What things running on my LHS?

It has been more than three weeks since I built my own headless Linux Home Server out of Intel Atom processor & motherboard running Ubuntu 9.10 server edition. I've been adding new things as I go along, getting more servers running to max out and justify me running it as it is .. a server. So, what've been running now?

1. samba - network storage for all PCs in the house (5 PCs running WinXP & 1 MBP on Snow Leopard)
2. aprs4r - APRS igate/digipeater to pass packets to and from aprs-is (amateur radio)
3. torrentflux b4rt - filesharing stuff
4. cups - sharing a single HL2140 laser printer for the whole house
5. firefly - streaming media files to iTunes media player
6. mediatomb - streaming media files to PS3

I think the LHS is still "under utilised" and thinking of adding more as time goes. For now, it is worth it to replace my old Buffalo LS2 to a full-fledge Linux Home Server.

C200 windscreen wiper problem

My wife came back today with one thing, her C200's windscreen wiper got stuck to the windscreen's trim, passenger side. Searching on the net and found a similar problem here:

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=42678

Will try the following DIY, else .. Mill.Merz I should go! :)

http://202tech.mkosonen.com/howto/wiper.html

Update 1: Opened up the bonet, disassembled the wiper assembly, cleaned up everything inside .. no juice .. WD40 couldn't help either.

Update 2: Went to Hakitrade/Puchong and got myself the wiper assembly minus the motor.

Update 3: DIY aborted, I couldn't fit the motor to the arm assembly that I bought second from Hakitrade. I need to go back and get the one that is compatible.. it seems that though both having the same part number, mine is the newer one and has six holes instead of three..

Update 4: OK, got a replacement .. but I will not go to Hakitrade/Puchong anymore. They overcharged me, went to Kemuning one and his younger brother charged RM120 less than the one at Puchong. Put back everything together in less than 30 minutes. Hopefully won't break again..

Update 5: When I was at Hakitrade/Kemuning, the assistant mishandle the wiper assembly and it didn't work as what it should.. totally the opposite .. but the boss fixed it in no time, he disassembled the body.. reposition the inside gears and all went well.. so, probably if you've the same problem .. open it up and try reposition the gears inside the body before you getting a replacement.

CRM: Copying attachments from service ticket to follow up document

I've got another request which I hope will be easy to implement. Copying all attachments from a service ticket to a follow up document. Hint: CL_CRM_DOCUMENTS.

To get all attachments:

CL_CRM_DOCUMENTS=>GET_INFO
Supply BUSINESS_OBJECT (instid = order's GUID, typeid = order's object_type, catid = 'BO'

To copy to another business object:

CL_CRM_DOCUMENTS=>COPY
Supply BUSINESS_OBJECT & NEW_BUSINESS_OBJECT

It seems that we don't need to use GET_INFO to be able to use the COPY function to copy all documents from the original service ticket to the follow up document. This has yet to be proven by me.. I'll implement it tomorrow and update this blog again.

Update 1: The COPY method is spot on! No further processing needs to be done.

Samba 3.4/Ubuntu 9.10 problem

For the last ten days, I did not realised that I'm not able to share my files in the LHS with the rest of the PCs on my LAN.. and just to find out that .. I couldn't access it from my own MBP. I thought this has to do with my network until I tried looking at the log .. it was complaining about:

[2009/11/15 15:07:51, 0] smbd/server.c:456(smbd_open_one_socket)
smbd_open_once_socket: open_socket_in: Address already in use

Searching the keywords on the net and found that I'm not the only one having this problem. Though some do not have problem, but I do .. and reading from discussions found on the net .. there are few things need to be done .. but I just couldn't get those suggestion to work.. removing winbindd, changing the sequence on how things loaded in smb.conf didn't help. Helpless .. I did an apt-get update && apt-get upgrade just now .. there seems to be an update for Samba .. so, downloading it right now .. hopefully all are well after this .. will report back!

Update: Samba/network drives are back on now .. so it seems that the samba package which comes with the Ubuntu 9.10 has problem.. Running an update will solve this problem.

ABAP: Once in a blue moon..

Yup, once in a blue moon, you'll get a kind of weird requirement to work on. And today, I'm getting one too, adding a serial number to an order which originally created from CRM.

In the first place, this is all bespoke, so, standard middleware wouldn't work. The serial number is passed through CRM order in a customer field and left out when the middleware is called in. What I need is to move this serial number over to R/3 and update the batch number too, in the order!!! Easy does it? Nope!!! But there is a way!

1. In CRM, there is a BDOC exchange BADI which I could use to transfer the serial number over to R/3, the BADI is CRM_DATAEXCHANGE_BADI, use the CRM_DATAEXCH_AFTER_BAPI_FILL method to fill in missing information. I need to enhance the BAPISDITM structure to add this new serial number field.

2. On the R/3 receiving end, thing doesn't seem to be that simple. The BAPI_SALESDOCU_PROXY_UPLOAD doesn't have BADI that I could use to transfer these fields from CRM but, yes, there always be a but. There is BTE available which I could use. BTE/Process 00501020/00501021 could be use to transfer some missing information from CRM to R/3, batch number could be assigned here, no problem. I need to enhance the BAPISDITM here too and probably the VBAPKOM structure too so I could pass this to the final user exit which is, yes, to assign this serial number to the order.

3. Now, how the heck am I going to update this serial number into the order? I have never done this before, I've done updating serials into delivery document but not to an order document. This yet to be tested but this URL seems to be promising, will try this one out:

https://forums.sdn.sap.com:443/thread.jspa?threadID=1470413

Two function modules described at the end of the thread there: IWOL_WV_ADD_OBJECTS & IWOL_WV_POST_OBJECT_LIST.

Will try this and see if I could get it to work! Wish me luck!

Update 1: Success!! Got it to work in less than a day .. couldn't pass the vbapkom to the final stage so I need to use an ABAP memory to pass the final table into the final user exit before I could post it. But somehow, the serial isn't get copied to a delivery document, no idea why, someone needs to fix this for sure. Functional problem :)

Update 2: A small hitch, after they fixed the config, a short dump occurs when creating a delivery. Probably something has to do with the serial counter at VBAP. Need to take a look into this..

Update 3: Scrapped everything on the last part, doesn't seem to work!!! Yes, I could get the serial into the order but as update no 2, I have problem when creating delivery document. It wasn't the serial counter but the object type in OBJK. So, I've implemented this using a new function module SERNR_ADD_TO_AU. I added this in userexit_save_document_prepare instead. I've no problem copying the serial number into the delivery document now.

Drooling!!

APRS - switching off.. .. switching back on!

I'm switching off all my APRS equipment as of today. Just have been told that 9W's AA has no F1D/F2D in the emission code table, hence is not legal to transmit digital over 2m/VHF. I'm taking down all my previous postings on APRS so that they will not confuse the rest of us and I'll take them back online after the issue has been resolved.

Update: Just realised that even 9M's AA does not have this 'Digital' mode too.

Update 2: As of today, we've got a very good backing saying that it is not illegal to work on APRS. I'm turning back on my APRS digi/igate .. and my mobile too!

Moving igate to LHS ..

I see no point of me running WRT54GL/APRS4R since I've got my Linux Home Server running 24/7 now. I've problem with the combination last night when Weerut sent me a message saying that my igate was down .. and when I checked it, yes, it was down for few hours already.. somehow, it lost the serial connection to the TT4 and I need to restart the router to get thing back to normal. Will do the necessary configuration tonight but nothing much really need to be done.. I've aprs4r installed, just need to get the serial port working and that should be it.. and I guess the WRT54GL can now go to someone who really need it.. raise your hand if you need a standalone IGATE! .. this offer valid to local ham only!