Mac Software Archives - Web Design Blog

26th Jun2014

VirtualBox – moving a VDI file and re-linking it to the Guest

by Gyro

Today I decided to move my vdi files to another partition.
So, I moved them and then started the Oracle VM VirtuaBox Manager to re-link the vdi files to the respective guest.First, I opened the settings of each Virtual Machine and deleted the "old" hard disk under "Storage".Then I clicked on "Add Attachment", selected "Add Hard Disk" and "Choose existing disk", and then selected the vdi file.

Next came a very strange error:

The Problem

Cannot register the hard disk ‘FULL PATH TO NEW LOCATION OF VDI' with UUID {UUID OF THE VDI} because a hard disk ‘FULL PATH TO OLD LOCATION OF VDI' with UUID {UUID OF THE VDI} already exists in the media registry (‘/home/user/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml').

This confused me pretty good, as I knew for a fact that I moved the vdi, so it did not exist at the old location anymore. I also had no clue what this media registry was supposed to be, and before opening that xml file and messing around with it, I decided to see if others had this issue before.

After a bit of google-ing, I found the solution in the VirtualBox forum:

Even though the thread was started on 2. Mar 2009, 16:43, some kind soul decided to register to the forum to make one single post to the forum in this thread on 21. Dec 2012, 22:00 (Christmas spirit?) with the simple solution to this problem.

Hi there,

I had the same UUID problem and a very easy fix worked for me. I went File>virtual media manager. I found the vdi file that was giving me issues. Selected it and removed (though it was showing up as inaccessible). Then started the VM again and selected the file from my local hard-disk. That was it!
Hope this works for you too.
Om

So, to summarize with a bit more clarity:

The Solution

1. Open the Oracle VM VirtuaBox Manager
Click on File -> Virtual Media Manager (or Ctrl+D)
2. Delete the hard disk entry in question (select and press "Del" on keyboard)
3. Open "Settings" of the Virtual Machine, go to "Storage", click "Add Attachment", select "Add Hard Disk" and "Choose existing disk", then selected the vdi file and you are done.

Enjoy

268226

Category : Linux OS, Linux Software, Mac OS, Mac Software, Operating Systems, Software, Windows OS, Windows Software

55 Comm

31st Jul2013

This video is currently unavailable – YouTube bug using Chrome

by Gyro

The last couple of weeks I noticed that more and more YouTube videos would not play in Chrome with a message saying "This video is currently unavailable".

There is a link to a help page, but none of the tips solved the issue for me. I checked the flash player version, cleared the browser cache, all with no change.

Testing in Firefox, all videos played perfectly fine. In fact, I have started using Firefox for YouTube, because I was too lazy to find out how to fix this problem in Chrome, after the help page didn't help…

Today, I found the solutions… more or less by accident, and the solution is VERY weird.

As of recently, this may not work. If it doesn't, please read the UPDATE at the bottom of this post…

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/html5
If you haven't already joined the HTML5 trial, you have to join it now! Also, try loading the video again… it probably won't, but to follow my steps 100%, you have to do it
If you have already joined the HTML5 trial, simply Leave the HTML5 Trial.

Once you have (joined and) left the HTML5 trial all videos that used to say "This video is currently unavailable" should play fine.

Very strange bug… I stumbled upon the solution because someone recommended to leave the HTML5 trial. That was the only thing I haven't tried, as I didn't even know a HTML5 trial existed. So, after going through loads of tips and messing around with my chrome plugins and whatnot, I thought this may lead me to something. Of course, I had not joined the trial, so I joined the trial and checked one of the videos, it still showed me this annoying ""This video is currently unavailable"" message. So, I left the HTML 5 trial again, and tada -- now the videos play -- no more "This video is currently unavailable", however weird it is that this worked, I am happy it did

Enjoy!

UPDATE:

This work around seems to have stopped working as of recently, some reported that using the HTML5 player now works, but it doesn't for me.

I found a new way to get these videos to play, which is also a weird work around. Simply change the URL to an embed link in the address bar.

For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_DQKQ-7J7E

change to:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/O_DQKQ-7J7E

And… it get’s even stranger at this point!
I have to click Play, wait for the spinning wheel to disappear, and then click on the video again (as if I want to pause it) to make it play.

And as a side note…at this time I recommend just using Firefox for YouTube. While changing the URL to an embed URL works for me, it destroys the user experience of YouTube.

It’s a bit sad, to say the least, that two Google products wont work together, especially since this problem is ongoing for so many months. All I can say is "Shame on you Google", and "Thanks Google, for making my post a top search result for your bug"

230312

Category : Internet Surfing, Linux Software, Mac Software, Software, Windows Software

29 Comm

17th Jan2013

Automatic eBay bidding with JBidWatcher

by Gyro

I found a neat little program, with which you can monitor eBay auctions and make a last minute bid, or actually even last second bid

It is called JBidWatcher, and is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

I have installed it on Ubuntu, using the help provided in this thread over at the Ubuntu Forums.

This is an updated version of that post:

Requirements: you must have the Sun version of Java installed.

1. Download the latest version of JBidWatcher (2.5.3pre3) here, but you may want to have a look on the official website to see if a new version has been released int he meantime… If there is a newer version available please leave a comment to let me know.

2. You can install JBidWatcher anywhere, I created a directory /usr/local/share/java and copied it there.

# sudo mkdir /usr/local/share/java
# sudo cp JBidWatcher-0.9.9.jar /usr/local/share/java

3. Make a bash script to run it.
# sudo gedit /usr/local/bin/jbidwatcher
and paste the following:

#!/bin/sh
java -jar /usr/local/share/java/JBidWatcher-0.9.9.jar

Make the script executable:
# sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/jbidwatcher
You are almost set. Just run from command line
# jbidwatcher
and enter your ebay user name and password.

4. You can make a .desktop file for JBidWatcher to have it in your menu:
# sudo gedit /usr/local/share/applications/jbidwatcher.desktop
and insert the following text:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=JBidWatcher
Comment=Ebay watching and bidding tool
Exec=jbidwatcher
Icon=jbidwatch.xpm
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Utility
GenericName=JBidWatcher

It is up to you where to store jar file, the author suggests your home dir.

The site has a Quick Start Guide, available here

Enjoy!

2621

Category : Internet Surfing, Linux Software, Mac Software, Software, Windows Software

2 Comm

31st Jul2012

Scan IP Network show Computers Network Devices with Angry IP Scanner

by Gyro

Angry IP Scanner (aka "ipscan") is a network scanner designed to be fast and simple to use. Angry IP Scanner is a open-source and cross-platform software to Scan IP Network show Computers Network Devices in a certain IP range.

Angry IP Scanner not only finds computers and other devices connected to the network. For computers/devices found in the network, it will also display the host name, as well as scan and list their open ports. Angry IP Scanner has many other features to in regards to Scan IP Network show Computers Network Devices.

(more…)

3052

Category : Linux Software, Mac Software, Software, Windows Software

Tags : networking, security tools, system tool, Tool Box, Ubuntu

0 Comm

26th Jul2012

Resize VirtualBox Disk Image – grow, expand, increase a .VDI disk image in 1 minute

by Gyro

Resize VirtualBox Disk Image -- the easy and the hard way.Today I actually used up the 20GB of virtual disk space I set for the Windows XP I use for specific Windows Software. Who would have thought that an old Windows XP license would be useful again, eh?

After performing a quick search on how to manipulate an existing VDI file, I found a bunch of lengthy guides, all pretty much saying the exact same thing… create a new VDI, load the old and new VDI disk images into a Virtual Machine as a master and slave drive, boot with a gParted or equivalent BootCD image, and then clone the old disk to the new one… or in short: do a lot of steps that take forever, but not what I want: Resize VirtualBox Disk Image.

After flipping through the 10th or so guide, I realized that pretty much all of them were written in 2008… very unusual as bloggers usually write about the same subject on a yearly basis. That in mind, I search a bit more and… BINGO! Since VirtualBox 4 is out, there is a simple command line tool to resize VDI images. Man, those extra 5 minutes of searching just saved me from a lot of hassle and a huge waste of time.
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379591

Category : Linux OS, Linux Software, Mac OS, Mac Software, Operating Systems, Software, Windows OS, Windows Software

Tags : configuration, system tool, Tool Box, Ubuntu, virtualization

143 Comm

06th Jul2012

Merging video, multiple audio tracks, and subtitles into one file

by Gyro

As a movie lover living in a household that speaks 3 languages, multiple audio tracks are a must for a movie, and at least English subtitles for those of us who are not native speakers of the audio we are listening to.

(more…)

2014

Category : Linux Software, Mac Software, Multimedia, Software, Windows Software

Tags : Tool Box, Ubuntu, Video Tools

1 Comm

15th Jun2012

Download MP3s from GrooveShark™

by Gyro

I have long been a fan of GrooveShark. When I am not listening to Coast2Coast or other Talk Radio, GrooveShark is usually my choice for audio entertainment. Looking back, it's amazing how many new musicians I only know because of GrooveShark, and it almost hurts thinking about all the awesome music that I would have never had the opportunity to listen to otherwise.

While listening to some tunes, I though how awesome it would be to listen to them in the car… but how to I download music from GrooveShark?

(more…)

5159

Category : Internet Surfing, Linux Software, Mac Software, Multimedia, Software, Windows Software

Tags : Downloads, Internet Tools, Streaming, Ubuntu

0 Comm

14th Jun2012