February 2009 - wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

ANNOUNCE: WLUG meeting is one week away
by Meeting Reminder Bot 15 Feb '09

15 Feb '09

The Waikato Linux Users Group have a meeting in one week from today: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A meeting is scheduled for this date, but you haven't told us what you want it to be yet. If you're seeing this message, feel free to suggest or offer to present a meeting topic - the MeetingTopics page might be a good place to start.

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Fwd: Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 released
by Ian McDonald 15 Feb '09

15 Feb '09

If you want a rock solid distribution then Debian 5 is out. It may take a little more work configuring and doesn't have the latest version of everything but you can count on it running, and running and running... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alexander Reichle-Schmehl <tolimar(a)debian.org> Date: Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 10:58 PM Subject: Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 released To: debian-announce(a)lists.debian.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Debian Project http://www.debian.org/ Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 released press(a)debian.org February 14th, 2009 http://www.debian.org/News/2009/20090214 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 released The Debian Project is pleased to announce the official release of Debian GNU/Linux version 5.0 (codenamed "Lenny") after 22 months of constant development. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system which supports a total of twelve processor architectures and includes the KDE, GNOME, Xfce, and LXDE desktop environments. It also features compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and software developed for version 3.2 of the LSB. Debian GNU/Linux runs on computers ranging from palmtops and handheld systems to supercomputers, and on nearly everything in between. A total of twelve architectures are supported: Sun SPARC (sparc), HP Alpha (alpha), Motorola/IBM PowerPC (powerpc), Intel IA-32 (i386), IA-64 (ia64), HP PA-RISC (hppa), MIPS (mips, mipsel), ARM (arm, armel), IBM S/390 (s390), and AMD64 and Intel EM64T (amd64). Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny" adds support for Marvell's Orion platform which is used in many storage devices. Supported storage devices include the QNAP Turbo Station series, HP Media Vault mv2120, and Buffalo Kurobox Pro. Additionally, "Lenny" now supports several Netbooks, in particular the Eee PC by Asus. "Lenny" also contains the build tools for Emdebian which allow Debian source packages to be cross-built and shrunk to suit embedded ARM systems. Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny" includes the new ARM EABI port, "armel". This new port provides a more efficient use of both modern and future ARM processors. As a result, the old ARM port (arm) has now been deprecated. This release includes numerous updated software packages, such as the K Desktop Environment 3.5.10 (KDE), an updated version of the GNOME desktop environment 2.22.2, the Xfce 4.4.2 desktop environment, LXDE 0.3.2.1, the GNUstep desktop 7.3, X.Org 7.3, OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, GIMP 2.4.7, Iceweasel 3.0.6 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox), Icedove 2.0.0.19 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird), PostgreSQL 8.3.6, MySQL 5.0.51a, GNU Compiler Collection 4.3.2, Linux kernel version 2.6.26, Apache 2.2.9, Samba 3.2.5, Python 2.5.2 and 2.4.6, Perl 5.10.0, PHP 5.2.6, Asterisk 1.4.21.2, Emacs 22, Inkscape 0.46, Nagios 3.06, Xen Hypervisor 3.2.1 (dom0 as well as domU support), OpenJDK 6b11, and more than 23,000 other ready-to-use software packages (built from over 12,000 source packages). With the integration of X.Org 7.3 the X server autoconfigures itself with most hardware. Newly introduced packages allow the full support of NTFS filesystems and the use of most multimedia keys out of the box. Support for Adobe(R) Flash(R) format files is available via the swfdec or Gnash plugins. Overall improvements for notebooks have been introduced, such as out of the box support of CPU frequency scaling. For leisure time several new games have been added, including puzzle games as well as first-person shooters. Also notable is the introduction of "goplay", a graphical games browser offering filters, search, screenshots and descriptions for games in Debian. The availability and updates of OpenJDK, GNU Java compiler, GNU Java bytecode interpreter, Classpath and other free versions of Sun's Java technology, into Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 allow us to ship Java-based applications in Debian's "main" repository. Further improvements in system security include the installation of available security updates before the first reboot by the Debian Installer, the reduction of setuid root binaries and open ports in the standard installation, and the use of GCC hardening features in the builds of several security-critical packages. Various applications have specific improvements, too. PHP for example is now built with the Suhosin hardening patch. For non-native English speaking users the package management systems now support translated package descriptions and will automatically show the description of a package in the native language of the user, if available. Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from various installation media such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and floppies, or from the network. GNOME is the default desktop environment and is contained on the first CD. Other desktop environments - KDE, Xfce, or LXDE - can be installed through two new alternative CD images. Again available with Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 are multi-arch CDs and DVDs supporting installation of multiple architectures from a single disc; and this release adds Blu-ray Discs, allowing the archive for an entire architecture to be shipped on a single BD. In addition to the regular installation media, Debian GNU/Linux can now also be directly used without prior installation. The special images used, known as live images, are available for CDs, USB sticks, and netboot setups. Initially, these are provided for the amd64 and i386 architectures only. The installation process for Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 has been improved in many ways: among many other improvements, support for installation from more than one CD or DVD has been restored, firmware required by some devices can be loaded by using removable media, and installations via Braille display are supported. The installer boot process has also received much attention: a graphical menu can be used to choose front-ends and desktop environments, and to select expert or rescue mode. The installation system for Debian GNU/Linux has now been translated to 63 languages. Debian GNU/Linux can be downloaded right now via bittorrent (the recommended way), jigdo or HTTP; see Debian GNU/Linux on CDs [1] for further information. It will soon be available on DVD, CD-ROM and Blu-ray Disc from numerous vendors [2], too. Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 from the previous release, Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (codenamed "Etch") are automatically handled by the aptitude package management tool for most configurations, and to a certain degree also by the apt-get package management tool. As always, Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded painlessly, in place, without any forced downtime, but it is strongly recommended to read the release notes [3] for possible issues, and for detailed instructions on installing and upgrading. The release notes will be further improved and translated to additional languages in the weeks after the release. 1: http://www.debian.org/CD/ 2: http://www.debian.org/CD/vendors 3: http://www.debian.org/releases/lenny/releasenotes Dedication ---------- Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny" is dedicated to Thiemo Seufer, a Debian Developer who died on December 26th, 2008 in a tragic car accident. Thiemo was involved in Debian in many ways. He has maintained several packages and was the main supporter of the Debian port to the MIPS architectures. He was also a member of our kernel team, as well as a member of the Debian Installer team. His contributions reached far beyond the Debian project. He also worked on the MIPS port of the Linux kernel, the MIPS emulation of qemu, and far too many smaller projects to be named here. Thiemo's work, commitment, broad technical knowledge and ability to share this with others will be missed. Thiemo's contributions will not be forgotten. The high standards of his work make it hard to pick up. About Debian ------------ Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system, developed by more than a thousand volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the Internet. Debian's dedication to Free Software, its non-profit nature, and its open development model make it unique among GNU/Linux distributions. The Debian project's key strengths are its volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social Contract, and its commitment to provide the best operating system possible. Debian 5.0 is another important step in that direction. Contact Information ------------------- For further information, please visit the Debian web pages at http://www.debian.org/ or send mail to <press(a)debian.org>. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-announce-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org -- Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/, http://www.jandi.co.nz Blog: http://iansblog.jandi.co.nz

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Fwd: Moonshine: drinking fermented Windows Media content on Linux
by Ian McDonald 13 Feb '09

13 Feb '09

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ian McDonald <ian.mcdonald(a)jandi.co.nz> Date: Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 6:58 AM Subject: Moonshine: drinking fermented Windows Media content on Linux To: ian.mcdonald(a)jandi.co.nz Sent to you by Ian McDonald via Google Reader: Moonshine: drinking fermented Windows Media content on Linux<http://feeds.arstechnica.com/%7Er/arstechnica/everything/%7E3/2qyxyzMxnQ8/m…> via Ars Technica - All Ars Technica Content <http://arstechnica.com/> by segphault(a)arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul) on 2/13/09 [image: companion photo for Moonshine: drinking fermented Windows Media content on Linux]<http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/02/moonshine-drinking-fermented-…> Novell developer Aaron Bockover has created a clever Firefox plugin that uses Moonlight to play conventional Windows media streaming video content at websites like C-SPAN. The plugin takes advantage of the video codecs that Microsoft provides for Moonlight, Novell's open source implementation of Microsoft's Silverlight rich Internet application framework. Moonlight 1.0, which was officially released Wednesday<http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/02/moonlight-10-brings-silverl…>, automatically downloads a proprietary codec pack from Microsoft in order to provide Linux users with legally licensed support for Microsoft's video formats. Bockover's plugin uses the NPAPI to register itself as the default consumer of Windows Media content and then, when it is invoked by the browser, uses Moonlight to embed a Silverlight-based streaming video player—which he wrote entirely in XAML and JavaScript—in the page to handle WMV. Click here to read the rest of this article<http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/02/moonshine-drinking-fermented-…> <http://feedads.googleadservices.com/%7Ea/XpCyimPYLHl6yKMzb5wwO9wZb1E/a> Things you can do from here: - Subscribe to Ars Technica - All Ars Technica Content<http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.arstechnica.com…>using *Google Reader* - Get started using Google Reader<http://www.google.com/reader/?source=email>to easily keep up with *all your favorite sites* -- Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/, http://www.jandi.co.nz Blog: http://iansblog.jandi.co.nz

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Fwd: Auto-discard notification
by Chris O'Halloran 12 Feb '09

12 Feb '09

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Gavin Grieve <ggrieve(a)ihug.co.nz> To: Waikato Linux Users Group <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:54:34 +1300 Subject: Re: [wlug] Thursday 12th Feb, Paul Fenwick & wife Jacinta Richardson talk at Waikato Uni SG01 Liz wrote: > > Hes gone out of his way to come give this talk to WLUG today, he was actually holidaying breifly! So make sure you turn up and show him a great time. I am so totally jealous and wish I could come up from sunny *cough* Wellington. Nice catch guys. -- Gavin

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Thursday 12th Feb, Paul Fenwick & wife Jacinta Richardson talk at Waikato Uni SG01
by Liz Quilty 12 Feb '09

12 Feb '09

We are pleased to announce that Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson will both be giving talks at the Waikato Uni Who: Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson When: 7pm-9pm 12th Feb 2009 Where: SG01 at the Waikato University in Hamilton. http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?S (Please leave your Stargates at home, Wraiths not welcome!) What: Something Perl related (the programming languages). To be worked out and advised yet There is room for up to 80 people, so feel free to invite anyone else who may be interested. Paul Fenwick is well known for his work with perl - you can find out about him here http://pjf.id.au/ Jacinta Richardson is Pauls wife, and also winner of the 2008 White Camel award for contributions to the Perl community. Liz Quilty

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting tonight!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

There's a WLUG meeting tonight: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WLUG are pleased to announce that Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson will both be giving talks at the Waikato Uni Who: Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson When: 7pm-9pm 12th Feb 2009 Where: SG01 at the Waikato University in Hamilton. map (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?S) What: The Art of Klingon programming - _Paul Fenwick_ A good programmer needs many qualities: intelligence, foresight, dedication, and the ability to fight off a hundred angry targh armed only with your bat'leth. On Qo'noS, software developers undertake an intensive course in combat programming before they are cleared for active duty. The tlhIngan traditions have long known one truth holds true for both glory in battle and software development: bIlujDI' yIchegh()Qo'; yIHegh()! It is better to die() than to return() in failure. For too long, Perl has been a pujwI', and unsuitable for use by true warriors. In this talk we will show how the new autodie pragma can help you to code with batlh! On Speaking - _Jacinta Richardson_ You've been to *those* talks. The kind where the title first drew your attention, the abstract made you go wow, and you were so excited you took afront seat. Then the speaker went to their first slide and it was so full of text (15 bullet points!) and you just knew they were going to spend the next ten minutes talking about what you've just read in two. Worse, being up the front, you can't easily leave and it'd be rude to pull out your laptop... Don't be one of those speakers. No matter how technically brillant your talk, it's worth nothing at all if you can't keep your audience interested. This (short) talk will cover a whole bunch of tricks you can use to get your audience's attention and keep it. Better yet, if you use these ideas there's a good chance people will remember *what* you spoke about and will attend your future talks as well. There is room for up to 80 people, so feel free to invite anyone else who may be interested. Paul Fenwick is well known for his work with perl - you can find out about him here http://pjf.id.au/ Jacinta Richardson is Pauls wife, and also winner of the 2008 White Camel award for contributions to the Perl community.

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting is tomorrow!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 10 Feb '09

10 Feb '09

There is a Waikato Linux Users Group meeting tomorrow: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WLUG are pleased to announce that Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson will both be giving talks at the Waikato Uni Who: Paul Fenwick and his wife Jacinta Richardson When: 7pm-9pm 12th Feb 2009 Where: SG01 at the Waikato University in Hamilton. map (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?S) What: The Art of Klingon programming - _Paul Fenwick_ A good programmer needs many qualities: intelligence, foresight, dedication, and the ability to fight off a hundred angry targh armed only with your bat'leth. On Qo'noS, software developers undertake an intensive course in combat programming before they are cleared for active duty. The tlhIngan traditions have long known one truth holds true for both glory in battle and software development: bIlujDI' yIchegh()Qo'; yIHegh()! It is better to die() than to return() in failure. For too long, Perl has been a pujwI', and unsuitable for use by true warriors. In this talk we will show how the new autodie pragma can help you to code with batlh! On Speaking - _Jacinta Richardson_ You've been to *those* talks. The kind where the title first drew your attention, the abstract made you go wow, and you were so excited you took afront seat. Then the speaker went to their first slide and it was so full of text (15 bullet points!) and you just knew they were going to spend the next ten minutes talking about what you've just read in two. Worse, being up the front, you can't easily leave and it'd be rude to pull out your laptop... Don't be one of those speakers. No matter how technically brillant your talk, it's worth nothing at all if you can't keep your audience interested. This (short) talk will cover a whole bunch of tricks you can use to get your audience's attention and keep it. Better yet, if you use these ideas there's a good chance people will remember *what* you spoke about and will attend your future talks as well. There is room for up to 80 people, so feel free to invite anyone else who may be interested. Paul Fenwick is well known for his work with perl - you can find out about him here http://pjf.id.au/ Jacinta Richardson is Pauls wife, and also winner of the 2008 White Camel award for contributions to the Perl community.

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External Dial Up Modem Cable
by Ronnie Collinson 08 Feb '09

08 Feb '09

Hi, does anyone have a spare cable for one, it has 25pin (parallel port?)(male) to 9pin serial port(female), apparently I have more modems then cables

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javascript
by Glenn Stuart Morrissey 08 Feb '09

08 Feb '09

hi there all is anyone able to help me out with a bit of javascript code? On my webpage:gmorrissey.kol.co.nz I have a page called page_template. I have only uploaded the red and black images for the first two buttons (a blue and a red button for mouseover). I dont think I have quite got the code right as the buttons arent changing colour on mouseover. I had an online script that I used as a template, I seemed to have gone awry for some reason. Any tips appreciated. Glenn.

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file permissions on remote server
by Glenn Stuart Morrissey 07 Feb '09

07 Feb '09

hey I changed the location of my files to the 'public folder' and when I checked my file permissions and they are set to rwxr-xr-x. When I try and change those permission settings, they dont change. Can anyone tell me why? cheers Glenn Morrissey

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