Linux-Misc Digest #757, Volume #18 Mon, 25 Jan 99 17:13:08 EST
Contents:
Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers (Chad Dale)
Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers (Chad Dale)
Knews can't determine domain name! (Peter Schaffter)
NIC card problems under S.u.S.E. 5.2 (Stewart Honsberger)
Re: Security (Timothy J. Lee)
Re: Are we there yet? 2.2.0 When? (David Bubar)
Re: Rh 5.2 and SB AWE 32 PnP freezing ("Al Kooz")
Re: Boot question (Ted Staberow)
loading redhat 5.2 question - plug-n-play monitor ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
loading redhat 5.2 question - plug-n-play monitor ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: Partition Table Mess (Eric)
Booting Linux off the primary hdd, win95 off the secondary using LILO (Tom Ford)
Re: Linux is not even in Windows 9X's class. ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: using xanim from netscape (Kyle Davenport)
Re: how to start programming in Linux ("Keith Peterson")
Re: Corrupt passwd file ("J�rgen Exner")
Re: Deleting Directories ("J�rgen Exner")
Re: How to check that SMP is working (Rob Komar)
Re: minicom beep hangs <recipe for insanity> (Phil Brutsche)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Chad Dale <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To:
alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy,gnu.misc.discuss,uk.comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:40:43 -0500
Netnerd wrote:
> Jim Ross wrote in message ...
> >
> >Netnerd wrote in message ...
> >>
> >>Jeremy Crabtree wrote in message ...
> >>>Netnerd allegedly wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>Julian T. J. Midgley wrote in message
> >>>><78dhlo$ias$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Linux has another advantage. If I were to find a bug in the kernel, I
> >>>>>would be allowed to fix it myself and distribute the fix to other
> >>>>>people. If I find a bug in a Microsoft product (an almost weekly
> >>>>>occurence) I cannot fix it, because they will not provide me with the
> >>>>>source, nor let me distribute the fixed version.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>Thank God.
> >>>
> >>>So...you're saying it's a /GOOD/ thing to be left unable to fix the
> system
> >>>when you find a bug?
> >>
> >>
> >>In the hands of the criminally insane, yes.
> >
> >I don't see where criminal or insame fits in.
>
> Because once the criminally insane programmers 'fix' the open source code
> they want to then distribute the 'fixed' version to others, viruses and all.
>
> Thank God really valueable source code is not available to the public.
Just like you see it with existing OSS projects, like linux? How many virii do
you commonly come across through "bug fixed" software.
What about this, MS using a Pseudo-OSS model in which they (MS) can mediate
what changes will and will not go into "released" versions.
Of course, that would require you to start with an existing SHIT OS.
Personally, I would rather attempt work on Linux, with what, maybe a million
lines of code ? (someone might know that more accuratly than I) or NT5 with
it's 50million lines of code (what are they doing that requires 50mil lines of
code? Jeezus)
------------------------------
From: Chad Dale <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To:
alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy,gnu.misc.discuss,uk.comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:46:49 -0500
Phil Hunt wrote:
> In article <eVBsiN1R#GA.205@upnetnews05> [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Netnerd" writes:
> > >So...you're saying it's a /GOOD/ thing to be left unable to fix the system
> > >when you find a bug?
> >
> > In the hands of the criminally insane, yes.
>
> You might like using buggy software, but I don't. So it's good that you
> have the choice to use Windows (for the time being(*)) and I have the
> choice to use Linux.
>
> [*] Linux grew by 212% last year, and NT grew by 27% (IDG survey). If
> these trends continue in 1999, Linux will overtake NT. Thus, Linux is
> already the most-used OS on Internet servers (ftp, http, and nntp
> servers), and is set to become the number one OS in the server market
> generally. And once it wins the server market, it will be well-placed
> to win the office desktop market from MS, as Linux will be seen as
> the safe choice. Linux will always be able to undercut Windows on
> price, it is technically better, and PHBs are starting to see it
> as a credible alternative. So it is quite possible that Windows will
> be defunct, or relegated to a minority position in 5 or 10 years time.
>
> -
While I personally share this dream, I don't think Linux could make real inroads
into the desktop market unless there was substantial control placed over the
environment. I mean by this that there was a standard API and DE for programmers to
write for and IT guys to support. I don't think this will happen as there are too
many elements out there that seem to think massize fragmentation of the community
is a GOOD thing. While I advocate choice, I also see that in some things there has
to be a level standardization.
But I think Linux is the best choice on servers. NT is garbage and unreliable. I
wouldn't trust it to automate a can-opener let alone a naval vessel or Mission
critical app.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Peter Schaffter)
Subject: Knews can't determine domain name!
Date: 25 Jan 1999 17:30:10 GMT
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Peter Schaffter)
I'm (trying) to use Knews to read and post news online. Every time I fire
up Knews from an xterm, the first message I see is "Couldn't determine
domain name. Posting will not be possible."
The version of Knews I'm using is 1.0b.0-3, pre-compiled and installed
from the Debian dist.
Does anyone know what I have to do to get Knews to figure out the domain
name? Where is it looking for the information?
And to which domain is it referring? The domain of my box (I'm not on a
network), the domain of my online newsserver, the domain of my smtp mail
server -- which?
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Stewart Honsberger)
Subject: NIC card problems under S.u.S.E. 5.2
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 17:35:55 GMT
'Lo all.
I just got a 2 gig HDD from a friend (Gotta love it when people
upgrade, hunh? :> ) so now I can have Linux installed as well as
OS/2.
Well, I tried installing Linux, but am having problems. The first
problem is weird, that I can't get my mouse to work {sigh}. It worked
the first install (which was botched because of an unsatisfied
package dependancy), but in the second (current) install it doesn't
work. (Standard 2 button serial mouse, COM1).
The second problem has been plaguing me during both installs. My
OvisLink RTL8019 network card doesn't want to work no matter what I
do. "Network is unreachable" :<
There's a list of about a dozen or so network cards to choose from
when I install, but it's not listed (there are other RTL8*** network
cards listed, but not this particular model).
Is there a way to install network support from the driver disk that
came with the network card? The drivers work under DOS, OS/2, and
Windoze'95/98/NT.
Please be gentle on me. I went from DOS to OS/2, and I must admit,
OS/2's GUI has spoiled me. I've gotta get back into text mode, and
it's a bit difficult :> I want more than anything in the world to
have (IMHO) the two worlds-best OS's installed on my computer, and be
able to dual-boot between them, but with these network card/mouse
problems, it's starting to look a little grim :<
Thanks in advance for your help!
--
= Blackdeath - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
== http://sprk.com/blackdeath
=== ICQ UIN # 3484915
==== Remove 'thirteen' to reply
... Windows isn't a virus; a virus does something.
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.20
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Timothy J. Lee)
Subject: Re: Security
Reply-To: see-signature-for-email-address---junk-not-welcome
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 19:34:40 GMT
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
|New to Linux! Just connected to Internet thru ppp and wonder how safety to
|surf the Internet using Netscape under Linux. Anyone can intrude my computer
|? or can see my password on the submit form. Thanks for your info.
Quite possibly yes.
Some Linux distributions have known buggy daemons that are turned
on by default. You may want to do the following:
a. Download and install all security patches from the vendor of
the Linux distribution.
b. Turn off all daemons and services that are not used. Examples
for many home users include: sendmail, NFS (nfsd and mountd),
Samba (smbd, nmbd), telnetd, ftpd, rshd, rlogind, rexecd, *talkd,
imapd, ipop2d, ipop3d, UUCP, tftpd, bootpd, fingerd, linuxconf,
portmap. See /etc/inetd.conf, the output of "ps ax", and the
startup scripts in /etc/rc.d/rc*.d (or /etc/rc*).
c. Consider installing a packet filter (ipfwadm, ipchains, or ipf),
just in case you forgot to turn off some daemon. The safest
way is to block everything, then selectively allow things that
you need and know to be secure..
As far as passwords in the clear go, you'll want to use encryption
when connecting to the internet if you are concerned about such
things. Browsers with SSL can often be set to tell you if your form
input or whatever will be going out in the clear. For telnet type
of use, consider ssh.
--
========================================================================
Timothy J. Lee timlee@
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome. netcom.com
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.
------------------------------
From: David Bubar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Are we there yet? 2.2.0 When?
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 15:00:37 -0500
grinder wrote:
>
> I'm fairly new to linux, 8 months or so experience. I've tried some of
> the dev kernels and they seem to work great (except for a vm quirk or
> two) especially the 2.2.0pre version.
> Is there a naming custom for pre versions that indicates how close the
> release version might be?
> Anyone know how soon 2.2.0 not pre might appear?
Today.... barring anything so embarrasing that linus would have to hide
his face in a paper bag for a month.
--
==========================================================
David Bubar http://www.albany.net/~bubar [EMAIL PROTECTED]
LTI http://www.ltionline.com [EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: "Al Kooz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To:
comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup,linux.redhat.install,linux.redhat.misc
Subject: Re: Rh 5.2 and SB AWE 32 PnP freezing
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 19:08:04 +0100
Ritchie wrote in message <78dkrm$ke9$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>Well, I can help you a bit. I had the same problem of the sfxload not
being
>found, I looked and it was there, but the boot sequence looks for it in
/bin
>and on my system, I found it in /usr/bin. Maybe yours is the same. I
>copied it from /usr/bin to /bin and rebooted, it found the file and didn't
>give me the device busy error for awe_wave.o. I can play .au files, but no
>luck playing .midi files yet. If you succeed, let me know what you did.
Thanx for this help....
Though I have to say that I looked up the sfxload was in the dir /bin...
I tried several other things too, but it didn't do it. .
It still says
...device or resource busy
(AWE no found)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:10:20 -0600
From: Ted Staberow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: tstaber@no!spam.ibm.net
Crossposted-To: linux.redhat.misc,comp.os.linux.help
Subject: Re: Boot question
Hi Alex,
At the lilo prompt type linux single. This will start Linux in
single user mode. You can then check your edits and fix whatever is not
right. When you are done, use <ctrl>d to continue the boot to multiuser
mode.
Ted Staberow
Prairie Networking, Inc.
Alex Silov wrote:
> I made a rather stupid mistake tonight. I changed files
> "HOSTNAME" and "hosts" located in /etc manually to my intended
> host and domain names (from localhost and localdomain).
> Without a second thought, I logged out the system. It refuses
> to boot anymore (just hangs there after certain point).
> Reason: Cannot find the local host name!
>
> My question is: Is there a way that I can boot the system
> without lose the data (there are a lot).
>
> My system is Redhat 5.0.
>
> Many thanks!
>
> Alex
>
> ______________________________________________________
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.questions
Subject: loading redhat 5.2 question - plug-n-play monitor
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 20:03:01 GMT
How do I get RedHat 5.2 to recognize my plug-n-play monitor (sceptre p73)?
When I'm prompted to select a monitor I chose custom and then chose the
settings that matched my monitor the best. Unfortunately, all I get is a
blank screen or three white stripes down the screen. The only thing I can do
and have done is restart the computer and try a different monitor setting.
This hasn't worked. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Rob
============= Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ============
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: loading redhat 5.2 question - plug-n-play monitor
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 20:02:18 GMT
How do I get RedHat 5.2 to recognize my plug-n-play monitor (sceptre p73)?
When I'm prompted to select a monitor I chose custom and then chose the
settings that matched my monitor the best. Unfortunately, all I get is a
blank screen or three white stripes down the screen. The only thing I can do
and have done is restart the computer and try a different monitor setting.
This hasn't worked. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Rob
============= Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ============
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
------------------------------
From: Eric <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Partition Table Mess
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:14:25 -0700
Christopher Gorski wrote:
> I'm in big trouble - here's the problem:
>
> I originally installed Win95 on a 6+gig drive. Because of FAT16
> limitations, I ended up with 3 two gig partitions and a 40 something meg
> drive. I then installed WinNT on the third partition and made the last two
> partitions NTFS. Next, I got a second hard drive and hooked it up on a
> separate controller card and set up some FAT and NTFS filesystems on there.
> Later on, I decided to install Linux, so I changed the middle partition on
> the first drive to a Linux native partition and swap partition.
>
> I decided to remove linux, and removed the middle partition. I wanted to
> try out NT's fault tolerant file system, so I went into disk administrator
> hoping to mirror my third partition on the first drive (my original NT
> installation drive) with a partition on the second, newer hard drive. To my
> amazement, I discovered that disk administrator believed that my NTFS drive
> was 4 gigs, while the rest of the operating system believed it was 2 (so did
> I). I discovered that when I deleted Linux, it left the extended partition
> marker way up near the end of the first partition on the drive, leaving two
> gigs of empty space before the third NTFS partition. This was confusing NT.
>
> After playing around in Linux, I discovered that it wasn't going to help
> matters any. (at least with my limited knowledge of file systems.) I got a
> copy of the DISKEDIT.EXE program off the Norton Utilities CD that allowed
> you to directly edit the partition table on the drive. I tried removing the
> extended partition and doing some other things like using Win95 fdisk to
> place a FAT partition between the first partition and NT, but this didn't
> solve my problem.
>
> Here's where I killed NT: My BIG mistake came when I used Partition Magic
> to solve my problems. I was already wary of a program called "Partition
> Magic" yet failed to help me fix any partition problems when the slightest
> number was off in the partition table, nor did it let me edit the partition
> tables directly. I tried creating a FAT partition to fill in the empty
> space on the drive that was causing so many problems, and when PM forced me
> to reboot, it deleted my NT boot loader!
>
> Now the NT Installation refuses to recognize my NTFS partition on the drive.
> It says "unformatted or corrupted partition" or the like. I don't have a
> rescue disk. The one thing I do have is a copy of the partition table as it
> originally was on paper, but even when I try setting the partition table to
> its original state, the NT Installation still fails.
>
> I know the exact location of the beginning of the NT partition on the drive
> and I know that the data is intact, but I just can't reach it. What can I
> do?
>
> Please reply in the newsgroup only - I can only read my mail in NT.
>
> And yes, I _promise_ to reinstall Linux once this mess is over! :)
>
> Thanks,
> Christopher Gorski
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Try rebuilding your loader files, preferabley on a FAT 16 partition. You can
do this using the repair choice on the NT setup. If this doesn't work there
are these data recovery companies, of course they charge like 10.00 per
MB..........
PS, I have played the multiboot game for years and am currently using a
Linux/NT setup. It pays to keep a small DOS partition on your boot drive.
This has saved my butt more times than I can count. I have NT installed on my
2nd drive (slave on primary controller) and running NTFS. The boot files are
on the master in the dos partition. The rest of the master is holding Linux.
I can dink around with all my partitions to my hearts content using either
Linux fdisk or NT's disk admint and as long as I don't touch that dos partition
(and make a rescue disk periodically--hint hint) I am pretty safe. Of course I
also backup my important stuff pretty regularly too. Anyway, I hope this
experience was a lesson well learned, better at home than on the corporate mail
server:)
------------------------------
From: Tom Ford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Booting Linux off the primary hdd, win95 off the secondary using LILO
Date: 25 Jan 1999 20:46:56 +0000
I used to boot Linux and Win95 (when I had to) off the same drive.
However, I never thought this was very clean, so when I eventually got
two drives I installed Linux with LILO on one and Win95 on the other.
I'd now like to boot Win95 or Linux but unfortunately I can't convince
lilo to let me.
Linux is in /dev/hda1, Win95 in /dev/hdc1
I've fiddled with table= etc. to no avail.
I would appreciate any help you could offer :)
Flend
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Linux is not even in Windows 9X's class.
Crossposted-To: alt.linux,alt.os.linux,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 22:18:18 +0100
The new Linux 2.2 kernel will require 5 MB of RAM in compared to
Win2000... :-)
Chris Snyder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I agree. I heard that NT5(win2000) will require a Pentium 2 and 128 MB RAM.
> I'm currently running Linux on a 486SX 25 with 16MB RAM
--
Anders Gulden Olstad @ Brinkley | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RedHat 5.2 Linux kernel 2.0.36 | "Penguins are generally nice creatures"
------------------------------
From: Kyle Davenport <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: linux.redhat.misc
Subject: Re: using xanim from netscape
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 15:09:42 -0600
Joshua Levi Baker-LePain wrote:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > Netscape: 4.5
> > xanim 2.70.7
>
> > Trying to use xanim to view .mov files.
> > I get the following error message:
> > Vido Codec: Radius Cinepak not yher supported (E18)
> > No support for this Codec please read the file
> > "cinepak.readme"
> > Notice video is present but not yet supported.
>
> > Now if I download the *.mov file and from the command line:
> > $ xanim home.mov
>
> > It works fine.
>
> From the sounds of it, you may have two versions of xanim installed. The
> rpm'd version that ships with RedHat 5.2 does not support the cinepak codec.
> Type 'which xanim' at the command line to find the executable that seems to
> support the codec. Then point Netscape directly to that executable via
> Edit->Preferences->Navigator->Applications and then finding the MIME type
> for .mov's.
>
> HTH
>
> --
> ------------------------------------
> Joshua Baker-LePain
> Department of Biomedical Engineering
> Duke University
umm, yes, the redhat version does support cinepak, which you will note by
looking at the rpm info. It is Rev 2.70.7.0. But Larry must be referring to a
different version in netscape if it runs on the command line.
------------------------------
From: "Keith Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: how to start programming in Linux
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:28:08 -0700
Kelvin Leung wrote in message ...
>Hello,
>
>I am not a real programmer. I had some experience in C back in MSDOS age
>years ago. I would like to start writing some simulation software in Linux
>envirnonment. Can anyone tell me where should I start it? Should I write
>it in GNOME or KDE or both? I'm a Newbie and may be I am asking a dumb
>question. Please tell me. Thanks.
>
>Kelvin
If you've got some C experience, I would suggest that you start at the
basics - i.e. ignore X applications until you have a sound grasp of advanced
C and some C++.
Two books in particular are quite good:
Beginning Linux Programming (Wrox)
Linux Application Development
Once you understand compiler options, library usage, makefiles, and some
mechanics such as IPC's, then proceed to X development.
Just my two cents.
------------------------------
From: "J�rgen Exner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Corrupt passwd file
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 12:41:58 -0800
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message
<78ieic$1d1$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>Hi, unfortunately I've gone and messed up the /etc/passwd file by joining
the
>first two lines into one.
>
>So now it looks something like:
>
>root:x:0:0:/bin/csh bin:x:1:1:/bin
>
>When I try to log in as root it tries to run the command "/bin/csh
>bin:x:1:1..." and fails to create a shell because that is a silly program
>name.
>
>Is there anyway around this? I can't find the original installation disks,
but
>could I use any Linux installation disk (eg redhat) to reboot the machine
into
>some sort of mode that would let me edit the passwd file to repair it?
This is very easy to fix.
Please check the Linux FAQ, question 6.11: "I have srewed up my system and
can't log in to fix it" or the several discussions about e.g. "I lost my
root password".
jue
--
J�rgen Exner; microsoft.com, UID: jurgenex
Sorry for this anti-spam inconvenience
------------------------------
From: "J�rgen Exner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Deleting Directories
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 12:45:47 -0800
Jeff Grossman wrote in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>Is it possible to delete directories that are not empty? rmdir will
>only delete empty directories.
No, this is not possible.
You must delete the content of the directory first (where should the
orphaned files go, after all?)
However option "-r" of "rm" will make this job easy as it deletes a whole
tree including all files and subdirectories.
jue
--
J�rgen Exner; microsoft.com, UID: jurgenex
Sorry for this anti-spam inconvenience
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rob Komar)
Subject: Re: How to check that SMP is working
Date: 25 Jan 1999 18:49:10 GMT
Oliver Schuetz ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
: Hallo
: I just compiled my Suse linux 6.0 with SMP=1 and bootet on a 2x486/50
: Maschine. I could not find any differences in the performace. So can
: anybody tell me how to check the second prozessor is working. Is there
: anything like "mpsar" under SCO Unix on linux?
cat /proc/cpuinfo
Cheers,
Rob Komar
------------------------------
From: Phil Brutsche <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.setup
Subject: Re: minicom beep hangs <recipe for insanity>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 12:45:16 -0600
On Mon, 25 Jan 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Hi, i just finished upgrading from slackware 3.5 -> 3.6 and it went great,
> with one tiny excpetion. When i use minicom now, it dials up just fine but
> when it connects and gives that "connect ring" it hangs there, well actually
> minicom keeps going fine but the ring hangs and i can't kill it (well the
> only way to kill the ring that i have found so far is rebooting), does anyone
> out there have any ideas as to how i might resolve this problem?
Try upgrading the kernel; from what I remember, kernel 2.0.35 had this
problem - it's fixed in 2.0.36.
======================================================================
Phil Brutsche [EMAIL PROTECTED] | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Microsoft: "Where do you want to to today?"
Linux: "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"
------------------------------
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End of Linux-Misc Digest
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