As it happens, I've used VMware alot at work on both Windows and Linux boxen for development and testing. It saves a _lot_ of time when trying out new stuff. The only downside is the size of the images, so the best way to use it is to either have a silly fast network or put a big honking drive for VMware images in your test PC. In retrospect an external USB hard drive or a removable caddy drive would have been very useful.
As long as you name the images something useful and/or keep track of your versions, you will save a lot of time. John Hebert --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > John....the feeling is more than incredible. > I have actually done just as you suggest in your > message....writing up an installation guide for my > own use but would be very pleased if others could > benefit from it. > Has anyone had any experience with VMWare? We have a > license for it and nobody is using it....I'm > thinking of setting up a base system and making an > image of it so that I can easily and quickly get to > a certain known point in the process so that I can > "screw" with stuff without trashing the thing like I > did the first couple of times. > Thanks for the words and encouragement and the fine > suggestions.....hope the leg is getting better! > > Cleve > > > > > > From: John Hebert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: 2004/03/12 Fri AM 10:35:09 EST > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [brlug-general] Flowscan finally > working......and well! > > > > Cleve, > > > > I've learned that when it comes to working on > complex > > projects like yours with lots of unexpected > chalenges, > > it is valuable to document what you have done so > far, > > and continue to document what you are doing. This > > could be valuable of course as it provides a > record of > > your journey, but it would be valuable to others > as > > well, in the form of a HOWTO, etc. > > > > Congrats! The feeling of accomplishment is great, > eh? > > > > > > --- Cleve Allison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Well I am exhausted......and the Flowscan is > > > working. > > > First thing I can say about Flowscan is that the > > > documentation is > > > lacking......but the program is wonderful. > > > I would highly suggest this tool if you are in > the > > > business of caring > > > for a network. > > > > > > I did end up using a harddrive installation of > > > Knoppix 3.3 however, I > > > downloaded the *.tar.gz files and built them in > > > place rather than using > > > the apt-get, with prebuilt .deb packages. This > > > setup was truly a > > > journey........ > > > Beware the ConfigReader perl module.......the > > > apt-get installation > > > doesn't work, the make install doesn't work, in > fact > > > the cpan shell > > > installation doesn't work either, it was > apparently > > > built for RH7.2 but > > > all bets are off after that, it seems that the > > > Makefile.pl is missing > > > and the perl include directly is in a different > > > place. The solution is > > > to figure out what your perl include directory > > > is....../usr/share/lib > > > for me, I think .....and move a couple of files > to > > > that location. > > > > > > Over the last few years, I have been a Linux > > > cheerleader but have > > > functionally used Linux as a hobby OS; certainly > > > from time to time it > > > has been my primary desktop but due to my lack > of > > > knowledge, I always > > > kept another machine close by "just in case". > This > > > being the case, I > > > have gotten very good at installing various > > > distributions and setting > > > things up for a comfortable desktop > > > experience.......ie. simple stuff. > > > Email, usenet groups, wirelss, vpn, printers, > > > samba......things that the > > > desktop user would need. > > > Yes, I have provided support for web, db servers > in > > > an enterprise > > > environment but hell, once its set up correctly > it > > > just doesn't need > > > that much attention, plus there was vendor > > > support.....not a truly "get > > > your hands dirty" experience. > > > > > > Ok...that is the setup.....and here is the > thing; I > > > have learned more in > > > the last week and a half about the GNU/Linux > > > environment that I have > > > learned in the last 5 years. Having a project > and > > > being in charge of > > > the entire thing from start to finish has to be > one > > > of the best ways to > > > learn a system. I know that I have learned a > LOT > > > because what is so > > > glaringly obvious to me at this moment is the > VAST > > > amount that I don't > > > know. I leaned about user accounts, directory > and > > > file attributes, > > > about ./configure, make, make install......and a > lot > > > of the switches > > > that I never knew existed for them, and on and > on > > > and on. > > > > > > I'm going to make Flowscan my pet project for a > > > while......I only > > > implemented it in one of the very many ways that > are > > > available. There > > > are several tools used for collecting the > NetFlow > > > information and > > > several tools for graphing it. > > > After I am comfortable that Flowscan is where I > want > > > it to be and I have > > > scripted and cron'd most administrative tasks > then I > > > will begin work on > > > either Rancid or OpenNMS. > > > > > > The next thing is to research more into the > scripts > > > that help manage the > > > Flowscan "system"......I started the individual > > > components via the > > > command line as the packaged scripts didn't > > > work......I'll attempt > > > executing them on the command line one at a time > on > > > a test system to > > > iron out what is and isn't working.......thus it > > > will be very similar to > > > my experience with researching how to install > and > > > "fire up" > > > Flowscan......I think it required a total of > three > > > separate documents > > > each of which preposed to be "installation > guides" > > > to collect all the > > > information that was actually necessary. > > > each left out things that we necessary to be > > > successful at > > > installation. If I have time, I'll try to put > > > together an actual > > > "complete" installation guide. > > > > > > One suggestion......don't assume that within a > > > couple of hours of > > > getting it working with two remote sites that > you > > > can add 169 additional > > > sites and have it still work. Yes........I did > > > this. Ouch. Damn, that > > > hurts. > > > I have 171 remote sites that I am interested in > > > collecting Netflow info > > > on as research for implementing QoS but some > time > > > needs to be put into > > > "design" to accomplish such a task. I was > > > collecting 6MB of data every > > > five minutes.......yes, thats right.....72MB/hr, > > > 1.7G/day, 12G/wk, > > > 51G/mth, 622G/yr Wouldn't really work out that > way > > > due to holiday's > > > weekends, etc. > > > Quite a bit of work for a fancy MRTG box to use, > === message truncated === ===== John Hebert Official BRLUG Linux Curmudgeon Open Source Ankle Biter __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what youre looking for faster http://search.yahoo.com
