One for linux laptop people

[The Geoff]

Just got myself a little netbook that I'm totally chuffed with, but thought it was possibly a little bit likely to get pinched.

 

I've set up a guest account that can get onto t'internet but do very little else, and without a password so that anybody can use it (eg anyone who pinches it and doesn't have my main account password).

 

Then I installed a tiny little program called fswebcam (sudo apt-get install fswebcam) and googlecl (google's command line interface)

 

I used a config file for it from somebody else (I've called it securesnap.conf):

 

log /home/guest/.webcamlog.txt
#log /dev/null
device /dev/video0
skip 10
jpeg 80
#deinterlace
resolution 1600x1200
no-banner
set "Sharpness"=200
#set "White Balance Temperature, Auto"=False
set "White Balance Temperature, Auto"=True
set "Backlight Compensation"=0
set "Brightness"=130
set "Contrast"=32
#32 is default
set "Saturation"=28
#28 is default
frames 1
#frames 255
#loop 1
save /home/guest/.motionsecurity/output.jpg

 

Then wrote the following script:

 

#!/bin/bash
while [ true ]
do fswebcam -c /home/guest/.security/securesnap.conf
google picasa post --title "Security Shots" /home/guest/.security/output.jpg
rm -f /home/guest/.security/*.jpg
sleep 30
done

 

Then just add the second script to the startup programs on the guest account and voila, if anyone uses it it takes a photo with the webcam every 30s and uploads it to my picasa account so I've got a record of whoever is using it. Feel free to pinch the idea, I might even write an installer to simplify things a little. Only one major bug, the script doesn't stop running when guest logs out, but seeing as I'm not going to use the guest account it's not a big deal.

 

Next step is to integrate google's geolocation system to give me a physical location to tag the pics with.

[cookie121]

Write that for android and what ever apple uses patent it and you make your million young man!!

[Duderino]

It is a minter idea

[Cyprino]

I think something very similar already exists for the iPhone 4.

 

Nevertheless, bloody good idea and far too clever for me to try and figure out!

[The Geoff]

It should work for Android/OSX with a bit of fiddling, Android pretty much is linux and OSX is certified Unix as far as I know. Do these fancy smartphones support multiple user accounts? If not you're going to fill up your picasa account pretty quickly

[flysurfer1080]

Top Effort G, that's some mighty fine work you've done there!

[Birdman]

Saw this the other day Locate your stolen Linux laptop With Prey - free, opensource tracking app | OMG! Ubuntu! neat idea

[Notyetnamed]

how if where they are there is no internet? or they don't connect to the internet on it? omg foiled.

 

and anyone nicking a laptop would just reformat or just hack into the admin account

[The Geoff]

how if where they are there is no internet? or they don't connect to the internet on it? omg foiled.

 

and anyone nicking a laptop would just reformat or just hack into the admin account

 

I never said it was foolproof. Anyway, the chances are whoever nicks it will try selling it sharpish, and the person buying it will probably want to try it out. Thanks though, you've given me another idea...there's a stripped down linux distro written into the mobo firmware, I could try using that as well, then even a formatted HD won't stop it.

[braddels]

Write that for android and what ever apple uses patent it and you make your million young man!!

 

you can track your iphone with mobile me, lock it and display a message on the screen

[The Geoff]

Saw this the other day Locate your stolen Linux laptop With Prey - free, opensource tracking app | OMG! Ubuntu! neat idea

 

That's pretty funky, just what I was aiming at. I think I'll continue to tinker though, it's an interesting little project

[Notyetnamed]

.there's a stripped down linux distro written into the mobo firmware, I could try using that as well, then even a formatted HD won't stop it.

 

Unless they install windowss, what they will.

 

If I nicked a laptop with a webcam i'd just put some tape over the webcam and I think most people would too.

 

And whats the use if they sell it? you can't go hounding the buyer who probaly got it off the guy on the street for the money for it. OR TO GIVE IT BACK!

 

The chances off your script recovering your laptop is below 1%

[Steve1599968621]

Have you ever tried fucking off?

 

 

 

 

 

[Afro1599968737]

dont be mean; NYN is contributing valid and meaningful opinions.

 

or something.

[iant84]

 

That's one of the best implementations of this idea mainly for comic value. Takes a photo of the thief and emails it when the alarm goes off as well

[The Geoff]

dont be mean; NYN is contributing valid and meaningful opinions.

 

or something.

 

Ditto that - NotYetNamed/D4rk - we've had this chat in the past. You're a smart person, smart enough to troll quite effectively, but to be honest it's an utter waste to use it on trolling.

 

The problems with my idea were absolutely right, and in fact you prodded me into a really funky new idea, it was great

 

It would be a pity if your brains were wasted on annoying people. You've got good ideas sometimes, please make sure people don't block them because you're being a dick for the sake of it.

[Notyetnamed]

Geooman,

 

Can you tell me if there is dual screen support for a Nvidia GeForce 7600 GT graphics card on Linux yet... Ubuntu more specifically.

 

Google isn't the best with theses kind of questions.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Notyetnamed

[The Geoff]

Simple answer, I don't know.

 

Slightly more complicated answer, Nvidia supply their own binaries for Ubuntu, which generally do the job but don't offer full 3D support, or even support for GPU rendering with Blender.

 

That said, I'm running dual screen stuff on the netbook at the moment, no problems at all. Loving it in fact. That's onboard graphics however.

 

Long story short, try the Ubuntu forum first to see if there's an easy option (I got a "Not supported" wireless card working with one line of code and a quick download). If that doesn't work email Nvidia telling them you're buying a different graphic card, they'll get the message eventually.

[Notyetnamed]

That's the problem they want to a use a force X somthing or rather driver or somthing to use with the nvidia card but ubuntu doesn't support x somthing or rather the last time i tryed.

 

And when i used a wine with some modifications to the code it doesn't have independent dual screen support (E.G) Its not one giant screen but they are independent monitors or somthing i hate linux to much code

[Cyprino]

i hate linux to much code

 

Get a mac?

[Notyetnamed]

Get a mac?

 

Oh cool, so what way you want me to send me the money?

[Notyetnamed]

I just had a brilliant idea !! When the laptop starts up when you hit guest account you get the rickroll song intro while the screen starts flashing and on the 2 sides of the screen mini police cars flash aswell in the center off the screen saying "YOU GOT F'OVER" then the screen switches to a full screen picture of him which he would had been looking directly at the screen and the template of prison bars over the picture then keeps switching forward and back

[The Geoff]

Get a mac?

 

Yup. OSX is basically Steve Jobs' personal version of linux. It's really very good too. It means you've got to buy the same computer as him, but that's OK, because they're quite nice and he's got loads. Little pricey in my opinion, but still very nice all the same, and when you consider that he keeps updating his version of linux it's pretty good value for money.

 

Me, I like to tinker, so I'll stick to my free version that I'm allowed to break. I prefer that, but I'm a bit of a freak.

 

They're still both based on Unix (and OSX still is Unix I believe), and they're both lovely ways to treat a computer. Windows I've learnt not to comment on.

[braddels]

[video=youtube;KkAtRfA1UXc]

That's one of the best implementations of this idea mainly for comic value. Takes a photo of the thief and emails it when the alarm goes off as well

 

that is rilliant, just installed it on my macbook, i will annoy everyone in the library at uni with it, but hey, it means i keep my laptop lol

[Lem]

We had a work laptop that an ex-employee wouldn't return. We use LogMeIn for remote maintainance, so I just uploaded a batch file that moved some of the system files next time he booted.

 

We got it back the next day