Student's Outlet

Adobe Air is a must-have cross-platform runtime environment a user needs in order to install *.air application such as Tweetdeck and other stuff.

All you need to do is just follow, and copy-paste everything:

1. Open a terminal. Applications-> Accessories -> Terminal
2. Download the latest .bin file using any terminal based network downloader from this site:
   wget http://airdownload.adobe.com/air/lin/download/latest/AdobeAIRInstaller.bin
   chmod +x AdobeAIRInstaller.bin
   sudo ./AdobeAIRInstaller.bin

It will just ask for your password. The normal installer will open, install it. From now whenever you download a .air file, just double click it and it will be installed.

Here is my 5 year old Linksys router:

I was trying to make my WRT54G router to become a repeater, or an extender of our current signal here in our house because my other router, WRT160N’s signal can’t still get through our thick walls, using a third party software DD-WRT.

This router brings back a lot of memories, including the first-wireless-setup, WEP-hacking, accidentally-pushing-the-reset-button, DynDNS setup, blocking certain social networking sites, and blocking-my-siblings-MAC-address-when-they-are-pissing-me-off and lots of other memories. It was still fully functional yet I broke it. I haven’t even fully explored and tried the different features to reconfigure this router because I don’t have enough knowledge yet about networking.

You may notice that my router is opened, via this video from Youtube on how you can open yours. The reason it’s open is that I’m trying to unbrick/debrick it, physically – sort of a last resort.

As soon as I’ve heard about the DD-WRT firmware, credits to my EE 298 class, a firmware with lot more of built-in tools and features not featured in the Linksys default firmware (a Linux-based firmware for several wireless routers, most notably the Linksys WRT54G (including the WRT54GL and WRT54GS)). I tried to “flash” and install it my router. But flashing the said firmware isn’t just uploading the firmware through the default 192.168.1.1 -> Administration -> Firmware Upgrade. There are certain steps to followed, you can just wiki or Google it for version 5. Unfortunately, there are a lot of downfalls and risks to be considered first before flashing. And I am included, with the unfortunate ones, who made a mistake, and have a permanent hardware-failure router. As you can see in the image, it’s already opened trying out the last resort by grounding the 16th pin.

At step 16 of this step by step of this procedure – flashing a DD-WRT firmware, no error was encountered, even though I waited for 20 Earth minutes. Just right after power-cycling it, the power light just never stopped blinking – which is a sign of faulty flash.

I tried a lot of steps by:

• turning it off and off quickly, so that the whatever’s in the NVRAM would reset
• 30-30-30 hard reset
• Grounding pin 16.
• following the steps in dd-wrt forums, help page
• Also, the instructions at my friend’s blog

No more solutions found. Well, I haven’t tried using the J-tag cable solution yet, but I don’t any more want to waste my resources and time that still has only a slight chance of unbrick-ing my router.

So this is a goodbye, well it was just playing, trying to learn, exploring lot of options, experimenting, and UNLEASHING THE POWER of my router. According to Wiki, version 5 isn’t really compatible with most of the 3rd part softwares, and DD-WRT has a special page dedicated to the said version, it must have been a clue to me that a great amount of risk will be present upgrading my router to another firmware!

Long-live WRT54Gv5 router!

Got this from one of my mailing list :) Haha
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Tech Support: Yes, … how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let’s see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, “Error – Program not run on external components.” What should I do?

Tech Support: Don’t worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the “My Heart” directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self- Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.