Basic Linux Problems with Solutions

These are some various linux/unix problems 

Problem:
Network interface (or anything else on the pci bus) says "SIOCSIFFLAGS: Resource temporarily unavailable" 
Cause: 
No IRQ assigned to the device, check /proc/pci (irq says 0) 
Solution:
Enter the bios setup (F1 or Del on boot), disable the option 'Plug n Play OS'. 


Problem:
USB mouse using /dev/psaux, the ps/2 mouse device. 
Cause: 
Bios usb legacy support in action, probably because Linux didn't probe for USB devices (which causes the bios to release control of them). 
Solution:
Compile the kernel with USB support, Input Core and USB HID. 


Problem:
USB mouse still doesn't work on /dev/input/mice, but /dev/psaux, even when USB support is compiled in. 
Cause: 
Legacy USB support again. You might not have compiled in support for your USB chipset (the UHCI parts in USB support). 
Solution:
Compile UHCI. If not working, try the alternate drivers. 


Problem:
Accidentally a binary file causes the all the characters you type next to show up as odd symbols. 
Cause:
The binary file contained a 016 (so, Shift Out) character. 
Solution:
Run 'reset'. You can alsO specifically print a 017 (Shift In) character using echo -e '\017'. 


Problem:
You scanned an ext3 file system with fsck.ext2/e2fsck, and now you can't boot. 
Cause:
fsck.ext2 deleted the journaling inode, essentially making it an ext2 fs. 
Solution:
Either use tune2fs -j device to add the journal node again, or use [c]fdisk to set the partition type to ext2 instead of ext3. 
Reason:
tune2fs -j will fix the fs back to ext3 journaling mode, cfdisk will have the system use it as unjournaled ext2.

Problem:
Some program (especially older ones like RealPlayer, and other multimedia tools/players) hangs when loading, or give a message like "Can't open audio device /dev/dsp: Resource temporarily unavailable." or "No Sound" 
Cause:
Trying to open /dev/dsp (the sound device), but it's busy already taken so the program waits or fails. 
Solution:
Kill whatever might be hogging it, like artsd. You can find the specific PID using fuser /dev/dsp. 
Reason:
The app will now have exclusive sound access, and will load without waiting for the device to be free.

Problem:
Lilo doesn't boot your new kernel, giving you odd boot signature messages. 
Cause:
It can't find the 0xAA55 byte at the end of the boot sector, probably because you didn't run 'lilo' after updating lilo.conf or replacing the kernel file. 
Solution:
Run lilo. Get a rescue floppy if needed. 
Reason:
Lilo will now store the correct abs disk location for the kernels.

Problem:
The localhost loopback address 127.0.0.1 doesn't work, and so some servers stop functioning and you can only connect to yourself through your lan address. 
Cause:
The lo interface might not be configured right. 
Solution:
Run "ifconfig lo up 127.0.0.1" 
Reason:
The loopback interface should now be up and configured with the standard loopback address.

Problem:
CUPS printer claim to be ready, but is turned off when you start a job, and deletes the job when you start the printer. 
Cause:
You've upset the manual gods. 
Solution:
Curse, read the manual, delete all the cups files, read the manual, download and compile cups, read the manual, try again. 
Reason:
The manual gods will be happy with your sacrifice and will allow you to print (worked for me atleast 

Problem:
When using the disk kupdated hogs the cpu, making the system slow to a crawl. The mouse stops responding for several seconds at a time. Serial comm gives errors like "/dev/ttyS0: 1 input overrun(s)". 
Cause:
Slow IDE throughput due to unsupported chipset. Run 'hdparm -t /dev/hda' to make sure (it will be really low, around 2-6mb/s) 
Solution:
Compile a kernel that supports your IDE chipset (just enable them all). 
Reason:
koala_man: Btw, the 'reason' part for the 'kupdated hogs CPU because of disk usage' thing is because the system runs in PIO mode, meaning the main CPU have to manage all reading and writing, rather than letting the chipset use busmastering.

Problem:
Konqueror doesn't show gif images.
Cause:
No gif support in QT
Solution:
Edit $QTDIR/src/kernel/qgif.h, define QT_BUILTIN_GIF_READER as 1 (tiny file, plenty of comments). configure with -qt-gif. No need to recompile konqueror.
Reason:
The QT library now supports gif, and konqueror can use it.

Problem:
GTK apps like gimp and xchat suddenly got disgusting fonts.
Cause:
Something changed the settings, possibly an install of another gtk version.
Solution:
Make a

~/.gtkrc file:

style "user-font"
{
font="-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-14-*-*-*-c-*-iso8859-1"
}
widget_class "*" style "user-font"

Replace the font if that doesn't suit you.


Problem:
Konqueror is slow when browsing FTP sites.
Cause:
The icon preview feature occupies the connection, forcing a relogin when changing directories.
Solution:
Uncheck 'ftp' in the KDE Control Center under Previews in File Manager.
Reason:
Konqueror will now use the connection it made for browsing, rather than showing icon previews.

Problem:
When starting Half-Life in Wine, a message comes up saying "Could not open MCI file for playback: 279: Cannot use 'all' as the device name with the specified command"
Cause:
Dunno.
Solution:
Run as "wine hl.exe -- -console"


Problem:
Half-Life in Wine has no sound.
Cause:
DirectSound errors?
Solution:
Try setting voice_enable "0" in config.cfg


Problem:
When running Half-Life in Wine, pressing Tab causes the screen to go black (but displays "Half-Life" in the left corners).
Cause:
Locked up Alt key perhaps
Solution:
Click somewhere, then click the top left corner. Press Escape then Resume Game. Then hit Alt.


Problem:
Sendmail ignores aliases in /etc/mail/aliases, even after sighups.
Cause:
Sendmail reads from a database, not that file.
Solution:
Use the -bi option (or even better, run newaliases).
Reason:
It'll update the database (/etc/mail/aliases.db).

Problem:
KMail's menu bar is missing.
Cause:
I dunno, messing with styles and themes possibly.
Solution:
Set MenuBar=Disabled in ~/.kde/share/config/kmailrc to, yes, Enabled.


Problem:
Mounting of NFS shares is slow, taking exactly five minutes.
Cause:
Not quite sure.
Solution:
Install Portmap on both client and server.


Problem:
Apache's mod_proxy won't allow CONNECTs on vhosts.
Cause:
I think the manual lies. Mod_proxy doesn't seem to like vhosts.
Solution:
Make it server wide.


Problem:
Can't figure out how to whitelist sites using Apache proxies (but can blacklist with ProxyBlock)
Cause:
Not pondering long enough.
Solution:

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all

Order Allow,Deny
Allow from all

Problem:
nvtv only gives black/white output (on an old TV using an s-video to scart converter).
Cause:
Cheap converter
Solution:
Set the Connector to Convert.
Reason:
Quoth the faq, "You have a SVideo (S-VHS) to Composite connector that uses only the luminance (Y) line of the SVideo connection."

Problem:
Quick access to the konqueror options for changing browser identification and enabling/disabling Java/plugins/javascript not present in the Tools menu.
Cause:
These are additional plugins not present in all default installs.
Solution:
Install konq-plugins in debian, or the kde addons module from the source tree.


Problem:
Can't make KDE display an html web page as desktop background wallpaper. (Redundant wording for google's pleasure)
Solution:
kwebdesktop

Problem:
Neverwinter Nights crashes [on debian], giving only "Error" as a message.
Cause:
Running in 16bit mode.
Solution:
Run X in 24bit mode.


Problem:
Irssi or anything else just hangs, and Ctrl+Q doesn't fix it. And you're using screen.
Cause:
Screen has an [ES]TX feature too. Perhaps you managed to trigger it.
Solution:
Ctrl-A Q


Problem:
The Cisco vpnclient says "Could not attach to driver. Is kernel module loaded?", and yes, the module's loaded.
Cause:
Nowhere to route packets.
Solution:
Check that your nic is listed in ifconfig (if it's not and it's usb, try [re]loading usb-ohci or ohci-hcd). And up it with dhcpcd or something.


Problem:
atitvout says "VBE call failed", esp on Radeon Mobility 7500 (M7 LW).
Cause:
Something about the card not detecting tv-out by itself.
Solution:
Turn the box off. Plug in TV-out. Boot. Start X, and put it in 640x480 (or 800x600). atitvout auto pal; atitvout -f t
Reason:
The card will sense the TV and allow you to turn on tv output.

Problem:
DVD playing using mplayer and TV-out sucks. With mplayer -vo xv, only the top half of the image is shown. With x11 it only occupies a small area, and with -zoom it runs crap slow and the interlacing is just awful.
Cause:
Dunno
Solution:
Set X to 640x480, mplayer -noframedrop -vo x11 -fs file
Reason:
Dunno, but it looks really great.
Problem:
UXterm doesn't show bold fonts (or xterm with wideChars (-wc))
Solution:
Set a wideFont ala "xterm*VT100*wideFont: -efont-biwidth-medium-r-*-*-14-*-*-*-*-*-*-*"

Problem:
Compiling irssi says "/bin/sh: 0: not found" (OpenBSD).
Solution:
Does your locale exist? Try unsetting all the LC_* variables, configure and make again.

Problem:
IMAP (imaps) hangs in kmail.
Cause:
kdelibs built without SSL, the imaps kioslave is built but just hangs.
Solution:
Recompile with ssl.

Problem:
Gentoo says "* error scanning /etc" whenever emerge does something.
Cause:
'find /etc' said modules.conf was there, but wasn't there. An xfs corruption, obviously.
Solution:
booted from a rescue cd and did xfs_repair. Everything worked smoothly after that.

Problem:
(ok, so this isn't linux) On Solaris on a sun-ray thin client, xlocks locks the screen when you pull out the smart card and I want to change or disable this.
Solution:
Kill your existing utaction process, and/or start a new one with the desired action in -d. (/opt/SUNWut/lib/utaction -d command). Also note the -e if you want the action to only run once.

Problem:
(Solaris again) While compiling OpenGL applications using GLU on solaris, linking failes with Undefined symbol: __1cG__CrunKpure_error6F_v_ __1cG__CrunMex_rethrow_q6F_v_ c::c(N6, (int0_t)) c::c(N6, (int0_t)), ld: fatal: Symbol referencing errors. No output written to fluffy
Cause:
GLU requires libCrun which in turn requires libstdc++.
Solution:
Link with both these libs, -lCrun -lstdc++

Problem:
Cinelerra just hangs with a blank window titled "x".
Solution:
Try it in another wm. Or for Ion, use a FloatWS.

Problem:
Getting accelerated X-video output on a UniChrome Pro CN700 on Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) on an EPIA EN12000EG for TV-out playback.
Solution:
As of 2007-05-11, OpenChrome supports the CN700 in svn (but not in the stable release). Get and compile the driver (requires automake1.9, not the fancy new stuff), replace via_drv.so in /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers with the OpenChrome one. Optionally load the 'drm' and 'via' kernel modules. Then configure X to use the 'via' driver. Here's my xorg.conf, for a widescreen PAL TV. Hope you have an easier time than I did.

Problem:
irrecord fails on lirc 0.8.2, with kernel 2.6.22.1. It when a button is pressed, it exits immediately but claims "irrecord: no data for 10 secs, aborting, irrecord: gap not found, can't continue"
Solution:
lirc 0.8.2 doesn't support this kernel (it's probably fixed in the latest version by the time you read this). Downgrade to 2.6.20 and it works like a charm.

Problem:
Keyboard shortcuts for internet/multimedia keys (Volume Up/Down) don't work in games/rdesktop/stepmania.
Cause:
Games tend to grab the keyboard for exclusive access, so no other apps including the shortcut daemon can get to them.
Solution:
Use actkbd
Reason:
actkbd uses the evdev interface (/dev/input/event*), so it gets events regardless of the X server.

Problem:
Aplay/mplayer only plays 48000 Hz stereo files, saying "[AO_ALSA] Unable to set hw-parameters: Invalid argument" and "aplay: set_params:961: Unable to install hw params:" irrespectively. No mono and no non-48kHz files work.
Cause:
Alsa doesn't know how to resample, but doesn't mention that even when you specifically ask it to in .asoundrc.
Solution:
Rebuild alsa-libs to include all the pcm plugins. In Gentoo, this means sticking ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS="*" in make.conf and emerge alsa-lib.
Reason:
Alsa should now be able to resample audio and magically play all the other formats, even without ~/.asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf

Problem:
Latex on Ubuntu says

kpathsea: Running mktexmf ptmr8t
! I can't find file `ptmr8t'.
<*> ...:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input ptmr8t
(for pslatex) or
kpathsea: Running mktexmf pplr8t
! I can't find file `pplr8t'.
<*> ...:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input pplr8t
(for pdflatex)
Cause:
Missing fonts
Solution:
Install texlive-fonts-recommended

Problem:
When trying to automake something, it says

src/Makefile.am:85: Libtool library used but `LIBTOOL' is undefined
src/Makefile.am:85: The usual way to define `LIBTOOL' is to add `AC_PROG_LIBTOOL'
src/Makefile.am:85: to `configure.ac' and run `aclocal' and `autoconf' again.
src/Makefile.am:85: If `AC_PROG_LIBTOOL' is in `configure.ac', make sure
src/Makefile.am:85: its definition is in aclocal's search path.
and AC_PROG_LIBTOOL is indeed in configure.ac.

Cause:
libtool was not installed
Solution:
apt-get install libtool

Problem:
GtkRadiant 1.5 (64bit) maps render and play fine in Quake 3 / OpenArena, but the lighting is all wrong/bright/shadowless and vis says

--- BasePortalVis (80) ---
0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...************ ERROR ************
pthread_join failed
2.5.17
threads: 4
Q3Map - v1.0r (c) 1999 Id Software Inc.
Q3Map (ydnar) - v2.5.17
GtkRadiant - v1.5.0 Aug 7 2008 02:15:55
Last one turns the lights off
...
--- TraceGrid ---
0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...************ ERROR ************

pthread_join failed

Cause:
Something is broken in the Q3Map2 SMP support.
Solution:
Add "-threads 1" to both the vis and the light steps to force single-threading, which does work.

Problem:
OpenWRT/Tomato on a WRT54GL fails to get DHCP on eth0.1, while a computer works fine on the same cable.
Cause:
The ISP might be limiting by MAC to one box per customer.
Solution:
Wait some hours without using the computer, then try the router again. Or for instant gratification, set the mac address of eth0.1, eth0.0 and eth0 to the computer's.

Problem:
Postfix SMTP auth fails with "5.7.8 Error: authentication failed: authentication failure" and a mail.log full of

postfix/smtpd[5227]: warning: SASL authentication problem: unable to open Berkeley db /etc/sasldb2: No such file or directory
postfix/smtpd[5227]: warning: SASL authentication failure: Password verification failed
postfix/smtpd[5227]: warning: 217-14-10-74-dhcp-osl.bbse.no[217.14.10.74]: SASL PLAIN authentication failed: authentication failure
even though /etc/sasldb2 exists. This is on Debian 5.0, lenny.
Cause:
SASL thinks it has to look for /etc/sasldb2 in its chroot dir, while we really want it to use saslauthd.
Solution:
Stick the following in /etc/postfix/sasl/smtpd.conf:
pwcheck_method: saslauthd
mech_list: PLAIN LOGIN
log_level: 5
Now Postfix/SASL should use the daemon rather than the file.

Problem:
glxinfo (and opengl apps) crashes X, using OpenChrome on VIA hardware. glxinfo says

name of display: :0.0
libGL error: open DRM failed (Operation not permitted)
libGL error: reverting to (slow) indirect rendering
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: No (If you want to find out why, try setting LIBGL_DEBUG=verbose)
And the X server says "getDrawableInfo failed to look up window".
Cause:
Bad owner/permissions on /dev/dri/card*
Solution:
chown root:video /dev/dri/card*
chmod 660 /dev/dri/card*

Problem:
'hunt' says "hunt: Can't find myself" when starting
Cause:
Your local hostname fails to resolve
Solution:
Add your `hostname` to /etc/hosts

Make an awesome Cinemagraphs With Photoshop

The Internet was a buzz with cinemagraphs, an artistic and more sophisticated form of animated GIFs that fit somewhere between a still image and a moving video.

Cinemagraphs are like animated GIFs as far as the image format is concerned but a big difference is that, in a Cinemagraph, only a portion of a photograph is moving in an infinite loop while everything else is frozen. For instance, in the image embedded above, only the girl's hair is moving slightly with the wind and the frames repeat after every few seconds.

You can find an extensive and captivating collection of cinemagraphs on fashion photographer Jamie Beck's Tumblr created in collaboration with designer Kevin Burg.

How to Create Cinemagraphs?
Cinemagraphs are small animated GIF files created from a movie, that capture a tiny moving section of that movie in a forever looping sequence. 

Note: You'll need the Extended version of Photoshop to do this, as it includes the Animation components. You'll also need a very basic working knowledge of Photoshop, as the key concepts such as layers, or how to trash them or make them invisible. Windows users, replace CMD with CTRL, and OPTION with ALT keys in the tutorial.

Movies, Timelines & QuickMasks

Find the small icon for the animation drop down menu in the top right of the timeline, as we're going to be using it a lot. Click it, and find the Document Settings. Change the frame rate to about 15 if it's higher. Generally, videos will start out at about 30 frames per seconds, which is too high for simple animations.

Next, get familiar with the timeline a little more. Along the top of the timeline is a blue pointer which indicates the current frame in the sequence. Drag it to scrub back and forth through your movie. There are also play controls in the bottom right.

Drag the pointer to where you want your movie to start. Now, drag the blue rectangle that marks the start of the movie to where your pointer has moved to. Hold down the shift key to have it snap onto your pointer location. If you hit play again, you should notice that the movie now begins where you set it to.

Drag the marker again to where you want the movie to end, and do the same with the small blue end marker from the right hand side. Now preview again, and you should see the basic loop of your movie taking place. If everything is good, select Trim Document Duration to Work Area from the timeline menu again in the top right.

Next, you need to find your master frame - this is the one frame of video that will be the backdrop-the bit of your animation that doesn't move. Scrub the marker until you see the desired frame, then hit CMD'A to select all and CMD'C to copy, then CMD-V to paste. This should create a new layer with your selected keyframe.

Next, hit the Q key to open QuickMask mode. Select the paintbrush tool and a suitable size brush, and begin to paint the areas of your movie that you wish to remain static. In QuickMask mode, you should see them highlighted red when you paint (if not, you're not in quick mask mode, so undo and try again). Leave the areas which have the moving element of the movie that you want to retain.

Having highlighted all the bits of the scene that you want to stay still, hit Q again to exit the QuickMask mode, then hold ALT and click the Add Layer Mask button on the layer palette. That's the button on the bottom that's a rectangle with a circle in it.

Thats it. If you like this post, you can comment below. Thank you.

Recyclable solar cells

The new solar cells can be easily recycled in water at room temperature

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University have developed new solar cells based on natural substances derived from plants, including trees. The organic solar cells have an efficiency of 2.7 percent – a new high for cells on substrates derived from renewable raw materials – and can be easily recycled.

The research was led by Georgia Tech College of Engineering Professor Bernard Kippelen, who expects to help make sustainable and renewable solar cell technology truly practicable for the first time.

“The development and performance of organic substrates in solar technology continues to improve, providing engineers with a good indication of future applications,” explained Kippelen. “But organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle.”

The new solar cells are fabricated on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), which is derived from plants, including trees

Organic solar cells are typically fabricated on glass or plastic, neither of which is easy to recycle. However, Kippelen's solar cells are fabricated on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), which is derived from plants, including trees.

To recycle the new cells at the end of their lifecycle, they're simply immersed in water at room temperature. Within minutes of soaking, the CNC substrate dissolves, leaving the solar cell to be easily separated into its major components.

The CNC substrates are optically transparent, enabling light to pass through before being absorbed by a very thin layer of an organic semiconductor. Though 2.7 percent efficiency is relatively inefficient compared to, say, the recent strides in solar cell technology made by Empa, the environmental benefits of producing easily recyclable solar cells are clear.

In addition, the researchers expect to improve the efficiency of the new solar cells yet further in the future.

“Our next steps will be to work toward improving the power conversion efficiency over 10 percent, levels similar to solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates,” said Kippelen.

The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Source: Georgia Tech

View Hidden Files in Windows 8

Windows 8 has hides many files so that you are not able to view those hidden files while exploring the files and folders on your Pc.

There are Two Kinds of Hidden Files in Windows 8 :

1- Hidden Files (These are Hiden in as file or Folder’s Properties) .
2- System Files

Sometimes you need to see hidden files of your Pc to repair a problem which requires to view Hidden or system files on your PC.

For Viewing Hidden and System Files in windows 8 just follow Below Given Simple Steps :

Step 1- First Go to Windows 8 Start Screen and Select the Control Panel .

Step 2 – After Opening Control Panel Scroll to the Buttom and Select More Settings Option. (It Will Open the Traditional Control Panel)

Step 3 – Now Click on Appearance and Personalization .

Step 4 – Now Under the Folder Options Category Click on Show hidden files and folders.

Step 5 – Now Under the Hidden files and folders select the radio button of Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

Step 6 – UnCheck  the Hide extensions for known file types to see full file name and their extension and  also remove the Check Mark from Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).

Step 7 – Now First Click on Apply and then Click on OK Button.

Thats It ! Now you will be able to see all hidden System files on Windows 8.

World's Lightest Material

This one's made of carbon, and it's super absorbent, too! (Zhejiang University News)

Check out this contender for the title of "world's lightest solid." To demonstrate just how light it is, Zhejiang University in China, where the material's creators are based, has published pictures of chunks of it perched on small leaves, held aloft by grass seedheads and floating on the stamen of a cherry blossom. Ah, springtime.

It's still in its earliest stages of development, but in the future, the new material could be designed to soak up oil spills or clean other pollutants, Gao Chao, the lead scientist in creating the material, told China Daily. The materials used now to clean up spills absorb 10 times their weight in oil, but the new stuff can handle 900 times its weight in oil. And it absorbs quickly, Chao said, with each gram of material sucking up 69 grams of oil a second.

The material is made with one-atom-thick sheets and fibers of carbon, so Chao and his colleagues have dubbed it a carbon aerogel. The researchers say they've found simple ways of making the carbon aerogel in various shapes and sizes ranging from bottle-stopper-size to tennis-ball-size.

The material has a density of 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimeter, or about one-sixth the density of air, so it beats out previous world's lightest materials such as this metal lattice, which has a density of 0.9 milligrams per cubic centimeter. Both are lighter than NASA's famed polymer-based aerogels, which were developed to cradle delicate dust from comets for scientists to study.

In the end, it doesn't really matter too much which material is the lightest in the world. They're all quite different in composition and can do different jobs in the world. And they all look amazing floating on flower stamen, eyelashes or whatever else.

Chao and his team published their work in February in the journal Advanced Materials.

[China Daily via IEEE Spectrum]

Rare 1905 Fiat 60HP

The rare Fiat, initially built for infamous German beer person, August Anheuser Busch

Before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the dinosaur and Velcro, before Z rated tires, roofs, airbags and the annoyance of windshields came a wondrous piece of automotive pioneering – the 1905 Fiat 60HP. A legendary predecessor to today’s luxo-performance sedans, the Fiat 60HP was the open-aired ride for the industrial elite of the era.

Founded in 1899 in Torino, Italy, FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili) promoted the 60 HP as a true 5-passenger "touring car" 

When people use the phrase "automotive history" to describe classic vehicles, little do they understand how lacking in context many of these discussions really are. The 108 year old Fiat 60 HP on the other hand, is where historical context begins. Due to go on the auction block May 25th at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este near George Clooney’s Italian Lake Como residence, "Chassis #3003," which has for the past century lived most of its life within a few miles of its original owner, is expected to fetch around the €$1.4 million euro mark (US$1,820,000).

The rare Fiat, initially built for infamous German beer person, August Anheuser Busch, is only one of 20 examples ever made. Partnering with American luxury coach-builder Quinby of New Jersey, this #2 example was brought to America with the assistance of importers Hollander & Tangeman. Using a newly developed coach-building technique, Quinby secured the aluminum body to the frame. Brass moldings were then used to hide seams and silver soldering brought in to hide any secure points from within the cabin.

Fiat's 4-cylinder 60HP engine

Founded in 1899 in Torino, Italy, FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili) promoted the 60HP as a true 5-passenger "touring car." In these very early days of automotive evolution the 60HP was considered one of the best examples of ground breaking, envelope pushing automotive design – on wooden wheels. Up close the plush, old-world interior more resembles a gentleman’s club décor than performance racing seat arrangement. However, where safety was of no concern relative to social status, these leather bucket seats did the trick in ensuring comfort and pomp were of critical priority.

No top speed figures available but rumors have the 60HP could easily exceed 60 mph

Seat belts? No need for such persons of wealth and exuberant spirit. Doors? Never! Windshields, clearly unnecessary. After a jaunty day of game hunting and cavorting with the lads one need not be encumbered by the excess of lateral-safety devices or miss out on the experience of 1900 era bugs in the teeth.

This 60 HP is reported to be totally original; paint, brasswork, aged tufted leather upholstery, and mechanicals, all authentic 

For the time this thing was expensive; think Bentley money, sans roof, twin-turbos, AC, etc. Costing out at US$20,000 in 1905 the 60HP supercar was designed specifically for the stinking rich industrial types of the day. Tires resembling pool toys are supported by wooden 12-spoked Santa red rims. Stylistically, the Fiat is part Santa Sleigh, part Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and part horseless carriage, hence the over the top convertible treatment.

Featuring an aluminum-clad body the Fiat was light years ahead on many engineering and design levels. To support the big 10.6 liter engine, a steel chassis incorporating a 5/8th inch scuttle and bellypan of aluminum was used. Further pushing the performance argument, the 4-cylinder 60HP engine, transmission, gear set and steel-nickle axles all carried genetic attributes from Fiat’s racing familia. The big sleigh was so mechanically impressive that Fiat’s real world racers would continue to use the same innards up until 1912.

Brass fixtures outweigh Xenon headlights

To up the ante, the Concorso d'Eleganza 60HP is reported to be totally original. Paint, brasswork, the aged worn tufted leather upholstery, and mechanicals, are all authentic. Skeptics need not worry as Fiat made sure to stamp and number every part.

Stylistically, the 60 HP is part Santa Sleigh, part Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and part horseless carriage 

Although there is no information on top speed or performance figures it is estimated the car could easily break 60 mph (100 km/h) without spilling ones Coors Light. Should such a concept as emergency braking enter into the conversation Fiat ensured that dual driveshaft brakes would provide adequate stopping power. New world information such as skidpad figures, acceleration, and co-efficient of drag statistics are simply not available, however, stories regarding actual seat time and the car’s performance appear to validate most all legendary claims.

Matching numbers in conjunction with the cars exemplified one of a kind stature, make the find even that much more collectible. The 60HP goes on the block May 25th.

Source: RM Auctions via: Gizmag

Send Facebook Friend Requests When You Are Blocked

Facebook is a great social networking website through which we can stay connected with friends, relatives and other people. But Facebook does not allow to add strangers as your friends. You might have gone through a stage at least once in your Facebook account when a message appears i.e. your friend request is blocked for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days , 14 days or even 30 days. You can not send friend request on Facebook to anyone whether you know him or not when you are blocked. This is because Facebook doesn’t let to send friend request to unknown people and considers it as spam and therefore temporarily disable sending friend requests when you violate its rules. This is generally done to secure privacy of people and some people by adding strangers as their friend make misuse of that thing.

However, sometimes you may even get blocked when you send friend request to known people but there are a lot of friend requesting awaiting approval pending already. I have also gone from this same stage, and feel helpless that we can’t send friend request to dear friends. So today i will tell you an easy trick with which you can send friend request even if you are blocked.

How To Facebook Send Friend Requests When You Are Blocked:

If you are going to add some unknown person then you need the email address of that person to whom you are going to add. After you get the email address of the personal whom you want to send friend request either from his profile or any other way, follow these steps.
 

1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/?sk=ff

Here you will find a place to add a friends through their Emails based on the different Mail Services. But, if you’re thinking of adding too many people then it would be better that you create a contact file.

If you don’t know the easiest way to make contact file then follow these steps.

a) Open new text document (.txt) in notepad.

b) Add all the email addresses separated by a comma ( , ).

c) Now save that file with the extension .vcf

Now this is your contact file.

2. Go to http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/?expand=upload

3. Upload Contact file to Facebook. and you will be prompted to send friend request. Click “OK” and You’re done.

If you are not blocked from sending Friend Requests but still you get warnings like ‘This Friend Request Can’t Be Sent’ then you can refer another trick which will help you in bypassing this error.

How to make an bootable Pendrive Without any Software

Hi friends,
I am going to explain the Procedure to make an Bootable Pendrive without using any software.Before Using this,Keep in mind it is not working in the Windows XP. It is Working in Windows 7, 8 and Vista.

Let us see the Process of this in detailed manner

1) First insert the Pendrive you wish to boot in the computer, Then go to the "Run"( Press Windows+R) and Hit key "cmd" in the Run dialog box

2) The Pendrive must be Empty, Now Type "DISKPART" on the Command Prompt

3) We get an Separate Window, now write the "LIST DISK", Now please press the Enter

4) Now we get the all Storage Devices available in the computer
     Note-Please use an Pendrive having an capacity of 4GB or more than that

5) Then you want to select the Disk by watching the Size of the File, if your Pendrive do not have an name,For e.g It will list as Disk 0, Disk 1
Now Select the Disk and write your Command e.g SELECT DISK 1

6) Now do this things with concentration, Type this following commands one by one
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION MEMORY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS

7) Please do not change the order of commands, type as it is after the 6th step Type ASSIGN in the Command Prompt

8) Finally Press EXIT in the Command Prompt

9) After this procedure, insert your Windows 7 OS DVD into the DVD Writer

10) Now Copy the all Contents in the DVD

11) Please Paste those All Copied files into the Pendrive

12) Now the Pendrive is ready for Boot,Please check that all the Contents in the DVD are properly Copied in the Pendrive or Not.

V-Twin engine for the new 2014 Indian Motorcycles

Indian Motorcycles Thunder Stroke 111 engine

Indian Motorcycles has once again risen from the dustbin of history. Purchased by Polaris Industries in 2011, the 2014 model year involves a complete redesign of the Indian motorcycle line. The most notable new feature is the new Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine. A fresh design from the ground up, the design goals included keeping the classic Indian engine look while implementing a 49 degree V-Twin geometry with modern technology.

2013 Indian Chief Classic

The first Indian Motorcycle was sold in 1902, which, as Indian enthusiasts enjoy pointing out, was a year before Harley-Davidson was founded. The company was bought by DuPont Motors in 1930, which then stopped making cars and concentrated its resources on Indian. The brand met with considerable success, to the point that in 1940 it sold nearly as many bikes as did H-D. In 1945 the company was taken over by the Rogers Group, which proceeded to run it into the ground with a series of poorly designed and built-light motorcycles. The original company went bankrupt in 1953.

Since that time, the brand has been owned or claimed by no fewer than nine separate companies, which have sold a variety of small imported cycles and Harley clones. Stephen Julius and Steve Heese, who had previously revived the Chris-Craft and Reva luxury boat brands, bought the Indian brand in 2004. In 2008, they began selling their Indian Chief motorcycle in various levels of accouterments.

Indian Motorcycles Thunder Stroke 111 engine cylinder head cross-section showing the valves and their parallel pushrods

Regarded as a huge step backward (that's a good thing!), the Kings Mountain Indian Chief is a refined bike which has been called the Bentley of motorcycles, the product of levels of manufacture and quality control that remind one of the Indian's heyday. Production was limited to small runs, though, perhaps to justify higher prices partly through scarcity. That didn't work terribly well as a business model, regardless of the sophistication of the motorcycle itself. In 2011, Polaris Industries bought the company, and transferred operations and manufacturing to Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Indian Motorcycle Thunder Stroke 111 engine

The 2013 Indian Chief models are the last of the Kings Mountain motorcycles that will be manufactured. Polaris decided to develop a completely redesigned bike to carry on the Indian name. Due out in the latter part of this year, the as-yet unnamed 2014 Indian Motorcycle line will be equipped with the Indian Thunder Stroke 111 (TS111), newly developed beginning with a clean sheet of paper.

The Thunder Stroke 111 is a fue-injected four-stroke 49-degree V-Twin engine having a displacement of 111 cubic inches (1811 cc), that is claimed to deliver 118 ft-lb (160 Nm) of torque, which is about normal for such designs. The engine tops out at 5500 rpm, and delivers its power to the rear wheel through a six-speed overdrive transmission and a carbon fiber-reinforced belt.

The new design, which has undergone over one million miles of testing, has a forged single-pin transverse crankshaft to transfer power from the 3.89-in (101-mm) diameter pistons during their 4.45-in (113-mm) stroke. The TS111 is an overhead valve engine, with two valves per cylinder controlled by a triple camshaft driving parallel pushrods which activate hydraulic lifters. As a 49-degree V-Twin design is rather cramped near the crankshaft, the engine has mushroom cylinder outlines and multi-directional cooling fins to optimize the balance between cooling and real estate.

The engine is connected to a six-speed overdrive constant-mesh transmission. Sixth gear turns 3.37 times faster than first gear, leading to an easily controllable transmission that will allow a rider to remain within the power band of the engine under most riding conditions. The clutch is a multiple-plate wet design to provide smooth clutch action without undue slippage.

Sectioned photo showing the triple camshaft that drives the parallel pushrods

The TS111 is equipped with a valve to trigger compression release, allowing a motorcycle driven by this engine to use engine braking. The compression ratio of the engine is a rather conservative 9.5:1. Fuel is provided to the engine by an electronic sequential port fuel injection system, while air passes through an electronically controlled 2.13-in (51-mm) throttle. As the TS111 also has a helical gear balancer to offset vibration from the unbalanced 49-degree cylinders, the result should be an engine that combines power and smoothness.

The new engine is a modern incarnation of most of the positive aspects and quirks of design so characteristic of classic Indian design. We can only hope that the 2014 Indian Motorcycle follows the same path. OK – it could be less expensive as well – the CEO has said it will be "more affordable." This is one development target I don't want to see slip – I haven't owned a motorcycle in quite a while, but the new Indian might push me back over the line!

Details of the TS111 can be seen in the video below.

Source: Indian Motorcycles, Inc via: Gizmag