"Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"

P.S. This the first time ever I have resorted to blinking text, which I usually despise. I understand some mailers don't allow you to turn off this obnoxious "multimedia" formatting. But if you can, please do so.

Answers to these questions should be sent directly to the e-mail address of the inquirer with or without a copy to gazette@ssc.com. Answers that are copied to LG will be printed in the next issue in the Tips column.

Before asking a question, please check the Linux Gazette FAQ to see if it has been answered there.

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 09:21:39 -0700
From: Linux Gazette <lg@ssc.com>
Subject: Filename extensions for web program listings

Hi, astute readers. Your Linux Gazette editor has a question for you. With this issue, I've started moving program listings that are included in articles into their own separate text files, to make it easier for those who want to run the programs.

My question is, which filename extensions are safe to use so that they'll show up properly as text files in the browsers? I'm wavering between using a language-specific extension (.c, .sh, .pl, .py, etc.) vs putting .txt at the end of all of them (or .sh.txt, etc.) What about listings that don't have an extension on the source file? They display as text on my browser, but do they display properly on yours?

Language-specific extensions would be the most ideal, because they offer the possibility of syntax highlighting if the browser supports it. (Does any browser support this?) However, I know I've tried to view files on other sites that I know perfectly well are text-readable, but the browser insists on downloading them rather than viewing them because it doesn't recognize the type. (Of course, that's better than the corollary, where it tries to view .tar.gz or .mp3 files as text.)

Of course, the ultimate answer is to fix your mailcap entry and MIME types, but that can be tedious. Also, the person viewing the site may not know how to set the MIME types properly.

So which is better: language-specific extensions, no extensions, or .txt?

Thu, 23 Sep 1999 14:56:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Angelo Costa <angico@yahoo.com>
Subject: 3-button mouse on X Window System

Can anybody help me with this simple (I guess) problem? My three-button mouse works very fine on the console, but it doesn't when I "startx". What's going on? How can I solve this problem and start using the middle mouse button under X? Any suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanx,
Angico.

Fri, 24 Sep 1999 17:50:53 -0500
From: Bret Charlton <bret@bluebonnet.net>
Subject: Monitor

I am new to Linux and I am having problems with my monitor. Do you know where I might be able to get some help?

[We'll need some more information. What exactly is the problem? What kind of monitor and video card do you have? -Ed.]

Sun, 26 Sep 1999 05:31:15 -0600 (MDT)
From: Dale M. Snider <dsnider@nmia.com>
Subject: Linux hangs when out of swap

When running memory intensive problems, such as animate from ImageMagic or General Mesh Viewer (GMV) out of Los Alamos Labs, and the swap space limit is reached, Linux hangs. Only option is to power off the computer. This is repeatable (sad to say it has been too often lately).

This does it on the RedHat 6.0 and 5.2 releases. Is there a way to force the application to abort and not the kernel when the swap limit is reached?

I am using the RedHat 6.0 on a PIII, 500 Mhz Intel computer Linux 2.2.5-15 (root@porky) (gcc egcs-2.91.66)

Memory:    Total      Used      Free    Shared   Buffers    Cached
Mem:      257876    254496      3380     21292    203096     23624
Swap:     136544         0    136544

Cheers
Dale

[Take a look at the ulimit command (built into bash and other shells). It tells the kernel not to let this process use more than X amount of resources. I use "ulimit -c 0" to prevent core files from being created. There are several options dealing with memory, although I haven't used them. The most promising looks like -v, which sets "the maximum amount of virtual memory available to the shell".

I have also had problems when the swap limit is reached, but not exactly like what you describe.. Unfortunately, Linux's otherwise excellent memory manager is not quite up to par in this situation. The kernel is supposed to start killing processes when a critical stage is reached to free up some memory; however, sometimes that doesn't happen properly.

I had a situation happen while I was out of town where apache and squid zombied for no apparent reason, and there were no error messages in the syslog. I restarted them (after clearing out the PID lock files so they would consent to restart) and they ran OK. Then I realized syslog wasn't running, which was the reason I had gotten no error messages for the past day. Then I noticed there were a whole lot of zombies, and when I tried to "kill -9" them, they remained. "Update" (the daemon that flushes files to disk) was also a zombie. Tried to run "shutdown", but it wouldn't do anything. Tried switching runlevels, still didn't help. Finally I realized init wasn't running! How do you shut down the system when you can't run "shutdown"? The old-fashioned way: close as many files as you can, run sync, press reset, and hope for the best. When it came up again, I had lots of fsck errors, two lost+found files (fortunately non-critical), and all the files I had created or modified over the past day were unchanged. Fortunately, the changes I had made to a text file two days before, which I had worked a whole day on, were still there. When I asked people what could have caused this, the consensus seemed to be the system had probably run out of memory. This is with kernel 2.2.10 on Debian. Fortunately, the problem has not repeated; and doubly fortunate, it didn't happen during the time I was away and had to log into the box remotely to check my e-mail; and triply fortunate, exim (in non-daemon mode) ran fine the whole time. -Ed.]

Sun, 26 Sep 1999 13:59:49 -0400
From: Dyslexic <dyslexic@mindspring.com>
Subject: agp support in linux

Does linux support the AGP port? I have linux setup on a AMD K6-2 450Mhz with 160Megs of ram 13 gig hd, HP CD-RW, zip drive, SB AWE64 on an EPOX MVP3G motherboard I am using a creative graphics balster banshee AGP card with 16megs of ram.

I have installed linux mandrake 6.0 (from the cd included with the Maximum linux magazine) during the installation the only error i encontered was that the bootloader wouldn't install.

right now I am booting with a floppydisk. When linux boots up the resolution is set at about 640 x 480 and is very difficult to work with is there anyway to increse the resalution? I have checked several FAQS and have found nothing helpful, I don't know anyone who uses linux so i'm pretty much flying blind here

Mon, 27 Sep 1999 11:11:20 +0100
From: Linda Fulstow <linda.fulstow@easynet.co.uk>
Subject: epsom 800 printer driver disk

Linda Fulstow SCOPE 01752 788099

We need to install above and need a driver installer disk, can you help. e:mail us or please call 01752 788099, we are desperate.

Mon, 27 Sep 1999 10:58:22 -0500
From: EuphoriaDJ <eddthompson@ssi.parlorcity.com>
Subject: iMac and Linux ethernet (& FreeBSD maybe)

I have all the wires hung, the hub powered and the computers on. I would like to share files between my iMac and Linux box and later on when I get it running my 68kFreeBSD Mac. Also I would Like to serve X windows to the Mac from Linux.

Any help would be excellent.
TTFN

An Elephant: A mouse built to government specifications
Never try to out-stubborn a cat
Natural laws have no pity

Tue, 28 Sep 1999 03:51:36 +0000
From: Ben <benvh@wish.net>
Subject: AT-command error message

Whenever I try to run "at" I get an error message, like so:

root@benzz:> at 10:15 command Only UTC Timezone is supported. Last token seen: command Garbled time

This is actual output. My system _is_ on UTC timezone, the at man-page didn't help a bit. Someone suggested that I should write a file:

echo command> file at 10:15 cat < file

but that wouldn't help, as "at" is still in there, and it's "at" making trouble. Does anybody know what I'm doing wrong? Or just another way to schedule tasks? I'm getting desperate now...

May the Source be with you.

Wed, 29 Sep 1999 22:24:29 -0700
From: Wayde C Gutman <wcgutman@mwpower.net>
Subject: LS120

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

I would like to know exactly what I need to input into the /etc/fstab concerning having OpenLinux 2.2 to see the LS120 drive. My system has the 1.44 floppy drive at fd0, hard drive at hda and hda1, and the cdrom at hdc. I tried the approach Caldera suggested for the owner of OpenLinux 1.3, it didn't work or I messed up, which is possible since I am still a greenhorn at this.

Fri, 1 Oct 1999 16:43:35 +0800
From: u <leeway@kali.com.cn>
Subject: program that play Video Compact Disk (VCD) and more

i have RH 5.1. Is there any program that play Video Compact Disk (VCD)? Last month I posted the same question from leeway@tonghua.com.cn. Unfortunately, the free eamail-box does not work now and i get no help. I apologize and thank anyone who replied.

Something very strange happens: My Win97 can't use CD-ROM after a week of installation but Linux has no problem. Now Win97 uses MS-DOS compatible mode to access hard disk and it's slow. Anybody has any idea on this?

i use mixviews of Debian to record a wave file input from a cassette player. I use 3k sample rate/16 bit and it plays fine. But the effect is terrible on recorder of Win97. When i change the sample rate to 8k, it's OK on both. Why? Is there any wave-to-mp3 util? mixer does not remember the setting so i have to adjust it each time. How to solve it?

PS: is there any icons for redhat and debian so I could use to launch Linux from Win97? i already made the shortcuts but can't find good icons and i'm not good artist. I will appreciate if you could email icons to me.

Sat, 02 Oct 1999 21:29:21 +0200
From: 2095910 <albert.prats@campus.uab.es>
Subject: Tryin' to install a Diamond SupraExpress 56i V PRO

I have a problem with my new modem. I tried to install it under Red-Hat 5.2 but it doesn't work. My modem is an internal Diamond Supra Express 56i V PRO and under W98 the default configuration is irq 12 an I/O port 0x3e8. Under W98 it works perfectly and i don't think this is a "winmodem"(isn't it?). Windows "says" that under DOS it must be configured with: COM 3, irq 4 and I/O port 0x3e8 (/dev/ttyS2 isn't it?)

I just want to know if this is a winModem or not and how can I install it.

Mon, 4 Oct 1999 18:08:56 -0400
From: The Wizard <wizard@openface.ca>
Subject: My Windows partition hasd full access for root only

I have 2 questions:

I have partitioned my HD in 4 partitions.

1. 1 - Win98 (Filesystem is FAT-Win95)
2. Linux Swap
3. Linux OS
4. Personal Data (Filesystem is FAT-Win95)

Questions 1.
Both the FAT-Win95 Filesystem Partitoins get mounted properly in Linux but the problem is that only root has read/write/execute permission. The other users only have read/execute permissions.How can I have it set up so that everyone had r/w/x permission to the mounted filesystems (and all the subdirectories within them)

Question 2.
If I access any file from the FAT-WIN95 filesystem and make a change to it within Linux, when I boot in windows, that file is marked as "read only". Any idea why this is happening and how I can stop this from happening?

Maybe the two are related. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Wed, 06 Oct 1999 01:22:19 -0700
From: Zac Howland <howla_j@cs.odu.edu>
Subject: Diamond HomeFree Phonline Home Networking

I recently bought a Daimond HomeFree Phoneline Networking kit. It works great in windows, but i use linux most of the time on my pc and was wondering if anyone knew how to set it up for a linux machine. My pc is the "Administrator" so I need it to work so others in my home network can still access the net while I am working in Linux.

Thanks

Wed, 06 Oct 1999 13:05:18 +0200
From: Sandra Uredat <a2844745@smail.Uni-Koeln.DE>
Subject: KDE slower than windoze?

Hi all,

I've just installed linux on my Acer Notebook 370 and I thought everthing works fine. But when I'm running KDE it takes e.g. about 5 minutes to open Netscape!!! Is anybody out there who knows what's wrong with my installation???

Thanx in advance
Sandra

Sat, 9 Oct 1999 04:31:52 +0900
From: Ganesan <cs7505@cs.inf.shizuoka.ac.jp>
Subject: CDROM MOUNT FAILURE DURING INSTALL

I am trying to install REDHAT LINUX 6.0 to my Note-PC. but I can't get it done.

I always get the message mount failure.

I searched FAQ,but all the question is about how to mount after installing.

I am getting this message after my PC search for the PCMCIA card. My PC managed to find my PCMCIA-SCSI Card(ADAPTEC 152X) but after that the message says "CDROM Mount Failure-Block device required"

Please tell me how to do it.

Thankyou.
Ganesan

Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:23:42 -0400
From: Brad Renner <banner99@iapdatacom.net>
Subject: LINUX for a 486

I read about LINUX in a recent issue of a computer magazine. I really don't use my PC for much of anything but work.(I use it to run a Roland PNC 1410 vinyl cutter) I am, to say the least, Curious about LINUX. I also have an old Toshiba satellite T1910CS. It's a 486 with 4 megs of RAM and I believe a 200 meg hard drive. A friend of mine was going to throw it away so I took it. I would love to experiment with LINUX if there is a version available that will run on it. Windows 95 just crawls on the thing, and I've recently been using DOSSHELL. The only thing I really will be using it for is keeping track of customers, printing invoices, and E-Mailing my wife.

Thanks
Brad Renner

[I have a Toshiba Satellite 486-75, 16MB RAM, 500MB HD, and it has been running Linux for four years.

I would not recommend trying to install Linux on a 4MB machine if you're not familiar with Linux. It would have to be done the "old-fashioned way", without the automatic installation utilities the current distributions have. You would have to use an old kernel (perhaps from the 1.x series). For your efforts you would get a server that could perhaps be used as a one-purpose dedicated server or as a dialout terminal, but that's it.

I used to work for an ISP where we used 386s (8MB RAM) and then 486s (16MB RAM) as routers. The 386s worked fine with the then-current version of Slackware (this was 1996), although we upgraded the memory to 16MB on the higher-traffic ones. The worst problem was never knowing when the ancient hard drives would fail. The 486s (1998) were much more reliable.

Linux is very scalable and can be used on a wide variety of machines, but of course some of its features aren't usable on lower-end machines. You didn't say what capacity your desktop PC has. I would consider 16MB a minimum amount of memory for a general-purpose machine that is not running X-windows, and 32 (or more) if you want to run Netscape or an office suite. -Ed.]

Mon, 11 Oct 1999 13:26:21 +0200
From: Mr. Tibor Berkes <berkes_t@netlock.net>
Subject: TAAKACS+ and RADIUS

I would like to know whether the TAKACS+ and RADIUS authentication servers for Internet Service Providers can authenticate by x509 certificate which can be found at the customer, so at the Dial-Up Networking there isn't Log-in and Username.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Tue, 12 Oct 1999 00:31:10 +0200
From: Th. Fischer <frosch@cs.tu-berlin.de>
Subject: Compiling everything myself

Greetings, ladies and gentleusers.

I would like to compile my own Linux system. Not just the kernel. Everything. I've got enough room and partitions on my disk(s) to do it. Do not tell me do buy a distribution. Until now, I've tried a lot of them - I count eleven on my shelf - I do not like one of them the way I would like a self-created one.

I just need a place to start. All of the distributions must have started at some point or another - how did they do it? Please point to a location where info may be obtained. The LDP seem to provide _nothing_ concerned to this task.

Every hint will be highly appreciated. I would also love to contribute documentation of the process to the Free Software community.

Every reader is invited to answer via email.

Thorsten Fischer

Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:50:02 -0600
From: Tom Miller <tjmiller@DATC.TEC.UT.US>
Subject: Looking for suggestions and ideas for a Linux-based class

By way of introduction, I am a computer and networking instructor at Davis Applied Technology Center (- the ATC's are Utah's equivalent of VoTech schools.) My original industry background is in *ix-networked mainframes, LAN/WAN architecture, and in mixed-environment networks ( mixed, as in putting *ix and MS in the same coherent network- I even went and got an MCSE to certify in the MS half of it)

Digression aside, this is my predicament:

Having recently come on board as a instructor here at DATC, I had noticed that the UNIX curriculum was way out of date, and had but a single small class (they were still teaching an older version of SCO-Unix as the core OS.) I proposed to update it, and a deadline of January 2000 was set for the basic course, March 2000 for the advanced/sysadmin level course (though it should be done at about the same time as the basic course.)

Currently, I have a basic course outlines (using Linux as the core OS), and have found the textbooks for the courses (which I have split up into basic *ix and advanced sysadmin-level *ix)

My question to all of you in the industry is this: What parts of Linux, and the networking of same, are most important to you? Should there be more concentration in TCP/IP fundamentals (which I have included), specific Linux/*ix-based programs ( KDE, Gnome, Apache), or which? What is it that you most desire in an entry-level (or not-so-entry-level) employee candidate?

I do have a structure based on my own opinions, yes, but since our mandate at DATC is to match industry needs, I wanted to get the widest base of opinions possible.

(An aside - I know that Red Hat is working to get a cert program together, but until it gets in place fully (and until all the testing centers carry it), I've got a curriculum to build.)

Please feel free to send all of your ideas, suggestions, and a brief description of why they should be implemented to me, here at tjmiller@datc.tec.ut.us . Especially encouraged are those in the industry who hire entry-level IT professionals. I would also appreciate a brief description of what your company does in the industry, if you would be so kind.

My gratitude in advance,
TJ Miller jr

Tue, 12 Oct 1999 15:21:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Roberto Novoa Quiñones <rnovoa@ucfinfo.ucf.edu.cu>
Subject: Desde Cuba

Un saludo ante todo. Tuve la oportunidad de leer en Internet un artéculo de esta revista y por eso quiero mantener correspondencia con ustedes y si les es posible enviarme a esta dirección información sobre el efecto 2000 y las consecuencias que esto traerá para la economéa o para cualquier rama, no especéficamente de la economéa.

Soy estudiante de la Facultad de Ingenieréa Mecánica de la Universidad de Cienfuegos y actualmente estoy cursando el tercer año de la carrera. Su ayuda me será de gran satisfacción ya que por otros medios no puedo obtener esta información. Gracias.

Fraternalmente,

Marco Novoa Quiñones.

Tue, 12 Oct 1999 23:50:19 -0700
From: Ken Deboy <glockr@alternavision.com>
Subject: Source for ls command?

Hi, I'm looking for source code for the ls command on my Redhat (4.2) CDROM under the SRPMS directory, but I can't find it anywhere. I also did a 'find / -name ls* -print' of my system, and it found the binary but not the source file. Can you please tell me where it is? Thanks:)

[It's part of a larger package. I use Debian, so I would type:

	dpkg -S ls | grep bin/ls
	

(The grep is there because of the large numbers of hits on the bare substring "ls".) This shows which package contains the file. fileutils: /bin/ls See the rpm manpage; there should be an option that does a similar thing. In any case, the package is probably called "fileutils" on RedHat too, since both distros got it from the same source. -Ed.]

Thu, 14 Oct 1999 20:18:03 +1000
From: Hakon Andersson <hakon@netspace.net.au>
Subject: i740 AGP

I wish to run my i740 AGP under Linux. I am a Linux newbie though. I was wondering if you could tell me, or direct me onto some resources on how to setup my i740, or which server to install during installation. I am installing Redhat5

Thu, 14 Oct 1999 17:13:34 +0530
From: uday rajput <udayrajput@hotmail.com>
Subject: final year engg project on VPN

sir, I am A final Year student in India toiling with the Idea of a VPN as A final year project. Virtual Private Network is A Virtual concept for me till now desperate need for help as time is running out .

resources at hand:

• Red HAt Linux 6
• a star board lan network
• a shell internet account at work place.

14 Oct 99 18:33:36 MDT
From: Wasim Ahmed <gracewasim@usa.net>
Subject: Creative 3D Exxtreme Driver Needed for Linux

I'm a Newbie in Linux, but i have a Great Background on Computer Field Right now I'm using Win 98, NT. I have used Linux before. Right now, I have 233MMX, 40MB Ram, CD-ROM, 5.1GB HDD, 100 ZIP Drive, Creative AWE64 Sound Card & Creative 3D Exxtreme Graphics Blaster.

Now I have installed Red Hat Linux 5.2. Installation was succesful. But my X Window is not running, cause i don't have driver for 3D Exxtreme.

Can u pleasee help me by providing the Driver or can u tell me where I can find it?

Please, that will be Great Help to me..

Fri, 15 Oct 1999 10:51:15 +0200
From: Stephan Schulz <sschulz@cvbg.stl.sn.schule.de>
Subject: Need some Help installing Vodoo3000 AGP on Linux X

Is there a free X-Server for Vodoo3000 AGP cards? If yes plaese tell me where and how to use it!

Fri, 15 Oct 1999 08:31:55 -0700
From: Linux Gazette <lg@ssc.com>
Subject: Re: sample

On Fri, Oct 08, 1999 at 02:15:08PM +0800, ÕÅÆæ wrote:

Suppling some 8-10 sample installation plans will be of great help to the beginners of my type.

Hi. What do you mean by sample installation plans? Do you mean a list of packages to install? Step-by-step installation instructions? Or something else?

Fri, 15 Oct 1999 08:50:15 -0700
From: James M. Haviland, RN <jhavilan@oz.net>
Subject: Re: Linux Gazette #46 (October 1999) is available

If I download the "tar" file [of the Linux Gazette], but how do I read it? I've have OpenLinux 2.3 installed at the moment. I do have 2.3, but do seem to be able to install it. Doesn't like my CD player(?).

TIA

Oh, yes this Eudora Lite. I like it better than the reader that comes with 2.3. I didn't find Pine in the install. Yes, I can download the tar file, but how to install it is another question.

[Download lg-base.tar.gz and the lg-issue##.tar.gz files of your choice. Run tar xzvf lg-FILENAME.tar.gz for each file. They will all expand into a subdirectory "lg". (Run man tar for an explanation why.) Then in your favorite web browser go to the URL file:/FULL-PATH-TO/lg/index.html (using the real full path, of course). index.html is a symbolic link to lg_frontpage.html. -Ed.]

Wed, 23 Oct 1996 11:24:47 -0400
From: Thomas Russo <webmaster@baybiz.net>
Subject: su not working

Hello. I am writing because as of 2 weeks ago I have lost the ability to su to root. I can still log in as root. I can also su from root to normal users. I am running Red Hat 6.0 with the kernel 2.2.5-15 on i686. I am currenly running a live Apache web server version 1.3.6. I have been told that the loss of the ability to su to root could be a sign of an intruder. I am hoping this is not true. I am further hoping that this is just some setting that can adjusted to remedy this. I am at a complete loss as what to do I am hoping that you can help me with this. If there is anyother information that I have left off I apologize. Thank you in advance

The Editor wrote:

I don't have answers, but some possible strategies:

1) Check /etc/passwd (and /etc/shadow if it exists) for any users besides root with UID 0. These should probably be removed, or at least put an 'x' or '*' or something at the beginning of the password so they can't log in.

2) Change your root password (and other passwords).

3) Check for all programs called "su" on the system. Only one should exist, /bin/su. The others could be trojan horses. Do you get the same behavior if you type "/bin/su" to run it rather than just "su"?

4) Reinstall the package containing /bin/su. (shellutils?)

5) Read the man and/or info pages for su carefully: there may be a configuration file somewhere that determines who can su.

6) What error message did you get? Login incorrect? Permission denied? Forbidden to su root as this user or on this terminal?

7) Are you using shadow passwords? There could be an inconsistency in the password configuration: are all the passwords in /etc/passwd *'d out? Or is there a password in /etc/passwd that is different than /etc/shadow? Shadow passwords are supposed to be an all-or-nothing approach, but sometimes one gets inconsistencies in that some programs (login, passwd, su, getty, adduser) use/modify the shadow file and others don't. I would not expect this on a modern Red Hat installation, though. If you do notice a discrepency, all login/authentication packages should be replaced, and have a boot floppy handy in case you lock yourself out of your system.

8) Are you using NIS? This would add another layer of complexity which I'm not qualified to comment on.

Thomas wrote back:

[parts of e-mail deleted]

I can't find anything [in the su man page] except a mention of the wheel group

I get incorrect password...when it is the correct password I have now determined that any su involving a password fails for the same reason...incorrect password

I am using shadow passwords.. I have found an inconsistency. In passwd there is one user named ken (as it should be) however in shadow there is a ken and a Ken(should not be a Ken). So according to you I should replace all the packages for login, which I have not done yet, nor am a sure how to do. Are they RPM's ( I hope)?

No on the NIS

The Editor responded:

If your system uses a wheel group, only people in the wheel group are allowed to su root. Add your username to the wheel group in /etc/groups. You'll then need to log out and back in again. Run the command "groups" to see which groups you're in.

/etc/passwd and /etc/shadow should not have any lines that aren't either genuine users or the pseudo-users that came with the OS (audio, floppy, dip, nogroup, users, etc) or installed by packages (majordom, news, irc, etc). The pseudo-users normally have a password "*" to prevent anybody from logging in as them (except "news" perhaps if you have a news administrator that needs to be user "news" to do administrative work).

There should be RPMs for all the login-related programs. Look through the descriptions of packages on your CD and you should find them. The shadow utilities will be in a separate package.

I would fix any inconsistencies or unauthorized users in the passwd and shadow files first, and then reinstall the packages if things still aren't working right.

Thomas wrote again:

I really appreciate all your advice. I have found the problem. Apparently the rights to /bin/su were set to rwxr-xr-x instead of rsxr-xr-x. I feel really stupid for overlooking such a thing. I still don't know how it got changed. I am guessing that it was not an intruder, I cannot see a motive to do such a thing...but who knows. I still have that strange user that did not belong. I just edited him out of shadow. Once again thanks.

The Editor lamented:

Ach, I didn't even think about that.

Thomas added:

Probably not worth printing anymore huh. Once again thanks. If you ever have any thoughts on how that extra user got into shadow feel free to let me know.
Thomas

The Editor concluded:

Regarding the unknown user: considering it's your own name, it may be that you typed it that way at some prompt during the initial installation.

Regarding the e-mails: they're still worth printing because they may help somebody else.

Sun, 17 Oct 1999 14:25:10 -0400
From: CYBERSTORM <cyberstorm@prodigy.net>
Subject: LINUX!!!!!!!!!!

I can't figure for the life of me.........why is it so hard to get a modem recommendation for LINUX??? This is all I'm asking for! I've seen the text on what not to use, but no information on what to use. hmmmm.....

1. A modem for Linux on an IBM aptiva.... once more, any recommendations???

Anybody!!

The Editor wrote:

I don't know the IBM aptiva, but assuming it's an ordinary PC...

Any modem that's not a Winmodem is fine. If it says on the box that it works with DOS and/or Macintosh as well as Windows, it should work. I use the US Robotics Sportster, but modems have standardized enough now that they should be pretty interchangeable. External modems are easier to configure than internal ones, because you have the status lights to tell you what the modem is doing, and you don't have to muck about with Plug-n-Delay or whether another device (a serial port?) is using the IRQ. Some people also suggest external modems are better because the heat they generate belongs outside the computer case.

If you intend to use a 56K modem, verify with your ISP which modems are compatible with their equipment at 56K. -Ed.]

Cyberstorm responded:

Thanks for the extended information....it was all I wanted. Accept my apologies for the message sent earlier.... it's a bit frustrating when your on a schedule. You've been very helpful to me.

Mon, 18 Oct 1999 10:07:16 -0200
From: Erik Fleischer <ferik@iname.com>
Subject: Installing Red Hat 6.1

Hello, there.

I have successfully downloaded Red Hat 6.1 and burned a CD, but when I try to install it -- either using AUTOBOOT from DOS or the boot disk produced with RAWRITE and BOOT.IMG -- I always get the same error message:

running install...
running /sbin/loader
exec: No such file or directory
install exited abnormally
sending kill signals 
etc.

I have checked that there are no missing files in the stuff I downloaded, but I cannot find /sbin/loader, which is obviously a problem.

Any suggestions?
Erik

Mon, 18 Oct 1999 19:27:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: john saulen <johnsav@yahoo.com>
Subject: install modem and printer

I've recently installed Linux 6.1.I am having a problem installing my Zoom 56k modem as well as my Lexmark 3200 color inkjet printer.I have been to the Lexmark site and there are no drivers for Linux.Any help in this matter would be appreciated.

Tue, 19 Oct 1999 10:49:41 -0700
From: Dr. Nicholas Graham <ngraham@ucsd.edu>
Subject: Dual PIII Xeon performance

I do some intensive (multi-week runs) ocean modeling on my Dell 610 w/ a PIII 500 Mhz Xeon. I am having a hard time finding out whether a second PIII will improve the speed of a single process, or only for multi-processes. Either way would help, but it would be nice to know before laying out the $.

Thanks - Nick Graham

Tue, 19 Oct 1999 16:45:40 -0500
From: Danny R. <danny@josifa.com>
Subject: How can 3 stand-alone PCs be hooked up with ADSL?

I am considering to subscribing (SWBell) ADSL from South Western Bell (without subscribing their Internet Service). My current ISP and Web Hosting service provider is UNICOMP. I have 3 emails and 3 stand alone PCs (no LAN connection). Each PCs need to access to the internet daily.

• How can those 3 stand alone PCs be hooked up with ADSL (from SWBell) without LAN connection ?
• What hardware/software are needed to do so?

Thank you for your attention and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Wed, 20 Oct 1999 12:27:45 +0200
From: Giovanni Rizzardi <Rizzardi.Etnoteam@italtel.net>
Subject: Modem performance ...

I am not a new comer because it is four years that I am happily using Linux.

Two months ago I bought a modem and I did not have any problem putting it at work but for a strange difference in the performance when I connect using Linux or Win95 (both on the same PC but in different partitions): the connection speed using Linux is around 30,000 while using Win95 is aroud 50,000.

Till now I have not understood why, is there anyone that can explain me where is the bug ?

My modem is a 3Com Sportser Flash V90 and Linux is RedHat 6.0

Many thanks,
Giovanni.

Thu, 21 Oct 1999 02:15:30 +0200
From: Altair <aitor.sm@teleline.es>
Subject: Free-Mathematica??

Sorry, I don't know if I'm sending this email to the adequate address. Sorry 2: for mistakes with my English.

Question:

Mathematica is becoming one of the more popular programs to deal with symbolic mathematics.

Is anybody in this world trying to create a Free-Mathematica for Linux?

If the answer is yes, I wouldn't mind to help if possible, I'm a Mathematician.

21 Oct 1999 08:20:03 -0700
From: <akudesia@123india.com>
Subject: Compaq Proliant Fast wide SCSI-2

Hi there

Trying to install RedHat Linux 6.0 on Compaq Proliant 2000 and Installer program can not detect on board SCSI controller (Fast Wide SCSI-2). I tried all listed but none of them works.

Where to find?

Thu, 21 Oct 1999 20:46:51 +0100
From: oliver cameron <oliver@hii.co.uk>
Subject: Small Business Server

Can anyone direct me to an article on setting up a linux server for windows/NT clients similar in functionality to Microsofts expensive and unreliable "Small Business Server"? I need a linux box with a proxy server (Squid), Sendmail , an ISDN connection with automatic dialling configured, a fax server, a file server with samba, automated back-ups and printer support. Has anyone produced a readable article on the subject as I have found the various HOWTO's depressingly complicated. Maybe I have missed something obvious but I have not seen any articles devoted to setting up a simple LAN server under Linux. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oliver (oliver@hii.co.uk)

Thu, 21 Oct 1999 15:56:49 -0400
From: Anthony Mancuso <am5008@cnsvax.albany.edu>
Subject: 810 chipset

I was looking through the questions and responses in the gazette here, and I came across a question about the onboard video card, Intels 810 chipset. I am also having problems with it. However, you didnt write a response to the person. I was wondering if you had any solutions to this problem, or any ideas. If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

Tony
am5008@cnsvax.albany.edu

[I stay away from answering video card questions because I don't know much about the different cards. I am very cautious with hardware, and buy only models that I have heard other Linux users say good things about during the previous year. Thus, I have a Diamond Stealth which has worked wonderfully for years and a Matrox Millenium II which has more video memory but apparently a bad RAMDAC (the picture blanks out for a second at random moments). It was warranted for a year, but of course the model got retired before that, so I never did bother sending it back to the company; I just moved it into a server where it could run in text mode. -Ed.]

Thu, 21 Oct 1999 17:12:00 -0400
From: Max-zen <onqams@muss.cis.mcmaster.ca>
Subject: comparision

Why would I want to use Linux as opposed to Windows??? Could you give me a comparision or give me some sites to look at??

Sat, 23 Oct 1999 12:42:40 +0800
From: Zon Hisham <zon@mad.scientist.com>
Subject: Norton Kill my LILO

My wife ran Norton antivirus and detected that the MBR was changed. She checked the 'Repair' box.

Now my LILO is gone. How do I install it back into the MBR?

Currently using RedHat 6.0.

rgds.

Sat, 23 Oct 1999 11:29:34 +0530
From: R . A. PATANKAR <srp@pn3.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: sis 6215c driver needed

i have a sis 6215c graphics card. where can i download a linux driver for the card.

Sat, 23 Oct 1999 12:26:03 +0100
From: CMFD <rena1@jet.es>
Subject: Diamond SpeedStar A50

Hello, I would like to know if Diamond SpeedStar A50 graphic card is used and supported to install XWindows in Red Hat Linux, because it has given many problems.Or if there are some drivers to upgrade this card. Thank you for your attention.

Sun, 24 Oct 1999 19:26:48 -0400
From: E-man <falcon65@mindspring.com>
Subject: fsck

I was running RHL6.0 w/o a UPS, when all of the sudden the power went out. The system rebooted and started to to a forcecheck scan, this is not the first time this happened. There were problems and I was told to run fsck from a boot disk.

LONG STORY SHOT: there are problems with it not seeing files, or someting like that, and now I don't have X, its gone and PROC wont load.

Any clues as to what could have happened?

I'm a newbie, about 2 months old. I already miss my Linux!!!!

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 11:57:40 +0200
From: Juan Pazos <jpazos@teleline.es>
Subject: Connecting Linux to NT

I want to connect from my Linux home box (over a analogic line and using PPP) to my office Windows NT Server; I try to find some HOWTO about it but I can not get it. Do you know where I can get it?

25 Oct 99 08:36:39 MDT
From: Syed Adnan <kundalani@usa.net>
Subject: RIVA tnt 2

I own a Riva TNT 2 Value Graphics card. I'm having a serious problem with installing Linux 6. I've never used Linux before and have treid installing Linux several times using differnt servers(I dont even know what those are). I guess my normal shell screen is working properly but the Linux GUI is not loading... do i need a specific driver for Riva tnt and if so then how do I install it through the shell.

Regards
Adnan

P.S Where exactly are the answers to thees question published? The Editor wrote:

The question will be published in the Mailbag section of the November issue, to be published this Friday. People will send responses to you directly with a cc: gazette@ssc.com. Responses will be published in the 2-Cent Tips section of the next issue.

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 19:02:08 +0200
From: Fred Van der Linden <els11867@skynet.be>
Subject: HP890C

Can anyone send me a driver for HP890c printer.

Many thanks for answering,
Fred Van der Linden

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 20:02:06 +0100
From: Tom Kidd <chewbaca@tomsdig.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Dialing Up my ISP

I was wandering if it is at all possible to use my current ISP account (with Freeserve) through REDHAT Linux. If So why does it always Crash, If not, Wat kind of Account(what ISP) do you Recomend? Sincerly Tom

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 19:38:13 +0000
From: roselin leong <zczcr14@ucl.ac.uk>
Subject: Research

I am a university student at the University College London. I was wondering if I could get some help here. I am currently working on a dissertation on open source, incorporating case studies on Linux, Netscape and so on. I will also be looking at the changes open source have affected closed source softwares.

One part of my research is where I am analysing the business model of Linux (from Redhat) . However I fear by going to Redhat's website the information about it's product may be biased and I may not be able to get an all rounded opinion. Hence is there any links (apart from the technical ones) that you could recommend?

Thank You.

Wed, 27 Oct 1999 00:54:44 -0500 (CDT)
From: Eric Agnew <agnew@spfc.org>
Subject: mail bag q: 1-way cable modem woes

6 days of scouring the mini-HOWTO, the web, deja, the linux-net archives, and trying every imaginable route(8) configuration have left me nothing short of frustrated...

I just got a new com21 from Prime Cable in Chicago, which, of course, "doesn't fully support" anything but win95/98/nt (which, of course, it works fine under). Of course, I'd much prefer to have it up on the linux box, so all the machines can use it (currently 3-5 machiens share a 28.8 connection- ugh!).

They give you a username/pw, a number to dial into w/ a regular modem, and have you set up the ethernet as 10.0.0.1/255.255.255.240.

I can dial in ok, ping other machines on the same subnet (which come back over ppp0), etc. Problem is, the only thing I get on eth1 are arp who-has packets and pings from 10.0.0.14 (which I'm guessing is their router) to other hosts on the subnet.

I'm running debian potato w/ a fresh 2.2.13 kernel & just about every networking option compiled in. I've disabled ipchains & eth0 (internal lan) until I can get this thing working. I've tried every set of ifconfig & route commands I could think of, & still nothing.

If anyone out there has a similar cable/ppp setup, the outputs of 'ifconfig' and 'route -n' would be of immense help (all I've been able to find are RH sysconfig examples), as well as anything unusual (special ppp hacks, kernel modules, etc.) that was necessary to get it to work.

Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Wed, 27 Oct 1999 10:19:20 -0700
From: Irfan Majeed <irfan@indiagate.com>
Subject: Re: Please Help We are using POP3 on linux. Can a particular user will bw restricted to send outgoing mail ? For an internal mail auto respondent mail is possible ?

What is it exactly you want to know?

• Whether a certain user can only send mail but can't receive it?
• Whether the user can be forbidden from sending mail, but can still receive it?
• Is it possible to set up an automatic response message that will go out if the user receives any mail?

Which mail transport program are you using? (Sendmail, exim, smail, qmail, postfix, etc)

People normally use pop to receive mail, but they send mail directly to the mail transport program. So it should be possible to restrict one without the other. I don't know how you would configure the restriction, though. Mail transport programs have a configuration option to prohibit relaying from certain domains, but I don't know if that can be used to reject mail from certain local users.

Autoresponders usually work via the "vacation" feature in mail transport programs, normally using a .vacation file in the user's home directory with the body of the message.

Pop usually works on top of the normal mail-reading mechanism. That is, the mail transport program delivers received mail to the user's spool file, and then the pop program acts like a normal mail reader and picks it up from there.

Wed, 27 Oct 1999 23:47:40 -0500
From: Smita Narla <snarla@cse.unl.edu>
Subject: Re: thank you and please send me more.

I'm doing a general research on survey of testing techniques used in open source.For that thing i need a questionnaire.i need to send these questionnaire to 200 developers and from their feedback i 've to analyse.For example one question might be "When do you consider testing to be complete?".My advisor told me that developers will feel comfirtable if they are to answer multiple choice questions so now hope i made my need clear. can you please help me now. i'll be glad if u could send me some questions and some mail addresses of developers who r using linux to develop their applications.. ineed some 15 of them.

awaiting ur response, smita.

The Editor wrote:

1) Is open source a permanent change in the software industry, or just a passing fad?

2) What do the controversies regarding the differences between the open source licenses (GPL, BSD, Artistic, Mozilla, etc) imply for the future of open source? Are they hampering the movement?

3) Some people say that the proliferation of software patents is going to destroy the open source movement. Is this true?

4) Is it possible to earn a living by writing open source software?

Go to www.opensource.org, www.cosource.com and www.sourcexchange.com and look through their web sites. That may give you some ideas.

Smita responded:

thanks alot for the help. i t gave me some ideas of where to search for my kind of thing. but i need some information about the TESTING METHODOLIGIES ------like how people test opensource ----what kind of testing techniques they use---------.

i'll really very glad if you can send me some more questions like this. smita

The Editor asked:

To suggest techniques, we'd need to know what the goal is. Why would people be testing open-source software? What would they be looking for? Bugs? How well the program functions compared to a similar closed- source program?

Open-source programs are usually tested by their developers and some of their users --- in other words, by the people who need the programs to function correctly. There is frequently some kind of informal organization of volunteers which accepts bug reports and ensures they are followed up on.

Organizations such as Linux distributions that don't write a lot of software themselves but instead repackage other people's software, will also do their own testing, to ensure the program conforms to the standard the distribution has set for all their packages. For instance, the Debian distribution follows the Linux Filesystem Standard, which specifies that configuration and data files and belong in certain directories. The distribution maintainers may modify the program slightly to make it confirm to this rule, then test it to ensure it does. The distribution receives bug reports both about its own errors (which it fixes itself) and errors regarding the program's internals (which it forwards to the program's own development team).

Is this the kind of testing you're talking about? If so, your best bet would be to talk with developers of open-source programs. They can tell you how their particular programs are tested, which should give you an idea how open-source programs in general are tested.

Smita responded:

I'm doing a general research on survey of testing techniques used in open source.For that thing i need a questionnaire.i need to send these questionnaire to 200 developers and then analyze their their feedback.For example one question might be "When do you consider testing to be complete?".My advisor told me that developers will feel comfirtable if they are to answer multiple choice questions so now hope i made my need clear. can you please help me now.

i'll be glad if u could send me some questions and some mail addresses of developers who are using linux to develop their applications. I need some 15 of them.

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 16:00:33 +0530
From: Neelu Gora <ng@aitpl.stpn.soft.net>
Subject: LINUX-Display Driver help

Hello,

I have Linux 5 (SUSE) installed on my PC at home. When I try to start xwindows , it gives error message for the missing XFree86 display driver. I have been trying to find the suitable display driver on the net, but could not find it.

Display chip type is SIS 6215crev21. Could you please tell me from where can I get it ?

Thanks, Neelu.

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 14:54:48 +0100
From: Network Desktop User <G.F.Wood@shu.ac.uk>
Subject: Linneighbourhood

Hi, sorry to bother you with inconsequential mail but I think you of all people should know this !! I'm looking for some software called Linneighbourhood. It's a network neighbourhood browser for Linux. I have scoured the net for it but to no avail !! Can you help??

Thanks

G Wood - UK

[I haven't heard of it. UNIX traditionally has not had "Network Neighborhood" type of software. The user is expected to know by other means (e.g. a list) which servers are available and what their domain names are. There may be third-party products which do this, but I'm not familiar with them. -Ed.]

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:15:32 +0200 (CEST)
From: =?iso-8859-1?q?jonathan=20sainthuile?= <sainthuile@yahoo.fr>
Subject: informaton linux

bonjour,

Je me presente, Mon nom est Jonathan je suis lyceen(17 ans)et je suis fou de l'informatique.

D'apres une information sur internet j'ai cru comprendre que votre site ("linuxgazette") offrait la possibilite, de recevoir par E-mail les nouveautees du systeme d'exploitation LINUX.

Je suis moi-même futur "linuxien" et je suis avourais-je encore neophite en ce concerne Linux. J'aurai aime, si cela vous est possible, recevoir des information au sujet du language, de la difference avec Windows, des probleme a eviter...

Je vous remercie d'avance pour votre reponse et vous souhaite une bonne continuation

Sainthuile Jonathan

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:15:32 +0200 (CEST)
From: thandor <thandor@cin.net>
Subject: Terminal Emulators

I have a linux shell from my Win98 machine via a terminal login. I am presently using telnet to do this, however this causes profound graphical errors, no color, and other problems. I am looking for a better terminal. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Thandor

Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:15:32 +0200 (CEST)
From: <Vikrantj@niit.com>
Subject: linux clickability in windows NT Domain

I have a linux red hat 5.2 running machine an windows NT 4 domain. Now the machine is completely on the network and it is visible in the network neighbourhood of other window 95, NT computers but when I click on the linux machine it says "network path not found". Now if I search for the machine by using its IP address then it click on the searched IP address the machine icon opens up allowing me to browse the shares. Actually after making the necessary changes to the smb.conf file when I gave the

 smbpasswd -j DOM -r DOMPDC
 

What could be the reason, if anyone can help?

Fri, 24 Sep 1999 22:38:11 -0600 (MDT)
From: Phil Hughes <phil@ssc.com>
Subject: Microsoft demonstrates Caldera (humorous)

I talked to Jay Green at the Seattle Times about the Microsoft Linux web page. He felt, as I did, that Microsoft just doesn't know how to "control" Linux because they can't just buy it.

He pointed me to a web page on the Microsoft trial. He was at the particular event I am including below. He said it was the best commercial he had heard for Linux in general and specifically Caldera Linux. The guy presenting works for Microsoft.

(From microsoft.com/presspass/trial/transcripts/jan99/01-25-pm.htm)

"HELLO. MY NAME IS VINOD VALLOPPIL, AND I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE PERSONA AND BUSINESS SYSTEMS GROUP AT MICROSOFT. THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE CALDERA OPENLINUX OPERATING SYSTEM, A NON-MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEM FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS. THE DEMONSTRATION WILL SHOW THAT CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM PROVIDES EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONALITY FOR TYPICAL END USERS.

I HAVE INSTALLED A COPY OF CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM ON THIS STANDARD PERSONAL COMPUTER AND ACCEPTED ALL DEFAULT SETTINGS A WELL AS INSTALLED A SET OF END-USER APPLICATIONS BUNDLED WITH CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM.

I'M CURRENTLY DEMONSTRATING CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEMS' GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE. THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE, OR GUI FOR SHORT, AS PROVIDED BY CALDERA TO INSURE THAT THE OPERATING SYSTEM IS EASY TO USE AND IS COMPETITIVE WITH MICROSOFT'S WINDOWS OFFERING.

A QUICK TOUR OF THE SCREEN DEMONSTRATES THAT IN MANY RESPECTS, CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM LOOKS JUST LIKE MICROSOFT WINDOWS. CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM HAD A START MENU AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN LISTING INSTALLED PROGRAMS AND MAKING IT VERY EASY TO SELECT AND RUN THESE PROGRAMS; A TASK BAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN LISTING PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ON THE COMPUTER; AND FINALLY, AN ARRAY OF ICONS ON THE UPPER LEFT PORTION OF THE SCREEN PROVIDING USERS A QUICK WAY TO RUN PROGRAMS OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON THEIR HARD DISK.

LIKE MICROSOFT WINDOWS, CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM PROVIDES A SERIES OF ACCESSORY APPLICATIONS FOR CONSUMERS' DAILY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS EDITING DOCUMENTS AND WRITING E-MAIL. FOR EXAMPLE, I WILL EDIT A QUICK DOCUMENT, TYPIN `THIS IS A TEST.'

I WILL ALSO CREATE A QUICK SAMPLE E-MAIL MESSAGE.

CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM HAS A GROWING LIST OF THIRD-PARTY APPLICATION SUPPORT AND CORPORATE BACKING, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, COMPANIES SUCH AS NETSCAPE, INTEL, ORACLE, SUN, AND IBM.

IN ORDER TO CREATE A MORE COMPETITIVE OFFERING TO WINDOWS, CALDERA'S OPENLINUX OPERATING SYSTEM, IN PARTICULAR, BUNDLES A NUMBER OF THESE THIRD-PARTY PROGRAMS.

A CRITICAL CLASS OF APPLICATIONS WHICH ARE VERY POPULAR WITH CUSTOMERS IS THE OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY SUITE. MICROSOFT'S OFFERING IN THIS CATEGORY IS MICROSOFT OFFICE. OTHER COMPETITORS TO MICROSOFT OFFICE WHO BUILD ON THE WINDOWS PLATFORM INCLUDE COREL, IBM, AND STAR DIVISION OF GERMANY.

CALDERA'S BUNDLES STAR DIVISION'S PRODUCTIVITY SUITE WITH THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM. IN THIS CASE, I HAVE STAR OFFICE FOR CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM ON SCREEN. LIKE MICROSOFT'S POPULAR OFFICE SUITE, STAR OFFICE PROVIDES AN INTEGRATED SUITE OF APPLICATIONS INCLUDING WOR PROCESSING LIKE MICROSOFT WORD, A SPREADSHEET PROGRAM LIKE MICROSOFT EXCEL, AND A PRESENTATION GRAPHICS PROGRAM LIKE MICROSOFT'S POWERPOINT.

STAR OFFICES'S APPLICATIONS IN THIS CATEGORY NOT ONLY PROVIDE FULL-FEATURED PRODUCTS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO INTEROPERABLE WITH POPULAR WINDOWS PRODUCTS. FOR EXAMPLE, I WILL NOW IMPORT A RICHLY FORMATTED DOCUMENT CREATED IN MICROSOFT WORD INTO STAR OFFICE RUNNING ON CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM. NOTICE THAT NOT ONLY THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT WAS ABLE TO BE IMPORTED INTO STAR OFFICE, BUT ALSO FEATURES SUCH AS RICHLY FORMATTED SECTION HEADINGS--IN THIS CASE, THE BLUE BOLD-FACED TEXT WITH THE LINE ABOVE IT--AND EMBEDDED GRAPHICS, THE CIRCLE WITH THE WORD "PRINTER" INSIDE OF IT.

LIKE CALDERA'S GRAPHICAL INTERFACE, STAR OFFICE ALSO BENEFITS STRONGLY FROM CUSTOMERS' EXPERIENCE WITH MICROSOFT PRODUCTS. THE STAR OFFICE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE, AND WORK LIKE, MICROSOFT OFFICE. AS JUST ONE EXAMPLE, DOCUMENT FORMATTING FEATURES SUCH AS BOLD-FACE TYPE, UNDERLINE TYPE, AND ITALICS ARE QUICKLY AND EASILY AVAILABLE TO THE END USER WITH JUST A SINGLE MOUSE CLICK ON BUTTONS THAT LOO VERY MUCH LIKE AND ARE LOCATED ON A TOOLBAR JUST LIKE THE BUTTONS THAT PROVIDE THESE FEATURES IN

IN SUMMARY, I HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT CALDERA'S OPERATING SYSTEM IS: FIRST, POWERFUL AND EASY TO USE; SECOND, THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT IN BOTH SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPANIES; AND FINALLY, THAT CALDERA'S PRODUCT BUNDLES A STRONG OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY SUITE FROM STAR DIVISION WHICH IS NOT ONLY INTEROPERABLE WITH MICROSOFT PRODUCTS, BUT IS ALSO DESIGNED TO WORK AND LOOK LIKE MICROSOFT PRODUCTS SO THAT USERS OF THESE PRODUCTS WILL BE COMFORTABLE AND PRODUCTIVE USING THESE PROGRAMS.

THIS CONCLUDES THE DEMONSTRATION OF CALDERA OPENLINUX OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION 1.3."

--
just fyl

Fri, 24 Sep 1999 22:38:11 -0600 (MDT)
From: s. keeling <keeling@spots.ab.ca>
Subject: http://www.linuxgazette.com/lg_frontpage.html

Yes, I have a comment.

YOU IDIOT! Sorry, don't take it personally; it's just a figure of speech.

I'm at the url listed in the subject. I'm supposedly at the cover page of the latest issue. What do I do now? Where the @#$%^&* is the "Next Page" button. How do I turn the page on your so-called Gazette?

Oh, maybe you have to hit the "Back" button to get to the page where you can select the next page ... Well that's stupid!!?!?!?

Sorry, it had to be said. Rant off. Sorry if I offend. I'll go look at content now, thanks.

[There is a single Front Page that is shared by all the issues. That is why it doesn't have an issue-specific "next page" button. It is a bit confusing, but it has been that way since long before I started editing the Gazette, and we haven't received any other complaints about it. -Ed.]

Sun, 26 Sep 1999 12:14:59 +0000
From: Benjamin Smith <bens@saber.net>
Subject: Letter format extension?

OK, you're over-worked, underpaid, and would probably find yourself split a thousand ways from Sunday if you actually tried to implement 1/100th of the suggestions you get.

That said, I have another one for you.

The letters column would be, IMHO, easier to read if there were talk-backs after each letter, or that could be easily linked to, so that suggestions for solving a problem can be perused before making my own.

More like a newsgroup, or the talk-backs at the end of /. articles.

-Ben

                    ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._    (Simba)
                    `@_ @  )    `-.  (        ).`-.__.`)
                    (_Y_.)'  ._    )  `._ `. ``-..-'
                _..`--'_..-_/  /--'_.' ,'
              ((().-''  ((().'  (((.-'        Benjamin Smith

[The problem is, Slashdot is read only at one web site, whereas the Gazette is also read from mirrors, mirrors of mirrors, CDs, etc. Thus, the only common denominator is standard HTML. No CGI scripts, no databases, no Javascript. The current Mailbag + 2-Cent Tips system seems to be the best way to ensure that everybody can read all the responses.

An indexing system to link letters and responses would be nice. Heather has already implemented an index for the most frequent Answer Guy questions. If somebody has an idea how to do something like that for the Mailbag letters, we can consider it. However, sorting the letters into subjects and putting in direct links to each letter in the back issues would be a lot of work.

We are looking at ways to improve the Gazette and make it easier to navigate, but only in ways that won't leave a portion of our readership out.

In the meantime, to find help with a problem, use the Answer Guy index, the Index of All Issues (linked at the bottom of the issues list on the Front Page), and the search engine linked in the middle of the Front Page.

P.S. Nice tiger. -Ed.]

Tue, 28 Sep 1999 11:37:09 -0600
From: Dale Offret Jr. <doffret@silverstar.com>
Subject: Spanish Translations

Dear sir or madam,

In reading the October issue of the Gazette I got side tracked into the mirrors site and the French translation sites. I looked for Spanish translations and didn't find any.

My question is anyone currently developing a Spanish site? If so, who? If not, what criteria need to be met for someone to offer a translated issue?

Background:

I am a college graduated with an associates degree in Information Systems. I have avidly read the Gazette for the last 2 to 3 years. I am not a native Hispanic, but my grandfather was born in Mexico. From Dec. 1992 to Dec. 1994 I served as a church representative to Costa Rica in Central America where I learned a great deal of Spanish. I also took 3 years in high school.

I am looking for ways to improve my Spanish and I believe this could help me.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Dale Offret Jr.

[There are no Spanish translations I know of.

There are no criteria requirements. If you do a translation, we will gladly put a link to it on the mirrors page.

You may wish to work together with one or more of the Linux Users groups in the Spanish-speaking countries. Perhaps you could arrange a deal with them where you would translate the articles and have a native proofread them. There is a directory of users groups at www.linuxjournal.com/glue, "Users Groups (GLUE)". -Ed.]

Mon, 4 Oct 1999 07:24:21 +0800
From: u <leeway@kali.com.cn>
Subject: redhat in pirated China

Although legitimate software vendors sell Linux in China, the price is much higher than that of pirated CD-ROM vendors. These vendors are major source of software for Chinese. (Yes piracy rate is very high.) They play cat-mouse game with the government agency. No matter it is Win98, NT, VC or freeware, the price is the same: 10 yuan or 1.2 US$ each CD.

Because of the underground nature of these vendors, they dishonestly label the CD-ROMs. Here redhat is dominant in Linux category. In fact the makers are so preoccupied with redhat that they describe FreeBSD as "in a redhat series". Although the new redhat version is 6.0, they have 6.5. I don't care because the "6.5" CD is an authentic 6.0. And I understand why they label them that way: they have already sold "6.0", "5.5" redhat CD, which actually are variations of 5.1 or 5.2. One "5.5" redhat CD description proudly claims that it is "completely cracked". I do notice that 5.2 installer select some Chinese tools by default. But I am very unhappy because Netscape can't run. I realize much later that the file size is incorrect although it could be installed. Recently "6.51" has come to the shelf. It has 2 CDs. The 2nd one has StarOffice, Oracle and DB2. I wonder when RedHat could make a official presence here. But would that help? The official redhat CD is 50 US$. It can't beat 1.2 US$.

Wed, 06 Oct 1999 01:14:22 +0200
From: David Fauthoux <david.fauthoux@free.fr>
Subject: Merci

A little mail to say you that your work is EXCELLENT ! My article has a very very good traduction ! (I thank Jason Kroll) Your gazette is clear, interesting and very well managed.

In french : Bravo !

I hope I will be able to send you another article to join your great work !

Thanks again,
David

[David was the author of the Bomb ô Bomb article in issue 46. -Ed.]

Wed, 13 Oct 1999 17:27:57 -0400
From: Dan Dippold <dann@mich.com>
Subject: comments, criticisms, suggestions and ideas.

Search... ?

How Mr. Coldiron is going to replace his desktop OS with Linux as he uses Visual Basic on it and Access ("he has some ideas, more on that in a later issue" he says) is what I *would* search for.

Thu, 21 Oct 1999 21:40:57 -0700
From: Ron Tarrant <rtarrant@northcom.net>
Subject: A Suggestion

Hi there! I read your magazine and I think it's great. I've picked up quite a few tips from the Answer Guy and I really like his column. But...

I'd really like to see a separate index page for the Answer Guy with links to all his stuff in all the issues organized by subject. It would make it a lot easier to find articles on specific topics. Heck, it might even make an interesting book when enough information has been gathered. If you would consider this, I'd be most grateful. Thanks for a great magazine!

[Heather Stern's time machine was busy this month (to borrow a phrase from the Python newsgroup), and she has already implemented the Subject Index you seek, See the Answer Guy column in this issue. -Ed.]

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 15:44:04 +0530
From: balaviyer <n1040233@bom7.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: regarding subscription

Dear sir,

I want 2 subscribe this new group. How do I go about it.

[This is not a mailing list, so there's nothing to subscribe to. What you see at www.linuxgazette.com is what we do. -Ed.]

Thu, 30 Sep 1999 12:14:59 -0400
From: Barry <barry.thoms@ms.rc.gc.ca>
Subject: Gazette

I am brand new to the Linux world so this may be a stupid question.

Why do all of the past issue links for the Linux Gazette goto RedHat and not the issue?

regards
Barry

[The links at www.linuxgazette.com don't do this. If you find a mirror site that's messed up or way out of date, please e-mail gazette@ssc.com with the URL of the site, and I'll try to figure out what's wrong. -Ed.]

Thu, 23 Sep 1999 17:03:29 +0100
From: Andrew Bryant <andrew@brilyant.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Gazette issue 44 AND Netscape

Hi,

Could you tell me a reason why Netscape 4.06 suffers indigestion when I ask it to browse my downloaded copy of the HTML version of LG 44?

The system is a 486 with 32Mb RAM, running RedHat 5.1 with a 2.0.35 kernel. Netscape reads 34% of the file, then stops.The Netscape process (I should say processes, because there seem to be two) still occupies memory, but no longer consumes clock cycles according to top. Nothing on the page responds to mouse or keyboard, and the page doesn't re-draw if you drag another window across it.

There is still plenty of swap space available - is it possible that Netscape doesn't "know" how to use it?

Issues 43 & 45 behave themselves. A rational explanation would be welcome, and a cure even more so! I have studied the offerings of the Netscape site, but nothing I read there seems quite to fit these symptoms.

Sat, 02 Oct 1999 23:58:57 -0600
From: Doug Dahl <dougdahl@incentre.net>
Subject: Magazine cut-off

Dear sir, I use Redhat 5.1 with Netscape 4.05 (or4.02? whatever the default is) and I have the same problem mentioned in your recent edition of having the full page HTML load only about half on your Linux Gazette home page. In a test of this issue I only got about to the "Linux and the future" article by Husain Al-Mohssen about to the middle of the second paragraph with a file size of roughly 299535. Lately I have taken to reading the gzipped text files especially as I can read them offline but thought I would mention this problem since apparently someone else has this problem. As to the size I was routinely able to read transcripts of the MS-DOJ depositions up to about 400KB with no problems (except those apparently on their end and not related to size at all)

Sincerely,

Doug Dahl

[I don't know why some people's files are getting cut off halfway. Any idea? -Ed.]

Thu, 7 Oct 1999 16:55:51 -0700
From: John Cockerham <jcocker@silverlink.net>
Subject: Linux Is Not For You

Bravo to Mr. Nod for his article Linux Is Not For You in issue 46. I too am going through the growing pains of using LINUX for the first time. My cousin, a big time UNIX systems engineer, wants me to do a little project for him. He has an accounting program written in DBaseIII that he wants ported to PostgreSQL. This sounds feasible, and I should have the requisite knowledge since I earn a living as a SQL Server and Oracle DBA and an NT systems administrator. A database is a database and SQL is mostly SQL. How hard could it be?

I added a third computer to my home NT network and attempted to install LINUX. The installation may have been successful, I will never know because when faced with the dot prompt, I didn't know what to do. None of the DOS commands or even the old RTE commands I could think of would work, so I turned it off. My cousin took the machine to his house and got it running on his network. He even put a little 'red hat' sticker on it. He tried to explain why it was necessary to set up a partition for the kernel and a partition for the swap file and a working partition and so on and then handed me a book about the size of a Manhattan phone directory that was supposed to explain everything. I stuck the computer on my home network and fired it up. It promptly froze up. Since I couldn't get it to do anything, I turned it off. "Worst thing you could do" he told me when I called the next day when it wouldn't boot up.

I installed another release of Red Hat 6 I had ordered from an online auction. It installed immediately and to my great joy even had a desktop-like interface complete with a start button. This looks great, but I still can't make it do much. At least the mouse works. The next weekend he visited my house, and got the computer to see the network. Even he was not willing to try and get the printer to work over the network, and instead brought a nice HP print sharing device. I asked about installing PostgreSQL and he assured me it was easy. "Just mount the CD and install the RPMs" he tells me. RIGHT!

LINUX People, I am really trying hard, but I agree with nod. LINUX is NOT user friendly. Now I know all of you true believers are thinking "What a Wimp, you should have seen how hard it was back at release 2". I do know that I could have taken a brand new computer virgin and had them somewhat productive in an NT-SQL Server environment in the time I have spent just trying to learn to copy a file and mount a drive. I still have not been able to start with my conversion project since I don't have a database I can talk to yet. I realize that if I had been brought up in a UNIX environment, this stuff would be second nature by now, but I wasn't. I still haven't had the nerve to shut the damn computer down again, because I hate to have my cousin make the hour drive over to get it started again.

I am going to keep working at it, but right now I think the motto "You get what you pay for" is true.

[Thanks for your letter. It was exceptionally well written.

Those of us who are tekkies need to keep in contact with people who are new at Linux, in order to get it to the point of being user-friendly. But we also tend to believe that the more you puts into learning how your OS works (any OS), the more you will get out of it.

#BEGIN "rant" {
MS and some other OS companies unfortunately does not encourage people to do this. In fact, they actively discourage it. Both at a marketing level ("You don't need to know anything about this computer; just plug it in and it will work." [which is of course a big lie for any OS]; "You don't need special training to become an NT administrator, unlike UNIX."), and at a technical level (it's hard to tell what Windows is doing behind the scenes when it boots, or why it crashed, and what to do if those configuration dialogs don't have the options you need), and also at the legal level ("Reverse-engineer this and we'll sue you.") This may be fine for an embedded appliance, but it seriously limits one's ability to use one's computer at its potential, or to fix it yourself if it goes bust.

My dad always used to say, "Why can't a computer be like a car? All cars have a steering wheel that works the same, ditto for the clutch and gearshift." The trouble is, we only ask a car to do one thing: go somewhere. Running the myriad of applications we expect from a computer is a whole different ballgame. Plus, the computer industry isn't nearly mature enough to come to the level of standardization that cars have. Macs have a different keyboard and user interface than PCs because somebody though it would "work better". There is not enough agreement on what the ideal user interface should be.
} END "rant".

Now I know all of you true believers are thinking "What a Wimp, you should have seen how hard it was back at release 2".

There will always be people like that.

I realize that if I had been brought up in a UNIX environment, this stuff would be second nature by now, but I wasn't.

#BEGIN "personal opinion" {
I started using UNIX in 1990, through a shell account at an ISP I got specifically to learn UNIX on. I'm very, very glad I did. It is the standard, the common denominator linking all other parts of computerdom, not in the least because it's the only OS available from more than one company.
} END "personal opinion".

Wed, 27 Oct 1999 16:31:58 -0700
From: Arnaud alnoken@mail.dotcom.fr <alnoken@mail.dotcom.fr>
Subject: Linux is not for you

Dear nod,

Ouch ! Harsh blow ... I have just read that article you wrote in Linux Gazette (issue 46 - '1999/10) about Linux. So, let me introduce myself as well. I am technically a Linux/Unix technical-savvy ; by business need, a buggy-Windows user. And i very much dislike what you wrote, except for one single thing : this is just true. You really insulted the Linux community, but just by speaking common sense.

Linux developpers tend to think that a sane product is enough. But it is like food. You can spend time preparing a good and sane traditional european or asian (say french or japanese) meal, and take your time to savour it. Or you just can go to those unsane, too fat, pre-digested tasteless (say McDo or 'fish and chips') fastfood. Everybody knows what is good for one's health. But everyone runs into the place where you can fill up your belly instantly. Same is true for using computer. Microsoft sells shit. But more people can use it nearly right-out-of-the-box. Linux guys make things that work, while Microsoft sells stuff that is somewhat usable. You are right when you tell that Linux guys should study the other camp's strengthes and weaknesses.

Nevertheless, you are wrong when you say that Windows is slower than Linux. This may be true in your example, but Linux does not spend so much time managing an intuitive interface. Stability always have a performance penalty. Having Windows much stabler would make it much slower, because that would mean the OS spend some time monitoring itself, preventing its own crashes by auto-repairing at run-time, like those big companies' giant mainframe computers (or phone ompanies switches) do (Alcatel switches' OS can spend up to 65% of their time preventing a crash, because if this happens, that could stop thousands of active communications, and guess why MVS is as big as NT 4.0 with just a tiny subset of its functionnality, no graphical; interface, ...).

Yet, globally, you expressed what i have been thinking for some years now : Unix or Linux are bound to disappear if they just concentrate on their strengthes, and do not try at the same time to outperform Microsoft's skills. Something that can be done. NeXTStep, eight years ago was superior to what Windows95 was seven years later. But NeXT was a small company in a market already overwhelmed with Bill Gates financial power. A commercial newcomer could not breathe in such rarefied market. Free software can. If free software does not really try to compete, then some Japanese commercial corporation are the only ones that can fight Microsoft. Sega, Nintendo and Sony have begun development that will turn their play console into consoles that will actually marginally be used to play. Thoses devices will be build around the Net, so they will manage documents. Then, what else all their computing power could be used for, apart for creating, editing, those, managing your mail, calendar and contacts ? And those corporation do know how to make consumer products. Even Windows is not such a product, because you yourself stated that people needed your help to sort out the mess that sometimes occur.

Their was the huge stable mainframes, then lighter minicomputers, then microcomputers. All professional-world-rooted devices. Microsoft pushes the enveloppe against those with Windows2000 (formally NT), a product that explodes in market shares. But next is everybody's information device. This is the consumer market. The one that counts. Microsoft is already here with WindowsCE, but prepares the true attack with its yet- to-come XStation (a Microsoft machine !). The competitors are rare : three Japanese ... and no one else.

Where is Linux ? Linux claims for World domination. World domination means dominating both markets : the end-user device and the remaining of the infrastructure. As history tells, dominating the end-device helps dominating the rest of the infrastucture, just because it makes so many more people mastering the technology (even if it is comparatively less limited in terms of functionality), and then so much more skilled technicians on the job market. Only exceptions are surviving old dinosaurus IBM and certainly Microsoft in the future. Unix mini-systems greatly reduced the mainframes number by infiltering them credibly through Amdahl mainframes, and relegating them to niche markets (namely big corporations' strategic central data centers). Windows has come the same way from all those desktops, and now making its way into the infrastructure markets (servers, superservers, routers, datamarts, etc.), restricting Unix to niche markets itself (scientific calculators, and high-end database servers) and FreeBSD and Linux to their proof-of-concept market (mainkly Internet servers and firewalls in corporations that are big enough to justify the hiring of Linux-knowlegeable people). So now you see why Microsoft has invested less money in Windows during the last three or four years than it invested in WindowsCE, interactive TV, now in play consoles, and more generally around consumer markets. You also see why Sega, Nintendo and Sony are to be looked at. Their products are to this date poor in terms of information features, but they are extremely powerful in processing power, and designed from the very first line to be bug-free.

If Linux wants to count in the future, the Linux community must take this into account : not look at what already exists or is advertised by Bill Gates, but anticipate what is next.

Remember the car industry. First there was those who designed their own car from scratch, starting in France,around the end of XVIIth century (as computer OS pioneers did). Then, end of XIXth century, those who build their cars from standard pieces, but had to turn dozens switches on (the fuel valve, the battery, the generator, the contactor), and then turn vigourously the to start it (as mainframe/Unix/Linux users do), then those who bought partially assembled car kits, with pieces bought from several providers (as Windows users do). Then there were the ones who bought cars you just had to climb into and turn on the key to use them, because Ford brought that in the first quarter of the century. The latter category now accounts for, say, 99.9 % of car-buyers.

I guess one day, you will buy your computer, turn it on, feed it with your name, e-mail address, ISP number (or transfering them in a one-keystroke operation from your old machine along with your diary, address book, documents), and start using it, without having to deal with LILO, sendmail, PPP account, and others' idiosyncrases. That day is just around the corner. With or Without Linux.

Is the community at work making Linux ready ? Or will we satisfy ourselves with Linux remaining in its getting-surrounded computer techies niche ?

This page written and maintained by the Editor of the Linux Gazette, gazette@ssc.com
Copyright © 1999, Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc.
Published in Issue 47 of Linux Gazette, November 1999