Linux-Development-Sys Digest #516, Volume #6 Mon, 22 Mar 99 13:14:31 EST
Contents:
Re: what "rc" scripts exist for linux? (Alexander Viro)
Migration tools from NT? (Mark White)
Re: Barclays Internet banking under Linux? (how to change uname()) (Paul Ashton)
Re: select & poll ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
USB & PCCard On LINUX ("Alexander Schmitt")
Semaphores and the SEM_UNDO option ("jacob")
Re: USB & PCCard On LINUX (Michel TALON)
Re: no setuid for scripts (Nix)
Re: MySQL disadvantages (Michael Alan Dorman)
Re: Semaphores and the SEM_UNDO option (Casper H.S. Dik - Network Security Engineer)
Re: After Week 1 With Linux -- licking wounds. (The Ghost In The Machine)
Re: How do I run a program ? ("Jürgen Exner")
Re: The multi-billion $ Linux market ("Robert H. Thompson")
SMP with Celerons - problems (Gerald Brandt)
RSS in 2.2.x (Ram Kalapatapu)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Alexander Viro)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: what "rc" scripts exist for linux?
Date: 22 Mar 1999 03:45:22 -0500
In article <7d4sd5$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
david parsons <o r c @ p e l l . p o r t l a n d . o r . u s> wrote:
> Basically because of the registry; it's an interesting idea to use
> make, though, and the only problem I could see with doing that is
> that the current rc setup has each file call in its prerequisites,
> while make puts the prerequisites elsewhere -- for additional
> packages, like syslog, dhcpd, and xdm/xterm, all I need to do is
> drop the rc files into /etc/rc.d/init.d/ and build the symlinks
> into /etc/rc.d/rc.m, while a makefile based system would require
> that I also tweak the makefile.
include /etc/rc.d/rc.m/*.mk
or
FOO = $(wildcard /etc/rc.d/rc.m/*.mk)
include ${FOO}
HTH. Make can handle wildcards quite nice.
--
"You're one of those condescending Unix computer users!"
"Here's a nickel, kid. Get yourself a better computer" - Dilbert.
------------------------------
From: Mark White <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Migration tools from NT?
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:58:01 +1000
Hi--
I've had a request to see if there are any NT-to-Linux migration tools for
applications in C or C++. Specifically, there is interest in taking NT
code to Linux/X11.
Any ideas? Please reply by e-mail, I'll summarise if there is enough
interest.
regards
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: Paul Ashton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: uk.finance,uk.comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Barclays Internet banking under Linux? (how to change uname())
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:45:52 +0000
Robert Billing wrote:
>
> Paul Ashton wrote:
>
> > Personally, I use lloyds online with Linux. They don't use any java
> > or javascript but force me to accept one cookie which I find acceptable.
>
> Can you tell me how? It just gives me "incorrect browser".
Whilst registering or whilst using it? When I use it I don't need to
masquerade my browser or do anything special. I can't remember whether
I had to masquerade as win95 when I registered. If so, then I would
have modified the junkbuster config file to do so.
Paul
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: select & poll
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 13:22:52 GMT
Phil Howard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> But there is a system call for select(), or at least a syscall index
> is assigned. This is from 2.0.36:
poll() was historically a wrapper for select()
In 2.2, they are both system calls, but select appears to internally
use the poll semantics
see /usr/src/linux/fs/select.c
------------------------------
From: "Alexander Schmitt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: USB & PCCard On LINUX
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 15:11:32 +0100
Hello,
I want to write a driver to include a USB and a PCMCIA device
on LINUX. Does anybody know some sources like books or WWW-links ?
Thanks
Alex
------------------------------
From: "jacob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.unix.solaris
Subject: Semaphores and the SEM_UNDO option
Date: 22 Mar 1999 14:44:18 GMT
Hello fellow programmers.
I took a look at this function:
int semop (int semid, struct sembuf *sops, size_t nops);
the sembuf structure looks like this:
struct sembuf {
ushort sem_num;
short sem_op;
short sem_flg;
};
condition of the semaphore
(semval = 1-->initial setting) sem_op = -1 sem_flg = SEM_UNDO
If i want to lock a semaphore with the semop function and i specify a
SEM_UNDO constant in the 'sem_flg' parameter.
Documentation specifies that my semadj value will get increased by
abs(sem_op).
So my question is this:
What the F*CK is the semadj value? can't find it anywhere's
I got this from a man_page of the sun solaris ultrasparc thingy.
yur help will be grately appreciated.
/Jacob
------------------------------
From: Michel TALON <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: USB & PCCard On LINUX
Date: 22 Mar 1999 15:55:35 +0100
There is usb support in the FreeBSD kernel 3.1 so you
can take a look at their code.
------------------------------
From: Nix <$}xin{$@esperi.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: no setuid for scripts
Date: 22 Mar 1999 12:24:44 +0000
roy haddad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> I would like to hack out the "feature" that setuid scripts are not
> executed setuid, but I am having a very hard time finding the code that
> does this.
`I would like to shoot myself in the foot with an elephant gun'.
If your machine is not networked and is in a secure area there might
just be a reasn to do this. Otherwise, steer clear; setuid scripts open
a security hole the size of a small asteroid.
sudo, and similar programs, is your friend, as is a little suid C
wrapper that execs the script you want.
--
`Anything else just amounts to repeatedly hitting yourself on the head
with a virtual icepick, and is just about as useful.' - Linus Torvalds
on linux-kernel
------------------------------
From: Michael Alan Dorman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: MySQL disadvantages
Date: 22 Mar 1999 08:57:38 -0500
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I know there are various features missing from MySQL compared to
> other commercial SQL products. But what are they? If possible,
> could someone objectively list them? I need a SQL server for a
> project and think MySQL will fit the bill but I just want to be
> sure.
MySQL only has table-level locking. There are applications for which
this simply does not work---they can't be rewritten around the
problem. Monty recently introduced a keyword that I think gives
"asynchronous" inserts (the insert returns immediately, and is queued
for processing once whatever has the table locked finishes), but I
don't know how well it works, and I can imagine a lot of scenarious
that could lead to incorrect data (depending on how the feature is
implemented, which I haven't examined).
MySQL is also subject to Linux's 2GB file size limit. Again, Monty
has created an extension to allow you to do select across databases,
which means you can create a "virtual" database that's greater than
2GB, but it's non-standard, and I don't know if you take a performance
hit, etc.
Mind you, I don't think any of the free-but-not-free-beer options have
facilities to deal with these issues, although PostgreSQL is supposed
to be starting beta testing of a version that has a scheme to get away
from table-level locking.
In the free-beer category, Sybase has block-level locking, which is
better than table-level, if not quite as good as row-level, and *may*
not be constrained to 2GB---I know it can use disk partitions for
storage, so it may be capable of bypassing this limitation.
Of the pay-for-play databases, I know Oracle has row-level locking and
I presume can use disk partitions (and thus hopefully more than 2GB),
and I don't know anything about the other options: Informix, Ingres,
DB2, Solid, Empress, others...
Hope this helps.
Mike.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Casper H.S. Dik - Network Security Engineer)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.unix.solaris
Subject: Re: Semaphores and the SEM_UNDO option
Date: 22 Mar 1999 16:47:53 GMT
[[ PLEASE DON'T SEND ME EMAIL COPIES OF POSTINGS ]]
"jacob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>So my question is this:
>What the F*CK is the semadj value? can't find it anywhere's
>From exit(2);
o For each semaphore for which the calling process has
set a semadj value (see semop(2)), that value is added
to the semval of the specified semaphore.
I.e., the semadj value is the value the system will use to correct the
semaphore by on process exit.
(If a process specifies SEM_UNDO all the time, the semaphore will appear
to be unaffected when the process exits)
Casper
--
Expressed in this posting are my opinions. They are in no way related
to opinions held by my employer, Sun Microsystems.
Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
be fiction rather than truth.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The Ghost In The Machine)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.questions
Subject: Re: After Week 1 With Linux -- licking wounds.
Date: 22 Mar 1999 17:29:52 GMT
On 21 Mar 1999 23:28:25 -0800, bob@ <bob@> wrote:
>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "L.
>says...
>
>>
>>Unfortunately, Apple and MS have, too often, sacrificed Programmer
>>Friendliness on the alter of User Friendliness.
>
>Very well said.
>
>I agree completely. I find Unix system much easier to develop on.
>On MS VC++, I wanted to write a ONE LINE hello world program, and then
>the wizard came up and started intoregating me with quations asking
>me to select the application type (huh? I want to write hello world), then
>asking me to first create a "Project" etc.. etc..
>
>On Unix, I fire up emacs, write my one line, and on the command line I type
>
>g++ foo.cpp
>
>How simpler could it be?
>
>give me a good editor and a good shell and good Makefile any day over
>all that crap Visual stuff.
>
>Bob
>
I'll agree that Unix is far simpler when it comes to "hello world".
I'll also agree that "hello world" is a very poor characterizer
of development environments.
Consider what one might have to do to say "hello world", in no particular
order:
- in basic standard C or C++
- in X (this one's ugly)
- in raw Windows (this one's ugly, too)
- in a Win32 console app without C or C++ library help
- in Athena or Motif widgets (not too bad)
- in the Apple toolkit using C (and a development-dependent console)
- in the Apple toolkit using C without C or C++ help (console? What console?)
- in Gtk
- in Glide (GNU interactive language)
- in MS/DOS assembly language (this isn't too bad)
- in MS/DOS assembly language without using INT 21 :-)
- in DDE/COM/OLE/DCOM/ActiveX (whatever they're calling it this week)
- in Visual Basic
- in HTML (heh)
- in an ActiveX control in HTML
- in a Java applet
- in a Java *application*
- in a Java application using AWT
- in a Java application using SWING
- in a Java bean
- in CORBA (and yes, that's rather ill-defined, I know)
- in Tcl using 'puts' (yes, it's a one-liner, not counting '#!' at the top)
- in Tcl/Tk using the Tk widget set (this one's a two-liner unless you
use ';', again not counting '#!')
These are more or less standard. I can also go arcane if you want :-):
- in Fortran on VMS
- in C on VMS
- in Cobol on VMS
- in Amiga assembly language
- in Amiga console C or C++
- in Amiga Intuition C or C++ (the graphics environment)
- in AmigaBasic or ABasic, take your pick; the first one's from Microsoft,
the second one I've forgotten who made it
- in RSX/11M
- in an 1802/1861 ELF (or, in my case, a heavily modified ELF)
- in Apple ][ or /// Basic
- in Apple ][ or /// assembly language
- on a Commodore 64
- in VM/370
- in MVT/HASP, or whatever it's called (// DD BLEAH AARGH YECCH)
- in HP21xx assembly language onto a teletype (not hard, but one has
to busywait :-) )
Of course, one could just do it the easy way:
- in human speech :-)
I do like the wizards, somewhat, in Visual C++ and in Borland 4.51.
But I wish they could be more analytic if I go in there and modify the
code myself.
----
[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- good gravy. So many machines, so little time... :-)
------------------------------
From: "Jürgen Exner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: How do I run a program ?
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 09:28:36 -0800
Reply-To: "Jürgen Exner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Bits <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:7d0ft2$r1d$[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> Yes, yes, you've guessed it - I'm new to Linux. Can someone please tell me
> why my compiled program isn't running.
> 1/ Create program in VIM and save as : greeting.c
> 2/ At command line I'm entering :
> gcc -o greeting greeting.c
> 3/ I type :
> greeting (and then press enter to execute program)
> Please can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
This question comes up every other week and has little to do with Linux.
Your current working directory (CWD) is not in your path (for very well know
security issues, see the UNIX FAQ for details), therefore the executable
"greeting" is not found.
Use "./greetings" (without the quotes) instead.
jue
--
Jürgen Exner
------------------------------
From: "Robert H. Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.questions
Subject: Re: The multi-billion $ Linux market
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:38:29 -0500
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
maestro wrote:
>
> James Kelley wrote:
> [huge snip]
>
> I see your point, and have had similar thoughts
> myself. I see huge potential for Linux where
> the OS is supported and written by all, and we
> all make our monies from the applications and /
> or hardware. (The $ does run the show, folks!)
>
I agree with you. The big guns (read big $) know that the OS
war is where the money is to be made. Linux is a great OS and
it will require that Joe/Jane Blow Computer user knows a little about
his/her computer hardware. But the real money in software is made from
applications and application support.
> The trouble (or the good?) of Linux is just the
> lack of organizing outside small communities
> and groups of volenteers.
>
That may be a good thing. I've been in the software business nearly
twenty years and have seen many a monolithic closed system make it's way
into the hands of the average user. Most of the time it wasn't the
greatest software but it worked good enough. Response to user questions
and problems was notoriously slow. At least in the Linux community OS
problems are addressed relatively quickly. And that I think is a good
thing.
> I'm pretty sure that if some of the companies
> (Like Corel, Oracle and IBM now have!) start
> writing their stuff for a professional Linux
> platform, the boost _will_ need some OS
> management.
>
> Who will do this? We all love our Linux and
> the way we made it. But who will "own" it in
> the future? If the big companies throttle
> in, _they_ will soon take charge I'm sure.
>
I see this as a big question mark too. I pray that the kernel stays open
and that the big guns (read big $) will be content to own there
application code and not the OS itself. IT WOULD BE A PITY to see Linux
fracture as its mainframe cousin UN*X did.
> Good or bad? Who knows. The Kernel is safe and
> sound, and the GPL protects us well, but to
> gain market we need "better" routines for
> implementing and porting programs to Linux.
> Through this process, people with big $ will
> enter. Where does control now stand? And what
> happens the instance big companies start making
> their own Kernels, and support only that Kernel?
> Although that would be a bad idea, it might
> still cause a lot of harm through making big
> bucks for those who follow that Kernel standard.
>
Installation, setup and administration processes could catapult Linux to
the big time. Application software and support will help keep it there.
> I'm curious. I wanna do more Linux programming,
> but at the present state, I'm reluctant. The
> future of Linux looks .... somewhat chaotic.
>
So do I. I get tired of downloading half baked programs. I want to run
more than database and graphic programming stuff. (Although I think the
GIMP is the greatest thing since sliced bread). Linux really is forcing
me to rethink my programming skills and processes. Now if I can only get
the new Java2 stuff to run on my RedHat box....
just my two cents
Rob Thompson
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Gerald Brandt)
Subject: SMP with Celerons - problems
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 17:43:36 GMT
Hi there,
I got my Celeron 300A's to go dual processor over the weekend. And it
almost works!
Actually, everythings works perfectly, until I push both CPU's to the max.
Then it just locks up tighter than a drum. My assumption is that if it works
under light load, then the SMP stuff all works.
Linux 2.2.3
RedHat 5.2
dual Celeron 300A's
128 MB Ram
Has anybody else done this upgrade? I bought two MS-6905 adapter cards,
and two PPGA Celerons. I modified the adapter cards as per
www.cpu-central-com, and all seemes well (almost).
Gerald
--
---
Gerald Brandt [EMAIL PROTECTED]
12:41pm up 20:14, 4 users, load average: 0.02, 0.01, 0.00
Linux summit.rubicon.net 2.0.36 #1 Tue Oct 13 22:17:11 EDT 1998 i586 unknown
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ram Kalapatapu)
Subject: RSS in 2.2.x
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 18:14:42 GMT
I am using 2.2.1 ( I haven't upgraded as I have a fixation on uptime!) and
noticed a strange behaviour with idle applications. When I
ps -o user -o pid -o fname -o vsz -o rss -o pmem -o pcpu -u <my_user_id>
I notice that the rss parameter becomes significantly low for apps that have
been idle for more than an hour.
Eg. Staroffice-5
When I started the app and began using it, the vsz grew from 40 something to
about 51 mb. The rss was initially very high (around 28mb) and gradually
"stabilized" at 20mb. After I stoppped using the app for about an hour, it
decreased to less than 3mb.
I have seen similar behaviour with other large bloated apps like
netscape-communicator.
I suppose this is a good thing (unless ps is lying to me!). I am using
version 2 of ps which supports unix98 format as well (I have seen exactly the
same behaviour with an earlier version of ps; I upgraded mainly to check if
my version of ps was the problem. Also top numbers match with ps.
I haven't seen this behaviour on solaris (sparc) 2.5.1 or aix-4. What gives?
Is this some enhancement on linux only?
I also felt that 2.2 was noticably smooth in process management. My machine
is a desktop pentium 100 with 48mb ram.
Thanks
Ram
------------------------------
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