macOS New App Release – Server Ranger 2.5

Product Announcements – LibertyApp Ltd of Belfast, United Kingdom has released Server Ranger 2.5, an update to their website and server monitoring solution for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The new version includes stability improvements, introduces Raspberry Pi support and, for the first time, offers the Mac version on and off the Mac App Store.

Server Ranger monitors your devices, websites, and servers so you don’t have to, automatically sending you alerts when things go wrong. Create alert policies for websites and servers that have a slow response or go offline. Get emails, SMS messages and other alerts automatically sent to you or your colleagues. Analyze the log files for server error messages.

Server Ranger is already in use around the world, from home offices to IT departments to schools. It has been in the Top 5 and Top 10 App Store charts in several categories and in several countries and won a Xojo Design Award in 2018.

Per-Device Policies:
Choose from Critical, Normal or Less important default policies. Or create a custom policy for each server.

Smart Interface:
Nodes performing properly are in green. Yellow indicates the node is online but slow. Red is for offline. Only interested in 1 device? Switch to Single Server Mode to reduce on-screen clutter.

Alerts:
Emails, SMS text messages (*), notifications, sound alerts and more. Decide if alerts should repeat or not. Only receive alerts after a timeframe of your choice. It’s all entirely customizable. (*) Optional SMS alerts use the Twilio service and costs may vary.

Not Just Ping:
Server Ranger can Ping any device to check if it is online and performing properly. But it’s possible for a server to be online yet still have website problems so Server Ranger does more than just Ping. Check HTTP headers are successfully downloaded and in a timely manner. Log in to email servers and test for availability. You choose the type of check that Server Ranger performs.

Statistics:
Server Ranger logs every response from your devices. Graphs show uptime and performance. Spot patterns of poor performance and print or export the log to a CSV file.

Big Screen Mode:
Open the Overview window and get a glance at all your servers. Airplay to a screen on the wall or another monitor.

Support:
Fast, friendly, professional support is just an email away. Stay up to date with a free newsletter with Server Ranger news and tips.

Release Notes:

• Web server port setting is now always used
• New info pane for detailed information when a log entry is selected
• Email alert fixes for some email servers
• Various bug fixes and optimizations
• Now includes a built-in version checker

Updates: Server Ranger 2.5 is a free update for all current customers.

Pricing and Availability:
Server Ranger 2.5 for Windows, Linux and Mac ships today and costs $49.99 (USD). Visit the official website for more information.

Updating Your Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi – Like all computers, you have to periodically update your Pi with the latest versions of the software. If you visit the Distrowatch site, you can see the date of the last Raspian release. To update your Pi follow these steps:

1. open up the terminal
2. update your system’s package list by entering the command [1-4]:
   sudo apt-get update
3. upgrade all your installed packages (this may take several minutes and require user responses) to their latest versions by entering the command [1-4]:
   sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
4. discard any unneeded files that have been downloaded as part of the upgrade by entering the command [2]:
   sudo apt clean
5. reboot your Pi to complete the update by entering the command [1-4]:
   sudo reboot
6. now verify the version of Raspian (9.8 at the time I write this) by opening the terminal again and typing the command [5,6]:
   cat /etc/debian_version
   or
   lsb_release -a

 

References

1. Updating and Upgrading Raspbian
2. How to Update Your Raspberry Pi to the Latest Raspbian OS
3. Keeping your Raspberry Pi up-to-date
4. How to update your Raspberry Pi to the latest version of Raspbian
5. How to Check the Software and Hardware Version of a Raspberry Pi

Book Review: “The Official Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide”

Book Reviews – Raspberry Pi – “The Official Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide” book was published in 2018 and was written by Gareth Halfacree (https://freelance.halfacree.co.uk). Mr. Halfacree has published more than 20 non-fiction technical books.

I downloaded a free PDF copy of the book from Raspberry Pi organization. I first posted about the availability of the book back in December. A paperback copy can also be purchased through Amazon for $18.62. I found that the PDF was easily readable on my iPad and worked well for me.

I thought that this was a well-written book. It will be particularly good for younger Pi enthusiasts, though I found it adult friendly. It gives a good introduction to the Raspberry Pi and provides very detailed ‘how-to’ instructions on programming the Pi with either the Python (my preference) or the graphical Scratch languages. Given this 244-page book and one of the many Raspberry Pi started kits available a student of any age can have his or her Pi running in no time. I give this book a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

CLI – dd

CLI – If you are wanting to copy a file from one place to another then you may want to look at the dd command. This command is particulary useful when you want to copy the file while making edits to it on the fly.

The command is also useful when copying a disk image to other media. This can be very useful in creating a bootable SD card for a Raspberry Pi. The Wikipedia page on the dd command gives a good overview of how the command can be used.

The description of dd in the macOS man page is:

The dd utility copies the standard input to the standard output.  Input data is read and written in 512-byte blocks.  If input reads are short, input from multiple reads are aggregated to form the output block.  When finished, dd displays the number of complete and partial input and output blocks and truncated input records to the standard error output.

To learn a lot more about how to use dd, take a look at “Linux dd command explained for beginners (8 examples)“. Yes, this is a Linux article, but the dd command as implemented on macOS is fundamentally the same. Check the macOS man page for dd for all of the available options.

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See my other CLI and macOS articles

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Download a Free Raspberry Pi Cheat Sheet

Raspberry Pi – I came across this quick start beginner’s cheat sheet for the Raspberry Pi from Opensource.com. This isn’t an exhaustive set of information but is intended to get you going with your first Raspberry Pi.

If you want more information about your Pi, you might want to look at the “OFFICIAL RASPBERRY PI BEGINNER’S GUIDE“.

Official Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide

Linux – I recently saw that the Raspberry Pi Press has just released its official “Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide”. This 244-page book is intended to get the reader started with their Raspberry Pi. As they say:

From setting up your Raspberry Pi on day 1 to taking your first steps into writing coding, digital making, and computing, The Official Raspberry Beginner’s Guide is great for users from age 7 to 107!

You can order a hard copy of the book through the Raspberry Pi Press store (£10.00) with free international delivery. If you are willing to settle for an electronic copy, you can download the PDF for free. I have downloaded the PDF and look forward to reading it on my iPad.

Just in case you have been living in a cave somewhere, the Raspberry Pi is:

a small, clever, British-built computer that’s packed with potential. Made using the same technology you find in a smartphone, the Raspberry Pi is designed to help you learn to code, discover how computers work, and build your own amazing things.

One of the great things about the Raspberry Pi is that they are very inexpensive. If you search Amazon, you will find various kits and versions of the Raspberry Pi starting from $27. They are also available in Fry’s Electronic Stores if you are lucky enough to have one of those close by.

The book and the hardware would be a great Christmas present for the clever kid (of any age) in your family.