ASP and other .NET APIs now on Linux

Although I didn't need to use it, I like this idea very much. It's called Mono and it is a cross platform, open source .NET development framework. You can find more here: http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page.

DC++ for Linux

Over the last weeks I tried several DC++ applications for Linux and none of them worked well. It was either very annoying or impossible to use.
Now I found linuxdcpp which works like a charm.
To get it, on Debian you can simply apt-get install linuxdcpp, otherwise go to http://linuxdcpp.berlios.de.

RAR: GLIBC_2.4 not found

I just downloaded the latest version of RAR and couldn't get it started:

./rar: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.4' not found (required by ./rar)

Of course first I tried to to install glibc 2.4, but then I looked into the rar directory I just downloaded and I found rar_static which worked like a charm!

Gmail in Germany

I keep getting an annoying message that Gmail cannot be used under this name in Germany.
Then it works with mail.google.com, but when I send an email, it seems like it's using user@googlemail.com by default instead of user@gmail.com.

We can't provide service under the Gmail name in Germany; we're called Google Mail here instead.

External HDD errors in Linux

Recently I bought an Western Digital external HDD and after a couple of hours I noticed these:


Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: FAT: FAT read failed (blocknr 8764)
Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: FAT: FAT read failed (blocknr 8764)
Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
Jun 14 19:24:45 debian kernel: FAT: FAT read failed (blocknr 8764)


After a couple of researches I noticed these start to happen when I move the USB cable.
And also these errors happen much often if I plug the hdd after the computer is started.
Another solution is to remove the ehci_hcd kernel module, but then the hdd will work in slow motion.

Moneybookers locked account again

This is the 3rd time they do this.
So if I already sent them my documents two times, why don't they just look in my records?
Why the hell they keep asking for the same thing ?
I tried to explain them this by email but I get copy&pasted responses, like they don't even bother to read my message. So now I have to call them or just send again a copy of my ID.

Your account is locked for all transactions therefore we cannot complete this transaction. To unlock your account, you must send a VERIFIED copy of your passport or national identity card to the following address

Paypal withdrawal: 404 not found, click here to retry

Since a couple of weeks, I am trying to do a paypal withdraw on my VISA credit card and I always get this stupid message: 404 page not found - click here to retry.
I retried a couple of times but the error keeps repeating. I was using Mozilla Firefox. I tried from Opera and Internet Explorer, the same result. I decided to contact paypal about this. I got this reply:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns. I am happy to assist you further.

I have reviewed your account and see that nothing is wrong with it. Please try withdrawing money again.

I contacted them again since this answer didn't please me and got this:

We are aware of this issue and I sincerely regret the inconvenience it has
caused you. Our technicians are working to resolve this matter. We
appreciate your patience and understanding.

Obviously I was getting nowhere with them. Anyway, I kept retrying and at some point I tried a withdrawal from my EURO balance instead of the USD one. Surprise! it worked like a charm. So it is some Paypal internal problem with currency exchanges. Or maybe they are just doing it on purpose to force you do exchanges and pay them the fees. But the error message is just stupid and not helpful at all, it should clearly say "you must do the currency exchange first" or something.