Ajitabh Pandey's Soul & Syntax

Exploring systems, souls, and stories – one post at a time

Author: Ajitabh

  • Security Softwares

    On Unixreview.com came across a secrity tool to be used for SSH servers. Denyhost is a python script which finds out invalid login attempts from the log files and can add the IP address from where the login attempt was made to /etc/hosts.deny file automatically. Can be run manually, through command line or as a dameon. Worth giving a try.

    mod_security is a an Apache module meant to work as an intrusion detection and prevention engine for web applications or a web application firewall. It is stable and worth giving it a try. It has a  very beautiful way of making Apache installation in chroot jail.

  • Textpattern 4 is out

    Finally after a long wait Textpattern 4.0 has been released yesterday. Looks good. Updated the Asha NYC/NJ textpattern installation to this version. Has a lots of new features as well. Still playing with it since the Asha implementation is not yet in production. The only thing which I found lacking is the absence of a list of all TXP tags and their explanatins. Although a Textbook exists, but that is still under development stage. However this is an excellent package with hosts of features. Will definitely recommend it.

  • Finally my references are done

    Finally I got the reference letter from NIIT yesterday and immediately despatched all the relevent documents to BBC for the processing of my Work Permit. A big sigh of relief. Things are changing very fast here at BA. Lots of politics involved with my position. Since the day I have told them that I will be leaving once my work permit is sorted out, I can see some kind of unrest everywhere. Or is it because I know I am leaving? Don’t know really. Will find that out anyway, but it looks from discussions with my team leader that NIIT may or may not be asked to replace me. Surprising, but don’t know what the contract they have with BA. Let’s wait and see.

  • The Party’s over

    Annanya' Birthday
    Annanya' Birthday

    Ok the birthday party is all over. Yesterday, we had a nice birthday celebration for my daughter, Annanya. She was very happy and exited since the morning, asking time and again, “when is my birthday party….?”. All credit for this nice arrangement (all done at home) goes to my wife Payal. She started working tirelessly from Friday itself and allowed me time with my computer. It was her whole-sole effort and I fully appreciate it. I have uploaded the photographs from the B’day party and you can now see them. A very low number of photographs this time may be attributed to my Cannon camcorder as it controled the show most of the time. Although personally I like pictures more rather than videos.

    Today all of us just relaxed a lot and just went out for a short walk in the evening. There was no cooking as well because lots of food was leftover after the party (even after some of the close friends took some of the food). Ofcourse the food was very nice, it was a lot extra and also some of the guests had last minute appologies.

  • Two long a wait…

    Regarding my employment opprtunity with BBC, I requested a reference letter from my company and they promised to give one. I would have got it then and there by the local Delivery Manager but it was required on a headed paper which are only kept at the company office and not at the client site. HR promised me to send one. I have been waiting…. and it hasn’t arrived yet. I requested a follow up on this with the Delivery Manager and let’s see what happens.

    Finally I called up the Group Manager (HR) at my company and directly asked him about my reference letter. He said he istoo busy today to sent it, but promised to despatch it by 1st class mail on Monday (8th).