5291 lines
206 KiB
HTML
5291 lines
206 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
|
|
<HTML>
|
|
<HEAD>
|
|
<TITLE> Linux Gazette Front Page </TITLE>
|
|
<META NAME="robots" CONTENT="noindex, nofollow">
|
|
</HEAD>
|
|
|
|
<BODY BGCOLOR="#EEE1CC" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#0020F0"
|
|
ALINK="#FF0000" >
|
|
<!--==================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><IMG SRC="../gx/banner.gif" ALT="Linux Gazette"></H1>
|
|
|
|
<H5>Copyright © 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. <BR>
|
|
For information regarding copying and distribution of this material see the
|
|
<A HREF="../copying.html">Copying License</A>.</H5>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1>Welcome to Linux Gazette!<img src="../gx/tm.gif" alt="(tm)"></H1>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Sponsored by:
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><A HREF="http://www.infomagic.com/"><img src=../gx/infologo.gif alt="InfoMagic"></A></H1>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Our sponsors make financial contributions toward the costs of
|
|
publishing <I>Linux Gazette</I>. If you would like to become a sponsor
|
|
of <I>LG</I>, e-mail us at <A
|
|
HREF="mailto:sponsor@ssc.com">sponsor@ssc.com</A>.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
|
|
<!--=================================================================-->
|
|
<center><H1>Table of Contents Issue #16</H1></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<table><tr>
|
|
<td rowspan=3>
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="../index.html">The Front Page</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./lg_mail16.html">The MailBag</A>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_mail16.html#help">Help Wanted -- Article Ideas</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_mail16.html#gen">General Mail</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./lg_tips16.html">More 2 Cent Tips</A>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#root">Checking if You're Boot</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#xv">XV vs Xli</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#bash">Bash Shell Scripting</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./lg_bytes16.html">News Bytes</A>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes16.html#general">News in General</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes16.html#software">Software Announcements</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./answer.html">The Answer Guy</A>, by James T. Dennis
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#address">SATAN URL Correction</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#edi">EDI on Linux</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#zmod">zmodem</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#run">Running the Internet with Linux</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#spawn">Respawning Too Fast</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#map">Problems with Keyboard Mapping</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#modsp">Modem Speed</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#duplic">Duplicating a Linux Installed Hard Drive</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#fire">Using Linux Box as a Firewall</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./library.html">A brief Introduction to the kunf Library</A>, by
|
|
Marc Welz
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./clueless.html">Clueless at the Prompt: A Column for
|
|
New Users</A>, by Mike List
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./cebit.html">CeBit'97, March 13-19</A>, by Belinda Frazier
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./dyn.html">Dynamic IP Web Solution Using Geocities Web Account</A>, by
|
|
Henry H. Lu
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./gm.html">Graphics Muse</A>, by Michael J. Hammel
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./lgei.html">LGEI Interviews the LG Editor</A>, by Francesco De
|
|
Carlo
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./security.html">More Linux Security</A>, by Andrew Berkheimer
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./gv.html">New Release Reviews</A>, by Larry Ayers
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./gv.html">An Alternate to Ghostview</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./new_xemacs.html">XEmacs 19.15</A>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./suse.html">SuSE Linux Installation & Getting Started</A>, by
|
|
Larry Ayers
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./uniforum.html">UniForum'97 March 12-14</A> by Marjorie L.
|
|
Richardson
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./wkndmech.html">Weekend Mechanic</A>, by John M. Fisk
|
|
<LI><A HREF="./lg_backpage16.html">The Back Page</A>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_backpage16.html#authors">About This Month's Authors</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_backpage16.html#notlinux">Not Linux</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</UL>
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
<td align=center>
|
|
<A HREF="gm.html">
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/banner-3.gif" border=0 alt="">
|
|
</a>
|
|
</td>
|
|
</tr><tr>
|
|
<td align=center>
|
|
<A HREF="answer.html">
|
|
<img src="../gx/wizard2.gif" border=0 alt="">
|
|
</a>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<A HREF="answer.html"><i>The Answer Guy</i></a> <BR>
|
|
</td>
|
|
</tr><tr>
|
|
<td align=center>
|
|
<A HREF="wkndmech.html">
|
|
<img src="../gx/fisk/mechanic.gif" border=0 alt="">
|
|
</a>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<A HREF="wkndmech.html"><i>Weekend Mechanic</i></a> <BR>
|
|
</td>
|
|
</tr></table>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR><P>
|
|
<!--=============================================================-->
|
|
<A HREF="./issue16.txt">TWDT 1 (text)</A><BR>
|
|
<A HREF="./issue16.html">TWDT 2 (HTML)</A><BR>
|
|
are files containing the entire issue: one in text format, one in HTML.
|
|
They are provided
|
|
strictly as a way to save the contents as one file for later printing in
|
|
the format of your choice;
|
|
there is no guarantee of working links in the HTML version.
|
|
|
|
<!--=============================================================-->
|
|
<P> <HR><P>
|
|
Got any <I>great</I> ideas for improvements! Send your
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:gazette@ssc.com">comments, criticisms, suggestions
|
|
and ideas.</A>
|
|
|
|
<P><hr><p>
|
|
This page written and maintained by the Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com"> gazette@ssc.com</A>
|
|
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"</H4>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<table width="100%" cellpadding=7><tr><td>
|
|
<H2><a NAME="mail"><IMG SRC="../gx/mailbox.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE ALT=" ">
|
|
The Mailbag!</a> </H2>
|
|
Write the Gazette at <A HREF="mailto:gazette@ssc.com"> gazette@ssc.com</A>
|
|
</td><td>
|
|
<H3>Contents:</H3>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_mail16.html#help">Help Wanted -- Article Ideas</a>
|
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</td></tr></table>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<a name="help"></a>
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
<center><H3> Help Wanted -- Article Ideas </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 16:32:30 -0600
|
|
Subject: <B> great </B> <BR> <BR>
|
|
From: Francisco Benavides, <A HREF="mailto:txmfrbg@txm.ericsson.se">
|
|
>txmfrbg@txm.ericsson.se </A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
The work being done with the LG is great! As for ideas, taking into
|
|
account that most known applications are those which are for the PCs
|
|
( DOS based or Windog based ) why not a section dedicated to those
|
|
( like me ) that wish that soon we will get a Linuz that will be
|
|
filesystem wise, a Linux wich will run DOS applications without having
|
|
to distinguish from those meant for Linux/Unix, and things like that.
|
|
<P>
|
|
-- Bye/Francisco :)
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 97 11:24:23 -0500 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Request </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Bill R. Williams, <A HREF="mailto:brw@etsu-tn.edu">brw@etsu-tn.edu</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Actually, this is more a request than a "Letter to the Editor"; however,
|
|
you may use it as/if you see fit.
|
|
<P>
|
|
A fundamental element of security is the use of "shadow" passwords.
|
|
Linux (and some commercial un*x!) systems do not necessarily include
|
|
this feature by default. (I have thus far always used Slackware and it
|
|
does not install with the Shadow Password Suite (SPS) configured.)
|
|
<P>
|
|
I consider SPS absolutely essential to any un*x (Linux) system which is
|
|
accessable by users. In other words: No, I don't need it on my home
|
|
Linux because that system is not connected to a network and I'm the only
|
|
one using it. While there are worse things than having to install the
|
|
SPS it is a task that I really dread. Makes me very nervous.
|
|
<P>
|
|
So here's a question for those of you who have evaluated the various
|
|
Linux distributions: Do any of the distributions provide Linux with the
|
|
SPS installed and all the appropriate utilities and other pre-built
|
|
packages built against the SPS? (Such as sudo and wu-ftpd.)
|
|
<P>
|
|
A related question which is not immediately obvious: Using a given
|
|
distribution -- Red Hat or Debian or whatever -- are there any potential
|
|
hazards in bringing in packages which may not be part of that
|
|
distribution? Since I have no experience with anything other than
|
|
Slackware I do not know what is involved in the packaging software used
|
|
by other vendors; however, I am aware that some vendors do have
|
|
utilities which can track the levels of various components. If I were
|
|
to install some software package which might not be part of the
|
|
"installed" distribution what is the probability that I will "step on"
|
|
the original installation's package tracking? As a trivial example:
|
|
Suppose I want to install 'Doom' from my old Slackware CD-ROM onto my
|
|
"Miranda v0.01" distribution of Linux. Am I going to have a problem
|
|
over this when I go to update my "Miranda" with a new release? (Linus
|
|
had a new "Miranda" in January! See, it could happen. ;-)
|
|
<P>
|
|
And on an entirely different subject...
|
|
There has GOT to be, somewhere, a utility which can be used to CORRECTLY
|
|
configure the monitor settings for XFree! I have tried. I really have.
|
|
Every time I come across an item on this subject I read and study it,
|
|
but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to get it through my thick
|
|
head as to what's what. The supplied servers can figure out the video
|
|
cards with no problem, but then there's the stuff dealing with the
|
|
monitor and refresh rates and Hz and KHz and bandwidth and dot clocks
|
|
and... this is where I lose it completely. Something with heuristic
|
|
abilities which would allow me to just type in everything in my
|
|
monitor's manual which the program would parse out into the significant
|
|
lines for the XF86config file such than when I start X I have *no* modes
|
|
which cause the output to skew off to the side and thereby causing me to
|
|
worry that I've fried the tube. (*sigh*)
|
|
<P>
|
|
I have the new X (v3.4?) with the graphic setup utility. Better.
|
|
But there are *still* modes which are frightening to see. "...push down
|
|
one place it just bubbles up somewhere else."
|
|
<P>
|
|
Comments, articles, and/or suggestions on all the above from the fine
|
|
folks at "Linux Journal" and the readers thereof will be much
|
|
appreciated!
|
|
<P>
|
|
Bill R. Williams
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sat, 01 Mar 1997 20:49:13 -0800 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> X Windows Depth...Linear Addressing Problem. </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Nicky Wilson, <A HREF="mailto:benson@znet.com">benson@znet.com</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
After fiddling with the xf86config file in a concerted effort to
|
|
coax X into displaying 16 bit color, I was dismayed to learn that
|
|
with my current hardware (16 megs RAM and a Cirrus Logic GL-5426)
|
|
16 bit color is *impossible*...not because of any hardware
|
|
incapability, but because of a certain limitation of X Windows
|
|
itself...a problem with linear addressing. Seems that to have
|
|
16 bit color under X, one must have linear addressing enabled,
|
|
which only works if the system has *no more than 14 megs RAM*.
|
|
<P>
|
|
(*blink*)
|
|
<P>
|
|
So I'm just two megs from the 16 bit color I so took for granted
|
|
under Win95. I can't even pull out two megs (downgrading my
|
|
system to work under Linux?!) because of my one 16 meg memory chip.
|
|
<P>
|
|
There has *got* to be a way. I was hoping to work on my
|
|
graphics stuff under Linux, but 256 colors just doesn't cut it.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Does anyone at Linux Gazette have a solution? I heard something
|
|
about making a two meg "memory hole" (?), or a program that fools
|
|
the system into thinking that there's less RAM than there actually
|
|
is. Any ideas? (I wonder if the X development team are working
|
|
on this problem?)
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks for any input. <BR>
|
|
Your Friendly Local Neighborhood Novice, <BR>
|
|
Nicky
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 03:41:04 GMT <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Soundcard under Linux </B> <BR>
|
|
From: L Hatch, <A HREF="mailto:tn00607@ibm.net">tn00607@ibm.net</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
After recompiling my kernel I managed to get my soundcard
|
|
working under Linux ... the only problem is that I have
|
|
to boot into dos first to set up the card ... the card
|
|
is softset through my autoexec bat ... its an ESS
|
|
Audiodrive .. any suggestions
|
|
<P>
|
|
Another question as well ... I want to connect two machines
|
|
together using a modem dialup connection .. I want to be able
|
|
to dial from a standard comm prg under dos, win, win95, etc
|
|
and turn control of the terminal over to the person on the
|
|
other end so that they can use a linux shell in their
|
|
comm prg ... managed to do it under dos by getting a mdm
|
|
connection and then doing a ctty com2: at the command prompt
|
|
to turn control over to them ... they would get a C:> and
|
|
be able to enter commands, and get the output in their comm
|
|
prg ... any suggestions of how to do it under linux
|
|
thanks
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 15:11:45 -0800 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Stupid question </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Steve Arnold, <A HREF="mailto:sarnold@rain.org">sarnold@rain.org</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Howdy: I just searched your site looking for an answer, but failing
|
|
that, I'll just ask directly:
|
|
<P>
|
|
What the heck is the screen-blanker that runs under the console by
|
|
default (ie, what is the name, where is it started, etc)?
|
|
<P>
|
|
In the old RedHat 2.1 (kernel 1.2.13) it was disabled after X starts, but
|
|
in the new Redhat 4.0 (kernel 2.0.28) it still kicks in under X, even
|
|
when running xlock or something similar.
|
|
<P>
|
|
What binary and what switch do I throw to disable the console
|
|
screen-blanker under X?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks in advance, Steve Arnold
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 11:55:35 -0500 (EST)<BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Linux Question </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Peter Pereira Stamford, <A HREF="mailto:stamford@bme.unc.edu">
|
|
stamford@bme.unc.edu</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hi, I am a gazette reader and have a question that might be of interest to
|
|
others too. It's a mixture of hardware + software problem. Before I sent
|
|
this mail I did a quick overview of all the gazette's table of contents
|
|
and Linux How-To's. I didn't find any help in these two places. If this
|
|
is a common question and I missed it please forgive me.
|
|
|
|
<P>With the spread of different systems, many can end up owning several
|
|
small monitors. Instead of acquiring a new, bigger, more expensive,
|
|
monitor one can use two monitors that can work as one big screen.
|
|
|
|
<P>I am trying to install a second monitor to effectively get this
|
|
bigger screen, since I have an extra monitor and card. I'm not trying to
|
|
display the same image on both monitors. It is my understanding that
|
|
MetroX (comes with my redhat version) permits me to have X divided into
|
|
multiple virtual screens (forgive the lack of the official technical
|
|
terms) and view two X virtual screens side by side on separate the
|
|
monitors (I'm sure others Xservers do the same). Thus I can have
|
|
different applications opened in each virtual screen avoiding clutering.
|
|
(I'm tring to be precise because I have tried to get info before and was
|
|
missunderstood).
|
|
|
|
<P>My work place has an extra monitor and video card that I am
|
|
willing to take advantage of. But currently when I have both video cards
|
|
installed, I can't BOOT. I have been told that this is because only one
|
|
of the video BIOS is accepted by ROM BIOS, requiring the second video
|
|
BIOS to be turned off. My cards don't have this option (I don't think).
|
|
Others told me that it is a setting on the mother board.
|
|
|
|
<P>The software configuration of Metro-X for this seems easy and
|
|
intuitive, but how do I set up the hardware? Maybe an explanation on
|
|
X86Free on this would be good, but my problem is setting up the hardware.
|
|
|
|
<P>Could you please help? If I need a special card is there a recommended
|
|
one?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks for any help, Peter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="gen"></a>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
<center><H3> General Mail </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 1997 20:02:22 -0500 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> broken issue14 </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Pinwu Xu, <A HREF="mailto:pxu@perigee.net">pxu@perigee.net</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hi there, <BR>
|
|
It's true that the issue14.html was broken. But one can fix it using
|
|
the Netscape editor (or save/print directly from the editor). That
|
|
works for me.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks for your excellent work. <BR>
|
|
-- Pinwu Xu
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 1997 18:39:17 -0800 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> thanks </B> <BR>
|
|
From: arne, <A HREF="mailto:asnow@cdepot.net">asnow@cdepot.net</A><BR>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Just a note to say thanks for your work on the Linux Gazette. I'm a
|
|
brand new Linux user and I have found the articles geared toward the new
|
|
user invaluable. Thanks again.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Arne, Rocky Road Ranch
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 16:08:06 -0500 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Love the service </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Thomas L. Gossard, <A HREF="mailto:tgossard@ix.netcom.com">
|
|
tgossard@ix.netcom.com</A><BR>
|
|
<P>
|
|
I've been using Linux for aprox. 2 years now and have been a subscriber
|
|
to "Linux Journal" for about a year of that. I like what you have even
|
|
better. I love the 2 cent section, has great tips and ideas. If you
|
|
sold this as a magazine on the news stands or subscription I would be an
|
|
avid buyer. As it is I've got this link at the top of my bookmarks.
|
|
Keep up the great job.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thomas L. Gossard
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 01:19:54 -0600 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Netscape </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Anthony Scott, <A HREF="mailto:ascott@Interaccess.com">
|
|
ascott@Interaccess.com</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Could you please tell me where Netscape for Linux is located....How much
|
|
does is cost.
|
|
<P>
|
|
thx, tony
|
|
(You can download it free from Netscape's home page. --Ed.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 18:25:28 <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Thanks </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Lance A. DeVooght, <A HREF="mailto:devooght@flash.net">
|
|
devooght@flash.net</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Just a note of gratitude for all your hard work in producing the BEST
|
|
online magazine!
|
|
Also, kudos to the sponsor, Infomagic. Rest assured I won't forget them
|
|
next time I'm going to make a software purchase. And finally, I am very
|
|
impressed with the fine writers you've assembled.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In Your Debt, <BR>
|
|
Lance DeVooght
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 11:01:23 +0100 (GMT+0100) <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B> Good non-fiction book! The Cuckoo's egg </B> <BR>
|
|
From: Tomas Brostroem, <A HREF="mailto:tbc@rcc.se">tbc@rcc.se</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
A nice book that should interest all Linux-fans.
|
|
"The cuckoo's egg" by Cliff (Clifford) Stoll.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Computer-security at it's worst.
|
|
<P>
|
|
I.m.h.o. the best non-fiction book I've ever read.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Regards, Tomas
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<center>Published in Linux Gazette Issue 16, April 1997</center>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif" ALT="[ TABLE OF
|
|
CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/homenew.gif" ALT="[ FRONT
|
|
PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="lg_tips16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<h5>This page written and maintained by the Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</A><BR>
|
|
Copyright © 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. </H5>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>
|
|
"</H4>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- QUICK TIPS SECTION ================================================== -->
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><A NAME="tips"><IMG ALIGN=MIDDLE ALT="" SRC="../gx/twocent.gif">
|
|
More 2¢ Tips!</A></H1> <BR>
|
|
Send Linux Tips and Tricks to <A HREF="mailto:gazette@ssc.com">
|
|
gazette@ssc.com
|
|
</A></center>
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<H3>Contents:</H3>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#ftp">How to ftp Back Home</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#root">Checking if You're Boot</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#xv">XV vs Xli</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#bash">Bash Shell Scripting</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#scr1">Bash Shell Script 1</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#scr2">Bash Shell Script 2</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_tips16.html#scr3">Bash Shell Script 3</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="ftp"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
How to ftp Back Home
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>
|
|
Date:Sat Mar 30 14:23:24 (PST)<BR>
|
|
From:Phil Hughes<a href="mailto:phil@ssc.com">phil@ssc.com</a><P>
|
|
<p>
|
|
Many businesses place a firewall between the Internet and the inside
|
|
systems.
|
|
This is good protection and it just makes good sense.
|
|
One common firewalling technique is to serverly restrict access through
|
|
the firewall from the outside but allow a user on the inside to do most
|
|
anything through the firewall to the outside.
|
|
<p>
|
|
When I am at home, I routinely need to move files between home and work.
|
|
But, because of the firewall, I can ftp from work to home but not the
|
|
other way around.
|
|
What this means is that I need to establish an interactive connection
|
|
(using ssh) from home to work and then initiate the ftp from work to home.
|
|
<p>
|
|
So far, so good.
|
|
But, what I call "home" consists of various locations, all connected with
|
|
a dial-up connection through one of four ISPs.
|
|
All four ISPs use dynamic IP addresses meaning that each time I connect I
|
|
have a different IP address for my home system.
|
|
Even though the ISP knows what the current IP address for my system, the
|
|
name server at work doesn't.
|
|
<p>
|
|
The solution is to enter the IP address of my home system into the ftp
|
|
command at work.
|
|
First, I need to find out what the IP address is.
|
|
To do that, I execute the ifconfig command on my home system:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
$ /sbin/ifconfig
|
|
|
|
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
|
|
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Bcast:127.255.255.255 Mask:255.0.0.0
|
|
UP BROADCAST LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:2000 Metric:1
|
|
RX packets:19 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
TX packets:19 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
|
|
eth0 Link encap:10Mbps Ethernet HWaddr 02:60:8C:8F:A2:08
|
|
inet addr:198.186.207.131 Bcast:198.186.207.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
|
|
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
|
|
RX packets:969719 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
TX packets:971132 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
Interrupt:9 Base address:0x280 Memory:d8000-da000
|
|
|
|
ppp0 Link encap:Point-Point Protocol
|
|
inet addr:206.125.79.118 P-t-P:204.157.220.30 Mask:255.255.255.0
|
|
UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING MTU:296 Metric:1
|
|
RX packets:5434 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
TX packets:5545 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
|
|
$
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
The inet addr for the ppp0 interface (206.125.79.118) is the number I
|
|
need.
|
|
Now, on my system at work I enter:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
$ ftp 206.125.79.118
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
ftp then prompts for a login and password.
|
|
I enter my standard login and password for my home system and ftp is up
|
|
and running.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="root"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
Checking if You're Root
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Date: Sun Mar 23 23:20:51 1997 (PST)<BR>
|
|
From: Kevin Lyda <a href="mailto:kevin@faxint.com">kevin@faxint.com</a> <BR>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<p>In the march gazette raul miller suggested that the most portable way to
|
|
test if you're root is [ -w / ]. that won't work if you're root file
|
|
system is read only. [ -w /var ] might be a better method.
|
|
<p>
|
|
kevin
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="xv"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
XV vs Xli
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Date:Wed Mar 5 16:32:49 1997(PST)<BR>
|
|
From:Michael Hammel, <a
|
|
href="mailto:mjhammel@emass.com">mjhammel@emass.com</a><BR>
|
|
|
|
<p>I wasn't aware of Xli (rather, I haven't looked at it), however
|
|
your statement that xv can only tile image on the background. xv
|
|
allows qutie a bit of command line control. I use the following to
|
|
put up a background image at work (non-tiled, takes up the whole
|
|
background):
|
|
|
|
<pre><p>xv -root -max -quit /export/home/mjhammel/lib/images/emass3.tga
|
|
</pre>
|
|
<p>The initial image is 601x339, with a root display of 1152x900. Since
|
|
the original image is 24bpp the enlargement is very accurate in
|
|
details.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Michael J. Hammel
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="bash"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
Bash Shell Scripting
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Date:Thu Mar 20 12:22;34 1997(PST)<BR>
|
|
From:Paul Sephton <a href="mailto:paul@inet.co.ca"> paul@inet.co.ca</a><BR>
|
|
|
|
<p>I have been enjoying the fruits of the Linux Gazette for a number of
|
|
years now. Recently, I had one of my users accidentally type rm *>bak,
|
|
and immediately noticed something was amiss by the incoherent screams
|
|
eminating from her office.
|
|
|
|
<p>In an attempt to ensure this would not have the same disasterous effect
|
|
again, and to protect my eardrums in future, I spent a couple of days
|
|
excersising my bash shell scripting skills, and came up with what I
|
|
believe to be a decent mechanism for maintaining versioned backups.
|
|
|
|
<p>My attitude with regard to the normal cludges like aliasing rm and so
|
|
on, is that it will not protect you against other programs which unlink
|
|
files. (To date I have yet to write a C program that shells rm in order
|
|
to unlink a file :)
|
|
|
|
<p>Whilst writing the set of three scripts, it dawned on me that although
|
|
some more complex tools do exist which perform the same sort of
|
|
function, the Linux community might be interested in what I did.
|
|
|
|
<p>Although it's not much more than a creative excersise in the use of the
|
|
'find' command, and suffers from the usual limitation of being
|
|
restricted to the one file system, I include the three scripts for your
|
|
perusal and possible inclusion in the gazette at your discretion.
|
|
|
|
<p>Don't hesitate to contact me if you need more information.
|
|
|
|
<p>Kind regards, and many thanks for the gazette.<BR>
|
|
Paul Sephton
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<a name="scr1"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
Bash Shell Script 1
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<pre>#!/bin/sh
|
|
if [ -z "$SAFEDEL" ];then
|
|
SAFEDEL=/u/safedel
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NDAYS=5 #Erase files after 2 days
|
|
MAXVER=6 # Start Overwriting versins at this count
|
|
BINDIR=$SAFEDEL/bin # Binaries directory
|
|
DATADIR=$SAFEDEL/data # Where links are to go
|
|
LOGFILE=$BINDIR/safedel.log # Output messages go here
|
|
ERRLOG=$BINDIR/safedel.err # Error output messages go here
|
|
DIRLIST=$BINDIR/safedel.dirs # List of directories found here
|
|
LOCKFILE=$BINDIR/safedel.lock # Lockfile to prevent re-entry
|
|
|
|
# Process the file $1 by creating a symbolic link in the data directory
|
|
# and an entry for the file in the index.
|
|
process-file()
|
|
{
|
|
SRC=`dirname $1`
|
|
FNAME=`basename $1`
|
|
VERSION=0
|
|
if [ ! -d $DATADIR$SRC ]; then
|
|
mkdir -p $DATADIR$SRC
|
|
# OWNER=`find -name $SRC -printf "%u"`
|
|
# chown $OWNER $FNAME:$VERSION
|
|
fi
|
|
cd $DATADIR$SRC
|
|
while [ -f $FNAME:$VERSION ]; do
|
|
VERSION=$[ $VERSION + 1 ]
|
|
done
|
|
if ! ln $1 $FNAME:$VERSION 2>> $LOGFILE; then
|
|
echo "Could not link file $FNAME:$VERSION" >> $LOGFILE
|
|
return
|
|
fi
|
|
echo -e "Linked $FNAME:$VERSION \t \tin $SRC" >> $LOGFILE
|
|
return
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
# Erase a file
|
|
erase-file()
|
|
{
|
|
echo "Unlinking $1 $2" >> $LOGFILE
|
|
rm -f $1
|
|
FN=`echo $1 | cut -f 1 -d ':'`
|
|
if ! { echo "$ERASED" | grep "$FN" - } ; then
|
|
ERASED="$ERASED $FN"
|
|
fi
|
|
return
|
|
}
|
|
# We want the version numbers to follow on each other, so that the next
|
|
# file we create gets a bigger version number. This makes sure they follow.
|
|
reorganise()
|
|
{
|
|
if [ -z $1 ]; then
|
|
return
|
|
fi
|
|
FN=$1
|
|
FILE_LIST=`ls $FN:* | sort -n -t: -k2`
|
|
if [ "$FILE_LIST" = ":*" ]; then
|
|
echo "All [$FN:*] files erased" >> $LOGFILE
|
|
return
|
|
fi
|
|
echo -e "File list to be moved is:\n$FILE_LIST" >>$LOGFILE
|
|
VERSION=0
|
|
for FNAME in $FILE_LIST; do
|
|
if [ "$FNAME" != "$FN:$VERSION" ]; then
|
|
echo "Moving $FNAME $FN:$VERSION" >>$LOGFILE
|
|
mv $FNAME "$FN:$VERSION"
|
|
VERSION=$[ $VERSION + 1 ]
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
# The main shell script starts here...
|
|
|
|
cd $BINDIR
|
|
if [ -f $LOCKFILE ]; then
|
|
exit 0
|
|
fi
|
|
touch $LOCKFILE
|
|
date >> $LOGFILE
|
|
cat $DIRLIST |
|
|
(
|
|
while read SRC ; do
|
|
if [ `echo $SRC | cut -b 1` != "#" ]; then
|
|
echo "Finding files in $SRC" >> $LOGFILE
|
|
echo "Point 1 ($SRC)"
|
|
for FNAME in `find $SRC -type f -xdev -links 1 -print`; do
|
|
process-file $FNAME
|
|
done
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
ERASED=""
|
|
echo "Point 2"
|
|
for FNAME in `find $DATADIR -type f -links 1 -ctime $NDAYS -print`; do
|
|
erase-file $FNAME "(older than $NDAYS days)"
|
|
done
|
|
echo "Point 3"
|
|
for FNAME in `find $DATADIR -type f -name "*:$MAXVER" -print`; do
|
|
FN=`echo $FNAME | cut -f 1 -d ':'`
|
|
erase-file $FN:0 "Too many versions (VERSION > $MAXVER)"
|
|
done
|
|
echo "Point 4"
|
|
for FNAME in "$ERASED"; do
|
|
reorganise $FNAME
|
|
done
|
|
) 2> $ERRLOG > /dev/null
|
|
rm -f $LOCKFILE
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<a name="scr2"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
Bash Shell Script 2
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
#!/bin/sh
|
|
CURRDIR=`pwd`/
|
|
if [ -z $SAFEDEL ]; then
|
|
SAFEDEL=/u/safedel
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
DATADIR=$SAFEDEL/data
|
|
BINDIR=$SAFEDEL/bin
|
|
cd $DATADIR$CURRDIR
|
|
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
|
|
echo
|
|
echo "Restores files unintentionally deleted"
|
|
echo
|
|
echo "Useage <salvage <filename>[:version] [dest]> from within the directory"
|
|
echo " in which the file was deleted."
|
|
echo
|
|
echo "The following is a list of your backed up files and their versions:"
|
|
echo " Salvageable Files:"
|
|
find . -xdev -type f -maxdepth 1 -links 1 -printf "%P\n" | column
|
|
echo " Files Currently in Use:"
|
|
find . -xdev -type f -maxdepth 1 -not -links 1 -printf "%P\n" | column
|
|
else
|
|
FN=`echo "$1:end" | cut -f 1 -d ':'`
|
|
VER=`echo "$1:end" | cut -f 2 -d ':'`
|
|
EXIST=`find $CURRDIR -name "$FN"`
|
|
# echo "[$EXIST]"
|
|
if [ -n "$EXIST" ]; then
|
|
echo "Incorrect file specification: File(s) are not deleted. ($FN)"
|
|
exit 0
|
|
fi
|
|
if [ "$VER" = "end" -o "$VER" = "*" ]; then
|
|
VER=""
|
|
fi
|
|
FILE_LIST=`find . -name "$FN:*" -printf "%f "`
|
|
FLIST=""
|
|
# echo "FILE_LIST is $FILE_LIST"
|
|
for FNAME in $FILE_LIST; do
|
|
FN=`echo "$FNAME:end" | cut -f 1 -d ':'`
|
|
FOUND=0
|
|
# echo "Looking for [$FN] in [$FLIST]"
|
|
for F in $FLIST; do
|
|
if [ "$F" = "$FN" ]; then
|
|
FOUND=1
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
if [ "$FOUND" = "0" ]; then
|
|
FLIST="$FLIST $FN"
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
# echo "FLIST is $FLIST"
|
|
for FNAME in $FLIST; do
|
|
if [ -z "$VER" ]; then
|
|
VERSION=0
|
|
NEXTVER=1
|
|
while [ -f $FNAME:$NEXTVER ]; do
|
|
VERSION=$NEXTVER
|
|
NEXTVER=$[ $NEXTVER + 1 ]
|
|
done
|
|
else
|
|
VERSION=$VER
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
if [ ! -f $FNAME:$VERSION ]; then
|
|
echo "File $FNAME:$VERSION not found"
|
|
exit 0
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
if [ -z "$2" ]; then
|
|
DEST=$CURRDIR$FNAME
|
|
else
|
|
DEST=$CURRDIR$2
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
if ln $FNAME:$VERSION $DEST 2> /dev/null; then
|
|
echo "File $FNAME:$VERSION successfully recovered"
|
|
else
|
|
echo "Cannot link $FNAME:$VERSION to $DEST"
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
fi
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<a name="scr3"></a>
|
|
<H3><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/lil2cent.gif">
|
|
Bash Shell Script 3
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
#!/bin/sh
|
|
|
|
if [ -z $SAFEDEL ]; then
|
|
SAFEDEL=/u/safedel
|
|
fi
|
|
|
|
BINDIR=$SAFEDEL/bin # Binaries directory
|
|
DATADIR=$SAFEDEL/data # Where links are to go
|
|
|
|
# Erase a file
|
|
reorganise()
|
|
{
|
|
if [ -z $1 ]; then
|
|
return
|
|
fi
|
|
FN=`echo "$1:end" | cut -f 1 -d ':'`
|
|
FILE_LIST=`ls $FN:* | sort -n -t: -k2`
|
|
if [ "$FILE_LIST" = ":*" ]; then
|
|
echo "All [$FN:*] files erased"
|
|
return
|
|
fi
|
|
# echo -e "File list to be moved is:\n$FILE_LIST"
|
|
VERSION=0
|
|
for FNAME in $FILE_LIST; do
|
|
if [ "$FNAME" != "$FN:$VERSION" ]; then
|
|
echo "Moving $FNAME $FN:$VERSION"
|
|
mv $FNAME "$FN:$VERSION"
|
|
VERSION=$[ $VERSION + 1 ]
|
|
fi
|
|
done
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
# The main shell script starts here...
|
|
|
|
CURRDIR=`pwd`/
|
|
|
|
echo "Safedel: Purging extra versions in $CURRDIR"
|
|
|
|
cd $BINDIR
|
|
find $DATADIR$CURRDIR -type f -maxdepth 1 -links 1 -exec rm {} \;
|
|
for FNAME in `find $DATADIR$CURRDIR -type f -maxdepth 1 -print`; do
|
|
reorganise $FNAME
|
|
done
|
|
</pre>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<center>Published in Linux Gazette Issue 16, April 1997</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!-- ============================================================== -->
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif" ALT="[ TABLE OF
|
|
CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/homenew.gif" ALT="[ FRONT
|
|
PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="lg_mail16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif" ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="lg_bytes16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
<h5>This page maintained by the Assistant Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</A><BR>
|
|
Copyright © 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. </H5>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"</H4>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<table cellpadding=7><tr><td>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/bytes.gif" border=1 ALT="News Bytes">
|
|
</td><td>
|
|
<H3>Contents:</H3>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes16.html#general">News in General</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes16.html#software">Software Announcements</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</td></tr></table>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<a name="general"></a>
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
<center><H3> News in General </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Hardware Forums in Dallas, Texas
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p> Readers in the Dallas, Texas area may be interested in two forums for
|
|
purchasing hardware that may not exist in other areas. The first is the
|
|
North Texas PC Users Group meeting. This monthly meeting is held at the
|
|
Infomart in Dallas (I-35E at Oak Lawn). The meeting is held on one
|
|
Saturday a month and opens at 8:00 AM. A number of reputable local
|
|
vendors show up to sell hardware and software. (In fact, a few months
|
|
ago the vendor area was moved from the basement to a larger room because
|
|
they were running out of space.) Prices at the NTPCUG meeting are
|
|
generally cheaper than these vendors have in their own stores, and these
|
|
vendors offer warranties and support as well. Call NTPCUG at ? to find
|
|
out when the next meeting is. And stop by the local Linux User's Group
|
|
booth and say hi, or ask them to load Linux on your newly purchased
|
|
machine for free.
|
|
<p> The other venue is truly unique. The First Saturday Sale is a monthly
|
|
flea market held (surprise) on the first Saturday of every month. It is
|
|
held outdoors under the Ross Street bridge. Take the Pearl Ave. exit to
|
|
get there. Hang a left on Ross and follow the crowd. Selling officially
|
|
starts at 6:00 AM, but feel free to show up earlier.
|
|
Again, many of the vendors own local storefronts and offer
|
|
the same service and warranty their storefront customers receive.
|
|
<p> While these markets may not be the best place for a beginner to shop, a
|
|
knowledgeable buyer can walk away from either of these markets with a
|
|
crate of new gear at significant discounts.
|
|
<p>
|
|
-Matthew Mucker
|
|
<p> Bedford, Texas
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
COMDEX/Spring '97
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<center> Come For</center>
|
|
<center> the Linux Pavilion at COMDEX/Spring '97</center>
|
|
|
|
<p>Linux International (LI) will be hosting a Linux Pavilion at
|
|
COMDEX/Spring '97, which runs from June 2 - 5 in Atlanta, GA.
|
|
|
|
<p>On June 7 & 8, the weekend following COMDEX/Spring '97, LI and
|
|
the Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts (ALE), in cooperation with COMDEX,
|
|
will be hosting the Atlanta Linux Showcase.
|
|
The Atlanta Linux Showcase will feature vendors of Linux
|
|
hardware, software, and services as well as conference sessions
|
|
on various Linux topics.
|
|
|
|
Attendees of COMDEX will be admitted to the showcase floor for
|
|
free, and pre-registrants to the Atlanta Linux Showcase will
|
|
receive free passes to the COMDEX trade show floor.
|
|
|
|
<p>Some of the vendors on the showcase floor are:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Red Hat Software, Inc.
|
|
<li>Caldera, Inc.
|
|
<li>Linux Journal (Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc.)
|
|
<li>Linux Hardware Solutions
|
|
<li>Digital Equipment Corporation
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>The Atlanta Linux Showcase will be held at the Inforum in
|
|
downtown Atlanta, GA, just a few blocks away from the Georgia
|
|
World Congress Center, site of COMDEX/Spring '97. The show floor
|
|
will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, and from
|
|
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 8. The conference sessions will
|
|
run concurrently.
|
|
|
|
<p>The Inforum is located at 250 Williams St., Atlanta, GA.
|
|
|
|
<p>More information on the Atlanta Linux Showcase can be found
|
|
at
|
|
<a href="http://www.ale.org/showcase"> http:www.ale.org/showcase</a>
|
|
|
|
<p>More informaiton on COMDEX/Spring '97 can be found at
|
|
|
|
<a href="http://www.comdex.com/comdex/owa/event_home?v_event_id=26">
|
|
http://www.comdex.com/comdex/owa/event_home?v_event?id=26 </A>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing IT Horizon '97 Symposiom
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>The Fisher Center for Information Technology and Management, Walter A.
|
|
Hass School of Business , UC Berkley announces:
|
|
<center>IT Horizon '97 Symposiom, Workshop and Solutions Showcase</center>
|
|
<center>"From the NC to the Networked Enterprise:</center>
|
|
<center>Thin Clients, Robust Servers, Universal Access"</center>
|
|
<center>June 9-11</center>
|
|
<center>Red Lion Hotel, San Jose, CA</center>
|
|
<p>
|
|
Send you submission(s) by April 4, 1997 to Deborah Murray,
|
|
Director-Professional Training, UniForum Association, 2901 Tasman Drive,
|
|
Suite 205, Santa Clara, CA 95054 -OR- E-mail to <a
|
|
href="mailto:dmurray@uniforum.org"> dmurray@uniforum.org</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Linus News
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Linus Torvalds
|
|
received Uniforum's "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his work on Linux.
|
|
<p>Linus (as always) pointed out that he would accept the award, but that it
|
|
really belonged to the entire Linux development community.
|
|
<p>The award, which has been presented annually since 1983, recognizes individuals
|
|
or groups whose work has significantly advanced the cause of open systems over
|
|
time, or has had an immediate and positive impact on the industry with long
|
|
term ramifications.
|
|
<p>To give the idea of others who have received it, James Gosling also accepted
|
|
an award at this meeting for his work on Java. Linus was in good company.
|
|
|
|
<p>You can see pictures of him receiving the award at:
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="http://daily.comdex.com/events/uf97/photos3.htm">
|
|
http://daily.comdex.com/events/uf97/photos3.htm</a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
HOWTO Update
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>A major update of the Linux Commercial HOWTO, a listing of commercial
|
|
software products for Linux, has been published. The new release
|
|
includes new categories, descriptions of more software packages than
|
|
ever and updates of existing entries.
|
|
|
|
<p>The listing can be obtained from its primary site at
|
|
<a href="http://www.cyrius.com/tbm/Commercial-HOWTO">
|
|
http://www.cyrius.com/tbm/Commercial-HOWTO</a> and from LDP mirrors
|
|
all around the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<a name="software"></a>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
<center><H3> Software Announcements </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing Decision PCCOM8
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>Announcing the availability of a Linux driver for the
|
|
Decision PCCOM8 multiport serial card.
|
|
|
|
<p>Signum Support, a company specialising in free software support and
|
|
Linux, was approached by MYDATA Automation AB, a Swedish robotics
|
|
company, to write a Linux device driver for the Decision PCCOM8
|
|
multi-port serial card. The driver and was written by Christer
|
|
Weinigel (wingel@signum.se) and Mikael Cardell (mc@signum.se).
|
|
Any questions regarding this driver can be sent to <a href="mailto:pccom8@signum.se">
|
|
pccom8@signum.se</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing the Shuttle Connection (EPST)
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>Signum Support, a company specialising in free software support and
|
|
Linux, was approached by MYDATA Automation AB, a Swedish robotics
|
|
company, to write a Linux device driver for a parallel port SCSI
|
|
interface. This driver for the Shuttle Connection was written by
|
|
Christer Weinigel<a href="mailto:wingel@signum.se">wingel@signum.se</a> at Signum Support.
|
|
<p>This driver can be found as <a href="ftp://ftp.signum.se/pub/epst/epst-0.9.diff">ftp://ftp.signum.se/pub/epst/epst-0.9.diff</a>
|
|
<p>The diff was made against a version 2.0.29 kernel. This driver (probably)
|
|
still contains bugs and should be considered as ALPHA software.
|
|
<p>Please note that there exists two incompatible devices, both which are
|
|
called `Shuttle Connection'. To find out what model you have, take a
|
|
look at the sticker on the back of the device, you ought to see either
|
|
`EPSA' or `EPST' written on it.
|
|
<p>This driver is works with the EPST model; if you own an EPSA model,
|
|
take a look at <a href="http://www.torque.net/epsa.html">
|
|
http://www.torque.net/epsa.html</a> where you'll find a
|
|
device driver for that device.
|
|
|
|
<p>Any questions regarding this driver can be sent to
|
|
<a href="mailto:epst@signum.se"> epst@signum.se </a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
New Release of mtools
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Announcing a new release of mtools, a collection of
|
|
utilities to access MS-DOS disks from Unix without mounting them.
|
|
<p>Mtools-3.3 fixes a typo in mdel, which made it command unusuable.
|
|
<p>Mtools supports Win'95 style long file names, OS/2 Xdf disks and 2m
|
|
disks (store up to 1992k on a high density 3 1/2 disk). The most
|
|
notable new feature (over 3.1) is FAT 32 support. There is also
|
|
mpartition, a simple partitioning programing to setup Zip and Jaz
|
|
media on non-PC machines (SunOs, Solaris and HP/UX).
|
|
|
|
<p>Mtools can currently be found at the following places:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="http://linux.wauug.org/pub/knaff/mtools">
|
|
http://linux.wauug.org/pub/knaff/mtools</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.club.innet.lu/~year3160/mtools">
|
|
http://www.club.innet.lu/~year.mtools</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>and soon at:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz">
|
|
ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz</a>
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="ftp://pub/Linux/utils/disk-management/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz">
|
|
ftp://pub/Linux/utils/disk-management/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz</a>
|
|
<li><a href="ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/sources/usr.bin/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz">ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/wources/usr.bin/mtools-3.3.src.tar.gz</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p>There is an mtools mailing list at <a href="mailto:mtools@linux.wauug.org">
|
|
mtools@linux.wauug.org</a>. To
|
|
subscribe to it, send a message containing 'subscribe mtools' in its
|
|
body to <a href="mailto:majordomo@linux.wauug.org">majordomo@linux.wauug.org.</a>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
gv 2.9.4 Announcement
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
gv 2.9.4 is now available. gv allows to view and navigate through
|
|
PostScript and PDF documents on an X display by providing a user interface
|
|
for the ghostscript interpreter. It may be obtained either from its homepage at:
|
|
|
|
<a href="http://wwwthep.physik.uni-mainz.de/~plass/gv/">
|
|
http://wwwthep.physic.uni-mainz.de/~plass/gv/"</a>
|
|
|
|
or via anonymous ftp from:
|
|
|
|
<a href="ftp://thep.physik.uni-mainz.de/pub/gv/">
|
|
ftp://thep.physik.uni-mainz.de/pub/gv</a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Please note that gv is derived from Tim Theisen's ghostview 1.5.
|
|
|
|
<p>gv surely works on
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
<li> Linux (gcc 2.7.2.1)
|
|
<li> OpenVMS AXP (DECC 5.2,DECC 5.0)
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p> I also got reports of happy users on
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> Solaris
|
|
<li> FreeBSD
|
|
<li> NetBSD
|
|
<li> Digital UNIX
|
|
<li> SunOS
|
|
<li> HP/UX
|
|
<li> Irix
|
|
<li> OSF/1
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>gv requires Kaleb Keithley's Xaw3d widget set.
|
|
VMS users will find everything needed to install this widget set at
|
|
the locations listed above.
|
|
<p>For Unix users working on a system not equipped with this widget set
|
|
the page <a href="http://wwwthep.physik.uni-mainz.de/~plass/gv/Xaw3d.html">http://wwwthep.physik.uni-mainz.de/~plass/gv/Xaw3d.html</a>
|
|
may
|
|
|
|
provide some assistance when trying to install it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
SafePassage Web Proxy
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Oakland, CA -- C2Net Software, Inc., and UK Web, Ltd., announced
|
|
the 1.0 release of a new product, "SafePassage Web Proxy." This
|
|
product, developed entirely outside of the United States, provides
|
|
full-strength, non-escrowed cryptography for users of any standard
|
|
web browser.
|
|
|
|
<p>SafePassage is an enhancement for "export" browsers, an add-on product
|
|
that works with any standard web browser. Acting as an intermediary,
|
|
or proxy, it intercepts weakly encrypted connections on their way out
|
|
and transforms them to use full-strength cryptography. "The weak
|
|
connection never leaves your PC," explains Parekh, "it gets decrypted
|
|
and then re-encrypted with a full-strength cipher."
|
|
|
|
<p>SafePassage provides secure connections using strong cryptography for
|
|
any browser that supports standard SSL tunneling, a feature normally
|
|
used by firewall software. It currently runs on Windows 3.1, Windows
|
|
95, and Windows NT.
|
|
|
|
<p>Evaluation versions of SafePassage can be downloaded at no cost from
|
|
UK Web's site at:<a href="http://stronghold.ukweb.com/safepassage"> http://stronghold.ukweb.com/safepassage</a> It is
|
|
currently unavailable for distribution within the US and Canada, but a
|
|
domestic version will be made available in the near future. A single-
|
|
user license is $49, prices for volume licensing start at $995 for
|
|
fifty users.
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing Turbo Vision 0.3
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>Turbo Vision (or TV, for short) is a library that provides an application
|
|
framework. With TV you can write a beautiful object-oriented character-mode
|
|
user interface in a short time.
|
|
<p>TV is available in C++ and Pascal and is a product of Borland International.
|
|
It was developed to run on MS-DOS systems, but today it is available for many
|
|
other platforms (ported by independent programmers).
|
|
<p>This port is based on the Borland 2.0 version with fixes.
|
|
|
|
<p>Main changes from version 0.2 to 0.3
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Added support for the FreeBSD operating system.
|
|
<li>Added support for colored output.
|
|
<li>evMouseAuto event fixed.
|
|
<li>Some bugs fixed.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>Where to download the library
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a
|
|
href="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/incoming/Linux/">
|
|
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/incoming/Linux/</a>
|
|
<li><a
|
|
href="ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/FreeBSD/incoming/">ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/FreeBSD/incoming/</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>If you don't want to wait the file to be moved to the destination
|
|
directories, you can download a copy of it from:
|
|
<p><a
|
|
href="ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/FreeBSD/incoming/tvision-0.3.tar.gz">ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/FreeBSD/incoming/tvision-0.3.tar.gz</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing the Release of TeamWave Workplace 1.0
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>TeamWave Software Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of TeamWave
|
|
Workplace 1.0, an Internet groupware product that lets you work
|
|
together with colleagues in real-time or asynchronously, using Macintosh,
|
|
Windows or Unix platforms.
|
|
<p>Check us out at <a href="http://www.teamwave.com">http://www.teamwave.com</a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Release of Samba SMB File Server
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>The release of Samba SMB File Server has been announced. The server
|
|
includes support for Western European Languages in filenames served by Samba,
|
|
allowing Western European users of Microsoft Windows(tm) products to store
|
|
native language filenames on their UNIX file servers.
|
|
|
|
<p>Although this is a new minor version release, there have been
|
|
many bugfixes and improvements from previous releases.
|
|
|
|
<p>The new verson is available on a GNU gziped tar file from
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="ftp://samba.anu.edu.au/pub/samba/samba-1.9.16p11.tar.gz">ftp://samba.anu.edu.au/pub/samba/samba-1.9.16p11.tar.gz</a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>and should be available from mirror sites throughout
|
|
the world shortly. For details see the main Web site
|
|
for information about Samba, at :
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="http://samba.canberra.edu.au/pub/samba">http://samba.canberra.edu.au/pub/samba</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing UNIPEN-related Software Package
|
|
</H3>
|
|
<p>UPTOOLS3
|
|
<p>This is to announce the new release of the UNIPEN-related
|
|
software package (works great on Linux, too):
|
|
<p>This UNIX software is mainly intended for researchers in on-line
|
|
handwriting recognition. It allows for a hierarchical annotation
|
|
of on-line handwritten data coming from XY digitizers or pen
|
|
computers. The software is _not_ intended for processing off-line
|
|
(i.e., optically scanned) handwriting data. The purpose of this
|
|
software is to stimulate the use of the UNIPEN file format for
|
|
on-line handwriting recognition research. This is the same data
|
|
format as is used within the UNIPEN recognizer benchmark project
|
|
<a href="http://hwr.nici.kun.nl/unipen/">http://hwr.nici.kun.ml/unipen/</a>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>upview-An X-Windows program for quickly visualizing
|
|
UNIPEN files.
|
|
<li>upread-A program for transforming or extracting data
|
|
from any UNIPEN file.
|
|
|
|
<li>upworks-A large program using Tcl/Tk on X-Windows for
|
|
browsing through UNIPEN files, and editing or
|
|
entering .SEGMENTS. Time series of essential signals
|
|
can be viewed. There are many options for changing
|
|
graphical attributes (such as the color of segments).
|
|
|
|
<li>uni2animgif-A program for transforming data from any UNIPEN
|
|
file into animated GIF images.
|
|
<li>unipen2eps-A program for transforming data from any UNIPEN
|
|
file into encapsulated PostScript.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>An introduction to UPTOOLS3 can be found at:
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="http://hwr.nici.kun.nl/unipen/uptools3">http://hwr.nici.kun.nl/uniopen/uptools3</a>
|
|
|
|
<p>The new software is available via ftp at:
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="ftp://ftp.nici.kun.nl:pub/UNIPEN/tools/uptools3.tar.gz">ftp://ftp.nici.kun.nl:/pub/INIPEN/tools/uptools3.tar.gz</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Announcing Ghostscript System 0.2.0
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>The Display Ghostscript System is a free software implementation of a
|
|
Display PostScript(tm) System. A Display PostScript System provides a
|
|
device-independent imaging model for displaying information on a screen.
|
|
The imaging model uses the PostScript language which has powerful
|
|
graphics capabilities and frees the programmer from display-specific
|
|
details like screen resolution and color issues.
|
|
|
|
<p>The Display Ghostscript System is composed of a PostScript
|
|
interpreter (Ghostscript), the Client library, and the pswrap
|
|
translator.
|
|
|
|
<p>The Display Ghostscript System uses a client/server architecture.
|
|
Applications are linked with the Client library which communicates with
|
|
the PostScript interpreter residing in the server. The application
|
|
utilizes the procedures and data structures in the Client library which
|
|
are independent of the actual PostScript interpreter.
|
|
|
|
<p>The pswrap translator allows you to take custom PostScript language
|
|
programs and wrap them with a C function interface thus allowing your
|
|
applications to call them directly. pswrap programs are generally more
|
|
efficient then performing the same PostScript program purely with the
|
|
Client library procedures.
|
|
|
|
<p>The dgs-0.2.0.tar.gz distribution file has been placed on
|
|
<a href="ftp://ftp.gnustep.org/pub/gnustep">ftp://ftp.gnustep.org/pub/gnustep</a>
|
|
|
|
<p>The program requires gcc 2.7.2.1 or higher.
|
|
|
|
<p>The `.tar' file is compressed with GNU gzip. Gzip can be obtained by
|
|
anonymous ftp at any of the GNU archive sites.
|
|
|
|
<p>For info about FTP via email, send email to <a href="mailto:ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com">ftpmail@decwrl.declcom</a>
|
|
with no subject line, and two-line body with line one `help' and line
|
|
two `quit'.
|
|
|
|
<p>The most recent (not necessarily tested) snapshots of the library
|
|
will be placed in <a href="ftp://alpha.gnu.ai.mit.edu/gnu/gnustep">ftp://alpha.gnu.ai.mit.edu.gnu/gnustep</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
GA Plug-In for NExS Spreadsheet Available Now
|
|
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>X Engineering Software Systems (XESS Corp.) announces the immediate
|
|
availability of a genetic algorithm (GA) plug-in for its NExS spreadsheet.
|
|
Those interested in the genetic algorithm plug-in can download the source
|
|
code and a PostScript manual from www.xess.com. A free, 30-day version of
|
|
the NExS spreadsheet and the new conNExions-BETA API can also be downloaded
|
|
for the HP/UX, AIX, Digital UNIX, SunOS, Solaris and Linux platforms.
|
|
|
|
<p>Genetic algorithms (GA) solve optimization problems by modeling potential
|
|
solutions as chromosomes which can breed with one another to produce better
|
|
solutions through the forces of natural selection.
|
|
|
|
<p>The GA plug-in provides one new NExS function: @GENALG(...) which optimizes
|
|
a fitness function that is affected by a group of 1/0 variables in the
|
|
sheet. Any NExS function or combination of functions can be used to specify
|
|
the fitness function.
|
|
|
|
<p>The GA plug-in interacts with the NExS spreadsheet through the
|
|
conNExions-BETA API. The source code for the plug-in is being made available
|
|
for modification and customization.
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Annouunicing MkLinux DR2.1
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>We are pleased to announce the release of MkLinux DR2.1.
|
|
DR2.1 includes support for the Power Macintosh 601/NuBus 601/PCI bus
|
|
and 604/PCI bus systems: the Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, and 8100; 7200;
|
|
7500, 7600, 8200, 8500, and 9500. (Support for 603-based systems is
|
|
forthcoming but is not yet available. DR2.1 does not yet support
|
|
Powerbooks or most Performas at this time.)
|
|
|
|
<p>DR2.1 is our third Developer Release of MkLinux and the first Release
|
|
to be included in our Reference Release, published by Prime Time Freeware
|
|
(PTF). The MkLinux Reference Release consists of a 360-page book and 2
|
|
CD-ROMs: the Apple MkLinux DR2.1 disc and PTF's Reference disc, packed with
|
|
lots of interesting and useful reference material. (The two CD-ROMs are
|
|
each also sold separately.)
|
|
|
|
<p>The MkLinux Reference Release is available by mail order from PTF and other
|
|
vendors, and is also available through many technical bookstores, as are
|
|
the individual discs. Contact Prime Time Freeware for details at
|
|
info@ptf.com or visit their Web site at www.ptf.com.
|
|
|
|
<p>MkLinux is available both on CD-ROM and by anonymous ftp
|
|
download from <a href="ftp://ftp.mklinux.apple.com">
|
|
ftp://ftp.mklinux.apple.com</a> and our various mirror sites.
|
|
(Please be patient with the mirror sites; it may take some of them a while
|
|
to get DR2.1 ready for downloading!).
|
|
|
|
<p>With the release of DR2.1, DR2 will no longer be available or supported.
|
|
We will retain the DR2 "Help and Support" information on our Web pages,
|
|
but DR2 itself will be removed from our FTP server.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Check out the Web site at:<a href="http://www.mklinux.apple.com/DR2.1">http://www.mklinux.apple.com/DR2.1</a> for more
|
|
information on this release. All Readme files from the DR2.1 Distribution,
|
|
including the Release Notes (Readme First) and the Installation Guide (How
|
|
to Install MkLinux) are reproduced on our Web pages.
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!-- =================================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
|
|
Metro-X 3.1.5 Now Shipping
|
|
</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Metro Link is now shipping Metro-X 3.1.5. This is an updated version of
|
|
Metro-X 3.1.2 for Linux, which is a commercial X server replacement for use
|
|
with XFree86. It contains various fixes and support for the following
|
|
additional cards:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Diamond Stealth 64 Graphics 2200
|
|
<li>Diamond Stealth 64 Video VRAM V1.xx (TI 3026 DAC)
|
|
<li>Diamond Stealth 64 Video VRAM V3.xx (IBM DAC)
|
|
<li>ELSA WINNER 1000TRIO/V (TRIO64V+)
|
|
<li>ELSA Winner 2000AVI
|
|
<li>ELSA Winner 2000PRO/X (TI 3026 DAC)
|
|
<li>Number Nine I-128 series 2
|
|
<li>Toshiba Tecra 720CDT (CHIPS 65550)
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>For a complete list of supported cards, see our cardlist:
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="http://www.metrolink.com/products/metrox/cardlist.html">
|
|
http://www.metrolink.com/products/metrox/cardlist.html</a>
|
|
<p>For more details look at the complete product description:
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="http://www.metrolink.com/products/metrox/ess.html">
|
|
http://www.metroling.com/products.metrox.ess.html</a>
|
|
<p>PRICE FOR LINUX VERSION:
|
|
|
|
<p>New Purchase: $99
|
|
|
|
<p>Upgrade from earlier release: $69
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>CONTACT INFORMATION: <br>
|
|
Metro Link, Inc.
|
|
<a href="http://www.metrolink.com">http://www.metrolink.com</a>
|
|
and <a href="mailto:sales@metrolink.com">sales@metrolink.com</a>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<center>Published in Linux Gazette Issue 16, April 1997</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!-- ============================================================== -->
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif" ALT="[ TABLE OF
|
|
CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/homenew.gif" ALT="[ FRONT
|
|
PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="lg_tips16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif" ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="answer.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
<h5>This page written and maintained by the Assistant Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</A><BR>
|
|
Copyright © 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. </H5>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ======================================================= -->
|
|
<!--endcut ========================================================= -->
|
|
<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- =============================================================== -->
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><A NAME="answer">
|
|
<img src="../gx/ans.gif" alt="" border=0 align=middle>
|
|
The Answer Guy
|
|
<img src="../gx/ans.gif" alt="" border=0 align=middle>
|
|
</A></H1> <BR>
|
|
<H4>By James T. Dennis,
|
|
<a href="mailto:jimd@starshine.org">jimd@starshine.org</a><BR>
|
|
Starshine Technical Services, <A HREF="http://www.starshine.org/">
|
|
http://www.starshine.org/</A> </H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<H3>Contents:</H3>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#address">SATAN URL Correction</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#edi">EDI on Linux</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#zmod">zmodem</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#run">Running the Internet with Linux</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#spawn">Respawning Too Fast</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#map">Problems with Keyboard Mapping</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#modsp">Modem Speed</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#duplic">Duplicating a Linux Installed Hard Drive</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./answer.html#fire">Using Linux Box as a Firewall</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="address"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
SATAN URL Correction
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From: Richard White, <a href="mailto:whiter@digex.net">whiter@digex.net</a><br>
|
|
In the Linux Journal #14, you made reference to
|
|
ftp.cs.perdue.edu...(grin) Doesn't exist. I think that it was supposed
|
|
to be ftp.cs.purdue.edu.
|
|
</B><p><b>
|
|
-- Richard D. White, Business Connectivity Technical Support
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
Yes! That was, of course, a typo.
|
|
But other than that -- did you find the info useful?
|
|
|
|
<P> <img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
<B>
|
|
Yes. Very. I've just downloaded SATAN and a few of the other security
|
|
tools. I work in customer service for leased lines and I occasionally
|
|
assist customers in configuring their firewalls. Learning what holes there
|
|
are and how to plug them is very worthwhile knowledge.
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
Have you tried cops (Dan Farmer's earlier host based
|
|
auditing package) or Tiger (Texas A&M University)?
|
|
<p>
|
|
Have you gotten tripwire running? I (and most of the
|
|
rest of the Linux community that's tried it) had a
|
|
little trouble with Tripwire. I had fussed it into
|
|
submission a number of months ago -- forgotten about
|
|
it. Then recently I had to fetch and build a new
|
|
copy.
|
|
<p>
|
|
I encountered the same problems building it -- and the
|
|
same problems with the README.linux I found myself
|
|
muttering that someone -- anyone -- ought to prepare
|
|
a proper set of patches that allow the Linux user to
|
|
just compile the thing with minimal effort.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Now I'm not a programmer (although I do "play one
|
|
on the 'net") so I really didn't feel qualified to
|
|
do this. However I never have been able to inspire
|
|
or manage much of a volunteer effort in others so
|
|
I did it myself.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Creating a set of patches involved teaching myself
|
|
how to use CVS (version control system). I'm thinking
|
|
of writing up an article on using CVS to track local
|
|
changes in downloaded source trees and cutting diffs
|
|
so you can share the work you do with others on the
|
|
net.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Naturally I'd use tripwire as one example --
|
|
probably pgp as another. I'm also planning on
|
|
importing my kernel sources into CVS.
|
|
<p>
|
|
If your interested you could get my patch and let
|
|
me know if it works. It's about 150 lines of text
|
|
that seems to work for me using Larry Wall's standard
|
|
'patch' program.
|
|
<p>
|
|
-- Jim
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="edi"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
EDI On Linux
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From: Adam Morrisom, <A HREF="mailto:adam@morrison.iserv.net">
|
|
adam@morrison.iserv.net</A> <br>
|
|
I have just got management to permit me to install our first Linux box, right
|
|
next to our not-so-mighty RS/6000. So far it has operated flawlessly (which
|
|
is exactly what I expected). And suddenly Linux is a possible solution for
|
|
jst about every problem we have (they loved the price tag). Now I have to
|
|
implement EDI, and I was wondering if any software is available for Linux, I
|
|
haven't been able to find anything, on the software map, sunsite or any where
|
|
else. Any pointers or people to contact would be greatly appreciated.
|
|
</B> <P> <B>
|
|
Adam,
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
You certainly put in an good entry in Jim's
|
|
"Stump the techie" contest.
|
|
<p>
|
|
I've heard of EDI (electronic data interchange) and
|
|
vaguely recalled that it is a data format specification
|
|
for electronic commerce (mostly in the mainframe world
|
|
where X.25 predominates over TCP/IP).
|
|
<p>
|
|
However I haven't heard of any projects or products
|
|
being available specifically for Linux.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Here's a few web pages that I did dig up that might
|
|
help:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.spedi.com/products/unix.html">
|
|
St. Paul Software Products - UNIX</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/~shadow/bookmark.html">
|
|
Shad's Bookmark file</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.premenos.com/">
|
|
Premenos Technology Corporation</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.teren.com/edi.html">
|
|
More About Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)</a>
|
|
<li>
|
|
RFC Archives -- RFC1767 (link dead 2-Apr-2001: article removed)
|
|
<li><a href="ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1767.txt">
|
|
TSI International</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.tsisoft.com/pages/hotlinks.htm">
|
|
1994 EDI-L (Electronic Data Interchange Issues)</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.ima.com/mlarchive/lists/edi-l.1994/0241.html">
|
|
Mailing List Archive: Re: PC based EDI</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.uniforum.org/news/html/publications/ufm/\1995-Indes.html
|
|
#anchor5495158">
|
|
Uniforum: 1995 Index</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<P>
|
|
I hope these help. Basically it looks like there are
|
|
not "shrinkwrap" or "off-the-shelf" EDI packages for any
|
|
platform. Good luck.
|
|
<p>
|
|
One approach you may take is to contact the publishers
|
|
or authors of your existing EDI applications and see if
|
|
they can do the port for you.
|
|
<p>
|
|
-- Jim
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="zmod"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
zmodem
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
Help answer guy! I cannot download from the net! Here's the story:
|
|
- I run linux v2.0.0. I am using minicom v1.71. I have NOT touched my
|
|
file transfer protocols since I installed, so they would be the
|
|
default configs.
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" "src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
I hate debugging serial line problems.
|
|
|
|
<p> Here's the basic litany for solving modem problems:
|
|
|
|
<p> What happens at lower speeds? What IRQ is this serial
|
|
line using? What sort of UART is installed?
|
|
What are the flow control settings? Does the cable
|
|
have conductors for all of the flow control signals?
|
|
How is the modem configured (hardware and init strings)?
|
|
|
|
<p> minicom 1.71 is pretty old. I have 1.75 here -- and
|
|
there may be even newer versions up on sunsite.
|
|
|
|
<p> Incidentally -- you should probably upgrade to
|
|
Linux kernel version 2.0.29 or so.
|
|
|
|
<p> Your problem may not be related to either of these
|
|
factors -- but it won't hurt to upgrade.
|
|
|
|
<p> The first thing I'd check is Minicom's configuration
|
|
for init strings and flow control. Try an init string
|
|
of:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
AT&C1&D2
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> ... (which I remember from years of supporting
|
|
PCAnywhere as well as seeing it in my current
|
|
configuration). These set the modem's behavior
|
|
for the DCD (device carrier detect) and flow control.
|
|
I don't remember which is which and what the other
|
|
numbers do -- look them up in your modem's manual if
|
|
you're curious).
|
|
|
|
<p> Then make sure that minicom's "Serial port setup"
|
|
specifies "Hardware Flow Control" is "on."
|
|
|
|
<p> When having problems with serial lines and modems I
|
|
find it handy to get the digital equivalent of a
|
|
"second opinion." -- Do you run any other comm
|
|
software on this system (pppd, uucp/cu, mgetty --
|
|
dial-in, seyon)? Do those work reliably when transferring
|
|
data (putting the line under load)?
|
|
|
|
<p> I'd suggest getting a copy of C-Kermit from Columbia
|
|
University <a href="mailto:kermit.columbia.edu">kermit.columbia.edu
|
|
</a>. No offense to
|
|
Miguel van Smoorenburg but minicom was having problems
|
|
on my system, too. C-Kermit is doesn't have any of the
|
|
full screen, ncurses "feel" to it but does a good solid
|
|
job of talking to the modem. It's scripting capabilities
|
|
are also far more advanced than minicom's 'runscript' --
|
|
and has features that would be to force 'minicom' to
|
|
do through an 'expect' script (for example).
|
|
|
|
<p> Do you have another account on another system (BBS or
|
|
ISP)? Do your file transfers work O.K. to or from
|
|
there? The problem may be with your ISP rather than
|
|
at your end.
|
|
|
|
<p> What if you try a different protocol -- such as
|
|
kermit? Kermit is often characterized as "slow"
|
|
compared to zmodem -- but this is largely because
|
|
it's default is tuned for the very noisy, unreliable
|
|
connections that were common when it was created
|
|
(almost 20 years ago).
|
|
|
|
<p> After checking with another comm. program I'd look a
|
|
little lower. Using the commands:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
stty -a < /dev/modem
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> ... and
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
setserial -a /dev/modem
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> (both of these assuming you have a "modem" link to
|
|
the appropriate <code>/dev/ttyS*</code> entry on your system).
|
|
|
|
<p> Make sure that your stty reports crtscts (for the
|
|
flow control). Then make sure that the cable between
|
|
your computer and your modem has all those pins
|
|
connected.
|
|
|
|
<p> Double check that you don't have an IRQ conflict. These
|
|
are insidious in that they may not show up until the
|
|
port is under load.
|
|
|
|
<p> In addition check to see that you have a high speed
|
|
UART (16550AFN) on that port.
|
|
|
|
<p> Next I'd check the modem's configuration. You can
|
|
see some of that with AT&V (which on many Hayes
|
|
modems dumps the configuration date and S-register
|
|
values to your terminal). Look at the Init strings
|
|
that you are using in Minicom and look in the
|
|
modem manual for recommended init strings for similar
|
|
software.
|
|
|
|
<p> After checking all of that I'd shutdown and boot
|
|
up in DOS (if you don't have a copy of DOS you can
|
|
consider downloading a copy of Caldera's OpenDOS.
|
|
I'm not sure what the licensing terms will be -- but
|
|
I did read that we're all invited to play with it for
|
|
90 days). Along with a copy of DOS you also need
|
|
a Telix, Qmodem, Procomm, or other comm. package.
|
|
There are many of these in shareware -- Telix is my
|
|
personal favorite.
|
|
|
|
<p> (Note: I am not advocating use of these packages
|
|
without respect to their licenses. If you choose to
|
|
continue to use Telix or OpenDOS -- even for the
|
|
occasional troubleshooting session; please read and
|
|
abide by their licensing and registration. Yes,
|
|
I have fully legal copies of Telix (DOS and Windows)).
|
|
|
|
<p> In any event I like to check from plain old DOS
|
|
since the old real mode program loader is so
|
|
minimal. You could try building a Linux kernel
|
|
with no support for TCP/IP and stripping out all
|
|
of the device drivers except the serial and console
|
|
support and booting that in single user mode ... and
|
|
that still isn't close.
|
|
|
|
<p> The idea is to see if any of your other devices or
|
|
hardware features are conflicting.
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
i am a best internet shell account, i believe iris but i don't
|
|
know the version.
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
I'm guessing that you mean that your account is at
|
|
best.com and that they are running Irix (SGI).
|
|
(Which is interesting -- since I would have guessed
|
|
Sun/Solaris for them -- but what do I know).
|
|
|
|
<p> Note: Irix and Solaris are not known for sterling
|
|
serial line support. They are currently geared for
|
|
ethernet TCP/IP support -- on the assumption that
|
|
most sites will use terminal servers (small dedicate
|
|
devices that convert serial connections to telnet
|
|
sessions). Consequently I've heard that the copies
|
|
of rz/sz that ship with these should routinely be
|
|
replace with newer sources from the 'net.
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
i have a usrobotics sportster 28.8 modem
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
|
|
Internal or external?
|
|
<p> Personally I don't like the Sportster series.
|
|
Their Courier's are nice (but spendy). I currently
|
|
use a Practical Peripherals -- but my next modem will
|
|
probably be a Zyxel.
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
I type<code>sz <filename></code>
|
|
things go along fine until about 40k than i will get a couple of different
|
|
error messages:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
BAD CRC:0
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
sometimes followed by another attempt at downloading
|
|
(usually only a bit or two) than the same error OR
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
GARBAGE COUNT EXCEEDED:0
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
followed by a time-out.
|
|
<p>AARRGH! what the heck is going on? u can email me privately if you would
|
|
prefer, as this is probably a totally common problem and i am just not
|
|
looking in the right place!
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
</H3> <img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
<p> My guess would that you don't have a high speed UART.
|
|
Or that your flow control isn't properly set.
|
|
|
|
<p> The reason I guess this is that 40K is a reasonable
|
|
amound of data for the modem to get and buffer while
|
|
you system does a context switch. The buffer overruns
|
|
(in a 16450 -- older, low-speed UART) could easily be
|
|
fatal to the transfer in the first context switch.
|
|
|
|
<p> With the 16550 UART -- the UART has a 16 byte FIFO
|
|
buffer. That's enough for the UART to change
|
|
the state on the handshaking lines (lowering the
|
|
CTR -- clear to receive -- line) and enough still
|
|
store the incoming data while the other system
|
|
responds (stops sending).
|
|
|
|
<p> At 28.8Kbps coming into a 16450's (one byte!) buffer
|
|
the sender will have tossed a lot of bits out before
|
|
getting the message (that your system is dropping
|
|
them all on the floor).
|
|
|
|
<p> I am copying this to the Linux Gazette *because* it
|
|
is a common problem. Most of us in the real world
|
|
use modem -- we don't have T1's or ISDN/ethernet
|
|
bridges (actually I do have a Tracell WebRamp but
|
|
I'm not using it yet). So we are still stuck fighting
|
|
with these problems.
|
|
|
|
<p> I'm hoping that USB (IEEE 1394 "Firewire") actually
|
|
takes off in the next year. It's been hanging in the
|
|
wings, timidly for about two years now and it's LONG
|
|
overdue.
|
|
|
|
<p> Has anyone out there run a USB board under Linux?
|
|
|
|
<p> For those who are lost about "Firewire" refer to:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.usar.com/indact/standard/firewf.htm">
|
|
USAR Systems -- Fireware Info</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.adaptec.com/firewire/1394main.html">
|
|
The IEEE-1394 High Performance Serial Bus -- Adaptec's FAQ</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.1394ta.org">
|
|
IEEE 1394 Trade Assoc. -- Firewire, USB, serial bus</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p> If you have any Linux news on this topic -- mail it to
|
|
<a href="mailto:tag@starshine.org">tag@starshine.org</a>.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="run"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Running the Internet with Linux
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From:Ricardo Romero <a
|
|
href="mailto:rromero@netfriendly.com"> rromero@netfriendly.com</a>
|
|
<p>Hi, my name is Ricardo Ribeiro Romero and i live in Brazil, i try to run
|
|
INTERNET from linux but this not run, you may help-me?
|
|
<P>Tks, <BR>
|
|
Romero, Ricardo
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
</H3> <img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
At the risk of seeming unfriendly, Romero, I'd have to
|
|
suggest that you might want to look for a local consultant
|
|
or computer specialist to help you.
|
|
|
|
<p> Questions to a publication -- particularly a free publication
|
|
which is entirely supported by the volunteer efforts of the
|
|
writers and the generous sponsorship of SSC have to be
|
|
fairly specific and of reasonably broad interest.
|
|
|
|
<p> Any reasonable distribution of Linux includes all of the
|
|
utilities you need to connect to the Internet as a client
|
|
and all of the utilities that most people would ever want
|
|
to be a service provider.
|
|
|
|
<p> It is not clear from your message whether you are trying
|
|
to set your system up as a server/provider or as a client
|
|
or both.
|
|
|
|
<p> There are several good books that go into broad coverage
|
|
of Networking with Linux (which is largely the same as
|
|
networking under other forms of Unix). My personal favorite
|
|
would be the Linux Documentation Project's Network Administrator's
|
|
Guide (LDP NAG for short). This is available electronically
|
|
(as text, postscript, TeX, or HTML) and is probably on any
|
|
set of CD's that you'd buy. You can also purchase a professionally
|
|
bound and printed copy from O'Reilly & Associates (among others).
|
|
|
|
<p> Along with that O'Reilly also publishes a book called something
|
|
like: "Getting Connecting: Establishing a Presence on the Internet"
|
|
(That would be the "Pig" book) by Kevin Dowd). If you're trying
|
|
to set yourself up as an ISP or if your want to have a
|
|
dedicated connection to the net (say for your office) than
|
|
this is probably what you want.
|
|
|
|
<p> Personally I recommend that most small business and private
|
|
people avoid "dedicated" or "permanent/full-time" connections
|
|
to the 'net. It's much less expensive to configure UUCP for
|
|
mail and news -- and look at virtual hosting and/or co-location
|
|
for serving up web pages and other services. This can be
|
|
supplemented with demand dialed PPP (using scripts or diald)
|
|
to provide the web access -- over a modem or via ISDN.
|
|
|
|
<p> One of the big benefits of ISDN is the lower latency. A
|
|
modem connection takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute to
|
|
dial, ring, connect, and negotiate. ISDN can do that in
|
|
about 3 seconds. You'll be much less reluctant to hang
|
|
up and quit hogging your ISP's phone line if you know that
|
|
you can get back in about 3 seconds.
|
|
|
|
<p> In addition to the lower expense running your site as a
|
|
disconnected network relieves you of quite a bit of the
|
|
security concerns associated with a full time net connection.
|
|
Sure -- your PPP link is inherently bi-directional (people
|
|
can connect back to your through it and attempt to exploit
|
|
the same services that they my attack on a fully connected
|
|
site). However you'll be there to notice any additional
|
|
load or any anomalies -- and your whole site is considerably
|
|
less attractive to crackers anyway.
|
|
|
|
<p> (People who connect their Linux systems to the 'net via PPP
|
|
really should take a 1 hr course on securing their hosts.
|
|
Maybe I'll crank out an article on that sometime).
|
|
|
|
Romero,
|
|
|
|
<p> Back to your question. Please try reading up about
|
|
these connections and/or consider hiring a local consultant.
|
|
I don't know anything about the phonesystems in Brazil --
|
|
and I get a little sketchy about ISP's if I get more than
|
|
about 200 miles inland from the Pacific Coast.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="spawn"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Respawning too Fast
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From: Igor Markov <a href="mailto:imarkov@math.ucla.edu">imarkov@math.ucla.edu</a>
|
|
My question is about the infamous "Resapawning too fast" message
|
|
from init. This message appears in my /var/log/messages
|
|
every 5 minutes (of course!) for xdm
|
|
I'm just guessing that this is for "The Answer Guy"
|
|
|
|
init: Id "x" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
|
|
|
|
However, xdm is running (I see it in ps output and I don't have
|
|
problems using it).
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
</H3> <img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
You don't show the appropriate lines from your
|
|
your /etc/inittab but they should look something like:
|
|
|
|
<p> # Run xdm in runlevel 5 (and 4 for me)
|
|
x:45:respawn:/usr/bin/X11/xdm -nodaemon
|
|
|
|
<p> (Note: I run xdm in 4 and 5 which unusual -- but
|
|
4 is my custom default -- with 12 VCs, xdm in VC13
|
|
-- accessed by the right alt-key + F1 -- and syslog
|
|
output on VC 15, VC14 is used for stray open commands
|
|
or to redirect pesky output from backgrounded processes).
|
|
|
|
<p> My guess would be that you don't have the -nodaemon
|
|
switch on yours. (Try adding it).
|
|
|
|
<p> If I'm mistaken than the troubleshooting will be
|
|
more involved. Check with the vendor for your
|
|
distribution of Linux and see if they have some
|
|
patches.
|
|
|
|
<p> Red Hat users may want to look at:
|
|
|
|
<a href="http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/errata.html">
|
|
http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/errata.html</a>
|
|
<p> ... to see what's been fixed since your CD was burned.
|
|
|
|
<p> Also you may want to look in your xdm-config file
|
|
(/etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config -- if you're lucky -- otherwise
|
|
it could be in .... /usr/X11R6/....????).
|
|
|
|
<p> The best introduction to xdm I've ever found was in
|
|
_The_Shell_Hacker's_Guide_to_X_and_Motif_ from John
|
|
Wiley & Sons.
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
It seems that init tries to spawn a second xdm.
|
|
I couldn't confirm or reject this hypothesis...
|
|
(egrep xdm /etc/* /etc/*/* did not show anything promising)
|
|
Thank you
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
</H3> <img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
Respawning too fast indicates that the program
|
|
is exiting (pretty much immediately) and that init
|
|
figures that there must be some bad problem. For
|
|
example if getty is respawning it may be that it's
|
|
attempt to grab the serial line is failing (like
|
|
there is no serial driver configured in your kernel
|
|
and you forgot to load the module -- or something like that).
|
|
|
|
<p> If xdm is loading and forking off a daemon (it's default)
|
|
then this will look like an exit/failure to init. The
|
|
-nodaemon will force xdm to run from the console in which
|
|
init started it (not try to "background" itself as it would
|
|
do if you ran it from a command line).
|
|
|
|
<p> The fact that your copy is working suggests this -- but when
|
|
you log out of your xdm session you might have to way upto
|
|
five minutes for init to decide to try xdm again (unless
|
|
your xdm logout configuration is doing the respawning or
|
|
something weird).
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<a name="map"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Problems with Keyboard Mapping
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From: Gilbert R. Payson
|
|
<a
|
|
href="mailto:g.payson@edina.xnc.com">g.payson@edina.xnc.com</a><BR>
|
|
Hello. I have three (okay, four) linux machines in Germany.
|
|
My problem is this: In Xwindows, my keyboard mapping is almost perfect.
|
|
But, there are a few problems:
|
|
</b>
|
|
<p><b> @ doesn't work.
|
|
It brings me to the last edited line (like an up-arrow)
|
|
How can I fix this?
|
|
</b>
|
|
<p><b> thanx! -gil
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
I think you want to look at the xmodmap command.
|
|
You'll also want to look at the following HOW-TO
|
|
documents:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Keyboard-HOWTO.html">
|
|
Keyboard HOWTO</a>
|
|
<li><a href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/mini/Key-Setup">
|
|
Key Setup mini-HOWTO</a>
|
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="modsp"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Modem Speed
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From:Scott Atwood<a href="mailto:atwood@cs.stanford.edu">
|
|
atwood@cs.stanford.edu</a><BR>
|
|
I'd like to make a comment regarding a question from "The Answer Guy"
|
|
column in issue 13 of Linux Gazette about combining modems to increase
|
|
speed. This question reflects a common misconception of equating
|
|
bandwidth with speed. Latency is a much more important measure of
|
|
percieved speed, especially in interactive applications, such as
|
|
telnet sessions, and web browsing. Combining modems will increase
|
|
bandwidth, but latency will remain unaffected. For a more complete
|
|
treatment of this subject, see:
|
|
<a
|
|
href="http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/rants/Latency.html">http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/rants/Latency.html</a><BR>
|
|
an essay by Stuart Cheshire, author of Bolo.
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
|
|
</H3> <img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
I finally got around to reading your article. It was
|
|
very interesting.
|
|
|
|
<p> I thought I had warned the reader that doubling his
|
|
bandwidth would only help on large, bulk transfers --
|
|
but perhaps I overlooked it.
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="duplic"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Duplicating a Linux Installed Hard Disk
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
I have installed slackware on my PC and I'm completely satisfied. I want
|
|
to duplicate my linux installed hard disk : Can I use my 1st hard disk
|
|
as a source and copy all of its contents to a 2nd blank linux-formated
|
|
hard disk? If I put this 2nd disk into another PC, it will boot Linux
|
|
normally?
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<p><img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
You can just use the 'dd' ("disk dump" or "data dump")
|
|
command on the raw devices. This will work if the two drives
|
|
are identical with no bad sectors.
|
|
|
|
<p> Many years ago I'd have said you were an idiot to even consider
|
|
it. Now I'd recommend against in much milder language.
|
|
|
|
<p> The difference is that modern drives -- IDE and SCSI are
|
|
capable of autotranslation (so the BIOS and often the
|
|
Unix/Linux disk drivers don't need to know the true
|
|
geometry of the disk. Most drives these days also have
|
|
spare sectors on every track -- during a low level format
|
|
spares are mapped into use for any bad sector on a particular
|
|
track. Using this scheme (which is normally completely
|
|
transparent to the host machine -- it's all in the drive's
|
|
electronics) it is rare to see any bad sectors on a drive
|
|
(until all the spares for a given track are used up).
|
|
|
|
<p> So it is technical feasible to do this.
|
|
|
|
<p> However I'd say that you're much safer to spend a little
|
|
more time and "do it right."
|
|
|
|
<p> Use fdisk to partition the new drive (presumably to set its
|
|
partitions to match those on your first drive. You can
|
|
do this without downing the system. I personally prefer to
|
|
follow the advice and reboot after writing a new partition
|
|
table -- but that's probably a force of habit from too
|
|
many years of DOS and OS/2.
|
|
|
|
<p> Then do a<code>mke2fs -c /dev/hdbX</code> (where X is the partition
|
|
number) for each of these new partitions.
|
|
|
|
<p> Then do a:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
mount /dev/hdbX /mnt/tmp
|
|
find . -mount | cpio -pvum /mnt/tmp
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> ... to each of them.
|
|
|
|
<p> Now your are almost done. The only problem is that
|
|
your lilo boot map (on your existing drive) probably
|
|
doesn't match the lilo configuration on the new one.
|
|
|
|
<p> The most reliable way of dealing with that is to
|
|
take the new drive to the new system -- boot from a
|
|
rescue floppy using the root=/dev/hdaX command
|
|
line parameters (on the lilo prompt line from the
|
|
rescue floppy) and edit the /etc/lilo.conf. Then
|
|
run lilo and reboot.
|
|
|
|
<p> That's all there is to it. That's about seven steps
|
|
(with 3 of them being repeated for each filesystem on
|
|
the drive(s). The amount of time this takes is dwarfed
|
|
by the actual task of opening your case and getting the
|
|
jumpers on the new drive working right (which is far worse
|
|
for IDE than most SCSI in my experience).
|
|
|
|
<p> Why is this better? Well it deals with bad blocks and
|
|
small difference in geometry. It also ensures that the
|
|
new copy is defragmented. Other than that -- it just
|
|
"feels" like a better way.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<a name="fire"></a>
|
|
<h3><img align=bottom alt=" " src="../gx/ques.gif">
|
|
Using the Linux Box as a Firewall
|
|
</h3>
|
|
<P> <B>
|
|
From: Tim Gray <a href="mailto:timgray@lambdanet.com">
|
|
timgray@lambdanet.com</a> <BR>
|
|
Hi, I have a small problem that might affect others out there..
|
|
I am trying to get my linux box to act as a "firewall" of sorts for
|
|
my wife's Windows 95 computer. (I haven't been able to get her to
|
|
switch yet)
|
|
I installed ne2000 compatable boards in each, ran cable, installed
|
|
everything as per
|
|
per linux network administrators guide. The problem I have is
|
|
getting Packets
|
|
destined for internet to go out the modem line when it's not connected.
|
|
I need a way to have linux automatically fire up my dial-up connection when
|
|
it sees that the remote computers want to use it. and possibly kill the
|
|
connection after a period of non use.
|
|
|
|
<P> Thank you. Tim
|
|
</B> <P>
|
|
<img align=bottom alt=" " src=" ../gx/ans2.gif">
|
|
This arrangement is referred to a a "Proxy" server --
|
|
which is only a component of certain firewall architectures.
|
|
|
|
<p> Specifically you appear to be trying to set up a "dial on
|
|
demand Masquerading proxy host." (if I understand you
|
|
correctly).
|
|
|
|
<p> The first tool you need for this is called 'diald' --
|
|
(the 'dial daemon').
|
|
|
|
<p> The most recent version that I know of is at:
|
|
|
|
<p> <a href="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/network/serial/">
|
|
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/network/serial/</a>
|
|
<p> ... and is named:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
diald-0.16.tar.gz
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> I just set this up (literally while this draft was
|
|
loaded in my mailer). It was suprisingly easy.
|
|
|
|
<p> Just edited the make file (just to change the
|
|
LIBDIR, BINDIR, etc directories to point at /usr/local/...)
|
|
did a make and a make install. Then I created a file
|
|
named /etc/diald.conf with just the 'lock' directive in it.
|
|
I did this so I can more readily support multiple diald
|
|
configurations -- as I'll explain presently:
|
|
|
|
<p> I created a /etc/diald/ directory and put in a
|
|
file like:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
device /dev/modem
|
|
connect "chat -f /etc/ppp/connect"
|
|
speed 38400
|
|
modem
|
|
defaultroute
|
|
crtscts
|
|
redial-timeout 120
|
|
connect-timeout 120
|
|
mode ppp
|
|
dynamic
|
|
local 192.168.1.1
|
|
remote 192.168.1.2
|
|
include /usr/lib/diald/standard.filter
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> Obviously yours will differ in a few spots.
|
|
the -f parameter to your connect line should point
|
|
to whatever chat script you use manually. You might
|
|
change the device line -- although I highly recommend
|
|
that you consistently configure all of your packages to
|
|
use /dev/modem (which is just a symlink to the real
|
|
serical device on my system).
|
|
|
|
<p> I currently have diald, pppd (manual), uucp, kermit,
|
|
minicom, and mgetty all sharing this modem and properly
|
|
using the same lock files throughout.
|
|
|
|
<p> The local and remote addresses are apparently arbitrary --
|
|
I use addresses that are listed in RFC1918 (nee 1597)
|
|
which reserves several sets of addresses which the
|
|
IANA/InterNIC promise not to give out to "real" internet
|
|
sites.
|
|
|
|
<p> Then added the following two lines to my /etc/rc.local:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
modprobe slip
|
|
/usr/local/sbin/diald -f /etc/diald/rahul
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<p> (Where the rahul file is the one I've listed above and
|
|
refers to one of my PPP providers).
|
|
|
|
<p> Once you have your system reliably dialing your provider
|
|
on demand -- the next step is to get routing working
|
|
from your wife's system to the internet.
|
|
|
|
<p> I would recommend bringing up the ppp connection manually
|
|
and doing all the routing/masquerading/proxying configuration
|
|
and testing with the line "nailed" up.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
--Jim
|
|
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, James T. Dennis <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif" ALT="[ TABLE OF
|
|
CONTENTS ]"></A> <A HREF="../index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="lg_bytes16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif" ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./library.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<!--startcut ======================================================= -->
|
|
<!--endcut ========================================================= -->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
|
|
<h3>A Brief Introduction to the <b>kunf</b> Library</h3>
|
|
<H4>By Marc Welz,
|
|
<a href="mailto:mwelz@sar8.ee.uct.ac.za">mwelz@sar8.ee.uct.ac.za</a></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<h4>Why ?</h4>
|
|
The kunf library is an attempt to set up a uniform way of accessing
|
|
configuration data. Currently most large applications have their own
|
|
configuration files - these files are likely to have a varying syntax
|
|
and have no well-specified location. On the other hand small programs
|
|
and scripts have no configuration files at all - they have values hard-coded
|
|
into them which sometimes can be overridden from the command line
|
|
or through environment variables. This entire setup seems somewhat
|
|
suboptimal - it can be quite daunting to the novice user.
|
|
<p>
|
|
The kunf library attempts change this - it tries to manage configuration
|
|
data on behalf of the program or script. Instead of each application
|
|
implementing its own resource file parser, an application calls a
|
|
set of library functions (in the case of a shell script that would be
|
|
a call to a utility program) which then return the configuration data.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Each piece of configuration data has a name (actually a sort of path)
|
|
which identifies it. This makes that data independent of any particular
|
|
location or configuration file. Once an application requests a data item,
|
|
the library looks up the value in a location transparent manner and
|
|
(optionally) performs a set of translations on the value. Then the value
|
|
is returned to the calling code.
|
|
<p>
|
|
This approach should have the advantage that there is a consistent
|
|
way of accessing configuration data - data for different applications
|
|
can be modified with the same utility and the economics of scale
|
|
should make it possible to construct more sophisticated maintenance
|
|
tools that would be feasible for a single application. Novice
|
|
users would not need to have to learn the location of the resource
|
|
files.
|
|
<p>
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<h4>How ?</h4>
|
|
Once you have <a href="http://sar8.ee.uct.ac.za/linux/kunf/download.html">
|
|
downloaded</a>, extracted (<tt>tar -xzvf filename</tt>) and installed (a
|
|
<tt>make ; make install</tt> should suffice) the library, you should be
|
|
able to make use of the shell and C interface without too much difficulty:
|
|
<p>
|
|
>From a shell script you can use the utility <tt>kunfenv</tt> to place a
|
|
particular piece of configuration data into the environment. For example,
|
|
the template configuration files contain an entry for the nntpserver
|
|
variable which is stored as <tt>news:nntp:nntpserver</tt>. A shell script
|
|
can access that information with a statement like:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
|
|
#!/bin/bash
|
|
# evaluate the result of a call to kunfenv
|
|
eval `kunfenv news:nntp:nntpserver`
|
|
# Now we have the variable as news_nntp_nntpserver
|
|
echo "My nntpserver is $news_nntp_nntpserver"
|
|
|
|
</pre>
|
|
<p>
|
|
A C program can access the same data with the following piece of
|
|
code:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
|
|
#include <kunf.h>
|
|
...
|
|
char *str;
|
|
kunfig_open(NULL,KUNFIG_OPEN_STANDARD);
|
|
str=kunfig_findvalue(3,"news","nntp","nntpserver");
|
|
printf("My nntpserver is %s\n",str);
|
|
kunfig_close();
|
|
|
|
</pre>
|
|
Do not forget to link the program with the directive <tt>-lkunf</tt>.
|
|
<p>
|
|
The configuration file editor can be used to modify the value of
|
|
<tt>news:nntp:nntpserver</tt> entry. One simply invokes the editor
|
|
by typing <tt>kunfedit</tt>, navigates down to the nntpserver entry
|
|
(select the <b>news</b> entry ...), modifies the value (hit the escape
|
|
key to move off a field) and saves it (press escape several times -
|
|
it will ask you if you want to save).
|
|
<p>
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<h4>More ?</h4>
|
|
There exists a <a href="http://sar8.ee.uct.ac.za/linux/kunf/">web page</a>
|
|
which contains more information on this library. You can also
|
|
<a href="ftp://sar8.ee.uct.ac.za/linux/kunf/">ftp</a> the entire
|
|
package directly. The library is released under the GNU Copyleft.
|
|
You can contact the author at his <a href="http://sar8.ee.uct.ac.za/linux/kunf/address.gif">difficult-to-spam-address</a>.
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Marc Welz <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./answer.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./clueless.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H3>CLUELESS at the Prompt: A Column for New Users</H3>
|
|
<H4>By Mike List,
|
|
<a href="mailto:troll@net-link.net">troll@net-link.net</a></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<center><IMG ALIGN=MIDDLE SRC = "../gx/list/gnub.jpg" ></center><p>
|
|
<b>Welcome to installment 3 of Clueless at the Prompt:
|
|
A Column for New Users.</b>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<b>Thanks for the encouraging e-mail.In response to several requests,
|
|
here is a little information to help you get your feet wet.</b>
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<p><h4> Multitasking</h4>
|
|
<p>
|
|
If you are familiar with that other windowing thing, you may be aware of
|
|
the concept of multitasking. Using a single computer to do several
|
|
applications at once is a highly desireable trait of an OS.
|
|
<p>
|
|
It's fairly obvious how to accomplish this in a windowing environment,
|
|
but not so obvious at the shell prompt.Here's some of the details.
|
|
<p>
|
|
When you start a program at the shell prompt, you can stop it by typing
|
|
<pre>
|
|
Ctrl-Z
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
Whereupon you will be returned to the shell prompt. Then type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
bg
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
which will restart thet program or job in the (b)ack(g)round and allow you
|
|
to run another job while that kernel ccompiles, without changing to a
|
|
different VC. You probably know that you can change VCs by using the
|
|
<pre>
|
|
Alt-F2
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
through F6. Each one of these can also be used in the manner that I have
|
|
described, to the extent that you can run yourself out of resources in a
|
|
fit of deep hack mode euphoria if you aren't careful.If you get really
|
|
exuberant you could even forget what all you have going. Relax, you can
|
|
find them all by typing:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
jobs
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
which will list all jobs running in the background, much like the
|
|
<pre>
|
|
ps
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
command lists all processes that are using your precious memory and
|
|
CPU to a nub.
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<p><h4>Mount </h4>
|
|
<p>
|
|
When you boot up linux your file system or rather your hard drive must be
|
|
mounted, so that the file system can be read and acted on.Your floppy
|
|
drive, tape backup, or CD-ROM may not be automatically mounted, so you
|
|
could have need of the mount utility.For instance:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
mount -t ext2 /dev/fd0 /mnt or mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
will mount your floppy drive that dos calls a: to a directory called /mnt
|
|
from where you can access files on floppy disks. In the first example,
|
|
the /mnt directory can be read in the ext2 filesystem, while the sescond
|
|
reads floppies written in msdos format.To read the contents of the floppy
|
|
drive, which is now /mnt you can type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
cd /mnt
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
then,
|
|
<pre>
|
|
ls
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
or
|
|
<pre>
|
|
less filename
|
|
</pre> <p>
|
|
In a similar manner,
|
|
you can mount your other floppy drives, tape drives, CDROMs, or other
|
|
read write devices.These devices can be unmounted using the
|
|
<pre>
|
|
umount /dev/fd0 or /dev/whateveryoumounted
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
command.
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<p><h4>Some timesavers....</h4>
|
|
<p>
|
|
Here are a few tips that can make your linux life a little easier.
|
|
<p>
|
|
When you first logon to linux there are some commands that make use of
|
|
optional switches,which you may not know or be sure of. You might make a
|
|
typo in your command that you don't catch until after you hit enter.
|
|
To try it again without retyping the whole command, just tap the up arrow
|
|
key, which will bring back the previous command so that you can return to
|
|
the scene of the crime and replace the mistyped or mistaken characters.
|
|
In fact if you tap enter several times you can go back to what you did
|
|
several commands previous.
|
|
<p>
|
|
To change back to a directory you have just left, or to scan
|
|
subdirectories, you can use :
|
|
<pre>
|
|
c -
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
in the following manner. change from your /home directory to the main
|
|
trunk directory:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
cd /
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
then, to look at the top level of each directory, for instance:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
cd usr
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
then:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
ls
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
If you didn't find what you were looking for, just:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
cd -
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
and you will find yourself at the trunk / again. Unfortunately you can
|
|
only go one layer deep, but it is still useful when you install a source
|
|
package and want to check out the contents of each of the subdirectories.
|
|
Sometimes, atleast at first, you may not know how to stop a program or
|
|
process that's running, but you are unwilling to let it slowly eat up your
|
|
memory or CPU overhead. You can type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
ps -a
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
to get a list of all running processes, make note of the pid (Process ID)
|
|
number and type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
kill pidnumber for instance kill 2395
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
But there is an easier way. Browse through the LSM (Linux Software Map)
|
|
for a utility , actually a nicety called die-1.1 . You can unpack
|
|
this into a directory or use installpkg dopkg or what ever your single
|
|
package installation utility is. Then look for the /die-1.1 and cd to it.
|
|
It contains a couple of files, a source file,
|
|
<pre>
|
|
die11.c
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
and a documentation file,
|
|
<pre>
|
|
die.doc
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
Assuming that you installed the GCC compiler, just type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
gcc -o die die11.c
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
hit enter and presto you've compiled a utility called die.Just mv this to
|
|
a directory in your path, and if you like, mv the die .doc to /usr/doc
|
|
or somewhere it can be with its other help text friends( but not man pages
|
|
they'll pick on it unmercifully).Next time you're in a quandary about how
|
|
to gun down a process just type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
die commandname
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
and it will do the deed. To find out more about die just type:
|
|
<pre>
|
|
die
|
|
</pre><p>
|
|
with no argument and it will give you a summary of the commands you can
|
|
try the up arrow keys on<h3> ; )</h3>(this emoticon is the only one that
|
|
doesn't
|
|
make me nauseous)
|
|
<p>
|
|
<hr>
|
|
<p><h4>Disclaimer</h4>
|
|
You have probaly noticed this column doesn't have as much content as the
|
|
previous two, presumably since linux is really an easy OS to learn so
|
|
my curve isn't as steep, or maybe it's the fact that I have gone half
|
|
crazy trying to install a DECvt220 to a serial port and it refuses to
|
|
cooperate
|
|
<p>
|
|
I guess I made a mistake when I said I made a mistake about the mkdir
|
|
command in DOS. Several people sent me mail that mkdir -md, rmdir-rd
|
|
and a couple ohers are synonymous with linux commands. One fella told me
|
|
he made symbolic links to several DOS commands so he can use them without
|
|
having to learn new but similar commands. Sick, but ingenious.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<h4> Next Time- Let me know what you would like to see in here and I'll try to
|
|
oblige just e-mail<a href="mailto:troll@net-link.net">troll@net-link.net
|
|
</a> me and ask, otherwise I'll just write about what gave me trouble and
|
|
how I got past it.</h4>
|
|
<p> TTYL, Mike List </p>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Mike List <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./answer.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./cebit.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H2>CeBit'97, March 13-19</H2>
|
|
<H4>By Belinda Frazier, Associate Publisher <I>Linux Journal</I></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./photo2.html">CeBIT Photo Album</A>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
CeBIT is the world's largest computer fair, bringing together
|
|
vendors and attendees from many different countries.
|
|
If you picture landscaped fairgrounds with 27 halls for vendors
|
|
and even more auxiliary buildings with stores and restaurants
|
|
and then add 650,000 people to the picture, all visiting the location
|
|
over seven days, you are starting to get an image of CeBIT '97.
|
|
CeBIT took place in the Messegelande [umlaut over a] in Hannover,
|
|
Germany, March 13th to 19th, 1997.
|
|
<P>
|
|
This was my first time attending CeBIT, and my goal was to
|
|
look at the Linux vendors and possibly talk about Linux to vendors
|
|
whose software already ran under other Unix platforms. I also
|
|
wanted to see what such a huge computer fair would be like and
|
|
contrast it to the US's largest computer fair, Comdex, in Las Vegas,
|
|
which I have attended the past seven years.
|
|
<P>
|
|
My first stop was Hall 11 to visit Caldera, Inc.
|
|
Caldera's booth was easily recognizable as a Linux booth because
|
|
of "Tux" the penguin, (well, a stuffed rendition of Tux) sitting on top
|
|
of one of the monitors.
|
|
Caldera's booth was crowded with people every time I visited it.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Attendees were interested in Caldera's OpenLinux products and
|
|
getting information about Linux and Linux products.
|
|
The 1500 <I>Linux Journal Buyer's Guides</I> given away by Caldera and
|
|
their affiliated booths during CeBIT also seemed to be a hit with
|
|
attendees.
|
|
Caldera also provided information about OpenDOS 7.01,
|
|
which is free for non-commercial and educational use.
|
|
Caldera's booth staff talked about recent announcements such as the
|
|
upcoming port of Netscape software to OpenLinux, and the port
|
|
of StarOffice 3.1 to OpenLinux.
|
|
<P>
|
|
A German television station, Bayerischer Rundfunk, filmed
|
|
a short tv show about Linux at the Caldera booth.
|
|
The "tv host" Jurgend Plate warmed up for a few minutes while the
|
|
film crew continued to set up equipment.
|
|
Before they started filming, after
|
|
I identified myself as the Associate Publisher of Linux Journal,
|
|
Jurgend hollered to me that LJ was "das beste Magazin auf der Welt!"
|
|
I was told by Sebastian Hetze of LunetIX, that Jurgend Plate had been
|
|
excited about Linux for years, and that his exuberance over Linux
|
|
was real.
|
|
<P>
|
|
A second Linux stop for me was at the large Star Office booth
|
|
in Hall 2 that demonstrated among its many different ports,
|
|
StarOffice on OpenLinux.
|
|
<P>
|
|
At the third Linux stop, the large Software AG booth,
|
|
there was a signpost saying
|
|
Datenbanktechnologie and the second sign down said "ADABAS & LINUX".
|
|
Tux sat proudly on top of the workstation here by the Caldera
|
|
OpenLinux Base. Nathan Guinn gave me a free review copy of the single-user
|
|
version of LunetIX's ADABAS, an SQL Database, which I passed
|
|
along to the editor of Linux Journal.
|
|
<P>
|
|
A fourth company with a Linux product was NAG Ltd,
|
|
which among its other products, provided information on
|
|
their Linux Fortran 90 Compiler.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Other companies, such as LST Software, GmBH and LunetIX had
|
|
representatives at the show, mostly working out of Caldera's booth.
|
|
<P>
|
|
There was some press coverage about Linux. In the special CeBIT
|
|
section of the Newspaper called "COMPUTER & KOMMUNIKATION" there was
|
|
a full-page article titled "Linux schultert Microsoft-Anwendungen"
|
|
which covered the capability of Microsoft Applications to run
|
|
under Linux using Windows Binary Application Interface (WABI).
|
|
<P>
|
|
All in all, CeBIT was an informative, busy, intensive, show.
|
|
Next time I should try it without crutches resulting from a sprained ankle.
|
|
I should also mention the color shows and performances in some booths,
|
|
including a musical story (D2-Musical) with
|
|
"Princess Digital, the Queen of the World", the artistic acrobats
|
|
at VIAG Interkom, and many cabaret-style performances, which added
|
|
a fun, colorful, entertaining diversion during CeBIT.
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Belinda Frazier <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./clueless.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./dyn.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H2>Dynamic IP Web Solution Using Geocities Web Account </H4>
|
|
<H4>by Henry H Lu,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:fasta@geocities.com">fasta@geocities.com</A> <BR>
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/3171/">http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/3171/</A>
|
|
</H4> </center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
|
|
Since I published an article "Setting Up a Dynamic IP Web Server"
|
|
in Linux Gazette issue #10, I have lost all the free school web accounts.
|
|
Because I need a permenent web page to bridge the linux dynamic web server
|
|
at home, I have been lucky to found out that Geocities free web account
|
|
can be used with a little bit hack. Geocities free web account with 2MB
|
|
space and free email can be obtained at <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com">http://www.geocities.com</A>
|
|
.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>Geocities web page can be updated by ftp method. However, geocities
|
|
ftp procedure requires that *.html files are ftped with asii mode and *.jpg,
|
|
*.tgz files are ftped by binary mode. I found out that if I use the wrong
|
|
mode, web pages can not be updated. It took about 10 minutes in my test
|
|
to update ( or overwrite) the web page after the updated file was ftped,
|
|
so that you have to be patient to wait for your result with Geocities account.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>---------------------------------------------</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>The following is the ftp part of scripts in file web_up, web_down:</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>web_up: </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>if echo -e "ascii\ncd /pub/homestead\nput up.html dynamic.html"
|
|
\ </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>| /usr/bin/ftp -v geocities </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>web_down: </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>if echo -e "ascii\ncd /pub/homestead\nput down.html dynamic.html"
|
|
\ </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>| /usr/bin/ftp -v geocities </P>
|
|
|
|
<P>Source files like ppp-up and ppp-down are also updated to reflect the
|
|
change.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>The following sentence can be added to file /etc/ppp/ppp-up in order
|
|
to use email to tell us current IP address of your linux box:</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>mail -s "$4" fasta@geocities.com < /etc/add</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>-------------------------------------------------</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>In conclusion, although it is not as convenient as the typical unix
|
|
shell account to update the web page by using free Geocities web account,
|
|
it serves us well for bridge to our dynamic web server at home with zero
|
|
cost. For detailed information, please read my original article in issue
|
|
#10, and check out my new web page for updated source code.</P>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Henry H. Lu <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./cebit.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./gm.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- =============================================================
|
|
This Page Designed by Michael J. Hammel.
|
|
Permission to use all graphics and other content for private,
|
|
non-commerical use is granted provided you give me (or the
|
|
original authors/artists) credit for the work.
|
|
|
|
CD-ROM distributors and commercial ventures interested in
|
|
providing the Graphics Muse for a fee must contact me,
|
|
Michael J. Hammel (mjhammel@csn.net), for permission.
|
|
============================================================= !-->
|
|
|
|
<!-- The Button box as a client side imagemap -->
|
|
<MAP NAME="nav-main">
|
|
<AREA SHAPE="rect" HREF="#mews" coords="3,10 158,56">
|
|
<AREA SHAPE="rect" HREF="#musings" coords="5,85 142,116">
|
|
<AREA SHAPE="rect" HREF="#resources" coords="5,152 177,182">
|
|
</MAP>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<TABLE width=560>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td width=441 valign="top" align=left cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
|
|
|
|
<!-- The title graphics -->
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/gm3.gif" ALT="Welcome to the Graphics Muse"
|
|
ALIGN="left" WIDTH="441" HEIGHT="216" border="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<td width=119 align=right valign="bottom">
|
|
<table>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td align=center>
|
|
<FONT size=2>
|
|
Set your browser to the width of the line below for best viewing.
|
|
</FONT>
|
|
<!-- The Copyright -->
|
|
<BR><FONT size=1>
|
|
© 1996 by
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:mjhammel@csn.net">mjh</A>
|
|
</FONT></td>
|
|
</tr>
|
|
</table></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<!-- Provide a measure for readers to adjust their browsers to.
|
|
-- These pages should fit on a 640 pixel wide window, so laptop
|
|
-- users should be able to read them too.
|
|
-->
|
|
<td width=100% cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0
|
|
valign=bottom align=center colspan=2>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
</td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
<TABLE width=560>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<!-- td width=177 align=left valign=top>
|
|
-->
|
|
<td width=17% align=left valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/buttons3.gif" ALT="Button Bar"
|
|
ALIGN="left" WIDTH="177" HEIGHT="185"
|
|
USEMAP="#nav-main" border="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!-- td width=463 align=left valign=top>
|
|
-->
|
|
<td width=83% align=left valign=top>
|
|
<!-- What is a Graphics Muse? -->
|
|
<FONT size=4><B>muse:</B></FONT>
|
|
<OL>
|
|
<LI><I>v;</I> to become absorbed in thought
|
|
<LI><I>n;</I> [ fr. Any of the nine sister goddesses of learning and the
|
|
arts in Greek Mythology ]: a source of inspiration
|
|
</OL>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/w.gif" ALT="W" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="36" HEIGHT="28">elcome
|
|
to the Graphics Muse! Why a "muse"?
|
|
Well, except for the sisters aspect, the above definitions are
|
|
pretty much the way I'd describe my own interest in computer graphics:
|
|
it keeps me deep in thought and it is a daily source of inspiration.
|
|
|
|
<!-- Text based navigation -->
|
|
<P>
|
|
<CENTER>
|
|
<FONT size=2>
|
|
[<A HREF="#mews">Graphics Mews</A>]
|
|
[<A HREF="#musings">Musings</A>]
|
|
[<A HREF="#resources">Resources</A>]
|
|
</FONT>
|
|
<CENTER></td>
|
|
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
<TABLE width=560>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="8" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1">
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/t.gif" ALT="T" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="26" HEIGHT="28">his
|
|
column is dedicated to the use, creation, distribution, and dissussion of
|
|
computer graphics tools for Linux systems.
|
|
|
|
<P clear=both>
|
|
|
|
I'm sort of taking a break from the Muse this month. Work is really
|
|
gearing up and I've been quite busy there. I'm also not confident
|
|
enough in my knowledge of RenderMan Shaders that I feel I could do
|
|
the topic justice this month. So I'm postponing the 2nd in the 3
|
|
part series one month. I <I>will</I> be doing the next two articles,
|
|
I just need a little more time to get them right.
|
|
I'll also still be doing the HF-Lab review. The POV-Ray tips I'm
|
|
not certain I'll do myself. I may see if I can talk someone from
|
|
the IRTC-L mailing list into writing something up there. I haven't
|
|
been using POV-Ray 3.0 in awhile. My attention has been focused on
|
|
BMRT.
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
|
|
So, all there is this month is a few announcements taken from the
|
|
various newsgroups and info thats been passed to me directly.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!-- Netscape has a bug when applying a Name tag to an image, so we have to
|
|
stick the image in a table so the image will be the top item on the
|
|
page.
|
|
-->
|
|
<A NAME="mews">
|
|
<table width=560>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td align=left>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/mews.gif" ALT="Graphics Mews" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="242" HEIGHT="53">
|
|
</td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
</A>
|
|
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
<TABLE width=560 border=0>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4>
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
|
|
Disclaimer:
|
|
Before I get too far into this I should note that any of the news items I
|
|
post in this section are just that - news. Either I happened to run
|
|
across
|
|
them via some mailing list I was on, via some Usenet newsgroup, or via
|
|
email from someone. I'm not necessarily endorsing these products (some of
|
|
which may be commercial), I'm just letting you know I'd heard about
|
|
them in the past month.
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td width="50%">
|
|
<H4>Gifmap Image Navigator</H4>
|
|
|
|
Gifmap is a package which supports making image collections available on
|
|
the Web. It recurses through directory trees, building HTML pages,
|
|
imagemap files, and client-side/server-side maps to allow the user to
|
|
navigate through collections of thumbnail images (somewhat similar to
|
|
xv's Visual Schnauzer) and select the image to view with a mouse click.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obtain gifmap from
|
|
<A HREF="ftp://ftp.wizards.dupont.com/pub/ImageMagick/gifmap">
|
|
ftp://ftp.wizards.dupont.com/pub/ImageMagick/gifmap</A>
|
|
or via the Web from the Gifmap web page at
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.cyberramp.net/~bfriesen/gifmap/">
|
|
http://www.cyberramp.net/~bfriesen/gifmap/</A>.
|
|
The Gifmap web page
|
|
contains some sample pages you can browse through to give you an idea of
|
|
what Gifmap can do. It also contains the gifmap documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gifmap is written in PERL and is compatable with PERL versions 4 and 5.
|
|
Gifmap uses the ImageMagick package and therefore requires that the
|
|
ImageMagick package be installed. ImageMagick version 3.8.0 or later is
|
|
recommended.
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<td bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<td width="49%" valign=top>
|
|
<H4>
|
|
MPEG file player v0.2
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
There was a very brief announcement for this package on
|
|
<A HREF="news:comp.os.linux.announce">
|
|
comp.os.linux.announce</A> which stated that
|
|
the program can work with Pentium-60 32MB machines.
|
|
I don't know why it wouldn't work with other systems, but
|
|
thats what the announcement said.
|
|
|
|
This file player supports MPEG layer 1, 2, 3 and Wave files
|
|
and uses pthreads (thus it requires libpthread.so).
|
|
Check
|
|
<A HREF="http://adam.kaist.ac.kr/~jwj95/">
|
|
http://adam.kaist.ac.kr/~jwj95/</A>
|
|
or
|
|
<A HREF="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/splay-0.2.tar.gz">
|
|
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/
|
|
<BR> apps/sound/splay-0.2.tar.gz</A>.
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4>
|
|
<H4>
|
|
Microform has rev'd their VARKON package
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
VARKON is a high level development tool for
|
|
CAD and engineering applications developed by
|
|
Microform, Sweden. It was first reported in last months
|
|
Graphics Muse. Mircoform has since rev'd the
|
|
package to 1.14F and added new demo applications.
|
|
|
|
The new version is available at:
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.microform.se">
|
|
http://www.microform.se</A>.
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td width="50%">
|
|
<H4>
|
|
MpegTV Player 1.0
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
MpegTV Player 1.0 is a realtime software MPEG Video Player
|
|
with audio/sync.
|
|
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
|
|
This major release has many improvements over earlier
|
|
versions, including better performances, better image
|
|
quality, better error resilence, improved GUI and new
|
|
features.
|
|
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LH>Key features:</LH>
|
|
<LI>High performances on Pentiums (25 frames/sec on P6-200)
|
|
<LI>Support for 8-bit, 16-bit and 24-bit display.
|
|
<LI>High Audio and Video quality
|
|
<LI>Fast random access
|
|
<LI>Frame capture
|
|
<LI>Takes advantage of multiprocessor platforms
|
|
<LI>Handles errors gracefully
|
|
<LI>Works in streaming/network environment
|
|
<LI>VCR-like graphic front-end (using the Xforms library)
|
|
<LI>Graphic front-end can be customized
|
|
<LI>Player can be controlled by any application via a simple API
|
|
</UL>
|
|
MpegTV is a commercial application, but a free evaluation copy
|
|
is available from
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.mpegtv.com/download.html">
|
|
http://www.mpegtv.com/download.html</A>. More information
|
|
is available from
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.mpegtv.com/player.html">
|
|
http://www.mpegtv.com/player.html</A>.
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
<td bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<td width="49%" valign=top>
|
|
<H4>
|
|
The GS4500 scanner driver has been updated to Version 2.0
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
The GS4500 scanner driver is a device driver (loadable module)
|
|
for the Genius handheld scanners GS4500 and GS4500A (and
|
|
probably the GS4000). Version 2.0 includes much improved
|
|
support for the GS4500A.
|
|
It also includes serious bug fixes. So everybody with a 2.0.x
|
|
kernel should update. (If you still run a 1.2.x kernel stay with
|
|
version 1.4 !)
|
|
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
|
|
Also included is a modified version of xscan. Like the name suggests
|
|
it lets you scan under X11 with your GS4500.
|
|
|
|
You can get it from
|
|
<A HREF="http://swt-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~1willamo/linux.html">
|
|
http://swt-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/
|
|
<BR> ~1willamo/linux.html</A>.
|
|
It should also be in the Sunsite and tsx-11 archives by now.
|
|
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4>
|
|
<H4>
|
|
ImageMagick rev'd yet again - 3.8.3.
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
No word as to what this release is for, however. Its nice to
|
|
see such ongoing development on this very fine set of tools. I
|
|
just wonder if monthly releases is really necessary.
|
|
</td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
VSPACE="5" HSPACE="10" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1"></td>
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4>
|
|
<!--
|
|
-- Did You Know Section
|
|
-->
|
|
<H4>Did You Know?</H4>
|
|
|
|
John Bradley has now got an official home for xv on the web:
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.trilon.com/xv/">
|
|
http://www.trilon.com/xv/</A>. There isn't very much there
|
|
yet except the xv source distributions and links to some patches,
|
|
but that will probably change over time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
VSPACE="5" HSPACE="10" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1"></td>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0"></td>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td colspan=4 bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
VSPACE="5" HSPACE="10" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1"></td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<A NAME="musings">
|
|
<table>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/musings.gif" ALT="Musings" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="247" HEIGHT="52">
|
|
</td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
</A>
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
|
|
<TABLE width=560>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td valign=top>
|
|
No Musings this month. I'll have some stuff for next month, though.
|
|
I promise.
|
|
</td>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 valign=top>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/cleardot.gif" ALT="indent" ALIGN="left"
|
|
WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1"></td>
|
|
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<A NAME="resources">
|
|
<table>
|
|
<tr>
|
|
<td>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/hammel/resources.gif" ALT="Resources" ALIGN="left"
|
|
HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="246" HEIGHT="57">
|
|
</td>
|
|
</table>
|
|
</A>
|
|
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
The following links are just starting points for finding more information
|
|
about computer graphics and multimedia in general for Linux systems. If
|
|
you have some application specific information for me, I'll add them to my
|
|
other pages or you can contact the maintainer of some other web site. I'll
|
|
consider adding other general references here, but application or site
|
|
specific information needs to go into one of the following general
|
|
references and not listed here.
|
|
|
|
<BR clear=both>
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.csn.net/~mjhammel/linux-graphics-howto.html">
|
|
Linux Graphics mini-Howto
|
|
</A>
|
|
|
|
<BR>
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.csn.net/~mjhammel/povray/povray.html">
|
|
Unix Graphics Utilities
|
|
</A>
|
|
|
|
<BR>
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.digiserve.com/ar/linux-snd/">
|
|
Linux Multimedia Page
|
|
</A>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Some of the Mailing Lists and Newsgroups I keep an eye on and where I get alot
|
|
of the information in this column:
|
|
|
|
<P> <A HREF="http://www.XCF.Berkeley.EDU/~gimp/">
|
|
The Gimp User and Gimp Developer Mailing Lists</A>.
|
|
<BR> <A HREF="http://www.povvray.org/irtc">
|
|
The IRTC-L discussion list</A>
|
|
<BR> <A HREF="news:comp.graphics.rendering.raytracing">
|
|
comp.graphics.rendering.raytracing</A>
|
|
<BR> <A HREF="news:comp.graphics.rendering.renderman">
|
|
comp.graphics.rendering.renderman</A>
|
|
<BR> <A HREF="news:comp.os.linux.announce">
|
|
comp.os.linux.announce</A>
|
|
|
|
<br>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<A NAME="future">
|
|
<H2>Future Directions</H2>
|
|
</A>
|
|
Next month:
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI> BMRT Part 2: Shaders
|
|
<LI> Height Fields with HF-Lab
|
|
</UL>
|
|
<BR>
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:mjhammel@csn.net">
|
|
Let me know what you'd like to hear about!</A>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Michael J. Hammel <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./dyn.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./lgei.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
I recently did an e-mail interview, in the guise of Editor of <I>Linux
|
|
Gazette</I>, for
|
|
the Italian Edition of <I>Linux Gazette</I>. I know it sounds strange,
|
|
but the Italian edition is basically our <I>LG</I> with a few additions
|
|
such as this interview. (I really wasn't interviewing myself.)
|
|
The questions were presented to me by Francesco De Carlo, a member of the
|
|
faculty of Computer Science at University of BARI, Italy and the Director
|
|
of the Italian Edition of <I>Linux Gazette</I>, which can be found at
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.media.it/LUGBari/index.html">http://www.media.it/LUGBari/index.html</A>.
|
|
<P>
|
|
-- Marjorie L. Richardson, Editor
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H2>LGEI Interviews the <i>Linux Gazette</i> Editor</H2>
|
|
<H4>By Francesco De Carlo,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:fdecarlo@mailbox.media.it">fdecarlo@mailbox.media.it</A></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: When and why did SSC decide to publish <I>Linux Gazette</I> in the
|
|
current version? Originally, <I>LG</I> was edited only as an extra-curricular
|
|
activity by John M. Fisk.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: During the summer of 1996, John Fisk decided he no longer had the time to
|
|
keep <I>Linux Gazette</I> up in the fashion it deserved. <I>LG</I> had become very
|
|
popular, and readers were wanting it to come out on regular monthly basis.
|
|
Between school and work, John just didn't have time to do this, so he put
|
|
out feelers looking for someone to take it over. We responded and he
|
|
accepted us as the right people to continue <I>LG</I>.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: SSC responded to John because we had always felt that <I>Linux Gazette</I> was a
|
|
worthy and necessary asset to the Linux community. We did not want to see
|
|
it either go away or be taken over by someone who would turn it into a
|
|
commercial enterprise. We promised John that <I>LG</I> would remain free and it
|
|
has.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: What kind of relationship does the <I>LG</I> have with his
|
|
"big brother" <I>Linux
|
|
Journal</I>? Some exchanges of articles, writers, ...?
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: Yes, <I>Linux Gazette</I> and <I>Linux Journal</I> do a lot of
|
|
sharing. As of February 1
|
|
of this year, I am Editor of both<I> Linux Journal</I> and <I>Linux Gazette</I>. Every
|
|
month we use an article from <I>LG</I> in <I>Linux Journal</I>, and occasionally, I will
|
|
use articles from <I>LJ</I> in <I>LG</I>--usually those about conferences and other
|
|
events surrounding Linux. And yes, I have authors who write for both
|
|
magazines, most notably the regular contributors of columns to <I>LG</I>:
|
|
Larry Ayers, John Fisk and Michael Hammel. <I>Linux Gazette</I>'s
|
|
Answer Guy, Jim Dennis, has done an interview with Stronghold's Sameer
|
|
Parekh, which will be appearing in the August issue of <I>Linux Journal</I>.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: Are authors wishing to write for <I>LG</I> contacted by you or do they
|
|
send articles to you? That is: do you prepare a list of the
|
|
subjects that will be discussed in the next issue of <I>LG</I>, or can users
|
|
send you any article, on any topic?
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: <I>LG</I> is managed very casually; authors can send me articles on any topic and
|
|
I will include them. Whatever comes in during the month goes in the next
|
|
issue. There is no focus other than Linux. Also, I do not edit the
|
|
articles; they are posted just as the authors send them.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: Are you alone in producing <I>LG</I>? Or do you have a real
|
|
"editorial office"
|
|
with real "editors" and "reporters"? If yes, how do you make it
|
|
function?
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: I have no real editors or reporters to help. I depend on outside
|
|
authors in the Linux community to
|
|
make their contributions, and the wonderful thing is, they do. Some months
|
|
I have more material than others (January was really packed), but I've
|
|
never been short. I have gotten a lot of help with graphics and HTML from
|
|
SSC's webmaster, Michael Montoure. Beginning this month, I have a new
|
|
assistant, Amy Kukuk, who will be helping out by doing the <I>News
|
|
Bytes</I> column and perhaps more.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: What are your plans for the near future? Introducing a new <I>LG</I> with a renewed
|
|
graphic look, new articles and so on?
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: I intend to continue posting <I>Linux Gazette</I> each month
|
|
and promoting it
|
|
wherever I can. I feel it is even more of an asset than ever to both new and
|
|
experienced Linux users.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: Our look seems to change periodically. With the March issue, we dropped the
|
|
spiral that caused so many problems. Michael is inventive, and we mainly
|
|
add things as we come up with them.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: We have two new columns that will be appearing regularly,
|
|
"The Answer Guy"
|
|
by Jim Dennis, and "Clueless at the Prompt, A Column for New
|
|
Users", by
|
|
Mike List. Both columns are good for new users looking for help.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: <I>Linux Gazette</I> is free for the readers,
|
|
but is not free for SSC. To help defray the publishing cost, <I>LG</I> has begun
|
|
accepting sponsors. A small acknowledgment of these sponsors will be made
|
|
on the Front Page. Our first sponsor is InfoMagic--our thanks to them for
|
|
their help.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Francesco</b>: What do you think about our LGEI? Is it a good idea and, above all, can
|
|
it help Italian Linux users to better understand this OS?
|
|
<P>
|
|
<b>Margie</b>: I think LGEI is wonderful! It'a great way to spread the word about Linux to
|
|
all Italy. With our regular columns and articles, as well as all the tips
|
|
and tricks people send us, I feel LGEI is an invaluable
|
|
resource to Italian Linux users, just as our English version is to Linux
|
|
users worldwide.
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Francesco De Carlo <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./lgei.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./security.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H2>More Linux Security</H2>
|
|
<H4>By Andrew Berkheimer, <A HREF="mailto:andy@tho.org">andy@tho.org</A>
|
|
</H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Here you go, yet another article on Linux security. Some new tidbits
|
|
for all to enjoy, reinforcement of some key points, and clarification of some
|
|
things which I though were a bit misrepresented in previous articles. Note
|
|
that this is geared towards a slightly novice audience, more experience users will
|
|
probably find themselves bored out of their minds at times.
|
|
|
|
So you've got your system up and running, connected to the net,
|
|
maybe running an ftp server or some other service. But you've heard all these
|
|
nasty stories of people having their computers cracked for no apparent reason,
|
|
and you're just a tad bit nervous. You want to start securing your system
|
|
from outside intruders, but where to begin? Contrary to popular belief,
|
|
securing your system can actually be fun, and if nothing else, informative.
|
|
So it's time to begin!
|
|
<P>
|
|
First and foremost, stay informed! Jay mentioned reading CERT, but
|
|
I would argue that this is not enough. CERT does not release information
|
|
until they have verified that it is a problem and most of the big-name
|
|
vendors have provided patches to fix the problem. This can often cause
|
|
lag times of months between a hole being found and the CERT announcement. There
|
|
are a number of good mailing lists which I would recommend subscribing to,
|
|
including bugtraq, linux-security, and linux-alert (subscription information
|
|
is at the end of the article), where security holes are often discussed and
|
|
found long before CERT starts talking about them - the crackers know about
|
|
these places, so should you.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now onto some real meat. The first concern is to try and protect
|
|
yourself from attacks from unknown outsiders who may stumble upon your system
|
|
and see it as an invitation to test out their cracking skills. One of the first
|
|
things you want to check is for unused daemons running on you system. There's
|
|
really no reason to be running nfsd if you're not NFS serving to anywhere,
|
|
now is there? There are two places that you will need to check out: the
|
|
configuration file for the inet super server (typically /etc/inetd.conf),
|
|
and the system bootup scripts (located in /etc/rc.d, /etc/rc2.d, or some
|
|
similar directory).
|
|
<P>
|
|
In inetd.conf, comment out with a # the lines for any service you
|
|
don't really need to provide...the r* services (rlogind, rshd, rexecd, etc)
|
|
are good candidates, as well as other typically unused ones like echo,
|
|
daytime, and chargen. For most people, leaving in telnetd, ftpd, and maybe
|
|
pop3d should be sufficient for the moment. Maybe fingerd too, though be
|
|
careful, finger can give out a lot of information about your computer which can
|
|
be to a potential crackers advantage. Once you finish editing your
|
|
inetd.conf, restart inetd by running "killall -HUP inetd" to get it to reread
|
|
the configuration.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In your bootup scripts you may see references to things like portmap,
|
|
ypserv, rpc.mountd, and rpc.nfsd. Unless you are a NFS or NIS server, you have
|
|
no need for these and should not run them...in many cases the "out of the box"
|
|
versions of these programs have some pretty nasty security vulnerabilities.
|
|
Also look for sendmail (if you're not receiving mail directly you don't need
|
|
to run it), and httpd (only want this if you're running a web server).
|
|
<P>
|
|
So, you've worked hard to get the list of unnecessary servers down...
|
|
time to start adding/upgrading software again. First and foremost, make sure
|
|
you are running the most recent version of NetKit, which contains most of the
|
|
typically network servers for Linux like telnetd, fingerd, etc. The current
|
|
version as of this writing is 0.09, it is available in
|
|
ftp://ftp.uk.linux.org/pub/linux/Networking/base. The most recent version fixes
|
|
a few known security flaws in earlier versions.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In general, you want to try and keep everything else up to date too:
|
|
check http://www.sendmail.org for updates to sendmail (any time a new version
|
|
comes out nowadays, it is almost always to fix a security problem), as well
|
|
as http://www.apache.org for updates to the apache httpd server, etc.
|
|
<P>
|
|
However, there is still the problem of password sniffers grabbing
|
|
your password if you telnet to your system from some other outside network.
|
|
Telnet, FTP, POP, and just about any other standard protocol out there will
|
|
transmit your password in plaintext. There are a couple of ways around this
|
|
available in external software packages. I'll look at OPIE and ssh here.
|
|
<P>
|
|
First of all there's OPIE, also known as One-time Passwords In
|
|
Everything, a package created by the US Naval Research Labs and currently
|
|
maintained by The Inner Net. The idea behind one time passwords is that when
|
|
you login to a system from remote, it will give you a prompt like this:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
stroke login: andy
|
|
otp-md5 271 st6747
|
|
Response:
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
Instead of just typing in your password right away over the connection, you
|
|
would instead run a key generating program on your local machine, with the
|
|
parameters given in the "challenge" of the login prompt (the challenge here
|
|
being otp-md5 271 st6747). You type your password into the local program
|
|
(where it can't be grabbed by packet sniffers), and the key generator
|
|
produces a unique password which you login with. This unique, one-time password
|
|
will only work once, so even if someone grabs it in a packet sniffer, it
|
|
won't do them any good. The OPIE package is available at
|
|
ftp://ftp.nrl.navy.mil/pub/security/opie/ with more information.
|
|
<P>
|
|
There's also another pretty popular package, ssh. The ssh package
|
|
replaces those evil rlogind, rexecd, rshd, etc. programs with sshd, which
|
|
has the same functionality, but it encrypts all communications, making it
|
|
very hard in deed for a packet sniffer to get anything useful. More information
|
|
about the package can be found at http://www.cs.hut.fi/ssh/.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In addition to these two, there are a number of more involved,
|
|
complicated methods designed for sitewide networks, labs, and the like, which
|
|
are a tad overkill for one single host (this includes things like
|
|
Kerberos V and the like).
|
|
<P>
|
|
That about wraps up the protecting yourself from outside crackers,
|
|
but you still have to worry about other users on your own system (or even
|
|
outside crackers if they manage to get access to a shell on your system).
|
|
Typically you will hear a lot about "buffer overflow" security holes. These
|
|
are essentially times when a binary doesn't check to see if the data it is
|
|
storing into a character buffer can fit into the memory it is being put into.
|
|
A carefully written program can take advantage of this and overwrite other
|
|
parts of memory, causing other programs to be executed. Normally this isn't
|
|
a problem until you get into setuid root binaries. Since setuid root binaries
|
|
will initially run with root privileges, then any binary executed by the
|
|
program will also be run as root. So if there is a buffer overflow which is
|
|
used to run /bin/sh as root, then blammo, any random joe suddenly has a root
|
|
shell to do what they please with.
|
|
<P>
|
|
There are also programs which have what are called race conditions,
|
|
or times when they are doing something which may be used to a crackers
|
|
advantage if the program happens to be running as root. Through some bit
|
|
of trickery, it might very well be possible for them to get a root shell.
|
|
The bottom line: setuid root binaries are not the greatest things in the world,
|
|
keep the number of setuid root binaries on your system to a bare minimum.
|
|
<P>
|
|
To protect yourself from buffer overflows, there isn't too much you can
|
|
do but keep up to date with information being made available about possible
|
|
security holes and fixing them ASAP. If you have some programming experience,
|
|
you also probably want to actually look through the source code and check for
|
|
buffer overflows yourself: you just may find one that no one else knows about
|
|
yet.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Also, an important point: you should very rarely trust binaries that
|
|
you just get off the net from an untrusted unknown source, especially if you
|
|
are going to be running those binaries as root. This is how the Bliss "virus"
|
|
spread, combined with a buffer overflow in some commonly found setuid root
|
|
games. Under any Unix, root is a very powerful user, so while normal viruses
|
|
can't exist under Unix because users typically cannot modify system binaries,
|
|
a program like Bliss is designed to try and exploit known buffer overflows to
|
|
get root access to be able to modify root owned binaries.
|
|
<P>
|
|
And just as a last reminder, here are some points I can't help but
|
|
reinforce.If you think you've been compromised, then disconnect from the net
|
|
immediately, analyze your logs, and replace any binaries which you think may
|
|
have been compromised, maybe even reinstalling your system (after backing up
|
|
important data). And always remember to keep your passwords hard to guess and
|
|
change them regularly.
|
|
|
|
Besides all this, I can't begin to emphasize the importance of
|
|
GETTING INFORMED and then STAYING INFORMED. There are many good books on the
|
|
topic of computer security, I'd especially recommend _Computer Security
|
|
Basics_ from O'Reilly and Associates for those with a beginning interest in
|
|
security. And keeping current with some of the more popular security mailing
|
|
lists will do you a world of good. There is also a Linux Security FAQ
|
|
available online at http://www.aoy.net/Linux/Security/, which is a good
|
|
source of information. Some final advice: never get the feeling that your
|
|
system is "perfectly secure" - you're just inviting a break-in that way.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Oh, about those mailing lists I mentioned earlier. Information about
|
|
linux-alert and linux-security can be found at the Linux Security WWW I just
|
|
mentioned (http://www.aoy.net/Linux/Security/). Information about bugtraq
|
|
may be found at http://www.geek-girl.com/bugtraq/index.html. There are also
|
|
a lot of other things which can be said about security, delving into firewalls
|
|
and other packet filtering, IP spoofing protection, more fine grained access
|
|
control to net services, and many other areas, but those are topics for
|
|
another place and time.
|
|
<P>
|
|
-Andrew Berkheimer
|
|
andy@tho.org, aberkhei@tjhsst.edu
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Summary of Resources Mentioned</B>
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
netkit: ftp://ftp.uk.linux.org/pub/linux/Networking/base/
|
|
sendmail: http://www.sendmail.org/
|
|
apache: http://www.apache.org/
|
|
opie: ftp://ftp.nrl.navy.mil/pub/security/opie/
|
|
ssh: http://www.cs.hut.fi/ssh/
|
|
linux security www: http://www.aoy.net/Linux/Security/
|
|
linux-alert list info: http://www.aoy.net/Linux/Security/LinuxAlertList.html
|
|
linux-security list info:
|
|
http://www.aoy.net/Linux/Security/LinuxSecurityList.html
|
|
bugtraq list info: http://www.geek-girl.com/bugtraq/
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Andrew Berkheimer <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./security.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./gv.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center><h1>GV: An Alternative to Ghostview</h1></center>
|
|
|
|
<center><h4><a href="mailto: layers@vax2.rainis.net">by Larry
|
|
Ayers</a></h4></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>I imagine that most Linux users have tried more than one distribution at
|
|
one time or another. I've tried several, and after configuring a new
|
|
installation to my liking and learning its idiosyncrasies I'm reminded that
|
|
Linux is... Linux! Distributions make installation and package management
|
|
easier, but once you're up and running the differences aren't really
|
|
noticeable.
|
|
|
|
<p>These days what I find interesting about distributions is the choice of
|
|
software packages to be found in them. You would think that all of the
|
|
distributions would offer the same software; after all, it's mostly freely
|
|
available stuff from the 'net, available to anyone. There is a core group of
|
|
applications which nearly all distributions provide, useful and high-quality
|
|
packages such as XV, XFree86, and Ghostscript. But there is quite a variance
|
|
when you get down to the smaller, less basic and less necessary
|
|
packages. Every distribution I've tried has contained software which none of
|
|
the others had included.
|
|
|
|
<p>Recently I've been using the Debian distribution. While installing
|
|
packages I came across something called "GV", which seemed to be some sort of
|
|
Postscript viewer. I installed it and learned that this viewer was developed
|
|
using Ghostview as a base, but it's much easier to use. Unlike Ghostview, GV
|
|
can also display PDF files.
|
|
|
|
<p>Due to the fact that most computer monitors are wider horizontally than
|
|
vertically it's not feasible to read a standard page of a document and
|
|
see the entire height of the page at once. GV deals with this by showing a
|
|
small rendition of the viewing window to the left of the page and highlighting
|
|
the visible portion. Clicking the left mouse button anywhere on the displayed
|
|
page and dragging it smoothly scrolls the page up and down, while the
|
|
miniature schematic rendition window shows you where you are on the page.
|
|
If your window is too narrow to display the full width the mouse can scroll
|
|
left-to-right as well.
|
|
|
|
<p>Here's a screenshot of GV displaying a page
|
|
of the included Postscript documentation:<br>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<img alt="GV Window" src="./gx/ayers/gv.gif">
|
|
|
|
<p>One of GV's optional features (it can be toggled from the menubar) is
|
|
aliased fonts. When this is turned on font characters are displayed very
|
|
crisply.
|
|
|
|
<p>Ghostview has traditionally been supplied as the default Postscript file
|
|
viewer. I've found it to be awkward to use; it seems when I have the
|
|
magnification adjusted so that the print is legible, the window is so large
|
|
that it is difficult to navigate around the document. GV deals with this
|
|
problem (which I imagine has affected anyone with a monitor smaller than 21"!)
|
|
in a nicely intuitive way.
|
|
|
|
<p>GV is a good example of the dynamics of the free software movement.
|
|
Several years ago Timothy Thieson wrote the Ghostview program; it was a good
|
|
program in its time, but has been static for some time now. After all,
|
|
writing a piece of free software doesn't necessarily entail revising and
|
|
updating it forever! But the source was still available and eventually
|
|
Johannes Plass adopted it, with GV as the result. Then the program came to
|
|
the attention of Helmut Geyer and he made a Debian package of GV, bringing
|
|
the software to a new group of users. Developers don't have to re-invent the
|
|
wheel, as there is probably code archived somewhere which will provide a
|
|
head-start on any sort of application.
|
|
|
|
<center><h3>Obtaining GV</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>GV can be obtained in source form from
|
|
<a href="ftp://iphthf.physik.uni-mainz.de:/pub/gv/unix/gv_2_7_b5.tar.gz">
|
|
this German FTP site</a>. I believe the Xaw3d widget set is required in order
|
|
to compile the source. The Debian version can be FTP'ed from
|
|
<a href="ftp://ftp.debian.org/rex-fixed/binary-i386/text/gv_2.7b5-3.deb">
|
|
the main Debian site</a> or one of its mirrors.
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Larry Ayers <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!-- hhmts start -->
|
|
Last modified: Sun 30 Mar 1997
|
|
<!-- hhmts end -->
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./security.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./new_xemacs.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center><img src="./gx/ayers/xemacs.gif" alt="a new XEmacs logo"></center>
|
|
<br>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<center><h1>XEmacs 19.15</h1></center>
|
|
|
|
<center><h4><a href="mailto: layers@vax2.rainis.net">by Larry
|
|
Ayers</a></h4></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>The developers of XEmacs, the independently-maintained offshoot of GNU
|
|
Emacs, have released a new version of this versatile editor. Version
|
|
19.15 is the last of the 19.xx series; in the future developmental
|
|
efforts will be focussed on the 20.xx series, which up to the present has been
|
|
evolving in parallel with version 19.
|
|
|
|
<p>Aside from many bug-fixes, a good deal of the changes in this version
|
|
involve updates to many of the large extension packages which come bundled
|
|
with the editor. Quite a large bundle it is, weighing in at over eighteen
|
|
megabytes, tarred and gzipped.
|
|
|
|
<p>Among the new features are:<br>
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
<li>Incorporation of the TM package,which gives MIME reading and writing
|
|
support to mail and usenet news packages.
|
|
<li>Updated versions of Gnus, W3, VM, CC-Mode, Python-mode, and Hyperbole.
|
|
<li>Incorporation of the Auctex TeX/LateX editing package.
|
|
<li>The Custom utility, which attempts to standardise package customization.
|
|
<li>Many documentation updates.
|
|
<li>New version of hm--html-menus, which has an Info file now
|
|
<li>New fancier version of time.el, which shows the time, system load, and
|
|
mail status in the mode-line.
|
|
<li>Replacement of Angeftp and dired with EFS, which merges the two.
|
|
<li>A new Message mode, used by the various mail and news packages.
|
|
<li>Many improvements in configuration and compilation from source.
|
|
<li>Updated Viper (vi-emulation) mode.
|
|
<li>Enhancements and bugfixes for many other packages and modes.
|
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p>The members of the XEmacs team have changed with this release; former
|
|
maintainer Chuck Thompson has passed the torch to Steve Baur. The other
|
|
maintainers are now Martin Buchholz and Kyle Jones (author of the VM mail
|
|
package), with Bob Weiner, Chuck Thompson, Ben Wing and Bill Perry helping out
|
|
as well.
|
|
|
|
<p>It's interesting to note how the developers of the various extension
|
|
packages and of XEmacs itself have attempted to maintain a certain parallelism
|
|
with Gnu Emacs development. Most extensions, even those written primarily
|
|
with XEmacs in mind, have support for Gnu Emacs built in. The XEmacs team
|
|
attempts to incorporate new features and bug fixes from Gnu Emacs
|
|
development into their version; I wonder if the opposite is true?
|
|
|
|
|
|
<center><h3>Installation</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
<p> Binary packages for 19.15 are available at
|
|
<a href="ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/xemacs">the XEmacs FTP site</a>, but
|
|
there are several reasons why compiling your own can be advantageous. XEmacs
|
|
uses a configure script to adapt the makefiles to your machine. There are
|
|
many possible switches or parameters which can be given to the script
|
|
depending on your needs. The editor supports inlined JPEG, GIF, XPM,
|
|
and PNG images; support for any of these can be disabled. If you don't plan
|
|
on running the W3 browser or using the MIME capabilities of VM or Gnus
|
|
(combined with TM) this might be a good idea. Sound support is another frill
|
|
which not everyone will want. These optional features aren't a burden if you
|
|
have a memory-laden and powerful machine, but they aren't really necessary and
|
|
can be dispensed with if the resources to use them are insufficient. The
|
|
toolbar (and even X-Windows support) can be disabled by the configure script
|
|
if you want a leaner, less memory-hungry executable.
|
|
|
|
<p>You will need about 80 mb. of disk space to compile from source; luckily
|
|
most of that can be reclaimed afterwards.
|
|
|
|
<p>There's no denying that an XEmacs installation occupies quite a chunk of
|
|
disk space. A new shell-script called <i>gzip-el.sh</i> is supplied with
|
|
version 19.15 which uses the Gnu <b>find</b> utility to recursively probe the
|
|
various LISP subdirectories, gzipping all <i>*.el</i> files which have a
|
|
corresponding byte-compiled <i>*.elc</i> file. This alone will save about
|
|
fourteen megabytes!
|
|
|
|
<p>If you have no intention of ever modifying or reading those <i>*.el</i>
|
|
Lisp files you could just delete them all, but that might be rash. Sometimes
|
|
the only documentation for a mode or function is buried in one of those files;
|
|
others can be modified to suit your preferences. A better alternative is to
|
|
become <b>root</b> and, wielding <i>rm</i>, dispose of some of the Lisp
|
|
packages which you don't think you'll ever need. Try to avoid the /lisp/prim
|
|
directory, though, as the essential core files live there. I don't know how
|
|
many times I've removed the Energize, VMS, and MH-E directories from past
|
|
installations; I'm sure I'll be removing them again in the future. A promised
|
|
feature of version 20.1 (which will be the next major release) is the
|
|
separation of some of these packages from the main distribution. This will
|
|
allow the core of XEmacs to be obtained separately, allowing the user to
|
|
decide which of the extensions to download, depending upon his or her needs.
|
|
|
|
<center><h3>Customization</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>Anyone who has used XEmacs for very long, especially for writing code,
|
|
likely has had the desire to come up with a set of syntax-highlighting colors
|
|
which are both pleasing to the eye and functional. In XEmacs, a "face" is a
|
|
combination of font and color specifications for a certain category of text.
|
|
There are many of these defined; each mode tends to have several of its own as
|
|
well as sharing system-wide faces. It can be quite a time-consuming job
|
|
setting these in your <i>~/.emacs</i> file, especially if you use a dark
|
|
background, in which case many of the default colors won't have sufficient
|
|
contrast. XEmacs 19.14 allowed face modifications by means of the
|
|
<i>edit-faces</i> command. This utility works well, appending the changes
|
|
to your <i>~/.emacs</i> file. Unfortunately the format they are saved in is
|
|
particularly difficult to read if you ever wanted to make a single change
|
|
manually; the lines are very long and the syntax is obtuse and thickety.
|
|
|
|
<p>Per Abrahamsen, maintainer of Auctex (another of the bundled packages), has
|
|
written the Custom package in an effort to simplify the customization of
|
|
XEmacs and its many extensions. After typing <i>esc-x customize</i> a buffer
|
|
appears with menu entries for not only faces but other user-definable
|
|
variables. These entries are categorized by package; selecting one causes a
|
|
cascading sub-menu to appear. The first category is just "Emacs", which allows
|
|
global settings to be made. In order for a package to be included in the
|
|
Customize buffer the programmer must include hooks in the LISP code. Most of
|
|
the larger packages, such as Gnus, the VM mail-reader, W3, and EFS (the new
|
|
successor to AngeFTP) have been adapted in this way.
|
|
|
|
<p>It is wise to back up any <i>.emacs</i> or <i>.xemacs-options</i> files
|
|
which you are fond of before fooling around with any such auto-customizing
|
|
utilities. That tempting "Options" menu with all its choices will cheerfully
|
|
overwrite your <i>.xemacs-options</i> file if you impulsively select the "Save
|
|
Options" item. Remember, you can always cut-and-paste from the generated file
|
|
into your real one, then move it back. The <b>Custom</b> package is more
|
|
forgiving: it appends its results to the end of your <i>.emacs</i> file. I've
|
|
noticed that often when an XEmacs package such as <b>Custom</b> or <b>W3</b>
|
|
appends to your init file it will drop down several lines from the bottom
|
|
entry before writing its lines. If you are looking at the file, curious as to
|
|
what changes have been made, scroll down past the end; it's easy to miss an
|
|
addition if it's lurking down amongst the superfluous empty lines which XEmacs
|
|
has a penchant for adding to the end of a file.
|
|
|
|
<p>One technique which is useful for customizing XEmacs, Fvwm2, or any complex
|
|
piece of Linux software is to assume a different identity. Just create a new
|
|
user (with <i>adduser</i> or equivalent) and log in to the new account. This
|
|
way you have a clean slate and can modify, cut and paste with abandon, all the
|
|
while knowing you can return to your normal login account if things go
|
|
awry. The sample <i>.emacs</i> file which is found in the <i>/etc</i>
|
|
subdirectory of the XEmacs distribution can serve as a good starting point,
|
|
especially if you are new to Emacs-type editors in general.
|
|
|
|
<center><h3>Miscellaneous Notes</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>To accommodate users who run XEmacs on a grayscale or limited-color
|
|
display, the XEmacs team has included toolbar icons which are rather plain. I
|
|
suspect that most XEmacs users eventually turn off the toolbar (the keyboard
|
|
commands are faster) but if you'd like replacement icons which are
|
|
well-designed, color-map-eating and very stylish, the <a
|
|
href="ftp://afterstep.foo.net/pub/AfterStep/mods">AfterStep FTP site</a> has a
|
|
set of them, in the file <b>NeXT.XEmacs.tar.gz</b>. (A pox on mixed-case
|
|
filenames!) These can be dropped right in to the [XEmacs-root]/etc/toolbar
|
|
directory, overwriting the old ones. Here's a cropped screenshot:<br> <p> <img
|
|
alt="Replacement Toolbar Icons" src="./gx/ayers/baricon.gif"> <p> <hr>
|
|
|
|
<p>The XEmacs documentation is voluminous, but there are so many obscure modes
|
|
and features included that to document them all would add megabytes to the
|
|
distribution (plus someone would have to volunteer to do it!). You would be
|
|
surprised at what can be found while browsing through the directories of Lisp
|
|
files. As an example, the other day I happened upon a file called
|
|
<i>xpm-mode.el</i> in the /lisp/modes directory. Curious, I loaded the file
|
|
into XEmacs and saw that it is a colorized mode for directly editing xpm
|
|
icon-files. This is quite an interesting mode, but I'd never heard of it; it
|
|
was contributed to the XEmacs maintainers by Joe Rumsey and Rich Williams in
|
|
1995. Here's a sample window:<br>
|
|
|
|
<p><img alt="Xpm-Mode Window" src="./gx/ayers/xpm_mode.gif">
|
|
|
|
<p>There are all sorts of obscure modes and packages buried in the <i>lisp</i>
|
|
subdirectories; grepping for various keywords will turn up some interesting
|
|
files.
|
|
|
|
<center><h3>Conclusion</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>I've been following the late stages of this XEmacs beta cycle and I'm
|
|
impressed by the amount of work involved in putting together such a large,
|
|
complex package. The developers and beta-testers deserve kudos for their
|
|
efforts.
|
|
|
|
<p>If you would like to try it out, the source is currently available at
|
|
<a href="ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs">the home XEmacs site</a>. This site
|
|
will probably be crowded during the first week or two after the release; if
|
|
you are unable to log on a list of mirror sites will be displayed. If you
|
|
would rather not download the massive archive file, just wait a few weeks and
|
|
I'm sure the distribution will show up on various distribution and FTP-archive
|
|
CDROMs.
|
|
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Larry Ayers <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!-- hhmts start -->
|
|
Last modified: Sun 30 Mar 1997
|
|
<!-- hhmts end -->
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./new_xemacs.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./uniforum.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H2>UniForum'97, March 12-14</H2>
|
|
<H4>By Marjorie L. Richardson,
|
|
<a href="mailto:gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</a></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./photos.html">UniForum Photo Album</A>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
My trip to San Francisco to attend UniForum'97 was very satisfyng as I
|
|
got to see two great luminaries of our time--the Hale-Bopp comet and
|
|
Linus Torvalds. Hale-Bopp was visible in the pre-dawn sky on March 12
|
|
and 13. Linus was visible at the Keynote speech on March 13 and was
|
|
definitely the brighter of the two.
|
|
<p>
|
|
The president of UniForum, Tom Mace, was present to welcome Linus, and
|
|
Douglas Michaels of SCO presented Linus with UniForum's
|
|
Achievement Award. The award itself is a clear,
|
|
pyramid-shaped trophy, about which Linus said he was pleased to have
|
|
something "physical" to show for his work. Linus' acceptance speech was
|
|
brief and self-effacing as usual. He referred to himself as the "spider at
|
|
the center of the web" with many others working around him. Tove and their
|
|
3 month old baby girl, Patricia Miranda, had accompanied Linus and both
|
|
tolerated my pushiness in taking pictures. After the keynote, Linus and Tove
|
|
made the rounds of the Exhibit Hall, visiting all their fans in the Linux
|
|
Pavillion. Tove confided that they were enjoying the weather (no snow), but
|
|
that the arrival of their furniture had been delayed by a bad storm that
|
|
had forced the ship back
|
|
to Germany.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Mitchell Kertzman of Sybase gave a vibrant keynote speech that morning,
|
|
in which he ignored Linux as a possible factor in a paradigm shift that
|
|
might topple Microsoft. Perhaps he hasn't heard that Linus' goal is "world
|
|
domination". Kertzman compared today's software industry
|
|
to the automobile industry of the fifties--that it is designing
|
|
products to be obsolete in 3 years, while consumers are wanting long
|
|
term reliability. Sounds to me like consumers are looking for Linux.
|
|
<p>
|
|
While 7000 people had pre-registered for UniForum, only about 75% of those
|
|
actually attended. Perhaps they went to one of the competing shows such as
|
|
Internet World. At any rate, at times the floor was crowded with attendees,
|
|
while at other times (particularly toward the end of the day) it was quite
|
|
empty. The Linux Pavillion was placed in the right rear corner of the
|
|
floor, yet it seemed to me that most attendees were gravitating over to
|
|
check out this upstart operating system that dares to be freely available.
|
|
SSC gave away their stock of magazines and bumper stickers, as well as
|
|
displaying t-shirts, reference cards and the new "Tux" mugs. IBM
|
|
and Lucent Technologies both had central positions on the floor, but I saw
|
|
many people passing them by to visit Digital to check out both the Alpha
|
|
and Jon "maddog" Hall's new Linux setup for Digital's Intel box. Jon is
|
|
providing us with a short article about this setup that will appear next
|
|
month.
|
|
<p>
|
|
I attended two of the talks: one on Electronic Document Interchange and one
|
|
on high speed Internet access. Both were well presented and full of good
|
|
information. I was particularly impressed with Jeff Wilbur's thoughts on
|
|
the directions that access to the Internet will take in the future (i.e.,
|
|
cable modems, xDSL, satellite, ISDN), and so asked him for an article.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Since UniForum'97 was my first conference as Editor of Linux Journal, I met
|
|
many people that I had only heard about before, including Joel Goldberg of
|
|
InfoMagic (who is a sponsor of Linux Gazette), Mark Bolzern of WGS, Adam
|
|
Richter of Yggdrasil, and of course, Jon "maddog" Hall of Digital. Jon
|
|
introduced me to Ted Cook of BRU, who told me of his plan to give away Bru
|
|
software to Linux User Groups at the upcoming Linux Expo and to groups that
|
|
are members of <A HREF="http://www.ssc.com/glue/">G.L.U.E.</A>
|
|
<p>
|
|
On Wednesday night Joanne Wagner, one of our advertising representatives,
|
|
and I attended a press conference/party put on by XiGraphics--free food
|
|
and drink, always a plus. The press conference was held to announce the
|
|
recent name change (from X Inside) and the latest release of Xi's
|
|
Accelerated X software. The president and founder of the company, Thomas
|
|
Roell, gave a short presentation in which he described the directions he
|
|
envisions for Xi Graphics.
|
|
<p>
|
|
All in all, I had a good time at the conference and a pleasant stay in San
|
|
Francisco.
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Marjorie L. Richardson <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./suse.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./wkndmech.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<CENTER>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/wkndMech.gif" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=397 HEIGHT=150>
|
|
<H1>Welcome to The Linux Weekend Mechanic!</H1>
|
|
<H2>Published in the April 1997 Edition of the Linux Gazette</H2>
|
|
<FONT SIZE="2"><B>
|
|
Copyright (c) 1997 John M. Fisk <fiskjm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu><BR>
|
|
The Linux Gazette is Copyright(c) 1997 <A HREF="http://www.ssc.com/">
|
|
Specialized Systems Consultants Inc.</A>
|
|
</B></FONT>
|
|
</CENTER>
|
|
|
|
<P><HR>
|
|
|
|
<H2>Time To Become... <I>The Linux Weekend Mechanic!</I></H2>
|
|
<TABLE>
|
|
<TR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN=TOP>
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/mechanic.gif" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=147 HEIGHT=66>
|
|
|
|
<TD ALIGN=LEFT VALIGN=TOP>
|
|
You've made it to the weekend and things have finally slowed down. You
|
|
crawl outa bed, bag the shave 'n shower 'cause it's Saturday, grab that
|
|
much needed cup of caffeine (your favorite alkaloid), and shuffle down
|
|
the hall to the den. It's time to fire up the Linux box, break out the
|
|
trusty 'ol Snap-On's, pop the hood, jack 'er up, and do a bit of
|
|
overhauling!
|
|
</TABLE>
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- TABLE OF CONTENTS ================================================ -->
|
|
<H2>Table of Contents</H2>
|
|
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="#welcome">Welcome to the April 1997 Weekend Mechanic!</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="#wallpaper">More Wallpapering ideas...</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="#xlock">Wallpapering with <I>xlock</I>...?!</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="#syslog">System Logging Ideas...</A>
|
|
<LI><A HREF="#closing">Closing Up The Shop</A>
|
|
</UL>
|
|
<!-- END TABLE OF CONTENTS ============================================ -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- WELCOME SECTION ================================================== -->
|
|
<H2><A NAME="welcome"><IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/attndant.gif" WIDTH=129 HEIGHT=99>
|
|
Welcome to the April 1997 Weekend Mechanic!</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hey, c'mon in!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks for dropping by! How y'all been doing?
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I don't know about you, but life around the Fisk household has been pretty
|
|
busy of late. I've been having a great semester at
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.mtsu.edu">MTSU</A> and enjoying my classes which are
|
|
predictably starting to crescendo in unison into a frenzy of activity. And
|
|
we're all starting to "mood synchronize..." :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I apologize that the articles and such in this edition are going to be a bit
|
|
short and hurried. I've got a couple hours' worth of time before we leave to
|
|
visit family and I'll see what I can get written up. I've got a growing
|
|
notebook full of ideas about which I'd like to write. Which reminds me...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Have I preached recently on the virtues of keeping a notebook...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
You say, <I>I haven't...?!</I> :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Well, y'all just settle back in for a few minutes while I loosen the belt,
|
|
take a deep breath, and start in!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Seriously, I'm convinced that keeping a notebook, journal, or just a stash of
|
|
note and ideas you've come across and jotted down is like <I>brushing and
|
|
flossing: it's good for hygiene</I>. Mental hygiene, that is. It'll help
|
|
prevent "Programmer Pattern Baldness", the kind that comes from
|
|
pulling your hair out trying to remember just the exact invocation of some
|
|
obscure, and recalcitrant, system utility or repairing that delicately
|
|
situated configuration file that you were going to make such a <I>small little
|
|
change to...</I>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Having notes as to what you did to some configuration file; having a hardcopy
|
|
printout of the docs/manual pages/README files on some utility; or just having
|
|
a command line invocation scribbled out on the back of the phone bill envelope
|
|
and stuff into the back of your notebook may REALLY save your "nether
|
|
parts" some day.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
And lest you think that I'm more obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive than I
|
|
really am... I've actually got a small pile of legal pads sitting on the shelf
|
|
next to the computer desk that has all those stream-of-consciousness type
|
|
scribblings and notes. It's not very well organized, there's a huge amount of
|
|
redundancy, and some of the stuff is totally illegible or frankly incoherent
|
|
(probably penned during moments of questionable lucidity at 2:00 AM...).
|
|
Still, this stuff has come in mighty handy from time to time and it's amusing
|
|
and instructive to look it over now and then.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I've also found that keeping more or less detailed notes of installation
|
|
(which I've managed to do quite frequently over the past couple years) have
|
|
come in VERY handy when I've sat down to sketch out a new installation. I've
|
|
worked out my own partitioning scheme that's been useful for me, developed my
|
|
own archiving and upgrading scheme, and so forth based on these notes.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Also, as I alluded to above, it's pretty useful to keep a stash of hardcopy
|
|
printouts of various README's, manual pages, and so forth. While I appreciate
|
|
the versatility of online documentation -- info, man pages, HTML, and so
|
|
forth, nothing beats having a booklet in your hot little hand that you can
|
|
read without having to wait for Netscape to finish consuming your entire
|
|
colormap before it loads... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<I>(I know, I know... you've been there, done that, got the t-shirt... :-)</I>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Seriously, having a printout to write all over and mark up is pretty handy.
|
|
If you keep all those things in some kind of notebook, binder, file folder, or
|
|
whatever, you'll probably save yourself some aggravation in the future.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Just a thought...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Anyway, I'm done now. So, without further ado...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>On with the show!</B>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hope you enjoy!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
John M. Fisk<BR>
|
|
Nashville, TN<BR>
|
|
Friday, 28 March 1997
|
|
|
|
<!-- END WELCOME SECTION ============================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- ARTICLE ====================================================== -->
|
|
<H2><A NAME="wallpaper"><IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/desklamp.gif" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=99
|
|
ALIGN=BOTTOM>More Wallpapering Ideas...</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
After the February WM column, <B>Irek Koziol</B> wrote about the wallpapering
|
|
ideas that I'd mentioned:
|
|
|
|
<BLOCKQUOTE>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 15:28:28 -0600<BR>
|
|
From: Irek Koziol <cft-inc@worldnet.att.net><BR>
|
|
Subject: X Window Wallpaper<BR>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I was using:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xv -quit -root -max image.gif
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
(If enlarging image is a goal to fit the whole screen ).
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Could you please comment on it, and make a followup in LG?
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Cordially, George.
|
|
</BLOCKQUOTE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Well, let's see what we can say about this...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
First, <B>John Bradley's</B> ubiquitous xv program is a definite must-have
|
|
utility and a veritable "Swiss Army Knife" of graphics goodies. It
|
|
has, as all good UN*X programs do, a bazillion command line options that could
|
|
occupy a lifetime of study and reflection. Fortunately, those that you need
|
|
to know to be productive are limited, and in the confines of the present
|
|
discussion, can be narrowed down to a manageable number.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Just for the fun of it, start up X and try something like:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xv -help
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Then stand back...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
When you do this, xv disgorges something like:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
|
|
Usage:
|
|
xv [-] [-/+24] [-/+2xlimit] [-/+4x3] [-/+8] [-/+acrop] [-aspect w:h] [-best24]
|
|
[-bg color] [-black color] [-bw width] [-/+cecmap] [-cegeometry geom]
|
|
[-/+cemap] [-cgamma rval gval bval] [-cgeometry geom] [-/+clear] [-/+close]
|
|
[-/+cmap] [-cmtgeometry geom] [-/+cmtmap] [-crop x y w h] [-cursor char#]
|
|
[-DEBUG level] [-dir directory] [-display disp] [-/+dither] [-drift dx dy]
|
|
[-expand exp | hexp:vexp] [-fg color] [-/+fixed] [-flist fname]
|
|
[-gamma val] [-geometry geom] [-grabdelay seconds] [-gsdev str]
|
|
[-gsgeom geom] [-gsres int] [-help] [-/+hflip] [-hi color] [-/+hist]
|
|
[-/+hsv] [-icgeometry geom] [-/+iconic] [-igeometry geom] [-/+imap]
|
|
[-/+lbrowse] [-lo color] [-/+loadclear] [-/+max] [-/+maxpect] [-mfn font]
|
|
[-/+mono] [-name str] [-ncols #] [-/+ninstall] [-/+nodecor] [-/+nofreecols]
|
|
[-/+nolimits] [-/+nopos] [-/+noqcheck] [-/+noresetroot] [-/+norm]
|
|
[-/+nostat] [-/+owncmap] [-/+perfect] [-/+poll] [-preset #] [-quick24]
|
|
[-/+quit] [-/+random] [-/+raw] [-rbg color] [-rfg color] [-/+rgb] [-RM]
|
|
[-rmode #] [-/+root] [-rotate deg] [-/+rv] [-/+rw] [-slow24] [-/+smooth]
|
|
[-/+stdcmap] [-tgeometry geom] [-/+vflip] [-/+viewonly] [-visual type]
|
|
[-/+vsdisable] [-vsgeometry geom] [-/+vsmap] [-/+vsperfect] [-wait seconds]
|
|
[-white color] [-/+wloop] [filename ...]
|
|
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Impressive... eh?
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Whoops! Whoa there!! Don't leave me yet...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
This isn't as bad as it looks. Trust me... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The basic command line options you'll need to do a bit of root window
|
|
wallpapering can be limited to the following:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
-root
|
|
-rmode [0-9]
|
|
-max
|
|
-maxpect
|
|
-quit
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now, you can go on and do more fancy things, but the above options will
|
|
certainly get you going. So, let's take a quick look at what each of these
|
|
means.
|
|
|
|
<DL>
|
|
<DT><KBD>-root</KBD>
|
|
<DD>Display the image in the root window instead of in a separate window.
|
|
How the image is displayed depends on the setting of the <KBD>-rmode</KBD>
|
|
option (which defaults to 0).
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<DT><KBD>-rmode</KBD> [0-9]
|
|
<DD>Specifies how xv will display the image in the root window if the
|
|
<KBD>-root</KBD> option has been given. There are currently ten different
|
|
modes which are indicated by using a number from 0 to 9. To see a listing
|
|
of what these modes are, you can give an argument of -1 to the
|
|
<KBD>-rmode</KBD> option and xv will complain a bit and display the
|
|
information concerning the <I>real</I> options:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xv -root -rmode -1 ~/images/wallpaper/forest.gif
|
|
xv: unknown root mode '-1'. Valid modes are:
|
|
0: tiling
|
|
1: integer tiling
|
|
2: mirrored tiling
|
|
3: integer mirrored tiling
|
|
4: centered tiling
|
|
5: centered on a solid background
|
|
6: centered on a 'warp' background
|
|
7: centered on a 'brick' background
|
|
8: symmetrical tiling
|
|
9: symmetrical mirrored tiling
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Pretty slick, eh?
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
This is where the <I>serious coolness</I> comes in. You can not only
|
|
specify your favorite 'ol image to brighten up your X window, but you can
|
|
do all sorts of nifty things to it as well.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
So, I know what you're thinking... "<I>How in the world do I know
|
|
what each of these means...?!</I>"
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Glad you asked.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The easiest way to find out what each of these options does is to start
|
|
xv, select a file to display, and then use the <B>Root</B> menu item to
|
|
select the various types of root window displays:
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<IMG SRC="./gx/fisk/xv.gif" WIDTH=450 HEIGHT=375 ALT="XV Image">
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The Root menu item will display the same listing as you saw above. You
|
|
can use the file browser to locate a file to play with, and then select
|
|
the various menu options to see what they do. Once you've hit upon an
|
|
option that you like, jot down which one it is. For instance, if you
|
|
liked the "integer mirrored tiling" effect, you'd use something
|
|
like:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xv -rmode 3 -quit ~/images/wallpaper/forest.gif
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
And xv would wallpaper your root window with the forest.gif image using
|
|
integer mirrored tiling.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
And you thought this was going to be hard... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
One last note: if you use the <KBD>-rmode</KBD> option, you don't have to
|
|
specify the <KBD>-root</KBD> option as well as this is implicit in
|
|
<KBD>-rmode</KBD>
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<DT><KBD>-max</KBD>
|
|
<DD>Another option, which Irek alluded to was the <KBD>-max</KBD> option.
|
|
What this does is stretch the image so as to fit in the root window,
|
|
without respect to the original image aspect. So, for example, if you had
|
|
an image that was 920x740 and you were running at 1024x768, using this
|
|
option would cause the image to be "stretched" to fit into
|
|
1024x768. Now, depending on your original image, this could look a bit
|
|
funny, I suppose, but at least it'd get the whole thing in.
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<DT><KBD>-maxpect</KBD>
|
|
<DD>This is quite similar to the above <I>except</I> that it preserves the
|
|
image aspect. So, assuming that you were using the same 920x740 image
|
|
mentioned above, using the <KBD>-maxpect</KBD> option would scale the
|
|
image up, but would keep the width:height aspect ration the same. In this
|
|
case, it's likely that the image would be stretched to a height of 768,
|
|
while the width would be something less than 1024.
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<DT><KBD>-quit</KBD>
|
|
<DD>Ahhh... <I>this</I> is the magic word that says, "Open
|
|
Sesame!"... "please..."
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
This option causes xv to display the first image given on the command line
|
|
and then quietly exit once it's done. This is how you can add a stanza to
|
|
a script or startup file and have xv wallpaper the root window and
|
|
peacefully terminate once this is done.
|
|
<P>
|
|
</DL>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
See, that wasn't so bad, now was it. So, tying it all together: suppose that
|
|
you had a directory off your home dir called "/images/wallpaper/"
|
|
that you put your wallpaper collection in. You want to use that nifty
|
|
forest.gif image and have it integer tiled. Easy as cake:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xv -rmode 1 -quit ~/images/wallpaper/forest.gif
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<I>Viola!</I>, instant gratification! :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now, you can easily do this from any xterm or rxvt command line. Heck, you
|
|
can do this from emacs or vi if you know how to execute a shell command...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<I>(pssss...! Hey buddy... yeah, you. If you're using vi, just try something
|
|
like:</I>
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
:!xv -rmode 1 -quit ~/images/wallpaper/forest.gif
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
and you're golden).
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The more convenient way to do this is to put it in one of your start up
|
|
scripts. I've recently started using FVWM-95 and so this would go in my
|
|
~/.fvwm2rc95 file under the "InitFunction" heading:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
AddToFunc "InitFunction" "I" Module FvwmAuto 200
|
|
+ "I" Module FvwmButtons
|
|
+ "I" Module FvwmTaskBar
|
|
+ "I" Exec syslogtk -geometry +2+2 &
|
|
+ "I" Exec rxvt -ls -sb -sl 400 -fn 9x15 -geometry 80x32 &
|
|
+ "I" Exec /usr/X11/bin/xv -rmode 1 -quit ~/forest.gif &
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Other window managers will have their own initialization files that will need
|
|
to be customized. RTFM.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
And speaking of RTFM, there's an <I>extensive</I> manual that John Bradley has
|
|
provided with xv. "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About XV, And
|
|
Were Afraid To Ask...". On my 'ol Slackware '96 distribution, the
|
|
documentation gets installed to /usr/doc/xv and the file to have a look at is
|
|
the <B>xvdocs.ps</B> file. It's a HUGE postscript document describing the
|
|
program and all of its options and operations in detail. If you're using xv
|
|
much at all, this is required reading. You can use one of the postscript
|
|
viewers such as <B>ghostscript</B> or my current favorite, <B>MGV</B>, to view
|
|
the file.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Here are just a couple other thoughts on the subject of wallpapering...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Keep the number of image colors small.</B>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
If you haven't noticed, one of the more annoying things about X is that it's
|
|
remarkably easy to "use up the colormap". Programs like Netscape
|
|
are notorious for allocating a hoggish number of entries, leaving other
|
|
programs unable to allocate colors, OR, having to install their own private
|
|
colormaps. When this happens, you end up with that migraine-grinding,
|
|
wildly psychedelic color flashing when you move from one window to the next.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
One way to help prevent this is to use images with a small number of colors.
|
|
To determine how many colors are being use, load the image and watch the
|
|
status message that xv will print in the control window. Another option, and
|
|
one that's easy to use on the command line, is to use the <B>xli</B> program:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xli -ident forest.gif
|
|
forest.gif is a 256x256 GIF89a image with 32 colors
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
To limit the number of colors, use XV's Save function and, if you're saving
|
|
the image in GIF format, you can select the "Reduced Color" option.
|
|
You can also use the excellent <B>ImageMagick</B> suite of graphics tools:
|
|
use the "convert" program with the <KBD>-colors</KBD> option to
|
|
specify the desired maximum number of colors to use:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
convert -colors 24 forest.gif forest_rc.gif
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
is one way to accomplish this. If you're handy with the <B>NetPBM</B>
|
|
utilities, then I'm sure that you can do a similar thing.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Add wallpapering to your favorite buttonbar or menu.</B>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Got a <I>collection</I> of favorite images and just can't decide which one you
|
|
like? Do you change your wallpaper more often than your socks? Do yourself a
|
|
favor: add this stuff to your favorite menu or buttonbar and have it
|
|
available at a whim's notice!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
For example, if you're using FVWM-95 and the FvwmButtons module, you could add
|
|
something like:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
*FvwmButtons forest gif.xpm Exec "" xv -rmode -1 -quit ~/wallpaper/forest.gif &
|
|
*FvwmButtons clouds gif.xpm Exec "" xv -rmode -1 -quit ~/wallpaper/clouds.gif &
|
|
*FvwmButtons trees gif.xpm Exec "" xv -rmode -1 -quit ~/wallpaper/trees.gif &
|
|
*FvwmButtons space gif.xpm Exec "" xv -rmode -1 -quit ~/wallpaper/space.gif &
|
|
*FvwmButtons GTO gif.xpm Exec "" xv -rmode -1 -quit ~/wallpaper/GTO.gif &
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
and so forth.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now, you can change the root window as easy as clicking on the buttons! You
|
|
can also do something like this with menus. Just create your own custom
|
|
submenu and add it to your present menu.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Also, even if you're not using a window manager that provides its own buttons,
|
|
(such as OpenWindows), you can still use programs such as <B>tkgoodstuff</B>
|
|
or <B>tycoon</B> as "aftermarket add-on's" and end up with a
|
|
splendid buttonbar nonetheless. You can find these programs at any
|
|
well-stocked Linux FTP archive or simply do an Alta-Visa or Yahoo search for
|
|
them.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
So, how about that? Think that this will give you something to do for a
|
|
while? Messing around with this stuff can be a HUGE time sink, so for those
|
|
dreary rainy April Saturday afternoons, just tell your spouse that you're
|
|
going to be busy all day doing a bit of "wallpapering..."
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
John
|
|
|
|
<!-- END ARTICLE ================================================== -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
<H2><A NAME="xlock"><IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/desklamp.gif" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=99
|
|
ALIGN=BOTTOM>Wallpapering with <I>xlock</I>...!?</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Yup... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Since we're on the subject of wallpapering anyway, I thought I'd throw this
|
|
out for what it's worth.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
There are actually quite a variety of ways to spiff up your dull and lifeless
|
|
root window. And if you're still using that hideous black and white
|
|
cross-hatch when X starts...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
We're here to the rescue!! Hang on!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
From all of the various doodles and scribblings that that I've made over the
|
|
past couple months on the subject, there seems to be AT LEAST three basic
|
|
things that you can do with wallpapering your root window:
|
|
|
|
<OL>
|
|
<LI>Color or color+texture
|
|
<LI>Images
|
|
<LI>Animations
|
|
</OL>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
You can easily try colors or colors+textures by using the <B>xsetroot</B>
|
|
program. Use the <KBD>-solid</KBD> option with the name of a color to set the
|
|
root window color to some value. Also, try using the <KBD>-mod [x] [y]</KBD>
|
|
option which gives you a plaid texture. You need to specify an x and y value
|
|
for the pattern, which are numbers between 0 and 16. You also can specify the
|
|
foreground and background colors to use with this using the <KBD>-fg</KBD> and
|
|
<KBD>-bg</KBD> options, respectively.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
We've talked at some length about using an image in the root window using a
|
|
program such as <B>xv</B>. See the previous article in this months column for
|
|
all the gory details. FWIW, you can also use the <B>xsetroot</B> with the
|
|
<KBD>-bitmap [filename]</KBD> option to use a black and white bitmap image if
|
|
you'd like.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Finally, you can use animations on your root window. There are all kinds of
|
|
nifty little doodad's and thingamabob's around to do such things. My favorite
|
|
is the <B>xearth</B> program, although I've fooled with and enjoyed the
|
|
<B>xfishtank</B> and the <B>xantfarm</B> programs as well. You should be able
|
|
to find these at your friendly neighborhood Linux FTP site or on that
|
|
Christmas CD your spouse reluctantly bought for you... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Here's <I>yet another</I> suggestion that you might not have tried...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Did you know that you can use the <B>xlock</B> program as wallpaper?
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
No, seriously... You gotta give this a try!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The xlock program has almost as many command line options as xv. Again, if
|
|
you invoke it with the secret password...
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xlock --help
|
|
xlock: bad command line option "--help"
|
|
|
|
usage: xlock [-help] [-resources] [-display displayname] [-name resourcename]
|
|
[-/+mono] [-/+nolock] [-/+remote] [-/+allowroot] [-/+enablesaver]
|
|
[-/+allowaccess] [-/+grabmouse] [-/+echokeys] [-/+usefirst] [-/+v]
|
|
[-/+inwindow] [-/+inroot] [-/+timeelapsed] [-/+install] [-delay usecs]
|
|
[-batchcount num] [-cycles num] [-saturation value] [-nice level]
|
|
[-timeout seconds] [-lockdelay seconds] [-font fontname] [-bg color]
|
|
[-fg color] [-username string] [-password string] [-info string]
|
|
[-validate string] [-invalid string] [-geometry geom] [-/+use3d]
|
|
[-delta3d value] [-right3d color] [-left3d color] [-program programname]
|
|
[-messagesfile filename] [-messagefile filename] [-message string]
|
|
[-mfont fontname] [-imagefile filename] [-gridsize] [-neighbors] [-mode ant
|
|
| bat | blot | bouboule | bounce | braid | bug | clock | demon | eyes
|
|
| flag | flame | forest | galaxy | geometry | grav | helix | hop | hyper
|
|
| image | kaleid | laser | life | life1d | life3d | lissie | marquee | maze
|
|
| mountain | nose | petal | puzzle | pyro | qix | rock | rotor | shape
|
|
| slip | sphere | spiral | spline | swarm | swirl | triangle | wator
|
|
| world | worm | blank | random]
|
|
|
|
Type xlock -help for a full description.
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Impressive...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
(... and if you're wondering why I didn't try the <KBD>xlock -help</KBD>
|
|
option as it suggested, the reason is that of brevity. Try this yourself to
|
|
get the FULL description!)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The options that you want are the <KBD>-inroot</KBD> and the <KBD>-mode [name]
|
|
</KBD> options. To install your favorite galaxy, pyro, blot, rock, rotor,
|
|
swarm, or whathaveyou onto your root window, just do something like:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
xlock -inroot -mode swarm &
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
And stand back and enjoy the show. Of course, you can get a bit dizzy
|
|
watching some of these, but it's kinda fun watching the bats careen around and
|
|
the swarm chasing that one little bugger all over the screen. Add a couple
|
|
invocations like this to your favorite 'ol buttonbar or menu and you'll be the
|
|
envy of all your neighbors. People will think you're pretty cool... Maybe
|
|
you'll get a promotion... The cute gal/guy in the dorm next door will tell all
|
|
their friends that you just <I>wrok their world!...</I> Maybe your complexion
|
|
will clear up... Who knows...? It's worth a try... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
So, what do you think? Got any other ideas or suggestions? If you do, drop
|
|
me a note and I'll be glad to include it in the next column. Who knows,
|
|
maybe we'll have to write a mini-HOWTO on X Window wallpapering... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
See ya!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
John
|
|
|
|
<!-- END ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
<H2><A NAME="syslog"><IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/desklamp.gif" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=99
|
|
ALIGN=BOTTOM>System Logging Ideas...</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Several months ago, I had someone run a Satan attack on my home Linux system
|
|
(a standalone PC connected via dialup PPP to the INTERNET) shortly after I'd
|
|
gotten a dialup connection. The idiot got no information as I had sendmail
|
|
configured for remote mail queuing. Without going into all the details,
|
|
suffice it to say that after getting pretty angry about this and making several
|
|
phone calls and sending email demands of explanations, the perpetrator remains
|
|
anonymous.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now, there are several things that I know next to nothing about, and
|
|
UN*X/Linux security is one of them. For my standalone system, I closed a
|
|
couple holes by simply no longer loading up either inetd or sendmail at system
|
|
boot. I mention this not so much to talk about security as to segue into the
|
|
topic of system logging.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
After this incident, I starting wondering how to keep track of "what's
|
|
going on" with my system in terms of processes running, login attempts,
|
|
debugging/error messages, and so forth. One solution to this was provided by
|
|
a reader quite some time ago which involved dumping ALL system logging
|
|
information to an unused VT by adding a stanza such as the following to
|
|
/etc/syslog.conf:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
*.* /dev/tty9
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
I won't go into the details of this except to mention that this sends all
|
|
logging information to VT number 9.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
It occurred to me a bit later that I could also dump this information to a
|
|
file and then run <B>tail</B> on it to see a continuous printout of the
|
|
information. Under X, this is accomplished easily by running an xterm or rxvt
|
|
and then running tail on the system logging file. To do this, you could:
|
|
|
|
<OL>
|
|
<LI>Set up syslogd to print ALL logging information to a file by adding
|
|
the following to your /etc/syslog.conf:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
*.* /dev/tty9
|
|
*.* /var/adm/syslog
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
This gives you a file with logging information from all facilities and
|
|
from all all levels.
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
<LI>Starting up an xterm or rxvt and getting a tail process running on the
|
|
logging file. You'll obviously need read permissions on the file in order
|
|
to do this:
|
|
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
rxvt -sb -sl 200 -e tail -n 50 -f /var/adm/syslog &
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
|
|
My own preference is to use rxvt since it enjoys a much smaller memory
|
|
footprint than xterms typically do. The <KBD>-sb</KBD> option gives me a
|
|
very handsome scrollbar; <KBD>-sl 200</KBD> saves 200 lines of output at a
|
|
time; and the <KBD>-e</KBD> option instructs rxvt to execute everything
|
|
following it on the command line.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
After doing this you can decrease the window size substantially by using a
|
|
small font. Depending on how rxvt was compiled, you may be able to
|
|
interactively change the font size using the <KBD>ALT-<</KBD> key
|
|
combination (or the <KBD>ALT-></KBD>) -- on rxvt version 2.18 this
|
|
causes a smaller font to be used. You can also specify which font to use
|
|
when you invoke rxvt itself using the <KBD>-fn</KBD> option. Using a six
|
|
or seven point font gives you a small, but still readable window.
|
|
<P>
|
|
</OL>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Now, if you start up a second rxvt and run <B>top</B> in it, you'll find that
|
|
this will give you a good idea of what's going on with your system. On my
|
|
box, this looks like:
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<IMG SRC="./misc/syslog.gif" WIDTH=520 HEIGHT=912 ALT="Rxvt with tail and
|
|
top">
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Obviously, there are MUCH more elegant and sophisticated solutions than
|
|
running a couple rxvt's with top and tail. However, this is VERY easy to
|
|
setup and, if you add a stanza to do this in your window manager configuration
|
|
file, or add this to a menu or buttonbar, then it's very convenient as well.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I've also tinkered around with writing a small tcl/tk script that some of you
|
|
might be interested in. The <B>syslogtk</B> script is a VERY simple little
|
|
program that allows you to easily view any of the logging files under
|
|
/var/adm. On startup, it adds a menu item for each readable, regular file
|
|
under /var/adm which will then allow you to view that file. It also
|
|
automagically loads the /var/adm/syslog file. I've added a couple buttons to
|
|
resize the text window, move to the head and end of the file, and to update
|
|
the logging (this was a bit of a kludge since I found that the <B>tail</B>
|
|
process would "hang" after pppd terminated. Any ideas as to why
|
|
this would happen... anyone?)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I've used this for the past little bit and really like it -- especially since
|
|
it lets me quickly see the status of things such as mail and print jobs.
|
|
Here's a screen dump of it in its "normal" and "maximized"
|
|
states:
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<IMG SRC="./misc/syslogtk.gif" WIDTH=605 HEIGHT=220 ALT="syslogtk image">
|
|
<P>
|
|
The <B>syslogtk</B> program minimized.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<IMG SRC="./misc/syslogtk_max.gif" WIDTH=605 HEIGHT=500 ALT="syslogtk (max) image">
|
|
<P>
|
|
The <B>syslogtk</B> program maximized.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I'm sorry that I don't have a lot of time to discuss this simple utility more.
|
|
If you're interested in it, the sources are available here. You can save the
|
|
following link to file OR simply load it up in your browser and save it as a
|
|
text file:
|
|
|
|
<H3><A HREF="./misc/syslogtk">syslogtk tcl source</A></H3>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
As usual, this comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTEE: if anything breaks, you
|
|
get to keep both pieces... :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I'm hoping, when I have a bit more time, to write up a simple guide to setting
|
|
up and using system logging with the excellent <B>sysklogd</B> package. For
|
|
the time being, you're on your own. BTW, I wrote syslogtk under tcl/tk
|
|
versions 7.6/4.2 -- there's nothing terribly fancy in them so it'll likely
|
|
work under older and newer versions as well. Have a look at the beginning of
|
|
the script file for items that you might want to customize, especially the
|
|
file that gets loaded when the program starts. The code isn't terribly robust
|
|
at the moment, so if it can't find something, it'll likely just whine and do
|
|
nothing...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Well, that should about do it!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hope you have fun. If you have any ideas or suggestions, drop me a note OR,
|
|
better yet, drop the LG editor (Marjorie Richardson at SSC) a letter or
|
|
article!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Cheers,
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
John
|
|
|
|
<!-- END ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
<H2><A NAME="closing"><IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/desklamp.gif" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=99
|
|
ALIGN=BOTTOM>Closing Up The Shop</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Well, again, I'm sorry that the articles have been a bit more rushed than I'd
|
|
hoped this month. I just got back from visiting Bill and Sandy Emmett -- my
|
|
wife's brother and his wife and their kids -- over Easter Weekend. We had a
|
|
great time and even got to do a bit of Linux'ing! I recently bought some old
|
|
computer parts "As Is" from the church my wife and I attend and, after a bit
|
|
of card swapping and cable twiddling, I managed to get a working 486DX/4 100
|
|
box working. I also found that it came with an Artisoft AE/2 NIC.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Hmmm... Serious Fun on the Horizon, Good Buddy...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
My brother-in-law outfitted me with an old WD-8003 card he had lying around
|
|
and we were able to get some basic networking set up under Linux and Win95.
|
|
So, I'm going to be learning a bit of networking! YeeeeHaaaa!!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
That is, if I ever manage to get my schoolwork done so that I can pass Calc
|
|
III and Software Engineering... :-(
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
We'll have to see.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
The other bit of news is that I'm planning on heading out to the 'ol <B>1997
|
|
Linux Expo</B> at NCSU again this year!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Time for a road trip!! :-)
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
I'm getting seriously excited about this as the speaker roster looks like a
|
|
"Heavy-Weight Who's Who's in the Linux Community" round up. The
|
|
conference talks all look interesting and, if this is anything like last
|
|
year's Expo, it should just be a WHOLE LOTTA FUN. If any of you still haven't
|
|
heard about this and you're within any kind of driving, flying, running,
|
|
hitchhiking, or crawling distance from North Carolina State Univ., then by all
|
|
means...
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
GO!!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
There's all kinds of information available at the <A HREF="http://www.linuxexpo.org">
|
|
Linux Expo</A> site. I know that they've put in a HUGE amount of
|
|
work on this together with the folks at <A HREF="http://www.redhat.com">RedHat
|
|
Software, Inc.</A>. Drop by the page and get the low down on speakers,
|
|
exhibitors, events, conference talks, and so forth.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Several of us from 'ol Middle Tenn State Univ. are planning on taking a road
|
|
trip and making a weekend of this. We'll be walking around with our pocket
|
|
protectors and name badges like the rest of you... if you happen to see:
|
|
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI>Brad Curtis
|
|
<LI>Steven Edwards (aka "Maverick")
|
|
<LI>John Hoover
|
|
<LI>or, Your's Truly...
|
|
</UL>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Walk right up, introduce yourself, and shake a hand! We'd love to chat
|
|
with you. If I get the chance, I'll bring along the 'ol Canon and try
|
|
to get some shots of the going's on. If I can get my hands on a scanner, I
|
|
might even put a couple of these up in the next column (with the permission of
|
|
the Expo folks, of course).
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Anyway, hope to see you all there!!
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Take care, Happy Linux'ing, and Best Wishes,
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
John M. Fisk<BR>
|
|
Nashville, TN<BR>
|
|
Sunday, March 30, 1997
|
|
|
|
<!-- END ARTICLE ================================================ -->
|
|
|
|
<P><HR><P>
|
|
|
|
<IMG SRC="../gx/fisk/mailme.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE WIDTH=38 HEIGHT=30> If you'd like,
|
|
drop me a note at:
|
|
<ADDRESS> John M. Fisk
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:fiskjm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu">
|
|
<fiskjm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu></A>
|
|
</ADDRESS>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
Last Modified: $Date: 2002/10/09 22:24:17 $
|
|
</B>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, John M. Fisk <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 16 of the Linux Gazette, April 1997</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./uniforum.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./lg_backpage16.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><IMG SRC="../gx/backpage.gif" alt="Linux Gazette Back Page"></H1>
|
|
|
|
<H5>Copyright © 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc.<br>
|
|
For information regarding copying and distribution of this material see the
|
|
<A HREF="../copying.html">Copying License</A>.</H5>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
|
|
<H3>Contents:</H3>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_backpage16.html#authors">About This Month's Authors</a>
|
|
<li><a HREF="./lg_backpage16.html#notlinux">Not Linux</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<a name="authors"><p></a>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--======================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center><H3> About This Month's Authors </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--======================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">Larry Ayers</H4>
|
|
Larry Ayers lives with his family on a small farm in Northeast
|
|
Missouri; he is a woodworker, fiddler and general
|
|
jack-of-all-trades.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">John M. Fisk</H4>
|
|
John Fisk is most noteworthy as the former editor of the <I>Linux Gazette</I>.
|
|
After three years as a General Surgery resident and
|
|
Research Fellow at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center,
|
|
John decided to ":hang up the stethoscope":, and pursue a
|
|
career in Medical Information Management. He's currently a full
|
|
time student at the Middle Tennessee State University and hopes
|
|
to complete a graduate degree in Computer Science before
|
|
entering a Medical Informatics Fellowship. In his dwindling
|
|
free time he and his wife Faith enjoy hiking and camping in
|
|
Tennessee's beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. He has been an avid Linux fan,
|
|
since his first Slackware 2.0.0 installation a year and a half
|
|
ago.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">Michael J. Hammel</H4>
|
|
Michael J. Hammel,
|
|
is a transient software engineer with a background in
|
|
everything from data communications to GUI development to Interactive Cable
|
|
systems--all based in Unix. His interests outside of computers
|
|
include 5K/10K races, skiing, Thai food and gardening. He suggests if you
|
|
have any serious interest in finding out more about him, you visit his home
|
|
pages at http://www.csn.net/~mjhammel. You'll find out more
|
|
there than you really wanted to know.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">Mike List </H4>
|
|
Mike List is a father of four teenagers, musician, printer (not
|
|
laserjet), and recently reformed technophobe, who has been into computers
|
|
since April,1996, and Linux since July.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">Henry H. Lu</a></H4>
|
|
Henry H. Lu has a M.S. of Biophysics, University of Minnesota and a
|
|
B.S. of Physics, Nankai University. He is
|
|
currently working as contract bioinformatics analyst in HIV database of
|
|
Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico USA, and has
|
|
developed Java / HTML, C/C++, perl, shell applications and system tools
|
|
for work (Solaris environment) at home Linux box or remote login to
|
|
workstation at Lab. For fun, he likes to
|
|
hack some of systems/networking programs, use Linux
|
|
to learn on-line university courses
|
|
(Operating systems / system programming, Network), and write
|
|
Java/HTML for my own web page.
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<H4><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="" SRC="../gx/note.gif">Marc Welz</a></H4>
|
|
Marc lives in Cape Town, South Africa. He thinks that it must be one of the most beautiful
|
|
cites in the world. He should be working on his MSc, but tends to be distracted
|
|
by Table Mountain, Linux or anything else.
|
|
|
|
<a name="notlinux"><p></a>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<center><H3> Not Linux </H3></center>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--======================================================================-->
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks to all our authors, not just the ones above, but also those who wrote
|
|
giving us their tips and tricks and making suggestions. Thanks also to our
|
|
new mirror sites.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Amy Kukuk was a great help this month, putting together News Bytes, More
|
|
2 Cent Tips and The Answer Guy. I'm going to be giving her more and
|
|
more each month.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<IMG ALIGN=LEFT ALT="" SRC="./gx/r2d2.gif">
|
|
I've had a lot of fun going to see the "Star Wars" movies again. Space movies
|
|
are so much more fun at a theater. I was amazed to discover that I
|
|
can remember the first time I had seen each of them (theatre, company,
|
|
etc.). I was pleased to see so many kids there enjoying the epic for the first
|
|
time on a big screen.
|
|
Riley and I had a lot of fun competing to see who recognized new scenes
|
|
first (nudge, nudge).
|
|
I thought they did a pretty smooth job of inserting
|
|
the scenes without being annoyingly noticeable. I still have to wonder
|
|
how the people of Tatooie kept the streets clean with dinosaurs as
|
|
pack animals?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Have fun!
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="http://www.ssc.com/ssc/Employees/Margie/margie.html">
|
|
Marjorie L. Richardson</a><br>
|
|
Editor, <i>Linux Gazette</i> <A HREF="mailto:gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</a>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif" ALT="[ TABLE OF
|
|
CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/homenew.gif" ALT="[ FRONT
|
|
PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./wkndmech.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif" ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<p><hr><p>
|
|
<I>Linux Gazette</I> Issue 16, April 1997, http://www.ssc.com/lg/<BR>
|
|
This page written and maintained by the Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com"> gazette@ssc.com</A>
|
|
<P>
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|