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669 lines
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<title>Linux Gazette MailBag LG #31</title>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#A000A0"
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ALINK="#FF0000">
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<!--endcut ============================================================-->
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<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"</H4>
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<HR>
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<center>
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<table width="100%" cellpadding=7><tr><td>
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<H2><a NAME="mail"><IMG SRC="../gx/mailbox.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE ALT=" ">
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The Mailbag!</a> </H2>
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Write the Gazette at <A HREF="mailto:gazette@ssc.com"> gazette@ssc.com</A>
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</td><td>
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<H3>Contents:</H3>
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<ul>
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<li><a HREF="./lg_mail31.html#help">Help Wanted -- Article Ideas</a>
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<li><a HREF="./lg_mail31.html#gen">General Mail</a>
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</ul>
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</td></tr></table>
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</center>
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<a name="help"></a>
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<p><hr><p>
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<!-- =================================================================== -->
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<center><H3><font color="maroon">Help Wanted -- Article Ideas</font></H3></center>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 17:59:52 -0600<BR>
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From: Ernesto Vargas, <A HREF="mailto:evargas@aisinternational.com">
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evargas@aisinternational.com</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>email to pager gateway</B>
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<P>
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I'm trying to find an e-mail to pager gateway. So for example if I send a
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e-mail to 123456@mydomain.com it will send it to the pager system but if
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I send and e-mail to evargas@mydomain.com leave the message in my pop
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account. Additional to this is not to specify each pager our company has
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more then 25,000 and is growing 1,000 per month.
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<P>
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Thanks,<BR>
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Ernesto Vargas
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 14:44:52 -0600<BR>
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From: "MARK C ZOLTON", <A HREF="mailto:mcz@wheat.ksu.edu">
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mcz@wheat.ksu.edu</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>SyQuest EZ 135 and Linux...</B>
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<P>
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For quite some time now I've been wondering how to set up my SyQuest
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EZ 135 removable disk drive under Linux. If you haven't seen one,
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it's kind of like a ZIP drive, but less of an industry standard. I
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got it for free, otherwise I don't think it would have been worth it.
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Anyway, I have about six 135MB disks for it and I'd like to give some
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of that to Linux. Any ideas? I've seen a driver around before, but I
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don't remember where to get it.
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<P>
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Mark
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 17:01:00 +0300<BR>
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From: admin, <A HREF="mailto:admin@jrol.com">
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admin@jrol.com</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>chroot how to?</B>
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<P>
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I have been trying to lookup information on chroot command. i am trying
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to see if I can restrict my users to there home directories. Same
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concept like anonymous ftp.
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So each user will have his or hers own work space. Is there any
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documentation ?
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Thank you for your time.
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I have Red Hat5.0 and 5.1.
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<P>
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Khriss,
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Sun, 05 Jul 1998 05:32:21 -0700<BR>
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From: "Wizard Saturn", <A HREF="mailto:alexey@mailcity.com">
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alexey@mailcity.com</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>problem mouse</B>
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<P>
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I have Genius Net Mouse (with a Magic-Button for making browsing easy, hardware scrolling).
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I use Read Heat 5.0, but I cannot use Magic-Button for scrolling in Xwindows.What shall I do for using it.
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<P>
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Thank you in advance.<BR>
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alexey
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 17:47:35 +0100 (BST)<BR>
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From: Sean Kelly, <A HREF="mailto:S.Kelly@newcastle.ac.uk">
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S.Kelly@newcastle.ac.uk</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>Recognising the AMD K5-PR166</B>
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<P>
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I'm wondering whether any other readers have used the AMD K5-PR166
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with Linux. It's just that my system seems to think it's a K5-PR133 and
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states that it's running at 100MHz. Also, the BogoMips value indicates
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that the processor is running at 100MHz.
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Anyone any advice?
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<P>
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Thanks in advance,<BR>
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Sean.
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: 08 Jul 98 16:10:03 +0000<BR>
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From: James Spenceley, <A HREF="mailto:creative@create.com.au">
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creative@create.com.au</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>PPP help</B>
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<P>
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I'd like to set my Linux box up as a PPP remote access server. Can you
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give me an idea of where i can find some info on how to do this ?
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Or maybe someone who has done it with a positive outlook and an email
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address.
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Any help would be great
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<P>
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Thanks<BR>
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James
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 02:20:45 +0200<BR>
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From: silvia ballmann, <A HREF="mailto:sballmann@usa.net">
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sballmann@usa.net</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>Linux AND Lanprinter</B>
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<P>
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Can I manage 800 lanprinter with one Linux system?
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Thanks.
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<P>
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bye, Thomas
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 16:50:41 -0700<BR>
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From: al00584, <A HREF="mailto:al00584@snetsy.cpg.com.au">
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al00584@snetsy.cpg.com.au</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>DStealth Linux FVWM driver</B>
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<P>
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I have a Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 Virge card. In initial drivers even 16
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bit display modes were patchy. Now I'm wondering if there would be new
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drivers developed which are stable since.
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Furthermore I seem to have trouble installing and uninstalling files.
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No Uninstallshield equivalent of windows??
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<P>
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Keep up the great service.<BR>
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Andrew
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<blockquote> <I>
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(No need for an uninstall with Linux, <tt>rm -rf</tt> will remove all the
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way down a directory tree. Be careful when you use it though. Also, if you
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feel the need to write C code to this, there is an article in the August
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issue of <I>Linux Journal</I> about how to write a "deltree" command.
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--Editor)
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</I> </blockquote>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 10:07:36 -0700 (PDT)<BR>
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From: <A HREF="mailto:dhelm@linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us">
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dhelm@linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>CHAOS</B>
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<P>
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I would like more information on the CHAOS article in the July (#30) issue
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of LG. Are there any HOW-TO's on how to set a thing like that up? Since I
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cant afford (OK, to cheap to buy..) one of the new systems, a little
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network of cheap PC's sounds fun.
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<P>
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GreatDane
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 00:08:57 EDT<BR>
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From: <A HREF="mailto:Kilgorecom@aol.com">Kilgorecom@aol.com</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>notebook</B>
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<P>
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I have an OLD laptop that is probably only good for a doorstop or
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running DOS. (I did download DR. DOS, and may give it a try, but am more
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interested in putting a Linux system on it if possible. It is a DTK model
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DLT-3311 which has a whopping Cx486dlc 33 Mhz processor and 4 MB of ram. It
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has a monochrome monitor, and runs windows 3.x slow. I can't find any more
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ram for it and am interested in finding out if there is a distribution of
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Linux, BSD, or something of the like that would turn this into a suitable
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companion for sales calls, including a database, pim, and anything else slick
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I could get this to do until I can afford something less paeliolithic.
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<P>
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Any info you could send would be greatly appreciated, as well as being a big
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feather in your Karmic hat.
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<P>
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Thanks in advance,
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Kent
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 08:18:28 +0000<BR>
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From: Abduraghmaan Phillips, <A HREF="mailto:phillips@srvnac3.nac.ac.za">
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phillips@srvnac3.nac.ac.za</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>Intel Celeron Processor</B>
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<P>
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I would like to know whether Linux will have any problems with
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the Intel Celeron Processor.
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<P>
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Thanks, A. Phillips
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<a name="gen"></a>
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<P> <hr> <P>
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<!-- =================================================================== -->
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<center><H3><font color="maroon">General Mail</font></H3></center>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 12:19:00 -0700<BR>
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From: Antony Chesser, <A HREF="mailto:antonyc3@integritas.com">
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antonyc3@integritas.com</A> <BR>
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Subject: <B>The Other Side of the Story</B>
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<P>
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In the article, Installing Microsoft & Linux, by Manish P. Pagey, we
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were treated to a (possibly justified) diatribe about the difficulties
|
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in integrating Linux and Win95. However, to have a more balanced view,
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one might also note the following:
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<P>
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I like Linux thus far. But I never mistake what I like with that is
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simpler for the average person out there to use. Linux is as user
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friendly as a hurled brick. Installing Linux puts you at a $ or #
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prompt with no clue of where to go afterwards. I'm a Novell CNE with
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many years experience working with PCs and networks, so I'm not daunted
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by a non-intuitive prompt. And I already had a WIN95 machine set up so
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I could access the net, download the truly excellent Linux Journal
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online, and get support on how to install RPMs, etc. Had that not been
|
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the case, however, I'd have been hard pressed to iron our the wrinkles
|
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in my install, or to know which files to edit, or programs to run, to do
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basic configuration. By comparison, win95 starts off in the gui mode,
|
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allowing for rather intuitive productivity immediately. And yes, I
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agree...it IS less stable. But crashing once a week (and I don't, by
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the way... I applied the service pack to it, and I am very stable) is
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still far better than not being able to even find out how to connect to
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the net.
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<P>
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When Linux finishes installing, you're left with a # prompt. When WIN95
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finishes installing, you've a fairly intuitive GUI that allows you to
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quickly and easily install and run programs, connect to the net, and
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**apply updates without re-compiling the kernel**.
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<P>
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So is win95 better than Linux? Nope. But neither is it inferior. Each
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tool for the right job. If someone wants to set up their own PC and get
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working quickly, the average person without experience in EITHER of the
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OS's will have an easier time with win95. The trade off for that is
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that yes, it IS less stable in the long run, and yes, you DO have to pay
|
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for it. But considering that for the novice, the alternative is a PC
|
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that he/she cannot use, the answer seems clear that one should get the
|
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more easily installed and usable system. And that is not yet Linux.
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<P>
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I believe firmly that it one day WILL be. Many of the Linux Accolytes
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have decried the attempt to enhance the functionality and ease of use
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for Linux as the equivalent of "Starting down the Dark path of the
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Force." (shrug) A bit melodramatic, if you ask me. Consider this...
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that if we don't make it more user friendly, it will STAY a tiny share
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of the home and small business market, which in turn means less software
|
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written for it, and less call for us to support it for a living. Which,
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given all it's virtues, seems a shame, doesn't it?
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<P>
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Let's keep the tight, elegant kernel that is Linux, and add ease of use
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to it. If we do this, then like IBM's iron fisted dominance of the PC
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market that faded, so too will Microsoft be "The Giant That Was."
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However, if we insist on keeping Linux the OS that commands a religious
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like fervor with a select few, and keeping it un-usable for the vast
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majority of home and small business users, we'll continue to watch Mr.
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Gates... the richest man in the world... sell upgrades to a kludgy OS
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for more money than ANY current version of Linux gets. And we'll hear
|
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his laughter.
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<P>
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Antony Chessor
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--====================================================================-->
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<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
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Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 20:01:16 -0400<BR>
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From: Kevin Fortin, <A
|
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HREF="mailto:kfortin@ufl.edu">kfortin@ufl.edu</A><BR>
|
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Subject: <B>RedHat Service Pack 1</B>
|
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<P>
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A badly organized yet sketchy editorial, upon these themes:
|
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<P>
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Just when Linux was starting to get a little more of the limelight,
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Red Hat releases a new version of its popular distribution, the
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regrettably buggy RH5.1 (a few weeks ahead of whatever product from
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Redmond).
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<P>
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Many Linux beginners will probably start with Red Hat, because of the
|
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ease of installation and the collection of software.
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bo
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Many or most beginners who want to give Linux a try will be installing
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on their home machines, and will want to connect to the Internet by
|
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modem afterwards (sorry -- PPP module not supported by kernel). Note:
|
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this feature makes it difficult for home users to download patches from
|
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FTP sites.
|
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<P>
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Furthermore, all users might want to install additional RPMs from CDROMS
|
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(sorry -- unable to mount iso9660 filesystem).
|
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<P>
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[Strangely, when I upgraded an RH4.2 system to RH5.1, I did not have
|
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trouble with PPP or CD-ROM support, but when I did an RH5.1 installation
|
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from scratch, I did have problems. On that troublesome system, I
|
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reformatted and reinstalled RH4.2.]
|
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<P>
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Many (or at least I) passed over RH5.0 (because I had read it needed a
|
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lot of patching) and waited for RH5.1 to come out.
|
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<P>
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The Linux press doesn't appear to have commented on this situation.
|
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Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I haven't come across any product
|
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reviews or editorials in the on-line Linux press chastising RedHat for
|
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rushing a defective product to market (ala Microsoft).
|
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<P>
|
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In spite of the above, "Me, I'm a Red Hat Man".
|
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<P>
|
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I'm no expert user, but I am a fan of the Linux phenomenon and certainly
|
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of Red Hat, and I guess I'm just disappointed by the possibility that
|
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potential newcomers might be frustrated and turned away from Linux by
|
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the current Red Hat distribution.
|
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<P>
|
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I wish the people at Red Hat well, and will probably even send some money
|
|
their way, in appreciation of their 4.2 distrib as well as their ongoing
|
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efforts. However, I might wait for RH5.2 or at least give the most
|
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crucial of the RH5.1 patches enough time to make it onto the official CD
|
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pressings.
|
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<P>
|
|
[To be fair, I should note that I obtained RH5.1 on a $1.99 CD from
|
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CheapBytes, but from reading the newsgroups, I don't believe that this
|
|
undermines the points made above. Also, I don't imagine that RedHat's
|
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own commercial CD releases and their FTP site would be much out-of-sync,
|
|
and CheapBytes probably relies on the RH FTP site for its pressings.]
|
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<P>
|
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Kevin Fortin
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<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 11:59:33 +0900<BR>
|
|
From: Tom Holroyd, <A HREF="mailto:tomh@taz.ccs.fau.edu">
|
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tomh@taz.ccs.fau.edu</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>Compaq Unix Support</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Since the recent acquisition of Digital by Compaq, I think it's important
|
|
to let everybody know how they can show their support of Linux on
|
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Compaq's
|
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AXP platform. Jon Hall, Unix Software Group Senior Leader inside
|
|
Compaq, and
|
|
also Executive director of Linux International, has posted the following
|
|
announcement to axp-list@redhat.com
|
|
<P>
|
|
url: http://archive.redhat.com//axp-list/1998-June/0567.html
|
|
<P>
|
|
Remember that if a major player such as Compaq started shipping machines
|
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(and not
|
|
only axps) with Linux pre-loaded, it would do much for Linux popularity.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<blockquote> <font color="blue">
|
|
Since sending them all one at a time to Mr. Pfeiffer will only make him
|
|
pissed off in the long run, you are welcome to send them to me, and I will
|
|
roll them up for him, and present them all at once.
|
|
I would suggest including in the letter (along with whatever else you want):
|
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Your name, Your occupation, Whether you are buying the machine for personal
|
|
or business use, How many machines per year you buy (ONE is an o.k.
|
|
number!! Even one, every two or three years...he will understand, and they
|
|
mount up over many people), What type of machine you would buy (Alpha,
|
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Intel), What size (how many megs memory, disk, etc.), and
|
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Whether you would be interested in buying support.
|
|
Put as the subject line: YET ANOTHER UNIX USER
|
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</font></blockquote>
|
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<blockquote> <font color="blue">
|
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I will guarantee you that my immediate management will look at them, at a
|
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minimum, and I am fairly sure that they will get all the way up to Mr.
|
|
Pfeiffer, at least as a report. -- Jon "maddog" Hall,
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:maddog@zk3.dec.com">maddog@zk3.dec.com</A>
|
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</font></blockquote>
|
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<P>
|
|
Dr. Tom Holroyd
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 12:04:27 +0100 (BST)<BR>
|
|
From: Karsten Ballueder, <A HREF="mailto:karsten@phy.hw.ac.uk">
|
|
karsten@phy.hw.ac.uk</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>Portable GUI C++ Libraries</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
I have just read your article about "Portable GUI C++ Libraries" and
|
|
found it to be not very well researched. The information given about
|
|
wxWindows is outdated and a bit inaccurate.
|
|
<P>
|
|
You mentioned that Version 2.0 "is rumoured to be available in the
|
|
near future". Fact is, it has already been available in different
|
|
alpha releases for quite some time. While the code is still under
|
|
development, it is worth mentioning that it is already very usable and=20=
|
|
<P>
|
|
the turnaround time for bug fixes is quite low. At present there are
|
|
two implementations of wxWindows 2.0, the Windows version, available
|
|
from the main wxWindows web page mentioned in your article, and the
|
|
GTK based Unix version wxGTK, available from
|
|
http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~wxxt/ . Both versions are ready for
|
|
development right now ( We are using it to implement quite a large
|
|
e-mail application, http://Ballueder.home.ml.org/M ). A third version,=20=
|
|
<P>
|
|
based on Motif is under development.
|
|
<P>
|
|
You also mentioned the "side project" of a port of wxWindows which
|
|
doesn't require the Motif libraries. This "port", called wxXt has been=20=
|
|
<P>
|
|
around for many years and is probably the most-used wxWindows version
|
|
on Linux. It provides a complete Motif-lookalike interface, without
|
|
requiring Motif.
|
|
<P>
|
|
I find that if you look at the newer wxWindows releases, especially
|
|
wxGTK, they provide a much more complete environment and a much
|
|
improved user interface than other toolkits. Unfortunately, your
|
|
screenshots based on the older Motif version don't show this.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Regards, Karsten
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
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|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Sun, 05 Jul 1998 00:09:07 +0000<BR>
|
|
From: general, <A HREF="mailto:general@gis.net">general@gis.net</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>LG30 article by Manish Pagey</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
The most intelligent statement in this persons article was " Because
|
|
I'm stupid thats why". This article was not anything of general interest
|
|
but only a tirade about Bill Gates and Microsoft.
|
|
<P>
|
|
If your Linux is so great why must you degenerate the efforts and
|
|
products of others. Evidently, you people all live in the ivory towers
|
|
of academia and not the real world. Manish cites that the Feds and the
|
|
state ag's are after MS.
|
|
<P>
|
|
His vehemence smacks so much of hate that they may come for him next for
|
|
committing "hate crimes or if not hate crimes the incidence of a hate
|
|
crime", to quote one great liberal mayor here in Marxachusettes.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Why must all of Linux literature be permeated with the stink of
|
|
egotistical minds rotting putridly in the sun. Linux may be the
|
|
operating system of the future, that is if we can get by humid
|
|
putrification of your egotism.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Quite frankly, LG should hide in shame for printing such childish
|
|
gibberish. When I downloaded your recent issue to my Linux box, it was
|
|
with the hope that it might enlighten my experience with another
|
|
operating system and broaden my limited computer knowledge.
|
|
<P>
|
|
However, this trash will not deter my efforts to learn about Linux as it
|
|
has presented quite a challenge to run both it and W95. Here's hoping
|
|
that you and others can present a journal that will teach not disgust.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thanks for letting me vent.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Robert E. Lee
|
|
<blockquote> <I>
|
|
I frankly don't have time to read every word of every article. I try to
|
|
avoid articles that are just hate mail. Obviously, I missed on this one if
|
|
it is as bad as you say. People are always asking for articles about
|
|
installing both Linux and Microsoft and the problems incurred while doing
|
|
so and this one looked to fit the bill.
|
|
I am sorry you were offended and that I did not do a better filtering job.
|
|
Thanks for writing -- Editor
|
|
</I> </blockquote>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thank you for responding to my e-mail. However, my feelings were not of offense
|
|
but of total irritation that the Linux literature at all levels is saturated
|
|
with the debasing of others and their operating system.
|
|
<P>
|
|
There are forums where people can vent their dislikes but they do a disservice to
|
|
the Linux community by littering Linux literature all of types their personal
|
|
dislikes of others and their efforts.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Linux is being touted as the operating system of the future and it could very
|
|
well be that some day it will mature to this status. However, the Linux community
|
|
will have to mature with it if they expect this to happen. The type of article
|
|
will only repel people rather than attract them. Sell the features and benefits
|
|
of the Linux operating system and people will use it, denigrate others and their
|
|
efforts and Linux will languish.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Perhaps, it would be timely to include the 'Advocacy Mini How-to' by Paul L.
|
|
Rogers in a future edition in an effort help Linux users understand that tirades
|
|
and even snide remarks are counter to their goal of promoting Linux and are
|
|
destructive instead.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Thank you for lending an ear.<BR>
|
|
Robert E. Lee
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 20:00:20 -0400<BR>
|
|
From: "Donald N. McKay", <A HREF="mailto:fstop@a-znet.com">
|
|
fstop@a-znet.com</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>Promoting Linux</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
I listened intently to the Internet audio broadcast when Steve Jobs
|
|
supplied the voice over to the great race between a 333 MHz Pentium II
|
|
and Apple's G3. Of course, for those who did listen, we were to learn
|
|
that G3 ate Pentium's lunch when the two processors 'drag raced' through
|
|
a run-time application of Photoshop followed by animation, courtesy of
|
|
Macromedia Director. After listening to the Inter-cast, the world
|
|
suddenly became aware of the power of G3.
|
|
<P>
|
|
So.... Why not host a drag race on the Internet between Win 95, Win NT 4
|
|
and Win 98 and Linux? Hell, throw OS/2 Warp and Novell in there also.
|
|
(of course, using identical computers - processors, networking cards,
|
|
etc.). Ballyhoo the event with home page and search engine banner ads
|
|
(paid for by Red Hat, Caldera, and anyone else who'll make a buck out of
|
|
the event). Invite C|NET, Andover Net and ZDNet to cover the event. Run
|
|
Linux on Apache or however the Linux-meisters see fit, but let's see
|
|
once and for all just what this OS can do not only for speed but for
|
|
reliability. Then, and only then, will people not only take notice of
|
|
the product, but will, in fact, try it (buy it in some cases) and use
|
|
it.
|
|
<P>
|
|
What do you think?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Don McKay
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 13:18:39 -0300<BR>
|
|
From: Michael Rasmusson, <A HREF="mailto:miker@bdamicro.com">
|
|
miker@bdamicro.com</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>the cruel reality</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Note: This essay assumes that the DoJ (Department of Justice) is nonexistent.
|
|
<P>
|
|
While I am a vocal Linux (and Unix) advocate and am deeply alarmed at
|
|
the thought of a Redmond controlled world, once in a while it helps to
|
|
sit down and examine reality.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Linux, at this point in its development, is still too much of a learning
|
|
curve for the majority of PC users. Most of the Linux users I know,
|
|
including myself, are software engineers, systems programmers, system
|
|
administrators, or some other variant of systems professional. All but
|
|
one use a commercial Unix variant at work. Some PC aficionados showed
|
|
genuine interest in my Linux box with its various GUIs during its
|
|
lifetime. The interest seemed to fade when they saw the command line
|
|
tricks still lurking under most of the more interesting things you can
|
|
do with Linux, even if these tricks are eventually launched from the
|
|
window manager. Until the time comes that Linux can be installed,
|
|
configured and maintained from a fright free interface, it will stay in
|
|
the realm of techies.
|
|
<P>
|
|
All is not hopeless though. Looking back 20 years to the beginning of
|
|
personal computing we see that the innovators and early adopters were
|
|
overwhelmingly techies and electronic hobbyists. We also see that
|
|
traditional IT types dismissed the early PC as inappropriate for
|
|
business use. Big Iron would rule the glass tower forever. PC advocates
|
|
retorted that they would eventually take over and the centralised
|
|
systems of MIS would be phased out as dinosaurs. Even respectable
|
|
periodicals like The Economist spouted drivel about PCs replacing
|
|
mainframes. The reality that has developed since the early 80's has been
|
|
neither a continuation of Big Iron nor a clean sweep by Wintel.
|
|
Centralised computing in the form of servers, including the new
|
|
generation of mainframe class systems, is doing just fine. Wintel PCs
|
|
have occupied most of the lower niches and are rising into new ones, but
|
|
will this rise continue until Wintel everywhere is a reality?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Most of the decision makers in IT right now are either managers who were
|
|
flexible enough to allow PCs into the systems framework back in the 80's
|
|
or they rose through the ranks during the last 15 years of PC centric
|
|
computing. Many of them honestly believe in Wintel's manifest destiny.
|
|
They have either known no other reality except Wintel dominance, or if
|
|
they have, it was one of IBM dominance. In either case the mind set is
|
|
very similar. Just like in the early 80's, a closed IS mind set seems
|
|
dead against branching from the safe and tried road and into new and
|
|
fresh territory. Fortunately, similar to what happened in the 80's, a
|
|
few courageous thinkers can see the widening cracks in the Windows.
|
|
<P>
|
|
To these "aware" techies the dream of an inexorable upward rise of the
|
|
Wintel PC into the world of workhorse systems is turning into a
|
|
nightmare. More people are starting to see this. The interest in Java,
|
|
the NC concept, managed PCs, Citrix ICA, all are early signs of a
|
|
growing dissatisfaction with the legacy of DOS. Windows boxes are
|
|
notoriously troublesome, but where are the alternatives? Linux is
|
|
showing itself to be promising, but it is _not_ yet ready to be adopted
|
|
by the herd. PC makers are aware of this and continue to bundle MS OSes,
|
|
you're better off with the devil you know.
|
|
<P>
|
|
The great hope of the Windows world is NT. With Windows98 showing itself
|
|
to be a yet another troublesome incarnation of DOS/Windows, NT is the
|
|
last refuge.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Strangely, instead of making NT the solid crash proof system people
|
|
crave, Redmond hacks and bloats up NT in hopes of getting it into higher
|
|
margin roles that are still too much for it to handle. Redmond pushes,
|
|
and reacts to criticism of its baby with patches, hacks and bloat.
|
|
Redmond keeps pushing, and NT continues to show itself as being unready
|
|
for the big leagues. Redmond say, "Wait! NT version 5.0 will have all
|
|
sorts of new features and capabilities that will make it perfect for
|
|
enterprise computing." More likely is NT 5.0, with it's 30+ million
|
|
lines of code, 24+ million of them new and untested, may just turn out
|
|
to be the most bug ridden bloated carcass of ugly hacks we've ever seen.
|
|
Redmond will once again have egg on its face, but this time will it be a
|
|
permanent stain?
|
|
<P>
|
|
If NT 5.0 turns out to be a huge disappointment, then the alternatives
|
|
will have to be ready to entice a growing pool of would-be defectors.
|
|
Linux will have to be more usable and manageable by the WinHerd. It will
|
|
have to be viable enough to convince OEMs that they can afford to break
|
|
their devil's bargains with Microsoft. If Redmond trips and once again
|
|
the lack of viable alternatives allows it to get on its feet and
|
|
continue building its empire, we have only ourselves to blame. We have
|
|
two years, can we do it?
|
|
<P>
|
|
Regards,<BR>
|
|
Mike
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--====================================================================-->
|
|
<IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/envelope.gif">
|
|
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:37:33 -0500<BR>
|
|
From: "Pronovici, Kenneth", <A HREF="mailto:Kenneth.Pronovici@mchugh.com">
|
|
Kenneth.Pronovici@mchugh.com</A> <BR>
|
|
Subject: <B>CHAOS</B>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Please pass on my congratulations on a wonderful
|
|
article to Alex - his CHAOS system apparently caused
|
|
my coworkers to think of me, and my WHOPPeRS (Wacky
|
|
Hastily Organized Parallel Processesing Research Scheme)
|
|
system, which looks a lot like CHAOS. Only difference
|
|
is that mine is sitting on my bedroom floor... ;-)
|
|
<P>
|
|
Ken Pronovici
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--================================================================-->
|
|
<center>Published in <i>Linux Gazette</i> Issue 31, August 1998</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_tips31.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 © 1998 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. </H5>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
</body> </html>
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|