April 2010 - wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Remote adminstration
by cmoman 05 Oct '10

05 Oct '10

Hello all, Is there a tool in ubuntu that a user can start that reports the real world ip address and configures a home router to open a port to allow remote administration? I have a friend or two for whom it would nice to get them to start a program, report to me the details via MSN or Skype or telephone etc and allow me to log in and fix or make a configuration change to their machine. I know how to set things up using ssh etc but that relies on some initial configuration at the their end. KDE has a nice VNC invite function but it won't do the router config part. It appears the likes of KTorrent and Azuereus have the ability to do some to the router via UPnP to open ports up on the router dynamically so I am guessing all this is possible. Cheers

6 6

WLUG Fixit Meeting tomorrow
by Meeting Reminder bot 20 Aug '10

20 Aug '10

A reminder; the WLUG Fixit Meeting is tomorrow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday Mar 6th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm SaturdayWorkshop at Te Whanau Pūtahi (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TeWhanauPutahi) the community church at the end of Oxford Street. We'll have the usual tables, power, various ISO's, Internet, coffee and light lunch, etc.

6 8

WLUG Fixit Meeting is today!
by Meeting Reminder bot 30 Apr '10

30 Apr '10

A reminder, the WLUG Fixit Meeting is today. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 1st, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm SaturdayWorkshop at Te Whanau Pūtahi (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TeWhanauPutahi) the community church at the end of Oxford Street. We'll have the usual tables, power, various ISO's, Internet, coffee and light lunch, etc. Also since this will be shortly after the release of Lucid Lynx, we'll have a bit of party food and make this a Lucid Lynx Release Party. Special appearance from Tux the penguin (Cairo) who will be handing out little chocolate fish to anyone who wants them. http://softwarefreedomday.org/gallery/2007/newzealand/hamilton?action=Attac… Ubuntu ISOs wanted: * Kubuntu * DVD images zcat has; * ubuntu-10.04-alternate-amd64.iso * ubuntu-10.04-alternate-i386.iso * ubuntu-10.04-desktop-amd64.iso * ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso John has: * ubuntu-10.04-netbook-i386.iso * xubuntu-10.04-alternate-i386.iso Download From: * Torrents, if you can (it helps keep the load down on the http/ftp mirrors) * http://ftp.citylink.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/ * http://mirror.ihug.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/

1 0

Saturday workshop / Lucid Release Party TOMORROW!
by Bruce Kingsbury 30 Apr '10

30 Apr '10

I don't know what's happened to the Wlug Reminder Bot, but it doesn't seem to have picked up tomorrow's meeting. I've bought some party food already and just downloading the ISO's now. Saturday May 1st, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm SaturdayWorkshop at Te Whanau Pūtahi, the community church at the end of Oxford Street. We'll have the usual tables, power, various ISO's, Internet, coffee and light lunch, etc. Also since this will be shortly after the release of Lucid Lynx, we'll have a bit of party food and make this a Lucid Lynx Release Party.

5 6

[OT] local support for small (Win) network
by Michael Doerner - TechnologyWise 27 Apr '10

27 Apr '10

Apologies for this OT posting but I prefer and hope to find the right person or company through a local Linux user group rather searching through Yellow Pages or similar. I hope this is OK. We are a systems integrator in Tauranga. As much as we like to use Open Source (especially Linux based servers), real life means we often have to deal with the Windows world as well. For an existing customer from Tauranga, we will setup a new office in Hamilton, a small LAN with three Windows7 machines, a multifunction printer and one machine being the peer to peer server with a USB backup device. All pretty normal stuff. The only Open Source there, at least for the beginning will be OpenOffice, Thunderbird and Firefox. Ideally we are looking for a local company (or maybe single person) who wants to help us as their local support in case they need someone on-site. If there is any interest, please contact me directly (NO replies to this list please). Thank You. Michael Doerner TechnologyWise Ltd | Tauranga / NZ michael(a)tw.co.nz | www.technologywise.co.nz

1 0

Software Patents
by John Billings 27 Apr '10

27 Apr '10

Just following up on last nights meeting where we watched Patent Absurdity, I mentioned Andrew Tridgell's talk at LCA this year. You can get the video of it here: http://2009.r2.co.nz/20100118/50091.htm He has some no nonsense advice for Free Software developers in dealing with patents. Cheers, John

1 0

Re: [wlug] Ubuntu desktop image feeds (Peter Reutemann)
by Eric Light 26 Apr '10

26 Apr '10

Hi Peter, Thanks for your response! I've tried Webilder, but there are no repositories for either Karmic or Jaunty. Your second link however guided me to "Drapes" which I'm putting through the paces now... Perhaps I'll just need to download a bunch of wallpapers and let it do the rest of the magic :-) Thanks again Cheers, - Eric Message: 7 > Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:05:06 +1200 > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > To: Waikato Linux Users Group <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > Subject: Re: [wlug] Ubuntu desktop image feeds > Message-ID: > <j2k548e07051004221605gbdddbf53p2e433897b7b0e283(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > > I'm looking for an app that will change my Ubuntu (Karmic) desktop image > > periodically, with images from Flickr. > > > > E.g. I'd like it to automatically flick through the photos here > > (http://www.flickr.com/photos/metservice-nz/) every hour or so. > > > > Any advice?? Does this exist yet? > > A quick search for "ubuntu desktop background image flickr changer": > > http://www.ubuntugeek.com/howto-set-flickr-images-as-ubuntu-desktop-wallpap… > http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-wallpaper-changer-apps-for-linux/ > > Webuilder seems to be closest to what you want. Only downside, you > need to trigger the download of the images manually. > > NB: haven't used any of these tools myself. > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/<http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/%7Efracpete/> Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > > >

1 0

REMINDER: WLUG meeting tonight!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 25 Apr '10

25 Apr '10

There's a WLUG meeting tonight: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Film screening: Patent Absurdity: how software patents broke the system Against the backdrop of of the current Bilski case in the US Supreme Court, the film features a series of interviews explaining the absurdity of software patents and how we got into this mess. In light of the recent decision by a select committee that software should NOT be patentable in New Zealand, the WLUG committee decided that this would be a good time to screen this film, and discuss some of the issues surrounding software patents. Patentable Inventions: We Recommend amending clause 15 to include computer programs among inventions that may not be patented. We received many submissions concerning the patentability of computer programs. Under the Patents Act 1953 computer programs can be patented in New Zealand provided the produce a commercially useful effect. Open Source, or free, software has grown in popularity since the 1980s. Protecting software by patenting is inconsistent with the open source model, and its proponents oppose it. A number of submitters argued that there is no "inventive step" in software development, as 'new' software invariably builds on existing software. They felt that computer software should be excluded from patent protection as software patents can stifle innovation and competition. In general we accept this position. http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/B6E4F834-C47A-426A-86B8-F573ED4F5E04/… April 26th 7:30pm MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4)

1 0

Ubuntu desktop image feeds
by Eric Light 22 Apr '10

22 Apr '10

Hi everyone, I'm looking for an app that will change my Ubuntu (Karmic) desktop image periodically, with images from Flickr. E.g. I'd like it to automatically flick through the photos here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/metservice-nz/) every hour or so. Any advice? Does this exist yet? Cheers, - Eric

2 1

REMINDER: WLUG meeting is on Monday
by Meeting Reminder Bot 22 Apr '10

22 Apr '10

There's a Waikato Linux Users Group meeting on Monday: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Film screening: Patent Absurdity: how software patents broke the system Against the backdrop of of the current Bilski case in the US Supreme Court, the film features a series of interviews explaining the absurdity of software patents and how we got into this mess. In light of the recent decision by a select committee that software should NOT be patentable in New Zealand, the WLUG committee decided that this would be a good time to screen this film, and discuss some of the issues surrounding software patents. Patentable Inventions: We Recommend amending clause 15 to include computer programs among inventions that may not be patented. We received many submissions concerning the patentability of computer programs. Under the Patents Act 1953 computer programs can be patented in New Zealand provided the produce a commercially useful effect. Open Source, or free, software has grown in popularity since the 1980s. Protecting software by patenting is inconsistent with the open source model, and its proponents oppose it. A number of submitters argued that there is no "inventive step" in software development, as 'new' software invariably builds on existing software. They felt that computer software should be excluded from patent protection as software patents can stifle innovation and competition. In general we accept this position. http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/B6E4F834-C47A-426A-86B8-F573ED4F5E04/… April 26th 7:30pm MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4)

1 0