macosxhints.com Internet tips

Ban Pure-FTPd login attempts by IP after three failures

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:30:01 -0800

I run an FTP server on my machine, using Pure-FTPd. Lately, I was getting a lot of noise in my logs about unknown people trying to gain access on my FTP server. I wanted to automate the task of looking through the log and banning the bad IPs, so that my logs will be kept clean from all those try/fails attempts.

What I came up with is a bash script executed as a launchd user daemon whenever the file /var/log/ftp.log is being modified. Parts of the code come from , and irc2samus on the #bash channel (IRC on freenode.net) made the rest.

I thought this might help others, too, so here's the code. I put the following in /etc/autoban/ftp_ban.sh: ...

Sync to Dropbox from anywhere in your home folder

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:30:05 -0700

I use Dropbox to keep files in sync between my work computer (a PC), my MacBook Pro, and an iMac at home. Although Dropbox is great, it keeps the files that it syncs to the cloud in a Dropbox folder. I have my own folder/file organization for projects, which I would prefer to maintain.

I found that I could keep a copy in the place where I usually would and sync with the cloud by creating symbolic links to the folders that I want to sync inside the Dropbox folder. Using this method, the file would be available in both places, without taking up any extra disk space.

To do this, you need to use the Terminal. Since Dropbox allows you to choose where your Dropbox folder resides, there's no "one size fits all" solution, but here's the general syntax (replace username, foldername, and path/to/dropbox with your own values):

ln -s /Users/username/Documents/foldername /Users/path/to/dropb...



10.6: Dial numbers in Google Voice using a Service
Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:30:04 -0700
I created a Service to send a selected phone number to Google Voice to be dialed. To do this, I actually use two files: The service, which should be installed in your user's Library/Services folder, and the google-voice-dialer php script, which does most of the heavy lifting; install that wherever.



Download the zip file (78KB), expand it and open the resulting folder, move the Service to your user's Services folder and the php script to wherever you'd like it to reside. Before using this Service, you need to open it in Automator for some editing. Within the AppleScript code in the Run AppleScript Action on the right, scroll through the code and change the following properties: usrnm, psswrd, phnm, myFilePath, and  ...


Allow MSN Messenger when using Parental Controls
Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700
If you activate parental control, MSN Messenger is not going to work. Some can argue that you can use other solutions, but your Kids will argue that this what their friends use. To get MSN Messenger working, you need to authorize at least messenger.hotmail.com, but I discovered that Adium is using more Microsoft servers, and as the list is quite long, here is a way to simply authorize MSN Messenger on a managed account with parental controls.

In the Parental Controls System Preferences panel, go to the Content tab and choose the 'Try to limit ...' option.
Click on Customize and allow MSN Messenger's server by adding the following addresses: http://messenger.hotmail.com, http://*.*.msn.com, and https://*.*.msn.com.

That should allow full MSN Messenger functionality. However, if you need something more granular and you want to control every address, this Microsoft support ...


10.6: Create a tri.im URL shortening Service
Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:30:00 -0700
One of the great new features of Snow Leopard is the ability thru Automator (and by extension, AppleScript) to make your own service. Automator can set-up services to accept specific inputs (ie files, images, or text) to act on. If you have selected the appropriate type of input, the service will show up in your context menu.



To create a service which generates a tr.im shortened URL when control-clicking a link in Safari. First, open Automator, and select Create a New Service. Set the Service to receive selected text in Safari.
Find Run AppleScript from the Action library on the left, and drag that over to the right half of the Automator window. In that area, paste in the following:

 ...


Download, back up, and upload Google Docs files
Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:30:03 -0700
You can download, back up, and upload documents from your Google Docs account using a little Terminal magic.

Prerequisites:

gdata-python-client 2.0.1 - download page
gdatacopier 1.0.2 - download page


Installation:

Download the prerequisites. Decompress each of the downloads.
Install gdata-python-client:
$ cd gdata-2.0.1<br>
$ sudo python setup.py install
Patch:



The current gdatacopier download has a small bug in it, and it needs to be patched to work properly. Open the file gdatacopier.py in the app's folder, and locate line 555. On that line, change this...

item_list.append({'title': e...


View YouTube video in full browser window
Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:30:03 -0700
This is slightly hard to describe, but I just randomly stumbled across a nifty little hack, for lack of a better word, involving the viewing of YouTube videos. Of course, YouTube natively supports full-screen viewing of videos, but I personally do not like this as I am completely immersed in the video and can no longer see the other activities on my screen (such as new mail, etc).



So I stumbled across this tweak that allows you to watch a YouTube video maximized in its browser window. Check out the pic in my blog post if my description doesn't make sense.



To do this, paste this code into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/v/xxxxxxxxxxx&hl=en&fs=1&

Now go back to the desired YouTube video in its normal view, and copy the last 11 alphanumeric string in the URL box on the right side, or in the actual URL you see in the address bar of y...


10.5: Take and upload screenshots via Automator
Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:30:00 -0700
I often take screenshots and upload them for my friends to see -- especially while working on web projects etc. So I created an Automator workflow that does this automagically!



First the workflow snaps the whole screen and saves it to the desktop. Then a bash script is run wich uses ftp to upload the image to the webserver. It then takes the URL of the image and copies it to the clipboard. Lastly it notifies you of the upload via Growl. It has no error handling or anything. This is my first workflow and bash script ever, but it works for me.

In Automator, create the following steps in a new blank workflow:

Utilities » Take Screenshot. Use these settings:
Type: Full Screen, or whatever you prefer.
Select Main Monitor Only and/or Timed as you desire.
Set the Save To pop-up menu so that it saves to a file named  ...


10.5: Use Apache virtual hosts outside the Sites folder
Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:30:00 -0700
I want to run Apache with virtual sites located outside my user's Sites folder. Instead, I wanted to be able to keep them anywhere within my user's Documents folder. This is because sibling directories of the desired document root may be assets, documentation, various source code, and/or any content related to the project. I do not wish to keep these files in a web-accessible folders, but I do want to keep these directories in the same parent directory.



I scoured the net and it seems that I may be the only one who wishes to do this. Just in case I'm not, though the following is how I figured it out.



The following solution worked for me in OS X 10.5.6 running Apache 2.2.9. Note that if you don't understand any of the following steps, please use caution and Google before proceeding

Set up your virtual host with ~/Documents/any/sub/folder/ as the document root. ( ...


Change the default subnet for Internet Sharing
Wed, 13 May 2009 07:30:02 -0700
For some time, I googled and hunted for a solution that would allow me to change the subnet that Internet Sharing (on the Sharing System Preferences panel) uses when sharing onto an Ethernet network -- the default being 192.168.2.0. In my case, this also happens to be a subnet used by my corporate VPN, which is not too convenient.



The solution for Leopard turned out to be extremely straightforward, and can be found in the unix help file for InternetSharing -- just type man InternetSharing to read it in Terminal:

Copy the plist file /Library » Preferences » SystemConfiguration » com.apple.nat.plist to your home directory, eg: sudo cp /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.nat.plist ~.
Use Xcode's Property List Editor (or any other property list editor) to edit the file in your home directory.
Add ...


A basic guide on setting up a home-based web server
Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:30:01 -0700
If you've got any interest in setting up a Mac mini (or other Mac) as a web server in your home, I wrote up my experiences doing just that. I cover how to use:

dyndns.com to set up a domain name.
The built-in OS X web server to serve pages.
PureFTP to set up an FTP server.
SquirrelMail to read my Gmail, which is blocked at work.
WebMon (Leopard, Tiger) to set up a WebDAV server to sync iCal and Outlook calendars between home and work.

Read the blog entry for more detail on each of these solutions.



[robg adds: While the above guide is a good '...


10.5: A possible fix for slow dial-up in Leopard
Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:30:00 -0700
I recently upgraded from Tiger 10.4.11 to Leopard 10.5.6. Everything seemed fine, except for a drastic slowdown in my dial-up internet access via the internal modem. Oddly Safari and Firefox ran fine, but my Mail and FTP/Telnet were crawling under the new OS.



The solution that worked for me was to uncheck the "Use TCP header compression" setting, which can be found here: System Preferences » Network » Internal Modem » Advanced button (lower right) » PPP tab. On that tab, set the Settings pop-up menu to Configuration, and uncheck the "Use TCP header compression" box. Then click the OK button in the lower right, followed by the Apply button (in the lower right), and you're done.



If your modem is connected, disconnect and reconnect to implement the change.


How to access MobileMe's iDisk from IE6 in Windows
Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:30:00 -0700
To access your iDisk on a Windows PC running Internet Explorer 6 (inside a virtual machine, or via Boot Camp), use this web address:



http://idisk.mac.com/username



Enter your username and password when prompted, and you're in!



[robg adds: I can't easily test this, not having IE 6 installed anywhere, but I assume this hint exists because IE6 doesn't like the new http://public.me.com/username pages.]


Prevent long delays when connecting to IRC servers
Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:30:01 -0700
I commonly use IRC, and always while using my MacBook on a wireless connection. This can be an annoyance, as some IRC servers make you wait a period of time before they will allow you to connect (sometimes over 30 seconds).



After scouring the internet and many false attempts, I found IdentD, a free neat little System Preference that handles what I need to nicely. (There's more info on the program on its MacUpdate page.)



I installed this on one of my G4 towers that was permanently connected to my network with Ethernet cables -- you cannot use this application on the computer that is using a wireless connection. I then set up the app via its preferences panel in System Preferences to return a custom string containing the IRC username (Your Shorthand name) that I was use on my MacBook.



...


Google Calendar event start time entry shortcut
Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:30:00 -0800
In Google Calendar, you can enter the event name and start time together in the one-click shortcut. 



Start by clicking the calendar day or hour for a pop-up bubble. Type the start time (7p or 700p any place in the event name. It's even suggested by the example, 7pm Dinner at Pancho's.) Then click on Create Event" or press Enter. The start time will precede the event name. Note that 7p-8p won't convert.



This feature can't be used on an existing event -- when you edit an existing event, typing 7p in the subject line won't convert. You must uncheck All Day and choose the start time from the pulldown menu, or highlight the time box and enter at least 7p or 700p (or at least 7 for AM).


10.5: Access secure sites with Parental Controls active
Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:30:01 -0800
Although I haven't been blessed with children yet, I was helping my neighbor the other day who has a bundle of them. She wanted to set up Parental Controls, which worked great, except as soon as the internet filter was turned on, Gmail broke.



The short explanation is that the filtering also filters secure communications (i.e., https), but it's buggy in the current version. I couldn't find any fix, but there's a pretty easy workaround: just add any secure websites you want to access to the "Always Allow" list (under Customize). For example, to get GMail to work, just add "google.com" to the Always Allow list.



The filtering still works pretty well, considering most children probably aren't going to many different secure websites.



[robg adds: I haven't tried this one.]


Change Google Gmail Notifier check interval
Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:30:00 -0800
If you're using Google's Notifier in your menu bar to check your Gmail, you might have noticed that there is no longer an option to change the check interval (or maybe I'm crazy, but I swore it was there before). I think it is currently set to 10 minutes, but I like it to update more often, especially if I've already gone through the mail that is new.  



You can adjust the interval by clicking on the mail icon and then holding down the Command and Option keys while clicking on Preferences. This will pop open a box for a key/value pair. Use AutocheckInterval as the key (case-sensitive) and then set the interval (in minutes) for it to check as the value.


Access iDisk via Cyberduck to avoid Finder issues
Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:30:00 -0800
I have nothing but constant trouble with Finder's WebDAV access with iDisk -- every other hour I'm logging in and out of MobileMe, or waiting five minutes to simply copy a file. It's slow, unreliable, and almost unusable.



One solution? Access it using the open source Cyberduck program's WebDAV support. If you use QuickConnect from the toolbar, just enter https://idisk.mac.com/membername in the dialog box to connect. For use in a bookmark or from the Open Connection dialog, select WebDAV (HTTP/SSL) as the Protocol and enter /membername in the More Options section.



[robg adds: Many years back, we covered using Goliath for iDisk access. Goliath hasn't been updated since 2002, however. I've not had too much trouble with the iDisk in 10.5, but my use is pretty light (mainly for backups). Another alternative is  ...


Use simple URLs for some iTunes Store item links
Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:30:05 -0800
I found out that you can use a simple (and more intuitive) URL format to link to various items on the iTunes Store, at least for some categories. For example:

Artist or App Store developer: http://itunes.com/ArtistOrDeveloperName
iPhone/iPod touch app: http://itunes.com/app/AppName
Movie: http://itunes.com/movie/MovieTitle
TV show: http://itunes.com/tv/ShowTitle

URLs are case-insensitive. For multi-word titles, you should remove the spaces, for example, http://itunes.com/kanyewest. I couldn't, however, figure out a more intuitive way to link to individual songs or albums.



[robg adds: This worked for the handful of movies, artists, and App Store apps and developers I tested it with. I had mixed luck with TV -- you can link to series, like 30 Rock, but I couldn't figure out how to link to a particular sho...


A caution on MobileMe outbound email domain filtering
Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:30:04 -0800
This is a hint regarding a serious problem for MobileMe users: Outgoing mail via smtp.me.com may not actually be sent if it is sent to certain domains. If a message is caught in this domain filter, it is silently dropped without notification to the user. None of the recipients of the message will receive it, even if they are not in the filtered domain. This problem occurs with mail sent through Apple's Mail app, on the iPhone or on Mac computers. It does not happen when sending via the MobileMe webmail interface. So far, only spamcop.net has been identified as a domain filtered by smtp.me.com, but there may be others.



This problem is testable and repeatable as of this writing; you can test it yourself as follows. On a Mac or iPhone, use Mail to create a new message using your MobileMe account. In the To field, put support@spamcop.net, in the CC field, enter a valid personal email address, and in the Subject field, put test, then send the message. ...