free the bird - Part 48

Putty and SSH and CVS, oh my…

I access my Linux box CVS repository from my Windows box using Tortoise CVS. It prompts you for a password all day long, which is a PITA. Tortoise CVS docs explain the possible ways to fix this. The most official way is to set up SSH to use a private key with no passphrase – as long as it finds the file, you will get authenticated. Here’s what I did:

Get Putty (including putty.exe, pagent.exe, puttygen.exe, and pscp.exe). Putty r0xx0r5.

Put the putty files in your Windows path somewhere.

Run puttygen.exe to generate a key. Use a blank passphrase. Don’t close the keygen screen yet.

Save the private key to a floppy disk, using the Save button.

Connect to your linux box and edit /home/#you#/.ssh/authorized_keys (creating it if needed).

Copy the public key from the keygen public key edit box to a single line in the authorized_keys file. Save it. chmod 744 on it.

Back in Windows, set up pagent.exe to run on startup, with the following command line: pagent.exe a:myprivatekey

Open TortoiseCVS’s SSH settings (right-click a file and select CVS->Preferences->SSH).

Change the SSH client from TortoisePlink.exe to Plink.exe (the version that came with putty.exe).

Make sure PAgent.exe is running (it lives in the task bar) and has your key loaded up, then try a TortoiseCVS operation.

DANG, it works! Cool… now take care of that private key file! :>

Comments | Thursday, March 13, 2003

The Digital Machine proxy now filtering ads

I host an IP-restricted squid proxy at the digital machine. For anyone that’s using it, ad filtering is now ON, thanks to AdZapper. Feedback welcome.

Comments | Friday, November 29, 2002

ZINF – the best OS Windows MP3 player?

OK, skinning HTDJ well really requires rewriting all the controls to be my own. MFC is really nasty about getting it all right – I am sure it is possible to get controls that draw without flash over bitmapped backgrounds, but it is NOT fun. So… I am trying a shift in gears…

ZINF is very close to what I need for the next HTDJ – skinning, streaming, etc., etc. It has none of the cool features of HTDJ… time for a little MERGING wahoooooo!

Comments | Monday, November 25, 2002

Codename: Everett

There’s a new version of Visual Studio coming out called Everett – actually very interesting, compared to the current version of VS 7 – they are targeting C++ ISO conformance and hitting 98% or better – “But our favorite benchmark is that we’re compiling the popular Boost, Blitz, and Loki libraries without the need for special workarounds”. Excellent, sounds worth the switch this time.

Comments | Tuesday, November 12, 2002

C++ Skills Interview Questions

ABB: “Interview these 12 people TODAY!”

Me: “OK…”, HOURS later… “I liked these 2, what’s next?”

ABB: “Didn’t you hear? Hiring freeze in effect for the next 12 months!”With all the non-productive interviews Zac and I have done here at ABB over the last few months, I’ve scrounged up a lame list like this at least two dozen times. NO MORE! 😛

And to guarantee this is the final time, I’m cutting and pasting it into the body of this article (hit “Read More” to see it)… (continued…)