Kenbushi
User Manual

HTML Edition: 6.2.0.0
Release date: 9 October 2006



Basic Operation

Notices

Overview
  • Introduction
  • Why you need your own home media/backup server
  • Cross-platform file transfers on a LAN
  • Conveniently transfer files via the Internet
  • Cross-platform Internet downloading
  • Limitations of Internet connection sharing
  • Security considerations
  • Detailed Operation
    Appendices

    Overview

    Introduction
    Kenbushi is a fast and efficient file sharing, data backup and remote media player product which operates over LANs and the Internet. Versions are available for Windows, MacOS X, MacOS Classic and Linux. The Kenbushi application must be running on all computers you wish to share files between. It only uses Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) for it's operations, so you don't need other protocols such as NETBEUI, AppleTalk, Windows file sharing, Samba, etc. to successfully share files.

    In addition, you don't need file sharing enabled on your computer, nor do you use the Network Neighborhood, My Network Places, the Chooser, or any other networking functions built into your operating system to use Kenbushi.


    Why you need your own home media/backup server
    There are many compelling reasons why you will come to love having a home server* - it's simply the most convenient, economical and effective way for you and your family to organize your digital life. In the following section, you will probably discover many things about a home server that you may not have considered before, all of which are supported by Kenbushi.

    *
    A 'home server' is really just a normal computer dedicated to serving your needs whilst sitting quietly behind or next to your TV. In fact, most budget computers you see in specials catalogues would be suitable as a home server, as even a budget computer nowadays is quite powerful. You don't even need a computer monitor, as the TV is used for display.

    Provides a central location on which to store and organize your movies, music and photos
    Most computer users have media files spread all over their laptop and desktop computers, and this chaos generally increases as more media are added. The additional problem is that some of these files are huge (especially movies), and you could unknowingly have multiple copies of the same file wasting valuable space on your hard disk. Putting media onto a central server means you can clear media from your other computers and know the master copies will always be on your media server. Of course, at any time, you can always download any media you want to use locally onto your laptop or desktop computer from the media server.

    Is always switched on and ready for action
    The most annoying thing about wanting to play media on your normal desktop or laptop computer is having to switch it on and wait for it to boot, do it's anti-virus and anti-spyware scans, and then finally give you control. Sometimes it's switched on already, so playing media is a simple and quick process, but often it's not. A media server, on the other hand, is always on and always ready for immediate action.

    Can Play High-Definition video and audio now
    High-Definition content is what most mediaphiles want - crisp, smooth, luscious video, where you can see each individual blade of grass sway in the wind. With current wireless technology, you simply can't stream High-Definition (HD) content, and even streaming Standard-Definition content can be a challenge. Having a movie break up into a pixellated mozaic spoils the whole point of setting up digital movie playback in the first place.

    With a home server, you don't have to wait for some new wireless standard to come out, nor buy new networking hardware to support the very high data rates required for video streaming, nor suffer the disappointment of finding your neighbors also want streaming video and the airwaves are clogged. Why stream movies when you can simply store them on some inexpensive, monstrously huge hard drives and play them directly from the hard drive to your beautiful big screen TV and surround sound system? You have to store the movie files somewhere anyway, so why not store them next to your TV on a media server, rather than take up valuable space on your laptop or desktop computer?

    Does all the hard work of playing the movies, leaving your main computer free for productive tasks
    Playing a movie usually takes a lot of processor (CPU) power and often continuous hard disk use, so streaming a movie from your main computer would leave you with a less responsive and overworked computer when you want to do productive work on it. For example, you might want to play a movie for the kids to keep them entertained whilst you work. Let the media server do all the heavy lifting involved in movie playback, and gain the full productive use your main computer, in addition to complete remote control of media playback. After setting up the media server to play a movie, you could even get into some intensive 3D game action whilst controlling movie playback remotely using your PDA with Wi-Fi.

    Allows you to play games (eg. World of Warcraft) in a totally immersive, big screen, surround sound environment
    Wireless keyboards and mice are now inexpensive and widely available, and provide an excellent way to control immersive computer games, such as World of Warcraft, Half-Life 2 and Counterstrike. Why play these games on a small computer screen, when you can use your big screen TV and surround sound system to enjoy these games to the max? Thus, connecting a wireless keyboard and mouse to your home server gives you the necessary control to change computer settings, install software, etc., but also allows you to play games from the comfort of your lounge chair.

    In contrast, laptops are not designed to play games, but are perfect devices for work productivity and control. Having the combination of a laptop and a home server gives you the best of all worlds: you can conveniently set up and control media playback on the home server from the laptop, easily and regularly backup your laptop files to the home server, and use your laptop for productive work.

    In addition, if your family likes to play casual games together on the TV, a home server offers an excellent way to do this is in the comfort of your lounge room.

    Gives you 24/7 Skype, so your friends, family and distant relatives can always call you for free
    Skype and other free Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services are becoming a powerful benefit of having a broadband Internet connection. These services provide an effective replacement for normal telephones and operate between callers anywhere in the world, for free.

    The only problem with Skype is that you need your computer switched on to make and receive calls, but normal laptop and desktop computers are off most of the time. However, if you have Skype installed on a home server, and the home server is always on, you have a Skype service which is always on. That means people can call you at any time on Skype, just like they call you now on a normal telephone, but at no cost ... from anywhere in the world. The value proposition of a home server just moved up a notch.

    In addition, there are now many telephone handsets on the market which are designed specifically for use with Skype. There are even dual-use handsets which plug into your existing telephone socket and work as a standard telephone, but also plug into the USB port on your computer and work directly with Skype. When making a call, you push a button to select whether you want to make a normal telephone call, or a call through Skype. When receiving a call, the ringtone indicates whether the call is a normal telephone call, or a Skype call.

    Skype is currently introducing video calling to their software, and with an appropriate TV mounted webcam connected to your home server, it would be possible for you to video call your friends and family from the comfort of your lounge chair.

    Get a wireless home router for free, with simpler Internet setup
    , and make your home server accessible from the Internet
    Many households now connect a wireless router unit containing a firewall to their broadband modem, and then use that router as the gateway to the Internet for their home computers. The idea is that it provides better security, since NAT (Network Address Translation) is done by the router, as well as firewalling, and this protects the home computers from hacker attacks coming from the Internet. In addition, the router can be on 24/7, so anyone in the household can connect without being dependent on a computer connected to the broadband modem to be on.

    In contrast, there are significant benefits in having a home server connected directly to your broadband modem and using that as a wireless home router.
    Note: It's important to keep your home server as secure as possible. If you use MacOS X or Linux on your home server, you need to regularly install any operating system updates released by the vendor. If you use Windows on your home server, in addition to installing operating system updates, make sure you have good anti-virus and good anti-spyware software installed, and that you regularly update it. This should ensure smooth operation of your home server.

    Can backup your documents and other files, and keep them safe

    The key to effective data backup is to have copies of your valuable documents and other files stored on a different disk to the one you work on, in addition to an easy way to restore them from those backups when your originals get lost or deleted. This 'different disk' may be a writeable CD, a USB flashdrive, the hard disk of another computer connected via the network, or a remote server connected via the Internet.

    A media server provides an ideal location for you and your family to backup your files. It's conveniently accessible, offers fast transfer of files via LAN, and offers large storage capacity. Generally, the files on a media server don't need to be backed up*, since no progressively edited sole-copy works (such as word processor documents) are routinely stored on it by users (unlike laptops, for instance).

    *many prudent users burn movies, music and photos to CD or DVD for archiving.

    Home automation and security
    A home server is the perfect platform from which to control home automation devices, such as lighting systems, heating, cooling, garden watering systems, etc., whether controlled with a local remote control, via remote control over the Internet, or via an automated control system (eg. a thermostat keeping the room temperature constant).

    A home server is also perfect for monitoring purposes, including baby monitoring, home security devices (eg. still and video cameras), as well as logging data from devices such as solar energy and wind power collection systems, etc.

    The key to effective implementation of these types of systems is to have a computer always on and always performing it's control and monitoring tasks. Reliability is very important, especially when there may be problems with the supply of mains power. A home server with very minimal energy needs would be optimal, both to be environmentally friendly, and also to allow it to be powered from a backup battery or solar-powered source, when necessary.

    Is cheaper than you may think
    A 'home server' is really just a normal computer dedicated to serving your needs whilst sitting quietly behind or next to your TV. In fact, most budget computers you see in specials catalogues would be suitable as a home server, as even a budget computer nowadays is quite powerful.* You don't even need a computer monitor, as the TV is used for display.

    There are two important things to look for when selecting a media server: the computer must be quiet, and it must have a composite video output if you have an older TV. However, if the computer you like doesn't have composite output, you can install an inexpensive video card with a composite video output, or purchase a composite video output module for it. Quiet computer cases are now more common (some even have ball-bearing fans), as are quiet motherboards. If you want to use your server for home automation and security as well, low power operation is also a must.

    If you are technically proficient and want to build your own computer, you might consider installing the Ubuntu version of Linux on it, which is free. The latest version of Ubuntu (codenamed 'Dapper Drake')
    installs easily, detects most computer hardware (including wireless network cards), and has a simple installation system for additional software which works via download over the Internet. With Kenbushi installed, you can use your new Linux computer as a file server, media server and backup server. You could also use it as a wireless home router and Internet hub. Linux has the substantial added benefit of not requiring anti-virus and anti-spyware software, nor the regular scans required by this software (unlike Windows). Details about how to set up a Ubuntu home server can be found below.

    If you wish to purchase or build an inexpensive computer running Windows XP with the intention of playing intensive 3D games on it as well (eg. World of Warcraft), you should look for a motherboard with good integrated graphics. For example, motherboards with integrated
    GeForce 6150 GPUs make excellent inexpensive games computers. An Intel Core Duo processor coupled with a good video card would also be a good choice.

    If you like the Apple Macintosh, the Mac Mini (with Intel Core Duo
    processor) would make an excellent home server in almost all respects, including very low power consumption. It's only downside is that it won't run intensive 3D games well, if you need that ability (eg. World of Warcraft works, but generally not at high enough framerates).

    *most should play Standard Definition movies well, but High Definition movie playback and intensive 3D gaming may require a better quality system.



    Summary of what a home server should be:

    * Compact, so it can be conveniently located behind or next to your TV
    * Low-power, so it is environmentally friendly, and can be powered from a backup battery or solar-powered source, when necessary
    * Wireless, to make installation easy and to provide portability
    * Offer large storage capacity, so you can store all your media and backup data in one central location
    * Silent, to eliminate fan noise, DVD disk grinding, etc. from spoiling the enjoyment of media playback
    * Easily connectable, so your current and future TV and sound systems can be plugged straight in
    * Give you 24/7 Skype, so you can make and receive free local and international phone calls anytime
    * Inexpensive, to save you money


    Currently, Kenbushi plays media using the VLC media player, as VLC runs on Windows, MacOS X, and Linux and thus supports all platforms Kenbushi does. However, we plan to introduce support for Apple's Quicktime media player in a future release, which will provide an alternate playback system for media on Windows and MacOS X (including DRM protected media purchased from the iTunes store, such as TV shows and full-length movies). All functionality in Kenbushi is expected to be the same when playing media with Quicktime, but we will be able to take advantage of Quicktime's superior performance in some areas, such as mpeg 4 and H264 movie playback of High-Definition content, whilst retaining VLC's slightly broader media compatibility (Quicktime does not support some types of audio codec).

    We also plan to
    introduce support for Microsoft's Windows Media Player in a future release, which will provide an alternate playback system for media on Windows (including purchased DRM protected media, such as TV shows and full-length movies).


    Cross-platform file transfers on a LAN
    You can now transfer files easily between any Windows, Macintosh and Linux (i86) computers on your home, school or office network (see example local area network in Figure 1 below). Kenbushi provides a bridge between different computer types without requiring complex installation and set up procedures. Just select the files and folders you wish to share on one computer and they can be requested by and transferred to another computer on the network.

    Figure 1. Example LAN connecting different computer types


    Conveniently transfer files via the Internet
    Friends can now easily, safely and conveniently transfer huge files via the Internet (see Figure 2 below), irrespective of what type of connection is used (eg. dialup modem, ADSL, cable, etc). File access is protected by highly secure 896-bit encryption, so your files are never exposed to anonymous users. Setting up a workgroup for Internet file sharing is as easy as entering a workgroup name and pressing the 'Join' button. All users with that workgroup name will then connect together for file sharing. You can protect your shared files from unauthorized access with a 'Sharing Password'.

    Figure 2. Example of connecting computers via the Internet


    Cross-platform Internet downloading
    Often one computer on a home network is set up to access the Internet, whilst the others are only connected to it via the Local Area Network (see Figure 3 below). Now you can download files using the Internet-connected computer and transfer them across the local area network to the other computers using Kenbushi. This also means you can download PC files from the Internet using a Macintosh or download Macintosh files (in MacBinary or BinHex format) using a PC and then transfer them to the appropriate computer.

    Figure 3. Example of cross-platform setup with Internet connected computer


    Limitations of Internet connection sharing
    Most functions in Kenbushi will work on computers connected indirectly to the Internet via an Internet connection sharing host (see diagram in Figure 4 below). In this case, you will be able to connect to a remote computer via the Internet, view it's file list and get files from it, but the remote computer won't have access to your computer. This is simply a side-effect of how Internet connection sharing works.

    All functions in Kenbushi will work on the Internet connection sharing host itself (eg. your home server) when transferring files over the Internet, since it is effectively connected directly to the Internet.

    Figure 4. Example of setup with Internet connection sharing


    Security considerations
    Kenbushi was designed from the ground up with security in mind. All control operations are protected by highly secure 896-bit encryption and no passwords are ever sent across the network or the Internet in clear text (unlike FTP). If the user trying to get access to your shared files doesn't know the password you have set, they cannot access anything, including the list of files you are sharing.

    Since you are sharing files with friends via the Internet, rather than with anonymous users who inherently cannot be trusted, you are much less likely to get files carrying viruses, worms or trojan horses.

    The Professional Edition of Kenbushi also provides you with the option to encrypt file and folder data, keeping it secure during LAN and Internet transfers. This option is not available on the Standard or Lite Editions.

    If you are using wireless networking in your home or office, it is highly recommended that you use a password for access to that network (using 'WEP', an acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy). This protects your network from intruders and
    eavesdroppers getting into your network, as well as people using your Internet connection without your knowledge or consent (and possibly causing problems, such as making you go over your monthly download limit).

    Detailed Operation

    These instructions apply to all platform versions of Kenbushi, though the focus is on the Windows XP version and screenshots come from this version. If there are platform-specific differences in operation or features for Macintosh or Linux, these differences are described in the relevant sections.

    The dynamic help system built into Kenbushi displays specific help information for all controls and textboxes. To get information about a particular control, move the cursor over it and help information will be displayed.

    On MacOS Classic 8.6, you need to have CarbonLib 1.6 installed on your computer to run
    Kenbushi. It can be downloaded from http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120047


    Setting up
    Select the Preferences panel (see Figure 5 below) and enter a Sharing Password to ensure only authorized users (ie. those people who know your password) can access your shared files and folders. You may also wish to change the default Computer Name - this is the name that other users on the network will see when they connect to your computer.

    You can set
    Kenbushi to start up automatically when your start up your computer (or log in to your computer user account) by checking the Launch on Startup/Login checkbox. This is especially useful if you use Kenbushi frequently for transferring files to other computers or doing data backups. You can also set the Minimize Main Window on Startup checkbox to ensure the main window of Kenbushi doesn't clutter your desktop when it starts up.

    On Windows, the
    Minimize Main Window on Startup function hides the main window (so there is no application item in the taskbar), but leaves the Kenbushi icon in the Windows tray (the area at the bottom right side of the desktop). From the Kenbushi tray button, you can show the main window again, get information about Kenbushi, and quit Kenbushi. If you close the main window, Kenbushi will continue running in the Windows tray - you need to select Quit from the File menu or Quit from the tray menu to quit Kenbushi.

    Further information about the other controls on the preferences panel can be found in
    Transferring files to your computer and Localization into other languages.


    Figure 5. The Preferences panel

    Now choose the Shared Folders panel (see Figure 6 below) and add all the files and folders on your computer you wish to share by pressing the Add Folder and Add File buttons and selecting them. Alternatively, you can add files and folders by dragging them directly from the desktop and dropping them onto the Files/Folders To Share listbox. You can remove shared items by selecting them in the listbox and then pressing the Remove button.

    If you wish to use the media player functions in Kenbushi, add your computer's Music and Movies folders to the Shared Folders listbox. When you subsequently do remote searches of the Kenbushi server on the Play Media panel, music and movie files will be returned. From the results of these searches, you can then build playlists and use the media player functions. Please see Remote media player for more details.

    Since the files and folders you selected for sharing on Kenbushi are always listed in one central location (ie. on the Files/Folders To Share listbox), you always know what you are sharing. In contrast, when using Microsoft Windows file sharing, you can have shared files and shared folders scattered all over your hard disks and not know what is currently accessible to others over the network. This presents a security problem in Microsoft Windows file sharing, which is eliminated by Kenbushi.

    If you wish to make any folder shown on the list writeable, check the checkbox on the left side of that folder. The icon will change into a folder containing a pencil, indicating it is writeable. These writeable folders can accept uploads, allow new folders to be created in them, and will allow files and folders in them to be renamed (Note: renaming is not available in the Linux version of Kenbushi).

    Note: If a file or folder has been added to the Files/Folders To Share listbox, but is no longer available (eg. you are sharing folders on a CDROM, zip disk, floppy disk, etc. and have ejected it), it will be removed automatically from the list. When it is re-inserted, it will automatically appear again in the list.


    Figure 6. The Shared Folders panel


    Sharing files over the Internet
    If you wish to share files with your friends over the Internet, select Internet (Internet Workgroup) from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu on the Preferences panel (see Figure 7 below). Then enter the Workgroup Name you and your friends have chosen to use, and press the Join button. You should see a number of messages in the Connection Status textbox detailing the network operations in progress, including connections coming in from other remote users in your workgroup. Your friends' computers should appear within a few seconds in the Remote User Connection List as well as the Connect to popup menu on the Transfer Files panel.


    Figure 7. Joining an Internet workgroup

    See the Transferring files to your computer section below for details about locating and transferring files from remote computers.

    When you press the Join button, Kenbushi actually contacts the Lava Software server on the Internet, which will assign you to be the 'workgroup hub' for that named workgroup (if it has not already been assigned to another user getting in before you). Users who subsequently join that named workgroup will then be automatically redirected by the Lava Software server to your computer to get information about all the other users in the workgroup. When they have this information, they will connect directly to these users. Thus, the workgroup hub is like the axle of a wheel, with the other users forming the spokes of the wheel.

    If a computer assigned as a workgroup hub goes offline, the first computer in the workgroup to poll the Lava Software server after 90 seconds has elapsed will be assigned as the new workgroup hub. Thus, a workgroup almost always has a central and dynamically assigned workgroup hub to bring all users of the workgroup together.


    Solving Internet connection problems
    Most Internet workgroup connection problems in
    Kenbushi are caused by firewalls and NAT devices, such as routers and proxy servers.

    Firewalls
    Firewalls prevent other computers on the Internet from connecting to your computer without your authorization, by blocking all network ports except the standard ports used by web browsing (port 80), email (port 25), FTP (port 21), etc. They generally also prevent outgoing connections on non-standard ports, to stop malware (eg. spyware, viruses, worms, etc.) which has found its way onto your computer from doing nasty things, such as allowing the remote control of your computer.

    However, the problem with blocking all non-standard ports using a firewall is that many online programs, particularly games, use specific non-standard ports for their operation. For example, World of Warcraft requires ports 3724, 6112 and 6881-6999 to be open. Counter-Strike requires port 27015 to be open. If these ports are closed, the software will not work correctly. Thus, users must configure their firewall to be able to play these games.

    Similarly,
    Kenbushi requires port 3300 to be open on your Internet firewall for both incoming and outgoing TCP connections.

    Note: If you are only sharing files, etc. using Kenbushi over a LAN (eg. a home or office network connected via Ethernet, wireless, etc.), firewalls should not be causing any problems, as firewalls are designed for controlling Internet network access only. The firewall test system in Kenbushi tests for firewall barriers to the Internet only.

    On Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed, a basic firewall is included and switched on by default. To check this on your computer, open the Network Connections control panel, double-click the network device connecting your computer to the Internet (usually an Ethernet network card) and press the Properties button. Then select the Advanced panel - you should see a Windows Firewall groupbox similar to Figure 8 below. Click the Settings... button and you will see if the firewall is on.



    Figure 8. Checking for a Windows XP firewall

    Unfortunately, on Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you can only switch the entire firewall on or off - you can't enable individual ports. With the firewall on, you'll have a more secure computer which won't support non-standard online programs; with the firewall off, you'll have an insecure computer which supports non-standard online programs. Though this is a lot better than older versions of Windows (which have no built-in firewall at all), you really need both security and online program support. Thus, you should purchase a firewall program, or download and install a free firewall program, such as ZoneAlarm (www.zonealarm.com).

    After installing ZoneAlarm, you can make
    Kenbushi work correctly by clicking the Allow button on the dialogs displayed by ZoneAlarm when you run Kenbushi for the first time (see Figure 9 below). You should probably also click the Remember this setting checkbox, to save you having to click the Allow button every time.



    Figure 9. Allowing Kenbushi to send and receive Internet data

    On MacOS X and Linux, the built-in firewall allows you to enable individual ports. On MacOS X, the firewall settings can be found on the Sharing control panel. Click the Firewall panel, click the New... button and enter the information required for 
    Kenbushi (see Figure 10 below).



    Figure 10. The MacOS X firewall setup

    If you have only a software firewall (ie. not one built into a hardware router or proxy server) and can't get
    Kenbushi working over the Internet, try completely disabling your firewall temporarily and then doing the firewall test (described below in Diagnosing network problems). It it works, you're on the right track and it's a matter of configuring the firewall settings. If it doesn't work, it's probably not the firewall causing the problem.

    Proxy servers
    Proxy servers funnel Internet traffic from various computers on a home or office network to the computer on the network which is directly connected to the Internet via a dialup or broadband modem.

    Proxy servers generally have a built-in firewall, since all Internet traffic comes directly through the proxy server. This built-in firewall usually allows you to enable individual ports.
    Kenbushi requires port 3300 to be open on your firewall for both incoming and outgoing TCP connections.

    On Windows, for example, you may be using WinProxy (www.winproxy.com). To enable port 3300 in WinProxy, select Advanced Settings from the File menu, and then click the Firewall panel. Press the New Application button and enter the port information for
    Kenbushi (the incoming port information is shown below in Figure 11).



    Figure 11. Configuring the WinProxy firewall

    Routers
    Wired or wireless routers generally connect directly to a broadband modem via a USB or Ethernet connection, and funnel traffic from various computers on the home or office network to the Internet. They also contain a firewall to secure the network from other computers on the Internet.

    Some routers can be set to allow ports to 'pass through' to a computer connected to the router, thus allowing that computer to act as a file server (
    Kenbushi acts as a file server when authorized users get files from your computer over the Internet). Some less expensive routers do not offer this 'pass through' capability. Please read your router documentation for specific information about setting up this 'pass through' capability.

    For example, on the D-Link DI-624 wireless router, you can set up a 'Virtual Server' (as shown in Figure 12 below). On this brand of router, the 'Virtual Server' feature performs the 'pass through' function.



    Figure 12. Setting up a D-Link router for 'pass-through'

    Diagnosing network problems
    If you have problems connecting to other users on the Internet, you can diagnose the network using the Network Monitor. To bring up the Network Monitor, press the Diagnostics... button in the Advanced groupbox on the Network panel. The dialog shown below in Figure 13 will be displayed.


    Figure 13. The Network Monitor dialog

    To test if a firewall is stopping you connecting correctly to other Internet users, press the Firewall Test button. A request will be sent out to the Lava Software Internet server, which will respond by making a test TCP connection to your computer on port 3300 (the default base port number). If the test is successful (as shown in the test message sample in Figure 12 above), your computer can act as a file server ie. users on the Internet can get files from your computer.

    If the firewall test fails, either you have a firewall preventing access from the Internet, or your network topology (how the network is connected together) is causing the problem. Please read the sections above on firewalls, proxy servers and routers for more information about what you can do to fix this type of problem.

    With the network diagnostic tests, you can check TCP and UDP connectivity to a remote computer, either on a LAN or on the Internet. Simply enter the remote computer's IP address in the IP Address: textbox and click the TCP Test or UDP Test buttons. You can find out the IP address of a remote computer by pressing the Adapter Scan button on the Kenbushi program running on that remote computer.

    If you have a router in your network, the IP addresses displayed may only be LAN IP addresses - these type of IP addresses usually are similar to '192.168.xxx.xxx' or '10.0.xxx.xxx'. These are useful for setting up tests for connectivity across a LAN, but are useless for testing connectivity across the Internet. For information about setting up routers so that you can use Kenbushi across the Internet, please refer to the Routers section above.

    When a computer is connected directly to the Internet (ie. with no router in the way, and a modem plugged directly into the computer), you should get an IP address displayed which is assigned by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and which identifies you uniquely on the Internet. You can then do valid network diagnostic tests across the Internet which can be helpful in getting Kenbushi working. All dialup modems offer this type of direct Internet connection, so a dialup modem can come in handy for testing your Internet setup.

    Sometimes ISPs (Internet Service Providers) block ports to help prevent the propagation of worms, viruses and other malware (this is a serious problem on Windows computers). If you have tried everything to get Kenbushi working over the Internet, including disabling all your firewalls temporarily (as described in the Firewalls section above), contact your ISP and ensure they are not blocking ports.

    For Windows users, an excellent free tool called SG TCP Optimizer is available, which provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing your LAN TCP/IP setup and Internet connection. The description on the developers website: "The program can aid both the novice and the advanced user in tweaking related TCP/IP parameters in the Windows Registry, making it easy to tune your system to the type of Internet connection used. The tool uses advanced algorithms, and the bandwidth*delay product to find the best TCP Window for your specific connection speed. It provides for easy tuning of all related TCP/IP parameters, such as MTU, RWIN, and even advanced ones like QoS and ToS/Diffserv prioritization. The program works with all current versions of Windows, and includes additional tools, such as testing average latency over multiple hosts, and finding the largest possible packet size (MTU)."

    For MacOS X users, Apple bundles Network Utility with the operating system. This program "provides information and troubleshooting tools to help you with your network" and can be found in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.

    Of course, if a remote user knows their Internet IP address (displayed when the Adaptor Scan button is pressed), and you have an Internet chat session open with them (eg. via Microsoft Messenger, etc.), they can give you their Internet IP address and you can do a direct TCP Test to that Internet IP address (ie. enter it into the IP Address textbox and then press the TCP Test button). This is the absolute best way to test the direct network path from your computer to their computer over the Internet. They should do the same test to your computer. If both computers pass this test, you should able to share files, etc. using Kenbushi without problems.

    Sharing files over a LAN
    When sharing files over a LAN, there are a number of workgroup setup options available.

    The fastest way to set up a LAN workgroup (eg. a simple home network) is to select Auto-Discovery from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu on the Preferences panel. All computers on the LAN should then be discovered quickly and automatically. If you have multiple network adapters (eg. Ethernet card, wireless network card, etc.) in your computer, you should select the one connected directly to your LAN. No further setup is required. See Figure 14 below.


    Figure 14. Selecting auto-discovery

    If you are in an office or school and wish to set up a number of fixed workgroups, select Workgroup Hub from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu on the Preferences panel (see Figure 15 below). Allocate one computer in each workgroup (one with a fixed IP address and which is switched on all the time) to act as a workgroup hub by checking it's Act as Workgroup Hub checkbox. For all other computers in this particular workgroup, enter the workgroup hub's IP address and sharing password and press the Join button. Once the IP address and password are entered, whenever Kenbushi is launched, the user will automaticaly connect to the workgroup hub and subsequently with all users active in the workgroup.


    Figure 15. Using a workgroup hub

    If you are in an office, school or university, each computer can access the Internet, and you wish to allow for any number of dynamic named workgroups, select Internet (LAN workgroup) from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu on the Preferences panel (see Figure 16 below). Then enter a Workgroup Name and select the LAN Network Adapter which is used for LAN access. When you press the Join button, the computer will connect to the Lava Software Internet server and dynamically connect all users in your named LAN workgroup. This process works through firewalls, since only the setting up of the named LAN workgroup is done via the Internet - all subsequent network activity between file sharing users is done on the LAN, which is usually behind the firewall.

    For example, if all students in a particular University dormitory wanted to form a workgroup and share files, they might select a name like 'ucla-dorm1'. All users who join this named LAN workgroup will then be able to connect together and share files.


    Figure 16. Using the Internet to set up a dynamic or dispersed LAN workgroup

    You can also set up a workgroup manually, if all computers have fixed IP addresses. To do this, select Set Manually from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu. Then, for each workgroup member, enter their fixed IP address into the IP Address textbox and press the Add button. You can also enter IP address ranges by making the last three characters of an IP address "xxx". eg. 192.168.244.xxx (in this case, IP addresses 192.168.244.0 to 192.168.244.254 will be scanned). This may be useful for LANs which have dynamically allocated IP addresses (eg. DHCP).

    Alternatively, you can get the 'Workgroup IP Addresses' list from another user on the network. Start by selecting Get From Other User from the Workgroup Setup Method popup menu. Then enter their IP address into the User IP Address textbox, enter their password into the User Password textbox and press the Get button. Their list will then be transferred and placed in the Workgroup IP Addresses listbox. This makes it very easy to set up and maintain workgroups containing a number of users.

    Solving LAN connection problems
    If you have problems connecting to other users on the LAN, you can now diagnose problems using the Network Monitor. To bring up the Network Monitor, press the Diagnostics... button in the Advanced groupbox on the Network panel. The dialog shown in Figure 13 will be displayed.

    Press the Adapter Scan button to display all Network Adapters installed in your computer. This gives you information about their allocated IP addresses, subnet masks and MAC addresses.

    To test TCP connectivity to another computer running Kenbushi, enter the target computer's IP address (use the Adapter Scan button on the target computer to find out it's possible IP addresses) and press the TCP Test button. A TCP connection request will be made to the target computer and the results displayed.

    If a connection could not be made, the most likely reason is that you entered the IP address of the target computer incorrectly. Go to the target computer, press the Adapter Scan button to check the IP addresses of all the Network Adapters it contains. If you're not sure which Network Adapter is connecting your LAN computers together, try the different IP addresses displayed by the scan until you find one that works.

    You may unknowingly have a firewall active on your LAN (firewalls prevent incoming and outgoing network traffic on particular ports, to enhance computer security). If it's a firewall problem, enable the default base port (3300) for both outgoing and incoming TCP and UDP using your computer's Network or TCP/IP Control Panel and try again. See further information about Firewalls above.


    Note: If you are only sharing files, etc. using Kenbushi over a LAN (eg. a home or office network connected via Ethernet, wireless, etc.), firewalls should not be causing any problems, as firewalls are designed for controlling Internet network access only. The firewall test system in Kenbushi tests for firewall barriers to the Internet only.

    A less likely problem is that you accidently entered different subnet masks on computers on your LAN. The most common subnet mask in home and small office networks is '255.255.255.0'. You can change the subnet mask on a computer on the Network or TCP/IP Control Panel.

    A rare scenario is that there is a Network Address Translation (NAT) device, such as a bridge, in your LAN. You should talk to your network administrator about what may be done to change the network topology to fix this.


    To test UDP connectivity to another computer running
    Kenbushi, enter the target computer's IP address (use the Adapter Scan button on the target computer to find out it's IP address) and press the UDP Test button. A UDP connection request will be made to the target computer and the results displayed.

    Important note: UDP connections are used for the auto-discovery feature in
    Kenbushi.

    Transferring files to your computer
    When you launch Kenbushi, you should see other computers running Kenbushi listed in the Connect to popup menu on the Transfer Files panel after a few seconds. They will also be shown in the Remote User Connection List listbox on the Network panel, and you can see their IP address, their computer name and what they are doing.

    Select a computer from the Connect to popup menu to view it's shared files (see Figure 17 below). You may need to enter a Sharing Password to gain access to files on this computer (once entered, the password will be stored and automatically used for subsequent operations).


    Figure 17. The Transfer Files panel

    All folders are marked with a yellow folder icon, and all files with a grey file icon. In addition, applications (programs) are shown with an orange diamond, and packages as an orange folder. On MacOS, you can check the Use Custom File/Folder Icons checkbox on the Preferences panel. In this case, the correct custom Finder icons will be displayed in the Local File List, though this does slow the refresh time of the list.

    All actions available on items in the local file list and remote file list are accessible using the context sensitive menus displayed when you right-click the item.

    On the local file list, actions include 'Get Info', 'Get Info (With MD5 Signature)', 'Upload', 'Sync', 'Open With Default Application', 'Delete' and 'Reveal On Desktop'. Of course, actions such as 'Upload' will only be available if the remote file list displays a writeable folder. See Figure 18 below.


    Figure 18. The local file list contextual menu

    On the remote file list, actions include 'Get Info', 'Get Info (With MD5 Signature)', 'Download' and 'Delete'. Of course, actions such as 'Delete' will only be available if the remote file list displays a writeable folder. See Figure 19 below.


    Figure 19. The remote file list contextual menu

    Files and folders can also be dragged between the local file list and remote file list to initiate a transfer. If you drag files and folders from the remote file list onto the local file list, those items will be downloaded. If you drag files and folders from the local file list onto the remote file list, those items will be uploaded.

    If you hold down the Shift key whilst clicking the Download or Upload buttons, overwrite is automatically chosen (normally, an alert will be displayed if there are existing files and folders at the destination location). In this way, you can conveniently force an overwrite transfer.

    If you set the Verify Files After Transfer checkbox on the Preferences panel, an MD5 digital signature will be created from each transferred file's data, and this will be checked against the MD5 digital signature of the source file. If a transmission error corrupts even a single bit in a file, the source and destination file MD5s won't match and the file will be automatically retransmitted. This verification is performed on both uploads and downloads of files, and is especially useful for transfers over the Internet as it ensures file transfer integrity.

    Folder navigation
    To move into a folder on the remote computer, double-click it in the Remote File List listbox and the contents of the folder will be displayed. To move up the folder hierarchy, select an item from the Remote Folder Navigation popup menu. At the top level of this popup menu, you will find the root list of files and folders shared by this remote user.

    To move into a folder on the local computer, double-click it in the Local File List listbox and the contents of the folder will be displayed. To move up the folder hierarchy, select an item from the Local Folder Navigation popup menu. At the top level of this popup menu, you will find the name of your computer and the various hard disks, DVD drives, etc. located on it. If you insert a CD, DVD or other media, these should be displayed in a few seconds at this top level.

    The Local Folder Navigation and Remote Folder Navigation popup menus clearly show each of the folders in the path to the folder being displayed, so you can navigate around quickly and consistently.

    Note: Some folders on Linux cannot be accessed. Usually these are folders for which you do not have access permission, according to internal Linux OS settings. It's best to only navigate through folders in your home account.

    Bookmarks
    This easy navigation is further enhanced by the bookmarking system built into Kenbushi. When you are located in a folder you wish to bookmark, select Add Bookmark from the bookmark menu displayed when you press the Bookmark buttons above the local and remote file lists. To quickly go to this location in the future, simply select it from the bookmark menu. To remove a bookmark, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard whilst selecting the bookmark, or go to the bookmark and select Remove Bookmark using the Bookmark button.

    If you bookmark a folder in the Local File List located on ejectable media (eg. CDROM, zip disk, USB flash drive, etc.) and eject the media, the bookmarks will automatically be removed from the local bookmark list. When the media is re-inserted, the bookmarks relating to that media will again become available.

    Bookmarks to locations in the Remote File List are linked to the user selected in the Connect to popup menu when the bookmark was added. Thus, you will only see bookmarks relevant to each particular user.

    Creating folders
    To create a new folder on the local or remote file lists, press the Create Folder button above the list you wish to create the folder in. A new 'untitled' folder will be created and highlighed in the list, so you can easily name it as you wish. If you can't create a folder in the particular folder displayed in the local or remote files lists (ie. the Create Folder button is disabled), it means it's not valid to create it there.

    Folders can only be created in the remote file list if the containing folder (ie. the folder whose contents is displayed in the remote file list) is writeable. Setting a remote shared folder to 'writeable' can only be done on the remote computer, in the Shared Folders panel.

    Renaming files and folders
    To rename a file or folder in the local or remote file lists, simply click on it and edit it directly (see Figure 18 below). When you have finished editing the name, click somewhere else in the listbox for the name to be set. If you decide not to keep the name you are currently entering, hit the Esc key on the keyboard and the changes will be cancelled. If you can't change a name in the list, it means you can't change the name in the list - it may be a folder which is not set to writeable in the remote file list, or a read-only folder on your local hard disk, for example.

    Files and folders can only be renamed in the remote file list if the containing folder (ie. the folder whose contents is displayed in the remote file list) is writeable. Setting a remote shared folder to 'writeable' can only be done on the remote computer, in the Shared Folders panel.


    Figure 18. Renaming a remote file

    Deleting files and folders
    To delete a file or folder, select it in either the local file list or remote file list and press the Delete or Backspace key on the keyboard. If you have the Display Delete Confirmation Alert checkbox checked on the Preferences panel, the confirmation alert shown below in Figure 19 is displayed before the deletion is made.

    Files and folders can only be deleted from the remote file list if the containing folder (ie. the folder whose contents is displayed in the remote file list) is writeable. Setting a remote shared folder to 'writeable' can only be done on the remote computer, in the Shared Folders panel.


    Figure 19. The delete confirmation alert

    Downloading files
    When you wish to download a file displayed in the remote file list, simply double-click it (or highlight it and press the Download button - the left-pointing arrow) to begin transferring it to your computer. After the file transfer is complete, your local file list will be refreshed automatically and the transferred file displayed in it. A number of files and/or folders can be selected at one time on the remote file list, which will be downloaded when you subsequently press the Download button.

    During a transfer, the average transfer speed as well as the instantaneous transfer speed is displayed. The time remaining estimation is calculated using the instantaneous transfer speed.

    You can stop a transfer at any time by pressing the Stop button, and later resume it. After resuming, Kenbushi will determine which files already exist on your computer and then display the overwrite dialog (shown in Figure 20 below).


    Figure 20. The overwrite dialog

    If you press the Overwrite button, any existing files shown in the Local File List will be overwritten with the transferred files.

    Pressing Continue will make the transfer continue from where it left off. The Transferred text (on the bottom right side of the Transfer Files panel) shows information about progress, including the amount of new file data transferred, the amount of new file data that needs to be transferred, and the total amount of file data selected. For example, '3.010 gb of 7.050 gb (8.763 gb)' means that 3.010 gb of file data has been transferred of a total of 7.050 gb. The amount of file data selected was 8.763 gb. Thus, the continue on the transfer occurred after 8.763 gb - 7.050 gb = 1.713 gb had already been transferred.

    If you are getting a large group of files over the Internet from a remote computer (especially via a dialup modem), then the continue function could save you a lot of time. With Kenbushi, you just need to reconnect and continue the transfer if the modem connection drops out unexpectedly (as they sometimes do) and transfers are not fully completed.

    If you are transferring a lot of folders and files over a LAN with Kenbushi, the continue function can be very helpful if there are file access problems. In contrast, if a problem occurs when transferring files and folders using built-in Microsoft Windows file sharing, the transfer is terminated abruptly and you have to start again from the beginning.

    In addition, very large files, such as digital home movies, can be reliably transferred over the Internet (even via dialup modem), making it easy for you to share digital movies, photo collections, etc. with your family and friends.

    The Update button should be used if you only want to transfer newer files between computers, overwriting older files. This can also be used as a simple one-way data backup function by making a copy of a set of files on another computer.

    Note: Holding down the Shift key whilst you click the Download button will force an overwrite and bypass the overwrite dialog.

    Uploading files
    When you wish to upload a file displayed in the local file list, simply double-click it (or highlight it and press the Upload button - the right-pointing arrow) to begin sending it to the remote computer. After the file transfer is complete, the remote file list will be refreshed automatically and the transferred file displayed in it. A number of files and/or folders can be selected at one time on the local file list, which will be uploaded when you subsequently press the Upload button.

    Files and folders can only be uploaded to 'writeable' folders in the remote file list. If the Upload button has a red cross through it, the selected remote folder is not writeable and you cannot upload to it. Setting a remote shared folder to 'writeable' can only be done on the remote computer, in the Shared Folders panel.

    Note: Holding down the Shift key whilst you click the Upload button will force an overwrite and bypass the overwrite dialog.
     
    Remote folder synchronization
    To synchronize two folders with the same name in the local and remote file lists, select the folder in the Local File List and press the Synchronize button (see Figure 20 below). Any files not in both locations will be transferred, and files with newer modification dates will be transferred, until both folders contain the same set of files and folders. For example, this function is particularly good if you wish to work on a set of files at both home and work. You can be at either location, yet be working on the latest set of files. This has the added benefit of maintaining a remote backup of your files as well, in case something happens to one of your computers eg. your laptop is lost, stolen, etc.

    Local folders can only be synchronized to 'writeable' folders in the remote file list. If the Sync button has a red cross through it, the selected remote folder is not writeable and you cannot synchronize to it. Setting a remote shared folder to 'writeable' can only be done on the remote computer, in the Shared Folders panel.

    Note: You can't synchronize with root shared folders ie. folders at the very top level of the remote file list. You can only synchronize with folders contained within root shared folders. For example, in the setup shown in Figure 21 below, we have already navigated into the writeable 'Chemistry' folder and can now synchronize any local folder to it.


    Figure 21. Synchronizing a local with a remote folder

    Getting detailed file and folder information
    To get detailed information about an item in the local file list or remote file list, right-click that item and choose Get Info or Get Info (With MD5 Signature) from the contextual menu. See the example File Information dialog shown before in Figure 22. You can also select multiple items (up to 3 at a time) and get information about all of them at once.



    Figure 22. The File Information dialog

    The File Information dialog shows various information about the file or folder. Unusual information includes the sizes of the data and resource forks, the type, the creator, and the MD5 signature. These are labelled Data, Resource, Type, Creator and MD5 respectively.

    Only some MacOS files have resource forks - pure Windows and Linux files do not (they only have a data fork). However, since you can transfer both data forks and MacOS resource forks to Windows and Linux computers with Kenbushi (by checking the Transfer MacOS Resource Forks checkbox on the Preferences panel), you may see a non-zero resource fork size. The Type and Creator values (which are generally equivalent to a file name extension on Windows and Linux eg. ".pdf") only exist on MacOS.

    The MD5 signature is a very, very unique value generated by a special algorithm using the contents of the file. If even a single bit or byte of a file changes, the MD5 signature created will be completely different. This special ability makes it a superb way to check whether two files are identical - the files are identical only if their MD5 signatures match. This is particular useful if files are located at two different locations, and you want to check that they are the same.

    A particularly powerful feature in Kenbushi is the ability to generate an MD5 signature from the contents of a folder. In this case, all the files in the folder and it's subfolders will be scanned and a cumulative MD5 signature created from them. This makes it possible to check that the contents of two folders match exactly.

    Since MD5 signatures can be generated from items in both the local file list and remote file list, you can check that a file or folder was transferred correctly (ie. there was no file corruption). This is particularly useful if you sometimes get modem dropouts, powerouts, you can't fully complete a transfer from one location and need to resume it at another, etc. Also, if you are located in New York and are transferring a folder of important documents to London, knowing that all documents were transferred correctly is very helpful.

    Note: MD5 signatures are usually 16 bytes in length, resulting in a 32 character hexadecimal value. The MD5 signature displayed in the File Information dialog is calculated to 32 characters, but trimmed to 8 characters to make it easier for users to visually compare two values.

    Using the File Information dialog, you can also change the permissions of a file or folder. After making changes, press the Apply button for the changes to be set.

    Transfer logs
    A log file is created during each transfer you perform, showing which files were uploaded and downloaded, the total amount of data transferred, and other information about the transfer. These logs files are all stored as readable text files in the 'Transfer_Logs' folder in the Kenbushi preferences folder. Transfer logs older than 1 week are automatically deleted, to prevent too many from accumulating.

    Note: Hold down Ctrl and Shift on the keyboard whilst clicking the Preferences on the main window and the preferences folder will be displayed on your desktop (this function is not available on the Linux version).

    Encrypting data during transfers
    If you wish to get files and folders, but keep file data secure during LAN or Internet transfer, check the Encrypt Data checkbox on the Preferences panel. File data will be encrypted by the remote computer (using very strong 896-bit encryption) just before it is sent, preventing hackers from being able to read your file data as it passes over the network. Enabling data encryption slows down the file transfer speed by around 25% over high-speed networks (slowdown is negligible on slower networks). This encrypt data function is only available in the Professional Edition of Kenbushi, though the remote computer from which you are getting files can be either the Standard Edition or the Professional Edition.

    The encrypt data feature is especially useful for companies wishing to set up a simple-to-use, inexpensive, highly effective Virtual Private Network (VPN). With the continuing proliferation of wireless networking in homes and businesses, the point-to-point protection of sensitive or confidential data from snooping can be critically important. Kenbushi elegantly solves this problem.

    MacOS resource forks
    MacOS files sometimes have resource forks (indicated by an asterix, '*', in the Size: column of the Local File List and Remote File List listboxes), in addition to the normal data fork. Resource forks store additional information, such as icons, pictures, text, etc. Windows and Linux files traditionally only have a data fork. If you wish to fully download MacOS files with resource forks onto Windows or Linux computers, check the Transfer MacOS Resource Forks checkbox on the Preferences panel. If you leave this checkbox unchecked, downloading any MacOS files with resource forks to Windows or Linux computers will not include their resource forks, possibly corrupting the file.

    Each resource fork file name is the same as its data fork file name, except that a '._' prefix is added. The '._' prefix is used to ensure compatibility to other cross-platform file server applications. You may need to view hidden files to see these '._' prefix files on Windows and Linux. On Fedora 4 Linux, for example, check the Show Hidden Files menu item in the View menu on the desktop.

    Note: When you upload files from MacOS to Windows or Linux and the Macintosh files contain resource forks, these resource forks are also transferred to the Windows or Linux computer, irrespective of the setting of the Transfer MacOS Resource Forks checkbox on the Windows or Linux computer. Thus, you can correctly and safely backup all your Macintosh files to a Windows or Linux computer.

    Chatting with remote users
    If you are connected to a remote user, you can start a chat session instantly with them by pressing the Chat button on the top right side of the Transfer Files panel. This allows you to send messages to the remote user, asking them to share particular files with you, telling them about the great new song they just heard, etc. An example chat session is shown below in Figure 22.


    Figure 22. The Chat window

    To send a message to the user, type it into the textbox and press the Send Message button (or press 'Enter' on the keyboard). The message will be displayed automatically in your chat window when the remote user has successfully received it. You username will appear in blue in the chat session, and the remote user's will appear in green.

    To send text in your local clipboard to the remote user (such as web page URL, email address, etc), copy it to your clipboard and then press the Send Clipboard button. The remote user's Copy Clipboard button will become enabled when they have successfully received the clipboard text, and they can then copy and paste it into their web browser or other location. The clipboard is displayed in the chat window in red, to differentiate it from the chat text.

    Note: The Linux version does not support colored text in the chat text area. Clipboard transfers are instead marked with three asterixes at each end of the text eg. '***This is some transferred clipboard text.***'

    To get the remote user's attention, press the Send Beep button. An audible alert will sound on the remote user's computer, and you will hear it as well.


    Remote media player
    Many homes are now set up with home theatre systems which feature large screen LCD or plasma TVs and high-powered multichannel 5.1 surround sound systems. They provide a superb way to enjoy music and movies in a highly immersive environment.

    However, storing and playing music and movies usually involves having racks of CDs and DVDs, finding and loading disks that you wish to play, and putting them away after use. Children can also put fingerprints and scratches on disks (affecting their playback quality), and accidently put them away in the wrong place (or not at all). It would be much better to use a hard disk to store the music and movie files, and then play these media directly from that hard disk.

    Kenbushi provides the functionality to convert existing computer hardware (eg. an old Windows or Linux PC) into a media center and file server. Simply install Kenbushi on the designated media computer and place it near a TV and sound system for easy video and audio connection. Then use another computer, such as a laptop, to remotely control the playback of music and movies. Typical applications include piping movies to childrens’ rooms, playing movies and music on the TV in the lounge, and managing music for a party.

    Kenbushi works over wired and wireless LANs, as well as over the Internet. Thus, you can set up your media computer so it is near your TV and sound system, and there are no wires snaking around your lounge room. Most people try to set up media servers in this way.

    However, you can control media playback with
    Kenbushi over the Internet as well, allowing you to control a movie playing at your home from your work computer or some other location. Other possibilities include uploading a new family movie to your grandmother's computer in Florida using Kenbushi and then playing it for her, or remotely playing sound files (such as the sounds of people talking) as a burglar deterent. There are many potential applications.

    Kenbushi integrates the VLC media player (www.videolan.org) to provide its media playback functions.  This media player can play a very wide range of media formats, such as MP3, Ogg, AAC, Avi, DivX 5, MPEG4, Quicktime, WMV2, Sorenson and H264. The only media types that are not supported by VLC are those protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management) systems, such as Apple's Fairplay.

    Note: Support for the Quicktime media player on MacOS and Windows is planned for the future. Quicktime works with Apple's Fairplay DRM system, so will play this type of media as well.


    Searching for files on a remote computer
    You can search for files and folders contained in the shared folders (ie. those folders on the Shared Folders listbox) on a remote computer by keyword or media type
    . This allows you to easily locate files of interest, such as movie or music files, and create playlists using them. The Play Media panel is shown in Figure 23 below.

    M
    ost users add their computer's Music and Movies folders to the Shared Folders listbox to make them accessible to searches. The location of these folders vary by platform: on Windows, they are the 'My Music' and 'My Videos' folders in your 'My Documents' folder; on MacOS X, they are the 'Music' and 'Movies' folders in your home folder; on Linux, you need to create your own folders called 'Music' and 'Movies' and use them.

    If you wish to organize your music and movies on the media server from a remote computer (ie. be able to upload files, download
    files, delete files, rename files, create new folders, etc.), you need to set the music and movies folders you added to the Shared Folders listbox to 'Write-enabled' (by checking the 'Write-enabled' checkbox on the left side of their entry on the Shared Folders listbox). You will then have full access to them. Of course, you can add multiple different music and movie folders to the Shared Folders listbox, if you wish.



    Figure 23. The Play Media panel

    The search functions are located on the right side of the panel. Here you can enter the part or parts of a name you wish to search for using the Search Text textbox, and select the media type using the Media Type popup menu. To start a search, press the Search button. To stop a lengthy search in progress, press the Stop Search button.

    To find files and folders whose names contain particular text, enter part of the name in the Search Text textbox and press the Search button. The remote computer will then search it's shared folders for files matching that search text, and they will be displayed in the Search Results list.

    For example, to search for a movie file called 'Gone with the wind', you could enter 'wind' and all files whose names contain 'wind' will be displayed. Alternatively, you could select Movies from the Media Type popup menu (without search text) and 'Gone with the wind' would also be found.

    Searching for folders by name is also easy to do. This can be useful as music files are often stored inside folders named after the album, and album folders are often stored inside folders named after the artist
    eg. Music files -> Alanis Morissette -> Jagged Little Pill. Select Any Folder from the Media Type popup menu and enter a part of the name of the folder. The search results will display all files contained in folders whose name matches your search criteria. Alternatively, you may have your movies organized in folders by genre eg. Action, Horror, Children, etc. To find all media files of a particular genre, you would simply enter the genre name, select Any Folder as the media type and start a search.

    The search results are displayed in a tree view, which allows you to see exactly where a file is located. This tree view is quite similar to the 'Explorer' view shown for files on the Windows operating system. You can expand and contract the contents of a folder by clicking the expand and contract icons shown next to each folder.

    If you wish to download files or folders you have found, look at the the folder containing the file in the tree view and then navigate to that location using the Remote File List on the Transfer Files panel.

    Note: You can transfer files to and from a media server (using the controls on the Transfer Files panel) during media searches, playlist creation and media playback.


    Setting up media playlists
    Playlists are simply lists of music or movies which you wish to play in order from the top down.

    You can create a new playlist by selecting New Playlist from the File menu - a new playlist will be created in the Playlists listbox with an 'Untitled' name, which you can subsequently edit inline to whatever you like. To remove a playlist, right-click it and select Remove Playlist, or highlight it and press the delete or backspace key.

    Once you have selected a playlist in the Playlists listbox, you can add, remove and arrange media files in it. To add media files, use the search functions on the right side of the Play Media panel to find them, then highlight them and press the Add Media button, or right-click a highlighted item and select Add To Media Files List. The files will then be added to the Media Files list. You can drag around files shown in the Media Files list to change their play order, and remove them by right-clicking them and selecting Remote Media File, or highlighting them and pressing the delete or backspace key.


    You can only edit playlists which aren't currently playing.

    On most computer systems with reasonable performance, you can also transfer files to and from the remote computer during playback. Thus, you can upload a new set of music files or a new movie in the background whilst playback is occurring, and add them to existing or new playlists. Building new playlists with new media files during playback over LANs or the Internet is a very powerful feature in
    Kenbushi.

    To create an instant playlist from the results of a search, simply select some items, right-click the search results and select Create Instant Playlist. A playlist will be created, named after the first item selected. You can then play the playlist as usual. This feature is particularly convenient if you wish to play a movie immediately after locating it on the remote computer.

    You can show and hide media extensions eg. '.mp3', '.avi', etc. using the Show/Hide Media File Extensions menu item of the File menu.

    Note: You can transfer files to and from a media server (using the controls on the Transfer Files panel) during media searches, playlist creation and media playback.


    Controlling media playback
    Media playback is controlled using the set of controls on the bottom left of the Play Media panel. With these controls, you can view and change the play position of the music or movie currently playing, adjust the volume, rewind and fast forward the play position, and stop playback (see Figure 24 below). To allow remote control, make sure the Allow Remote Media Control checkbox on the Preferences panel is checked on any computers you want to remotely control.

    The three time values shown on the top of this area are the amount of time required to finish playing the current media item, the current play position, and the length of the media item respectively. You can
    drag the position slider to move directly to a particular play position in the media item.

    Kenbushi contains an innovative new control system which consists of composite play/pause, rewind and fast forward controls, called Progressive Media ControlTM. The center part of the control contains the Play button. Pressing the Play button will start media playback, and the Pause button will then appear, replacing the Play button. Pressing the Pause button will pause playback. Pressing it again will continue play.



    Figure 24. The Progressive Media ControlTM

    The rewind and fast forward controls are progressive - they actually provide a continuum of rate control from very fine to very fast in both directions. You use fine control when you are close to the position in the movie you're interested in, and very fast movement when you need to move to a new position some way away (of course, you can also drag the Position Slider directly to make coarse changes to play position).

    For example, if you hold the Rewind button down at the outer end, the rewind rate of the media currently being played is very fast. As you drag the mouse pointer towards the center, the rewind rate slows down progressively until you have very fine control over rewind. If you rewind past the position you wanted, just drag further across to the Fast Forward control and the position will slowly increase instead. Dragging to the outer end of the Fast Forward button will make the fast forward rate very fast.

    Thus, during playback of media files, you can drag across the entire Progressive Media ControlTM to set the exact playback position you want.

    Note: When rewinding and fast forwarding media (particularly movies), using slow rewind and slow fast forward rates can cause scenes to appear to be replayed repeatedly. However, if you hold the control down longer, it will move to new scenes as it should. This is simply a characteristic of how some types of compressed movies are encoded (ie. using periodic keyframes).

    Underneath the
    Progressive Media ControlTM is the mute button, to immediately silence the media currently playing, and a sliding volume control. Pressing the mute button a second time will return the volume to it's previous level. The mute control is used when you need to immediately silence a playing movie without stopping or pausing it, such as when you need to take a telephone call.

    On the bottom right side, you will find the Stop button. Pressing the Stop button immediately stops the media playing and closes down the media player. However, an automatic continue bookmark is placed at the position at which the media was stopped - this is indicated by a 'Pause Icon' next to the media item which had been playing. If you subsequently press the Play button again, the media will begin playing from where it left off. Pressing the Stop button twice clears the automatic continue bookmark - this is a good way to force playback to begin again from the first item on the playlist.

    Next to these controls are a number of other media controls to set bookmarks and Skipmarks(TM), as well as buttons to shuffle playlists and refresh media playback information. Some controls, such as the Bookmark and Skipmark buttons, are only active when media is currently playing. These controls are shown in Figure 25 below.



    Figure 25. Other media controls

    The top left button is the Bookmark button, and pressing this brings up the Bookmark popup menu, allowing you to jump to, set and remove bookmarks. Bookmarks allow you to move quickly to locations you previously set, such as the beginning of an important scene, your last playback position, etc., as well as save your position in a movie if you wish to play something else first (eg. music) and then go back to it. Bookmarks are each linked to a specific media file, so if you set a bookmark on a particular movie and then subsequently add that movie to another playlist, your bookmarks will be available in that new playlist as well.

    The next button is the Skipmark button, and pressing this brings up the Skipmark popup menu, allowing you to jump to, set, edit and remove
    Skipmarks. A Skipmark is a section of a movie which will be skipped during playback, and it thus provides a very powerful way to control how a movie is played back without actually modifying the movie file itself. Skipmarks allow you to easily set up a movie so that credits, advertisements, sections unsuitable for children, etc. are automatically and seamlessly bypassed. Skipmarks are each linked to a specific media file, so if you set a Skipmark on a particular movie and then subsequently add that movie to another playlist, your Skipmarks will be available in that new playlist as well.

    For parents of young children, Kenbushi provides a perfect way to manage the children's movie entertainment. Children enjoy watching DVD movies, and many like to insert DVDs into DVD players themselves, with the result that DVDs become coated with fingermarks, scratched, and sometimes get jammed in the DVD player. With Kenbushi, all movies are stored on the computer hard disk, so no DVD disk swapping is required. In addition, Skipmarks allow parents to bypass movie credits, preventing children getting bored watching several minutes of movie credits roll by. Searching for and setting up movies for playback is also very easy, which is especially useful because children often want to watch the same movie many times.

    Skipmarks also allow parents to non-destructively control exactly which parts of the movie their children see, allowing children to watch movies they normally could not watch because of certain embedded violent or adult-oriented scenes. For example, Jurassic Park III is an excellent dinosaur adventure movie, but it contains some violent/scary/bloody scenes which are unsuitable for children (eg. the skeleton hanging on the parachute).

    For video material recorded off TV, advertisements can also be skipped using Skipmarks, if desired. Skipmarks make it easy to modify the playback of video without actually modifying the movie file itself, saving you a great deal of time and effort compared to using a movie editor to effectively do the same job.

    You can enable and disable Skipmark operation using the Enable Skipmarks checkbox, thus giving you control over whether you see the full movie, or the movie played with skipmarks.

    To set a Skipmark start position, simply select Add Skipmark from the Skipmark popup menu when movie playback is at the position you want to set. To set the end position, select the open Skipmark item from the Skipmark popup menu when movie playback is at the position you want to set. You will then see a range displayed in the Skipmark popup menu eg. 00:34:23-00:36:04. Selecting this Skipmark from the Skipmark popup menu will jump to a position 15 seconds before the Skipmark start position, so you can view how well the Skipmark skips the section you wish to cut. Make sure you have the Enable Skipmarks checkbox checked so that Skipmarks are actually enabled (otherwise the marked section won't be skipped, but will play through as usual).

    The best way to set Skipmarks is to first set a rough start and end position, and then edit the Skipmark to tweak it so it exactly skips the section you want. To tweak a rough Skipmark, select it from the Skipmark popup menu and pay careful attention to the displayed play position as it plays the movie. Note the play position of the start and end you want, and then edit the Skipmark to these values. Selecting Edit Skipmarks... from the Skipmark popup menu will bring up the Edit Skipmarks dialog, shown in Figure 26 below.



    Figure 26. The Edit Skipmarks dialog

    The start and end position of each Skipmark in the currently playing movie will be displayed in the list. Select the Skipmark you wish to edit and then move the sliders to make the necessary adjustments. If you set a Skipmark start position from 0 to 15 seconds from the beginning of a movie, the movie will always start playing from the end of the first Skipmark - this allows you to bypass a section at the beginning of the movie. Likewise, if you set a Skipmark end position within 10 seconds of the the end of a movie, movie playback will only run until that Skipmark's start position.

    Press the Save button when you are finished making changes and wish to save them.

    Usually, you would only jump to a skipmark when checking that the exact desired section of the movie has been correctly marked. You may need to do this a few times when editing skipmarks (ie. modifying the start and end positions of a Skipmark) to ensure the results work as you expect. One thing to keep in mind is that
    some types of compressed movies are encoded using periodic keyframes, so making small adjustments to Skipmark start and end positions may not produce exact results.

    You can also use Skipmarks to set up a movie to only play certain segments. For example, if you had a large home movie and you only wanted to play certain parts for a visiting friend or relative, you could set up Skipmarks so that only the segments you wanted would be played, in sequence. In this case, you would probably set a Skipmark to bypass the beginning and skip directly to the first segment of interest. After that segment played, a skipmark would move playback to the next segment of interest, and so on. You could set the last Skipmark to bypass the end of the movie by setting the last Skipmark's end position to the end of the movie.

    With looping, you can
    repeatedly play only the selected segments of a movie you are interested in. For example, if you had a home movie containing some scattered footage of your son when he was a child, and you wanted to play that footage repeatedly during his 21st birthday party on your big screen TV, then Skipmarks with looping would offer a superb solution. No movie editing is required, but simply setting up appropriate Skipmarks for the segments of the movie you want played.

    The Shuffle Playlist button
    randomly shuffles the play order of media in a playlist. Only playlists not currently playing can be shuffled.

    The Media Refresh button refreshes the media playback information for the remote computer currently being controlled. Usually, you only need to refresh after using a PDA for remote media playback control (since the play position, etc. may have changed).

    Note: You can transfer files to and from a media server (using the controls on the Transfer Files panel) during media searches, playlist creation and media playback.


    Remote control using a PDA with Wi-Fi
    In addition to controlling media playback from a media control computer, such as a laptop, you can now remotely control media playback using a web browser on any PDA with Wi-Fi, such as
    Pocket PC, Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable), PalmPilot, mobile phone, etc. Of course, all these PDAs have backlit screens, making it easy to remotely control movie playback in a darkened viewing room. You can even remotely control multiple media servers using the same PDA, since each media server has a unique wireless IP address and Wi-Fi works well through walls. In fact, most users should be able to remotely control media playback from anywhere in their homes with the PDA (possibly in the back garden as well).

    The web browsers available on the different PDA platforms vary substantially in terms of their features and functionality. To get the optimal remote control experience with your PDA (eg. display of playback position, currently playing media, status information, etc), it is recommended that you use a web browser with excellent Javascript support. Currently, the best PDA Web browser which supports Javascript is the Opera mobile browser, available from www.opera.com. Non-Javascript browsers are also supported by Kenbushi, but they only support simple remote control.

    To setup to use a PDA with Wi-Fi for remote media control, you need to activate the Wi-Fi on your PDA. Then check the Allow Remote Media Control and Enable Web Server checkboxes on the Preferences panel of the main window. Underneath the
    Enable Web Server checkbox, you should see the URL you need to enter into your PDA web browser eg. '192.168.0.100:3300/'. Once you enter this URL, you should see the PDA remote control interface come up in the web browser (see Figure 27 below). The picture shows the screen of an HP IPaq rx1950 Pocket PC.



    Figure 27. Remote control interface on a PDA with Javascript (portrait)

    The playlist title is shown at the top of the Web page, and then the media item name. The third line shows the status of media playback (eg. playing, stopped, paused, etc). When media playback is stopped, playing or paused, dots eminate from the status to show an active Wi-Fi connection to the media server. Thus, if dots aren't continually being updated, you may need to wait until a Wi-Fi network connection is made (this may occur if your PDA was switched off, and you switched it on again to control media playback on the server). If dots aren't being updated for a while (or you get a 'Could not establish network connection' message, or similar), try refreshing the page by pushing the browser's Refresh button.

    The Rewind, Play and Fast Forward buttons are displayed below the status line. The Play button starts playing the media if no media is currently playing, and pauses playback if media is playing - press the Play button again to unpause (continue playing) the media, etc. Pressing the Fast Forward button once will start fast forwarding at 8x the normal play speed. Pressing it repeatedly will fast forward 16x, 64x, to the maximum of 256x. Pressing Play at any time during a fast forward will play from that position. Rewind control is similar to fast forward, but will rewind the play position. Pressing the Rewind button during a fast forward will slow the fast forward rate, and vice versa.

    The three time values shown below these buttons are the amount of time required to finish playing the current media item, the current play position, and the length of the media item respectively. The next set of buttons are the Mute button, and the Decrease Volume and Increase Volume buttons (the volume change with each button press is smaller at lower volumes, giving you greater incremental control at low volumes). Finally, the bottom row of buttons are the Previous, Stop and Next buttons. The Previous and Next buttons allow you to move easily to the previous and next playable items on the playlist.

    You can only control media playback with a PDA after you have set up a playlist with the media control computer, and started the playlist playing. At this time, the media control computer sends the playlist and other information to the media server, and the media server can then be fully and independently controlled with the PDA. You can switch off the media control computer, quit Kenbushi on the media control computer, etc. and the media server will retain all the playlist information, and give you full PDA control.

    For example, if you are watching a movie and decide to stop the movie, pressing the Stop button the PDA will stop the movie. If you decide later that you want to continue watching the movie again, simply press the Play button on the PDA and the movie will automatically start playing from the position at which it was stopped. When the movie is playing again, you once again have full control over volume, rewind and fast forward, going to the next and previous media items in the playlist, etc. To provide more information about which item in the playlist is playing (this is especially useful if you are playing music), the item number and the total number of items in the playlist is shown on the PDA display.

    On many PDAs, you can also change from a protrait button layout to a landscape button layout (see Figure 28 below) - simply refresh the Web page and you will find the button layout will change automatically.



    Figure 28. Remote control interface on a PDA with Javascript (landscape, 'Full Screen' mode)

    The basic information shown on the landscape button layout is the same, but a wider arrangement of buttons is used to better accommodate the dimensions of the PDA display. The picture above also shows the Opera browser in 'Full Screen' mode, which eliminates some browser controls to make more active area available.

    Buttons on the PDA can be pressed using the PDA stylus, but they are large enough for you to press directly with your finger or a finger nail.

    Note: If you normally switch off your PDA when not actively controlling media playback, it could take a few seconds for the Wi-Fi connection to the Kenbushi server to be established after you switch it on again. Most PDAs have a Wi-Fi connection indicator, which will show you when the Wi-Fi connection has been re-established and you can control media playback again. If you press a button before the Wi-Fi connection has been re-established (for example, you press the Play button to pause a playing movie), the button press will be queued and sent as soon as the Wi-Fi connection is active. Dots eminating from the status on the PDA also indicate an active Wi-Fi connection to the Kenbushi server (eg. the dots on the left and right sides of the 'Stopped' status message above in Figure 28).

    For Web browsers which do not have Javascript support (or which offer poor Javascript support), such as Internet Explorer, you still have all the usual media playback controls, but no dynamic real-time display of play progress. See Figure 29 below.



    Figure 29. Remote control interface on a PDA without Javascript (portrait)

    With these type of browsers, when you press a button, the entire web page is refreshed. For superior remote media control experience, please use a Javascript-enabled browser, such as Opera.

    Note: Kenbushi will try to automatically detect if your PDA's Web browser is Javascript-enabled, as well as your PDA's screen orientation (portrait or landscape)
    . However, sometimes this detection doesn't work properly, and you may need to override the automatic detection. There are a number of URLs you can use which force Kenbushi to use a particular page format. Some sample URLs are shown below:

    Type of PDA remote control Web page
    Sample URL (the IP address shown is for illustration purposes only)
    Automatic Javascript and layout detection
    http://192.168.0.100:3300
    Javascript-enabled, horizontal button layout http://192.168.0.100:3300/jshindex.html
    Javascript-enabled, vertical button layout http://192.168.0.100:3300/jsvindex.html
    No Javascript, horizontal button layout http://192.168.0.100:3300/nojshindex.html
    No Javascript, vertical button layout http://192.168.0.100:3300/nojsvindex.html

    If you are using wireless networking in your home or office, it is highly recommended that you use a password for access to that network (using 'WEP', an acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy). This protects your network from intruders and eavesdroppers getting into your network, as well as people using your Internet connection without your knowledge or consent (and possibly causing problems, such as making you go over your monthly download limit).


    Creating your own PDA remote control 'Skins'
    Advanced users may wish to create their own PDA remote control Web pages to control media playback on Kenbushi ie. create your own PDA remote control 'Skins' with custom buttons. You can then change the background picture, button layout, button graphics, button size, etc. This may be necessary, for example, if you wish to tweak the button layout to fit the screensize of the PDA you have.

    All the master PDA remote control Javascript and non-Javascript web pages are located in the 'HTML' folder inside the main Kenbushi application folder. The button graphics for the horizontal layout buttons are located in the 'hori' folder, and the
    button graphics for the vertical layout buttons are located in the 'vert' folder. You'll need to modify the HTML code of the Web pages if you change the button sizes, but all other functions (such as playback position, etc.) should work if you use the master PDA remote control web pages as a template (make sure you backup the masters before making any changes, so you can revert back to them if you need to!!!).


    PDA trouble-shooting
    * Make sure you have Wi-Fi wireless networking enabled on your PDA. Most PDAs allow you to switch off Wi-Fi to save battery power.

    * If you can't get any web pages to load on your PDA Web browser, trying using one of the other IP addresses shown on the list below the Enable Web Server checkbox on the Preferences panel on Kenbushi. Maybe you are not using the IP address of the wireless network adaptor on your server.

    * If Web pages are not displaying properly, try using a different Web browser on your PDA. We highly recommend
    Opera for the remote control function, due primarily to it's excellent Javascript support. For the best wireless slideshows, use a Web browser which eliminates all controls when set to 'Full Screen' mode.

    * If you find a Web page on your PDA doesn't refresh (eg. it simply sits there and does nothing) after switching on your PDA again after it automatically powers off, try clearing the browser cache and then refreshing again. On Opera 8.x, clear the cache by selecting Tools -> Settings from the Menu, then selecting the History tab and pressing the Clear cache button. On Internet Explorer, select Tools -> Options... from the Menu, then select the Memory tab and press the Delete Files button.

    *
    On some PDAs, browser cache memory may be quite limited. A low-memory problem may exhibit itself as instability, failure to load menus or pictures, etc. A soft reset may be required under some circumstances (see your PDA user manual for more details).

    * Try to avoid exotic characters in the URLs you use - the web server in Kenbushi is quite simple and can't deal with unusual characters in URLs.


    Media playback screens on the remote media computer
    When playing music, a music playback screen is displayed on the remote media server computer (see Figure 29 below). The large graphic at the top shows whether the current song is playing or paused, and the progress bar at the bottom shows graphically the current play position. The amount of time required to finish playing the music track, the current play position, and the length of the music track are shown at the bottom of the screen. In the center is displayed the track title, artist and album.



    Figure 29. The Music Playback screen

    To stop playback at any time, press the Stop Playback button. The media player will also be closed, showing the Ready For Action... backdrop (shown below in Figure 30).



    Figure 30. The Ready For Action screen


    To control media playback on multiple remote computers, simply select the computer you wish to control from the Connect to popup menu on Kenbushi. If media is currently playing on the selected remote computer, the correct playlist, media name and media position will be displayed on the Play Media panel. You can then set playback position, fast forward, rewind, change the playlist or media being played, search for media, create new playlists, set the volume, etc. as usual. These settings will be automatically saved if you subsequently choose a different remote computer to control.

    Thus, you could set up media computers at different locations in your home, and play different movies and/or music on each. For example, you could play a family movie in the children's room, whilst playing soothing music in the living area. Or you could remotely control the music played at a pool party in your backyard (or even next door, if you have a wireless LAN!) from your study.

    If you have a PDA with Wi-Fi, you can control music playback from anywhere around your house or in your backyard - unlike Infrared remote controls, Wi-Fi signals can pass through walls, and generally have a range of up to 150 feet.

    In addition, you could control movie or music playback of one or more remote computers over the Internet.


    Media file compatibility
    Some media file formats are not fully supported by the VLC media player. This limits some features of 
    Kenbushi when playing these files.

    DivX 5: If a movie encoded in DivX5 format is played, the seek, rewind and fast forward functions will not work correctly. In addition, the position of a paused movie will not be saved correctly between launches of
    Kenbushi (the movie will always start playing at the beginning again). The duration of the movie is also incorrect, and is assumed to be 3 hours in length. This issue is due to limited DivX5 support in the VLC v0.8.4 media player.

    MP4: When music and sound files encoded in MP4 format (which use the m4a file extension) are played, album and artist information is not displayed on the media backdrop.


    The VLC media player

    Kenbushi integrates the VLC media player (www.videolan.org) to provide its media playback functions.  This media player can play a very wide range of media formats, such as MP3, Ogg, AAC, Avi, DivX 5, MPEG4, Quicktime, WMV2, Sorenson and H264. The only media types that are not supported by VLC are those protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management) systems, such as Apple's Fairplay.

    The VLC source code can be found at:
    http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-sources.html


    Note to MacOS X users
    VLC v0.8.5 only supports MacOS X 10.3.9 and up, so VLC 0.8.4a is still bundled with the MacOS X version of Kenbushi. This ensures that users of versions of MacOS X lower than 10.3.9 are still supported.


    Note to Windows users
    Windows users generally have to be more mindful of viruses, spyware, and other malware than MacOS and Linux users, to ensure their computers work reliably and consistently. To ensure protection from malware, Windows users generally run anti-virus and anti-spyware programs in the background while they use their Windows computer to do useful tasks.

    The problem with many anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on Windows is that they slow down the effective computer speed, and introduce unusual and unpredictable delays when performing operations such as creating or modifying files (particularly large files eg. 700MB Divx movies), moving data over networks, launching applications, etc.

    Tests have shown that opening large files can effectively lock up a Windows computer for a short time as anti-virus software scans the file to ensure if it has not been infected. Folders full of movie files can cause substantial lockup times when scanned by Kenbushi as it gets information about these files for inclusion in the local file list.

    Anti-spyware software (including Microsoft's own anti-spyware product) can noticably delay the launch of movies opened by 
    Kenbushi using the VLC media player.

    Unfortunately, there is no way to get around this problem without disabling anti-virus or anti-spyware products (which is not recommended). However, if you wish to test if these products are causing delays, you can disable them for a short time until the tests are complete.



    Note to Linux Users
    VLC is bundled with
    Kenbushi for MacOS and Windows. However, there are many Linux distributions and it would not be practical to bundle all the different versions with Kenbushi for Linux. Thus, you will need to install VLC on your particular Linux distribution. You can download the latest builds from www.videolan.org.

    The discussion below assumes you are using
    the 'Dapper Drake' version of Ubuntu Linux. This distribution is highly recommended, especially for users new to Linux - it is a very solid build and installation is very easy. On some other Linux distributions (and older versions of Ubuntu), you will need to install a library which Kenbushi depends on, called libstdc++5. You should visit the libstdc++5 resource page to locate the correct version for your system.

    On the 'Dapper Drake' version of Ubuntu Linux, if you have a 'Universe' repository already activated, VLC will be available simply by using the 'Add/Remove...' applications function (the menu item at the bottom of the Applications menu). You should use VLC v0.8.4 with Kenbushi, as newer versions of VLC will not work.

    To activate a 'Universe' repository, open Synaptic (
    System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager). In Settings -> Repositories, check the checkbox for 'Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Binary) - Community maintained (Universe)' and then close this window (see Figure 31 below). This 'Universe' is what most home users would want to activate, as it contains a list of all the additional software you'll probably ever need on your Linux computer.


    Figure 31. The Ubuntu 'Universe' repository

    Then on the Synaptic Package Manager window, search for 'vlc' (use the Search button) - you should then see the following 'vlc' entries (see Figure 32 below). Right-click 'vlc' and select it for installation. Then press the Apply button to actually download and install VLC v0.8.4.


    Figure 32. Selecting the 'vlc' media player for installation

    Kenbushi also requires libssl0.9.7 to be installed, otherwise it will bring up an error when you run it. Search for and install libssl0.9.7 in a similar way to VLC (see Figure 33 below).



    Figure 33. Selecting 'libssl0.9.7' for installation

    You should now find that you can run Kenbushi, and all the media playback functions work.


    Web server
    A simple web server is integrated into Kenbushi, which allows you to easily set up a folder of HTML documents for viewing using any Web browser. This is especially useful over a LAN, where you may need to make Web-based materials available to a number of users, but don't want to go to the trouble of setting up a fully fledged Web server, such as Apache. Of course, Web servers can also be used for functions other than HTML document serving, such as simple data distribution.

    To 'Web-enable' a folder of
    HTML documents, simply add the folder to the Shared Folder listbox (on the Shared Folders panel), check the Web-enable checkbox on the left side of the folder, and ensure the Enable Web Server checkbox is checked on the Preferences panel.

    You will then be able to access documents in this folder from any web browser using a URL made up of the shared folder name and the name of the document to load (if you only specify the shared folder name, and not the name of the document, the server will attempt to load the default file called 'index.html'). For example, if you Web-enabled the 'Shared' folder and your computer's local IP address is '192.168.0.100', the 'index.html' document could be accessed using the following URLs:

    http://192.168.0.100:3300/shared/
    http://192.168.0.100
    :3300/shared/index.html

    To view the folders that are currently Web-enabled on Kenbushi (and thus accessible using a web browser), use the main index URL eg. 'http://192.168.0.100:3300/index.html'. This will bring up a web page similar to that shown in Figure 34 below. This page also shows the IP addresses from which this server page is accessible (in the example below, a wireless network adaptor [192.168.0.100] and an Ethernet adaptor [169.254.74.225] are available, as well as an Internet IP address [58.160.131.80]).

    Notice also that the state of the Allow Remote Media Control checkbox on the media server is shown on the Web page.



    Figure 34. The main index page of Kenbushi

    Note: the default IP address of the server is always shown below the Enable Web Server checkbox (though, if you have more than one network adaptor in your computer eg. Ethernet, Wi-Fi wireless, dialup modem, etc., you should be able to access the Web server using the IP address of any of the installed network adaptors) - the port number used is the Base Port Number set on the Network panel, not the usual HTTP ports 80 or 8080.

    You can access the Kenbushi server over the Internet. However, you need to ensure the Kenbushi default base port (usually 3300) is open ie. no firewalls exist between the web browser and the server. You can check that the server is not blocked by an Internet firewall by using the firewall diagnostic test built into Kenbushi. In addition, you need to have a static IP address for your server's Internet connection (static IP addresses can often be assigned to you by your ISP on request), and use this IP address when trying to remotely access the server.

    Advanced users can add additional MIME types to the Kenbushi Web server by adding them to the 'MIMETypes.txt' file, located in the 'Data' folder. Simply add the file extension followed by a space, and then the MIME type. If a file is requested which has a file extension not in the MIME type list, the server will return a '404 Not Found' HTTP error.

    A range of common document MIME types can be served by Kenbushi by default, including:

    jpg, gif and png: graphics files
    htm, html: HTML files
    js: Javascript files
    txt, rtf: text document files
    xml: XML files

    Files up to 10MB will be served by the Kenbushi server. Any files larger than 10MB will return a
    '404 Not Found' HTTP error.

    If you set a 'Web-enabled' folder as 'write-enabled' (by checking it's
    'write-enabled' checkbox on the Shared Folders listbox), you will also be able to upload HTML documents, etc. at any time to the shared folder using a remote computer running Kenbushi. This allows you to update and delete files in a HTML document set remotely.

    If you are using wireless networking in your home or office, it is highly recommended that you use a password for access to that network (using 'WEP', an acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy). This protects your network from intruders and eavesdroppers getting into your network, as well as people using your Internet connection without your knowledge or consent (and possibly causing problems, such as making you go over your monthly download limit).


    Web slideshows

    This powerful feature of Kenbushi allows you to easily set up a JPEG photo slideshow for viewing on all Web browsers on laptops with Wi-Fi wireless networking, as well as all web browsers on PDAs with Wi-Fi wireless networking, such as the Pocket PC, Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable), PalmPilot, mobile phone, etc. You can remotely view the slideshows anywhere within wireless range, without ever actually storing the photos on these devices. Photos are auto-scaled to fit any screensize from 30x20 pixels up to 1920x1200 pixels, with superb quality provided by automatic anti-aliasing, and update regularly at the set interval.

    Simply place the JPEG photos you wish to view as a slideshow into a folder, add the folder to the Shared Folder listbox and check the folder's 'Web-enabled' checkbox (on the left side of the
    Shared Folder listbox). Then check the Enable Web Slideshows checkbox on the Preferences panel, and set the interval and screensize you want. If you wish to have the photos automatically rotated (this is best on a PDA, since it maximizes viewing area if you have a mixture of vertical and horizontal photos), check the Auto-Rotate checkbox. You can start the slideshow by entering the special 'kb.ss.html' document name into your web browser. For example, if the folder you've prepared and added to the Shared Folders listbox is called 'snaps' and your server's wireless IP address is 192.168.0.100:3300, the URL you need to enter on your web browser to run the slideshow is:

    http://192.168.0.100
    :3300/snaps/kb.ss.html

    To list all the
    available slideshows on the Kenbushi server, enter a URL made up of your server's wireless IP address followed by the 'kb.ss.html' web page name. To start a slideshow on the list, simply click it's link. To go to the next picture, hit your web browser's Refresh button. To go back to the list of available slideshows, hit your web browser's Back button. For example, if your server's wireless IP address is 192.168.0.100:3300, the URL you need to enter on your web browser for the slideshow list is:

    http://192.168.0.100:3300/kb.ss.html

    Of course, once you have entered a particular URL, you can set a bookmark on the Web browser to conveniently access it again in the future. In fact, you can set up any number of slideshows for remote viewing, each with their own bookmark for easy access. See the example PDA slideshow below, in Figure 35 (viewed with the Internet Explorer Web browser on an iPaq rx1950. The iPaq is in portrait mode, but the slideshow has auto-rotate enabled, so the pictures are both scaled to the screen size and rotated appropriately).



    Figure 35. An example PDA slideshow (portrait with auto-rotate, 'Full Screen' mode)

    Viewing slideshows remotely via a Wi-Fi enabled PDA web browser has significant advantages compared to storing them in the PDA memory: pictures don't use up the available storage space on your PDA, setting up a slideshow folder is very easy compared to resizing all pictures for your particular PDA screensize and uploading them to the PDA, any number of slideshows can be made available for convenient viewing, and any PDA device
    or desktop computer with a web browser can be used for viewing.

    Slideshows have the following additional features:
    If you are using wireless networking in your home or office, it is highly recommended that you use a password for access to that network (using 'WEP', an acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy). This protects your network from intruders and eavesdroppers getting into your network, as well as people using your Internet connection without your knowledge or consent (and possibly causing problems, such as making you go over your monthly download limit).

    Note: When viewing photos on a PDA, please keep in mind that browser cache memory may be quite limited. A low-memory problem may exhibit itself as instability, failure to load menus or pictures, etc. A soft reset may be required under some circumstances (see your PDA user manual for more details).


    Building your own remotely controlled media center
    Many homes are now set up with home theatre systems which feature large screen LCD or plasma TVs and high-powered multichannel 5.1 surround sound systems. They provide a superb way to enjoy music and movies in a highly immersive environment.

    However, storing and playing music and movies usually involves having racks of CDs and DVDs, finding and loading disks that you wish to play, and putting them away after use. Children can also put fingerprints and scratches on disks (affecting their playback quality), and accidently put them away in the wrong place (or not at all). It would be much better to use a hard disk to store the music and movie files, and then play these media directly from that hard disk.

    Kenbushi provides the functionality to convert existing computer hardware (eg. an old Windows or Linux PC) into a media center and file server. Simply install Kenbushi on the designated media computer and place it near a TV and sound system for easy video and audio connection. Then use another computer, such as a laptop, to remotely control the playback of music and movies. Typical applications include piping movies to childrens’ rooms, playing movies and music on the TV in the lounge, and managing music for a party.

    Kenbushi works over wired and wireless LANs, as well as over the Internet. Thus, you can set up your media computer so it is near your TV and sound system, and there are no wires snaking around your lounge room. Most people try to set up media computers in this way.


    Choosing a suitable computer
    Personal computers have been available for over two decades now, and many users upgrade every few years to newer and faster machines. The question is, what useful purpose can those old computers be put to? Most often, they are passed down to other less discriminating users in the household, given away to friends or relatives, or dumped. Kenbushi provides a way to use these old computers by converting them into a media center suitable for playing music and movies.

    Most old computers can play music, but you generally need a faster computer (> 1GHz in speed) Windows or Linux PC to play video well. With Macs, an 800MHz G3 appears to be sufficient. The best approach to finding out what your old computer is capable of is to install the Lite Edition of 
    Kenbushi on it, along with some music and movie files, and then try playing them using the remote media controls built into Kenbushi. If the computer plays music well, then it could make a good music center. If it also plays movies well (ie. without stuttering, freezing or dropouts), then you have a fully fledged media center on your hands.

    Of course, you may also be able to partially refurbish an old PC so it can play music and movies properly, by purchasing and installing a budget sound card and/or video card for it. Sound cards with 5.1 channel output can be purchased for as little as USD15.00, and video cards with TV out capabilities can be had for as little as USD40.00. You'll also need an Ethernet card or wireless network adaptor in the old PC to connect to your home network, allowing media playback to be controlled remotely.

    If you want to set up your computer as a dedicated media center, you won't need to connect a mouse or keyboard (see the example setups below for further information about how to do this). Of course, the TV output at the back of the computer will be connected directly to your TV, so you won't need a monitor either.

    Rather than recycling an old PC, you could build a new media computer using budget PC components from a local PC store, or purchase a complete low-end system from a catalog - only the computer box is required as
    Kenbushi works on computers without a monitor (assuming it has a TV output), keyboard or mouse. Since a version of Kenbushi is also available for Linux, there is great flexibility when choosing a budget packaged PC to use as a powerful media center.

    If you are technically capable, you may save more money by installing and using a free operating system, such as Linux. There are many easy-to-install distributions of Linux available for download from the Internet, such as Ubuntu. Ubuntu installs easily, detects most computer hardware, and has a simple installation system for additional software which works via download over the Internet.



    Example Windows setup
    If you want to make your computer a dedicated media center (ie. no mouse or keyboard connected to it), you need to set it up so that it boots and runs 
    Kenbushi automatically when it's switched on. The following description assumes that you are relatively familiar with the BIOS built into PCs, navigating around the Windows desktop, and creating shortcuts.

    The first task is to set the BIOS so it continues even though it finds no keyboard connected. This is often selectable in the 'Main' BIOS menu, which will be displayed when you press the 'Delete' key during computer startup. You need to set the 'All but Keyboard' (or similar) option for 'Halt On'.

    Once you get through to booting into Windows, you need to ensure that a username and password is not requested when it starts up (obviously, without a keyboard attached, you can't type in any information). When you do a fresh installation of Windows (which is recommended if you are creating a media center PC), Windows will boot without asking for a username or password. However, you can change the user logon settings in the Windows control panels, if your Windows PC has been used in the past and has multiple user accounts already on it.

    Assuming you now have a Windows PC which you can switch on and which will then boot fully into Windows without user intervention, you now need to install 
    Kenbushi, create a shortcut to the Kenbushi application, and place that shortcut in the Windows 'Startup' folder. To create a shortcut, right-click the Kenbushi application (it should be in C:\Program Files\Kenbushi\) and select 'Create Shortcut' from the displayed contextual menu.

    The 'Startup' folder can be found in different locations, depending on the type of Windows you are running. On Windows XP, you'll find the 'Startup' folder inside the 'Programs' folder, inside the 'Start Menu' folder, inside the users folder, inside the 'Documents and Settings' folder.

    For example, if your account name was 'Michael' and you only had one hard drive (ie. drive C:), the location of the 'Startup' folder would be:

    C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

    Finally, make sure that
    Kenbushi is set up correctly. By default, it should have the Workgroup Setup Method on the Network panel set to Auto-Discovery (with this setting, it should automatically connect to all computers on your LAN running Kenbushi). In addition, ensure the Allow Remote Media Control checkbox is checked and that you know the Sharing Password set on it. Also, set up a writeable shared folder to contain the movies and music you want to remotely control (by default, a shared folder on the desktop called 'Shared Folder' is created, but you need to check the Writeable checkbox next to it on the Shared Folders panel - this will allow you to upload movies and music to it from a remote computer).

    It's also a good idea to disable any screensavers (these are often switched on by default).

    If everything is set up correctly, you'll find that when the PC is switched on, it boots into Windows and runs
    Kenbushi automatically. You should then have immediate control of the PC from another computer.


    Example MacOS setup
    The Mac Mini is an excellent choice for a media center, as it is very compact and offers high-resolution video output for widescreen TVs. However, any type of Mac would be suitable, as long as it runs MacOS X.

    If you want to make your computer a dedicated media center (ie. no mouse or keyboard connected to it), you need to set it up so that it boots and runs 
    Kenbushi automatically when it's switched on. On MacOS computers, no keyboard or mouse needs to be connected for it to boot up correctly, so you don't need to take any special action to achieve this.

    Once you get through to booting into MacOS X, you need to ensure that a username and password is not requested when it starts up (obviously, without a keyboard attached, you can't type in any information). To do this, go to the Accounts control panel, select the main Admin account and click the Login Options selector. You should see a checkbox which allows you to set your Mac to automatically log in as a particular user. Check this checkbox.

    Assuming you now have a Mac which you can switch on and which will then boot fully into MacOS without user intervention, you now need to install
    Kenbushi and add the Kenbushi application to the login items list on the account you selected above for automatic login. To do this, go to the Accounts control panel, select the main Admin account, select the Login Items panel and add Kenbushi to the list using the Add button at the bottom of the panel. Then check the checkbox next to the Kenbushi application in the list.

    Finally, make sure that
    Kenbushi is set up correctly. By default, it should have the Workgroup Setup Method on the Network panel set to Auto-Discovery (with this setting, it should automatically connect to all computers on your LAN running Kenbushi). In addition, ensure the Allow Remote Media Control checkbox is checked and that you know the Sharing Password set on it. Also, set up a writeable shared folder to contain the movies and music you want to remotely control (by default, a shared folder on the desktop called 'Shared Folder' is created, but you need to check the Writeable checkbox next to it on the Shared Folders panel - this will allow you to upload movies and music to it from a remote computer).

    It's also a good idea to disable any screensavers (these are often switched on by default).

    If everything is set up correctly, you'll find that when the Mac is switched on, it boots into MacOS X and runs
    Kenbushi automatically. You should then have immediate control of the PC from another computer.


    Example Ubuntu Linux setup
    There are many easy-to-install distributions of Linux available for download from the Internet, such as Ubuntu. Ubuntu installs easily, detects most computer hardware, and has a simple installation system for additional software which works via download over the Internet. The following discussion assumes that you wish to use the 'Dapper Drake' Ubuntu Linux distribution.

    The first step is to go to the Ubuntu website and download the 'Dapper Drake' version of Ubuntu (most users get the PC (Intel x86) desktop CD .iso file). You then need to burn the .iso file to CD, and use that CD to install Ubuntu on your computer.

    After installing the 'Dapper Drake' version of Ubuntu, please follow the instructions shown in Notes for Linux users above. This section explains in detail how to install the VLC media player and a library you need to run Kenbushi. After working through this section, y
    ou should find that you can run Kenbushi, and all the media playback functions work.

    If you want to make your computer a dedicated media center (ie. no mouse or keyboard connected to it), you need to set it up so that it boots and runs 
    Kenbushi automatically when it's switched on. The following description assumes that you are relatively familiar with the BIOS built into PCs, and creating shortcuts.

    The first task is to set the BIOS so it continues even though it finds no keyboard connected. This is often selectable in the 'Main' BIOS menu, which will be displayed when you press the 'Delete' key during computer startup. You need to set the 'All but Keyboard' (or similar) option for 'Halt On'.

    Once you get through to booting into Ubuntu Linux, you need to ensure that a username and password is not requested when it starts up (obviously, without a keyboard attached, you can't type in any information). After logging in, select Login Screen Setup from the Administration item of the System menu. On this control panel, select Login a user automatically on first bootup and close the control panel.

    Assuming you now have a Ubuntu Linux PC which you can switch on and which will then boot fully into Ubuntu Linux without user intervention, you now need to install 
    Kenbushi, and make it so that Kenbushi is started automatically.

    To make 
    Kenbushi start automatically, select Sessions from the Preferences item of the System menu. On this control panel, move to the Startup Programs panel, press the Add button and navigate to and select the Kenbushi application.

    Important Note: the file path to the 
    Kenbushi application can contain no spaces, otherwise Linux won't be able to launch the application correctly (it always views a space as the end of a command line, and processes text after the space as control options). To fix this problem, replace all spaces in the path to the Kenbushi application with underscores, '_'. After changing the path, make sure you update the path in the Startup Programs panel as described above.

    Finally, make sure that
    Kenbushi is set up correctly. By default, it should have the Workgroup Setup Method on the Network panel set to Auto-Discovery (with this setting, it should automatically connect to all computers on your LAN running Kenbushi). In addition, ensure the Allow Remote Media Control checkbox is checked and that you know the Sharing Password set on it. Also, set up a writeable shared folder to contain the movies and music you want to remotely control (by default, a shared folder on the desktop called 'Shared Folder' is created, but you need to check the Writeable checkbox next to it on the Shared Folders panel - this will allow you to upload movies and music to it from a remote computer).

    It's also a good idea to disable any screensavers (these are often switched on by default).

    If everything is set up correctly, you'll find that when the PC is switched on, it boots into Ubuntu Linux and runs Kenbushi automatically. You should then have immediate control of the PC from another computer.


    Data Backup
    Kenbushi provides powerful data backup and recovery functions to help protect users from losing important files. During a backup, it scans selected folders and adds recently modified files to the backup store. Older versions of each file are also retained. To recover a file, the user simply selects the date on which the desired file was current and a file explorer interface (which accepts search criteria) shows all files available at that date. Files and folders can then be selected and restored to their original locations, or saved to a new location. File data integrity is verified during storage and recovery using MD5 digital signatures. Backup logs and restore logs provide detailed information about all file transfers.

    Backups can be scheduled to be performed monthly, weekly, daily or hourly. When a backup schedule triggers, the backup operation can be performed automatically, or optionally an alert displayed allowing the user to start the backup when ready. This ‘Alert Only’ mode is perfect for protecting users’ work whilst they are editing an important document (eg. a thesis), or series of documents (eg. software source code modules). Every hour, the backup alert will obediently pop up reminding the user to save their work and start the incremental backup process. At this time, the user can also enter a short note describing the backup eg. ‘Just completed thesis abstract’. In this way, with minimal effort, the user has a rolling series of versions of their valuable documents backed up. Later, if they need to, they can easily access any previous version of their files.

    Note: The Standard and Lite Editions of
    Kenbushi support a maximum of 10 backups per backup plan, as they are only intended to demonstrate the backup function. Please purchase or crossgrade to the Professional Edition to perform unlimited backups per plan. You can order at www.lavasoftware.com.


    Using the Backup Plan Wizard
    The easiest way to set up a backup plan suitable for most users is to use the Backup Plan Wizard. This wizard can be displayed by selecting Backup Plan Wizard... from the Wizard menu (see Figure 36 below). Simply pressing the Backup Now button will backup your data onto the local hard disk. The instructions on the Backup Plan Wizard dialog describe the key information you need to do a basic but effective backup.

    If you currently have other users on the network running
    Kenbushi, these users should be displayed in the Remote User popup menu on the Backup Plan Wizard dialog. If you wish to backup to a remote user, simply check the Backup To 'Remote User' checkbox and select a remote user to backup to, and the backup data will be stored on the remote computer as well (this is safer than just backing up to your local hard disk). This remote user may be your home media/backup server, or another computer in your home which is connected via LAN or wireless networking.



    Figure 36. The Backup Plan Wizard dialog

    Desktop Documents includes all documents on your desktop itself, as well as files within any folders on the desktop. Many users typically create folders on the desktop, named after the person the folder belongs to. They then use this folder to store their PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, etc. Thus, this Desktop Documents item will backup all these folders correctly by default, which is what most users want.

    Note: The 'Backups' and 'Shared' folders created and used by
    Kenbushi (and usually located on the desktop) are never included in backups.

    The Local Settings item on Windows will include application settings and data from Outlook Express (eg. mailboxes, etc) and various other installed applications. It's very prudent to backup this information as well.

    After you have used the Backup Plan Wizard, you will find a backup plan called 'Standard' in the backup plan listbox on the Backup Data panel of the main window. You can edit this backup plan by double-clicking it. Additional files and folders can then be added to the backup plan, as well as additional remote destinations. You may also like to change the backup schedule for a destination.


    Deciding what files and folders to backup
    The key to appreciating what files and folders to backup up is to consider how you would feel if you lost the data forever. Please take a moment to think about this...

    There is also an important distinction between public and private files. Public files are those which were produced by someone else and which are quite widely available and accessible, such as software installers (eg. Microsoft Office, Half-Life 2, Mozilla, etc). Generally, the only reason to backup public files is to ensure convenient access. Private files are those which are unique to yourself or your organization, usually because you produced them. Thus, they are totally unique and have intrinsic value to you.

    For most users, there are three levels of private file value: critical files, important files, and files which are vaguely needed but you're not really sure why (eg. last years essay on Aristotle's 'Nicomachean Ethics'). You should use the most robust backup strategy for critical files, and the least robust backup strategy for vaguely needed files.

    Robustness is an ability to recover gracefully from a whole range of exceptional adverse situations. This may simply be your computer's hard disk failing - a common problem when hard disks reach 3+ years in service. Other examples of adverse situations include your home being flooded, a power spike burning out your computer, your computer being stolen (particularly common for laptops), a virus corrupting your operating system and/or data files, a trojan horse being surrupticiously installed on your computer and subsequently encrypting your Word documents so a remote hacker can demand a ransom to recover them (this occurred recently), your teenage daughter deleting files to make more room for downloaded music, the local computer repair shop accidently clearing your hard drive when you bring your computer in for servicing, a hurricane, etc, etc.

    Robustness can be increased in several ways:
    1. make multiple redundant copies of files, so if the original file is lost, another copy can be used in its place.
    2. storing copies in different geographical locations, so a localized exceptional adverse situation, such as your house burning down, doesn't destroy all copies.
    3. use a scheme to ensure the integrity of each backup copy - copies should be exact duplicates of the original, and if one is corrupted, we should be able to detect this and use a different copy.
    For critical files, consider storing AT LEAST two additional copies of each file. In this way, when you lose the original file, even if one backup copy is corrupted or inaccessible, you still have one good copy. For important files, you need AT LEAST one additional copy of each file. For vaguely needed files, you should aim for one additional copy. With Kenbushi, you can store additional redundant copies of critical and important files by simply using multiple destinations with each backup plan.

    Kenbushi can backup files to the local hard disk, as well as to multiple remote destinations via the inbuilt file transfer system, whether the computers in your workgroup are on your LAN or connected over the Internet. This allows you to backup all your Windows PCs, Macs and Linux computers to your home server, for example, or even a computer on the other side of the world. Thus, it is now very easy to set up a multiple redundant backup system for your valuable files.


    Choosing an appropriate schedule
    The key to selecting a good backup schedule is to consider how you would feel if you had to revert to your last backup...

    It's great having a backup strategy, but if you did the last backup a week ago and you lose your original file (for example, your thesis), the file you revert to will be a week old! You could have done a lot of work on the document in that week, which you have now lost.

    For important files, such as purchased iTunes music, a daily or weekly backup is sufficient. For critical files which are modified often (ie. an important document you are actively working on), an hourly backup may be required. For vaguely needed files, a weekly or monthly backup may be sufficient.

    Kenbushi implements a powerful incremental backup system, so only files modified since the last backup are copied. In other words, if that Alanis Morissette music you purchased from iTunes has already been backed up, it won't be copied again into the backup store - only new music will be backed up. This clever scheme minimizes the amount of storage needed for your backup data and reduces the time needed to perform a backup.


    Setting up a backup plan
    There are a number of available backup plan templates which make it easy to create backup plans to suit your needs. They include templates to backup music, photos and home folders (the default location where users store their documents) on most platforms.

    To use a template, simply select it from the Backup Plan Templates popup menu on the Backup Data tab panel and press the Add Backup Plan button (the large green cross). The Backup Plan dialog will be displayed (shown in Figure 37 below), allowing you select an appropriate schedule for the backup. When you are finished editing the backup plan schedule, press the Save button to save the plan.


    Each backup plan includes a list of files and folders to backup, the backup destinations (eg. the 'local backup destination folder' selected on the Backup Data panel, or a remote user connected via your LAN or the Internet) and it's backup schedule.

    The Name of the backup plan is shown at the top. The Files/Folders to Backup shows the list of files and folders which will be included in the backup when this backup plan is executed. Items can be added to this list by dragging and dropping them onto the listbox from the desktop, or by selecting them using the Add File and Add Folder buttons below the listbox. Items can be removed using the Remove Item button.



    Figure 37. The Backup Plan Dialog

    Backup destinations and schedules
    Backup destinations (each with their own custom schedule) can be added to a backup plan using the Add Destination button (see Figure 28 above), and removed using the Remove Destination button, located on the right side of the Backup Destinations listbox. You can set a backup destination to be 'Local' (eg. the 'local backup destination folder' selected on the Backup Data panel) or 'Remote'. Remote users who have connected to your computer (and are thus shown in the Connect To popup menu) will be available as 'Remote' destinations for your backup files (Figure 39 below which shows an example Computer Name popup menu with a list of remote users).

    Note: Only remote users who have checked the Allow Remote User Backups checkbox on their Preferences panel will actually accept backup files from your computer, so you need to ensure the remote computer has this checkbox set. If it is not set, an error will be logged into the activity list when a backup it attempted to that user.

    Destinations each have a custom schedule, which can be set to Automatic, Alert Only or Manual. An automatic schedule will execute even if you aren't at the computer at the time the backup is scheduled. An 'Alert Only' schedule will display an alert and wait for you to press the Ignore or Backup button on the alert before starting the backup (see Figure 40 below), and the manual mode is triggered only when you highlight a backup plan on the Backup Plan listbox and press the Execute Backup button on the Backup Data panel on the main window.

    For each backup plan, any combination of hourly, daily, weekly and monthly schedules is allowed. For example, you could back up at two particular times daily, or backup weekly each Tuesday at 5.00pm and each Thursday at 9.00am. If two backup schedules trigger at the same time (eg. a weekly backup on Thursday at 9.00am, and a daily backup at 9.00am which occurs on a Thursday), then only one backup will be executed.

    Note: If 'Alert Only' backup plans are triggered at the same time as automatic backup plans, the automatic backup plans will execute first.

    If the schedules of two or more different backup plans trigger at the same time, they will each be listed on the Backup Alert (see Figure 38 below). You can skip executing any backup plan on the list by unchecking the checkbox associated with the plan before it starts executing. Automatic backups give you a 120 second (2 minute) countdown before executing, during which time you can ignore them by pressing the Ignore button, make them wait by pressing the Wait button, or start them executing immediately by pressing the Backup button.

    Note: New local or remote backup destinations can be added to a backup plan at any time. Subsequently, the next time that backup plan is executed, all the backup files will be copied to the new destination and it will become up-to-date in terms of the backup files stored there.

    If you click any of the backup plans in the list during an automatic backup countdown, the backup will wait (ie. it's as if you pressed the Wait button), and you can then enter a note to go with that backup. This note will be included in the backup log, so you can read it if you ever need to restore a file. For example, if you are working on a thesis and you had just completed the abstract when the backup alert was displayed, you could enter 'Just completed thesis abstract' in the Backup Note textbox. This note provides valuable guidance about the contents of a backed up document, giving you information helpful in deciding which version to restore. After you have entered any notes you like for each backup plan, press the Backup button to start the backup.



    Figure 38. An 'Automatic' Backup Alert

    If a backup plan is set to backup automatically to a remote user, and that remote user is not currently connected, then the backup will be ignored unless you have the Queue Automatic Backups When Offline checkbox set (this checkbox is located on the Backup Data panel on the main window). In this case, as soon as the remote user is detected on the network, the automatic backup plan will execute. This advanced function makes it very easy to automatically backup your laptop to a home server when you get home from your office or school.

    Any backup plan (whether it is automatic, 'Alert Only' or manual) can be triggered manually by highlighting the backup plan on the Backup Plan listbox on the main window's Backup Data panel and pressing the Execute Backup button.

    If any backup plans trigger whilst another backup plan is currently executing, they will be queued until it is finished or stopped. If any files are being transferred when a backup plan triggers, the backup plan will be queued until the transfer is completed or stopped.

    After you have set up a backup plan, you will see it listed on the Backup Data panel on the main window (shown in Figure 39 below). The name of the backup plan is highlighted in bold at the top, and an icon indicates whether each backup destination listed below the name is a remote user or the 'local backup destination folder'. A short description of the backup schedule is also shown, in addition to whether the backup data is encrypted on remote destinations.



    Figure 39. The Backup Data panel

    To edit a backup plan in the Backup Plan Listbox, double-click it or select it and press the Edit Backup Plan button (the star). To remove a backup plan and all its stored backup data, press the Remove Backup Plan button (the red cross).


    Automatically backing up your laptop to a home server when you get home
    Many working people and students now bring their work with them everywhere on their laptop computers. They leave home in the morning with their laptops, do work during the day and then return home with their laptops. Wouldn't it be great if you could get home, open your laptop and have it automatically backup to your home server, or any other desktop computer located at home?
    Kenbushi lets you easily set up such a scheme, thereby ensuring your valuable work and school documents are protected on a daily basis.

    To implement this scheme, simply set up a backup plan on your laptop containing the files and folders you wish to backup every day. Then set an automatic schedule which triggers a few hours before you return home, and which specifies your home server as the remote backup destination (the server may be connected via wireless network to your laptop for even greater convenience). Also, make sure you have the Queue Automatic Backups When Offline checkbox set (this checkbox is located on the Backup Data panel on the main window), and leave the
    Kenbushi software running on both your laptop and the home server. That's it!

    Now, when you return home with your laptop, as soon as 
    Kenbushi detects the home server, it will start executing the backup plan. You will thus have a fully automatic daily backup scheme for your laptop with almost no effort!

    Of course, you might also like to remotely control movie or music playback on your home media server with your laptop, whilst you have the laptop open... to help you relax after a hard day at work.

    Note: If you switch off your laptop when you travel, make sure you check the Launch on Startup/Login checkbox on the Preferences panel. In this way, when you start up your laptop when you get home,
    Kenbushi will start automatically and then do the automatic backup to your home server.

    Alternatively, your company IT administrator might like you to automatically back up your laptop when you get to work every morning, thus storing those important document updates you worked on overnight. An additional automatic backup at 5pm every day would also back up all the files you updated during the day, giving you even greater protection.

    If backup data from multiple users is stored on the same backup server, that backup data itself can be archived onto tape or other high-capacity media, if required, to provide an additional level of file protection.


    'Alert Only' backups
    This is a special type of backup scheme midway between fully automatic backups and manual backups, which is a unique and powerful feature of
    Kenbushi. This scheme provides a profoundly effective way of systematically backing up a valuable document or set of documents you are currently working on, so that the progress of your work is protected. For example, with an hourly 'Alert Only' backup schedule, you can only ever lose an hour of work if something goes wrong with your document file.

    However, in addition to providing the peace of mind of having a rolling backup of your work, you can also easily access any previous version of your work. Sometimes during document editing, paragraphs, sections or other parts of a document are edited out or changed. With the 'Alert Only' backup scheme, you can easily recover any of these deleted sections of work, or move back completely to a previous version.

    When the 'Alert Only' backup alert is displayed when a backup plan schedule triggers (see Figure 40 below), you can enter a note to go with that backup. This note will be included in the backup log, so you can read it if you ever need to restore a file. For example, if you are working on a thesis and you had just completed the abstract when the backup alert was displayed, you could enter 'Just completed thesis abstract' in the Backup Note textbox. This note provides valuable guidance about the contents of a backed up document, giving you information helpful in deciding which version to restore. After you have entered any notes you like for each backup plan, press the Backup button to start the backup.




    Figure 40. An 'Alert Only' Backup Alert

    Of course, you can also execute a backup plan immediately by highlighting the backup plan on the Backup Plan listbox on the main window's Backup Data panel and pressing the Execute Backup button. You might wish to do this after you have completed a major milestone in your development of a document, to ensure you have an exact copy of that version of the document in the backup store.


    File extension filters
    For each folder, you can set a File Extension Filter to Only Include files with a particular extension, or to Exclude files with a particular extension. This could be used, for example, to only include purchased iTunes music (which has a '.m4p' extension) in the backed up files even though the iTunes Music folder contains MP3 music as well. Just enter the file extensions in the appropriate textbox on the Backup Plan Dialog eg. 'm4p m4v'.



    Advanced backup plan controls
    Some additional controls are available for advanced users, including the ability to send notification emails when a backup is performed, encryption of remote backup data, and running pre-backup and post-backup scripts or batch files. The additional controls are shown at the bottom of the backup dialog by clicking the Advanced Options disclosure triangle. A dialog similar to that shown in Figure 41 will be displayed.



    Figure 41. Advanced backup plan controls

    Data encryption keys can be set using the Encryption Keys controls on the Preferences panel (see Figure 33 below). Once an encryption key is created, it can be selected for use on the Backup Plan dialog. All backup data sent to remote computers during backups using this backup plan will then be stored in encrypted form, making it effectively unreadable in any way on the remote computer. Thus, you can safely backup to any computer on a LAN or over the Internet and know the data is secure.

    You can change the encryption key used for a backup plan at any time, or choose no encryption, even if you have already backed up files with it. All files already backed up will retain their encryption characteristics (since these characteristics are stored with the backup data itself). All new backup files will use the new key you've selected Thus, if you have backed up files to a remote computer using no encryption, you can simply enter and/or select an encryption key to ensure all future backup data will be encrypted. Of course, it's not a good idea to continually change encryption keys for a backup plan, since it could increase the complexity when performing a future restore.

    Note: Files up to 2GB in size can be backed up in encrypted form. If you need to backup files larger than 2GB, you must switch off encryption for that particular backup plan.

    Backup data stored locally (ie. in the 'local backup destination folder') is not encrypted, as any selected encryption key is used only for remotely backed up data.

    Email accounts can be set up using the Email Accounts controls on the Preferences panel (see Figure 42 below). Once an email account is created, it can be selected for use on the Backup Plan dialog. Email accounts can be used to send notification emails after backup plans have finished executing. These notification emails provide information about the backup plan that was executed, the time of execution, a list of files backed up, etc. See the example in Listing 1 below.

    In this example, a GMail email account was used for sending the notification email. The backup plan was called 'News Backup', and the backup data was sent to remote user 'SopranoXP' from a computer named 'SuzieQ' at 10.31am (the email itself shows detailed timestamp information). In addition, the user 'SopranoXP' is running on a Windows (Win32) computer at IP address 192.168.2.10 with a
    Kenbushi runtime key serial number of 3226587218 (thus, you can verify the identity of the remote user by their computer type, IP address and unique runtime key). The data was encrypted using the 'Normal' encryption key. The list of files and their modification dates are then shown, as well as the time of completion of the backup.

    Envelope-to: service@lavasoftware.com
    Subject: Backup 'News Backup' to user 'SopranoXP' on 'SuzieQ' at 10:31am
    From: suzieq@gmail.com
    To: service@lavasoftware.com

    Real Name: Suzie Quigley
    Content-type: text/plain;
    Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
    Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 18:01:22 -0700 (PDT)
    Message-ID: <44b83e62.291a9031.4a4a.ffff8336@mx.gmail.com>

    Backup 'News Backup' started at 10:30:58am 15Jul2006

    Destination is user 'SopranoXP' (192.168.2.10, Win32, 3226587218)
    Backup data encrypted with 'Normal' encryption key

    Copied new file: (8:53am 7Jun2006) Firefly:Documents:News:Apple pushing Intel in new directions.pdf
    Copied new file: (7:30am 23Jun2006) Firefly:Documents:News:How to burn ISO disc images.pdf
    Copied new file: (6:22pm 21Jun2006) Firefly:Documents:News:iMac G5 - Technical Specifications M9249X/A.pdf
    Copied new file: (9:19am 15Jul2006) Firefly:Documents:News:Symantec Says No Viruses Exist for Apple OS X.pdf
    Copied new file: (8:47am 8Jun2006) Firefly:Documents:News:Video goggles turn iPod into TV.pdf

    Backup finished at 10:31:01am 15Jul2006


    Listing 1. An example backup notification email

    The pre-backup script is executed before the data backup itself is started, so you can perform any necessary special operations to prepare files used for the backup. The Timeout (secs) value can be used to cap how long
    Kenbushi will wait until the script is aborted (this ensures a script never stops the backup process completely).

    The post-backup script is executed after the data backup is finished, so you can perform any necessary special operations to post-process files used for the backup. The Timeout (secs) value can be used to cap how long
    Kenbushi will wait until the script is aborted (this ensures a script never stops the backup process completely).

    To delete a script, press the appropriate Remove Script button.

    The PlanID is the identification number of the backup plan, and is used (amongst other things) to specify where the backup data is stored on remote computers. The main enclosing folder on the remote computer for the backup data is named using the runtime key serial number of the user doing the backup, and folders for the various plans (by PlanID) are contained within it. For example, if the 'local backup destination folder' on a remote computer is set to 'G:\Backups', the user doing the backup has a serial number of '3222545456' and the PlanID is '3228575872', the data for this plan will be stored at: 'G:\Backups\3222545456\3228575872'.



    Setting up encryption keys
    Encrypting a file with an encryption key makes it an unreadable mash of numbers, thus providing file data security. These encrypted files can be safely stored on a remote computer, and can be later decrypted and converted back to their normal readable form by using the same encryption key originally used for encryption. Encryption keys thus control the encryption and decryption process, which is performed only on the computer backing up and restoring files.

    To create an encryption key, press the Add Encryption Key button on the Preferences panel. The Encryption Key dialog shown in Figure 43 will be displayed. This dialog allows you to set up encryption keys using a simple 'Clues2Key'(TM) system, or by using standard 'Literal Keys' represented by a long number in hexadecimal format.

    The innovative Clues2Key(TM) system allows you to enter a series of clues made up of matching questions and answers, with the encryption key generated automatically from the answers. The more clues you add, the longer the encryption key becomes and the stronger the security of the encryption process. You should aim for encryption key lengths between 128 and 256 bits, though shorter key lengths will work well too (keys shorter than 128 bits are automatically padded out to 128 bits).


    You should use clues which have very exact, explicit answers, which will never change. For example, 'What was my puppy's name when I was 6?' is a good clue, because it is something you will probably never forget and which very few people would know. An example of a poor clue is, 'Who is my best friend?'. The answer may change over time, thus affecting successful recovery (ie. you may enter what you think is the correct answer, but it may not be what you originally entered).

    In the Clues2Key(TM) system, the encryption key is generated from the answers, using only the alphabetic characters (a-z) in the answers - uppercase characters are converted to lowercase, numbers and punctation marks are excluded, etc. This system minimizes possible user entry errors when key recovery is necessary. Most people can remember words very well, but fine details such as punctuation marks or numeric values in answers are often forgotten over time. For example, an answer to a question like, "What was my address in 1986?" may be like "2/549 Smythe Street" - you may have forgotten the apartment number or street number, but clearly recall the street name, and so the encryption key will be recoverable.

    Encryption key recovery is one of the major benefits of the Clues2Key(TM) system, since the encryption key is derived from your answers, which are stored in your memory. Your questions and answers are also stored by
    Kenbushi on the computer whose data is being backed up, to make backup and restore simple and streamlined. However, only the questions are stored with the backup data on the remote computer, so if you ever lose the encryption key, it's still possible to recover your data.

    Losing the encryption key for backed up files might  seem like an unimportant issue when you perform the actual backup, but backup data often needs to be recoverable for months or years afterwards. It also needs to be secure during that period, hence the need to encrypt it in the first place. Over those months or years, you may have bought a new computer, changed computer platforms, changed offices, or done a thousand other things which could result in loss of the original encryption key information. With the Clues2Key(TM) system, your encryption key is effectively securely stored with your backup data, so it simply cannot be lost. This is a profound benefit in using the Clues2Key(TM) system.

    In contrast, 'Literal Keys' are represented by a long, confusing number in hexadecimal format. If you ever lose the literal key, your backup data is no longer recoverable. In other words, the encrypted backup files may still exist, but you can never convert them back to its normal readable form, rendering them useless. The best way to store literal keys, if you wish to use them, is to use a password manager product, such as PC-Mac PasswordVault. This product can also generate long random hexadecimal passwords, which is a very useful function for this purpose.



    Figure 43. The Encryption Key dialog showing the Clues2Key(TM) system

    To enter a new clue, enter it in the Question and Answer textboxes and press the Add Clue button. The clue will then be added to the bottom of the list. If you wish to edit a clue, select it in the Clues listbox and it will be placed in the Question and Answer textboxes. Edit the question and answer and then press the Update Clue button to update the clue in the listbox. To remove a clue, select it in the Clues listbox and press the Remove Clue button.


    Standard 'Literal Keys' are represented by a long number in hexadecimal format. Keys of this type can be entered manually, or pasted in from any password manager with a random hexadecimal password generator function, such as PC-Mac PasswordVault. An example showing entry of a literal key in the Encryption Key dialog is shown below in Figure 44.



    Figure 44. The Encryption Key dialog show a literal hexadecimal key


    Setting up email accounts
    Email accounts can be used to send notification emails after backup plans have finished executing. To create an email account, press the Add Email Account button on the Preferences panel. The Email Account dialog shown in Figure 45 will be displayed.



    Figure 45. The Email Account dialog

    There are a number of templates available to simplify the setting up of email accounts for users of GMail, Yahoo Mail and .Mac. The 'Custom' type gives you full freedom to set all characteristics of an email account.

    Once you have entered your account information, you should send a test email using this account by pressing the Test button. This will ensure that email sending works before you use the account for sending real backup email notifications. If all goes well, you will receive an email similar to that shown below in Listing 2 at the default email address for the account (ie. the email's 'From' address). You should check that this email arrives in your email account inbox before proceeding to use the email account for any backup plans.

    From: suzieq@gmail.com <suzieq@gmail.com>    Mailed-By: gmail.com
    To:
    suzieq@gmail.com
    Date: Jul 15, 2006 10:54 AM
    Subject: Kenbushi Test Email (10:53am)

    This is a test email sent to the 'GMail (
    suzieq)' email account by user 'SuzieQ'.

    Settings used:

    Type: GMail
    Incoming Mail Server: pop.gmail.com
    Outgoing SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
    Email Address:
    suzieq@gmail.com
    Username:
    suzieq
    Password: ************
    Real Name:
    Suzie Quigley
    Use Submission Port (465) = On
    Allow Authorization = On


    The test email lists the settings used to send the email, so you can refer back to them at any later time.


    Enabling, disabling and suspending backup plan execution
    You can control the execution of backup plans using the Backup Plan Control popup menu at the top left of the Backup Data tab panel (see Figure 46 below).



    Figure 46. Backup plan execution control

    Normally, this will be set to 'Enabled' so that automatic backups can be performed. If you wish to disable backup plan execution, select 'Disabled' from this menu. If a backup plan trigger occurs when backup execution is disabled, only a status message will be displayed. This message helps ensure you are informed that execution of backup plans has been disabled.

    However, backup plan execution can also be 'Suspended'. This is a good choice if you are doing something on your computer which should not be disturbed by a backup, such as watching a full screen movie. Any backup triggers which occur whilst execution is suspended are simply queued and will immediately start when control is again set to 'Enabled'. Thus, your data backup should not be affected, only delayed.


    Checking backups and restores via the activity list

    The activity list shows all backups and restores which have been performed (and the results of those activities), and provides easy access to all backup and restore logs. For example, if you wish to get a list of files which were copied during the last backup executed, simply display the Activity List dialog by pressing the Activity List button on the Backup Data panel (shown in Figure 39 above) and then double-click the entry at the bottom of the list. An example Activity List dialog is shown below in Figure 47, with backups colored green and restores colored purple.

    A Log Icon in the first column indicates that a backup or restore log is available for viewing. To view a log, double-click the entry in the activity listbox, or highlight the item and press the Show Log button. If there is a red-colored oval in the first column, an error occurred during the backup or restore operation. Any logs with errors will include the error in the correct location at which it occurred in the log relative to other file transfers, as well as reproducing it again at the end of the log. Thus, to see any errors immediately, scroll down to the end of the log.



    Figure 47. The Activity List dialog

    The example Activity List dialog above shows a number of successful backups (marked in green) as well as a successful restore (marked in purple). A Log Icon is shown in the first column for backups and restores which actually transferred files, and these can be opened using the Show Log button. A manual backup was also attempted to a remote user named 'SuzieQ', but this failed because 'SuzieQ' was not connected via the network at the time of the backup.


    Restoring files from a backup
    Kenbushi has a unique and powerful data restore system which makes it very easy to find and select files to restore. It uses a file explorer interface which most computer users are familiar with, in addition to a simple way to select the date on which the files of interest were current. To display the Restore Dialog (shown in Figure 48 below), select the backup plan containing the data you wish to restore and press the Restore Button on the Backup Data tab panel.



    Figure 48. The Restore dialog

    On the Restore dialog, there are a number of simple controls which will help you locate the files you want to restore.

    The Source allows you to select where the backup files should be restored from: backup files may be stored locally and/or on one or more remote computers, depending on how the backup plan is set up. To restore from the local backup store, select Local as the source. To restore from a remote computer, first make sure it is connected (and thus listed in the Connect To popup menu) - otherwise it won't be available as a source. Then select Remote as the source and the remote Computer Name you wish to restore from. If a remote computer has no backup files for the backup plan selected, no files will be displayed in the file list.

    Note: When choosing a restore source, keep in mind that the incremental backup process is controlled individually for each destination. For example, if a remote destination could not be reached during the last automatic weekly backup, then the backup store at that destination would not include any newer files. Those newer files may have been successfully stored locally, however. When you subsequently try to restore files, that remote destination would be a poor choice as a restore source unless you could do nothing else. Of course,
    Kenbushi tries very hard to keep all destinations up-to-date and synchronized, and if a remote destination comes online after an absence, it will be detected, and data will be backed up to it immediately.

    The Backup Date is the date on which the files you are interested in were current. For example, if you wish to get last Tuesday's version of a document you are working on, you simply select last Tuesday's date using the Backup Date popup menus. The files displayed in the file explorer interface were current at that date. If there was a specific time on that date the backup was performed, the Backup Time popup menu will show all the times of backups. Select the time of the backup you are interested in.

    If no backups were performed on the selected date, the Backup Time popup menu will not be visible. You could try selecting an earlier date to find the closest actual backup date.

    If there are a lot of files displayed, you can search for specific files or folders by entering text into the Search Text textbox. For example, if there is a folder called 'Assignments', you could enter 'Assignments' in this textbox and only that folder (and any files with the text 'Assignments' somewhere in their name) will be displayed. This makes it very easy to pinpoint the files you want. The search is triggered automatically a second after you finish entering the search text.

    You can further reduce the number of files displayed by checking the Only Show Files Copied At This Time checkbox. This will show only the files which were actually backed up at the selected time. All other files would have been backed up earlier, so won't be displayed in this case.

    Now click files and folders on the file explorer interface you wish to restore. They will be highlighted in green when they are selected for a restore, and displayed in black when they are deselected. If you select a folder, all files and subfolders in that folder will be included in the restore selection. You can deselect individual files and subfolders inside the folder, if you wish. To deselect a folder and all its contents, click it again.

    Important Note: When performing a restore, it's best to quit all applications to ensure files being restored are not in use. If they are in use, it is very likely they will not be restored correctly.


    When you have finalized the selection of files you wish to restore, press the Restore button to have them restored to their original locations, overwriting any files already at these locations. This type of restore is often used for restoring application data, such as web browser bookmarks and email data. Please be careful with this type of restore, as it will write over existing files on your hard disk!!!!

    A safer way to restore files (especially your own documents) is to press the Save To... button. You can then select a location on your hard disk to which the restored files will be copied. You can then examine the files at your leisure and drag files around the desktop, replacing the originals if you wish.

    If the encryption key used to encrypt remote backup data is not already amongst the encryption keys stored in
    Kenbushi, the Restore Dialog will expand and show the questions of the Clues2Key(TM) clues (shown in Figure 49 below) linked to the file being restored. These questions are stored with the encrypted backup data, and provide a way to securely recover the encryption key. Enter the answers to each question in it's listbox answer cell and then press the Submit button to continue. If you can't enter the correct answers, you can skip all files which use these Clues2Key(TM) clues by pressing the Skip button, or cancel the restore by pressing the Stop button.

    When you enter the answers correctly, a new key (called 'Restore Key') will be added to your list of encryption keys. This will be used to decrypt any other restored files which used the same encryption key when they were backed up. It's quite OK to have multiple and different encryption keys (or no encryption) for different backed up files, since each backed up file knows it's own encryption characteristics.
    Kenbushi will handle these restore file differences transparently for you.



    Figure 49. The Restore Dialog with the Clues2Key(TM) questions displayed (and partially entered answers)

    The information shown on the Restore Dialog can be changed by pressing the Information Mode button on the top left (the large picture button). Pressing it once when the file explorer interface is displayed will change it to display the Backup Log associated with the selected backup date and time (see Figure 50 below). If no log exists for this particular backup date and time, the log text area will be blank.

    The backup log shows the name of the backup plan, the execution start time, the location where the files were backed up, a list of all files which were copied and their file modification dates, and the execution finish time. If there were any problems with the backup, these are also shown on the log.



    Figure 50. A sample Backup Log

    Pressing the Information Mode button again will display the Restore Log associated with the selected restore date and time (see Figure 51 below). If you restored files on this date, there will be restore times shown on the popup menu, and you will be able to select a specific restore time.

    If no restores were performed on the selected date, the Time popup menu will not be visible. You could try selecting an earlier date to find the closest actual restore date.


    The restore log shows the name of the backup plan, the execution start time, the location where the files were restored to (eg. to their original locations or to a particular Save To... folder), a list of all files which were copied and their file modification dates, and the execution finish time. If there were any problems with the restore (such as an MD5 digital signature error), these are also shown on the log. Errors are included both in the body of the file listing, so you can see where the file was in the restore sequence, as well as at the end of the log, for convenient viewing (ie. so you won't have to carefully scan the entire restore log to know if there was a file restore error).




    Figure 51. A sample Restore Log

    The backup and restore logs provide a full audit trail of file transfers to keep you informed of what has been done.


    Advanced techniques
    You can do some clever things by combining the remote folder synchronization function with automatic scheduled backups.

    Backing up files remotely
    Your home computer could be set up to perform an automated backup each evening at 8.00pm. Before this backup occurs, you could connect to this computer using
    Kenbushi from anywhere in the world and perform a remote folder synchronization to a folder included in the backup. Thus, when the home computer does it's backup, it would include the new files you just uploaded.

    MacOS Classic data backup
    Since the MacOS Classic version of
    Kenbushi can perform folder synchronization but offers no data backup function, you could perform a remote folder synchronization to a computer which supports data backup (ie. Windows, MacOS X or Linux) and then include the synchronized folder on that computer in the backup. The backup computer could, for example, be a home server.

    Redundant backup of critical and important files

    With Kenbushi, you can easily store redundant copies of critical and important files by simply including them on a backup plan with multiple destinations.

    Using both a local destination and at least one remote destination is a good choice, since then you have immediate access to your backup data without requiring a network connection, and you also have one or more additional copies of your files on a remote computer (which may even be offsite). If one of the backup copies is lost (due to a failed hard disk, for example) or becomes corrupted (as detected by an incorrect MD5 digitial signature during restore), you can restore a redundant copy instead.


    Macintosh file types and creators

    You can also modify the Macintosh files types and creators assigned to a file which is transferred from a Windows PC by pressing the MacOS file types button. This will bring up the MacOS file types dialog shown in Figure 52 below. Using the dialog, you can add an entry by putting in the extension of a file on the Windows PC (eg. 'pdf') and then pressing the Add file's type... button. This will allow you to select an existing file on your computer with the type and creator you want mapped to this file extension.


    Figure 52. The MacOS File Types dialog


    Localization into other languages

    Kenbushi can now be easily localized into any Unicode-based language eg. German, Japanese, Hebrew, Spanish, Dutch, etc.

    The default language is English, and the localization process works by enabling you to easily enter a translation in a target language for all button names, dymanic help text, tab panel titles, etc. used by Kenbushi. Once a language file has been created, it can then be selected for use (via the Preferences panel) and also distributed to other users. Language files are saved in the Languages folder in the Kenbushi application folder.

    To create a new language file or edit an existing one, select Edit... from the Language popup menu in the Preferences panel. The dialog shown in Figure 53 below will be displayed.


    Figure 53. The Localize Language dialog for the French language

    To create a new language file, enter the name of the language in the top-right textbox and press the Create button. If you wish to edit an existing language file, select it from the Language popup menu. In the example dialog above, a 'French' language file has been created.

    A unique English Property Name is assigned to each translatable item to identify it. For example, 'TabPanelNews' is the name used to identify the title of the News panel.

    On the left side of the dialog, the English Property Value is displayed. This value is built into Kenbushi and cannot be changed by the user. However, the Localized Property Value can be changed. This textbox is where the translated text is entered and/or edited.

    The person translating simply works through the list of English Property Names by selecting each in turn from the English Property Name popup menu and entering the translation. The translation should be made using the same style of expression, and the same length of text, as the English property value. This is because many buttons, etc. have limited room for text and must look right after the translation process is complete.

    To see which properties have not yet been translated, check the Only List Properties Not Translated checkbox. All localized properties which are different to their equivalent English properties will be eliminated from the popup menu. This helps translators work through all translations efficiently.

    Press the Save button to save your entries and/or edits to the language file.

    News and updates
    The News panel (shown in Figure 54 below) displays the latest news from Lava Software, the edition and version number of the Kenbushi application, and the runtime key used in the installation.

    If a news update was released since you last launched Kenbushi and your computer is connected to the Internet, the News panel will be automatically selected and an alert sound will be played to inform you of the update.

    To change the runtime key of an existing installation, press the Key button and paste in the new runtime key. This may be necessary, for example, if you accidently enter the same runtime key on two computers running Kenbushi on your network, or wish to convert an existing installation of Kenbushi from the 'Standard Edition' to the 'Pro Edition'.


    Figure 54. The News panel


    Additional notes

    If you get a message saying that a computer is unreachable, try again. Sometimes network packets get lost (especially in congested networks) and simply trying again can result in success.

    If your Internet connection is protected by a firewall and you will be transferring files across the Internet, you may need to enable the port used by Kenbushi, so that the software will work correctly on your system. The default port used is 3300, but you can use another port if you wish. You can set the base port number on the Preferences panel (quit and relaunch for the change to take effect).

    If a control is disabled, the dynamic help text associated with it will be displayed in red. Normally, it is displayed in black.