making a 3G Huawei 220 USB modem work in Linux 2.6

Context: just received a Huawei 220 3G USB modem [1] (HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM, HSDPA <= 3.6Mbps ), have to make it work in my Linux thinkpad X60 w/ Linux 2.6.20+ , for accessing the Swisscom HSDPA service.

It didn't work out of the box, mainly because of the device's CD emulation storage (windoze drivers :P) interfering with its comm device.

First searches return pointers to a "vodafone-mobile-connect-card-driver-for-linux" [2] package, which is absolute crap: a heavy weight GUI interface that doesn't even work (at least for me).

Hey ... I just want to have my /dev/ttyUSB0 to be able to configure a pppd on it, I found a true, low level solution [3] that manages to make the device behave like the very thing it was born for :)

Here is an excerpt of the mininum required configs to make it work

• /etc/udev/rules.d/99-huawei.rules
  

  
  ## /etc/udev/rules.d/99-huawei.rules
  ##
  ## to enable it, run: udevcontrol reload_rules
  ##
  #
  # udev rule for HUAWEI E220 3G HSDPA Modem
  # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  # (c)opyleft   OOZIE < oozie@poczta.fm > 
  #
  # This file prevents the pseudo scsi cdrom device from enabling, 
  # thus providing a workaround for kernel versions < 2.6.20
  # 
  # Minor edition by JuanJo Ciarlante
  ##
  
  SUBSYSTEM=="block", \
  ACTION=="add", \
  SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1", \
  SYSFS{idProduct}=="1003", \
  RUN="/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003", \
  OPTIONS="ignore_device"
  

  
  


• /etc/ppp/peers/3g
  

  
  # /etc/ppp/peers/3g
  # pppd call 3g nodetach
  # (using Huawei e220 USB modem)
  /dev/ttyUSB0
  #3600000 #irrelevant
  noipdefault
  defaultroute
  user gprs
  password gprs
  #persist
  lock
  noauth
  nodetach
  usepeerdns
  nodeflate
  nobsdcomp
  nopcomp
  noaccomp
  novj
  novjccomp
  nomagic
  #asyncmap 0
  #lcp-echo-failure 10000
  #lcp-echo-interval 1000
  lcp-echo-failure  10
  lcp-echo-interval 30
  connect '/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/3g.chat'
  debug
  idle 180
  holdoff 10
  

  
  
• /etc/ppp/peers/3g.chat
  

  
  # /etc/ppp/peers/3g.chat
  TIMEOUT 3
  ABORT BUSY
  ABORT 'NO CARRIER'
  ABORT VOICE
  ABORT 'NO DIALTONE'
  ABORT 'NO DIAL TONE'
  ABORT 'NO ANSWER'
  ABORT DELAYED
  "" ATZ
  OK ATQ0V1E1S0=0&C1&D2
  OK AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","gprs.swisscom.ch","0.0.0.0",0,0
  OK ATDT*99#
  CONNECT ""
  

  
  

• [1] http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/products/view.do?id=282
  
• [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone_Mobile_Connect_Card_driver_for_Linux
• [3] http://oozie.fm.interia.pl/pro/huawei-e220/
  

cmdline, online google shell :)

Nowadays, few times you find yourself staring at a site with a big "woooOOOWWW!!"

Just extremely cool (-:
http://www.goosh.org/

Behind The Scenes of Google Scalability

Cool tech details about the approach and tools
used at Google for handling such beastie amount of workload:

http://highscalability.com/behind-scenes-google-scalability

Using mutt for gmail via IMAP

You use mutt, you love it. You hate the user interface "latency" of every other MUA, and the fact that no other MUA has "got" how to handle mail threading as mutt does.
BUT also you, a true road warrior, want mail(box) availabilty and plenty of storage.
Well, recently gmail added IMAP support, with a very good support of the standard AND a well thought mapping between gmail labels and IMAP folders ( "virtual" folders).

The good news is that you can link your beloved mutt to gmail, use IMAP folders and also use SMTP TLS authentication via smtp.gmail.com

Here is a copy of my .mutt/muttrc (obviously must change "username" and other stuff):

## ~/.mutt/muttrc
set from=username@gmail.com
set realname="JuanJo seC"
set reverse_name=yes
set reverse_realname=no
set imap_user = 'username@gmail.com'
set spoolfile = imaps://imap.gmail.com:993/INBOX
#set sendmail="/usr/sbin/ssmtp -C$HOME/.mutt/ssmtp.conf"
set smtp_url="smtp://username@smtp.gmail.com:587/"
set folder = "imaps://imap.gmail.com:993"
#set record=+sent-mail-`date +%Y`
set record="+[Gmail]/Sent Mail"
set postponed="+[Gmail]/Drafts"
# previously do:  mkdir -p ~/.mutt/cache/{headers,bodies}
set header_cache="~/.mutt/cache/headers"
set message_cachedir="~/.mutt/cache/bodies"
set certificate_file=~/.mutt/certificates 
set move=no
set delete=yes 
set edit_hdrs
set include
set reply_to
set abort_nosubject=no
alternates '(username|altusername)([-+].*)?@.*'
set hdr_format="%4C %Z %{%m/%d} %-15.15F (%4c) %s" # format of the index

hdr_order From: Date: User-Agent: X-Mailer To: Cc: Reply-To: Subject:
ignore *
unignore From: Date: User-Agent: X-Mailer To: Cc: Reply-To: Subject:
my_hdr Reply-To:

# setup gmail filters to apply the corresp. labels:
mailboxes ! =ml-lug-list =ml-lug-org =[Gmail]/Drafts "=[Gmail]/All Mail"

set editor="jed %s -l ~/.mutt/jed.mutt.sl"
set alias_file=~/.mutt/mail_aliases
source ~/.mutt/mail_aliases

send-hook . 'set realname="JuanJo seC"'
## hack to make  $reverse_name and 'my_hdr From:' work ok (eg mlists)
send-hook . 'set from=username@gmail.com'
send-hook . 'unmy_hdr From:'
###
send-hook . 'set signature=~/.signature'

#send-hook lug-list 'set record=+sent-lug-list'
send-hook lug-.+@lugmen.org.ar 'my_hdr From: JuanJo seC <username+mlist@gmail.com>
subscribe lug-.+@lugmen.org.ar

Very cool to experiment folder switching in mutt using:
'c' ("Open Mailbox")
TAB (will show all IMAP folders)
TAB (again: will show only the 'mailboxes' mutt var)

And here is my jed rc:

% ~/.mutt/jed.mutt.sl
% emacs keybinding for jed:
() = evalfile("emacs");  
% Find signature begin, position cursor there:
if (re_fsearch("^--")) {
 call("previous_line_cmd");
} else {
 % else search headers end
 re_fsearch("^$");
 call("next_line_cmd");
}
push_mark();

Yeahh... finally I can read mailing lists with an interface that doesn't suck! 8)
Enjoy!

algunos costos de "la diaria" en Europa (desde ojos argentinos)

Anduvimos por EU con mi 1/2naranja :-D
Sana recomendación MUY importante: NO vayas haciendo la conversión a pesos (que en nuestro caso actualmente es 4x!) cada vez que gastás y/o masticás un bocado :), ahorrá y disponé de un monto diario... y listo.

Según pude comprobar (sin contar alojamiento) podés comer+andar con
~eu$ 15 (minimorum, de supermercado) hasta eu$35 (almuerzo y cena en bar/rest. "normales").

A modo de referencia, aquí van algunos costos & tips:
(costos tomados en Madrid , agregar ~20% para Paris, Venecia).

@Supermercado
En la mayoría venden unos sandwiches ya armaditos de lo más variados, alcanzan perfectamente para un almuerzo liviano, con lo cual para dos personas un almuerzo/cena alike no baja de aprox eu$7.-:

• sandwich: eu$ 2.50
• gaseosa 1.5lt/ jugo natural 1lt: eu$2.0
• pan en rodajas: eu$2.0
• queso en fetas (~10): eu$2.0
• bandeja de ensalada fresca: eu$2.5
• yogurt bebible 1lt.: eu$2.0
  

@Restaurant
Restaurant simple (obvio):

• Una pizza compartida para dos + dos jugos/gaseosa: eu$20
• Un par de platos de spaguetti + jugo/gaseosa: eu$22
  

@FastFood
Ref: fastfood del Louvre (onda patio de comidas):

• comida ppal (varias opciones)+postre(tarta)+gaseosa 1/2lt: eu$11,90
• un helado mediano: eu$ 3
  

@Alojamiento
Hoteles ~3 estrellas:

• single: eu$ 65-80, sumar eu$10-15 por cada persona adicional
  

@Transporte
El transporte público es muy bueno y --según dicen-- seguro (Madrid, Barcelona, Paris).
TIP: en Barcelona comprá un boleto "T10" que trae 10 pasaje pero cuesta ~6 nomás *Y* te sirve para
usarlo en metro+bus+tranvía el MISMO pasaje (dentro de 1:15hr del primer uso);
además no es personal (varios pueden usar el mismo T10).

• metro(subte): eu$ 1.0
• tren cercanía (depende de distancia): eu$ 1.2 para arriba
  
• bus (1hr. de viaje , 40km): eu$ 3.0

@Museos
TIP: Algo que tienen muy piola es que podés salir/entrar durante el día con la sola entrada,
así que te conviene ir a la mañana temprano así te queda +tiempo.

• del Prado: eu$6, GRATIS LOS DOMINGOS
• Louvre: eu$8.5
• Versalles: eu$6. GRATIS EL 1er DOMINGO de c/mes
  

@Auto
A pesar que no anduvimos en auto, anoté algunos precios:

• nafta: eu$1.2 aprox
• peajes: CARISIMOS, según me dijeron en gral costo peaje iguala al del combustible.