Adding Kernel Method in Ruby

We are aware that everything in Ruby is a object!!! But have you ever wondered how does functions like 'puts' work without being associated to a caller?
Well read on to know how.

Fire up notepad or text mate and type 'puts self' => main
Now you understand that by default Ruby creates an Object called main. Just like you have the main() function in C,C++ in Ruby u have a main object which is created with execution. And every  function invoked without a parent object is addressed to this Object.

Now type 'puts self.class' => Object

Aha, so u see main is of type Object, so if we can subclass Object and add a method to it we can use that just like any other method.

So try this out
class Object
  def hello
    p 'hello'
  end
end
test

=> "hello"

We just added a method called hello and it print "hello"

As the Object class mixes Kernel module in its definition you can obtain the same effect this way

module Kernel
  def hello
    p 'hello'
  end
end
test

Hence these methods are called Kernel methods

So voilà.. Use your imagination.... Write a module with ur favorite functions and mix it into Object and mama you got all your functions in!!

Hey all,

What do you think is the heights of Windows Vista!! Desktops at Homes , Schools , Wokstations at SMB Offices, Vista Entrpises clubbed with Windows Server 2007. Okie okie at the max "Nodes for Microsoft Compute Cluster Server"!!!!

You just can't imagine well. Windows Vista has just got a new dimension.. I'm just thrilled about it.. You gotta watch this

Experience a New Dimension!!!

LONG LIVE MICROSOFT.. GOD DAMN SHIT GOOGLE

Hello again,

Well I guess there was a lot of interest around my first article so I've decided to write a series. In this post I'm gonna tell you how to write a simple Hello World BootStrap Loader in Plain Assembly. Remember I asked you guys to use GRUB in the last post. What if you wanted to do what GRUB does. Well this is the tip of an iceberg of that.

All it does is Print Hello World and hangs.

Tools Required

1. Nasm
2. RawWrite
3. VPC 2007

Theory:
Okay lemme give a theory of the boot process.

When the computer boots , it undergoes a Test called the POST [Power On Self Test]. It checks its memory,keyboard and other devices to see if everything is fine. Then it loads the boot sector which is 512 bytes and loads into memory address 07C0h and jumps to it.

I know you cant do anything in 512bytes so this code would typically load some program from the disk and jump to it. Which inturn enables filesystem and does other chores and loads the Kernel... Phew!!!! So much in span of few seconds!!!!!!

Also note that you have only 510byes in the 512 bytes because last two bytes must be the signature which is 0AA55h


Now in our baby Bootstrap Loader all we do is Display 'Hello World' and hang!!!

Here is the listing for boot.asm

    [ORG 0]                                ;Postion the code at offset 0
    jmp 07C0h:main                    ; This makes sure that we stay at segment 07C0
    vMsg   db  'Hello World!'    ;You know what!
    main:
         mov ax, cs
         mov ds, ax         ;Initialize the code & data registers [Both are same]
         mov es, ax
         mov si, vMsg     ; Print vMsg

    hello:
        lodsb                ; Load each character of vMsg one at time.
        cmp al, 0          ; Abort if no more characters or fails to load
        je hang
        mov ah, 0Eh    ; Service to write a single character on screen
        mov bx, 7        ; Foreground color code
        int 10h             ; Print!!!!
        jmp hello          ; Loop to next character

    hang:                  
        jmp hang           ; Looooop forever n ever n hang!!!!!

    times 510-($-$$) db 0     ; Fill unused spaces with '0'
    dw 0AA55h                   ; Bootstrap Signature

I guess the code was well commented so you would not need an explanation. I hope you know what an Interrupt is here we use an Interrupt 10h and function 0Eh, visit here for a full reference.

Assembling & Loading

Alrite you got the code, now what!!!

Well Assemble it with
nasm boot.asm -o boot.bin

Then you gotta copy this onto the first sector ,i.e 512 bytes of a floppy using RawWrite
Now please goto the website n figure out how do you write it onto the disk :-)
After that insert the disk and Turn On the VPC and boot from Floppy or (If you are patient enough reboot your physical computer)

Hope you had fun!!!
See you guys again soon.

Adios!!!

Hurray Channel 8 site is alive and there has been an intro video posted. It focusses on students. A one stop Students portal from Microsoft where u get software downloads, forums, get bombarded with technology n all that... I'm just so excited about this.. Check it out here http://channel8.msdn.com/Default.aspx

Hi all,

I have been always fascinated by OS. I have written a very minimal kernel long back in 10th grade. Today I just wanna motivate the passionate geeks out there in writing a 'Hello World' in plain C.

Tools Required

1. Nasm
2. GCC
3. LD -The ld linker comes with GCC

Here is the listing for kernel_main.asm

[BITS 32]
[global start]
[extern _os_main]

start:
  call _os_main

  cli 
  hlt

Explaination

[BITS 32] - This states that the code is 32 bit code
[extern _os_main] - Reference a C function called os_main, '_' is used in the beginning because thats how C compilers make entries in the symbol table
call _os_main - Call the function.
cli - Turn of interrupts
hlt - Halt the CPU

Here is the listing for kernel.c

void cls();
unsigned int print(char *msg, unsigned int line);

os_main()
{
    cls();
    print("Hello World!!!", 0);
};

void cls()
{
    char *videomemory = (char *) 0xb8000;
    unsigned int i=0;
    while(i < (80*25*2))
    {
        videomemory[i]=' ';
        i++;
        videomemory[i]=0x07;
        i++;
    };
};

unsigned int print(char *msg, unsigned int line)
{
    char *videomemory = (char *) 0xb8000;
    unsigned int i=0;

    i=(line*80*2);

    while(*msg!=0)
    {
        if(*msg=='\n')
        {
            line++;
            i=(line*80*2);
            *msg++;
        } else {
            videomemoryi]=*msg;
            *msg++;
            i++;
            videomemory[i]=0x07;
            i++;
        };
    };

    return(1);
};

Explaination

Well I believe most part of the code is self explainatory, Ill just brief up the specifics.

As expected program enters execution at os_main from the Assembly code. This function clears the screen and prints 'Hello World' on screen.

char *videomemory = (char *) 0xb8000; - Here 0xb8000 points to the video memory.
while(i < (80*25*2)) - 80 x 25 characters. Each character is 2 bytes.
The first byte is the character itself and the second byte are the attributes like blink,color etc.

videomemory[i]=' '; - You know what!!!!
videomemory[i]=0x07; - 0x07represents white text on black screen.

Moving to print function

i=(line*80*2); - Calculate the memory address for a given line.
if(*message=='\n') - If the text has a newline increment the line so that new address can be calculated.

I guess rest of the code is understood.

Now that you have the code. What do you do with it??

Compiling

nasm -f aout kernel.asm -o kernel_a.o

This command gives out object code of our boot strapper Assembly code.

gcc -c kernel.c -o kernel.o

This gives u know what!!

ld -T link.ld -o kernel.bin kernel_a.o kernel.o

This links both our object files into a plain binary file.
Now you have gotta use a 3rd party Boot Loader like GRUB or John Fine's bootf02 bootsector to load this image. Well I guess I'm gonna leave that for you to find out.. Search the Web and load this kernel using Boot Loader.

I also would recommend using Microsoft Virtual PC, so that you don't mess up your computer.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and got motivated to explorer further. Happy Coding
Ill post more soon....

Adios!!!

We have been seeing a lot of posts around the internet regarding the latest filing Google has done against my dear Microsoft. I read a comment on this page http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/116929.asp   which read

"Why dont google ask you if you want results from windows live or ask or yahoo when you hit search on their page. This is ridiculouuuuuuuusss. "

That is a really well said point. Even now a user can install that shitty Google Desktop crap and have all their local files secretly synced online to the Google servers. How do you expect Microsoft to componentise all of Windows. What if someone tomorrow wakes up and asks the Windows rendering engine is not satisfactory, please give us an API, or  Function 'A' implemented in the Windows kernel is sorta crappy please componentise that or expose the kernel as an API so that I can append functions onto it and after all this people talk that Windows is insecure.

My dear geeks out there, We see so many Blue Screens and crashes out there in Windows, as a geek you have been gifted to think deeply. How many crashes are caused because of Windows code. Don't you people realize that majority of these crashes are because of 3rd party device drivers and softwares . Microsoft gives you all documentation and samples to implement things from things like device drivers to a Web App, yet some heroes out there try out undocumented ways which may lead to crashes which is again pointed that Windows is poorly designed. If we attempt to block these undocumented access , we are termed as not being open and flexible. What do you guys out there want??

Are you people jealous that we have one of the most successful software in history. For heaven sake battle technically if you want an OS to be so flexible make your own, or use existing API's Windows Blind lets you change the default UI(at a cost of performance, so can you use Google Desktop Search) or if you dare come talk to our Teams at Redmond than going and using your lobbying and political power.

I guess google has started getting fear of loosing ground because of WIndows Search. They have realised their Desktop Search Technology is inferior, so they chose to fight legally than technically. They would also have sensed Microsoft would get Live Search into the Desktop search and theryby kill their usershare as a whole. A bit of effort. The Entire Live Framework could be integrated into That Little box in Start Menu. Imagine searching, your Live Hotmail, Live Contacts, Your Live Feeds, Live Spaces,Live Folders,Web and what not without even opening a browser. Ill surely love it and I believe most of us would. Google got afraid sensing this, so they went to Big Daddy for Support.

Long Live Microsoft , GOD Damn Google!!!(I'm sorry I have to be this hard I cant tolerate this anymore, because we started a revolution 30 years ago and a company that came up yesterday cant dictate our Milestone dates,Release Dates and Features in our products.)

Reagrds
Ahmad

Hey guys, its been a really long time since I blogged.. Had been busy with my work , really interesting work. Though in the mean time I never stopped reading of Microsoft updates.. I was waiting desperately to post about Microsoft(My LOVE) .... Well lets start with what I work on.. Hmmm Hmmm I work on Ruby on Rails developing a Web 2.0 application called Tracbac.
And this kewl product is owned by a company called 360 Degrees Interactive. Its a small startup based in Chennai. . Well basically I'm a Microsoft freak and I hate anything Open Source , but then why work here.. The reason is when I joined I was a 19 year old drop out and this place offered me a ready job so I just got into it, but then after interacting with my co-workers and boss I just Love this place and have no plans of leaving except for if its Microsoft ... Then the main point is I have a emulated feeling of being a Microsoft Employee... Yes u guys read it right emulated feeling!!! Hmmm its like these guys are open source and Microsoft sorta haters.. In my nearly 2 months here.. I managed to make 2 of 5 people use IE 7 instead of FF and change the insight of Microsoft.. Everyday when I come and sit in my desk I read Microsoft news and evangelize it out to them and ya also make sure I tell them Google is gonna loose sooooon!!!!! I showed them the various things Microsoft offers from Webcasts to Virtual Labs .. Most of them were like WOW!!!!.. Then to the Flex and Flash Developers I daily bite their heads with Silverlight Videos and Insist to read about it. .Though I dint succeed I'm in the process of getting them to learning it soon.. Hmmm then they tell me Google is used by every one who wants Live and stuff!!! My answer was this Microsoft is potraying Live as a search Service, I told them Live is not search its the Future.. Live is about ubiquitous computing where Microsoft is headint to.. Live will be there from PDAs ,Watches,Fridges,Cars to anything!!! I also told them that though Microsoft is still on the way to winning WebBased Ads (against stupid AdSense), we have already won in Game Advertising Sector (acquisition of Massive,Inc) and the sexy service offered by TellMe (now Ours)... This itself is gonna get us more revenue!!! Then comes our after tax profit $12 Billion +... And ya Zune has captured 9.1% Market share in 5 months... (Apple - I pitty you) ...Then the best part is they report all their bugs in IE,Windows etc,etc to me.. I guess soon Ill start sending feedback to the Teams at Redmond all these bugs.. I'm learning a lot to evangelize and dig deeper!! I'm appreciated here for a good feature and blasted around for a Bug!!! And I do enjoy it because I'm emulating the feeling of being an Microsoft Employee!!!

Well thats it for now!!! See ya guys

HOSTS is the file used by Microsoft TCP/IP protocol for Windows.
It acts as TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) host table and contains a list of address-to-name resolution mappings of numeric IP (Internet Protocol) addresses (32-bit identifiers) resolved to corresponding host names. It actually acts as a local DNS (Domain Naming System) server by translating a domain name into an IP address, thus decreasing the time necessary to reach a remote server.

To properly use HOSTS you must make sure Enable DNS is turned ON: Control Panel -> Network -> your TCP/IP adapter name (if more than 1 must do this for ALL) -> TCP/IP Properties -> DNS Configuration tab -> check Enable DNS box -> Apply/OK.

The following is the order in which Windows tries resolving hostnames only if all fails do you get the error Page Not Found

1. HOSTS file
2. DNS server
3. NetBIOS cache
4. WINS server
5. Broadcast
6. LMHOSTS file

 

Hide Text in Pictures, Executables or any Other Files

This is reallr an awesome technique for hiding text and safely exchanging data online.. All you gotta do is Open a Image file or Executable File in a Binary Editor(Warning:Dont open in Notepad or other text editor would render the file useless). If you dont have any just open DOS Prompt and type Edit.

You will get a blue screen program. Click File -> Open.

Here choose the file and select the Option "Open Binary" . Then open the file.. You will see crappy text ignore it.. Scroll to the end ... Here just type the text.. If you want you can encrypt the text also or you can paste the binary content of yet another file... and then save it.. And just see.. The picture or App opens as usual except that when Opened in Binary format it has secretinformation Embedded in it...

Warning:Dont edit the contents of the file, it may render the file un openable, always append only to the file end..

Well Enjoy these tricks.. Thats all for now... Check out soon for more Tips.... 

CON, AUX, COM1, COM2,COM3, COM4, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3,LPT4, NUL, and PRN. In prehistoric days even the name CLOCK$...

If you want to know the theory behind this phenomenon. All these names point to devices and they can also be accessed programatically too.. Supposing in a program you wanna Read/Write to COM Port used open a file named "COM1" using your favorite file access function and Viola U did it!!!

Well thats all for now folks will b back with more tricks soon..

So keep checking

 

Next day we had to packoff and leave to IDC to ctach a train... So we did so and we had this Embedded Systems Hands on Lab.. It was pretty cool and we had lunch and left IDC a 2:30pm... I was just tooooo sad amd touched because i was leaving IDC... We reached Hitec auto stand and went to Nampally station in 3 autos.. Here comes the tragedy.. On reaching Nampally station I had lost my Laptop in the first auto and me and Vishnu went in a auto searching for it but in vein..... Even now im still at Hyderabad with hopes to find it ..... Hopefully i get my bag back Insha Allah...... Planning to leave Chennai at 6pm by Nizamudeen express..