Extending Time limit to pick an OS in the GRUB Menu

Every one of my friend might be some inconvenient about the time they missed for choosing an OS in the GRUB menu. So not to worry friends, i have some simple steps to be followed for changing the time limit that we hate.

Check if you are running 32bit OS/CPU or 64 bit OS/CPU on your Linux Machine

Hi Linux Users, I will elaborate some basic tricks to know your CPU configuration on your Linux System. Many times I had came across a unique question from Linux Users that how should I know that I am using 32 bit CPU/OS or 64 bit CPU/OS? Definitely I am here to know you answer for this question but before that we have to understand some points. They are as follows.

   1.    We can run 32 bit operating system on 64 bit CPU.

   2.     We can run 64 bit operating system on 64 bit CPU.

   3.    We cannot run  64 bit operating system on 32 bit CPU.

   4.  We can run 32 bit operating system on 32 bit CPU.

Once we are clear with these points now we are ready to check of our CPU is  32 bit or 64 bit.

How to check if CPU is 64 bit supported or not, basically there are two ways:-

1.Method I:-

Use lscpu command to check if it supports multiple CPU operation modes(either 16, 32 or 64 bit mode).

Fig.1 lscpu command

As a normal/root user execute below command

     lscpu | grep op-mode

Sample output on a 32-bit processor

Fig.2 Using lscpu with grep

If you observe the first output will say that your CPU supports both 32-bit as well as 64 bit operating systems. This indicates that its 64-bit processor from our above 4 rules. But in the second machine it says only 32-bit CPU mode which indicates its a 32 bit processor.

Method 2:-

Use proc file system, CPU info to get the processor type.

   grep -w lm /proc/cpuinfo

Sample output on a 32-bit processor when searching for lm(long mode) bit is set or not.

Fig.3 Checking for Long mode

If you dont get any output that indicates its not a 32 bit processor.

How to check if my Operating system is a 64-bit or 32-bit?

Before knowing about this you should know about i386, i486 etc naming convention.

What is difference between i386, i486, i586, and i686 OS?

They are the names given by software industry to some softwares for different Intel architectures. If we say i386, its Intel 80386 processor, also known as the i386, or just 386, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1985. If I say i486 it is an Intel 80486, i586 is a 80586 and i686 is a 80686 processor. In short they are called as x86 family which are of 32 bit processor. And for 64 bit OS you will get x86_64.

Option 1: check with uname command if your OS is 32 bit or 64 bit. 

   uname -m

Fig.4 checking Architecture with uname

   uname -p

Fig.5 checking Architecture with uname

Option 2: Check with lscpu command as below.

   lscpu | grep -i arch

Fig.6 Checking Architecture with lscpu command

Option 3: Check with getconf command as shown below

    getconf LONG_BIT

Sample output for 32 bit OS

Fig.7 Checking CPU configuration in Bits

Please let us know if you know any other way to get OS and Processor processing bit details.

Microsoft Surface

Basically Microsoft Surface is a series of tablets that are designed and marked by Microsoft. And it was announced on June 18, 2012, by Microsoft COE Steve Ballmer at milk Studios at Los Angeles. 

Microsoft Surface is comes in two versions, first with Windows RT (Surface RT) and second with Windows 8 Pro (Surface pro). Almost both versions are identical with their appearances but there are some major differences. The Windows RT uses ARM CPU that is commonly used in almost every tablet, while Windows 8 Pro uses Intel CPU. Both versions of Microsoft Surface have ability to install new application of Windows Store, but only Window 8 is capable to install all traditional third-part desktop applications. It is a major difference between Windows RT and Windows 8 that Widows RT can only install all Apps that are available on Windows store, and that’s why Windows RT is called as Tablet.

Windows 8 was release on 26 October 2012 and most probably Windows RT will available on Jan 2013. As I said before both versions of Windows Surface have some differences in their capabilities of running certain software applications.

Fig : Windows 8 VS Windows RT

If we talk about standard Windows 8 OS, it allows us to install all the applications which are compatible with Windows 7 and Vista with fewer exceptions, whereas we cannot install same applications in Windows RT, because all applications which are run in the Windows RT were written in Win RT. Windows RT and Win RT both are look like same but there is no relation between them, Windows RT doesn’t stands for anything whereas Win RT Stands for Windows Run-time. That’s why all the Apps available on Windows store are most probably written in Win RT.

Because of it limitations windows RT does not support Windows media Player like windows 8 does, but Windows RT Offers Microsoft office 2013 RT for free, meaning it will be able to run programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint right out of the box. The standard Microsoft Office 2013 is available to Windows 8 users but isn't included with the operating system. You'll have to purchase Office 2013 separately for Windows 8. Windows 8 is available to purchase for installation on any recent PC. Windows RT, on the other hand, will not be released for purchase. It's effectively an 'OEM' system, designed only for hardware manufacturers to put on new tablets. That's why Windows RT is only available on the Microsoft Surface and four other forthcoming tablets.

Windows RT will be good choice for users who will be happy with tablets with office and windows store, and the user who will don’t require traditional third-party software’s.

Unauthorized access in windows

We are much familiar with windows operating system, there are lot of vulnerability’s in Microsoft’s windows operating system. I am discussing here one from them might be you are all unaware of this. In our college defreeze software is installed to prevent from attacks by virus or unauthorized access. But this weakness of operating system does not protected by defreeze completely, because it restore data after operating system.
Windows service pack 2 allows normal user such as “student” in our college(which restricted for complete use) to create an new account as administrator, but we have to create account in some different way stated in following stapes:

• Right Click on my computer icon and go to manage, look at left side panel there is option “Local Users and Groups”. As shown in fig1.  

fig1.computer mangement functions

• Click on “Local Users and Groups” and will see all account which are available in our system.Right click on free panel we will see options new user click on it and create new account as shown in fig 2.

fig2.creating account

• Now click on groups in panel and right click on “Administrator” we see different option select “Add to group” as shown in fig 3. Now new window comes.

fig3.selecting group to add account

• Now click on Add button, it will display new window.     

fig4.adding account in admin group

•  Now click on Advanced button it will open new window.

fig5.selecting user

• Now click on Find now button it will display all available account and one from them is our created account “Ravikumar” select it and click on ok.

fig6.seleting account to add in admin

• It will display a message just ignore it. Now click on ok and apply buttons.

• Log off from current account (don’t restart defreeze will delete last created account) and loin through last new created account. It will ask for changing password, proceed.

• Now you have complete administrator authority you can do anything. When system is restarted account is deleted by defreeze.