Computer

  • Get Mac hardware model: 

    1$ sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name
2MacBookAir5,2

Disk

  • Show all S.M.A.R.T. info of a disk: 

    1$ smartctl -a /dev/ada4

  • Low-level format of the hda device: 

    1$ dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda

  • Same as above but for paranoïd, as random bits will be written 3 times before performing the “low-level format” (i.e. writing zeros): 

    1$ shred --verbose --force --iterations=3 --zero /dev/hda

Partitions

  • Remove the MBR: 

    1$ dd if=/dev/null of=/dev/hda bs=446 count=1

  • Restore the original Windows MBR: 

    1$ apt-get install mbr
2$ install-mbr -i n -p D -t 0 /dev/hda

  • Guess the partition table of a device, including damaged ones: 

    1$ gpart -v /dev/md0

  • Search for a Linux partition: 

    1$ sudo fdisk -d /dev/disk0 | cut -d ',' -f 3 | grep --quiet "0x83"
2$ if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
3>     echo "No Linux partition found."
4> else
5>     echo "Linux partition found."
6> fi

  • Mount an NTFS partition: 

    1$ sudo ntfs-3g /dev/disk4s2 ./usb-hdd -o local -o allow_other -o auto_xattr -o auto_cache

  • Extract the content of an Apple Disk Image .dmg file and access its content: 

    1$ dmg2img ./my-package.dmg
2$ mount -t hfsplus -o loop ./my-package.img /media/my-mount-point

Keyboard

  • Change the keyboard layout in Debian (don’t forget to logoff and logon to activate the new setting): 

    1$ dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

  • X.orgs’ configuration ( ~/.Xmodmap ) to remap function and command keys of a Mac keyboard ( source  ): 

    ! --- Remove Cmd keys
! Remaps the keys (reading left-to-right):
!    -FROM-
!  Fn Control_L Alt_L Super_L Space Super_R Alt_R
!    -TO-
!  Fn Control_L Alt_L Alt_L Space Alt_R Alt_R
!
keycode 133 = Alt_L Meta_L Alt_L Meta_L
keycode 134 = ISO_Level3_Shift
clear Mod1
clear Mod4
clear Mod5
add Mod1 = Alt_L Alt_R Meta_L
add Mod4 = Super_L Super_R Super_L Hyper_L
add Mod5 = ISO_Level3_Shift Mode_switch

Trackpad

  • X.orgs’ configuration ( ~/.Xmodmap ) to either set natural or reverse scrolling for Mac trackpads ( source  ): 

    ! --- Reverse Scrolling
!pointer = 1 2 3 5 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
! --- Natural Scrolling
pointer = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

  • To add touchpad kernel support, add the following option to kernel at boot time: 

    1$ psmouse.proto=imps

  • Sometimes, depending of the laptop I use, the mouse pointer disappear from the screen when I plug a VGA cable to a projector. In this case, I resort to a ++ctrl+alt+f1++, then I login as a normal user and finally I start a new X session: 

    1$ startx -- :1

Camera

  • Get the number of shutter count of a DSLR (Canon EOS 7D in my case): 

    1$ gphoto2 --get-config /main/status/shuttercounter
2Label: Shutter Counter
3Type: TEXT
4Current: 49238

Printer

  • List printers: 

    1$ lpstat -p -d
2printer HP_Color_LaserJet_M254dw_0 is idle.  enabled since Fri Nov  6 17:47:06 2020
3system default destination: HP_Color_LaserJet_M254dw_0

    1$ lpq
2HP_Color_LaserJet_M254dw_0 is ready and printing
3Rank    Owner   Job     File(s)                         Total Size
41st     kde     209     (stdin)                         0 bytes
5active  kde     211     HP_Color_LaserJet_Pro_M254_dw_P 33557504 bytes
62nd     kde     212     HP_Color_LaserJet_Pro_M254_dw_P 33557504 bytes
73rd     kde     213     HP_Color_LaserJet_Pro_M254_dw_P 33557504 bytes