwriting into a handwriting font that you can use in your word processor or graphics program, just like regular fonts such as Helvetica.

More @ FontiFier

Gizmo – Free Phone for Your Computer

An internet telephone. As simple as an instant messenger. Now you’re talking.

Make all your calls from the comfort of your desktop. With Gizmo, it’s point, click, talk. For free.

Say goodbye to high price calling, and say “hello” to anyone online, anywhere on earth.
Why use Gizmo?

• It’s free!
• Free calls to all Gizmo users.
• Free Voicemail and Conference Calls.
• Super clear call quality.
• Inexpensive add-ons that let you make and receive calls from any mobile phone or landline.

More @ Gizmo.com

Protect Your PC

This is a dangerous world for a computer user- threats multiply by the hour designed to swipe your data, cripple your network, steal your identity and in general- wreck havoc. Fortunately you can arm yourself to battle these menaces with several top software programs. And the best part is that these applications are free. So strap on your seatbelt and let’s get started!

The first weapon in your arsenal should be anti-virus protection. Many of the popular and expensive programs tend to slow down PC performance and require an annual paid subscription. My impression is that they work no better than their “freeware” cousins. A good recommendation/alternative is AVG Free Edition from Grisoft. This program may not feature every single bell and whistle offered by some of the more commercially available apps, but it does provide rock-solid protection with all the tools needed to keep your system free of viruses, worms and Trojans.

Next in line: the firewall. A firewall is essential in preventing others from breaking into your machine. These hackers will steal your data, destroy your system or attempt to convert your computer into a “spam zombie” (remotely using your computer to send spam email) so using an effective firewall is a must. Owners of Windows XP (Home or Professional Edition) may be familiar with its built in firewall, however many options abound. While there are numerous offerings in this category, the Zone Alarm Free Firewall is a sure bet.

Now that we have anti-virus and firewall protection, let’s address a topic I hear more and more frequently: what to do with all of those pesky passwords? Luckily there is a stellar new program, CyberScrub KeyChain designed specifically to address this perplexing problem. Distributed free, KeyChain stores not only your user names and passwords, but all of your addresses and credit card details. All passwords and sensitive data are stored under a single master pass phrase, eliminating the need to recall scores of unique access combinations. You simply highlight and click a password protected website from a small browser toolbar and KeyChain fills in and submits your log in details. As powerful web-based form filler, the long and tedious process of typing in your credit card and address info is a click away, making shopping a snap. All data is protected with strong encryption for your safety.

Of course no discussion of computer protection would be complete without discussing the scrounge of spyware. Every bit as insidious as a computer virus, spyware seems to multiply exponentially with new forms of malware limited only by the creative schemes of the evil geniuses that produce them. Spyware can easily take control of your machine, opening and closing your CD bay, serving objectionable browser ads, hijacking your homepage, logging your keystrokes to steal your passwords and more. So if you don’t have protection against this menace, take action now. Lavasoft offers a very good program, Ad-Aware SE Personal.

I also want to add SpyWareBlaster and SpyBot-Search & Destroy For spywares. And Avast Antivirus.Mostly Freeware/OpenSource Sfotwares are available now for us.And they are better then those big commercial softies.

CROQUET

It is a combination of open source computer software and network architecture that supports deep collaboration and resource sharing among large numbers of users. Such collaboration is carried out within the context of a large-scale distributed information system. The software and architecture define a framework for delivering a scalable, persistent, and extensible interface to network delivered resources.

The integrated 2D and 3D Croquet interface allows for co-creativity, knowledge sharing, and deep social presence among large numbers of people. Within Croquet’s 3D wide-area environments, participants enjoy synchronous telepresence with one another. Moreover, users enjoy secure, shared access to Internet and other network-deliverable information resources, as well as the ability to design complex spaces individually or while working with others. Every visualization and simulation within Croquet is a collaborative object, as Croquet is fully modifiable at all times.

Users and groups of users can author and publish their individual resources within a persistent 3D knowledge architecture. They may build any number of private or shared “worlds” instantaneously, making them immediately accessible for others to explore by providing spatial portals. These portals function much like hyperlinks do within the World Wide Web. But unlike the Web, Croquet enables the user to find and get to other individual worlds through the larger context of Croquet’s persistent common spaces.

Croquet is also a complete development and delivery platform. Its infinitely scalable architecture provides it with enormous possibilities as an operating system for both local and global informational resources.

More @ CROQUET

SAINT® Scanning Engine

Experts praise the SAINT vulnerability scanner because it pinpoints security risks accurately and comprehensively, yet it’s simple to use. The SAINT vulnerability scanner is the first step in detecting network vulnerabilities. Here’s how the SAINT vulnerability scanner works:

4 Steps to a SAINT® Scan

SAINT® screens every live system on a network for TCP and UDP services (step 1). For each service it finds running, it launches a set of probes designed to detect anything that could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access, create a denial-of-service, or gain sensitive information about the network (step 2).

When vulnerabilities are detected (step 3), SAINT vulnerability scanner categorizes the results in several ways, allowing customers to target the data they find most useful (step 4). SAINT® can group vulnerabilities according to severity, type, or count. It also can provide information about a particular host or group of hosts. SAINT® describes each of the vulnerabilities it locates, references Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures (CVE), CERT advisories, and IAVA (Information Assurance Vulnerability Alerts) and describes ways to correct the vulnerabilities. In many cases, SAINT vulnerability scanner provides links where you can download patches or new versions of software that will eliminate the detected vulnerabilities.

More @ SAINT

Not Active For Some Days Because…

I was busy in enjoying kite flying day for about 2 to 3 days..Thas why i was unable to post things here.

CUPS

CUPS provides a portable printing layer for UNIX®-based operating systems. It has been developed by Easy Software Products to promote a standard printing solution for all UNIX vendors and users. CUPS provides the System V and Berkeley command-line interfaces.

CUPS uses the Internet Printing Protocol (“IPP”) as the basis for managing print jobs and queues. The Line Printer Daemon (“LPD”) Server Message Block (“SMB”), and AppSocket (a.k.a. JetDirect) protocols are also supported with reduced functionality. CUPS adds network printer browsing and PostScript Printer Description (“PPD”) based printing options to support real-world printing under UNIX.

CUPS includes an image file RIP that supports printing of image files to non-PostScript printers. A customized version of GNU Ghostscript 7.05 for CUPS called ESP Ghostscript is available separately to support printing of PostScript files within the CUPS driver framework. Sample drivers for Dymo, EPSON, HP, and OKIDATA printers are included that use these filters.

Drivers for thousands of printers are provided with our ESP Print Pro software, available at:

    http://www.easysw.com/printpro/ 

CUPS is licensed under the GNU General Public License and GNU Library General Public License. Please contact Easy Software Products for commercial support and “binary distribution” rights.

More @ www.cups.org

Lustre

Lustre is a scalable, secure, robust, highly-available cluster file system. It is designed, developed and maintained by Cluster File Systems, Inc.

The central goal is the development of a next-generation cluster file system which can serve clusters with 10,000’s of nodes, petabytes of storage, move 100’s of GB/sec with state of the art security and management infrastructure.

Lustre runs today on many of the largest Linux clusters in the world, and is included by CFS’s partners as a core component of their cluster offering (examples include HP StorageWorks SFS, and the Cray XT3 and XD1 supercomputers). Today’s users have also demonstrated that Lustre scales down as well as it scales up, and run in production on clusters as small as 4 and as large as 2000 nodes.

The latest version of Lustre is always available from Cluster File Systems, Inc. Public Open Source releases of Lustre are made under the GNU General Public License. These releases are found here, and are suitable for clusters with thousands of nodes and hundreds of terabytes of storage.

More @ Luster.org