This is very small update to VHD Attach. I removed application config files introduced with last version. Of course that means that both Thin PC users will hate me. For them, there is FAQ with separate download.
I do plan to sort things out in later version.
Welcome to my new web server. And for the first time ever, it is Linux-based.
I haven’t moved because Windows were unstable (haven’t had any issues). I haven’t moved because of bugs (PHP is buggy on any platform). I haven’t got tired of .NET (C# rules!).
I moved because of SSH. I grew tired of plain-text FTP where any kid with Wireshark could get my password.
My hosting company made sure that server change went smoothly. They just switched DNS records and, poof, my website on new server started. It is true that, for a while, there was no CSS or JavaScript but culprit was found in W3 Total Cache plugin. It just didn’t like being copied around and quick uninstall sorted that out. :)
There were few other minor issues with upgrade service for VHD Attach and QText but they had more to do with subtle differences between Windows and Linux hosting than with any real error.
Now let’s just hope that I don’t break everything. :)
After sorting out tunneling on my computer, there came time to setup my router too. Idea is not to configure each client with separate tunnel but to have one tunnel on router and all computers connecting to it should use it transparently. Hurricane Electric gives /64 prefix and that ought to be enough.
As a router I will use my trusty DD-WRT. Exact version used in this example is DD-WRT v24-sp2 (12/08/11) std-nokaid (SVN revision 17990M NEWD-2 Eko). Your mileage may vary depending on version of your choosing.
Obvious first step is to enable IPv6. It is easy enough to do. Under Administration -> Management find IPv6 support and enable IPv6 and Radvd. Radvd is configured as simple as it can be:
interface br0
{
AdvSendAdvert on;
prefix ^^2001:db8:9:10ee::/64^^
{
};
};Notice that prefix is same text “Routed /64” under your tunnel details.
Unfortunately this will not do. There is need for small script:
insmod ipv6
SERVER_IPV4_ADDRESS="^^216.66.22.2^^"
SERVER_IPV6_ADDRESS="^^2001:db8:8:10ee::1^^"
CLIENT_IPV4_ADDRESS=$(ip -4 addr show dev eth0 | awk '/inet / {print $2}' | cut -d/ -f1)
CLIENT_IPV6_ADDRESS="^^2001:db8:8:10ee::2^^"
ROUTED_IPV6_ADDRESS="^^2001:db8:9:10ee::1^^"
if [ -n $CLIENT_IPV4_ADDRESS ]
then
ip tunnel add he-ipv6 mode sit remote $SERVER_IPV4_ADDRESS local $CLIENT_IPV4_ADDRESS ttl 255
ip link set he-ipv6 up
ip addr add $CLIENT_IPV6_ADDRESS/64 dev he-ipv6
ip route add ::/0 dev he-ipv6
ip -6 addr add $ROUTED_IPV6_ADDRESS/64 dev br0
kill $(ps | awk '/radvd / { print $1}')
radvd -C /tmp/radvd.conf
wget "http://ipv4.tunnelbroker.net/ipv4_end.php?ip=AUTO&pass=^^9fc4d3d26b6ba921226c53e6c664c1ab0^^&apikey=^^tb4f139f1c342fgbd4.44123289860^^&tid=^^5511235463^^"
fiScript sets some variables, brings interface up, adds some routes and restarts radvd daemon in order to pickup latest settings. Last line is needed only for users with dynamic IP (full explanation can be got once you load page in browser). This script needs to be saved with Save Firewall (under Administration -> Commands).
Once router gets restarted you will notice that all clients get IPv6 address alongside IPv4 (they have to support IPv6, of course). Easiest way to check it to run ping -6 ipv6.google.com. Or load it or one of many IPv6 test pages.
Windows 7 works just beautifully with IPv6.
P.S. In case you are wondering where I pulled those IPv6 addresses from, here is what Hurricane Electric gave me:
IPv6 Tunnel Endpoints
Server IPv4 Address: __216.66.22.2__
Server IPv6 Address: __2001:db8:8:10ee::1/64__
Client IPv4 Address: __174.78.144.123__
Client IPv6 Address: __2001:db8:8:10ee::2/64__
Routed IPv6 Prefixes
Routed /64: __2001:db8:9:10ee::/64__
In order to get into modern era I decided to teach my computer to talk IPv6. Windows 7 already comes with IPv6. I mean, how hard can it be?
Well, since my Internet provider does not give a **** about IPv6 first step is to get a tunnel. And there are quite a few IPv6 tunnel providers. In my case I decided to go with SixXS since they have support for both Windows 7 and (via black magic) my DD-WRT router. For Windows 7 you do need to have their AICCU client installed (and probably OpenVPN). Slight nuisance but bearable.
Once my account was ready (it took them less than a day) I created an Dynamic NAT-traversing IPv4 Endpoint using AYIYA (now repeat this really fast). All eager I awaited for confirmation. Instead of it I got “SixXS has discussed your request regarding a tunnel but have decided not to approve this request”. Nothing in mail pointed to what I did wrong. My guess was that they noticed I am trying to use Ashburn, VA (where I currently live) with my Croatian address (where I usually live). I elaborated my situation and waited for response. And waited. And waited. No response (10 days and counting).
Thus I decided to see what other brokers are out there and I found one that would work for me - Hurricane Electric. They give you up to five /64 tunnels and upon that you can additionally request /48 prefix. Their tunnel endpoints are not that numerous but I think that they offer satisfactory range.
But that is not the best thing. After reading guides for setting up SixXS I was pleasantly surprised that my configuration consisted of 4 lines:
netsh interface teredo set state disabled
netsh interface ipv6 add v6v4tunnel IP6Tunnel 192.168.1.2 10.20.30.40
netsh interface ipv6 add address IP6Tunnel 2001:db8::1:0:0:2
netsh interface ipv6 add route ::/0 IP6Tunnel 2001:db8::1:0:0:1And you do not need to remember those 4 lines since they will be generated automatically for you and available on Tunnel Details page. Just take care to fill first IP correctly (192.168.1.2 in this example) No additional software, no new drivers - Simplicity at it’s best.
So far I think I am convert. While SixSX has a little bit better support for dynamic IPs, things are not too bleak for Hurricane. And keep in mind that Hurricane does tunneling over protocol 41 so there is need for your network to support this (almost each one does).
In short, I would say that Hurricane Electric is much better choice if you have normal provider who does not block any traffic. In any case, I am IPv6 (and so can you). :)
For long time now NTFS is the system of choice for Windows. Well, that is about to change.
For upcoming Windows 8 beta we shall get Resilient File System (ReFS for friends). Features are making my head spin:
From design point of view it looks more like unholy combination of relational database and version control than a file system (that sounds familiar). As I read I decided that it will be my new system to install Windows 8 on. And then I noticed two deal breakers: It will be available only on Windows Server 8 and you will not be able to boot of it.
At first this file system is intended for Windows Server 8 volumes only. You will boot good old NTFS and then store all your data on ReFS. And forget per-file encryption since EFS is not supported. Well, at least there is BitLocker.
My developer life is more aligned with Windows client OS than server so I will skip it for now. I just hope that ReFS will not stay limited to server but that it will find it’s way into consumer’s life also. And, Microsoft, don’t forget booting…
[2015-03-12: With Windows 8.1 you get ReFS on client Windows too.] [2017-09-05: ReFS is no longer supported on Windows 10 Pro.]