April 2005 - wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Ubuntu Warty CDs spare - linz
by Lindsay 10 Apr '05

10 Apr '05

I still have a couple of couples of Warty Ubuntu if anyone would like these. Reply and supply postal address. Linz

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PCI Hardware Database
by Perry Lorier 10 Apr '05

10 Apr '05

In preparation for the WLUG Installfest, I've written up a quick hack to help people identify hardware, what drivers they need, where they can get those drivers and any quirks that the hardware may have (eg, defaulting to the internal connector rather than the external one, needing firmware to be flash upgraded before use, limitations of the device that may not be apparent initially etc). For example: http://www.wlug.org.nz/~perry/pci/?id=0200:10ec:8139:10ec:8139 What I'd really like is for people on this list to run a small shell script that looks at the hardware in their machine, and produces links to the hardware database. After following those links you'll be presented with a web page with the information known about that device, and the ability to leave some notes about that piece of hardware. This is especially important for people with winmodems as being able to quickly detect and find drivers for winmodems at the Installfest is critical for a stress free day. I'd like people to download the shell script at http://www.wlug.org.nz/~perry/pci/pci.sh and run it, check your hardware and make sure it's known about in hardware database, and write down any notes that you may have about it (especially things like if you had to download 3rd party drivers from somewhere, or minimum required kernel versions). This script requires a 2.6 kernel, and for /sys to be mounted (this should be true of any recently release distribution) If you can't get the piece of hardware working under Linux please leave a note to that effect so we can research it before the Installfest so we can have an answer to your problems ready so we can spend the rest of the day making your machine shine :) If any hardware is not detected by the database please email me the information about your hardware with: ( lspci -v ; sort -u /lib/modules/*/modules.pcimap ) | mail perry(a)coders.net -s "PCI database" The script is a bit raw (ok, a lot raw) at the moment, I plan on tidying it up a lot, but I'm also keen on getting information about various bits of hardware as soon as possible so we can start researching it in preparation for the Installfest. If you have suggestions, comments or even mild thoughts please email me (perry(a)coders.net) with them and I'll try and incorporate them into the programs before the Installfest.

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RE: [wlug] Top posting
by David Nicholls 09 Apr '05

09 Apr '05

From: Bnonn [mailto:bnonn(a)orcon.net.nz] Sent: Friday, 8 April 2005 3:16 pm Subject: Re: [wlug] Top posting For what it's worth, I agree, but you will find that the acceptable use policy of the list has been updated to include no html email, and no top posting, so there you have it :) Help help! I'm being repressed! ------------ Interestingly enough, I was just doing some goooooooooooooooooogle research (cheers greig!), and came across a reasonably old netiqette article which seemed to indicate that both top *and* bottom posting were acceptable so long as it was clear what you were quoting and you - as someone else put it - didn't quote an entire email (just enough to get the idea/topic). And of course interspersed is fine too. Most of the stuff ive found seems to indicate this, even an RFC written by intel in '94. Mostly it seems to by left to the preference of the user and community you are communicating with. Cheers... david

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RE: [wlug] Top posting
by David Nicholls 08 Apr '05

08 Apr '05

From: David Nicholls Sent: Friday, 8 April 2005 4:05 pm Subject: RE: [wlug] Top posting Interestingly enough, I was just doing some goooooooooooooooooogle research (cheers greig!), and came across a reasonably old netiqette article which seemed to indicate that both top *and* bottom posting were acceptable so long as it was clear what you were quoting and you - as someone else put it - didn't quote an entire email (just enough to get the idea/topic). And of course interspersed is fine too. Most of the stuff ive found seems to indicate this, even an RFC written by intel in '94. Mostly it seems to by left to the preference of the user and community you are communicating with. Cheers... David ----------------- Oh I forgot to include this: An inforative & humourous guide to writing on the internet (posting to email lists/usenet) entitled how to write - rude words are included. http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/closet/silly/Write-Like-A-Wanker.html Cheers... david

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Stephen Pearce
by Oliver Jones 08 Apr '05

08 Apr '05

Could Stephen Pearce please contact me ASAP. Regards -- Oliver Jones » Roving Code Warrior oliver(a)deeperdesign.com » +64 (21) 41 2238 » www.deeperdesign.com

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Creating PDFs - was Significant Press Release
by Graham 08 Apr '05

08 Apr '05

> ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 18:42:50 +1200 > From: Oliver Jones <oliver(a)deeper.co.nz> > Subject: Re: [wlug] A significant Press Release > To: Waikato Linux Users Group <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > Message-ID: <1112769770.10434.24.camel(a)localhost.localdomain> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > >> This is a department dependent issue. In CS as many staff and >> students use >> a selection of Linux, Windows and MacOS X so most staff encourage >> students >> to submit in .pdf, .html or plain text. If staff in a given department >> only have access to a windows PC and students are only provided a >> windows >> lab, then the school may well require submissions in an Office format. > > > > Then install PDF Creator (http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/) > on those machines. It's a Open Source and very useful PDF generator > (acts as a Windows Printer). It is basically a thin-ish wrapper around > Ghostscript. > > >>> These are pet peeves of mine, as my missus can't drop IE/Windows >>> completely since she still needs them to do University work. >> > > > Regards > -- > Oliver Jones Â» Roving Code Warrior > oliver(a)deeperdesign.com Â» +64 (21) 41 2238 Â» www.deeperdesign.com A simple solution is to install OpenOffice.org. Then she can export to PDF or save in .doc for those that are still clinging to the sinking ship. My lecturers insist that assignments be presented in Word format. They may have some idea that it is all produced in OOo... Oh yes, they do, because I told them. ;) OpenOffice.org 2.0 will be out in a month or so or you can download the Beta from http://download.openoffice.org/2.0beta/index.html Cheers Yo Statement of Interest: There is some truth in the rumour that I am the New Zealand Marketing Contact for OpenOffice.org And yes I hope OpenOffice.org will be welcome at the installfest even if this writer runs his OOo 1.9.87 on SuSE 9.2 ;) (Though in my defense I will add that I have 1.1.2 running on a Warty Warthog box)

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RE: [wlug] Official announcement of 2005 Installfest
by David Nicholls 07 Apr '05

07 Apr '05

Hey, has anyone thought of inviting DSE to this? I was thinking cheap linux boxes, demosystems, and those cheap/free cds they do with oss software on them (great for those unsure about "switching") ;) Cheers... david -----Original Message----- Sent: Thursday, 7 April 2005 2:51 pm Subject: [wlug] Official announcement of 2005 Installfest Hi everyone, The Waikato Linux Users Group are proud to announce their second annual Linux installfest, to be held at the Crawshaw School Hall on Crawshaw Drive, Hamilton, from 10am on Saturday 7th May.

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Real world requirements
by James Clark 07 Apr '05

07 Apr '05

>>User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (Windows/20041206) >> >>I'm guess this has something to do with a draconian employer? >> >>James. > >No, it has to do with the real world requirements of my job. > >G. Such as? I'm actually interested by this. The last three years of my working career I've used primarily Linux. For a while (at my previous job) I had to KVM to a windows box periodically to use OutLook and some legacy customer management software. Now it's only Linux. Cheers, James.

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Installfest poster available
by Craig Box 07 Apr '05

07 Apr '05

If you'd like a printable installfest poster that you can put up around the place, check this out; thanks to Phil Murray: http://www.wlug.org.nz/archive/installfest/installfest-poster-2005.pdf Craig

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FW: [usg_list] Firefox JavaScript Engine Flaw Flagged
by Jodi Thomson 07 Apr '05

07 Apr '05

FYI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------- Jodi W. Anderson, Mr (BA, A+, MCP) - Computer Systems Consultant Waikato University Library - Computing Operations Group Ph: +64 7 838 4323 email: jodi(a)waikato.ac.nz "Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before." > should keep an eye on this one if your using or supporting > Firefox/Mozilla.... > > from: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1782332,00.asp > > A moderately critical security flaw in the Mozilla > Foundation's Firefox Web browser could put users at risk of > information disclosure attacks, according to an advisory from > security research outfit Secunia. > > The vulnerability has been confirmed in Firefox 1.0.1 and > 1.0.2, the two latest browser releases from the open-source > foundation. It also affects the Mozilla suite, Secunia warned. > > Secunia has released an online test to allow Firefox and > Mozilla users to determine if they are affected by the bug. > > As a temporary workaround, Secunia suggests that JavaScript > support be disabled. >

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