Category Archives: computer tips

Enable remote MySQL connections on Turnkey Linux LAMP

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I am a big fan of Turnkey Linux. It is great for working on projects locally, though sometimes I need to allow others access to the MySQL server on our LAN. Here are simple instructions for enabling remote MySQL connections and for allowing user access: How to allow remote access to databases | TurnKey GNU/Linux docshttp://www.turnkeylinux.org/docs/database-remote-accesssed -i “s/^bind-address/#bind-address/” /etc/mysql/my.cnf Configure MySQL to accept remote root connections (from any host (‘%’)): (added line breaks for readability) 🙂

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Mini-itx AM1 gaming system w/discrete video card and DC PSU!

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Mike sent me some info and photos of his awesome mini-itx system: I crammed the AM1H-ITX along with a 5350, a Kingston HyperX 4gb DDR3-1600 stick, Slimline DVD-Rom, Microcenter house brand120gb SSD, a couple 40mm fans, and an EVGA GTX 750 2GB (non-ti) into a Travla C158 case. I’m powering it with a DC power brick (part number 316688-001 or spare 317188-001) from either a beefy HP laptop or possibly a docking station. The specs are 18.5v, 6.5a, 120 watts.

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Upgrade Yoga 2 13 to SSD

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BestBuy sells a nice Yoga 2 13 laptop at a significant discount under the traditional Yoga 2 Pro 13 laptop. However, one of the sacrifices on the lowest end Yoga 2 is that it lacks a SSD. Instead it makes due only with a 500GB HDD 🙁 Thankfully, you CAN add a SSD to the Yoga 2 Pro AND keep the HDD installed as well! All you need for the upgrade is some patience and the correct SSD: M.2 2280

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Fix Chrome blurry fonts on Lenovo Yoga 2 13

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One of the first things I do on a new laptop is install Google Chrome. Sadly, Chrome and Windows 8 do not play well on even moderately high-resolution laptop screens 🙁 Case in point, my new Lenovo Yoga 2 13 (not the pro model) has a 1920×1080 13.3″ display which is fairly pedestrian by today’s pixel density standards. Regardless, Chrome fonts look very blurry when compared to IE or most other Win8 applications. Solution: adjust Chrome properties Go to Desktop

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Windows 8 disable left swipe (Yoga 2 Pro etc.)

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In Windows 8 left swipe is fine for touchscreens, but it is majorly annoying with touchpads 🙁 Thankfully, on laptops like the Lenovo Yoga 2 and Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro it is fairly easy to disable the edge swipe recognition on the trackpad: #1 Open the Synaptics Pointing Device Properties Detailed instructions: at the Windows 8 desktop look at the taskbar notification area (bottom of the screen, right-hand side of the taskbar). Find the Synaptics icon which looks like a small

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Dell Inspiron/Vostro wireless driver for Windows 7 (Atheros 1506 802.11b/g/n)

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Recently I setup a new PCIt is a nice Dell 660s small form factor (SFF) PC which came Windows 8. The end users needed Windows 7 and that meant it was time to install one of my spare Windows 7 Professional SP1 licenses. Overall the process went smoothly, however, Windows 7 did not have a driver for the 660s’ wifi adapter. Thankfully, I was able to find a compatabile driver that has been working perfectly. Here is the download link: Dell

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Dell 660s Ethernet driver for Windows 7 (Realtek RTL8111F network controller)

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Recently I setup a new PC for Branson’s Nantucket’s architectural department. It is a nice Dell 660s small form factor (SFF) PC which came Windows 8. However, some of their architectural software is only compatible with Windows 7. That meant it was time to install one of my spare Windows 7 Professional SP1 licenses and everything went smoothly. However, Windows 7 did not have a driver for the 660s’ ethernet controller. Thankfully, I was able to find a compatabile driver

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